US08534472B2
A tower rack for holding greeting cards and the like is described. The rack includes a tower assembly structure which includes at least one panel section consisting of one or more side panels. Each side panels is configured with horizontal and vertical slits for holding merchandise trays. A base is configured to fit snugly to the bottom of the tower assembly structure.
US08534468B2
A screen structure which is unusually effective at removing stickies from recyclable fiber but is tolerant of substantial swings in throughput which result in variations in the flow velocity through the screen-slot velocity. One example of the screen structure is created by forming a very large number of similarly shaped vanes then locking them into a ring structure to form a cylindrical screen basket but equivalent surface configurations can also be formed into sheet stock.
US08534463B2
An electronic device packaging system that allows customer access, through a side accessible opening, to a connector of an enclosed electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device packaging system includes a front member and a back member that cooperate to form a device-accommodating compartment to enclose the electronic device. The device-accommodating compartment has at least one side configured with the side accessible opening through which the electronic connector is graspable by the customer through the accessible opening disposed on the side of the front member. The side placement of the “try it” feature allows full utilization of the front and back of the package for advertising graphics or information, or product display, thus resulting in a compact, efficient package, with advantages for both retailers and customers.
US08534457B1
A mount for operationally positioning a shield assembly above a conveyor belt assembly. The mount comprises a pair of spaced apart brackets attached on each side of the conveyor frame, and a pair of linkages pivotally connecting the brackets to the shield assembly.
US08534455B2
A transport device for conveying printed products. The transport device includes a conveying chain. The conveying chain includes at least two functional units arranged sequentially along a conveying section and connected to each other by a connecting element. Each functional unit includes a first chain link and a second chain link. The first and second chain links are operatively connected to one another and differing in their respective functions.
US08534451B2
The invention relates to a conveying system for conveying intended upright articles, for example vials, comprising an in-feed conveyor, an out-feed conveyor, and a single liner system placed between said in-feed conveyor and out-feed conveyor, wherein said single liner system comprising a series of co-planar conveyor belts, wherein said belts are placed side by side for defining a conveying surface and wherein said belts are movable in substantially the same driving direction at different velocities; a track guide placed above said conveying surface for guiding said articles from said in-feed conveyor to said out-feed conveyor along a guide direction, wherein said guide direction is arranged at an acute angle with respect to said driving direction; wherein said velocity of subsequent belts of said series of co-planar conveyor belts increases in the guide direction.
US08534450B2
A method for formation of a compacted arrangement of articles to be packaged within a packaging machine, whereby the group of articles come into contact with and is guided through the packaging machine via at least one profiled bar, at least in a partial section of its transport route, which comes into contact with an end face of the group of articles and in doing so at least some of the articles of the group are pushed together in the compacted arrangement. A device for implementation of the method for formation of a compacted group of a plurality of the same type of articles to be packaged. A symmetrically or asymmetrically profiled thrust bar for transforming a group of articles being conveyed in a horizontal direction into a compacted arrangement.
US08534449B2
A retaining device for printed circuit boards is of a frame-like form, with transporting carriages arranged on the outer longitudinal sides and intended for transporting the retaining device, a retaining frame of the retaining device for the substrates being arranged between the transporting carriages. The retaining frame is mounted height-adjustably on the transporting carriages and so a substrate restrained in it can be lowered or raised during the treatment.
US08534447B2
Systems, computer program products, and methods useful for handling or managing microplates are provided.
US08534446B2
The invention relates to a conveying device for the transport of components or component groups from and to one or more workstations, the conveying device comprising a conveying track and a component carrier truck moved on the conveying track, and there being provided in the region of the workstations, on the conveying track, positioning devices which cooperate with positioning devices on the component carrier truck in such a way that a desired position of the component carrier truck in the workstation is assumed in all three space directions (X, Y, Z) directly as a result of the travel-in movement of the component carrier truck into the workstation, characterized in that, during the entire travel-in movement of the component carrier truck into the workstation, each positioning device on the component carrier truck comes into contact with only its positioning device, determining the desired position, on the conveying track.
US08534439B2
A friction clutch assembly selectively engages an input member and an output member to allow selective transfer of torque therebetween. The friction clutch assembly includes a clutch pack including a first clutch member operatively coupled to the input member and a second clutch member operatively coupled to the output member. The clutch assembly further includes a plurality of lever arms and an actuating member with a movable member that is movably disposed between the plurality of lever arms. The movable member is movable generally along a linear axis between a disengaged position and an engaged position, and the movable member cams the plurality of lever arms relative to linear axis to cause the first and second clutch members to engage when the movable member moves to the engaged position. The first and second clutch members disengage when the movable member moves to the disengaged position.
US08534437B2
A centrifugally balanced hydraulic clutch assembly includes a hydraulic chamber configured to rotate about an axis of rotation and a clutch piston that is partially situated within the hydraulic chamber and defines both an apply volume and a release volume. The clutch piston includes an inner surface and an outer surface, where a portion of the outer surface faces the apply volume and defines an apply area, and a portion of the inner surface faces the release volume and defines a release area. Additionally each portion of the apply area is provided at a respective distance from the axis of rotation, and, for each portion of the apply area, there is a corresponding portion of the release area provided at the same radial distance.
US08534428B2
A hydraulic disc brake caliper that includes a housing that has first and second side portions and first and second end portions that cooperate to define a braking opening. The housing also includes first and second piston receiving openings and first and second fluid openings. The caliper also includes a bolt received in the second fluid opening that includes a shaft having a portion of a fluid path defined in the outer surface thereof that includes at least one channel and at least one reduced diameter portion. The fluid path extends from the first fluid opening to the second fluid opening. The at least one channel and the at least one reduced diameter portion are part of the fluid path and are in fluid communication between the first and second piston receiving openings.
US08534425B2
A method of regulating the oil level in a section of an oil sump of a splash-lubricated transmission that has at least first and second oil sump sections that are separated by a baffle plate (2). The oil sprayed from a gearwheel (1), that is immersed in one oil sump section, is specifically deflected into an adjacent oil sump section.
US08534422B2
A portable modular lift system that may be easily transported to a lifting location and compactly stored when not in use. The portable modular lift system generally includes a support base having a plurality of base wheels, a plurality of mast sections connectable to one another to form a vertical mast, a support platform movably positioned upon the vertical mast, and a drive unit connected to the support platform to elevate and lower the support platform upon the mast sections. The mast sections include a plurality of receiver apertures within a first end and a plurality of locking pins extending from a second end that are catchably received within the corresponding receiver apertures.
US08534413B2
A continuously variable transmission (CVT) is provided for use on a recreational or utility vehicle. The CVT is electronically controlled by a control unit of the vehicle. The CVT includes a primary clutch having a first sheave and a second sheave moveable relative to the first sheave. An actuator may be positioned between the primary and secondary clutches.
US08534411B2
A general-purpose frame structure to mount a powerplant to a car body includes four side frames having respective basal ends to be attached to a fore end of a cabin and adapted to extend in the fore-and-aft direction of the car body. Mounting devices are interposed between the side frames and the powerplant. The side frames have surfaces provided with a plurality of attachment openings arranged in a row at specific intervals. Side frame adjusters are configured to be interposed between the cabin and the side frames for adjusting the relative positions of the cabin and the side frames. The mounting devices are fitted, at the side of the side frames thereof, into two of the plurality of attachment openings, and mounting device adjusters are interposed between a powerplant-side connection portion and a side frame-side connection portion for adjusting the relative positions of the connection portions.
US08534399B2
A hybrid vehicle propulsion system including, an internal combustion engine coupled to an input of the fixed-ratio transmission is disclosed. In one example, a torque differential across a torque converter is reduced to assist torque converter clutch lockup. The system can improve shift feel during at least some conditions.
US08534382B2
Disclosed are hydrocarbon recovery drill string apparatus, subterranean hydrocarbon recovery drilling methods, and subterranean hydrocarbon recovery methods. In one embodiment, a hydrocarbon recovery drill string apparatus includes an elongated assembly within which a rotatable drill rod is received. The assembly comprises a longitudinal axis, a drill rod entrance end, and a drill rod exit end. The assembly comprises a tailcuttings diverter pipe proximate the drill rod exit end, with the tailcuttings diverter pipe defining an initial fluid flow path of the tailcuttings from the longitudinal axis which is acute from the longitudinal axis. Other apparatus and method aspects are contemplated.
US08534378B2
The invention relates to a gearing, in particular for portable electric power tools, preferably for angle grinders, comprising an automatic locking device (6, 15). According to the invention, provision is made for damping elements (20) to be integrated in the locking device module.
US08534377B2
A percussive mechanism, which is provided in the form of an, e.g. pneumatic spring percussive mechanism, comprises an electrodynamic linear drive, a drive piston, which can be reciprocally moved inside a percussive mechanism housing by the linear drive, and a percussive piston. An additional hollow space is provided in front of and/or behind the drive piston and can be isolated at least in part from the surrounding area so that a pneumatic spring can be created in the additional hollow space. The pneumatic spring slows the drive piston at its returning points and facilitates a returning motion without loading the electrodynamic linear drive.
US08534375B2
An electric power tool includes a body part for outputting a rotational force at one end thereof, a grip part provided to extend from the body part in an intersecting relationship with the body part, and a suspension link provided at the other end of the body part for hanging the body part. The suspension link is configured to ensure that, if the body part is suspended from the suspension link using the suspension link as a pivot point, the electric power tool is kept by a weight balance in a horizontal posture in which the extension direction of the grip part is substantially orthogonal to the vertical direction or an inclined horizontal posture in which the joint portion of the body part and the grip part is positioned at the upper side.
US08534366B2
A method of installing or retrieving a pumping system into or from a live wellbore includes connecting a lubricator to a production tree of the live wellbore and raising or lowering one or more downhole components of the pumping system from or into the wellbore using the lubricator.
US08534364B2
An underwater placed assembly produces gas or gas and oil/condensate from a subsea gaseous reservoir, where at least one production well is provided from the seabed to a production zone and at least one water injection well is provided from the seabed to an injection zone. The assembly includes: a pressure increasing device connected to the outlet of the production well in order to increase the pressure in a production flow from the production well, and a water turbine that is connected to and driving the pressure increasing device.
US08534362B2
Methods and apparatus enable reliable and improved isolation between two portions of a bore extending through a casing string disposed in a borehole. A downhole deployment valve (DDV) may provide the isolation utilizing a valve member such as a flapper that is disposed in a housing of the DDV and is designed to close against a seat within the housing. The DDV includes an operating mechanism for opening/closing the DDV. In use, pressure in one portion of a well that is in fluid communication with a well surface may be bled off and open at well surface while maintaining pressure in another portion of the casing string beyond the DDV.
US08534359B2
Oil sands and like host materials are leached with a selected leachant to render pumpable the oil (including heavy oil, bitumen or kerogen and asphaltenes) as leachate. In a preferred embodiment, natural deposits are in situ leached and the leachate recovered and removed for treatment. The leachant is separated and recycled. The leachant is selected to be biodegradable and to not precipate asphaltenes, and to comprise monoterpenes of the formula C10H16. The overall process allows environmentally acceptable resource development and contaminated site remediation.
US08534354B2
A method for deploying a completion string in a previously drilled borehole includes rotating the string at the surface while axially urging the assembly deeper into the borehole. This rotation is preferably only partially transferred down the completion string such that a lower portion of the string typically remains rotationally stationary with respect to the borehole. The completion string may be reciprocated upwards and downwards from the surface so as to enable the lower portion of the completion string to rotate. The completion string may alternatively be rotated back and forth, alternating between first and second rotational directions so as to maintain an applied surface torque below a predetermined threshold. The invention has been found to reduce drag between a completion assembly and the wall of a previously drilled borehole.
US08534352B2
Methods, apparatus and systems for controllably mobilizing, flowing and maneuvering the flow of hydrocarbon-containing materials within and about a subterranean reservoir. The system comprises selectively positioning at a ground surface level above a subterranean reservoir containing hydrocarbon-containing materials, at least three seismic apparatus spaced apart in a triangulated configuration. The system is provided with an electronic seismic control device configured to controllably communicate with and cooperate with each of the seismic apparatus to concurrently modulate the amplitudes and frequencies of the vibrational energies produced therefrom. The system is provided with a sensing apparatus configured to detect and monitor changes in the fluidity and movement of the hydrocarbon-containing materials about the subterranean reservoir. The electronic seismic control device is controllably manipulated to precisely modulate the frequencies and amplitudes of the seismic vibrational energies emitted by each of the seismic apparatus to controllably maneuver the flow of the fluidized hydrocarbon-containing materials about the subterranean reservoir.
US08534345B1
The present invention provides a housing having an aperture adapted to receive a heat transfer unit. The heat transfer unit attaches to the housing and directs a heat transfer sleeve into the housing. The heat transfer sleeve also provides an aperture adapted to receive a beverage. The heat transfer sleeve stores a heat transfer material including but not limited to a fluid, gel, or other substance that can be heated or cooled depending upon the desired effect on the beverage. The removable heat transfer unit releasably attaches to the housing for removal of the unit to heat or cool the heat transfer material for use in affecting the temperature of the beverage.
US08534343B2
Disclosed herein is a folding security window, in which an end of the security window is mounted to a window sill, the other end of the security window is connected to a window, a height-adjustable movable part is mounted to a vertical pole of the security window, a connecting means for connecting or disconnecting the security window to or from the window is provided, and the folded security window is not exposed to the outside. When the window is opened or closed, the security window is unfolded or folded, so that the security window does not spoil the appearance of the city. The movable parts mounted to upper and lower ends of the vertical pole enhance the adaptability and movability of the security window. The security window efficiently performs its original function without hindering ventilation, views, or light admittance.
US08534339B2
A mandrel for processing a part comprises an outer sleeve and a generally flexible inner core. The outer sleeve includes at least one flexible portion along its length allowing the sleeve to flex to a desired contour.
US08534338B2
A fiber placement system including positioner and a fiber delivery apparatus having a creel assembly and a fiber placement head is provided. The positioner moves the entire fiber delivery apparatus including the creel assembly and the fiber placement head via at least three linear degrees of freedom. The fiber delivery apparatus includes an articulating wrist for moving the fiber placement head relative to the creel assembly. The fiber placement apparatus is substantially free of linear degrees of freedom within the fiber tow paths between the spools and the fiber placement head. One or more rotational degrees of freedom may be provided along the tow path. In one embodiment, the interface between the fiber delivery apparatus and the positioner is laterally offset such that a portion of the creel axially overlaps with vertical ram of the positioner.
US08534336B2
A pneumatic tire has a pair of bead portions, side wall portions extending to an outer side in a tire diametrical direction from the bead portions, and a tread portion connected to an outer end in a tire diametrical direction of each of the side wall portions. An outer wall surface of the side wall portion is provided with a circumferential projection annularly extending along a tire circumferential direction, and a plurality of diametrical projections extending to an inner side in a tire diametrical direction from the circumferential projection and arranged so as to be spaced in the tire circumferential direction. A gap portion formed between the diametrical projections is open to an inner side in the tire diametrical direction.
US08534324B2
A system is provided for reducing noise produced by a falling liquid column in a discharge line connected to a sump pump through a flapper valve, when the flapper valve is moved from an open position to a closed position. The system includes a closed-end tube in fluid communication with the flapper valve and the discharge line to receive a portion of the residual head of liquid in the discharge line upon closing of the flapper valve when the pump is turned off.
US08534318B2
To provide a water spouting device capable of switching between spouting and stopping, flow volume adjustment, and spouted water temperature adjustment with a single operating portion. The present invention is a water faucet device (1) furnished with a flow volume adjustment function and a temperature adjustment function, including: an operating portion (6) capable of being pressed and rotated by a user; and flow volume/temperature adjustment means (10), whereby in a stopped water state, spouting is commenced when the operating portion of this flow volume/temperature adjustment means is pressed; in a spouting state, spouted water flow volume is changed when the operating portion is pressed continuously for a predetermined long-press determining time; and water flow is stopped when pressing of the operating portion ceases in less than the long-press determining time.
US08534316B2
A reservoir structure of a fuel suction unit or pump module for a diesel vehicle is provided. The reservoir structure includes a reservoir 10 having a bottom surface 14. A primary opening 12 is provided in the bottom surface for permitting fuel to pass from a fuel tank of the vehicle into the reservoir. A secondary opening 16 is provided in the reservoir 10 that is elevated from the bottom surface 14. A valve member 18 is associated with the secondary opening 16. The valve member 18 is constructed and arranged to close the secondary opening under certain pressure conditions in the reservoir and, under pressure conditions in the reservoir different from the certain pressure conditions, to permit fuel to enter the reservoir through the secondary opening in the event the primary opening is substantially blocked.
US08534315B2
Diaphragm assemblies for use with fluid control devices are described. An example diaphragm assembly includes a body defining a plurality of chambers to be fluidly coupled to an outlet pressure of a fluid control device. Each of the chambers is spaced along a stem at least partially disposed in the chambers, and the stem is to move to control a flow of fluid through the fluid control device. Additionally, the example diaphragm assembly includes a first plurality of diaphragms, each of which is disposed in a corresponding one of the chambers, and each of which is coupled to the stem to move the stem in response to the outlet pressure of the fluid control device.
US08534314B2
Disclosed is an explosion protection valve comprising a closing member (4) which is movable inside a housing (2), is guided along a guide bar (3), and can be displaced in a moving direction from a predefined open position into a sealing closed position in case of a shock wave or suction wave. The explosion protection valve further comprises a spring arrangement that is effectively connected to the closing member (4) in order to maintain the open position on the guide bar (3). Said spring arrangement is provided with a first spring element (5, 5′) and a second spring element (6, 6′) in relation to the respective moving direction. The spring elements are disposed such that the second spring element (6, 6′) can be impinged upon only following a predetermined spring travel (a) when the closing member (4) is displaced into the closed position.
US08534308B2
A pressure control system for controlling pressure in a tank is provided. The pressure control system includes a base plate, a pressure relief valve, a rupture disc, a first connector and a second connector. The base plate includes a tank side and a valve side. The pressure relief valve includes a body and a connection portion for coupling the pressure relief valve to the base plate adjacent the valve side. The rupture disc is positioned between the pressure relief valve and the base plate. The first connector extends between the base plate and the pressure relief valve to secure the pressure relief valve to the base plate and secure the rupture disc. The second connector is positioned for securing the base plate to the tank.
US08534305B1
A structure, e.g. a pop-up tent, usable in extremes of temperature, wind, and aridity. One side of the structure's fabric reflects heat, and the other absorbs heat. The structure is reversible, so that, depending which side is outside and which inside, the structure either rejects or absorbs ambient heat, making the structure cooler in hot environments, and warmer in cool environments. The structure can have a detachable base with a hollow chamber in which one can put thermally insulating fluid (e.g. water) to add further comfort, which also provides additional physical and thermal stability to the structure. An optional moisture collector is disposable inside to collect condensate for recycling, and the fabric of the structure can be hydrophobic to direct other condensate to the base and away from occupants.
US08534289B2
A mouthpiece for reducing snoring is provided. The mouthpiece includes an upper guard configured to fit over the upper teeth of a user, a lower guard configured to fit over the lower teeth of the user, a spacer assembly provided between the upper guard or the lower guard to provide an air passage at a middle section of the mouthpiece, a first adjustable assembly attached to the left side of the upper guard and the left side of the lower guard, and a second adjustable assembly attached to the right side of the upper guard and the right side of the lower guard. The first adjustable assembly and the second adjustable assembly are operable to move the lower guard relative to the upper guard.
US08534284B2
A respiratory therapy device including a housing and an interrupter valve assembly. The housing is sized for handling by a patient and defines a patient breathing passage extending from a patient end and through which a patient inhales and exhales air. The interrupter valve assembly is carried by the housing and includes a control port, a valve body, and a drive mechanism. Expiratory airflow is released from the patient breathing passage through the control port. The valve body is sized to at least partially obstruct fluid flow through the control port. The drive mechanism moves the valve body relative to the control port in response to the expiratory airflow such that the valve body repeatedly transitions between a position of maximum obstruction and a position of minimum obstruction relative to the control port to create an oscillatory positive expiratory pressure effect.
US08534281B2
A manifold for use in a medicament dispenser device for the delivery of medicament powder from an open blister pocket of a blister pack comprises a body, the body defining a chimney having a chimney inlet and a chimney exit for directing airflow from said chimney inlet to the chimney exit; the body further defining a chamber having a chamber inlet and a chamber exit, wherein the chimney exit and the chamber inlet lie side-by-side each other such that when the open blister pocket of the blister pack is positioned adjacent thereto the airflow is directed from the chimney exit to the chamber inlet via the open blister pocket to entrain the medicament powder and enable transport thereof in the airflow from the chamber inlet to the chamber exit, and wherein one or more bleed holes are provided between the chimney and the chamber such that bleed airflow is able to be directed into the chamber to disruptively impact the airflow that transports the entrained medicament powder.
US08534275B2
An object of the present invention is to provide at a relatively cheap price a wire saw device capable of effectively preventing slurry from splashing onto the top surface of a work and effectively suppressing increase in nanotopography and Warp. The wire saw device 1 of the present invention has: a group of multiple wires 4 formed by suspending a wire 3 over a set of rollers 2, 2, 2 separate from each other so as to be aligned in a cutting side thereof in parallel to one another in the roller shaft direction X and capable of running in a direction orthogonal to the roller shaft direction; a work holding portion 5 for holding a work W and moving the work W in a direction of pushing the work W with respect to the group of multiple wires 4; and a nozzle 6 for supplying slurry to the group of multiple wires 4 from at least a position on the upperstream side in the running direction of the multiple wires 4, with respect to a path along which the work W is pushed into the wire 3. Further, the wire saw device 1 is provided with a slurry blocking plate 7, extending in the direction along which the multiple wires 4 are aligned in parallel to one another, and pivotably fixed at a base point located at least on the side at which the nozzle 6 is provided and above the multiple wires 4, such that the slurry blocking plate 7 falls, around the base point, on the work W in the direction of pushing the work W with respect to the multiple wires 4.
US08534272B2
An improved paintball gun uses a low-pressure pneumatic sear to hold the firing valve closed against the high pressure gas occupying the other side of the valve. In this manner, only one operation is required between depressing the trigger and the firing of the paintball gun because a double-acting cylinder is not required as an interface between the trigger depression and actuation of the valve. The paintball gun is also substantially faster than existing electro-pneumatic paintball guns because it uses a blow forward bolt, in which higher-pressure gas is held directly behind the bolt and has only one direction to travel during the firing of the paintball gun.
US08534271B2
An ejection device attaches to a push-bar of a first vehicle and deflates tires of a second vehicle. The device includes a housing, a propelling system, and a microprocessor. The housing is attached to the push-bar of the first vehicle, and contains at least one hollow triangular tube filled with sharp metal multi-directional spiked quills. The propelling system ejects the at least one hollow triangular tube filled with sharp metal multi-directional spiked quills out of the housing. The microprocessor controls a firing sequence of events to fire the at least one hollow triangular tube filled with sharp metal multi-directional spiked quills out of the housing.
US08534267B2
A device for exhaust gas recirculation for a combustion engine is provided that includes an exhaust gas pipe configured to conduct exhaust gas and a channel configured to conduct air to the combustion engine. The exhaust gas pipe terminates in the channel, wherein the exhaust gas pipe, in an area of insertion in the channel exhaust, is in thermal exchange with a coolant from a coolant circuit.
US08534253B2
A remote starting device starts up an engine when receiving an RF signal instructing to start up the engine from a remote control terminal. A first switch is provided in parallel to an accessory switch which is disposed in a first power supply line connecting a battery to an electrical device for controlling accessories. A second switch is provided in parallel to an ignition switch which is disposed in a second power supply line connecting the battery to an electrical device for controlling non-accessories. A first controller controls the second switch to be turned on when starting up the engine. A first detector detects an insertion state of a key into a key cylinder by a user. A second detector detects an electrical connection state in the first power supply line. A second controller controls the first switch to be turned off when the first detector detects that the key is inserted in a state where the engine is started up. A third controller controls the second switch to be turned off when the second detector detects that the electrical connection state of the first power supply line is changed from an electrically-connected state to an electrically-disconnected state in a state where the first switch is turned off by the second controller.
US08534238B2
Systems, methods and devices for the control of fans are presented. More specifically, the invention relates to a fan clutch control unit for a vehicle fan. The fan clutch control unit executes a control loop section and a strategy section to provide control functionality. The fan clutch control unit may be provided as a pre-packaged control board or integrated into a fan clutch.
US08534234B2
The invention relates to apparatuses for a reversible pet spiral staircase. Embodiments of the invention comprise: a bottom tread storage platform member; a plurality of tread platform members, elevated above the bottom storage platform member; a center leg support member, and a plurality of outer leg support members, which support the tread platform members; and a helical skirt board railing member that supports the tread platform members and traverses the perimeter of the apparatus. Embodiments of the invention are capable of being configured in either the left-hand spiral configuration, or the right-hand spiral configuration. Embodiments of the invention allow the apparatus to be self-supporting; reversible; space-saving; compactable for storage; safe for pet elevation; easily assembled; reconfigurable; and environmentally safe.
US08534230B2
Ranchers and other owners of livestock commonly have a need for a transportable means of setting up a corral for numerous purposes. Sorting must take place in a remote location or a location without a permanent corral, which are prohibitively time consuming and expensive to build. A preferred embodiment of the Portable Corral is comprised of a central chute, a left corral area, and a right corral area. The central chute is comprised of a back chute, a front chute, a left central chute panel and a right central chute panel. The front chute is comprised of a breakaway hitch that in turn is comprised of a left breakaway hitch section and a right breakaway hitch section. The left and right breakaway hitch sections are collapsed together to comprise the breakaway hitch used to connect to the towing vehicle.
US08534229B2
A vacuum device for an aquarium is disclosed. The device comprising a tube having a pump contained therein. The pump utilizes a ring-shaped rotor with interior vanes for impelling water through the device.
US08534228B2
A fish tank apparatus includes a plurality of fish tanks and water measuring apparatus. The water measuring apparatus includes a measuring member for detecting water parameter, and a switchable sample water diverting member having a plurality of inlets and at least one outlet. A central measurement conduit fluidically connects the outlet of the switchable sample water diverting member with the measuring member. A plurality of peripheral measurement conduits fluidically connect the fish tanks with the inlets of the switchable sample water diverting device, which is configured to selectively feed sample water from each one of the peripheral measurement conduits to the central measurement conduit to test the water in the fish tanks.
US08534223B2
A system for forming a coating on a stent has a hub for holding a plurality of cartridges. Each cartridge has a plurality of mandrels, each mandrel capable of supporting a stent. A chamber has a drying section and a spray coating section, and is configured to receive a cartridge from the hub. An arm moves a cartridge from the hub to the chamber. A spray applicator applies a coating composition to a stent in the spray coating section.
US08534212B1
A pontoon boat fender comprises a shell portion with a hollow interior and a bumper portion slidably received in the shell portion hollow interior. The bumper portion is movable between a navigating position and a docking position. In the navigating position, the bumper portion is retracted into the shell portion hollow interior. In the docking position, the bumper portion is extended from the shell portion hollow interior. The shell portion has a tab adjacent to a longitudinal end of the shell portion and a hook adjacent to a longitudinally opposite end of the shell portion. The tab and hook cooperate with each other to enable securing the boat fender to a fence and deck of the pontoon boat.
US08534203B2
A railway hopper car is provided. The railway hopper car includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion includes first and second sidewalls, and first and second end walls. The lower portion includes at least two cargo wells and a longitudinal boundary extending between the cargo wells. The upper and lower portions define an interior volume of the hopper car. The railway hopper car further includes a roof panel and a first support assembly. The roof panel includes an access opening extending longitudinally over at least a portion of the cargo wells. The first support assembly is coupled to an inner surface of the first sidewall, and extends between a top edge and a bottom edge of the first sidewall. The first support assembly is positioned proximate to the longitudinal boundary, and is configured to only partially extend into the interior volume of the hopper car.
US08534199B2
A method is provided for controlling a powered system including an engine operating on a plurality of fuel types. The method includes generating operational input signals from operational input devices, and generating a respective configuration signal indicative of a particular location of the powered system along a predetermined course comprising a mission. Additionally, based on the operational input signals, the configuration signal, and a respective engine emission profile for each of said configuration signal, the method includes generating control signals to a plurality of end use devices of the powered system to limit one or more of the total engine emissions of the fuel types, the total fuel efficiency of the fuel types, the total output power of the engine, a time of arrival of the powered system along the predetermined course, and/or a combination thereof.
US08534191B2
A method for operating a printing unit of a printing press includes operating the printing unit in a first operating mode, for example printing operation, and in a second operating mode, for example maintenance operation. In the first operating mode, a printing unit cylinder and a distributor roller are driven rotationally by a first motor and the distributor roller is driven axially by a second motor. In the second operating mode, the distributor roller is driven rotationally by a third motor and the distributor roller is driven axially by the second motor. A printing press for carrying out the method is also provided.
US08534185B2
A pump including a pressure compensated piston is disclosed. In some embodiments, the pump includes a piston with an annular body and an annular sealing element disposed radially outward of the annular body. The annular body has a radially-facing outer surface adjacent an inner surface of the sealing element and an axially-facing surface with an inlet port. A flowpath extends between the inlet port and the radially-facing outer surface of the annular body.
US08534177B2
A system and method for providing a munitions launching system with dynamic shock isolation in which a spring plate skirt having an integral spring arrangement is provided between a munitions frame and a munitions extension, the spring plate skirt defining an opening that provides for the uninterrupted flow of expelled rocket gases, as well as underside access to the munitions frame.
US08534166B2
A screwdriver for an inherent tool bit set includes a screwdriver device, a cover member and at least one control set. The screwdriver device has an accommodating portion at one end. A plurality of accommodating rooms is formed on the accommodating portion for receiving a tool bit set. At least one spring room is deposited on the accommodating portion. The screwdriver device has a working shaft at another end. The cover member has a receiving space. At least one through hole is opened on the cover member. The through hole corresponds to the spring room. The control set is assembled between the spring room and the through hole. Thus, a user presses the control set into the spring rooms for separating the cover member from the screwdriver device and takes a tool bit to assemble to the working shaft for screwing or loosing bolts.
US08534165B2
An adjustable tool extender includes a sleeve defining a receptacle and an extension member having a first end and a second end, wherein the second end defines a cavity and is slidable within the receptacle of the sleeve. The extender also includes a bias member seated in the receptacle and an end disposed in the cavity for biasing the extension member outwardly from the sleeve to a fully extended position.
US08534159B2
One embodiment of a handguard assembly includes an arm, a shield connected to the arm, and a biasing member between the arm and the shield. The biasing member is configured to bias the shield towards a position.
US08534157B2
An electronic throttle control pedal assembly includes a housing having a cavity formed therein which is mounted to the vehicle. A hub is rotatably attached to the housing within the cavity. The hub includes at least a portion having a circumferential outer wall having an engagement portion. The pedal assembly includes a pedal arm having a pedal pad positioned at one end, and an opposite end operatively attached to the hub such that depression of the pedal pad rotates the hub.
