US08645621B2
A method of mapping logical block select signals to physical blocks can include receiving at least one signal for each of n+1 logical blocks, where n is an integer greater than one, that each map to one of m+1 physical blocks, where n
US08645615B2
This can relate to handling a non-volatile memory (“NVM”) operating at a substantially full memory. The non-volatile memory can report its physical capacity to an NVM driver. The NVM driver can scale-up the physical capacity a particular number of times to generate a “scaled physical capacity,” which is then reported to the file system. Because the scaled physical capacity is greater than the NVM's actual physical capacity, the file system allocates a logical space to the NVM that is substantially greater than the NVM's capacity. This can cause less crowding of the logical block addresses within the logical space, thus making it easier for the file system to operate and improving system performance. A commitment budget can also be reported