US08534154B2
A clamp replacing apparatus includes a robot arm, a clamp and a connecting assembly configured for detachably connecting the clamp to the robot arm. The connecting assembly includes a first rotator and a second rotator. The first rotator is fixed to the robot arm and comprises a number of first locking portions each defining a receiving groove. The second rotator is fixed to the clamp and comprises a number of second locking portions corresponding to the first locking portions and each defining a bolt portion. The bolt portion can be received in the corresponding receiving groove or escaped from the receiving groove.
US08534152B2
A deflector for use in a ball screw is composed of a main body and a junction member connected with the main body to form a channel having a first guide groove and two second guide grooves formed at two opposite sides of the first guide groove. Each of the second guide grooves has two walls extending outward from the first guide groove. Each two of the walls have a conjunction formed therebetween. The vertical section of the channel can define an extending axis passing through centers of the two conjunctions. At least one of the walls of each second guide groove is not parallel to the extending axis. In light of the above features, the roller chain can avoid wear and tear to prolong its service life thereof. Besides, the mold for forming the deflector can be designed to be structurally subject to mold release, such that the production efficiency can be increased.
US08534139B2
A binding force testing device for testing the binding force of a hinge, includes a control chassis for controlling the binding force testing device; a platform mounted on the control chassis; a support mounted on the control chassis above the platform; a first driving device mounted on the support; a main holder mounted on the first driving device facing the platform; and a second driving device mounted on the support and connected to the first driving device. The first driving device drives the main holder to move relative to the platform in a first direction; the second driving device drives the first driving device to move relative to the platform in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
US08534138B2
A flowmeter for detecting gas flow rates in a pipe includes a container configured to be attached to the pipe having a channel through which the gas flows, and a plurality of recesses that extend through the container and a plurality of housings. Each recess has a housing which contains pressure in the channel. Each housing has a window that is in acoustic communication with the channel. The flowmeter includes a plurality of transducers, with one transducer of the plurality of transducers disposed in each recess. The transducers transmit ultrasonic signals into and receive ultrasonic signals from the channel through the window in the housing in which a transducer is disposed. The flowmeter includes a controller in electrical communication with the plurality of transducers which determines the gas flow rate through the channel by measuring transit times of signals transmitted by and received by the transducers. A housing for an ultrasonic transducer for a flowmeter which is inserted into a recess of a container that acoustically isolates the housing from the container. A method for detecting gas flow rates in a pipe. A transducer for an ultrasonic flowmeter.
US08534126B2
A sensor mounting cover is for a rolling-contact bearing and includes a transverse wall and an axial projection joined to the transverse wall and provided with a through-seat for housing a sensor. The sensor faces the bearing from a window defined by an inner edge of the seat and a closure element is associated with the axial projection and is arranged at least around the inner edge so as to close the window.
US08534123B2
Disclosed are methods and systems for monitoring and indicating the optimal replacement interval for a filter. In particular, the methods and systems may be utilized for monitoring and indicating the optimal replacement interval of an air filter in an internal combustion engine based on parameters that include air filter plugging rate data, engine duty cycle data, pressure drop across the air filter, penalty on fuel consumption, and the cost of air filter replacement.
US08534121B2
An apparatus for determining the kinematic characteristics of a golf club are disclosed. The apparatus includes at least one piezoelectric component selectively positioned within or upon at least one portion of a golf club. When the club head impacts an object such as a golf ball, the piezoelectric component is operable to determine the velocity of the club. It may also be desirable for the piezoelectric component to determine the magnitude of vibration during impact and swing speed. In this manner, the piezoelectric component may function determine the efficiency of a golf club swing.
US08534102B2
A lock device comprises a housing (2) which includes an opening (4) and a core (10) which is rotatably disposed in the opening. A latching element (20) co-acts between the housing and the core and can be moved between a release position in which the core is rotatable relative to the housing, and a latching position in which rotation of the core relative to the housing is blocked. An electronically controllable actuator (30) is disposed in the core and is moveable between an opening-registering-position in which the latching element is movable to the release position, and a latching position in which movement of the latching element to said release position is blocked. A returning means (50) co-acts mechanically with a key in a key way in the core and with the actuator and such as to move the actuator away from the position of the opening to a further latching position in response to the key being drawn out of the keyway. Movement of the latching element to said release position is blocked by the actuator in this further latching position. Because the returning means is rotatable there is obtained a small latching mechanism that is returned mechanically to a latching position upon removal of the key.
US08534089B2
Disclosed are an ice maker and a refrigerator having the same. The refrigerator includes a storage compartment, a storage compartment door for opening/closing the storage compartment, and an ice maker including an ice making tray for producing pieces of ice, and a water dispense cup for dispensing water supplied from a water supply pipe to the ice making tray. A water guide section is formed in the water dispense cup to guide the water, which is supplied from the water supply pipe, to a region below the water supply pipe so that ice pieces are prevented from being accumulated in the water dispense cup.
US08534079B2
A freezer that uses liquid cryogen as a refrigerant includes an inner vessel defining a storage chamber and an outer jacket generally surrounding the inner vessel so that an insulation space is defined there between. A heat exchanger is positioned in a top portion of the storage chamber and has an inlet in communication with a supply of the liquid cryogen refrigerant so that the liquid cryogen refrigerant selectively flows through the heat exchanger to cool the storage chamber while being vaporized. A purge line is in communication with the outlet of the heat exchanger and includes a purge outlet positioned over the exterior of the heat exchanger. A purge valve is positioned within the purge line so that the vaporized liquid cryogen from the heat exchanger is selectively directed to the exterior of the heat exchanger to reduce ice formation on the heat exchanger.
US08534075B2
A method of regulating the Wobbe number of a multi-composition gas fuel supplied to one or more combustors of a gas turbine includes: (a) providing a control system for regulating fuel and air flow to the one or more combustors; and (b) reforming a fraction of the gas fuel upstream of the one or more combustors to form hydrogen and carbon monoxide to be supplied to the one or more combustors with a remaining fraction of the fuel; wherein the fraction of fuel reformed is adjusted to maintain the Wobbe number of the fuel supplied to the one or more combustors within a predetermined range.
US08534074B2
A dual clutch arrangement is disclosed herein. The dual clutch arrangement includes a first input rotatable member. The dual clutch arrangement also includes an output rotatable member. The dual clutch arrangement also includes a first clutch coupling the first input rotatable member and the output rotatable member such that the first input rotatable member drives the output rotatable member in rotation. The first clutch is operable to be overrun. The dual clutch arrangement also includes a second input rotatable member. The dual clutch arrangement also includes a second clutch operable to selectively couple the second input rotatable member and the output rotatable member such that the second input rotatable member drives the output rotatable member in rotation. The first clutch is overrun when the second clutch is engaged. The dual clutch arrangement can be one exemplary way of practicing the method of operating a turbine engine to produce thrust for a vehicle, directing air into the turbine engine with a fan during said operating step, and changing a speed of the fan during said operating step to change a bypass ratio of the turbine engine.
US08534067B2
Disclosed is an energy retriever system and methods for absorbing energy and using that energy elsewhere or converting it to other useful forms of energy or work. The energy retriever system consists of a series of components interconnected by a plurality of conduits containing a fluid. Working as a self-contained thermodynamic system, the energy retriever system allows the fluid to circulate through all of these elements. Heat added to the energy capture subsystem heats the fluid. The fluid becomes more pressurized and moves into the expansion cycle subsystem. The energy extraction subsystem transforms the thermal energy of the fluid into work, kinetic energy or thermal energy. The reservoir subsystem compresses the fluid and reintroduces it into the energy capture subsystem. One-way valves are used throughout the system to keep the flow of the fluid in one direction and separate sections of the system that contain different pressures.
US08534060B1
A drive device comprising improved components is described. The drive device may be of various known types that require the use of a steering clutch, axle support housings, and a vent that may either seal an internal sump or open the sump to an external atmosphere. The drive device is shown with a walk-behind vehicle that may include a snow thrower or blower.
US08534057B1
An apparatus for generating electricity from a flowing stream of water is disclosed. A rigid frame is fixed with a pair of wheels, or with two linkages in circuit around two pairs of wheels. A plurality of blades are fixed between the wheel or linkages at their side edges, a cross-sectional area of each blade being substantially comparable to the cross-sectional area of the stream of water. An orientating mechanism is adapted to maintain the orientation of each blade such that rotation of the wheels or linkages results in an opposite rotation of each blade to maintain the orientation of the blade. As such, each blade “stabs” orthogonally into and out of the flow of water edge first, minimizing the displacement and disruption of the water upon entering. Each wheel or linkage, when mechanically coupled with a generator, results in the production of electricity.
US08534048B2
An exhaust purification system of an internal combustion engine provided with an NOx storage reduction catalyst an oxidation catalyst which is arranged downstream of the NOx storage reduction catalyst an exhaust gas tank which is connected to the engine exhaust passage between the NOx storage reduction catalyst and the oxidation catalyst, and a switching valve which closes the engine exhaust passage toward the oxidation catalyst and makes the exhaust gas flow into the tank. When making the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas which flows into the NOx storage reduction catalyst rich, the engine exhaust passage toward the oxidation catalyst is shut and the flow path is switched so that the exhaust gas flows to the tank to thereby store the exhaust gas in the tank.
US08534044B2
A thermal management system for a gas turbine powerplant with an engine oil line and an engine fuel line incorporates a heat transfer control module that includes a reversible heat pump with a heat pump compressor for circulating working fluid in forward and reverse directions through a working fluid line of the heat pump. The heat control module also includes a first heat exchanger having a heat exchange path for the working fluid between the compressor and a heat pump expansion valve and another heat exchange path for the engine oil. A second heat exchanger has a heat exchange path for the working fluid between the compressor and the expansion valve and another heat exchange path for the engine fuel. The heat pump can be operated in forward or reverse directions depending on whether heat is to be transferred from the engine oil or the fuel to the heat pump working fluid. In another embodiment an engine oil reservoir located between the first heat exchanger and the engine collects the oil before it is introduced to the engine and thus acts as a heat capacitor for the system.
US08534033B2
A method for wrapping at least a portion of an article (22) including folding the wrapper material (60) to cover at least one first peripheral face (24, 30) such that each one of at least two first wrapper sections extends beyond a respective first lateral edge (32) of the at least one first peripheral face (24, 30) and such that each one of at least one second wrapper section extends beyond an upper edge (38, 40) of a respective one of at least one second peripheral face (30, 24), folding and securing each first section against one of the at least one second peripheral face (30, 24), and folding and securing each second section against the respective second peripheral face (30, 24). The wrapper material (60) remaining at least partially grabbed until at least one of the at least one second section is secured.
US08534023B2
A floor panel may include a bottom layer and an upper layer overlying the bottom layer. The bottom layer may have first and second edges, and the bottom layer may include at least one male protrusion on the first edge, and have at least one female protrusion receptacle on the second edge corresponding to a shape of the at least one male protrusion. The bottom layer may further include at least one male lip on the second edge, and have at least one female lip receptacle on the first edge corresponding to a shape of the at least one male lip. The upper panel may vertically overly the at least one female lip receptacle and the at least one female protrusion receptacle.
US08534013B2
An adjustable roof jack comprising: a flange; a first cylinder having a first cylinder top portion being at an angle between 20 and 25 degrees and a first cylinder bottom portion, fixedly connected to the flange. There may be a second cylinder having a second cylinder top portion and a second cylinder bottom portion at an angle between 65 and 70 degrees. A second cylinder bottom fold is folded over a first cylinder fold to fixedly and rotationally connect at an angle between 20 and 25 degrees. A vent cap cylinder having a vent cap cylinder top portion and a vent cap cylinder bottom portion having at least one vent cap cylinder fold is folded over a second cylinder top fold to rotationally connect the vent cap cylinder to the second cylinder; and a vent cap assembly is fixedly attached to the vent cap cylinder top portion.
US08534012B2
A trim molding structure that uses at least one magnet to attach to a metal frame such as a metal door frame and a metal window frame is presented. At least one magnetic element is affixed to a trim member of a trim molding structure. The magnetic element can be affixed to the trim member using various means such as an adhesive material that loses adhesiveness when its temperature exceeds approximately its temperature limit. When the temperature of the adhesive material exceeds approximately its temperature limit, the adhesive material loses adhesiveness and releases the trim molding structure from the metal frame. An intumescent material that expands when its temperature exceeds approximately its activation temperature can be attached between a trim member and a metal frame. In case of fire, the intumescent material expands and pushes the trim molding structure away from the metal frame when the temperature of the intumescent material exceeds approximately its activation temperature. In an alternative embodiment, the intumescent material can be replaced by a spring.
US08534011B2
Pre-fabricated kits are provided for window/door trimming/casing that are designed and tailored for various window/door openings, architectural styles and/or manufacturers. According to one aspect, the kit is easy to assemble with everything in the box including prefabricated mutually engaging fasteners to allow all the pieces to be fastened together quickly and by hand. According to another aspect, the kit is prefabricated in a prepared and finished condition with all the pieces already painted, stained and finished, so no finishing such as painting required during or after installation. The kit can be manufactured to fit for any type of window/door and opening as long as the dimensions of openings are substantially known. Optional add-ons such as curtain rods, valances, closet shelves, poles, cabinets, shutters and cornices can also be included in the kit in pre-fabricated condition. The principles of the invention can also be extended to other types of molding such as crown molding and baseboards. Among many advantages, the invention reduces labor costs dramatically, improves quality and consistency in craftsmanship, and provides economies of scale to be applied the production of finished products that has never been previously available.
US08534008B1
The invention comprises a transparent/translucent panel system including two spaced flat panels and a series of elongated, abutting, rotatably mounted transparent/translucent light-controlling members disposed between the panels in which the light-controlling members are at least partially tubular or have annular members along their length to facilitate rotation of the light-controlling members and include a light-blocking surface whereby differently sized light-controlling members may be used and the light-controlling members, when rotated by a simple drive mechanism, can vary the light passing through the panel system from clear to opaque and can effectively block light between adjacent light-controlling members.
US08534007B2
A PV assembly including framework, PV laminate(s), and a stiffening device. The framework includes a perimeter frame at least 10 feet in length and at least 5 feet in width. The PV laminate(s) are assembled to the perimeter frame to define a receiving zone having a depth of not more than 8 inches. The stiffening device is associated with the framework and is configured to provide a first state and a second state. In the first state, an entirety of the stiffening device is maintained within the receiving zone. In the second state, at least a portion of the stiffening device projects from the receiving zone. The stiffening device enhances a stiffness of the PV assembly in a plane of the perimeter frame, and can include rods defining truss structures.
US08534001B2
A protective shelter includes an enclosure having at least a floor, at least one sidewall coupled to the floor, a door, and a roof coupled to the at least one sidewall. The roof includes an aperture located proximate the shelter's point of minimum static air pressure during a high-velocity wind event. The protective shelter includes one or more members that elevate the floor above a substrate, a substantially enclosed sub-floor region bounded by the protective shelter and the substrate, and an air duct providing airflow communication between the substantially enclosed sub-floor region and an exterior region of the enclosure via the aperture.
US08533996B1
The shutter drive apparatus is an apparatus adapted such that the movement of any one shutter louver of a tilt-rod-less shutter results in the corresponding movement of all of the louvers of the shutter. The apparatus is preferably mounted within a tilt-rod-less shutter comprising a shutter frame having at least top and bottom horizontal rails, at least a first side stile and a second side stile, and a plurality of louvers rotatably mounted within the stiles such that a first end of the louvers are freely rotatable within the first side stile, and such that a second end of the louvers are drivably engaged to the apparatus. The apparatus includes a plurality of pinion gears, a face strip, opposing drive strips, and a retainer strip. Each louver is drivably engaged to a different pinion gear and each pinion gear is drivably engaged to the drive strips.
US08533993B2
A continuous-loop conveyor, towering upon vertical framework, which allows potted perennial plants and other plants to be transported throughout all stages of maturity in a manner which substantially multiplies yield per acre, allows production to proceed in both natural and artificial light, allows production and harvesting to be automated, and allows production to proceed in conditions which are favorable to plants but unfavorable to humans. The entire apparatus can be constructed of lightweight, cost-effective materials, which afford mass-production and mass-array into vast automatic growing operations.
US08533988B2
A sighting telescope mounting system for a firearm for mounting a sighting telescope onto the firearm in a desired position, wherein the firearm and/or the sighting telescope are aligned in the desired position in an axial direction, with an arresting foot which can be attached to the sighting telescope and with an arresting holding device which can be affixed to the firearm. The arresting foot has at least one support area and the arresting holding device has at least one connection area, wherein due to the support area and the connection area in a contact area, a form-fit connection of the arresting foot on the arresting holding device is attained in a first radial direction. The arresting foot and the arresting holding device form an arrest which detachably affixes the arresting foot in the other radial direction.
US08533987B2
A magazine well grip includes a generally U-shaped body having an outer surface, with a plurality of finger grooves defined therein, and an inner surface. An upper section of the inner surface is contoured to closely accommodate a magazine well of a firearm, the upper section terminating at a lip recess dimensioned to accommodate a lower lip of the magazine well in an interference fit arrangement. A lower section of the inner surface flares outwardly from below the lip recess. The generally U-shaped body includes a pair of spaced-apart, generally opposed sidewalls and a front wall. A generally wedge-shaped protrusion extends upwardly from the front wall of the body and is dimensioned for an interference fit between trunnions on a forward edge of the magazine well and behind a hinge portion of an upper receiver when arranged between the trunnions.
US08533979B2
Articles of footwear may include self-adjusting studs that adjust to various types of conditions, environmental changes, and applied forces. The self-adjusting studs may have a first portion and a second portion of different levels of compressibilities and/or retractabilities that compress and extend based on the type of surface on which the wearer is walking or running. This footwear with self-adjusting studs may easily transition between surfaces of varying hardness without causing damage to the surface, but also providing the wearer with the necessary amount of traction on each type of surface. Wearers will enjoy the benefit of being able to move on various surfaces without the need to change their footwear multiple times to accommodate the wearer's varying traction needs on different surfaces.
US08533978B2
A unique system has a releasably locking device for quickly and easily locking and releasing a loop-section fastener on and from a loop without the needs for taking the loop apart respectively.
US08533953B2
This invention provides a process for producing a conductive rubber roller having small aspect ratios of inner and outer diameters, having a stable measure of its inner diameter, having uniform cell distribution and being free from non-uniformity of hardness and electrical resistance in the peripheral direction. The process has a step of continuously extruding a tube composed of a specific unvulcanized rubber composition from a rubber extruder in a microwave vulcanizing unit, and a step of foaming and vulcanizing the tube by using a microwave irradiator having a microwave irradiation zone 4 m or less in length while being transported at given speed. The foamed rubber tube has an inner diameter 20 to 35% smaller than the outer diameter of the conductive core material over the whole region in the lengthwise direction, and the conductive core material is press-fitted into the foamed rubber tube without using any adhesive.
US08533952B2
A method for forming a flange at an open end of a pipe comprises increasing the diameter of the open end of the pipe to form a radially-enlarged pipe wall. Radially-symmetric portions of the radially-enlarged pipe wall are then removed so as to form at least two opposing projecting portions, which are then bent outwardly so as to be at least substantially orthogonal to the pipe, thereby forming the flange on the pipe.
US08533947B2
The present invention provides a new and improved method of forming a turbine engine component having a plurality of airfoils disposed in an annular array between inner and outer shroud rings. The method includes forming inner and outer shroud ring patterns. The inner and outer shroud ring patterns may advantageously be formed by solid freeform fabrication techniques, such as stereolithography. An assembly fixture may be utilized to position the inner and outer shroud rings and an array of airfoils in a coaxial relationship. When the inner and outer shroud rings are to be assembled, axially inner and outer shroud ring patterns may be interconnected by providing relative rotation between annular sections of the shroud ring patterns. In addition, adhesive may be utilized to interconnect the sections of the shroud ring patterns.
US08533931B2
The invention includes a fastening method and a fastening tool which can stably fasten a nut to a bolt securely and with a small dispersion at a desired axial force. A fastened member is fastened by inserting a bolt through the fastened member, thereafter temporarily positioning a nut and the bolt together, pulling a leading end of a shaft portion of the bolt in an axial direction of the bolt, rotating the nut so as to screw the nut into the bolt while elastically deforming the bolt so as to generate an axial force, and thereafter canceling the pulling of the bolt.
US08533922B2
A holding device for holding a stud, which includes a radially projecting flange in a securing position, comprises a collet component including a hollow tubular insertion section defining an insertion axis, and a clamping section operable to exert a radially inwardly directed clamping force for clamping the stud. A securing device is arranged on the insertion section and includes a securing sleeve formed of plurality of separate securing-sleeve sections that are radially movable relative to one another. A clearance space is defined between a bottom end of the securing-sleeve sections and a top end of the clamping section, and the clearance space is operable for holding a flange of a stud in the securing position.
US08533919B2
A holding element for fastening in a hole of a carrier part has a central shaft extending along a longitudinal axis, a supporting part fastened to the far end of the shaft and projecting laterally, and at least one arm, a fastening end of which is fastened movable to the shaft. The arm extends transverse to the longitudinal axis and for some distance from the shaft and in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis is supportable on the supporting part and in the opposite direction is supportable on a guide part fastened to the front end of the shaft.
US08533917B2
A rope crossing secures rope lines on each other as well as rope play equipment which has at least one rope crossing. The rope crossing includes at least two crossing rope lines and a ring, wherein the ring has an inner opening with twice the number of essentially radially extending receiving regions in relation to the number of rope lines to be secured. A corresponding line segment of a rope line forming a bulge is received in two corresponding receiving regions that face one another, so that the bulges of crossing rope lines are arranged on respective opposite sides of the ring. The ratio of the unobstructed width LW of a receiving region to the diameter of the rope line D, which forms the bulge in this receiving region, is LW/D=0.8 to 0.98.
US08533912B2
A grab handle mounting assembly securable to a mounting surface includes a first mounting arm assembly securable to a mounting surface. The first mounting arm assembly defines a first male pin. A second mounting arm assembly is securable to a mounting surface and defines a second male pin. The assembly further includes a first tube having first and second open ends, wherein the first male pin is mateable within the first open end of the first tube and the second male pin is mateable within the second open end of the first tube. When the first and second mounting arm assemblies are secured to a mounting surface with the first and second male pins mated with the first and second open ends of the first tube, the first and second mounting arm assemblies impose a torsional force on the first tube.
US08533911B2
The present disclosure is concerned with an improved latching mechanism for the hinged section of a ceiling track for traveling curtain. The latching mechanism is designed to make a readily audible sound when it is locked. It is based upon a generally oval shaped lock knob which passes through a generally oval shaped aperture in the bottom wall of a receiver for the lock knob. The aperture is designed so that when the lock knob is rotated its long axis no longer aligns with the long axis of the aperture it can no longer pass through the aperture. The bottom wall of the receiver carries two upwardly extending side walls that must be pushed outward to allow the passage of the lock knob as it rotates and that carry gaps that accommodate the tips of the lock knob and allow the side walls to move back toward their undeformed position.
US08533906B2
A vacuum cleaner comprising a receptacle having a working air inlet and an associated filter, the filter in communication with and downstream from the working air inlet, is disclosed. The vacuum cleaner further includes a housing containing a motor and having a cooling air outlet from the motor and a working air outlet, the working air outlet in communication with the working air inlet of the receptacle through a working air impeller, wherein the cooling air is directed to the receptacle, and the cooling air passes through the filter before exiting the working air outlet of the housing.
US08533905B1
A vacuum accessory tool comprises a housing that defines a suction nozzle and an agitator assembly located in the suction nozzle and driven by an air turbine. The agitator assembly comprises an agitating element having a plurality of resilient blades configured to reduce hair wrap around the agitator assembly.
US08533904B2
A surface cleaning head, such as an auxiliary cleaning head for a vacuum cleaner, has a rotary brush associated with a dirty air inlet and driven by an air turbine. A dirt tray is positioned in the airflow path downstream of the rotary brush. In one embodiment, the air turbine is in an air turbine chamber that is not downstream from the dirty air inlet.
US08533901B2
A cleaning device for shoe soles is disclosed. The cleaning device provides a surface having a plurality of bristles designed to engage the sole of a shoe. The bristles are arranged such that one or more groups of bristles are reciprocated over the length of the surface to dislodge and remove debris on the shoe sole. The debris removed from the shoe sole is also directed away from the bristles and surface into a receptacle for later removal. Thus, the cleaning device provides for effortless removal of debris from shoe soles while cleaning any debris dislodged by the bristles.
US08533900B2
The present invention provides a combinational structure of flat blade wiper for vehicle comprising an elastic metal keelson strip, a saddle bracket, two clipping sleeve mounts, two external covers, and an elongated scraping blade. In the saddle bracket and each clipping sleeve mount, an upper accommodating channel and a lower accommodating channel of rectangular cross sections are formed such that the elastic metal keelson strip and the upper wing section of the elongated scraping blade are inserted therein respectively. During operation, all forces of the wiper arm directly relay to the elongated scraping blade to achieve the water-scraping effect. Thereby, the force transmission is consistent throughout the wiping operation, avowing pauses and jerky wiper movement. Thus, not only the service life of assembled components are prolonged but also replacing costs thereof are reduced owing to motive and wearing burdens of the wiper arm are decreased.
US08533896B2
A method and apparatus for removing ice and snow deposits from a vehicle during winter snow season. A hand-operated device for removing ice and snow deposits from a vehicle generally includes a handle, a blade, and one or more fasteners. A slotted aperture on an end of the handle is adapted to receive a coupling portion of the blade. Fasteners are positioned through the handle and blade at the slotted aperture to secure the handle and blade. The device enables a user to separate ice and snow deposits from a vehicle without damaging the vehicle.
US08533895B2
The present invention includes methods and materials for making a brush or pad for removing materials, particles, or chemicals from a substrate. The brush or pad includes a rotatable base for supporting a porous pad material. The base include an inner surface and an outer surface and a plurality of channels in the base for interlocking the porous pad material with the base. A porous pad material covers at least a portion of the outer surface of the base and is used for removing material from various substrates. The porous pad material fills one or more of the channels in the base and interlocks the porous pad material with the base. Preferably the channels fluidly connect said inner surface with the outer surface of the base and aid in the alignment of porous pad nodes and the distribution of fluid within the porous pad.
US08533894B2
A scalp washing device includes a base and projections for washing projected from a brush surface of the base. Each of the projections includes a root portion on a side of the base having a circular shape in cross-section, a middle portion including a tip surface having a flattened shape in cross-section, and at least a pair of conical tip projections each having a tip chamfered to have a curved surface and provided on the tip surface. The middle portion has a cross-sectional shape changing from a circular shape to a flattened shape from a side of the root portion to a side of the tip surface.
US08533893B2
A single-use, disposable toothbrush offering the dental hygiene benefits of a miswak chewing stick. The toothbrush has a toothbrush body having a recess at one end thereof, and a piece of cut and flared Salvadora persica bristles received in the recess; the length of the bristles is greater than the depth of the recess so that the bristles extend from the toothbrush body. The toothbrush body has a handle at an end thereof opposite the recess; the handle may have a concave portion to provide convenient handling for a user. The bristles are press-fitted into the recess. The toothbrush body may advantageously be formed of a biodegradable material, so that the entire toothbrush is biodegradable. In addition, the bristles may have a flavoring.
US08533888B2
A shoe cleaning doormat device is provided for cleaning and disinfecting the soles of shoes and feet prior to a user's entry into a dwelling or building. The device is a doormat having a cleaning assembly having a disinfecting cleaning material surface and drying portions. Both portions are housed within a mat frame and exposed to a user through cutouts in the mat's upper surface. A disposable roll of moist, disinfecting wipe material provides the cleaning and disinfecting surface. An advancing button is operatively connected to the roll so that a user may obtain an unused portion of the roll by depressing the button. After shoes or feet are cleaned, they can be dried by rubbing on the drying portions of the device, which comprise a removable, moisture-absorbing material.
US08533887B2
A sanitizer for disinfecting substantially the entire outer surface of a handheld instrument comprises a container having a well therein for holding a disinfectant and a passageway by which the handheld instrument may be inserted into the well. The sanitizer may include a first opening and a second opening, the openings being located at opposing ends of the passageway such that the handheld instrument may enter the sanitizer through the first opening, and exit the sanitizer through the second opening. The sanitizer may further include an absorbent material located in the well to disperse the disinfectant on the outer surface of the handheld instrument, and to prevent the disinfectant from leaking from the well during use.
US08533886B2
A cleaning apparatus includes an elongated housing bounding a chamber with a motor disposed therein. A drive shaft is at least partially disposed within the chamber of the housing, the drive shaft being coupled with the motor such that during selective operation of the motor the drive shaft is rotated. A head assembly includes an elongated head housing having a head drive shaft and a brush head mounted thereon. The head assembly is adapted to be selectively coupled with the body assembly so that the body drive shaft is coupled with the head drive shaft.
US08533876B2
A pistol supporting device having a base and a support post. The base is shaped to be disposed between a mattress and a box spring so that the base is maintained in a generally horizontal orientation. The support post is constructed of a material that is softer than the material of the bore of a pistol and is preferably formed of a carbon fiber material. The support post is attached to the base and extends in a direction that crosses, but is not perpendicular to, a plane associated with the base. The support post is constructed to be received in a bore of a pistol and oriented to align a grip of the pistol with a palm of a prone user.
US08533872B1
The present invention features a ballistic vest 100 for protecting a spinal cord of a person wearing the ballistic vest. In some embodiments, the ballistic vest 100 comprises a pocket 110 disposed on the backside of the vest at a place where it overlays the user's spinal cord and a soft or hard trauma plate 120 that is inserted into the pocket 110. The trauma plate is effective to prevent a projectile from damaging the user's spine.
US08533871B2
A garment comprising an undershirt having a plurality of first pads, at least two mounting loops extending from the undershirt, a plurality of second pads, each of the plurality of second pads having at least two fingers, and wherein the at least two fingers are engaged with the at least two mounting loops to secure the plurality of second pads to the undershirt.
US08533863B2
A protective undergarment (10), shown in the form of shorts, includes integrally formed protective panels (22, 26, 30) that exhibit slash-proof properties. The protective areas (22, 26, 30) are made from a flexible Kevlar® knit or the like, and extend to cover the groin, crotch, substantial areas of the buttocks and the inner thigh regions of both legs. The protective panels (22, 26, 30) are externally snitched to a low thermal burden material (18, 20), such as a polyester mesh, that provides elasticity and completes the structure of the shorts (10). The Kevlar® knit is flexible and preferably lies directly against the skin of a user to provide blast wave and ballistic fragment deflection while permitting mobility in a lightweight arrangement. Varying thickness of the Kevlar® knit can be used in the protective areas (22, 26, 30) selectively to enhance protection against blast wave and fragment penetration. The shorts (10) find particular application in battlefield theatres where military personnel are exposed to bomb threats.
US08533862B2
A quickly releasable vest capable of protecting a torso portion of a user is disclosed. The quickly releasable vest includes a first torso panel, a second torso panel, a plurality of plug members, a plurality of socket members and a quick release mechanism. The plurality of plug members is disposed on the first torso panel. The plurality of socket members is disposed on the second torso panel. Each of the plurality of socket members is configured to detachably couple to one of the plurality of plug members disposed on the first torso panel. The quick release mechanism is disposed on the first torso panel. The quick release mechanism includes a pull cord and a plurality of connecting tapes. The quick release mechanism is configured to separate the first torso panel from the second torso panel.
US08539599B2
Provided personal information from a user may be determined, the provided personal information being associated with network publication thereof. A comparison of the provided personal information with password-related information may be performed. Based on the comparison, it may be determined that a risk level associated with the network publication relative to password security of at least one password associated with the password-related information exceeds a predetermined risk level. The user may be notified that the network publication of the provided personal information is associated with potential compromise of the password security of the at least one password.
US08539593B2
A method comprising, receiving a source code, identifying a data structure access in the source code, determining whether the data structure access is associated with a security check function, defining the data structure access as a security sensitive operation responsive to determining that the data structure access is associated with the security check function, and defining a security specification to include the security check function and the security sensitive operation.
US08539582B1
Systems and methods for malware containment and security analysis on connection are provided. Digital devices are quarantined for a predetermined period of time upon connection to the communication network. When a digital device is quarantined, all network data transmitted by the digital device is directed to a controller which then analyzes the network data to identify unauthorized activity and/or malware within the newly connected digital device. An exemplary method to contain malware includes detecting a digital device upon connection with a communication network, quarantining network data from the digital device for a predetermined period of time, transmitting a command to the digital device to activate a security program to identify security risks, and analyzing the network data to identify malware within the digital device.
US08539580B2
In general, the present invention provides a method, system and program product for detecting intrusion of a wireless network. Specifically, under the present invention, a data stream received by a wireless network is monitored. A validity deviation is determined by comparing the data stream to a valid data stream. If the validity deviation exceeds a validity threshold, an intrusion deviation is determined by comparing the data stream to a known intrusion data stream. Then, if the intrusion deviation is less than an intrusion threshold, intrusion is detected and an intrusion alert is generated.
US08539577B1
A system and method is disclosed herein for detecting fast flux networks. In one embodiment, the method comprises querying a domain name system (DNS) for DNS records associated with a domain. The method further comprises determining whether the domain name is part of a fast flux network of computers from results of the query. The method may further comprise determining the type of fast flux network as one of a single flux network, a double flux network, a top-tier flux network, or a lower-tier flux network.
US08539576B2
A system and method for filtering unwanted Internet Protocol traffic based on blacklists receives a first blacklist containing a first plurality of Internet protocol addresses associated with unwanted Internet traffic. The system also operates a first plurality of access control lists adapted to block the unwanted Internet traffic from one of the first Internet protocol addresses listed in the first blacklist. The system also assigns a first weight to each of the first Internet protocol addresses based on a reliability of Internet traffic from each of the first Internet protocol addresses. Additionally, the system reduces a first number of the first access control lists to optimally trade off a number of desirable Internet protocol addresses blocked with a number of bad Internet protocol addresses blocked based on the first weight of each of the first Internet protocol addresses.
US08539573B2
Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer readable media are provided for disposable component authentication with respect to a biological fluid processing device instrument. An example instrument authentication system includes a computer facilitating configuration and operation of the biological fluid processing instrument using a disposable component. A first interface is provided by the computer and is used by a service technician to configure the biological fluid processing instrument for a number of disposable components and to provide a service technician with a validation code. A key generator is to accept the validation code from the service technician and generate an authentication key in response to the entered validation code. A second interface is provided by the computer, the second interface prompting the service technician to enter an authentication key, wherein the authentication key authorizes use of a certain number of disposable components for the biological fluid processing instrument.
US08539568B1
A method for creating an identity map, the method including determining, using a single sign on component, if a user is a presented with a logon screen related to a resource, capturing logon information, using the SSO component, wherein at least a portion of the logon information is received from the user, determining, using the SSO component, if the user successfully accessed the resource using the information received from the user, and determining if an identity map includes an entry corresponding to at least one of the user and the resource.
US08539566B2
A system, method, and computer program product for monitoring managed resources by subscribing to broadcast notifications relayed by a Java Management Extensions (JMX) message bridge between JMX managed beans (JMX MBeans) and a client application with user interface (UI) components. In an embodiment, ADOBE™ FLEX™ user UI components subscribe to JMX broadcast notifications. The method generates messages destined for UI components using a JMX broadcaster. JMX MBeans are created in a JMX server and are subscribed to JMX broadcasts. The JMX MBeans are created with filter values identifying destination UI components. A JMX managed object name is passed to the UI during the creation of the UI components. The UI components become consumers of a message topic. A JMX message adapter dedicated to the communication with the JMX MBeans receives JMX broadcast notifications. Messages generated by the JMX broadcaster are relayed to the destination UI components through the JMX MBeans.
US08539560B2
Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems and methods for protecting content by automatically identifying a display surface viewable only to authorized users and displaying protected content on the identified display surface. In one example embodiment, content is displayed on a first display surface in viewable range of a first user authorized to view the content. The entrance of a second user into viewable range of the first display surface is detected, and automatically determined to be unauthorized to view the content. A second display surface in viewable range of the first user but not viewable by the second user is automatically identified in response to detecting the entrance of the second, unauthorized user into viewable range of the first display surface. The display of the content is automatically moved from the first display surface to the second display surface to prevent the content from being viewed by the unauthorized user.
US08539558B2
According to one embodiment, an apparatus may store a plurality of token-based rules that facilitate access to a risk-sensitive resource. The apparatus may further store a first token that may indicate that a user is accessing a non-risk-sensitive resource. The apparatus may receive a second token that may indicate that the user is attempting to access the risk-sensitive resource. In response to receiving the second token, the apparatus may apply the token-based rule to make an access decision whereby the user's access to the non-risk-sensitive resource will be terminated. The apparatus may then communicate at least one token representing the access decision.
US08539556B1
Disclosed are various embodiments for disabling administrative access to computing resources. A customer request is obtained to disable administrative access of a provider to one or more computing devices. The provider supplies computing resources of the at least one computing device to the customer. The administrative access of the provider to the computing devices is disabled in response to the request. The administrative access of the provider remains disabled until a reset of the computing devices is performed.
US08539549B2
There is provided an identifier authentication system in which information requesting users can share all predetermined information held in a plurality of information providing servers.In the identifier authentication system, when an identifier holding user 19 presents an identifier to an information requesting server 15, the information requesting server 15 asks a location management server 13 about a location of an information providing server 14 corresponding to the presented identifier, the location management server 13 returns the confirmed IP address of the information providing server 15 corresponding to the presented identifier to the information requesting server 15 based on the location information, the information requesting server 15 accesses the information providing server 14 corresponding to the confirmed IP address by using the confirmed IP address, and receives predetermined information corresponding to the presented identifier from the accessed information providing server 14.
US08539548B1
A hierarchical administrative system centrally controls configuration of network security policy for a group of information handling systems (IHSs) by multiple tier levels of administration. The highest tier level of administration builds policies that fulfill IT security policy intent. Higher level administrators may scope subordinate administrators to a group of IHSs or a single IHS. Higher level administrators may allow subordinate administrators to perform system specific customization of the policy based on permissions that the higher level administrator grants. Customization may include completing partially-built rule conditions with IP address and port, completing partially-built rule actions, and adding or deleting rules based on IHS unique applications or security requirements. A security enforcement tool may enforce customizations of network security policy. A security policy administration tool along with the security enforcement tool may detect attempts to work around the administrative system, and alerts higher tier level administrators and/or takes remedial action.
US08539534B2
A method including receiving a request from another device to provide television content; sending a response that includes the television content; storing state information associated with the television content, wherein the state information includes an identifier of the other device and an identifier of the television content provided; detecting when an error occurs between the device and the other device; and resending a last television content that was successfully received by the other device before the error occurred.
US08539520B2
An audience measurement system generates signatures of unknown pieces of content viewed by panel members, and generates multiplexed reference signatures of known pieces of content. The signatures of the unknown pieces of content are stored and transmitted to a central processing site, where they are compared with the reference signatures for their identification. A signature comparator finds matches between the signatures of the unknown and the known contents.
US08539515B1
A method of providing driver functionality including forming an isolated sandbox on a remote computing system; during an attempt to install a host driver in a host OS on a different computing system, installing a driver stub in the host OS instead of the host driver. The stub is accessible from the isolated sandbox and supports API function calls supported by the host driver, including API interfaces or API call parameters; installing a sandbox driver in the isolated sandbox; using a gateway to redirect API requests from the driver stub to the sandbox driver for execution of the requests in the sandbox, and to transmit responses back from the sandbox driver to the host OS. The stub provides access to functionality of the sandbox driver via the gateway and invokes the sandbox driver through the gateway. The sandbox driver uses the gateway to interface to host API.
US08539513B1
First and second operating systems of a virtual computer system can communicate using respective first and second network protocol stacks, by employing procedures that are specialized for a situation in which a TCP control block of the first stack and a TCP control block of the second stack correspond to the same logical connection. In this case, various TCP requirements can be bypassed by coupling the TCP control blocks, reducing or eliminating data copies and providing other efficiencies.
US08539506B2
Techniques are described herein that are capable of dynamically injecting code into a running process. For instance, the techniques are capable of causing arbitrary code to be activated in the process while the process is running in response to receipt of a request for dynamic execution of the arbitrary code from outside the process while the process is running.
US08539495B2
A job scheduling apparatus determines an assignment order, which is the order in which jobs are assigned to a computational resource, on the basis of priority levels and being associated with the assignment order. The apparatus assigns the jobs to the computational resource on the basis of the assignment order. The apparatus reduces the priority levels for the jobs that have been assigned to the computational resource. The apparatus increases the priority levels with time. Regarding a priority level among the priority levels, if, at a future time, which is a fixed time period from the start of execution of the jobs, an amount of an increase in the priority level is expected to be equal to or larger than an amount of a reduction in the priority level for a job, assignment of the job to the computational resource is executed.
US08539494B2
A method for scheduling a new thread involves identifying a criticality level of the new thread, selecting a processor group according to the criticality level of the new thread and an existing assigned utilization level of the processor group to obtain a selected processor group, increasing an assigned utilization level of the selected processor group based on the new thread, and executing the new thread by the selected processor group.
US08539492B1
Disclosed are various embodiments for the management of dependencies on data. Multiple jobs are executed in one or more computing devices. It is determined that a first one of the jobs consumes data produced by a second one of the jobs, and a dependency is recorded. It is then determined whether the dependency is satisfied. When the dependency is determined to be unsatisfied, execution of the first one of the jobs is suspended. When the second one of the jobs produces the data, the dependency is updated as being satisfied. Execution of the first one of the jobs is resumed in response to the dependency being updated as being satisfied.
US08539491B1
A thread scheduling technique for assigning multiple threads on a single integrated circuit is dependent on the CPIs of the threads. The technique attempts to balance, to the extent possible, the loads among the processing cores by assigning threads of relatively long-latency (low CPIs) with threads of relatively short-latency (high CPIs) to the same processing core.
US08539490B2
A system and method for providing dynamic transaction optimizations, such as dynamic XA transaction optimizations. In accordance with an embodiment, the system enables monitoring of transactional behavior in an application during runtime, in order to provide a feedback loop. The application/transaction information in the feedback loop can be analyzed by a transaction manager to determine an indication as to whether a particular optimization, such as an isSameRM optimization, will provide a benefit or not. The optimization can then be applied accordingly. In accordance with various embodiments, such determination can be made transparently, so that its enablement is not detectable to, e.g., an end-application, or a system administrator, even though the distribution and type of XA calls may be detected through system monitoring. The feature can be used to improve the performance of transaction processing in a transaction-based system.
US08539486B2
Mechanisms are provided for handling conflicts in a transactional memory system. The mechanisms execute threads in a data processing system in a first conflict resolution mode of operation in which threads execute conflicting transactional blocks speculatively. The mechanisms determine, for a transactional block, if the first conflict resolution mode of operation is to be transitioned to a second conflict resolution mode of operation in which threads accessing conflicting transactional blocks are executed serially and non-speculatively. Moreover, the mechanisms execute a thread that accesses the transactional block using the second conflict resolution mode of operation in response to the determination indicating that the first conflict resolution mode of operation is to be transitioned to the second conflict resolution mode of operation.
US08539483B2
A computer that receives a first instruction for interrupting or stopping operation of the virtual machine; that obtains a duration time corresponding to the virtual machine for which the first instruction is received; that determines whether a second instruction for operating the virtual machine has been received during the obtained duration time; and that determines whether to output a third instruction for interrupting or stopping operation of the computer based at least on whether the second instruction for operating the virtual machine has been received during the obtained duration time.
US08539473B2
Techniques are described for providing information about installation states of software components using an interactive object. Information regarding one or more classifications is received. Each of the classifications indicates a different installation state. At least a portion of the information is displayed in a first area of the interactive object. A selectable element is included in the interactive object which, when selected, causes performance of an action.
US08539464B2
A method of performing distributed just-in-time compilation includes sending a first request message from a client platform to a dedicated compilation server requesting just-in-time compilation of a bytecode sequence generated from a set of code for a source program executing on the client platform; compiling the bytecode sequence at the compilation server into a set of machine code instructions executable by the client platform; storing the set of machine code instructions in a repository managed by the dedicated compilation server; sending a notification message indicating that the set of machine code instructions are available from the dedicated compilation server to the client platform; sending a second request message from the client platform to the dedicated compilation server requesting the set of machine code instructions; and accessing the repository to send the set of machine code instructions from the dedicated compilation server to the client platform.
US08539457B2
Computing responses to semantic queries. A method includes accessing a plurality of objects that represent source code for an input program. The source code is transformed into a plurality of immutable objects that are structured such that the immutable objects can be used to derive any response as defined by the semantic rules about the source code. A query is received from a requestor requesting a semantic characteristic of the input program. The semantic characteristic is calculated. The semantic characteristic is returned to the requestor. The semantic characteristic is cached in a cache. Information describing a dependency between the cached semantic characteristic and one or more of the objects in the plurality of objects is stored.
US08539456B2
A method, system, and computer program product containing instructions for automatically converting an MPI source code program into an MPI thread-based program. In response to inputs in the form of an MPI source code program and a command, a converter declares a global variable of the MPI source code program as a thread private variable to create a first private variable for a first thread and a second private variable for a second thread. A library is identified to support converting processes to threads during execution of the MPI thread-based program, and the identified library is used to build an executable version of the MPI thread-based program. The identified library may include code to identify instantiation of a new process when the MPI thread-based program is executing, and in response, to cause a corresponding thread for the MPI thread-based program to be instantiated.
US08539455B2
A system, method, and computer program product that captures performance-characteristic data from the execution of a program and models system performance based on that data. Performance-characterization data based on easily captured reuse distance metrics is targeted. Reuse distance for one memory operation may be measured as the number of memory operations that have been performed since the memory object it accesses was last accessed. Separate call stacks leading up to the same memory operation are identified and statistics are separated for the different call stacks. Methods for efficiently capturing this kind of metrics are described. These data can be refined into easily interpreted performance metrics, such as performance data related to caches with LRU replacement and random replacement strategies in combination with fully associative as well as limited associativity cache organizations. Methods for assessing cache utilization as well as parallel execution are covered. The method includes modeling multithreaded memory systems and detecting false sharing coherence misses.
US08539449B2
Provided is a device and method for inspecting software for vulnerabilities which fuzzes the software by function. The device for inspecting software for vulnerabilities includes a target function selecting module for selecting a function of the software for vulnerabilities to be inspected, a comparison file generating module for generating a first file including the selected function and a second file not including the selected function, a binary pattern comparing module for detecting a changed or added binary pattern by comparing binary values of the first file and the second file, a test case generating module for generating at least one test case based on the detected binary pattern, and a vulnerability verifying module for inspecting vulnerabilities based on the at least one test case and generating a vulnerability inspection result. Accordingly, by intensively fuzzing a part of the software which is changed or added according to the function of the software, software vulnerabilities can be found by each function and fuzzing efficiency can be improved.
US08539443B2
Analyzing code written in a loosely typed language. User input specifying code for a script may be received. The specified code may be analyzed. More specifically, one or more code portions referenced by the specified code may be determined. Properties of symbols of the specified code and the one or more code portions may also be determined. Additionally, the specified code may be analyzed using the determined properties to determine errors in the specified code. Accordingly, one or more errors may be graphically indicated based on said analyzing. Receiving the user input, analyzing the specified code, and graphically indicating the one or more errors may be performed at edit time.
US08539440B1
System and method for managing and specifying hardware implementation of a graphical program. A graphical program that implements an algorithm is stored in a memory of a computer system. The graphical program meets one or more first specified implementation requirements and is targeted for deployment to a programmable hardware element. A plurality of sets of descriptive directives are also stored in the memory, where the descriptive directives are associated with the graphical program and specify one or more additional specified implementation requirements, e.g., memory resource implementations, optimization directives, and so forth, where the additional directives result from programmatic and/or user-specification. Each set of descriptive directives is useable by a synthesis tool to generate a respective hardware configuration program for deployment to the graphical programmable hardware element.
US08539433B2
A circuit design aiding apparatus includes a circuit data storage that stores circuit data for each circuit diagram, the circuit data containing elements in a circuit, connection between the elements, and links to constraints, a constraint data storage that stores constraint data representing design constraints, a circuit edit controller that receives and edits the circuit data through user's operation and holds an element having been edited, a constraint edit controller that receives and edits the constraint data through user's operation, a constraint updater that updates, when the circuit data is edited, the constraint data set to the edited element based on the type of the constraint and the type of the edited element, a display unit that displays the circuit data and other information, and an output data generator that generates circuit data and other data to be outputted.
US08539423B2
One aspect provides a method of designing an integrated circuit. In one embodiment, the method includes: (1) generating a functional design for the integrated circuit, (2) determining performance objectives for the integrated circuit, (3) determining an optimization target voltage for the integrated circuit, (4) determining whether the integrated circuit needs voltage scaling to achieve the performance objectives at the optimization target voltage and, if so, whether the integrated circuit is to employ static voltage scaling or adaptive voltage scaling, (5) using the optimization target voltage to synthesize a layout from the functional integrated circuit design that meets the performance objectives by employing standardized data created by designing at least one representative benchmark circuit, and (6) performing a timing signoff of the layout at the optimization target voltage.
US08539417B2
Generating a physical circuit board design. The physical circuit board is designed based on a design data set containing multiple electronic components. In a first step, the electronic components are classified by assigning them either to a group of so-called Core Components or to a group of Application Specific Components. Subsequently, a circuit board layer structure is generated. The layer structure includes a Core Layer Structure located in the center of this layer structure. The components are placed onto the board's layer structure in such a way that the Core Components are placed onto the Core Layer Structure. Finally, a design macro of the resulting physical design is generated and the circuit board is assembled.
US08539408B1
The invention of novel methods is described for efficient and accurate thermal simulation of a structure that can be primarily constructed using building blocks. These structures may include, but not limited to, semiconductor chips, photovoltaic/solar panels, battery packs, etc. The methods are formulated in hierarchical function spaces, rather than the physical space and provide three-dimensional (3D) steady-state and transient temperature profiles of the structure, which are as detailed as full-scale numerical simulation, using substantially less computational degrees-of-freedom (DOF). The number of DOF required is comparable to that of lumped thermal models, yet no ad-hoc modeling assumptions related to geometry, dimensions, temperature profiles, or heat flow paths are required. The methods can be applied to evaluate temperature profiles at different levels of granularity. The methods can also be implemented in various computer-aided-design (CAD) or electronic-design-automation (EDA) tools for different technologies to perform electro-thermal simulations.
US08539402B1
In one embodiment of the invention, a method includes partitioning an integrated circuit design into a hierarchy of a top level and a plurality of partitions, wherein the top level includes a top level netlist and each partition includes a partition netlist; receiving data path timing budgets and clock path timing budgets for each of the plurality of partitions of the integrated circuit design; and generating a timing budget model of each partition in response to the respective data path timing budgets and clock path timing budgets, wherein each timing budget model includes an intra-partition clock timing constraint for each respective partition for independent implementation of the top level.
US08539394B2
A method for minimizing errors of a plurality of photolithographic masks that serve for successively processing a substrate is provided. The method includes determining a reference displacement vector field, in which the reference displacement vector field correlates displacement vectors of the errors of the plurality of photolithographic masks. The method includes determining for each of the photolithographic mask a difference displacement vector field as a difference between the reference displacement vector field and the displacement vectors of the errors of the respective photolithographic mask, and correcting the errors for each of the photolithographic masks using the respective difference displacement vector field.
US08539386B2
A method performed at a computing device with a touch-sensitive display includes: displaying a plurality of user interface objects on the display, including a currently selected first user interface object; detecting a first contact on the first user interface object; detecting movement of the first contact across the display; moving the first user interface object in accordance with the movement of the first contact; while detecting movement of the first contact across the display: detecting a first finger gesture on a second user interface object; and, in response: selecting the second user interface object; moving the second user interface object in accordance with movement of the first contact subsequent to detecting the first finger gesture; and continuing to move the first user interface object in accordance with the movement of the first contact.
US08539379B2
A system and method allows a user to specify a presentation by arranging content into a hierarchical arrangement. A described method includes providing a hierarchy manager to manage a hierarchy of a plurality of content to be used in a presentation, providing an interface to receive a script and associate the script with at least a portion of the content, and digitally generating a file responsive to the content, the hierarchy, and the script, where the file represents the presentation. The script can control one or more behaviors of the presentation during a display of the presentation. Generating the file can include inserting the script into the file to cause an execution of the script during the display of the presentation.
US08539357B2
An electronic media device may be controlled based on personalized media preferences of users experiencing content using the electronic media device. Users experiencing content using the electronic media device may be automatically identified and the electronic media device may be automatically controlled based on media preferences associated with the identified users.
US08539355B2
A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to display information and obtain a custom node in a procedural renderer. A schematic view of a flow of clip image data, wherein a node in the schematic view represents an operator/function performed on or that affects another node or a particular layer of the clip image data is displayed. Two or more nodes are selected and grouped together. The schematic view is then altered to reflect the grouping of the selected nodes. Further, the selected node may be associated with a custom node bin, wherein the custom node bin represents a custom node that can be used in a schematic work area of the procedural renderer as often as desired.
US08539346B2
The present invention generally provides methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for managing an annotation system that includes storing annotations for a document family, i.e., a series of versions of a data source. Annotations created for one version of the data source may be viewed in context from both subsequent and prior versions of the same data source. Embodiments of the invention associate annotations with both a data source “family identifier” as well as a “version identifier.” Other than adding a family ID to the data source, the data source remains unchanged. The family ID is maintained across different versions of the data source, whereas version IDs are determined for a specific version of the data source. Version IDs can be constructed from each data source directly, and do not need to be stored.
US08539345B2
Portlet information can be updated by first identifying one or more portlets presented on a client. Each portlet can include an interface control that is iteratively updated from a remotely located data source. For each portlet, a presented and a hidden version of the interface control can be established. Each portlet can fetch data from the data source and use this data to update the hidden version of the interface control. The hidden version of the control can be updated using the fetched data. After the hidden version is updated, the hidden version can be switched with the presented version. Each portlet can have a portlet refresh rate and the steps of fetching data, updating the hidden version, and switching the hidden version with the presented version can be repeated to satisfy the portlet refresh rate.
US08539330B2
According to the present invention, there are provided a dynamic client-side breadcrumbing method and system for improving navigation of a plurality of web pages within a Website. The method and system comprise executing a breadcrumbing engine embedded into a web page for: generating a breadcrumb for each web page downloaded to a web browser associated with a client from a web server associated with the Website, the generated breadcrumb including navigation information for each downloaded web page; storing breadcrumbs associated with web pages downloaded to the web browser at the client; updating the stored breadcrumbs with the generated breadcrumb to form a breadcrumb navigation trail of breadcrumbs associated with navigation of the web pages at the Website; and displaying the breadcrumb navigation trail on each downloaded web page for user selection. The method and system further comprise resuming navigation according to the breadcrumb navigation trail by downloading of a web page according to navigation information of a last breadcrumb in the breadcrumb navigation trail.
US08539327B2
A semiconductor circuit for testing a logic circuit, the semiconductor circuit including: an exclusive OR circuit receiving an input testing signal to a circuit under testing and a output testing signal from the circuit under testing; a multiplexer receiving a result signal output from the exclusive OR circuit and a clock signal; and a flip-flop storing a logical value represented by a captured signal in synchronization with a multiplexed signal output from the multiplexer, the captured signal being selected from a entered signal (I) and a data signal that is output from another semiconductor circuit for testing.
US08539307B1
A device and method of detecting and correcting errors in data having a control unit, a coefficient computation unit, an error computation unit, and an error detection and correction unit, where errors such as garbled data, missing data, and added data are either detected and corrected or just detected.
US08539304B1
A low-density parity check (LDPC) encoder that calculate parity check values for a message using an LDPC parity check matrix is provided. A matrix-vector multiplication unit is operative to multiply a portion of the LDPC parity check matrix and the message to obtain an intermediate vector. A parallel recursion unit is operative to recursively calculate a first plurality of parity check values for the message based on the intermediate vector and to recursively calculate a second plurality of parity check values for the message based on the intermediate vector. The first plurality of parity check values are calculated in parallel with the second plurality of parity check values.
US08539303B2
Embodiments of an invention for low overhead error-correcting-code protection for stored information are described are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a data storage structure, a first check value storage structure, a second check value storage structure, and check value generation hardware. The data storage structure is to store a plurality of first data values. The first check value storage structure is to store a plurality of first check values. The second check value storage structure is to store a plurality of second check values. The check value generation hardware is to generate the first check values and the second check values. The first check values provide a first level of error protection for the first data values and the second check values provide a second level of error protection for a plurality of second data values. Each of the plurality of first data value has a first data width, and each of the plurality of second data values has a second data width, the second data width being greater than the first data width. Each of the second data values is a concatenation of one of the first data values and at least another of the first data values.
US08539300B2
An information recording and reproducing apparatus writes user data received from an external device into a recording medium and reads the user data from the recording medium so as to transmit the user data to the external terminal. The information recording and reproducing apparatus includes an external interface unit operable to transmit and receive the user data to and from the external device, a first ECC generator operable to generate parity data corresponding to the user data, an access unit operable to control recording and reading of the user data or the parity data to and from the recording medium, a recording controller operable to record the user data and the first parity data to the recording medium via the access unit, an ECC correcting unit operable to correct an error of the user data read from the recording medium using the parity data read from a nonvolatile memory via the access unit, and a reproducing controller having a first reproducing mode for reading and reproducing the user data without reading the parity data from the recording medium at the time of reproducing data and a second reproducing mode for reading and reproducing at least the parity data from the recording medium, the reproducing controller operable to detect presence or non-presence of an error of the user data read from the recording medium during execution of the first reproducing mode and executing the second reproducing mode when the presence of an error is detected.
US08539294B2
Scan architectures are commonly used to test digital circuitry in integrated circuits. The present invention describes a method of adapting conventional scan architectures into a low power scan architecture. The low power scan architecture maintains the test time of conventional scan architectures, while requiring significantly less operational power than conventional scan architectures. The low power scan architecture is advantageous to IC/die manufacturers since it allows a larger number of circuits (such as DSP or CPU core circuits) embedded in an IC/die to be tested in parallel without consuming too much power within the IC/die. Since the low power scan architecture reduces test power consumption, it is possible to simultaneously test more die on a wafer than previously possible using conventional scan architectures. This allows wafer test times to be reduced which reduces the manufacturing cost of each die on the wafer.
US08539290B2
An integrated circuit is described that has a substrate with a memory array with dedicated support hardware formed on the substrate. An access wrapper circuit is coupled to address and data lines of the memory array and to control lines of the dedicated support hardware. The wrapper circuit is configured to provide an access port to the memory array. A test controller is formed on the substrate and coupled in parallel with the access wrapper circuit to the address and data lines of the memory array and to the control lines of the dedicated support hardware, wherein the test controller is operable to perform a test of the memory array by manipulating control signals to the support hardware in addition to those required to write data patterns into the memory array and to read the contents of the memory array.
US08539285B2
According to one embodiment, a method for handling errors includes detecting that an error has occurred in a machine in a system, determining an error ID associated with the error, determining that the error should be reported to a host system for further analysis based on the error ID, determining that one or more actions should be taken by the system based on the error ID, and sending information corresponding to the error to the host system after it is determined that the error should be reported to the host system. In another embodiment, a system includes a processor and logic for performing the method. According to another embodiment, a computer program product includes a computer readable storage medium having computer readable code embodied therewith for performing the method. Other methods, systems, and computer program products are also described according to more embodiments.
US08539284B2
An application can specify reliability values via a communication path between the application and the registers. Application reliability could increase if the application itself could specify the timeout and retry values. For instance, some errors might be prevented if the timeout value is lengthened by a short amount. A longer timeout value would result in slower performance because the memory component could not be accessed during the timeout period. However, resolving errors in memory devices would prevent unrecoverable error indicators from being returned to the application, which would in turn limit application and system crashes. Creating a communication path between the application and the hardware registers would allow the application to modify the reliability of memory operations.
US08539282B1
A method is used in managing quality testing. Quality tests are mapped to characteristics of a product under test. Based on the mapping and a result of a previously executed quality test, a respective relevance level is determined for each of the quality tests. Based on the relevance levels, a priority is determined among the quality tests.
US08539281B2
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method and technique for managing rollback in a transactional memory environment is disclosed. The method includes, responsive to detecting a begin transaction directive by a processor supporting transactional memory processing, detecting an access of a first memory location not needing rollback and indicating that the first memory location does not need to be rolled back while detecting an access to a second memory location and indicating that a rollback will be required. The method also includes, responsive to detecting an end transaction directive after the begin transaction directive and a conflict requiring a rollback, omitting a rollback of the first memory location while performing rollback on the second memory location.
US08539279B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, apparatuses, systems, and computer software products for data storage. A corrupted node under a first meta-volume node in a hierarchical tree structure is deleted. The hierarchical tree structure further includes a source node under the first meta-volume node. The corrupted node and the source node each include a respective set of local pointers. The corrupted node and the source node represent respective copies of a logical volume. The source node is reconfigured to become a second meta-volume node having the same set of local pointers as the source node. A first new node is created under the second meta-volume node in the hierarchical tree structure to represent the corrupted node. A second new node is created under the second meta-volume node to represent the source node. The first and second new nodes are configured to have no local pointers.
US08539264B2
The connection unit is intended for connecting terminals (T) to networks (LAN) that provide electric energy (E) to the terminals (T) connected thereto. The connection unit (AE) is configured for generating electric energy for the connection unit (AE) from the energy (E) provided, and has a switching element (SE) for separating the supply of energy for the terminals (T), wherein the switching element (SE) is controlled via the network (LAN). It is advantageous that the energy supply of the terminals (T) can be separated or switched on via the network (LAN) by means of the switching elements (SE), for example as a function of the presence or the location of users of terminals (T). Since the separations of the energy supply to the terminals may be carried out over longer periods of time, such as during the night, the energy consumption of the terminals (T) or of the networks (LAN) providing the electric energy to the terminals (T) can be reduced significantly.
US08539262B2
An apparatus and method is described herein for providing a dynamic pulse scheme for a voltage supply. A load (current) demand event of a processor is either predicted and/or detected. In response to the current demand event, such as a change in the current demand; a temporary, transient voltage pulse is generated by a voltage supply to compensate for the current transient demand. As result, dynamic voltage supply pulses generated based on the load current or the prediction of the load current demand increases performance, decreases power consumption, and saves expensive addition of compensation components, such as capacitors to a processor package.
US08539259B2
A method of classification of power requirements in a power over Ethernet system, the method comprising: providing a first classification voltage for a first classification cycle time, the provided first classification voltage being within a classification voltage range defined by a lower classification voltage limit and upper classification voltage limit; measuring a first current flow responsive to the provided first classification voltage; subsequent to the first classification cycle time, providing a voltage outside of the classification voltage range for a classification indexing time; subsequent to the classification indexing time, providing a second classification voltage for a second classification cycle time, the provided second classification voltage being within the classification voltage range; measuring a second current flow responsive to the provided second classification voltage; determining a classification responsive to the measured first current flow and the measured second current flow; and allocating power responsive to the determined classification.
US08539257B2
Methods and apparatus for detecting an idle mode of processing equipment are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for monitoring a processing system may include a first system adapter for monitoring a first process chamber and determining a state thereof; and a first support adapter for communicating with the first system adapter and a first support system coupled to the first process chamber, the support adapter configured to communicate a readiness to operate the first support system at a low power mode to a controller of the support system in response to the state of the first process chamber being in an idle mode.
US08539254B1
In one embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for protecting against attacks on security of a programmable integrated circuit (IC). At least a portion of an encrypted bitstream input to the programmable IC is decrypted with a cryptographic key stored in the programmable IC. A number of failures to decrypt the encrypted bitstream is tracked. The tracked number is stored in a memory of the programmable IC that retains the number across on-off power cycles of the programmable IC. In response to the number of failures exceeding a threshold, data that prevents the decryption key from being used for a subsequent decryption of a bitstream is stored in the programmable IC.
US08539250B2
A two-stage storage security system comprising an address translator and a cryptographic engine for a mobile computing platform is provided. In response to a write operation, the address translator receives unencrypted data blocks, from an initiator, and associates the blocks with corresponding scrambled data storage addresses. The cryptographic engine encrypts the unencrypted data blocks to be stored on the platform storage component at the corresponding scrambled data storage addresses. The address translator applies a predetermined reversible translation function to reversibly remap addresses, and the cryptographic engine applies a predetermined cryptographic technique to encrypt and decrypt the data blocks. In a read operation, encrypted data blocks retrieved from the storage component are decrypted and restored to an original logical order. Decryption of storage component data is allowed when storage component is coupled to the corresponding platform.
US08539241B2
A method for securing communication between a plurality of members. The method includes a first member sending a first input to a second member, receiving a second input from the second member, and generating, by an n-bit generator, an initial message digest using the first input and the second input. Communications between the first member and the second member are encrypted using the initial message digest.
US08539239B2
An information processing apparatus includes: an acquiring unit that acquires specific information; a preparation unit that makes out a certificate signing request based on the specific information, wherein the preparation unit makes out a first type certificate signing request including extensions and makes out a second type certificate signing request not including extensions; a display control unit that displays a selection screen on a display unit; and an output unit that is configured to output one of the first type certificate signing request and the second type certificate signing request to an outside according to selecting by a user in the selection screen.
US08539236B2
Provided is a re-authentication apparatus in a Downloadable Conditional Access System (DCAS), the re-authentication apparatus includes: a receiving unit to receive a key request message from a Secure Micro (SM); a determination unit to determine whether to perform re-authentication depending on downloading of SM client image; an identification unit to identify an SM identifier using the key request message, when the re-authentication is performed as a result of the determination; an extraction unit to retrieve previous session information corresponding to the SM identifier and to extract keying information about the previous session information; and an encryption unit to control an encryption key about the SM client image to be reused, the SM client image being encrypted in a previous session based on the previous session information using the keying information.
US08539233B2
Systems, methods, and/or techniques (“tools”) for binding content licenses to portable storage devices are described. In connection with binding the content licenses to the portable storage devices (“stores”), a host may perform authentication protocols that include generating a nonce, sending the nonce to a store, and receiving a session key from the store, with the session key being generated using the nonce. The store may perform authentication protocols that include receiving the nonce from the host, generating a random session key based on the nonce, and sending the session key to the host.
US08539231B1
Secure information is managed for each host or machine in an electronic environment using a series of key identifiers that each represent one or more secure keys, passwords, or other secure information. Applications and services needing access to the secure information can specify the key identifier, for example, and the secure information currently associated with that identifier can be determined without any change to the code or manual input or exposure of the secure information on the respective device. Functionality such as encryption key management and rotation are inaccessible and transparent to the user. In a networked or distributed environment, the key identifiers can be associated with host classes such that at startup any host in a class can obtain the necessary secure information. Updates and key rotation can be performed in a similar fashion by pushing updates to host classes transparent to a user, application, or service.
US08539230B2
An information processing apparatus includes a memory that stores command execution right information including execution right information indicating whether a command is executable, and a command determination unit that determines whether an entered command is a target of a command execution determination where it is determined that whether a command is executable based on whether the entered command is invoked by a user command or a system command, and determines whether the entered command is executable with reference to the command execution right information stored in the memory when the entered command is determined as the target of the command execution determination.
US08539229B2
Techniques for secure data management in a distributed environment are provided. A secure server includes a modified operating system that just allows a kernel application to access a secure hard drive of the secure server. The hard drive comes prepackaged with a service public and private key pair for encryption and decryption services with other secure servers of a network. The hard drive also comes prepackaged with trust certificates to authenticate the other secure servers for secure socket layer (SSL) communications with one another, and the hard drive comes with a data encryption key, which is used to encrypt storage of the secure server. The kernel application is used during data restores, data backups, and/or data versioning operations to ensure secure data management for a distributed network of users.
US08539217B2
A method to facilitate data transfer to a line replaceable unit that lacks a transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) interface is provided. The method comprises interfacing a memory-processing card to the line replaceable unit. The memory-processing card includes a memory, a central processing unit module, an interface to the line replaceable unit, an interface to an access point communicatively coupled to the central processing unit module, and a bus arbitrator communicatively coupled to the memory, the central processing unit module, and the interfaces. The method also includes determining a state of the line replaceable unit at the bus arbitrator responsive to the interfacing, providing access at the bus arbitrator from the central processing unit module to the memory when the determined state of the line replaceable unit is OFF, and providing access at the bus arbitrator from the line replaceable unit to the memory when the determined state of the line replaceable unit is ON.
US08539210B2
A microcontroller device has a central processing unit (CPU); a data memory coupled with the CPU divided into a plurality of memory banks, a plurality of special function registers and general purpose registers which may be memory-mapped, wherein at least the following special function registers are memory-mapped to all memory banks: a status register, a bank select register, a plurality of indirect memory address registers, a working register, and a program counter high latch; and wherein upon occurrence of a context switch, the CPU is operable to automatically save the content of the status register, the bank select register, the plurality of indirect memory address registers, the working register, and the program counter high latch, and upon return from the context switch restores the content of the status register, the bank select register, the plurality of indirect memory address registers, the working register, and the program counter high latch.
US08539209B2
A microprocessor breakpoint-checks a load/store operation specifying a load/store virtual address of data whose first and second pieces are within first and second cache lines. A queue of entries each include first storage for an address associated with the operation and second storage for an indicator indicating whether there is a match between a page address portion of the virtual address and a page address portion of a breakpoint address. During a first pass through a load/store unit pipeline, the unit performs a first piece breakpoint check using the virtual address, populates the second storage indicator, and populates the first storage with a physical address translated from the virtual address. During the second pass, the unit performs a second piece breakpoint check using the indicator received from the second storage and an incremented version of a page offset portion of the load/store physical address received from the first storage.
US08539207B1
Circuits, methods, and apparatus that reduce the amount of data read from an external memory by a processor when performing calculations on data sets such as matrices or lattices. In one example, a computation algorithm is executed by threads running on a parallel processor such as a single-instruction, multiple-data processor, which stores computational data in on chip memories. Data to be processed by a group of threads is read from the external memory and stored in a first on-chip memory, while a copy of data to be processed at a later time by the group of threads is stored in a second on-chip memory. Data in the first on-chip memory is processed multiple times before being written to the external memory. Processing data multiple times and keeping a copy of data for later use reduces the amount of data to be retrieved from memory, thereby improving computational efficiency.
US08539205B2
Embodiments of a system and a method in which a processor may execute instructions that cause the processor to receive an input vector and a control vector are disclosed. The executed instructions may also cause the processor to perform a product or quotient operation on another input vector dependent upon the input vector and the control vector.
US08539204B2
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for performing aggregation operations across multiple threads that execute independently. Aggregation is specified as part of a barrier synchronization or barrier arrival instruction, where in addition to performing the barrier synchronization or arrival, the instruction aggregates (using reduction or scan operations) values supplied by each thread. When a thread executes the barrier aggregation instruction the thread contributes to a scan or reduction result, and waits to execute any more instructions until after all of the threads have executed the barrier aggregation instruction. A reduction result is communicated to each thread after all of the threads have executed the barrier aggregation instruction and a scan result is communicated to each thread as the barrier aggregation instruction is executed by the thread.
US08539192B2
A method, system and computer program product for storing data in memory. An example system includes at least one multistage application configured to generate intermediate data in a generating stage of the application and consume the intermediate data in a subsequent consuming stage of the application. A runtime profiler is configured to monitor the application's execution and dynamically allocate memory to the application from an in-memory data grid.
US08539191B2
A method and system for estimating space in a compressed volume to enable a storage server to respond to write requests before actually compressing and/or allocating data on disk. In some embodiments, in response to receiving a request to store data, the storage server estimates the amount of storage space required to store the data on disk. The storage server compares the estimated amount with the amount of available disk space. When the amount of available disk space is less than the estimated space, the storage server sends a response indicating that the request failed. Otherwise, when the amount of available disk space is greater than or equal to the estimate space, the storage server sends a response indicating that the request succeeded. The response is sent before the storage server allocates any disk space in connection with the request.
US08539189B2
Example embodiments of a non-volatile memory device may comprise receiving an index value at one or more input terminals of a memory device and storing the index value in a first register of the memory device. The first register may be implemented in a first clock domain, and the index value may identify a second register of the memory device implemented in a second clock domain.
US08539188B2
A method for providing at least one sequence of values to a plurality of processors is described. In the method, a sequence generator from one or more sequence generators is associated with a memory location. The sequence generator is configured to generate the at least one sequence of values. One or more read accesses of the memory location are enabled by a processor from the plurality of processors. In response to enabling the read access, the sequence generator is executed so that it returns a first value from the sequence of values to the processor. After executing the sequence generator, the sequence generator is advanced so that the next access generates a second value from the sequence of values. The second value is sequentially subsequent to the first value.
US08539187B2
A method to dynamically adjust the amount of free space in a storage group is disclosed herein. In certain embodiments, such a method may include monitoring the amount of free space in an active storage group. The method may further include maintaining an overflow storage group containing unused volumes. When the free space in the active storage group falls below a lower threshold value, the method may automatically move a volume from the overflow storage group to the active storage group. Conversely, when the free space in the active storage group exceeds an upper threshold value, the method may automatically transfer data from a volume in the active storage group to other volumes in the active storage group, and move the volume from the active storage group to the overflow storage group. A corresponding computer program product and apparatus are also disclosed herein.
US08539186B2
A proactive, resilient and self-tuning memory management system and method that result in actual and perceived performance improvements in memory management, by loading and maintaining data that is likely to be needed into memory, before the data is actually needed. The system includes mechanisms directed towards historical memory usage monitoring, memory usage analysis, refreshing memory with highly-valued (e.g., highly utilized) pages, I/O pre-fetching efficiency, and aggressive disk management. Based on the memory usage information, pages are prioritized with relative values, and mechanisms work to pre-fetch and/or maintain the more valuable pages in memory. Pages are pre-fetched and maintained in a prioritized standby page set that includes a number of subsets, by which more valuable pages remain in memory over less valuable pages. Valuable data that is paged out may be automatically brought back, in a resilient manner. Benefits include significantly reducing or even eliminating disk I/O due to memory page faults.
US08539183B2
A memory card of one published standard, such as the Multi-Media Card (MMC) or Secure Digital Card (SD), is modified to include the function of a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) according to another published standard. The controller of the memory card communicates between electrical contacts on the outside of the card and both the memory and the SIM. In one specific form, the memory card has the physical configuration of the current Plug-in SIM card with a few external contacts added to accommodate the memory controller and data memory. In another specific form, the memory card has the physical configuration of the current SD card, including external contacts.
US08539180B2
Systems and methods for data migration are disclosed. A method may include allocating a destination storage resource to receive migration data. The method may also include assigning the destination storage resource a first identifier value equal to an identifier value associated with a source storage resource. The method may additionally include assigning the source storage resource a second identifier value different than the first identifier value. The method may further include migrating data from the source storage resource to the destination storage resource.
US08539175B2
A virtual logical unit that stores learning metadata is allocated in a first storage server having a first plurality of clusters, wherein the learning metadata indicates a type of storage device in which selected data of the first plurality of clusters of the first storage server are stored. A copy services command is received to copy the selected data from the first storage server to a second storage server having a second plurality of clusters. The virtual logical unit that stores the learning metadata is copied, from the first storage server to the second storage server, via the copy services command. Selected logical units corresponding to the selected data are copied from the first storage server to the second storage server, and the learning metadata is used to place the selected data in the type of storage device indicated by the learning metadata.
US08539174B2
A host device includes a first file system, and a storage device includes a plurality of memory units and a plurality of controllers. While the host device is operative coupled to the storage device, the host device creates a second file system corresponding to the storage device and copies host content from the first file system to the second file system. The second file system is segmented into a plurality of segments, each of the plurality of segments being uniquely associated with a particular one of the plurality of controllers. The host device selects a data transfer rate to write the host content from the second file system to the storage device.
US08539169B1
Some embodiments of the invention relate to selecting a data protection scheme, such as, for example, mirroring or RAID, for a content unit based on power-related metadata associated with the content unit. The data protection strategy selected for a content unit may impact the amount of power that a storage system consumes.
US08539163B1
Patterns of access and/or behavior can be analyzed and persisted for use in pre-fetching data from a physical storage device. In at least some embodiments, data can be aggregated across volumes, instances, users, applications, or other such entities, and that data can be analyzed to attempt to determine patterns for any of those entities. The patterns and/or analysis can be persisted such that the information is not lost in the event of a reboot or other such occurrence. Further, aspects such as load and availability across the network can be analyzed to determine where to send and/or store data that is pre-fetched from disk or other such storage in order to reduce latency while preventing bottlenecks or other such issues with resource availability.
US08539157B2
The invention relates to a cache memory and method for controlling access to data. According to the invention, a control area which is advantageously formed separate from a data area is provided for controlling the access to data stored in the cache and to be read by applicative processes. The control area includes at least one release area with offsets and data version definition sections.Application to shared memories for client server architectures.
US08539153B2
An electronic system includes a system on chip (SOC). The SOC includes at least one internal memory that operates selectively as a cache memory or a tightly-coupled memory (TCM). The SOC may include a microprocessor, an internal memory, and a selecting circuit. The selecting circuit may be configured to set the internal memory to one of a TCM mode or a cache memory mode in response to a memory selecting signal.
US08539149B2
Storage system arrangement wherein: when a transmission destination determines that a source-side serial number included in a received packet is the same as a current destination-side serial number in the transmission destination, the transmission destination processes a content of the received packet in accordance with a command included in the received packet; and when the transmission destination determines that the source-side serial number is not the same as the current destination-side serial number, the transmission destination does not process a content of the received packet.
US08539146B2
A method for performing refresh operations on a rank of memory devices is disclosed. After the completion of a memory operation, a determination is made whether or not a refresh backlog count value is less than a predetermined value and the rank of memory devices is being powered down. If the refresh backlog count value is less than the predetermined value and the rank of memory devices is being powered down, an Idle Count threshold value is set to a maximum value such that a refresh operation will be performed after a maximum delay time. If the refresh backlog count value is not less than the predetermined value or the rank of memory devices is not in a powered down state, the Idle Count threshold value is set based on the slope of an Idle Delay Function such that a refresh operation will be performed accordingly.
US08539143B2
A memory system is provided includes a host processor, and a plurality of cascade connected memory cards connected to the host processor. Each of the memory cards stores a same default relative card address (RCA) prior to initialization of the memory system. The host processor is configured to sequentially access each memory card using the default RCA, and to change the default RCA to a unique RCA upon each sequential access.
US08539133B2
An embedded system includes an ARM processor and a number of b-bit peripheral processors connected to the ARM processor through a converting chip. The ARM processor includes pins P0˜Pa-1 divided into teams T1˜TN, each of which includes b pins, a and b are integral multiple of 8, wherein a=N×b. The number of the peripheral processors is N and each team corresponds to one peripheral processor. The converting chip reads an a-bit data from the ARM processor, converts the data into a plurality of b-bit data, and transfers each b-bit data to a peripheral processor, where the number of the b-bit data is N. The converting chip further reads one b-bit data from each peripheral processor in sequence, converts the read plurality of b-bit data into an a-bit data, and transfers the a-bit data to the ARM processor.
US08539132B2
A method and system for dynamically managing a bus within a portable computing device (“PCD”) are described. The method and system include monitoring software requests with a bus manager. The bus manager determines if a software request needs to be converted into at least one of an instantaneous bandwidth value and an average bandwidth value. The bus manager then converts the software requests into these two types of values as needed. The bus manager calculates a sum of average bandwidth values across all software requests in the PCD. With these values, the bus manager may dynamically adjust settings of the bus based on instantaneous or near instantaneous demands from the master devices. This dynamic adjustment of the bus settings may afford more power savings for the PCD during low loads or during sleep states.
US08539130B2
The invention sets forth a crossbar unit that includes multiple virtual channels, each virtual channel being a logical flow of data within the crossbar unit. Arbitration logic coupled to source client subsystems is configured to select a virtual channel for transmitting a data request or a data packet to a destination client subsystem based on the type of the source client subsystem and/or the type of data request. Higher priority traffic is transmitted over virtual channels that are configured to transmit data without causing deadlocks and/or stalls. Lower priority traffic is transmitted over virtual channels that can be stalled.
US08539123B2
Management of data communication between a peripheral device and host computer system is provided. A peripheral device exposes to a host computer system multiple interfaces for data communication between the peripheral device and the host computer system. The multiple interfaces are exposed over a single physical interface between the peripheral device and the host computer system, for communicating data between the peripheral device and multiple applications executing on the host computer system. The multiple interfaces can include a dedicated management interface facilitating management of the peripheral device by a management application of the multiple applications executing on the host computer system.
US08539122B2
A method for exchanging peripheral data and submodule, wherein a transfer means is embedded into an operating system of the submodule for the exchange of the peripheral data with a main module to accelerate a process of copying input/output data from a decentralized peripheral system to a superordinate level.
US08539118B2
A system and method for determining media to be exported out of a media library is described. In some examples, the system determines a media component to be exported, determines the media component is in the media library for a specific process, and exports the media component after the process is completed.
US08539115B2
Certain embodiments provide a server device including: a first storage section which stores task execution device information for each of the identification information items of a plurality of task execution devices; a second storage section which stores operation environment information for each identification information item of an operating device; a receiving section which receives a requested task from the operating device to the task execution device; and a providing section which examines whether or not the requested task is executable and provides an examination result and the operation environment information corresponding to identification information to the operating device.
US08539095B2
Various embodiments of systems and methods for reliable message transfer are described herein. In a sender adapter, at least one message is divided into a plurality of message chunks based on a predetermined chunk size. A chunk key is assigned to each of the message chunk to correspond to each message. Further, a chunk sequence key is generated for each of the message chunks to identify a sequence of the message chunks. The plurality of message chunks including the corresponding chunk key and the chunk sequence key is transmitted to a receiver adapter. At the receiver adapter, the plurality of message chunks including the corresponding chunk key and the chunk sequence key are received. Further, the message chunks are grouped based on the corresponding chunk key and each message is reconstructed from the message chunks based on the corresponding chunk sequence key.
US08539094B1
Host machines and other devices performing synchronized operations can be dispersed across multiple racks in a data center to provide additional buffer capacity and to reduce the likelihood of congestion. The level of dispersion can depend on factors such as the level of oversubscription, as it can be undesirable in a highly connected network to push excessive host traffic into the aggregation fabric. As oversubscription levels increase, the amount of dispersion can be reduced and two or more host machines can be clustered on a given rack, or otherwise connected through the same edge switch. By clustering a portion of the machines, some of the host traffic can be redirected by the respective edge switch without entering the aggregation fabric. When provisioning hosts for a customer, application, or synchronized operation, for example, the levels of clustering and dispersion can be balanced to minimize the likelihood for congestion throughout the network.
US08539091B2
Methods and systems have been provided for preempting a secondary service provider from streaming information. The primary service provider sends an Ad-insert control packet for giving control of the streaming to the secondary service provider, during still periods determined on the basis of the Ad-insert control packet. When the primary service provider wants to take back control of streaming from the secondary service provider during the still periods, the primary service provider sends an Ad-insert preempt message. The secondary service provider is then preempted during the periods that are determined on the basis of the Ad-insert preempt message.
US08539089B2
Embodiments of the present invention include a method for processing packets through a plurality of protocol layers comprising accessing a packet associated with a connection and processing the packet through the plurality of protocol layers using a single thread wherein connection state information used by the plurality of protocol layers is preserved by mutual exclusion of other threads processing packets for the connection through the plurality of protocol layers.
US08539088B2
A session monitoring method based on multicast technologies is disclosed. The method includes: obtaining information about members of a multicast group that can be joined by a user in a session, wherein the session between a network and a member of the multicast group in the session is in an alive state; and checking whether the information about the members of the multicast group in the session includes user information corresponding to the user; if the member information includes the user information corresponding to the user, determining that the session between the network and the user as the member of the multicast group in the session is alive. A session monitoring apparatus, a session monitoring system, and an Access Node (AN) based on multicast technologies are also disclosed.
US08539087B2
A method for defining and managing a composite service group for a cluster based computer system is disclosed. The method includes instantiating a plurality of application units on a cluster based computer system, wherein the application units implement a business service. The method further includes receiving a composite service group definition, wherein a composite service group enumerates application units, out of the plurality of application units, that implement the business service, and generating a consolidated status of the composite service group. The business service is then started (online)/stopped (offline)/migrated/failed-over/failed-back in accordance with the consolidated status, as a single unit, by using the composite service group.
US08539086B2
Systems and methods for the forming of user device groups are presented. In one example, a message including location information indicating a geographic location of a first user device is received from the first user device. Values representing logical connection strengths between the first user device and other user devices are calculated using the location information. A first device group is determined for the first user device based on the calculating of the values representing the logical connection strengths, the first device group including a plurality of the other user devices.
US08539079B2
Aspects of the present invention include distributing new resources closer to end-users which are making increased demands by spinning-up additional virtualized instances (as part of a cloud provisioning) within servers that are physically near to the network equipment (i.e., web servers, switches, routers, load balancers) that are receiving the requests.
US08539076B2
An object of the present invention is to dynamically transfer a virtual file server within a cluster that is configured by a plurality of file servers in which virtual file servers are set up. A storage system includes: a first file server; a second file server; and a disk subsystem, in which: the first file server and the second file server each include a virtual file server control unit that sets up the virtual file server; the virtual file server includes a routing table that stores path information necessary for communication; and the virtual file server started up in the second file server determines a communication path by using the routing table used by the virtual file server in the first file server after taking a failover from the virtual file server of the first file server to the second file server.
US08539072B1
Particular embodiments permit a computer program running within a security sandbox to discover and communicate with networked services for example print servers, or remote control programming interfaces for TVs, stereos, and game boxes. The sandbox allows the computer program to originate unicast connections to a limited set of hosts but otherwise provides no access to the network. Particular embodiments may require no prior install, zero configuration, no account names or passwords, and yet resists spam. This is achieved by using centralized global infrastructure to coordinate the communications rather than local multicast, anycast, or datalink broadcast.
US08539070B2
An online machine data collection and archiving process generates a machine data profile of a customer computer accessing a transaction form of a merchant web site and links the machine data profile and a transaction record with customer identifying information using a unique transaction identification string. The process may capture parameters typically communicated as a part of web accesses, such as an IP address, an HTTP header, and cookie information. The process additionally causes the customer computer to process self-identification routines by processing coding within the merchant transaction form, the self-identification routines yielding further profile parameters. The process further includes a routine for bypassing an intervening proxy to the merchant web site to reveal the true IP address of the customer computer. Identifying the customer computer is useful for functions such as fraud detection and marketing.
US08539066B1
A system to monitor performance may include at least one probe to collect data related to performance of an associated domain. The system may also include at least one base station to receive data from associated ones of the at least one probe.
US08539063B1
Method and system for containing networked application client software in order to perform specified transactions only given explicit consent of a legitimate user. In one embodiment, a confirmation interceptor intercepts a service request message, queries the user of the request for a confirmation, and then either passes the service request message onto server application software or drops the request, depending on the user's confirmation response. In soliciting and processing the confirmation response, query is formulated so that the required response cannot be automatically generated by software that attempts to automate and simulate the user's actions.
US08539057B2
Website presence includes receiving aggregated website presence information describing website presence information for one or more objects of a website, and displaying the aggregated website presence information based at least in part on a website object profile for an object of the website. The website presence information describes one or more of the state of a website object regarding its participation in a communication session, the ability of the website object to participate in a communication session, and the willingness of the website object to participate in a communication session. Each of the one or more objects represents an entity associated with the website.
US08539052B2
A control assistance system and method include transmitting identification information and part identification information of a managed apparatus, storing identification information of the managed apparatus and the part identification information in a correspondence manner, specifying a combination of parts of the managed apparatus based on a correspondence between the identification information received from the managed apparatus and the identification information stored in the database, writing the received identification information in the database according to the specified combination of parts of the managed apparatus and transmitting a signal of restricting an operation to the specified managed apparatus.
US08539034B2
A system and method can broadcast a plurality of instant messages, at substantially the same time, via a computer network to a plurality of recipients. The recipients can respond via the network to a human or an automated agent. A predetermined reply message can be sent if all agents are busy.
US08539032B2
A network management system and graphical user interface for configuring a network connection between first and second service access points utilizes a configuration manager and information manager to provide a generic set of models so that different manufacturer's nodal processors and other network hardware can be inserted into the network with minimal changes to the software which controls the device. The system comprises an information manager including routing information for the network. The configuration manager operates to establish a connection across each subnet on the route by sending requests to element managers to program the subnet elements.
US08539027B1
In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses detect a collaboration session with a plurality of current participants; detect a subject matter of the collaboration session; and search for an additional participant based on the subject matter.
US08539025B2
System and method for zero client communications. A zero client device includes a housing, and in the housing, a transcoding processing unit (transcoder) and a communications processing unit coupled to the transcoder. The transcoder is configured to receive input data from human interface device(s), encode the input data, and provide the encoded input data to the communications processing unit for transmission over a network to a server. The communications processing unit is configured to receive the encoded input data from the transcoder, transmit the encoded input data over the network to the server, receive output data from the server, and send the output data to the transcoder. The transcoder is further configured to receive the output data from the communications processing unit, decode the output data, and send the decoded output data to at least one of the human interface devices.
US08539021B2
A technique and apparatus for delivering information to the subscribers (terminals) on a communications network. The information is simultaneously displayed in a web browser without interfering with the display of subscriber's selected data in the web browser.
US08539019B2
A web server system regulates its own load level by dynamically varying its responses to requests for like web pages. The responses are preferably varied at least in-part using variables that directly or indirectly specify the type and/or quantity of processing to be performed in responding to requests for dynamically-generated web pages. The type of response generated by the web server system is preferably selected based upon one or more of the following: (a) the current load level of the server system as a whole, (b) the current load levels of specific computing devices or components invoked by the request, and (c) a profile of the user who requests the page.
US08539018B2
A system, method and computer program product for determining at least one association between at least one business process and at least one network entity. The system maps at least one user to the business process. The system maps the user to at least one network end-point. The system maps the network end-point to at least one application. The system maps the network entity to the application. The system identifies the association among the business process, the user, the network end-point, the application and the network entity based on one or more of the mappings.
US08539015B2
To perform a binary-coded decimal (BCD) calculation, a processor receives values on which the BCD calculation is to be performed. A carry resulting from the BCD calculation is stored in a flag register of the processor, and the carry stored in the flag register is used to compute a result of the BCD calculation.
US08539014B2
Circuitry for solving linear matrix equations involving a resultant matrix, an unknown matrix and a product matrix that is a product of the resultant matrix and the unknown matrix includes matrix decomposition circuitry for triangulating an input matrix to create a resultant matrix having a plurality of resultant matrix elements on a diagonal, and having a further plurality of resultant matrix elements arranged in columns below the resultant matrix elements on the diagonal. The matrix decomposition circuitry includes an inverse square root multiplication path that computes diagonal elements of the resultant matrix having an inverse square root module, and the said inverse square root module computes inverses of the diagonal elements to be used in multiplication in place of division by a diagonal element. Latency is hidden by operating on each nth row of a plurality of matrices prior to any (n+1)th row.
US08539009B2
A system having an entropy module, a memory module and a main module is disclosed. The entropy module may be configured to generate a plurality of first random numbers. The memory module may be configured to buffer (i) the first random numbers and (ii) a plurality of second random numbers. The main module is generally configured to (i) control a first transfer of the first random numbers from the entropy module to the memory module, (ii) control a second transfer of the first random numbers from the memory module to the main module, (iii) generate the second random numbers by encrypting the first random numbers and (iv) control a third transfer of the second random numbers from the main module to the memory module. The generation of the first random numbers and the generation of the second random numbers may be performed in parallel.
US08539008B2
An extent-based storage architecture is implemented by a storage server receiving a read request for an extent from a client, wherein the extent includes a group of contiguous blocks and the read request includes a file block number. The storage server retrieves an extent identifier from a first sorted data structure, wherein the storage server uses the received file block number to traverse the first sorted data structure to the extent identifier. The storage server retrieves a reference to the extent from a second sorted data structure, wherein the storage server uses the retrieved extent identifier to traverse the second sorted data structure to the reference, and wherein the second sorted data structure is global across a plurality of volumes. The storage server retrieves the extent from a storage device using the reference and returns the extent to the client.
US08539007B2
Exemplary method, system, and computer program product embodiments for efficient garbage collection in a compressed journal file system are provided. In one embodiment, by way of example only, a map corresponding to data blocks with overwritten compressed journal entries is configured. Weighted conditions for each of the overwritten compressed journal entries are calculated. The weighted conditions are arranged in the map from lowest to highest. One of the weighted conditions includes a biasing variable towards selecting data blocks having free space at an end of at least one associated record. Additional system and computer program product embodiments are disclosed and provide related advantages.
US08539006B2
A Chart of accounts (COA) is maintained as a logical set of constraints, criteria, and relationships and does not persist any of the valid combinations until a first time a particular combination is used. When any business logic or properties need to be set or referenced on an individual combination, that combination is physically persisted “just in time” and then becomes a physical combination that may be used going forward. A hash value is associated with each combination such that lookups are simplified.
US08539005B2
An extruder configuration system is disclosed. The system includes an extruder information database including details of extruders, extruder elements and extruder barrels, a user interface configured to receive user inputs including user choices of extruders, extruder elements or extruder barrels from the extruder information database, the user interface further configured to receive extruders, extruder elements or extruder barrels for addition to the extruder information database, an element positioning engine including a database of incompatible elements and configured to review user choices and prevent positioning of incompatible extruder elements adjacent to each other on an extruder, a processor configured to create an extruder configuration based on user inputs and a display module configured to display the extruder configuration.
US08539004B2
The exchange of documents for execution can be performed efficiently using an automated system that routes and stores documents based on routing information. Routing may be accomplished with reminders for individuals of deadline for responding. After execution is confirmed, an executed copy may be forwarded to all parties and desired non-parties. If execution or approval is desired from a plurality of individuals, documents received from each of the plurality of individuals can be merged into a single, fully executed document if the approval/signatures are obtained simultaneously. Search capability for identifying data regarding the document, text within the document, or both may also be provided.
US08538992B1
The methods, systems, and data structures are taught for federating disparate calendaring systems into composite calendaring systems and composite calendars. First and second calendaring systems are bridged to a composite calendaring system using a bridging communication. The composite calendaring system tracks and presents selective information within a composite calendar.
US08538990B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for resolving cell-level access in a multi-dimensional data structure based on one or more sets of dimensional access rules. A business hierarchy is provided with nodes arranged in a tree structure. An online analytical processing database has several data cubes, where at least some have the business hierarchy as one of their dimensions. One or more rule-based access tables are provided for controlling access to cells of each data cube. Groups of nodes with identical access settings are identified in the business hierarchy. A single access block is generated per node group. Each access block is a serializable access specification object that contains information for generating a complete cell-level mask of access settings for a single node of the business hierarchy. The mask is generated based on the information in the access blocks for each node in the hierarchy.
US08538983B2
A knowledge management platform eliminates the trial and error process for analytical chemists in, for example, identifying appropriate methodologies for separating mixtures of chemical compounds. The platform allows the analytical chemists to perform a variety of searches on data existing from previous experiments, procedures, and/or processes. The platform may be employed to make faster decisions, and ultimately decreases the time taken in selecting an appropriate separation methodology.
US08538982B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for identifying answer boxes for presentation to a user. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include the actions of, while receiving an input entered in a search engine query input field by a first user, and before the first user has submitted the input as a search request, obtaining content for an answer box for the input and presenting the answer box to the first user. The answer box can be an answer box associated with a dominant query for the input, or can be an answer box identified from historical answer box data for the input.
US08538978B2
Disclosed is a method of presenting a search suggestion to a user. The method includes receiving a portion of a search query from the user. Responsive to receiving the portion of the search query, presenting to the user one or more search suggestions and at least one social comment icon corresponding to at least one of the one or more search suggestions. The method also includes selecting the at least one social comment icon to view comments from and websites recommended by at least one friend of the user, the comments and websites pertaining to the corresponding at least one of the one or more search suggestions Also disclosed are computer program products.
US08538973B1
A system and a method for ranking search results of local search queries. A local search query and a current location of a user are received. Next, two or more places that satisfy the local search query are identified, and for each respective place a corresponding distance from the current location of the user to the respective place is also identified. The two or more places are then ranked in accordance with scores that are based, at least in part, on popularity of the two or more places and the corresponding distances from the current location of the user, to produce a set of ranked places. The ranked set of places is then provided to the user.
US08538965B1
A hierarchical collection of items including one or more sub collections of items ordered in a hierarchy is received. A statistical measure of frequency of an item in a sub collection of items is determined. Further, statistical measures of weightages of the item are determined defining a number of sub collections in the hierarchical collection of items in which the item appears and a number of sub collections in which the item appears. A statistical measure of variability defining a number of occurrences of the item in the hierarchical collection of items across different sub collections is calculated. Furthermore, a relevance score of the item is determined based on the statistical measure of frequency, the one or more statistical measures of weightages of the item and the statistical measure of variability. Based on the relevance score, the item is presented on a computer generated graphical user interface.
US08538961B2
An information processing apparatus includes an extraction unit operable to extract metadata used for recognizing an event associated with a captured image from at least one of the captured image and attribute information concerning the captured image, and a recognition unit operable to recognize, on the basis of the metadata extracted by the extraction unit, the event associated with the captured image from among a plurality of predetermined events.
US08538960B2
Search results may include both objective results and person results. In one example, a search query is evaluated to determine whether it is the type of query that a user might want to ask to a friend. If the query is of such a type, then the search engine may examine a social graph to determine which friends of the user who entered the query may have information that is relevant to answering the query. If such friends exist, then the friends may be displayed along with objective search results, along with an explanation of each friend's relevance to the query. Clicking on a person in the results may cause a conversation to be initiated with that person, thereby allowing the user who entered the query to ask his or her friend about the subject of the query.
US08538955B2
In a computerized social network, expert and user chat sessions are stored and rated probabilistically. Later user requests for information are met with an expert ranking, based on a balance of similarities between expert profile and questions; similarity between expert profile and prior chat sessions, and dynamically updated chat session ratings. New sessions can be rated automatically with reference to keywords distilled from past sessions responsive to user ratings—and based on session length.
US08538950B2
A method and apparatus for editing a user created content (UCC)-based graphic user interface (GUI). The method includes storing at least one content file in a predetermined folder; configuring a first-content table using a file name-index table and a file name of each of the at least one content file stored in the predetermined folder; and outputting the GUI based on the first-content index table.
US08538944B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for selecting search results. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a first search query that is associated with a particular query location. A first search result that is responsive to the first search query is selected. The first search result references a first resource that has a first catchment area. The first catchment area includes the particular query location. A second search result that is responsive to the first search query is selected. The second search result references a second resource that has a second catchment area. The second catchment area does not include the particular query location. The second catchment area does include a business location of the first resource. First data specifying selection of the first search result and the second search result in response to the search query are provided.
US08538936B2
A system and method for data compression using compression hardware is disclosed. In accordance with the method, a data set in a data stream is received. The data set includes a set of data descriptor fields. The data set is portioned into one or more data subsets using the set of data descriptor fields. One or more tabular slices and an index are generated for at least one of the data subsets using the set of data descriptor fields. The one or more tabular slices are identified by the index. The one or more tabular slices are compressed into a compressed data block by a data compression scheme using a hardware compressor. A compression data file is generated in a database. The compression data file has a header that stores information about the data compression scheme. The compressed data block is stored in the compression data file.
US08538935B2
Methods, systems, and apparatuses describing one-to-one and one-to-many relationships in databases. A form configured to receive form data for storage in a database is received. The form includes multiple instructions to split the form data into a main fragment and data fragments, each of which is storable in the database. The form data is split the main fragment and the data fragments based on the instructions. The main fragment and the data fragments are linked to track the form data, and the fragments are stored in the database.
US08538933B1
A method is used in deduplicating ranges of data blocks. A collection of data is selected from a set of storage extents. The collection of data is selected based on evaluation of digest information for a subset of the collection of data. A deduplicating technique is applied to the collection of data.
US08538913B2
A system and method for a user to test and transfer data from a client's database or network to a host's database or network is disclosed. A user acquires data information from a client and the user uses this information to generate a spreadsheet, and to populate the spreadsheet with assumed values based on the information received from the client. The user requests and receives a test file from the client and uses a developed algorithm to reformat the file so that it is consistent with the host's database configuration. The user determines the consistency between the reformatted file and the host's database by comparing the reformatted file to the previously generated spreadsheet. Any inconsistencies identified alert the user that the file reformatting algorithm needs updating.
US08538899B1
A device, method and tangible computer-readable medium are provided for detecting output discrepancies between representations of a block in two system models. For example, a first representation of a block may represent a default configuration and may execute in a first model. A second representation of the block may represent a user-modified configuration for the block and may execute in a second model. The user may execute the first and second models and may compare results using an exemplary embodiment. The embodiment may allow the user to define criteria and weightings for the criteria and to use the criteria for generating objective functions and constraints. The objective functions and constraints may be used to evaluate the performance of the two models. The embodiment may further perform trace back operations with respect to a model to determine a location in the model that produces an output discrepancy.
US08538896B2
In a retrieval application, a document relevance scoring function comprises a weighted combination of scoring components including at least one of a pseudo-relevance scoring component and a cross-media relevance scoring component. Weights of the document relevance scoring function are optimized to generate a trained document relevance scoring function. The optimizing is respective to a set of training documents including at least some multimedia training documents and a set of training queries and corresponding training document relevance annotations. A retrieval operation is performed for an input query respective to a database using the trained document relevance scoring function to retrieve one or more documents from the database.
US08538877B2
A system and method for facilitating a financial transaction over a network including use of a passphrase account identifier is described herein. In one embodiment, a system for facilitating a financial transaction over a network comprises a communication interface; and a payment provider system configured to receive via the communication interface a passphrase account identifier from a merchant system, match the passphrase account identifier to a corresponding funding instrument number of a corresponding funding instrument, communicate the corresponding funding instrument number to an issuer system, receive from the issuer system a notification indication of one of acceptance of the funding instrument or decline of the funding instrument, and communicate back to the merchant system the notification indication.
US08538867B1
A machine, manufacture, process, composition, and product produced thereby Representatively, there can be a computer-aided method for managing cash flows for a transaction, the method including the steps of: receiving respective descriptions of risks; receiving statistical assumptions for said risks; receiving financial assumptions for said risks; calculating, from the descriptions and the assumptions, expected cash flows corresponding to said risks for time periods; receiving actual cash flows information from occurrence of events corresponding to said risks; accounting for a first party to the transaction owing the expected cash flows to a second party to the transaction; accounting for the second party owing the actual cash flows to the first party; and computing a net settlement, for each of said time periods, between the parties in the transaction to manage the actual cash flows and the expected cash flows.
US08538858B2
Apparatus and method for trading commodities with automatic hedging for odd lot offers. The apparatus automatically accepts odd lot offers on behalf of buyers and aggregates them with other odd lot offers of the same commodity symbol until there are enough bushels to reach a predetermined threshold, or “tipping point,” which causes the system to automatically calculate the optimum number of full lot futures contracts to sell at the market price in order to offset risk associated with accepting the odd lot offers, and to automatically secure the optimum number of full lot futures contracts. The system reduces or eliminates situations where no transactions are executed due to the market's failure to reach a certain price, and reduces the buyers' exposure to slippage on accumulated odd lots.
US08538850B2
A warrant on company stock that is used to determine value of employee options for U.S. accounting purposes on company stock. The warrant comprises an amortization factor, an exercise term that is the same or substantially similar to an exercise term of the employee options, and a strike price that is the same or substantially similar to a strike price of the employee options. The warrant also comprises a provision to periodically determine the amortization factor based on early forfeiture and/or early exercise of the employee options, a provision to apply the amortization factor to the warrants, and a provision to determine an intrinsic value of the warrants. Value of the employee options for U.S. accounting purposes is determined using market value of the warrants at issue.
US08538847B2
A method of doing business comprises receiving an investment contract offer from a corporate investor specifying a principal amount and a maturation term. The investment contract offer is communicated to a plurality of securities dealers, each of whom may communicate an acceptance of the offer by providing an identification of the securities and a rate. At the end of a predetermined time period, a selection algorithm is used to select the most favorable or aggregation of most favorable acceptances to the corporate investor. In one embodiment of the invention, selection at the close of the predetermined time period is automatic acceptance and is communicated to the corporate investor and to the securities dealer having the selected acceptance.
US08538844B1
First and second components of the present invention, in combination, provide a customer interface for initiating a trade transaction and provides for the secure viewing of the status of the transaction. A third component assists in the automatic generation and verification of the voluminous and detailed documents required to support a trade transaction. The third component additionally tracks and assists in the management of the seller's manufacturing and shipment of the goods that form the basis of the trade transaction. A fourth component automatically generates a Letter of Credit from a Purchase Order and performs a reconciliation function on payments made pursuant to Letters of Credit or open Accounts.
US08538843B2
A method for operating a commissioned e-commerce service provider provides services to businesses on a computerized network such as the Internet in exchange for a small commission on the commercial transactions generated using those services. Unlike most ISPs that provide services to individuals and businesses, the e-commerce service provider preferably provides Internet services for businesses operating web sites based on the amount of service utilized by the individual or business. Instead of paying a monthly fee for the Internet services required to host a web site or operate and e-commerce site, the business contracts with the e-commerce service provider to provide these services based on usage of these services. Preferably, the usage rate is tiered in accordance with the amount of traffic at the site to provide a nominal level of service at a lower rate, yet allow for an exceptional volume of traffic to be accommodated by the site at a higher rate without having the site fail or the service become overwhelmed.
US08538818B2
A store transaction system that can determine what a store should be making each day if all the customer transactions were entered into the stores point of sale computer. The store transaction system combines various sensor outputs activated by customer activity in a logical manner to develop an independent store monitor that can operate 24/7 to reduce employee theft. A preferred embodiment compares the store transaction system revenue with the store point of sale computer system operated by the employees so an owner can determine a shift or the employees that are involved with theft without having to manually view video surveillance information or hire extra managers to watch the store operations. The invention also allows remote reviewing of those that are having exceptional positive impact on store sales. Another preferred embodiment allows an owner to remotely operate their integrated computer and store transaction system from any Internet access device with the proper browser.
US08538806B2
Described herein are systems, methods and articles of manufacture that facilitate establishment of transactions via a data store, such as a data store, located in a network environment, such as a cloud computing environment. The data store can store information about an entity, including information about one or more bank accounts and associated identifying information, and a third party can search the data store to find the entity. The entity can implement various access controls to restrict the amount of identifying information displayed as a result of the search. The third party can add the entity to a private data store based on access controls and verification procedures established by the entity. The third party can also establish transactions, such as electronic funds transfers, with the entity.
US08538797B2
A system can create and manage a framework for integrating a plurality of business processes. The system can include a first tier module adapted for managing at least one internal function and at least one service of the plurality of business processes, wherein the business processes include respective predefined goals and objectives. The system can further include a second tier module adapted for managing business initiative solutions and establishing a capability to deploy and manage infrastructure based on the at least one function and at least one service of the plurality of business processes. Furthermore, the system can include a third tier module adapted for establishing an architecture according to the predefined goals and objectives of the plurality of business processes and an integration module adapted for linking the first tier module, the second tier module, the third tier module, or combinations thereof for creating and managing the framework.
US08538791B2
Production flows/processes are presented through a layout distribution of kanban job symbols (cards, representing production tasks/jobs) in a sequence of execution inside several planning periods. A smart layout distribution algorithm displays a schedule consistent of planning periods and kanban job symbols planned in the planning periods. In addition to a variety of color, textual, graphic, and shading schemes, as well as, icons for providing visual information on the tasks/jobs, the algorithm fits the kanban job symbols within the user interface without scroll bars with a resizable control, and maintains kanban job symbol size proportional to capacity consumed, consistent across planning periods even if the planning periods have different total capacity or are overloaded.
US08538789B1
A mileage tracking system tracks trip data for a user over time, based on trip data provided by the user. The system provides the user with results of the tracking for a specified time period (e.g., a tax year), and the results may be estimated based on the trip data provided by the user as well as trip data provided by other users. The trip data is typically provided by mobile communication devices transmitting the data to a system server, in response to commands entered into the mobile communication devices.
US08538777B1
Systems and methods may be provided for obtaining and providing patient medication history. The systems and methods may include receiving a request for medication history information of a patient, the request including identification information for the patient. At least one memory may be accessed utilizing at least a portion of the identification information, the at least one memory including information associated with pharmacy claims transactions stored in the at least one memory in near real time as the pharmacy claims transactions are processed. Information associated with the medication history of the patient is obtained from the at least one memory and communicated in response to the received request.
US08538776B2
The present invention relates to a method to measure, record, analyze, and report cumulative radiation exposure to the patient population and provide automated feedback and recommendations to ordering clinicians and consultant radiologists. The data provided from this “radiation scorecard” would in turn be automatically recorded into a centralized data repository (radiation database), which would be independent to the acquisition site, technology employed, and individual end-user. Retrospective analysis can also be performed using a set of pre-defined scorecard data points tied to the individual patient's historical medical imaging database, thereby allowing for comprehensive (both retrospective and prospective) medical radiation exposure quantitative analysis. Patient safety can be improved by a combination of radiation dose reduction, exposure optimization, rigorous equipment quality control (QC), education and training of medical imaging professionals, and integration with computerized physician order entry (CPOE).
US08538775B2
The specification and drawing figures describe and show a system for medication management is disclosed, illustrated, and claimed that includes a mobile wireless communication instrument. A data processing system (100) housed in the portable wireless communications instrument is included to receive, store, and transmit images and data. A programmable medication management protocol is stored in memory (104) of the data processing system (100) to image-identify and image-authenticate components of the medication management protocol. A notification subsystem is included to either confirm or reject use of the medication.
US08538771B2
An operating apparatus receives implementation contents of a medical treatment performed on a patient. A recording unit records the received implementation contents. A management unit extracts evaluation data on an evaluation from the implementation contents recorded by the recording unit. The management unit adds the extracted evaluation data to an edit area and edits a summary of an implementation result of the medical treatment. The recording unit records a result of the editing carried out in the management unit.
US08538766B2
An audio decoder for decoding a multi-audio-object signal having an audio signal of a first type and an audio signal of a second type encoded therein is described, the multi-audio-object signal having a downmix signal and side information, the side information having level information of the audio signals of the first and second types in a first predetermined time/frequency resolution, and a residual signal specifying residual level values in a second predetermined time/frequency resolution, the audio decoder having a processor for computing prediction coefficients based on the level information; and an up-mixer for up-mixing the downmix signal based on the prediction coefficients and the residual signal to obtain a first up-mix audio signal approximating the audio signal of the first type and/or a second up-mix audio signal approximating the audio signal of the second type.
US08538763B2
Enhancing speech components of an audio signal composed of speech and noise components includes controlling the gain of the audio signal in ones of its subbands, wherein the gain in a subband is reduced as the level of estimated noise components increases with respect to the level of speech components, wherein the level of estimated noise components is determined at least in part by (1) comparing an estimated noise components level with the level of the audio signal in the subband and increasing the estimated noise components level in the subband by a predetermined amount when the input signal level in the subband exceeds the estimated noise components level in the subband by a limit for more than a defined time, or (2) obtaining and monitoring the signal-to-noise ratio in the subband and increasing the estimated noise components level in the subband by a predetermined amount when the signal-to-noise ratio in the subband exceeds a limit for more than a defined time.
US08538761B1
Techniques are described to allow a user of a signal editing tool to “stretch” or “shrink” a selected portion of a recorded signal to change the length of the selected portion of the signal relative to a particular domain, without stretching or shrinking other parts of the signal. In the context of audio signals, techniques are provided to allow a user to “time stretch” an audio signal file to change the duration of the stretched portion of the audio. The user may select how the change affects the total duration of the audio signal. Options are provided for “shifting” the non-selected portion of the signal, or for not shifting the non-selected portion of the signal. When the non-selected portion is not shifted, the signal editing tool automatically generates audio for the gap (for shrinking operations), and automatically deletes audio that overlaps with the stretched portion (for stretching operations).
US08538759B2
It is provided a speech recognition system installed in a terminal coupled to a server via a network. The terminal holds map data including a landmark. The speech recognition system manages recognition data including a word corresponding to a name of the landmark, and sends update area information and updated time to the server. The server generates, when recognition data of the area of the update area information sent from the terminal has been changed after updated time, difference data between latest recognition data and recognition data of the update area information at a time of the updated time, and sends the generated difference data and map data of the update area information to the terminal. The terminal updates the map data based on the map data sent from the server. The speech recognition system updates the recognition data managed by the terminal based on the difference data.
US08538758B2
An electronic apparatus includes a communication module, a storage module, a manipulation module, voice output control module, and a control module. The communication module receives book data delivered externally. The storage module stores the received book data. The manipulation module converts a manipulation of a user into an electrical signal. The voice output control module reproduces, as a voice, the book data based on the manipulation while controlling the reproduction speed of the voice. The control module determines a part that is important to the user, stores, in the storage module, a position of voice reproduction of the book data, and synchronizes the position of the voice reproduction with a reproduction position in the book data.
US08538756B2
A storage unit stores a correspondence between a voice command and a display mode modification operation. When a control unit determines that a vehicle is traveling according to a traveling state of the vehicle obtained by a traveling state acquisition unit, when a voice recognition unit recognizes a voice, which is uttered by a user and received by a voice input unit, and when the control unit determines that the recognized voice corresponds to a voice command stored in the storage unit, the control unit performs a display mode change operation corresponding to the voice command and modifies a display mode of an icon indicated on an indication screen of an indication unit.
US08538750B2
This invention realizes a speech communication system and method, and a robot apparatus capable of significantly improving entertainment property. A speech communication system with a function to make conversation with a conversation partner is provided with a speech recognition means for recognizing speech of the conversation partner, a conversation control means for controlling conversation with the conversation partner based on the recognition result of the speech recognition means, an image recognition means for recognizing the face of the conversation partner, and a tracking control means for tracing the existence of the conversation partner based on one or both of the recognition result of the image recognition means and the recognition result of the speech recognition means. The conversation control means controls conversation so as to continue depending on tracking of the tracking control means.
US08538747B2
A method and apparatus for prediction in a speech-coding system extends a 1st order long-term predictor (LTP) filter, using a sub-sample resolution delay, to a multi-tap LTP filter. From another perspective, a conventional integer-sample resolution multi-tap LTP filter is extended to use sub-sample resolution delay. Such a multi-tap LTP filter offers a number of advantages over the prior-art. Particularly, defining the lag with sub-sample resolution makes it possible to explicitly model the delay values that have a fractional component, within the limits of resolution of the over-sampling factor used by the interpolation filter. The coefficients (βi's) of the multi-tap LTP filter are thus largely freed from modeling the effect of delays that have a fractional component. Consequently their main function is to maximize the prediction gain of the LTP filter via modeling the degree of periodicity that is present and by imposing spectral shaping.
US08538742B2
A system and method for translating a social feed is disclosed. The system comprises a communication module, a decoding engine and a re-encoding engine. The communication module receives social feed data and a request from a social network application. The social feed data is configured to cause a client to display a social feed in a first language. The request includes data indicating that the social feed should be displayed in a second language. The decoding engine decodes the social feed data to generate decoded social feed data. The re-encoding engine re-encodes the decoded social feed data to cause the client to display the social feed in the second language based at least in part on the request. The communication module sends the translated social feed data to the client.
US08538729B2
The invention relates to a method of condition monitoring of a wind turbine. Measurement data and operating condition parameters are captured. A subset of the operating condition parameters is selected. A set of n characterizing moments is calculated based on the subset of operating condition parameters. A finite n-dimensional space each representing possible values for one of the characterising moments is provided. The n-dimensional space is sub-divided into a number of bins each representing a n-dimensional interval defined by n one-dimensional intervals. Each one- dimensional intervals represents an interval in one of the n dimensions. Each bin defines an acceptable range for the set of n characterizing moments. The set of the characterising moments is determined if it belongs to one of the bins. The set of the characterising moments and measurement data are accepted if the set of the characterising moments belongs to one of the bins.
US08538726B2
A 3D shape measurement apparatus for measuring a 3D shape of an object existing on a measurement area, comprising, a pattern projection unit for projecting a pattern having a periodicity onto the measurement area, and a capturing unit for capturing an image of the area where the pattern is projected, wherein the measurement area is specified by a reference plane, a projection area of the pattern projection unit, and a capturing area of the capturing unit, and the pattern projection unit projects the pattern to be focused on the reference plane. The apparatus further comprises a first calculation unit for calculating phase information of a pattern of the captured image, a second calculation unit for calculating defocus amounts of the pattern in the captured image, and a third calculation unit for calculating a 3D shape of the object based on the phase information and the defocus amounts.
US08538722B2
A feature transformation apparatus recognizes activities of subjects in adaptation to each individual and improves recognition accuracy. The feature transformation apparatus includes a section that acquires respective prescribed activity data of one or more reference individuals and a subject when the one or more reference individuals and the subject perform a prescribed activity. A section extracts a reference individual feature of the one or more reference individuals and a subject feature of the subject. A calculation section calculates at least one standard feature based on the one or more reference individual features. A transform matrix between the standard feature and the subject feature is calculated. Recognition object activity data is acquired when the subject performs a recognition object activity. A recognition object feature of the subject is extracted from the recognition object activity data. The recognition object feature is transformed using the transform matrix.
US08538721B2
A method is provided for estimating an aging index of the catalytic device. There estimation of the aging index includes, but is not limited to determining the catalytic device operating temperature, determining an aging factor as a function of at least the determined operating temperature, determining the time period spent by the catalytic device at the determined operating temperature, calculating a contributing aging coefficient as a function of the aging factor and the time period, and increasing a cumulative aging parameter by adding the contributing aging coefficient.
US08538717B2
A method and apparatus for absorbance correction in a spectroscopic heating value sensor in which a reference light intensity measurement is made on a non-absorbing reference fluid, a light intensity measurement is made on a sample fluid, and a measured light absorbance of the sample fluid is determined. A corrective light intensity measurement at a non-absorbing wavelength of the sample fluid is made on the sample fluid from which an absorbance correction factor is determined. The absorbance correction factor is then applied to the measured light absorbance of the sample fluid to arrive at a true or accurate absorbance for the sample fluid.
US08538714B2
In order to test the integrity of products in containers, several characteristics of the products are detected with physical measuring methods and a good-bad signal is produced on the basis of the measuring results, for which purpose several of the measuring results are placed in relation to each other, which can consist in the following: the deviations of the individual measuring results from a reference value, optionally after weighting and standardization are added up and the sum is compared to a threshold value. The measuring results can also form a multidimensional area in which one or several boundary surfaces separate the good value areas from the bad value areas.
US08538713B2
Re-sampling of a signal represented by a plurality of input samples is described. An output sample value is calculated for a desired time instant, tD, between any two time instants of the input samples by performing a procedure that comprises selecting a current set of values from the input sample values. A new set of values is calculated by up-sampling the current set of values. A subset of values is selected from the calculated new set of values and the current set of values surrounding the desired time instant of the output sample value, whereupon the output sample value is calculated using at least one value of the selected subset of values. The calculation of a new set of values and the selection of a subset of values from the new set and the current set is iterated a specific number of times, wherein during the iteration the current set of values is set to the selected subset of values.
US08538711B2
It is arranged to obtain charging voltage when charging voltage is applied to a nonaqueous electrolyte type lithium ion secondary battery and discharging voltage when a discharging current is generated by the battery. A coefficient of a quadratic term of an approximated curve of a quadratic function with respect to changes in value within a sampling period for each of the charging voltage and the discharging voltage is calculated. This calculation is repeated over a plurality of the sampling periods. Based on occurrence situations of symmetry phenomenon and intersection phenomenon in the calculated coefficients, it can be determined whether or not there is a possibility of lithium deposition without disassembling the battery.
US08538709B2
A fuel battery system is comprised of a power source circuit, a rotating electrical machine that is a load, a memory device and a control unit. Here, a battery learning system corresponds to an arrangement including a fuel battery that is a structural component of the power source circuit, a high frequency signal source, an electric current detection means, a voltage detection means, the memory device and a battery learning part that is a structural element of the control unit. An impedance value can be obtained from alternating current components of respective detecting values of the electric current detection means and the voltage detection means. The battery learning unit has an I-V characteristic curve learning module that learns an I-V characteristic curve and a learning prohibition judgment module that judges whether or not an acquiring interval of the impedance value is over a predetermined threshold interval set in advance, and prohibits learning if the former is over the latter.
US08538697B2
Core samples may be easily, quickly, and safely split using a fluid cutter, such as a water jet. Cutting may take place upon exit of the sample from the drill tube, or core samples may be placed in core carriers for cutting. Core samples may also be stored and transported in the core carriers. Assessment of core samples is facilitated by scanning the core samples, with the results stored to produce a virtual core sample. Virtual core samples may be displayed on a computing device, including a core sample display device which simulates the appearance of a section of an actual core.
US08538691B2
A portable electronic device comprises a controller and a display. The controller receives vector data on a position of a user of the portable device from a satellite positioning sensor associated with the user, and scalar data on movement of the user from at least one motion sensor associated with the user. The controller stores data based on the vector data and feeds a scalar parameter proportional to the scalar data to the display. The display displays the scalar parameter.
US08538684B2
A method of GPS navigation includes receiving a request for a new route, determining the new route, removing known GPS signal-loss areas from the new route to create a loss-free route, and providing the loss-free route.
US08538682B1
This disclosure is directed to methods and systems for locally generating calculated ephemerides that may be used by a navigation device to calculate position information before a broadcast ephemeris from a given navigation satellite has been completely received or when the broadcast ephemeris from the satellite is not available. Generally, the invention includes the steps of calibrating the initial satellite velocity from the last available broadcast ephemeris, correcting the clock for a prediction time period, predicting the satellite position during the time period and formatting the predictions into a calculated ephemeris to be used by the receiver to determine position information.
US08538676B2
The present invention includes a mobile geographic information system and method. The method includes the steps of inputting data representing a user position, defining a first circularly spatially extended point (CSEP) about the user in response to the user position data, defining a first waypoint associated with a geographic feature, defining a second CSEP about the first waypoint, and providing a qualitative user position relative to the geographic feature in response to a predetermined topological relationship between the first CSEP and the second CSEP. The mobile geographic information system includes a database containing geographic information including information related to a geographic feature and information relating to a first waypoint associated with the geographic feature and a mobile device in communication with the database, wherein the mobile device includes a controller and a position sensor for determining a user position associated with the mobile device.
US08538671B2
An apparatus for detecting a position and orientation of a mobile object includes: a relative position detection unit for acquiring a relative position with respect to movement of the mobile object; an absolute position detection unit for acquiring an absolute position of the mobile object; and a position updating unit for updating the position and orientation of the mobile object based on an initial or previous position of the mobile object and the relative position. The apparatus further includes: a position correction unit for updating a current position of the mobile object with the absolute position, and correcting the orientation of the mobile object by setting an orientation of the mobile object in the relative position equal to an orientation of the mobile object in the absolute position.
US08538661B2
A method of evaluating a particulate filter of an exhaust treatment system is provided. The method includes: selectively enabling at least one of data collection and resistance evaluation based on a particulate matter level in the particulate filter; when data collection is enabled, computing a particulate filter resistance based on a linear regression model; and when resistance evaluation is enabled, evaluating an efficiency of the particulate filter based on the particulate filter resistance.
US08538658B2
Systems, devices, and methods for controlling a fuel supply for a turbine or other engine using direct and/or indirect indications of power output and optionally one or more secondary control parameters.
US08538644B2
A minimum torque module selectively determines a first minimum propulsion torque based on second and third minimum propulsion torques when a torque converter clutch is in unlocked and locked states, respectively. A zero pedal torque module selectively sets a zero pedal torque equal to the first minimum propulsion torque. A pedal request module determines a pedal torque request based on an accelerator pedal position, a vehicle speed, and the zero pedal torque. A driver request module determines a driver axle torque request based on the pedal torque request. A shaping module selectively shapes the driver axle torque request into a shaped driver axle torque request. A conversion module converts the first minimum propulsion torque into a minimum axle torque. A final driver request module sets a final driver axle torque request equal to a greater of the shaped driver axle torque request and the minimum axle torque.
US08538632B2
An electric power steering apparatus is provided that has a controller by which no current flows in one phase among current paths of three phases for supplying electric power from a motor driving circuit to a three-phase brushless motor and currents that have an identical absolute value and that have different signs flow in the other two phases. Thus, the status at one energization angle on the driving current waveform of the three-phase brushless motor can be given continuously and relatively-high currents can simultaneously flow in opposite directions in the contacts inserted to the two phases. By flowing of such high current in the contacts, a secure conduction check can be performed and foreign matters on the surface of the contact can be fused or thermally destroyed.
US08538629B2
A device for assisting a driver in steering a vehicle along a bottleneck. The device has a bottleneck detection unit which is configured to detect bottleneck information for characterizing a bottleneck in which the vehicle is located. A bottleneck information processing unit is configured to process the detected bottleneck information in order to derive therefrom assistance information for assisting the driver in steering the vehicle along the bottleneck. An actuation unit is provided and is configured to actuate a light source of the vehicle in such a way that the light source generates a light pattern, which can be seen by the driver, outside the vehicle, which light pattern displays the assistance information to the driver.
US08538626B2
Methods and systems are provided for an engine. A condition of the engine may be diagnosed based on a combustion torque profile of the engine estimated using signals from a generator operationally connected to the engine and/or other signals associated with the engine. Different types of degradation may be distinguished based on discerning characteristics within the estimated combustion torque profile data. Thus, a degraded engine component may be identified in a manner that reduces service induced delay.
US08538612B2
When an actuator in an operational mechanical system having a short continuous operation time is operated using a small-capacity electric motor (MG), an electric motor is rotated in the range exceeding a rated capacity, and during traveling with a long continuous operation time, the electric motor is rotated at the rated capacity or less. A controller (C) determines, from signals from mode sensors (5a, 12a), whether the construction machine is in traveling mode or in traveling halt operation mode. When determining that the construction machine is in the traveling halt operation mode, the controller (C) sets the construction machine to a high output setting in which the electric motor (MG) rotates in the rage exceeding the rated capacity. In the normal traveling mode, the controller (C) sets the construction machine to a low output setting so that the electric motor rotates at the rated capacity or less.
US08538610B2
By taking a pressure reading at a particular port on a multiple-unit braking valve, e.g. the MU-2-A valve, and comparing such a reading to a main reservoir pressure, one can identify whether the locomotive in which the valve is situated is in trailing mode or leading mode. In particular, it was found that the pressure on port 63 of the MU-2-A valve is indicative of which mode the locomotive is in since port 63 is exhausted to atmosphere in lead mode whereas it is at or near the pressure in the main reservoir which is readily distinguishable from atmosphere.
US08538608B2
A control system for a rail vehicle system including a lead powered unit and a remote powered unit is provided. The system includes a user interface, a master isolation module and a slave controller. The user interface is disposed in the lead powered unit and is configured to receive an isolation command to turn on or off the remote powered unit. The master isolation module is configured to receive the isolation command from the user interface and to communicate an instruction based on the isolation command. The slave controller is configured to receive the instruction from the master isolation module. The slave controller causes the remote powered unit to supply tractive force to propel the rail vehicle system when the instruction directs the slave controller to turn on the remote powered unit. The slave controller causes the remote powered unit to withhold the tractive force when the instruction directs the slave controller to turn off the remote powered unit.
US08538607B2
Systems and methods for providing aircraft heading information are provided. In one embodiment, an attitude heading reference device comprises: at least one interface for receiving heading information from one or more IRUs; at least one set of gyroscopes and accelerometers; a memory device for storing data representing heading information received via the at least one interface; and a heading calculator coupled to the at least one interface, the at least one set of gyroscopes and accelerometers, and the memory device. The heading calculator generating a heading output signal based on heading information when reliable heading information is received over the at least one interface; the heading calculator generating the heading output signal based on data from the memory device regarding previously reliable heading information and an output of the at least one set of gyroscopes and accelerometers when reliable heading information is not received over the at least one interface.
US08538595B2
A home appliance can operate in a future time frame. Information is obtained from a power distributor in order to determine a time when to operate the home appliance in this future time frame. The home appliance then operates at the time determined with information from the power distributor.
US08538593B2
A method is provided for merging different load forecasts for power grid centers. Area load forecasts are accepted from load forecast engines. A relational database saves load forecast engine data. A comprehensive operating plan integrates individual load forecasts into a composite load forecast to present a comprehensive, synchronized and harmonized load forecast.
US08538580B2
Sheet product dispensers and methods for controlling the dispensers are provided. A sheet product dispenser includes a housing and a dispensing assembly disposed in the housing. The dispensing assembly is configured to hold a roll of sheet product thereon and to dispense a portion of the roll of sheet product. The sheet product dispenser further includes an ultraviolet light source disposed on the housing. The ultraviolet light source is configured to emit ultraviolet light.
US08538573B2
Provided is a method for controlling efficient transferring operations in a vacuum processing apparatus with a linear tool. In the apparatus, plural transferring robots are arranged in transferring mechanism units in which plural process chambers are connected with each other, and to-be-processed wafers are received and passed between plural transferring robots. As the transferring robots is far from the load lock, the number of transferring operations to the process chambers is set larger, the number of times of continuous transferring operations to the process chambers is set as small as possible, and an odd number of times of continuous transferring operations to buffer rooms is set, by a destination determination unit and operation control rules. Further, transferring operations are performed based on the destination determination unit and the operation control rules.
US08538566B1
A system determines human recognizable labels for portions of an electronic media stream, gathers data associated with the electronic media stream from a number of media players, and determines at least one section of the electronic media stream with a particular media feature. The system selects a representative clip for the electronic media stream based on information regarding the labeled portions, the gathered data, and the at least one section.
US08538561B2
System and method to estimate variables in an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plant are provided. The system includes a sensor suite to measure respective plant input and output variables. An extended Kalman filter (EKF) receives sensed plant input variables and includes a dynamic model to generate a plurality of plant state estimates and a covariance matrix for the state estimates. A preemptive-constraining processor is configured to preemptively constrain the state estimates and covariance matrix to be free of constraint violations. A measurement-correction processor may be configured to correct constrained state estimates and a constrained covariance matrix based on processing of sensed plant output variables. The measurement-correction processor is coupled to update the dynamic model with corrected state estimates and a corrected covariance matrix. The updated dynamic model may be configured to estimate values for at least one plant variable not originally sensed by the sensor suite.
US08538544B2
An electronic implantable device with a power saving circuit incorporates a radio frequency receiver with high power consumption. The first power radio receiver of high power is normally turned off during a period of inactivity. When an analyzer forming part of a second radio receiver and coupled to the first radio receiver detects a predetermined identification code in a received radio frequency signal received by the second radio receiver, it outputs a signal to turn on the first power receiver.
US08538536B2
The present invention provides methods of improving neuropsychological function in a patient having a neurocognitive disorder by chemical or electrically modulating a target site(s) in the ventral striatum/ventral capsule region. Methods also include modulating the treatment based on a closed-loop feedback system that measures bodily activities associated with the neuropsychological function (i.e. that help to determine whether a neuropsychological function is or can be improved.
US08538534B2
The present specification describes methods and devices using electrical stimulation to modulate lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure. The electrical stimulation may be delivered to the LES via one or more electrodes that is placed in contact with the LES tissue. The methods and devices are useful to treat a number of conditions or disease conditions, including for example, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
US08538523B2
A medical system comprises a plurality of electrodes; at least one sensor configured to output at least one signal based on at least one physiological parameter of a patient; and a processor. The processor is configured to control delivery of stimulation to the patient using a plurality of electrode configurations. Each of the electrode configurations comprises at least one of the plurality of electrodes. For each of the electrode configurations, the processor is configured to determine a first response of target tissue to the stimulation based on the signals, and a second response of non-target tissue to the stimulation based on the signals. The processor is also configured to select at least one of the electrode configurations for delivery of stimulation to the patient based on the first and second responses for the electrode configurations. As examples, the target tissue may be a left ventricle or vagus nerve.
US08538518B2
A combination cardiac stimulator for CRT stimulation and CCM stimulation, which is connected to a rhythm evaluation unit which can either detect a sinus rhythm that is present, or classify an atrial arrhythmia, and which comprises an additional therapy selection unit, wherein the therapy selection unit selects the delivery of either CRT therapy or CCM therapy on the basis of the classification of the atrial rhythm such that CRT therapy is preferred in the case of sinus rhythm, and CCM therapy is delivered in the case of atrial arrhythmia.
US08538516B2
A device for conveying information related to address, control, stimulation and measurement to and from a large number of electrodes selected from a larger set of available electrodes.
US08538515B2
The invention generally relates to internal (e.g., implantable, insertable, etc.) drug delivery devices which contain the following: (a) one or more sources of one or more therapeutic agents; (b) one or more first electrodes, (c) one or more second electrodes and (d) one or more power sources for applying voltages across the first and second electrodes. The power sources may be adapted, for example, to promote electrically assisted therapeutic agent delivery within a subject, including electroporation and/or iontophoresis. In one aspect of the invention, the first and second electrodes are adapted to have tissue of a subject positioned between them upon deployment of the medical device within the subject, such that an electric field may be generated, which is directed into the tissue. Furthermore, the therapeutic agent sources are adapted to introduce the therapeutic agents into the electric field. In another aspect, the therapeutic agent sources are polymeric regions that contain one or more types of ion-conductive polymers and one or more types of charged therapeutic agents. In yet another aspect, the therapeutic agent sources are polymeric regions that contain one or more types of electrically conductive polymers and one or more types of charged therapeutic agents.
US08538512B1
The present invention relates to a brain dysfunction and seizure detector monitor and system, and a method of detecting brain dysfunction and/or seizure of a subject. The various embodiments of the system of the present invention were developed for the brain activity and preferably EEG monitoring of a single patient or multiple patients. Preferably, the system or monitor of the present invention also includes one or more seizure detection algorithms. The analysis method is specifically optimized to amplify abnormal brain activity and minimize normal background activity. This analysis yields a seizure index whose value is directly related to the current presence of ictal activity in the signal. In addition, a seizure probability index based on historical values of the aforementioned seizure index, is derived for diagnostic purposes. The seizure probability index quantifies the probability that the patient has exhibited abnormal brain activity since the beginning of the recording. The real-time seizure index, and the historical seizure probability index, can be used in the context of an emergency and/or clinical situation to assess the status and well being of a patient's brain, or can be used to automatically administer treatment to stop the seizure before clinical signs appear.
US08538502B1
Embodiments relate to methods and systems for monitoring bioelectric potentials. In some instances, an electrode is applied to a patient's skin. The electrode may be at least partly inserted into the patient's skin, such as by inserting at least part of one or more teeth underneath the skin.
US08538498B2
In an automobile, communications to and from the automobile are in the form of messages. Such messages are referred to as “electronic car-mail” or “C-mail” messages as each message has a destination or origination address which includes an identifier, e.g., a vehicle identification number (VIN), identifying the automobile. The messages may be delivered to the automobile from a remote server through a communications network, e.g., the Internet. One such message may contain a recall notice to the automobile. Another message may contain just-in-time map information for navigation, depending on the current location of the automobile. Yet another message may contain advertising information concerning selected entities, e.g., restaurants, gas stations, department stores, etc., also depending on the current location of the automobile. The messages transmitted from the automobile to the remote server may contain, e.g., GPS information identifying the location of the automobile, dynamic data furnished by sensors in the automobile for analysis, an odometer reading and a speedometer reading for records, etc.
US08538497B2
A fixing structure including a metal housing and a fixing base is disclosed. The housing has a carrying plane and the fixing base having a first contact end and, opposite, a second contact end is disposed on the housing. The perpendicular distance from the first contact end to the carrying plane is greater than that from the second contact end to the carrying plane. A wireless transmission device is disposed on the fixing base and in contact with the first contact end and the second contact end, so that a perpendicular distance from an antenna end of the wireless transmission device to the carrying plane is greater than a perpendicular distance from a fixed end of the wireless transmission device to the carrying plane. Therefore, a relatively great distance is kept between the antenna end and the housing for preventing the antenna end from being interfered by the metal housing.
US08538494B2
In a method for transferring battery power of a mobile phone, the mobile phone includes a discharge circuit, a charge circuit, a switch circuit and a universal serial bus (USB) interface. The switch circuit includes an exclusive-OR (XOR) chip and a switch chip. The USB interface connects to the discharge circuit when an input terminal and an enabling terminal of the switch chip are set at high level. The discharge circuit controls a battery of the mobile phone to be discharged for charging a mobile device via a USB cable and the USB interface. The USB interface connects to the charge circuit when the input terminal and the enabling terminal of the switch chip are set at low level. The charge circuit controls the battery to be charged using the mobile device via the USB cable and the USB interface.
US08538493B2
A mobile wireless communications device may include a portable device housing, wireless communications circuitry carried by the portable device housing, and a self-contained rechargeable battery pack carried by the portable housing for powering the wireless communications circuitry. The self-contained rechargeable battery pack may include a battery casing, at least one internal battery cell carried within the battery casing, internal battery circuitry carried within the battery casing, and at least one internal filter element carried within the battery casing and coupled to the internal battery circuitry.
US08538486B1
The wireless communication device, wherein when the first function is implemented, the video image generator generates a plurality of two-dimensional text images, and when the second function is implemented, the video image generator generates a three-dimensional map which is displayed in the manner perceived from the current geographic location of the wireless communication device.
US08538477B2
Embodiments disclosed herein include a docking station for a mobile device, for example. The docking station may include a docking port configured to physically receive a mobile device and a receiver to receive a list of contacts from the mobile device. The docking station may also include a display to show the list of contacts, wherein each contact is associated with a sensor for receiving an input from a user for selecting the corresponding contact. The docking station may further include a transmitter to send a selection of one of the contacts in the list of contacts, as input by the user via the sensor corresponding to the selected contact, to the mobile device to initiate a telephone call with a device associated with the selected contact.
US08538476B2
A wireless communication system relating to a system for transferring a portable memory chip or other relevant data into a transmission device such that the transmission device can engage a computer to ultimately employ the network plan contained in the portable memory chip for full use on the computer and computer screen. In this manner, the computer will be enabled to perform all tasks of a mobile phone, as well as receive all data contained within the portable memory chip. However, the ability to transmit and receive voice and data communications is contingent upon the access granted through the network plan.
US08538468B2
Concurrent text and voice communications can be maintained with an emergency call taker. An application executing on a mobile communications device in conjunction with a network gateway provide voice communication as well as an interactive Short Messaging System (SMS) session with a public safety answering point (PSAP). The gateway correlates and manages SMS messages with the PSAP and the mobile device. As such, a virtual session is generated over a traffic channel, that provides the advantages of a voice call as well as allowing text based communications.
US08538465B2
A method for receiving and transmitting a paging message is disclosed. A method for receiving a paging message in an idle mode of a mobile station comprises receiving a paging indicator channel included in a super frame header from a base station; if a paging message of the mobile station exists after identifying the paging indicator, identifying a wake-up time of the mobile station from mapping information of the paging indicator channel; and receiving the paging message from the base station by waking up at the wake-up time. According to the embodiments of the present invention, the paging indicator channel including information useful for the mobile station to receive the paging message is added to the IEEE 802.16m frame structure, whereby the power consumed to receive the paging message can be reduced.
US08538464B2
Code words are assigned to subscriber stations or groups of subscriber stations in a communication network for a quick paging mechanism in which the assigned code words are transmitted as quick paging signals over unused frequency resources to signal the subscriber stations. Subsets of multiple code words from a set of code words can be assigned to respective paging groups, and overlapping subsets can be assigned to multiple paging groups. This enables a single code word to be used to address either a single paging group or multiple paging groups.
US08538458B2
A system for exchanging GPS or other position data between wireless devices for purposes of group activities, child location monitoring, work group coordination, dispatching of employees etc. Cell phones and other wireless devices with GPS receivers have loaded therein a Buddy Watch application and a TalkControl application. The Buddy Watch application communicates with the GPS receiver and other wireless devices operated by buddies registered in the users phone as part of buddy groups or individually. GPS position data and historical GPS position data can be exchanged between cell phones of buddies and instant buddies such as tow truck drivers via a buddy watch server. Emergency monitoring services can be set up with notifications to programmable individuals in case an individual does not respond. Positions and tracks can be displayed. TalkControl simplifies and automates the process of joining talk groups for walkie talkie services such as that provided by Nextel.
US08538452B2
Disclosed is an apparatus and method for supporting cognitive radio access by communication mode guide data in a mobile terminal supporting a multi communication mode. When the mobile terminal supporting the multi communication mode needs to change an available communication mode according to a movement situation, the mobile terminal can select an optimal available communication mode at the current location, the movement spot or the movement prediction spot.
US08538444B2
In a wireless mobile communications system, the system information is grouped or classified in different types according to the characteristics of the system information, and the system information is transmitted to channels with specific functions that allow the optimization of the resource usage and the reception by the User Equipment (UE).
US08538436B2
A method for mobility management, an apparatus and a User Equipment (UE) are disclosed. The method includes: obtaining cell set information sent by a cell set in an access network; selecting a target cell set to which a UE may hand over according to the cell set information, and sending information about selection of the target cell set to the target cell set; and receiving information about at least one target cell decided by the target cell set, and providing the information about the target cell to the UE for handover. The method for mobility management between cell sets simplifies mobility management in multi-cell communication and improves performance of the communication system.
US08538428B2
An arrangement for determining radio coverage provided by a telecommunications system to a user of a mobile device is disclosed. In the case of a GSM or UMTS mobile device, if the device is in the idle mode (step A) and if a paging operation is not scheduled (step B), the mobile device records and stores on the mobile device a characteristic of the radio coverage provided when the mobile device is at each of a plurality of locations visited by the user of the mobile device (step C). The arrangement also enables retrieval of the recorded and stored characteristic so that radio coverage provided to the device for the user at the locations can be evaluated. If the telecommunications system includes a plurality of networks, the mobile device will record and store the characteristic for each of the plurality of networks. The arrangement then enables the radio coverage provided by the respective networks to be evaluated, and an informed choice as to the best network for that particular user can be made.
US08538427B2
A telecommunications service to be obtained for a user is split into a plurality of service components. A telecommunications terminal determines the most appropriate service provider for each service component; each of the service components is obtained by a corresponding service provider; and the telecommunications terminal invokes the functionality of each service component according to the service to be obtained. This is particularly useful for wireless mobile telecommunications terminals.
US08538424B2
Systems and methods for detecting unoccupied channels for a multi-channel cognitive radio system are described. To detect unoccupied channels, truncated sequential detection processes are employed that can use a dynamically extended truncation time that is based on early completion of detection processes applied to preceding channels.
US08538406B2
Disclosed is a method of operating a femto base station (BS) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving an access request comprising a closed subscriber group (CSG) identifier (ID) from user equipment (UE); determining a number N of UE accessing the femto BS; ascertaining an access type to determine whether the UE is a CSG UE or a non-CSG UE of the femto BS on the basis of the CSG ID of the UE; and determining whether to admit access of the UE on the basis of the access type, the N and access admittable information, the access admittable information comprising UCSG, i.e., a maximum number of CSG UE of which access is admitted; UALL, i.e., a maximum number of non-CSG UE of which access is admitted; and UMAX, i.e., a maximum number of UE of which access is admitted.
US08538405B2
Systems and methods for the management of communications related to telecommunications-based devices are provided. Telecommunications-based devices initiate requests to gateway computing devices corresponding to a radio communication network to establish data communications. The gateway computing device accepts the communication request and specifies an ordered preference of one or more communication protocols that will be used telecommunications-based devices accessing the wireless communication network. The telecommunications-based device processes the acceptance and selects a communication protocol from the ordered preference provided by the gateway computing device.
US08538396B2
A telecommunication conference device, system and method for enhancing participation within a conference call. The present application relates to telecommunications, and more particularly, to a conference phone capable of being connected with wireless devices such that they can be used as microphone extensions. In one embodiment, the conference phone can include a wireless interface and a microphone. The conference phone can connect with one or more wireless devices through the wireless interface. The conference phone can receive audio from the one or more wireless devices and at the same time, can receive audio from the microphone on the conference phone. The audio received by the conference phone, through the one or more wireless devices and the microphone, can be combined into a single audio stream using an audio mixer. The teleconference phone can remove echoing effects that are within the audio stream and then transmit the audio over a telephone network.
US08538395B2
A method is provided on an electronic communications device having a subscriber identifier, the method for disambiguating multiple contacts associated with an electronic communication. The method includes searching a plurality of stored contacts for an association with the electronic communication. For any contact associated with the electronic communication, verifying whether the contact has a subscriber identifier associated with the electronic device and identifying a contact as the initiator or recipient of the electronic communication if the contact is without a subscriber identifier.
US08538392B2
An interrupt message is sent over one of a plurality of transport mediums from a first mobile device to a second mobile device. The interrupt message may include a first mobile device identifier associated with a transport medium that is independent of the plurality of transport mediums. Upon receipt of the interrupt message at the second mobile device an interruption of any current mobile device operation may occur to notify a user of the interrupt message.
US08538391B2
A portable GPS navigation device displays map information and navigation instructions; the device (a) includes a two-way wireless transceiver operable to connect to a mobile telephone; (b) is operable to enable a user to control one or more functions of the mobile telephone and (c) includes an audio output and a microphone to enable a voice call to be made using the mobile telephone.
US08538369B2
Systems and methods for communicating over a power line are configured to substantially simultaneously communicate over a plurality of wideband frequency ranges. Signals may be communicated two or from a communication node at two different frequencies simultaneously. These signals may be exchanged with different nodes and/or include independent data. In some embodiments, some of the wideband frequency ranges are above 30 MHz.
US08538360B2
A method and system are provided for operating a mobile device, the method comprising: reading a barcode being displayed by another mobile device, to identify a group, by capturing at least one image of the barcode; and joining the group identified by the barcode. Another method and system are provided, the method comprising: storing a barcode on the mobile device, the barcode identifying a group; and displaying the barcode on a display of the mobile device such that the entire barcode is visible on the display to enable another mobile device to scan the barcode to join the group. Another method and system are provided, the method comprising: reading a barcode being displayed by another mobile device, to identify an individual associated with the other mobile device, by capturing at least one image of the barcode; and inviting the individual identified by the barcode to join a group.
US08538359B2
A network system includes a wireless network device, a network control device, and a first controller. The wireless network device includes an RF unit for transmitting/receiving frames and a first connection interface unit. The network control device includes a second connection interface unit, wherein the second connection interface unit is coupled to the first connection interface unit via a transmission connection, in order to perform data transmission with the first connection interface unit. When there is no data transmitted via the transmission connection, the first controller turns off at least one of power supplies of the first connection interface unit and the second connection interface unit. The first controller may be disposed in the network control device or the wireless network device.
US08538351B2
A radiation power level control system for a wireless user equipment (UE) device. In one embodiment, the system comprises a tracking component for maintaining a history of power data for the wireless UE device, the power data comprising data tracked over a time window relative to one or more variables on a per transmission event basis. A SAR determining module determines one or more SAR values during a current transmission event involving the wireless UE device, wherein the SAR determining module uses the history of power data if the current transmission event occurred within a predetermined duration from a last transmission event. An adjustment module is provided for adjusting a transmit power level of the wireless UE device if at least one of the one or more SAR values exceeds a threshold.
US08538340B2
Mitigating interference in a mobile wireless communication device by using an estimation of the performance impact of interfering signals generated by a wireless cellular transmitter and received by a co-located Bluetooth receiver. Bluetooth frequency channels are marked suitable or unsuitable for transmission based on the performance impact estimation and the state of the wireless cellular and Bluetooth connections. The estimation accounts for properties of the wireless cellular transmitter and Bluetooth receiver as well as operational characteristics of the wireless cellular and Bluetooth connections.
US08538325B2
The technology described in this application provides a way for an O&M node or system to configure, monitor, and manage relay nodes efficiently. A base station serves a relay node in a cellular communications system that also includes the O&M node. A relay node O&M data context for the relay node is established in a memory associated with the base station. O&M data pertaining to the relay node is stored in the relay node O&M data context. The information in the relay node O&M data context is different than O&M data pertaining to the base station. The base station performs, on behalf of the relay node, O&M-related communications using the O&M data in the relay node O&M data context.
US08538321B2
One embodiment includes a computer-implemented method using a window environment of a display, with a detached imaging sensor, to enable a user to learn. Another embodiment includes a computer-implemented system helping a user learn using a detached imaging sensor. In yet another embodiment, a computer-implemented system monitors automatically more than once a user's behavior while the user is working on materials. Through monitoring the user's volitional or involuntary behavior, the system determines whether to change what is to be presented by the display. The change could include providing rewards, punishments, and stimulation; or changing the materials. The system can also react by asking the user a question. Based on the user's response, the system may change to more appropriate materials, or different presentation styles.
US08538310B2
A load torque variation upon entry or exit of a sheet into a nipping portion is reduced while a nipping force necessary for image formation is provided. An image transfer apparatus, an image fixing apparatus, or a registration apparatus comprises an opposite roller, a transfer roller, and a compression spring for pressing the opposite roller onto the transfer roller. A sheet of transfer material is transported into a nipping portion between the opposite roller and the transfer roller, where an image on the opposite roller is transferred to the transfer material. The apparatus includes a retaining unit configured to retain a certain distance between the first rotating body and the second rotating body as long as the thickness of the transfer material that passes through the nipping portion remains the same.
US08538306B2
An apparatus includes a photoreceptor belt, a fixed transfer roller positioned on the inside of the photoreceptor belt, and a movable transfer roller positioned on the outside of the photoreceptor belt. The fixed transfer roller and the movable transfer roller are positioned to form a nip, and the photoreceptor belt and a web of print media are positioned in the nip. Also, a support roller and a compensation roller contact the web of print media. The support roller is positioned between the compensation roller and the nip. A physical link is connected to the support roller and the compensation roller. The physical link moves the support roller and the compensation roller so as to keep a constant tension on the web of print media.
US08538296B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier whose surface is moved in a specific direction, a charging device to charge the image carrier, an exposure device to form an electrostatic latent image by exposing a surface of the charged image carrier in accordance with an image signal, a developing device to supply a developer to the surface of the image carrier on which the electrostatic latent image is formed, a transfer device to transfer a developer image formed on the surface of the image carrier onto an image forming medium, and a dielectric member that has a dielectric constant of 5 or less and is disposed near the image carrier and between the charging device and the exposure device, in which the charging device, the exposure device, the developing device and the transfer device are sequentially arranged around the image carrier along the movement direction of the surface of the image carrier.
US08538294B2
In the charge-removing device, the light guide portion extends in a first direction. The light guide portion guides light from the light source toward the surface of the image-bearing member. A charge on the surface of the image-bearing member is removed by the light emitted from the light guide portion. The first surface of the light guide portion opposes the light source. The rear surface is an opposite surface of the confronting surface and has a rough surface part that reflects, toward the confronting surface, the light from the first surface. The closer a position of the increasing portion is to the second surface, the larger the length of the increasing portion becomes. The closer a position of the decreasing portion is to the second surface, the smaller the length of the decreasing portion becomes.
US08538276B2
According to one embodiment, a visible-light communication apparatus includes an image input unit, a calculation unit, a preamble detection unit, a bit train detection unit, and a reception unit. The image input unit is configured to input image data generated by photographing a source of visible light carrying data. The calculation unit is configured to generate, from the image data, luminance data about an image at a designated position. The preamble detection unit is configured to detect a preamble at the head of the data, on the basis of the luminance data. The bit train detection unit is configured to detect the data bit train from the image data, in accordance with the preamble. The reception unit is configured to reproduce the data from the data bit train.
US08538273B2
A system for exchanging information in an on-chip communication network using optical flow information for communication between Intellectual Property cores. The information is exchanged between a plurality of initiators and targets in the Intellectual Property cores. The system includes a router for propagating optical flow information from the initiators to the targets. Each initiator includes an interface to convert the traffic generated by the initiator and transmit it in the form of an optical flow within the on-chip communication network, and each target includes an interface to convert information from the optical form into the electrical form. The system is organized as a parametric system and includes programming module to define a first set of high level parameters, a second set of initiator network interface parameters and a third set of target network interface parameters.
US08538271B2
An apparatus comprising an optical receiver configured to receive an optical signal, and a combined level and clock recovery circuit coupled to the optical receiver and configured to update a signal threshold and a clock phase substantially simultaneously. Also included is an apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising recognizing reception of a signal, and adjusting a threshold and a clock phase associated with the signal using a rising time for the signal and a falling time for the signal. Also included is a method comprising receiving a signal, and adjusting a threshold level of the signal to establish level recovery using a clock recovery scheme.
US08538270B2
Devices and techniques for frequency conversion of radio frequency (RF) or microwave signals based on photonic processing.
US08538268B2
An optical signal demultiplexing device includes a demultiplexing unit that receives an optical signal multiplexed by an optical time-division system and a synchronization pattern, and demultiplexes the optical signal based on the synchronization pattern. The optical signal demultiplexing device also includes a pulse-width increasing unit that makes optical signals demultiplexed by the demultiplexing unit generate chirp, and increases the pulse widths of the optical signals generating the chirp by passing the optical signals through a wavelength dispersion medium.
US08538267B2
ROADM node systems and methods of operation are disclosed. ROADM node systems may include transponder aggregators including transponders to add signals for switching through the ROADM node. The transponder aggregators may be constrained from adding signals on adjacent channels for simultaneous use. Further, the transponder aggregators may include an optical coupler in lieu of an optical multiplexer. The ROADM system may include a set of wavelength selective switches associated with output ports that can provide an additional filtering function for the added signals prior to transmission on a WDM network.
US08538264B2
A dispersion compensating apparatus includes a tunable dispersion compensator that dispersion-compensates an optical signal using a group delay property that is asymmetrical in bands outside an effective band; a set device that sets a dispersion compensation amount in the tunable dispersion compensator; and a shifter that shifts a central frequency of the effective band of the tunable dispersion compensator, based on the dispersion compensation amount set by the set device.
US08538261B2
The present invention relates to a method, device and system for fast protection of an optical network system, in particular for a Passive Optical Network (PON), such as a Gigabit-capable Passive Optical Network (GPON). In the method, communication failure between a first optical network device and a first optical line termination device is detected. Switching of functionality from the first optical line termination device to a second optical line termination device is initiated, and a control message is sent from the second optical line termination device to the first optical network device such that the first optical network device is prevented from moving into initial state. Furthermore, the method comprises determining and setting timing settings for the first optical network device.
US08538258B2
In a TDMA optical network, a clock data recovery module uses signal oversampling and preamble correlation together with enhanced performance modules to extract additional data from the upstream transmission signal. Information including duty cycle, ONT power estimation, signal noise and jitter can be extracted from the upstream signal using digital logic and used to tune network components and/or alleviate network conditions.
US08538254B2
A camera unit (1) of a camera device includes: a lens unit (2) having a size according to zoom magnification; a tilt chassis (3) that rotatably supports the lens unit (2) in a tilt direction; and a pan chassis (4) that rotatably supports the lens unit (2) in a pan direction through the tilt chassis (3). The tilt chassis (3) has a plurality of attaching positions to the pan chassis (4). Additionally, the tilt chassis (3) is attached to the pan chassis (4) at an attaching position of the plurality of attaching positions according to the size of the lens unit (2). As a result of this, cost, time, and labor required for development of the chassis can be reduced, and development efficiency of the chassis is improved.
US08538247B2
A CPU divides a moving image file at a divided frame position, thereby generating a first divided moving image file including a first frame and another divided moving image file. The CPU detects a frame position where an object appears for the first time in the reproduction order from the other divided moving image file, and generates a file that describes the detected position as a new face information management file. The CPU controls a recording/reproduction control circuit to store the generated new face information management file in a recording medium in association with the other divided moving image file.
US08538243B2
A recording medium and a recording apparatus for storing manufacturer information for supporting specific functions for each manufacturer and a method therefor. A reproducing apparatus for reproducing manufacturer information for supporting specific functions and a method therefor is also provided. If a recording apparatus modifies the contents of the recording medium, then it should record its manufacturer's identification code. A recording apparatus/reproducing apparatus should check the identification code on the recording medium before using its own manufacture information item for some specific function. Also, it is possible to reduce the time required to determine whether the manufacturer information items are effective.
US08538242B2
Disclosed are systems, methods, and computer programs for processing recorded digital video content in massively parallel computing networks. In one embodiment, a disclosed method of processing recorded digital video content includes receiving a video clip, dividing the video clip into a plurality of video clip segments, and scheduling each video clip segment for processing. The method further includes time stamping each of the video clip segments with an appropriate time offset, determining an available analytics engine and an available ingestion engine from a set of analytics engines and ingestion engines in a massively parallel computing network, and commanding said available analytics engine and said available ingestion engine to, respectively, analyze and ingest a specific video clip segment using at least in part the time offset to index metadata generated by the analytics engine and ingestion engine.
US08538234B2
A device for displaying stereoscopic video images on a screen includes a receiving unit, signal processing unit, and display unit. The receiving unit receives stream data including left-view frames and right-view frames of stereoscopic images. The signal processing unit alternately extracts left-view frames and right-view frames from the stream data. Over one frame period of the stereoscopic video images, the signal processing transmits a pair of a left-view frame and a right-view frame when the control information indicates a 3D playback mode, and transmits only a left-view frame when the control information indicates a 2D playback mode. The display unit displays each frame transmitted from the signal processing unit for a predetermined time on the screen.
US08538227B2
Furcation mounting structures for securing a plurality of furcation bodies of respective fiber optic cable assembles within the fiber optic shelf are disclosed. In one embodiment, the furcation mounting structure has a first type of aperture for attaching a first type of clip for securing a furcation body and a second type of aperture for securing a second type of clip for securing a furcation body. Consequently, the furcation management structures disclosed advantageously allow the mounting of different types of clips thereto. In other embodiments, the furcation mounting structure is mounted within the fiber optic shelf or assembly.
US08538226B2
Fiber optic equipment guides and rails and related methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, the fiber optic equipment guides and rails have at least one stopping member disposed therein to provide at least one stopping position during movement. The fiber optic equipment guides and rails can be included in fiber optic equipment to support movement or translation of the fiber optic equipment for access. Such fiber optic equipment can include, but is not limited to, fiber optic equipment chassis, drawers, equipment trays, and fiber optic modules. The fiber optic equipment guides and/or rails include at least one stopping member configured to provide at least one stopping position during movement. Stopping positions allow fiber optic equipment to be retained in a given position during access to the fiber optic equipment. The stopping positions are configured to be overcome with additional force to allow further movement of the fiber optic equipment.
US08538221B1
Optical devices having a first semiconductor slab including a first lateral boundary for an optical mode and a second semiconductor slab above and asymmetrically overlapping the first lateral boundary included in the first semiconductor slab and including an edge of a second lateral boundary for the optical mode. The second lateral boundary is disposed above and to a side of the first lateral boundary. The first semiconductor slab is of a silicon material while the second semiconductor slab is of a III-V material. A first and a second electrical contact are coupled to the second semiconductor slab, one on each lateral side of the second lateral boundary.The optical device further includes an optical waveguide region formed by the first and second lateral optical mode boundaries, wherein a complex refractive index of the optical waveguide region changes based on an electrical difference applied between the first and second electrical contacts.
US08538219B2
An optical fiber includes a central glass core region comprising maximum refractive index delta percent Δ1, a first inner annular region surrounding said core comprising refractive index delta percent Δ2, a depressed annular region surrounding said inner annular region and comprising Δ3 and a third annular region surrounding the depressed annular region comprising refractive index delta percent Δ4; wherein Δ1MAX>Δ4>Δ2>Δ3. The difference between Δ4 and Δ2 is greater than 0.01% and profile volume, |V3| is at least 10%-μm2. The fibers exhibit an effective area at 1550 nm which is greater than 110 μm2.
US08538215B2
A package for an electronic chip including an optical component protects the chip and the component, while allowing for an optical connection of the component with another optical device. This is achieved, in various embodiments, by forming a well in a protective material deposited over the chip to expose the optical component, and by providing alignment features in the protective material to align and connect the optical component with another optical device.
US08538213B2
There is provided a SSC chip whose yield may be improved and whose processing steps may be simplified as compare to those of a prior art PLC chip having a light waveguide circuit to which a spot-size converter (SSC) is added, a fiber array attached with the SSC chip, a PLC module attached with the SSC chip and a method for manufacturing the SSC chip. The SSC chip has four spot-size converters and is fabricated separately from a PLC chip. Each SSC has a straight waveguide having the same core width and height with an end of an input/output waveguide of the PLC chip, a horizontally tapered waveguide in which the core width is enlarged in a tapered shape in the horizontal direction from the core width of the straight waveguide, a vertically tapered waveguide in which the core height is enlarged in a tapered shape in the vertical direction from the core height of the horizontally tapered waveguide and a spot-size enlarged portion whose core width and core height are both enlarged. Because it is unnecessary to fabricate the SSC at the end of the input/output waveguide of the PLC chip, a yield of the PLC chip may be improved.
US08538207B2
Method of fabricating waveguide devices which use evanescent coupling between waveguides and grooves
An optical waveguide device (10) comprises a planar substrate with a lower cladding layer (14), a core layer (16) and an upper cladding layer (18), a groove (20) in the substrate that extends at least into the core layer (16), and a waveguiding channel (22) in the core layer (16), wherein at least a part of the waveguiding channel (22), which may contain a Bragg grating, is sufficiently proximate to the groove (20) in the plane of the substrate for an evanescent field of light propagating in the waveguiding channel (22) to extend laterally into the groove (20). Material contained in the groove modifies the properties of the waveguiding channel, so that a sample of material can be analysed or an active material can be used to modulate the propagating light. The groove (20) can be made before the waveguide (22). The groove (20) can be made by cutting into the substrate with a saw and the waveguide (22) can be made by direct writing in the core layer (16) with an ultraviolet beam.
US08538206B1
An electro-optic modulator comprising a first region of silicon material and a second region of non-silicon material. The second region may at least partially overlap the first region to create a lateral overlap region. An optical waveguide of the modulator may be included in the lateral overlap region and comprise of both the silicon and the non-silicon material. The refractive index of at least one of the silicon material and the non-silicon material within the optical waveguide may change based on an electrical difference applied between electrical contacts of the modulator.
US08538204B1
A method for estimating pixel intensity includes generating a plurality of bidirectional paths extending between a light source and a measurement point, whereby the measurement point represents a pixel within the image. Each bidirectional path includes a light subpath portion extending from the light source and an eye subpath portion extending from the view point and coupled to the light subpath. Each light subpath is characterized by a number of vertices included therein, and similarly, each eye subpath is characterized by a number of vertices included therein. The plurality of bidirectional paths are sorted into separation populations, whereby each population includes bidirectional paths constructed from eye subpaths having a common number of vertices, and light subpaths having a common number of vertices. An intensity contribution is computed for each of the individual populations, and the intensity contributions are summed over all populations to estimate the intensity of the pixel.
US08538203B2
A method for interpolation includes receiving an input image having a plurality of pixels. The edge direction proximate a first pixel of the input image is estimated using a first technique from a plurality of discrete potential directions. An edge direction is selected based upon the estimating the edge direction proximate the first pixel of the input image using a second technique. The pixels proximate the first pixel are interpolated based upon the selected edge direction. The pixels proximate the first pixel are interpolated based upon another technique. An output image is determined pixels having more pixels than the plurality of pixels.
US08538200B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for generating super resolution images by building a set of multi-resolution bases from one or more training images; estimating a sparse resolution-invariant representation of an image, and reconstructing one or more missing patches at any resolution level.
US08538195B2
Provided is a method of hyperspectral image dimension reduction. The method includes receiving a hyperspectral image having a plurality of pixels. A set of basis vectors is established at least in part with respect to the spectral vectors of the initial hyperspectral image. For each pixel of the hyperspectral image, the spectral vector is read and decomposed, i.e. unmixed, with the basis vector set to provide at least a reduced dimension vector for each pixel. Collectively the reduced dimension vectors for each pixel represent the dimensionally reduced image. A system operable to perform the method is also provided.
US08538181B2
An encoding method encodes a first image signal of a first view and a second image signal of a second view. The method includes encoding the first image signal to generate a base stream. The method also includes encoding the second image signal to generate a dependent stream, and inserting a dependent delimiter indicating a picture boundary between pictures in the dependent stream at the beginning of a picture in the dependent stream.
US08538176B2
A method for sending compressed data representing at least part of a digital image includes the following steps: encoding (220) source data representing said part to obtain first compressed data having a given size; based at least on said size, including (210) said first compressed data either in a first slice comprising second compressed data representing other parts of the digital image or in an empty second slice; sending the slice comprising said first compressed data. A corresponding device is also described.
US08538174B2
A simple compression and decompression method provides excellent effects by reducing the storage capacity of an image memory, while adapting to the properties of image.On the basis of luminance information extracted by a luminance extraction block 110, a compression conversion rule setting block 120 sets a compression conversion rule to a compression conversion table 130. In accordance with this compression conversion rule, an image compression block 140 compresses original image data and holds the compressed image data in an image memory 150 along with a type of the compression conversion rule. This type of the compression conversion rule held in the image memory 150 is extracted by a decompression conversion rule setting block 160. In accordance with this type, a decompression conversion rule is set to a decompression conversion table 170. In accordance with the decompression conversion rule set to the decompression conversion table 170, an image decompression block 180 decompresses the compressed image data held in the image memory 150.
US08538167B2
In particular embodiments, analyzing data includes receiving sensor data generated in response to sensing one or more structures. The structural features of the sensor data are identified. Each structural feature is represented by one or more vectors. A score matrix describing relationships among the vectors is generated. Candidate corridors are identified from at least some of the vectors according to the score matrix. One or more candidate corridors are designated as designated corridors. Each designated corridor comprises an opening defined by at least two structural features. A layout of the structures is generated from the structural features and the designated corridors.
US08538161B2
Systems and methods for extracting a radial contour around a given point in an image includes providing an image including a point about which a radial contour is to be extracted around. A plurality of directions around the point and a plurality of radius lengths for each direction are provided. Local costs are determined for all radius lengths for each direction by comparing texture variances at each radius length with the texture variance at a further radius length. A radius length is determined, using a processor, for each direction based on the accumulated value of the local costs to provide a radial contour.
US08538154B2
An image processing apparatus analyzes an image of a document to thereby extract a heading region from the image. The image processing apparatus detects candidates for the heading region from the image, and defines a predetermined range in the image as a range to be processed. The apparatus further groups the candidates in the range to be processed, based on a feature quantity corresponding to a feature in terms of style of a character string. The apparatus selects a representative group from the resultant groups, and divides the range to be processed, at the position of a candidate belonging to the representative group. The apparatus newly defines each of the portions generated by the division as a range to be processed.
US08538142B2
Face-detection processing methods, image processing devices, and articles of manufacture are described. According to one arrangement, a face-detection processing method includes accessing image data of a plurality of images to be processed for detection of human faces in the images, determining whether or not to use skin-detection processing for face-detection processing of individual ones of the images, and in accordance with the determining, performing the face-detection processing of one of the images using the skin-detection processing to detect human faces in the one of the images and performing the face-detection processing of another of the images without using the skin-detection processing to detect human faces in the another of the images.
US08538135B2
Described are computer-based methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for pulling keys from color segmented images. Data indicative of a two dimensional image is stored in a data storage device, the two dimensional image comprising a plurality of pixels. A plurality of color segmented frames are generated based on the two dimensional image, wherein each color segmented frame comprises one or more objects. For each of the color segmented frames, a key is generated based on the one or more objects. A depth map is calculated for the two dimensional image based on the keys, wherein the depth map comprises data indicative of three dimensional information for each pixel of the two dimensional image.
US08538133B2
This system for guiding a drone during the approach phase to a platform, particularly a naval platform, with a view to landing the same, is characterized in that the platform is equipped with a glide slope indicator installation emitting an array of optical guide beams over an angular sector predetermined from the horizontal, and in that the drone is equipped with a beam acquisition camera connected to image analysis means and to computing means of orders for commanding automatic piloting means of the drone to cause it to follow the guide beams.
US08538132B2
System and methods for determining a concentricity of a component mounted within an aperture of an electronic device housing. In particular, a method for determining concentricity of a camera includes obtaining an image of a camera mounted within the aperture of the housing and identifying a plurality of circular shapes within the image using a processor. One of the circular shapes represents the aperture in the housing and the other circular shape represents the camera. An offset between two of the plurality of circular shapes is calculated.
US08538129B2
A method for characterizing the resolution of mask inspection tool using a test mask and a database containing defect data. A variety of defect types and sizes is programmed into the database, and the database is then used to inspect the defect-free mask. All defects programmed into the database are not captured in performing the method, so the resolution capability of an inspection tool can be determined.
US08538128B2
A method for determining the location of an additive, especially an additive that is not visible to a consumer, in an article with respect to a surface feature of the article is provided.
US08538119B2
A particle image analyzing method is adapted so that while raising image-reviewing efficiency at a cropped image level of particle components in a sample, the entire sample can be observed without significantly changing a related apparatus configuration. Prior to image reviewing of an imaging region, cropped images thereof are reviewed and, with reference to the images arranged for each kind of particle component, if the operator judges any particles to have been falsely identified, the operator uses an operating unit to modify positions of the particles to those of correct component items. An overall image of the imaging region is displayed and if any components to be added (overlooked components) appear, the kinds of these components are identified and quantitative data on each kind of component is registered. Upon completion of the registration, the concentration of the sample is recalculated and a comment is entered in a comment field.
US08538117B2
Accurate pelvic fracture detection is accomplished with automated X-ray and Computed Tomography (CT) images for diagnosis and recommended therapy. The system combines computational methods to process images from two different modalities, using Active Shape Model (ASM), spline interpolation, active contours, and wavelet transform. By processing both X-ray and CT images, features which may be visible under one modality and not under the other are extracted and validates and confirms information visible in both. The X-ray component uses hierarchical approach based on directed Hough Transform to detect pelvic structures, removing the need for manual initialization. The X-ray component uses cubic spline interpolation to regulate ASM deformation during X-ray image segmentation. Key regions of the pelvis are first segmented and identified, allowing detection methods to be specialized to each structure using anatomical knowledge. The CT processing component is able to distinguish bone from other non-bone objects with similar visual characteristics, such a blood and contrast fluid, permitting detection and quantification of soft tissue hemorrhage. The CT processing component draws attention to slices where irregularities are detected, reducing the time to fully examine a pelvic CT scan. The quantitative measurement of bone displacement and hemorrhage area are used as input for a trauma decision-support system, along with physiological signals, injury details and demographic information.
US08538108B2
Techniques for accelerated elastic registration include receiving reference scan data and floating scan data, and a first transformation for mapping coordinates of scan elements from the first scan to coordinates of scan elements in the second scan. A subset of contiguous scan elements is determined. At least one of several enhancements is implemented. In one enhancement cubic spline interpolation is nested by dimensions within a subset. In another enhancement, a local joint histogram of mutual information based on the reference scan data and the floating scan data for the subset is determined and subtracted from an overall joint histogram to determine a remainder joint histogram. Each subset is then transformed, used to compute an updated local histogram, and added to the remainder joint histogram to produce an updated joint histogram. In another enhancement, a measure of similarity other than non-normalized mutual information is derived from the updated joint histogram.
US08538106B2
A method for three-dimensional esophageal reconstruction includes acquiring a first X-ray image from a first angle with respect to a subject using a first X-ray imager. At least a second X-ray image is acquired from a second angle, different than the first angle, with respect to the subject using a second X-ray imager. Additional X-ray images may be acquired from additional angle. A three-dimensional model of the esophagus is generated from the at least two X-ray images acquired at different angles. A set of fluoroscopic X-ray images is acquired using either the first X-ray imager or the second X-ray imager. The three-dimensional model of the esophagus is registered to the acquired set of fluoroscopic X-ray images. The three-dimensional model of the esophagus is displayed overlaying the set of fluoroscopic X-ray images.
US08538103B2
A medical image processing device of the invention includes: an image acquisition unit that acquires three-dimensional image data including a moving organ; an image display unit that displays the three-dimensional image data as a three-dimensional image; an object-to-be-measured setting unit that sets a desired object to be measured on the three-dimensional image displayed on the image display unit; a diagnostic index calculating unit that calculates the amount of displacement of the three-dimensional image data in each time phase for the desired object to be measured and calculates a diagnostic index on the basis of the amount of displacement calculated in each time phase; and a control unit that performs control to display the diagnostic index on the image display unit.
US08538101B2
An apparatus for reconstructing an image from the derivative of a sinogram includes means (26) for multiplying a projection orientation unit vector field (24) with the derivative to form an oriented derivative, means (28) for back-projecting the oriented derivative, and means (30-40) for Riesz transforming the back-projected oriented derivative.
US08538094B2
An objective measure of human QOL is determined by a QOL quantification system. The QOL quantification system comprises a QOL rules engine, a QOL measure datastore, a score data archive, a user computing device, and a network. The QOL measure datastore comprises quantifiable measures of QOL of a QOL factor. The QOL rules engine comprises instructions for receiving user data indicative of a plurality of attributes of a selected QOL factor of the user, obtaining measures of QOL from the QOL measures datastore associated with the selected QOL factor, evaluating the user data against the QOL measures of the selected QOL factor, determining a user score indicative of the QOL of the selected QOL factor of the user, storing the user score in the score data archive, and comparing the user score to a score stored in the score data archive. The QOL rules engine may also suggest change options to one or more QOL factors to improve the user score. The suggested change options may be presented as an ordered listed organized by a relative cost benefit measure.
US08538093B2
A social networking site providing facial similarity matching services to subscribers to the social networking site. A subscriber may upload a digital image of himself and have it compared to digital images of other member subscribers using software to interpret points of comparison on each digital image. Subscribers may effect the outcome of the matching process by designating a selection of images as close matches from a computer generated plurality of matching images. A collage of finally matched images is provided to the inquiring subscriber as well as contact information to communicate with the other subscribers.
US08538091B2
An image-processing apparatus for executing accurate facial expression recognition even for a subject hard to recognize a facial expression is provided. A person's face region is extracted from an image input from an image input unit. A predetermined partial region that changes between when the facial expression is in the first and second states is extracted from the extracted face region. A facial expression evaluation value is calculated using an evaluation value calculation formula. When the calculated facial expression evaluation value exceeds a threshold value, it is determined that the facial expression is in the second state. If the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the calculated facial expression evaluation value within a predetermined time is smaller than a predetermined value, the evaluation value calculation formula or its parameter is changed to increase the difference.
US08538088B2
A disclosed capture device for biometrics authentication using an image of a person's palm includes an image sensor capturing the person's palm and acquiring an image of the person's palm and a guide member supporting the person's palm when the person's palm is captured by the image sensor. Further, the guide member has a V-shaped-type groove in which a finger of the person's palm is to be inserted.
US08538085B2
A distance measurement system provided by the present invention comprises a light source module, for projecting a light beam having a speckle pattern to a plurality of reference flat surfaces and an object which are located at different position points, so as to show an image of the speckle pattern on each of the reference flat surface and the object. The speckle pattern contains a plurality of speckles. The invention generates a plurality of reference image information through capturing the image of the speckle pattern on each of the plurality of reference flat surfaces and generates an object image information through capturing the image of the speckle pattern on the object. The Invention further generates a plurality of comparison results through comparing the plurality of reference image information, and computes the position of the object through performing an interpolation operation to generate the plurality of comparison results.
US08538084B2
A method for depth sensing keystoning. The method of depth sensing keystoning may include an optical system and electrical devices. The method of depth sensing keystoning may correct for image distortion using depth measurements.
US08538074B2
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and method, an image capturing apparatus, and a program which make it possible to crop an image with an optimal composition even for a subject other than a person.A composition pattern setting section 33 sets a composition pattern corresponding to an input image, on the basis of the number of salient regions to which attention is directed in the input image, and the scene of the input image. On the basis of the composition pattern set by the composition pattern setting section 33, a composition analyzing section 34 determines a crop region in the input image which is optimal for an image to be cropped in the composition pattern from the input image. The present invention is applicable to, for example, an image processing apparatus that adjusts the composition of a captured image.
US08538073B2
A digital image processing apparatus has a tracking function for tracking a location variation of a set tracking area on a plurality of frame images. The digital image processing apparatus includes a similarity calculation unit that calculates a similarity by varying a location of a template on one frame image. The similarity calculation unit calculates a second direction similarity by fixing a first direction location of the template in a first direction on the one frame image and by varying a second direction location of the template in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction, and then calculates a first direction similarity by fixing the second direction location of the template at a location where the second direction similarity is the highest and by varying the first direction location of the template in the first direction on the one frame image.
US08538067B2
The invention relates to a process to make secure a personal portable object comprising a body of the personal portable object, a microchip, a printed image and a device to enable said personal portable object to communicate with an entity external to the device. The process includes using an image file and an insertion algorithm to generate an image feature vector Vsi(num), storing the image feature vector Vsi(num) in the microchip, using the printed image obtained by a scanning device to generate an image feature vector Vsi(dig), and using a read-back algorithm to match the image feature vector Vsi(num) and the image feature vector Vsi(dig).
US08538059B2
An ear speaker device includes an electroacoustic transducer including a housing mounted at a predetermined position of listener's head, a speaker unit mounted on one surface in the housing, and positioned away from an entrance of the listener's external acoustic meatus for a predetermined distance when the housing is mounted on the listener's head, and a tubular duct extended so as to allow a sound generated by the housing in the inner space thereof to reach the vicinity of the entrance of the listener's external acoustic meatus, and a hole for emitting sound of the duct is oriented to the opposite direction with respect to the entrance of the external acoustic meatus; and a mounting part used for mounting the electroacoustic transducer on the listener's head in a manner that the predetermined distance is provided between the speaker unit and the entrance of the listener's external acoustic meatus.
US08538047B2
The present disclosure provides a digital sound projector including a first flat speaker, a second flat speaker, a connecting device and a signal input device. The connecting device pivotally connects the first flat speaker and the second flat speaker to form an angle between a surface of the first flat speaker and a surface of the second flat speaker. The angle is larger than 0 degrees and smaller than 180 degrees. The signal input device inputs electrical signals to each of the first and the second flat speakers.
US08538046B2
An electronic device includes an enclosure and a speaker set received in the enclosure. The speaker set includes a shell, a pair of first and second speakers received in the shell. The first speakers provide high frequency acoustic output, and the second speakers provide low and middle frequency acoustic output. The shell includes a fixing plate. The fixing plate defines two tweet outlets aligning respectively with the first speakers, and two middle woof outlets aligning respectively with the second speakers. A central point of each middle woof outlet is located nearer to an imaginary central line of the fixing plate than a central point of each tweet outlet. A portion of each of the middle woof outlets is shaded by a portion of the electronic device. The tweet outlets are located beside the portion of the electronic device but not shaded by the portion.
US08538042B2
A system can be provided for increasing loudness of an audio signal to present a perceived loudness to a listener that is greater than a loudness provided natively by a loudspeaker. The system can include one or more of the following: a frequency suppressor, a loudness adjuster, an equalizer, and a distortion control module. The frequency suppressor can increase headroom in the audio signal by filtering out low and/or high frequencies. The loudness adjuster can calculate a loudness of the audio signal and apply a gain to the audio signal to increase the loudness. The equalizer can further increase headroom by attenuating portions of a passband of the loudspeaker's frequency response. The distortion control module can induce partial harmonic distortion in the audio signal to further increase loudness.
US08538038B1
Mute intervals of an audio signal are concealed by decreasing a user's perception of missing audio information. During the mute interval, different concealment techniques are activated at different times to form a concealment signal. The concealment signal is applied to the processed audio signal during the mute interval. A concealment technique may process buffered audio samples before the mute interval in order to obtain the concealment signal. Also, a previously activated concealment generator may be phased out while the currently activated concealment generator may be phased in during a transition period of a mute interval. Different concealment techniques may be used to generate a concealment signal, including a periodic extension concealment technique, a reverberation concealment technique, and a spectral replication technique. Further, the power levels may be matched between different periods of a mute interval.
US08538036B2
An acoustic sound system usable in electronic entertainment systems that generates highly directional sound. The directed acoustic sound system includes a parametric audio sound system having a modulator for modulating an ultrasonic carrier signal with a processed audio signal, a driver amplifier for amplifying the modulated signal, and a parametric loudspeaker for projecting the modulated and amplified signal through the air for subsequent regeneration of the audio signal along a pre-selected path. The acoustic sound system allows a user to select the parametric loudspeaker, a connectable non-directional loudspeaker, or both loudspeakers for producing audible sound. The acoustic sound system may be employed in the home, in the workplace, or in any other environment where audio leakage is undesirable.
US08538026B2
Methods and systems are provided for trusted key distribution. A key distribution or an identity service acts as an intermediary between participants to a secure network. The service provisions and manages the distribution of keys. The keys are used for encrypting communications occurring within the secure network.
US08538025B2
The present invention relates to methods for sending and receiving security related information during handover on a wireless access system and methods for managing a traffic encoding key (TEK). In one example of the present invention, a security performance negotiation method for supporting the hand-over of mobile handsets comprises the steps of: carrying out, in advance, a security performance negotiation procedure with a first base station (T-ABS), prior to registration on the first base station; generating a traffic encoding key (TEK) by using security related information acquired by means of the security performance negotiation procedure; and carrying out a general performance exchange procedure encoded by means of the TEK and a zone switch with the first base station.
US08538023B2
Apparatuses and methods for security profile update are presented. In one embodiment, the method comprises determining the version of a security profile associated with a wireless client and determining whether a new security profile exists. The method includes calculating a one-time password based at least on a random character table and some image areas within an image. The method further includes generating an encrypted version of the new security profile by using a first part of the one-time password as an encryption key and sending to the wireless client a profile update request.
US08538022B2
Often, for reasons of wireless bandwidth conservation, incomplete messages are provided to wireless messaging devices. Employing cryptography, for secrecy or authentication purposes, when including a received message that has been incompletely received can lead to lack of context on the receiver's end. By automatically obtaining the entirety of the message to be included, an outgoing message that includes the received message can be processed in a manner that securely and accurately represents the intended outgoing message.
US08538020B1
In one embodiment, a system and associated processes for transparent client-side cryptography are provided. In this system, some or all of a user's private data can be encrypted at a client device operated by the user. The client can transmit the encrypted user data to a content site that hosts a network application, such as a social networking application, financial application, or the like. The content site can store the private data in its encrypted form instead of the actual private data. When the content site receives a request for the private data from the user or optionally from other users (such as social networking friends), the server can send the encrypted user data to a client associated with the requesting user. This client, if operated by an authorized user, can decrypt the private data and present it to the authorized user.
US08538019B2
Methods, systems, devices and computer programs for configuring nodes on a wireless network can include generating a security key for the network, setting the security settings on the access point based on the security key, and saving the security key in a profile data file on a removable memory device along with a portable configuration utility for using the profile data file for configuring other nodes on the network. The removable memory device can then be inserted into other nodes and the portable configuration utility can be run to match the same key on the other network nodes based on the information stored in the profile data file on the removable memory device.
US08538018B2
Methods and apparatus for mixing encrypted data with unencrypted data are disclosed. A disclosed system receives data from a first media source, such as DVD-Audio content, and encrypts the data from the first media source using a key stream to form an encrypted data stream. The disclosed system may separate the encrypted data stream into a plurality of encrypted data streams and may combine the plurality of encrypted data streams with an unencrypted data stream associated with a second media source to form a mixed data stream. The mixed data stream is formed without decrypting the plurality of encrypted data streams and is transmitted to hardware or a hardware driver.
US08538010B2
A faceplate assembly includes a cover plate having a front wall and a rim surrounding a perimeter of the front wall. The rim has a rim opening therethrough. The front wall has a pair of mounting posts extending therefrom that are configured to be received in keyholes of a phone to support the phone. A subplate configured to be mounted to a wall outlet. The subplate has an end wall and a base with a base opening therethrough and the subplate is configured to hold a modular jack. The cover plate is coupled to the subplate such that the rim and base openings are aligned with one another and are configured to receive a patch cord therethrough.
US08537999B1
An attempt by a first endpoint device to establish a particular communication session with a second endpoint device is identified during a first, preexisting communication session between the second endpoint device and a third endpoint device. It is determined whether the first communication session has priority over the particular communication session. If the precedence level of the attempted particular communication session preempts the precedence level of the first communication session, the first communication session is terminated and the particular communication session is established between the first and second endpoints. A notification is provided to the third endpoint corresponding to the end of the particular communication session. Alternatively, if the first communication session has priority over the particular communication session, the attempt to establish the particular communication session is denied. A notification is provided to the first endpoint corresponding to the end of the first communication session.
US08537993B2
A method may include receiving a telephone number mapping query associated with a call from a calling party to a called party. The method may also include identifying, based on the query, first routing information that identifies a call session control component to process the call, and second routing information that identifies a border control component. The method may further include forwarding the first routing information to the querying device, and forwarding the second routing information to the querying device when the query originated from outside a network servicing the called party.
US08537989B1
Embodiments of the invention provide a communication device. The communication device comprises a database comprising at least one visual Interactive Voice Response (IVR) menu associated with each of a plurality of destinations. The communication device also comprises means for dialing a phone number of a destination of the plurality of destinations based on a predefined calling information, wherein the predefined calling information is selected from a visual IVR menu associated with the destination; means for receiving information from the dialed destination based on the predefined calling information; and means for displaying the received information.
US08537983B1
Various embodiments of the invention provide a tool for reviewing the content of communications conducted between parties. A communication is analyzed between a first and second party to determine the words present. A set of keywords are developed that represent a subset of the words determined to be present in the communication. Occurrences of the keywords in the communication are mapped to times at which they occur. An interface is provided to a user that displays a representation of the communication comprising an identifier, such as an icon, representing a particular occurrence of a keyword with respect to a timeline. The user can search, locate and review a corresponding portion of audio containing the occurrence of the keyword. This may involve playing the corresponding portion of the audio containing the occurrence of the keyword and/or displaying the corresponding portion of a transcript of the audio portion.
US08537977B2
Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for voice processing in a mobile communication terminal. A plurality of microphones are used to remove environmental noise at the time of voice communication, so that it is possible to perform high-quality voice communication and video telephony. Moreover, it is possible to perform voice recording even when a user does not open a mobile communication terminal. Furthermore, when voice is recorded or sound is recorded during moving image photographing, a plurality of microphones are effectively utilized to achieve good-quality recording and to perform recording conveniently even when the folder or the slider of the mobile communication terminal is closed. Therefore, it is possible to provide improved convenience in using the mobile communication terminal.
US08537975B2
A system and method for customizing communications for a communications device may include determining, at a network node, in response to determining that the communications device is in an off-hook state, that a user of the telephone has accepted to receive pre-dial content in substitution of standard pre-dial content. In response to determining that the user has accepted non-standard pre-dial content to be communicated in substitution of the standard pre-dial content, the non-standard pre-dial content may be communicated to the communications device in response to determining that the communications device is in an off-hook state. A signal from the communications device may be responded to before completion of the non-standard pre-dial content if the user pays a fee to enable interruption of the non-standard pre-dial content.
US08537960B2
Disclosed is an apparatus for performing an automated cleaning of nuclear fuel cladding-tubes. The apparatus comprises a pre-cleaning holding section disposed at a first side of the apparatus, a primary cleaning-material supplying section and a primary cleaning section disposed at a second side of the apparatus, a secondary cleaning section and a secondary cleaning material supplying section disposed at the second side of the apparatus and beside the primary cleaning section, an inspection section disposed at a third side of the apparatus that is opposite to the second side, and a post-cleaning holding section disposed at the fourth side of the transferring section. The pre-cleaning holding section and the post-cleaning holding section includes a cladding-tube guide where the cladding-tube is loaded before and after cleaning. Primary and secondary cleaning material supply sections are disposed at a lateral side of the primary and secondary cleaning sections respectively.
US08537958B2
Embodiments of systems and methods for compressing plasma are described in which plasma pressures above the breaking point of solid material can be achieved by injecting a plasma into a funnel of liquid metal in which the plasma is compressed and/or heated.
US08537951B2
A network entity and computer program for detecting occurrence of transmission resynchronizations in a network carrying packets subject to variable delays, and adaptively varying the play out time of data packets. The method may include that the packets are received at a network entity and forwarded by delaying them by a jitter protection time, and determining for a predetermined time period a set of arrival time jitter values. A peak to peak value may be determined indicating the largest difference among the values included in the determined set of arrival time jitter values and detecting an out of range condition. The peak to peak value may be compared with the jitter protection time when the out of range condition is detected and detecting that a resynchronization occurred on the basis of the comparing.
US08537948B2
A method and an interface unit is provided to maintain timing synchronization between a first Radio Equipment Controller (REC) and a second REC operating with a multi-standard base station. The first REC receives a synchronization signal and synchronized data output is generated from the synchronization signal. A clock signal is then generated from the synchronized data output. At the second REC, the synchronized data output is received and a synchronization source is then reconstructed from the first clock signal. A timing and frequency component of a second clock signal is then aligned to that of the reconstructed synchronization source, such that the second REC can maintain synchronization with the first REC.
US08537943B1
A method for receiving signals in a receiver having a plurality of receive elements may include a transmitted signal in a plurality of receive elements to form a plurality of receive element signals, generating a plurality of uncorrelated chipping sequences, and encoding each the plurality of receive element signals with a different one of the chipping sequences to form a plurality of encoded signals, and combining the plurality of encoded signals into a combined signal. The plurality of encoded signals may include a first encoded signal, a second encoded signal, and a third encoded signal. Combining may include combining the first encoded signal with the second encoded signal to generate a first combined signal, and combining the first combined signal with information indicative of the third encoded signal to generate a second combined signal.
US08537941B1
A receiver including an amplifying section for converting a relatively low power digital input signal into a relatively high power digital output signal is configured to utilize an adjustable feedback signal that is synchronous with the bit rate of the incoming digital signal so as to modify the level of the feedback signal as a function of time along the width of each bit of the digital input signal, increasing the bandwidth of the receiver at the leading edge of each incoming bit and decreasing the bandwidth otherwise.
US08537936B2
Channel quality metrics (such as SINR, BLER, and the like) are derived from a raw bit error rate (RBER), defined as the error rate of raw bits output by a demodulator. These initial raw bits are decoded and error-checked (or error-corrected). The error-free decoded bits are re-encoded, and the regenerated raw bits are compared to the initial raw bits to determine the RBER. The RBER is then converted to SINR, BLER, or other channel quality metric. The RBER-based metrics are derived from a data channel rather than reference signals, and hence more accurately reflect deviations from nominal transmission power level, and include receiver demodulator impairments.
US08537933B2
Disclosed herein is a receiving device, including a receiving section configured to receive only a partial segment among a plurality of segments obtained by dividing a frequency band of one physical channel when the receiving device is in a waiting state, and return from the waiting state to an activated state when warning information is transmitted, if transmission of the warning information by the partial segment is possible.
US08537920B2
Provided are an apparatus and method for transmitting data using a multi-antenna. The apparatus includes a transmission buffer selecting unit for selecting transmission buffer of an antenna group corresponding to characteristics of each aggregated Medium access control Protocol Data Units (MPDU) when a list of aggregated MPDUs to transmit is received; a data transmitting unit for generating a list of aggregated MPDUs to transmit with storage information of the aggregated MPDUs, transferring the generated list to the transmission buffer selecting unit and transmitting corresponding aggregated MPDUs through the selected transmission buffer; and a timing controlling unit for controlling a transmission timing of each aggregated MPDU.
US08537914B2
Systems and methods are for generating a codebook by: generating a multi-resolution codebook by selecting a common precoder index from a low resolution codebook for a group of adjacent resource blocks (RB)s and for each RB within the group, selecting a high-resolution codebook to fine-tune each RB precoder; and generating feedback for the multi-resolution codebook by quantizing channel state variations.
US08537909B2
A method for transmitting signals using a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) scheme to guarantee a constellation rearrangement gain having a predetermined level or more is provided. Predetermined code blocks are encoded, sub-block interleaving is performed with respect to the encoded code blocks, and the sub-block interleaved code blocks are transmitted according to redundancy version (RV) start locations of the sub-block interleaved code blocks. The RVs are set such that the order of bit streams modulated by an M-QAM (M>4) scheme is changed upon a retransmission. In addition, the RVs are set such that the RV start locations applied to code blocks having different sizes are different.
US08537884B2
An algorithm to detect single path channel conditions and reduce the span (number of taps) of the equalizer in order to mitigate the performance degradation caused by noisy equalizer taps is disclosed. The algorithm provides two novel components comprising single path scenario detection and single path scenario processing or (equalizer shortening). A single path scenario is detected when the energy concentrated in a single channel impulse response tap divided by the total energy of the taps exceeds a predetermined threshold. When a single path scenario is detected, only the equalizer taps within a variable window around the equalizer tap having concentrated energy are used to filter the received signal.
US08537883B1
A system for removing low frequency offset distortion from a digital signal, the system comprising an analog-to-digital converter to convert an analog frequency signal associated with an optical storage medium to a digital frequency signal; an equalizer to equalize the digital frequency signal; an estimator to estimate a low frequency offset distortion of the digital frequency signal; a compensator to substantially cancel the low frequency offset distortion of the digital frequency signal from the equalized digital frequency signal using the estimate; and a decoder to decode the equalized digital frequency signal having the low frequency offset distortion substantially cancelled therefrom.
US08537882B2
A method, a system, and a device for rapidly exiting training are provided. The method includes: in a training procedure of a Vectored-Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) filter, comparing a feedback error value of the filter and/or a swing range of a filter coefficient with a preset threshold, and determining whether the filter meets a convergence condition according to a comparison result; and exiting the training procedure of the filter when the filter meets the convergence condition. The method, system, and device are applicable to a training procedure of a Vectored-DSL precoder or canceller, so as to rapidly exit the training procedure.
US08537879B2
A method of wireless communication includes utilizing a first outer loop for single-stream transmissions when a requested PCI by a UE is within a first set. The utilizing the first outer loop includes utilizing a first outer loop margin to adjust a size of a transport block by a first backoff margin when the UE requests a PCI within the first set. The method further includes utilizing a second outer loop for single-stream transmissions when the requested PCI by the UE is within a second set different from the first set. The utilizing the second outer loop includes utilizing a second outer loop margin to adjust the size of the transport block by a second backoff margin when the UE requests a PCI within the second set.
US08537872B2
A light emitting device includes first and second cladding layers and an active layer therebetween including first and second side surfaces and first and second gain regions, a second side reflectance is higher than a first side reflectance, a first end surface part of the first gain region overlaps a second end surface part of the second gain region in an overlapping plane, the first gain region obliquely extends from the first end surface to a third end surface, the second gain region obliquely extends from the second end surface to a fourth end surface, a first center line connecting the centers of the first and third end surfaces and a second center line connecting the centers of the second and fourth end surfaces intersect, and the overlapping plane is shifted from the intersection point toward the first side surface.
US08537869B2
A broad area laser, with high efficiency and small far-field divergence, has an active layer, a first contact and a second contact, each having a width larger than 10 μm. An anti-wave guiding layer, which is positioned laterally with respect to the active region, is enclosed between the first and second contacts, wherein a refractive index of the anti-wave guiding layer is larger than a minimum refractive index of cladding layers. A minimum distance between the anti-wave guiding layer and a projection of one of the contacts on the plane of the anti-wave guiding layer is between 0 and 100 μm.
US08537863B2
Methods and apparatus for the resource-efficient reception of selected segments of system information in receivers. In one embodiment, a wireless device can automatically receive and store segments of pilot channel information, which may be decoded at a later time. By time-shifting the decoding of pilot channel information (or selectively obviating portions thereof based on “intelligent” filtering), the wireless device can reduce the radio and processing burdens for monitoring radio channels. In one variant, the majority of the wireless device can power down for a “snoozing” mode, wherein the device wakes at a later point in order to decode the cached context information data. Various methods for selectively receiving and filtering context information for storage are also disclosed, as well as network apparatus and associated business methods.
US08537853B2
Methods and apparatus for generating, transmitting, and processing error control information in a wireless communication system are disclosed. The error control information is designed so that the probability of a NACK-to-ACK error in transmission is lower than the probability for an ACK-to-NACK error. Multiple ACK/NACK bits are transmitted along with one or more side information bits that indicate the relative quantities of ACK values and NACK values among the ACK/NACK bits. In an exemplary method for generating error control information in a communication device, a plurality of ACK/NACK bits indicating whether corresponding transport blocks were successfully received are generated. One or more side information bits are formed as a function of the ACK/NACK bits, the side information bits indicating the relative quantities of ACK values and NACK values among the ACK/NACK bits, and transmitted along with the ACK/NACK bits to the remote communication node.
US08537846B2
Forwarding a flow in a network includes receiving the flow at a switch, determining an optimized priority queue level of the flow at the switch, and forwarding the flow via the switch using an optimized priority queue level of the flow at the switch. The flow passes through a plurality of switches, including the switch, in the network, and the optimized priority queue level of the flow at the switch is different from a priority queue level of the flow at a second switch of the plurality of switches. The second switch routes the flow at the second switch using the different priority queue level for the flow.
US08537838B2
Apparatus, systems and methods for receiving one or more input signals and providing output signals in various video, audio, data and mixed formats are described. One or more input processors receive the input signals. Each of the input processors provides one or more packetized signals corresponding to one or more of the input signals received at the input processor. Each output processor can receive one or more packetized signals and generate or more output signals. The output signals correspond to one or more of the input signals, additional locally generated signals or data relating to the signals or any combination of such signals. Use of a packet router according to the invention allows input signals encoded as one set of packetized signals to be recombined to provide additional packetized signals incorporating the same or different combinations of the packetized signals.
US08537837B2
A switch includes a processor, an ingress port having ingress port logic, and an egress port. It may also include a virtual network identifier rewrite component for rewriting a virtual network identifier in a data frame received the ingress port with a new virtual network identifier. Also included is a virtual network identifier rewrite rule set, where a rule may have one or more of the following: a received virtual network identifier, a source Fiber Channel identifier (FCID) address, an ingress port identifier, and a new virtual network identifier. The ingress port logic may insert a received virtual network identifier into the data frame received at the ingress port, where the virtual network identifier may correspond to the ingress port. The virtual network identifier rewrite component may assign the new virtual network identifier to the data frame according to a specific virtual network identifier rewrite rule.
US08537836B2
A method for restoring a virtual path, provisioned between a source and a target node, in a mesh zoned optical network is described. The method, in one embodiment, broadcasts or floods restore path requests in the network to expedite the identification of an alternate route and minimize the service disruption for failed virtual path. The flooding of requests is controlled to ensure efficient performance of the network yet guaranteeing minimum restoration time to allow critical telecommunication related traffic to flow through the network with virtually no interruption. The constant update of nodal topology by each node allows a fast identification of alternate physical path for failed virtual path.
US08537829B2
This disclosure relates to a system and method for providing a mechanism control page requests sent in a wireless communication network. The paging control mechanism can be implemented in a gateway through a combination of hardware and software to determine whether packets received at a gateway trigger a page. The packets received at the gateway are intended for user equipment that is indicated to be in an idle state with no bearer connection. The paging mechanism controls paging when paging requests need to be sent. In some communication networks, page requests can be sent that are not needed because a bearer connection or link is in the process of being established. The control can be asserted by adding intelligence to the gateway to determine—on receipt of downlink data or signaling—how to proceed based on the state of the user equipment and the bearer connection.
US08537819B2
PLC modems and a PLC communication system that includes the PLC modems receive a multicast packet from a video server of a multicast group. When a MAC address table is set therein, the PLC modems and the PLC communication system convert the multicast packet into a unicast packet and transmit the converted packet to a power line. When no MAC address is set, the PLC modems and the PLC communication system transmit the multicast packet to the power line.
US08537789B2
A MANET may include a plurality of MANET nodes each comprising a wireless transceiver and a controller cooperating therewith for establishing a wireless communication link with an adjacent MANET node based upon a time division multiple access (TDMA) implementation. The TDMA implementation may use a repeating scheduling of a plurality of temporally spaced-apart time slot units within a control epoch to thereby reduce a latency of communication.
US08537778B1
Methods and systems are provided for initiating a handoff of an access terminal based on EV-DO DRCLock. In an embodiment, an access node (i) makes a determination that a DRCLock is set for at least a threshold number of coverage areas in an active set for an access terminal operating on a first carrier in a first wireless network, and (ii) in response to making the determination, initiates a handoff of the access terminal from the first carrier to at least one of (a) a second carrier and (b) a second wireless network.
US08537764B2
A base station includes an identifying unit that identifies a group to which a mobile station that is to start communication belongs; a determining unit that determines a second pilot signal, which is allocated to the group identified by the identifying unit, to be a pilot signal for communication with the mobile station; and a transmitting unit that transmits information for identifying the second pilot signal to the mobile station by using a first pilot signal determined beforehand for each group as a pilot signal for notifying the information.
US08537760B2
A method of dynamic hybrid multiple access in a wireless network that comprises a plurality of subscriber stations is provided. The method includes selecting a sub-carrier status for each of the subscriber stations based on at least one predetermined condition for the subscriber station. The sub-carrier status is either hopping or scheduled. The predetermined condition is monitored for each subscriber station to determine whether to switch the sub-carrier status for the subscriber station based on a change in the predetermined condition.
US08537753B2
A mobile device of a user discovers topological information about electronic devices in a premise environment, and shares such information with a media gateway. The media gateway uses the topological information to augment content from a server, such as a web page that supports access to media content, to add graphical objects corresponding to those electronic devices in proximity to the mobile device that are capable of reproducing the streaming media content. Selection of the one of the add-on graphical objects causes delivery of the media content to the corresponding electronic device instead of the display of the mobile device. In this manner, a more natural selection mechanism than that available using conventional pull-down lists of options is provided.
US08537750B2
In one embodiment, a method for transmitting information includes processing a downlink transport channel to generate a transport block (TB) having a TB size. The TB size is selected by selecting a modulation and coding scheme index (ITBS) and a physical resource block index (NPRB). The TB size for the selected ITBS and NPRB is selected so that an effective code rate at an user equipment (UE) does not exceed a specified threshold. The effective code rate is defined as a number of downlink (DL) information bits including TB cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bits and code block CRC bits divided by a number of physical channel bits on Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH). The transport block is mapped to multiple spatial layers. The number of spatial layers N is greater than or equal to three. The multiple spatial layers are transmitted to the UE.
US08537747B2
A system and method for making vehicle originated calls to a telematics service provider or other call center. The method includes identifying a call type associated with a desired wireless communication of speech or data to the call center, and then carrying out one of a number of different call connection processes depending on the call type. For voice channel cellular connections, an in-band modem cellular connection is preferably established in most instances using a connection retry strategy that includes primary, secondary, and possibly tertiary connection attempts each of which utilize at least one of a number of different voice and data call origination processes. The system and method can be carried out in connection with various cellular system technologies, but is especially suited for use with GSM systems.
US08537745B2
A method and apparatus processes a plurality of analog signals in a transceiver with multiple receive (Rx) antennas in a wireless communication system. By appropriate combining of the analog signals of each Rx antenna, this scheme allows a reduction in the number of the front end components, for example, filters, mixers and Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) devices. Subsequently, the signals are separated digitally by virtue of their unique code. The benefits associated with this scheme are at least threefold: reduced cost, area, and power consumption of a multiple antenna terminal. Additionally, proper parameter settings increase signal to Quantization Noise Ratio (SQNR) at the ADC output.
US08537723B2
A front end radio architecture (FERA) is disclosed that includes a power amplifier (PA). The PA includes first and second input terminals and first and second output terminals and a PA die having first and second half amplifier cells, each of which includes an output amplifier stage. The first and second half amplifier cells are coupled to the first and second input terminals. First and second PA transformers each include first, second, and third windings. The first windings are coupled to the output amplifier stages. The second winding of the first PA transformer is coupled to the first output terminal of the PA and also coupled in series with the second winding of the second PA transformer. The third winding of the first PA transformer is coupled in series with the third winding of the second PA transformer, with one end of the second PA transformer being coupled to the second output terminal of the PA.
US08537714B2
A method and apparatus for calculating a routing metric for a wireless network including retrieving configured system parameters, selecting a form of a first weight factor based on channel load/utilization and parameters of the first weight factor, selecting a form of a second weight factor based on frame/packet error rate and parameters of the second weight factor, retrieving estimated link bit rate, measuring a channel/link busy time, estimating a channel/link load, estimating a packet/frame error rate of the link and calculating the metric are described. A method and system for determining a route/path between two nodes of a wireless network including calculating a weighted radio and load aware metric by each node in the wireless network, storing the metric and using the metric to select the route/path for communication between two nodes of the wireless network based on a sum of the metrics calculated by each node of the wireless network are also described.
US08537710B2
A network device is configured to identify a configured maximum segment size value, for a wireless access network associated with the network device, which is calculated to prevent fragmentation over the wireless access network. The network device is configured to receive, from a first computing device, a synchronization message including an initial maximum segment size value for a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) socket connection between the first computing device and a second computing device that uses the wireless access network. When the initial maximum segment size value is larger than the configured maximum segment size value, the network device is configured to replace the initial maximum segment size value with the configured maximum segment size value to create a modified synchronization message, and send the modified synchronization message to the second computing device for establishing the TCP socket connection.
US08537696B2
A system and method are presented for changing physical layer (PHY) parameters in a PHY device of a communications system. New parameters are written to a first-in first-out queue in a serial interface, while the scheduled time for the changeover is written to a control register in the serial interface. When the time for the changeover occurs, the parameters are written to the PHY device via a port of the serial interface.
US08537688B2
The invention discloses a method (1100) for a cellular wireless access TDD system (100) with a base stations (120, 220) for respective cells (110, 210) in the system, where each cell can accommodate at least a first user terminal (130, 230). The user terminals can receive traffic from their base stations during a down link period, and can transmit traffic to their base stations (120, 220) during an up link period (UL). There is a first guard period (TDu) at the transition from down link to up link, and a second guard period (TUD) at the transition from up link to down link. The method comprises measuring the interference level in a second plurality (110, 210) of cells during part of the time between two consecutive down link periods, and varying the duration of said first and/or second guard period in said second plurality of cells (110, 210) according to the interference level.
US08537684B2
A wireless transmitter transmits a plurality of data blocks defined in a transmission window for receipt by a receiver. The transmitter transmits a status request to the receiver for positive acknowledgement of successful receipt of the status request, the status request identifying a data block. The transmitter updates the transmission window upon receipt of a positive acknowledgement of receipt of a data block or upon receipt of a positive acknowledgement of receipt of a status request relating to a data block. The updating removes the record of the data block from the transmission window and adds a record of at least one different data block to the transmission window.
US08537678B2
The present disclosure discloses a multimedia messaging service (MMS) decoding method, an MMS decoder and a mobile terminal. The method comprises the steps of: parsing an original MMS data packet, acquiring all the non-SMIL (synchronized multimedia integration language) files in it, and counting the number of all the non-SMIL files as the first non-SMIL file number; determining whether an SMIL file exists in the parsing result, if yes, pre-parsing the SMIL file, obtaining the number of the non-SMIL files described by the SMIL file, and counting the number as the second non-SMIL file number, comparing the first non-SMIL file number with the second non-SMIL file number to obtain the formal SMIL file to be parsed; integrally parsing the formal SMIL file to be parsed, obtaining the data structure describing the playing layout of MMS, and taking the data structure and all the non-SMIL files obtained in step A as the MMS decoding result. The present disclosure improves the MMS decoding effect and the user experience.
US08537673B1
Resource utilization required for processing packets associated with multilink bundles of a router are tracked. Corrective actions can be taken to provide fair usage of the available resources by comparing actual usage to a predetermined threshold value, and taking corrective actions if that threshold is exceeded.
US08537656B2
A base station receives a reverse link signal from a given field unit that includes a common code (i.e., shared by other field units) and a unique orthogonal code (i.e., distinguishing the given field unit from other field units). The reverse link signal travels in a multi-path environment along a primary path and at least one secondary path. The base station makes a diversity decision based on the unique orthogonal code seen at two different phases. The base station determines a gross timing offset to align the common code of the given field unit with the common code from other field units using unique orthogonal codes. The given field unit makes a corresponding coarse adjustment of the phase of its common code.
US08537655B2
An access node of a communication system is configured to control crosstalk between channels of the system. Vectoring circuitry in the access node estimates crosstalk between channels of the system, generates a compensation matrix based on the crosstalk estimates, and generates compensated signals based on the compensation matrix. The compensation matrix, which may be a precoder matrix or a postcoder matrix, is generated using a multiplicative update process in which a previous version of the compensation matrix comprising one or more non-zero off-diagonal elements is updated by at least one of pre-multiplying by a first auxiliary matrix and post-multiplying by a second auxiliary matrix, with a given one of the auxiliary matrices also comprising one or more non-zero off-diagonal elements. The compensated signals may be pre-compensated signals or post-compensated signals.
US08537652B2
An optical recording/reproducing apparatus having a label printer for printing labels on an optical disk and a method for printing labels on an optical disk. The optical recording/reproducing apparatus includes an optical disk drive unit recording and reproducing information on a recording surface of an optical disk, a label printer module printing labels on a label surface of the optical disk using thermal transfer, and a controller controlling a label printing operation of the optical disk drive unit and the label printer module, wherein the label printer module includes a ribbon cartridge in which a thermal transfer ribbon to which dyes are attached is wound and which is disposed to face the label surface of the optical disk mounted in the optical disk drive unit, and a thermal printhead transferring the dyes attached to the thermal transfer ribbon onto the label surface of the optical disk using thermal transfer.
US08537645B1
A near-field light generating element includes a plasmon generator, and the plasmon generator has a base plate and a protrusion. The protrusion protrudes from one side of the base plate, wherein when H represents a height direction of the protrusion from the one side and W represents a width direction perpendicular to the height direction (H), a section taken along a W-H plane is of a rectangular shape whose opposite corners in the height direction (H) are rounded.
US08537631B2
A vertical semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a cell array including a control bit line connected to cells and electrically isolated from a bit line, and a floating body control circuit for applying a floating control voltage to the control bit line in a predetermined period.
US08537629B1
A method of testing bitlines in a non-volatile memory device is introduced. The non-volatile memory device includes a memory cell array and a plurality of bitlines crossing the memory cell array. Each of the bitlines has a first end and a second end. The bitlines are divided into a first group and a second group. The testing method includes applying a supply voltage (for charging) or a ground voltage (for discharging) to a specific group of bitlines. The bitlines are tested in two testing stages, namely an open-circuit bitline test and a short-circuit bitline test, based on the feature that a defective bitline cannot be charged or discharged. The open-circuit bitline test and the short-circuit bitline test are quick and dispense with a lengthy programmed/erasing process.
US08537628B2
A test mode control circuit is provided to strictly allow entry into a test mode or prevent a boot failure from occurring during a boot operation for a built-in parallel bit test. The test mode control circuit includes a latch, a real entry signal detector, an entry determinator, and a mode control signal generator. When a real entry signal is detected, the entry signal determinator generates an entry determination signal and a test mode control signal is obtained from the mode control signal generator.
US08537627B2
Used fusebay storage elements are counted so that storage of data may begin at a first unused storage element. Repair register length and a number of previous passes are stored in a fuse header of a fusebay. When a bit of data is sent to the repair register, a repair register position tracker value is changed by one until it reaches a first value. When the first value is reached, a pass tracker value is changed by one. If the first value is not reached, the steps are repeated. A bit counter and/or a page counter may be included.
US08537624B2
A semiconductor memory device that may perform a second operation during a first operation comprises a command decoder for generating a decoded command signal, a suspend pulse and a resume pulse, and a storage unit for storing the decoded address signal, the decoded command signal and a data signal in response to the suspend pulse and providing the decoded address signal, the decoded command signal and the decoded data signal as a stored address signal, a stored command signal and a stored data signal, respectively, in response to the resume pulse.
US08537609B2
A memory device is provided. The memory device includes a memory array; a first circuit electrically connected to the memory array, and causing the memory array to be operated in a first mode; and a second circuit electrically connected to the memory array, and causing the memory array to be operated in a second mode.
US08537608B2
Disclosed are methods and devices, among which is a device that includes a first semiconductor fin having a first gate, a second semiconductor fin adjacent the first semiconductor fin and having a second gate, and a third gate extending between the first semiconductor fin and the second semiconductor fin. In some embodiments, the third gate may not be electrically connected to the first gate or the second gate.
US08537595B2
A resistance change memory device includes: a cell array having multiple layers of mats laminated thereon, each of the mats having word lines and bit lines intersecting each other as well as resistance change type memory cells arranged at intersections thereof, each of the mats further having therein a reference cell and a reference bit line connected to the reference cell, the reference cell set to a state of a certain resistance value; a selection circuit configured to select a word line in each mat of the cell array, and select a bit line intersecting a selected word line and the reference bit line at the same time; and a sense amplifier configured to sense data by comparing respective cell currents of a selected memory cell on the selected bit line and the reference cell on the reference bit line.
US08537591B2
Methods of operating semiconductor devices that include variable resistance devices, the methods including writing first data to a semiconductor device by applying a reset pulse voltage to the variable resistance device so that the variable resistance device is switched from a first resistance state to a second resistance state, and writing second data to the semiconductor device by applying a set pulse voltage to the variable resistance device so that the variable resistance device is switched from the second resistance state to the first resistance state to the second resistance state. The reset pulse voltage is higher than the set pulse voltage, and a resistance in the second resistance state is greater than in the first resistance state.
US08537589B2
A nonvolatile logic circuit includes logic configuration electrodes and input electrodes. The nonvolatile logic circuit is programmable to any one of the logics between the input signals selected from logical conjunction (AND), logical disjunction (OR), logical non-conjunction (NAND), logical non-disjunction (NOR), and logical exclusive disjunction (XOR) by changing applied voltages to the logic configuration electrodes.
US08537588B2
In one embodiment, the invention is a magnetic shift register memory device. One embodiment of a memory cell includes a magnetic column including a plurality of magnetic domains, a reader coupled to the magnetic column, for reading data from the magnetic domains, a temporary memory for storing data read from the magnetic domains, and a writer coupled to the magnetic column, for writing data in the temporary memory to the magnetic domains.
US08537586B2
A memory arrangement comprises a first memory transistor (11) for non-volatile storage of a first bit, a second memory transistor (17) for non-volatile storage of the first bit in inverted form, and a word line (29) that is connected to a control terminal (12) of the first memory transistor (11) and a control terminal (18) of the second memory transistor (17). The memory arrangement further comprises a read amplifier (23) with a first input (24) that is coupled to the first memory transistor (11) for supplying a first bit line signal (BL1), a second input (25) that is coupled to the second memory transistor (17) for supplying a second bit line signal (BL2), and an output (26) for provision of an output signal (SOUT) as a function of the first bit line signal (BL1) and the second bit line signal (BL2).
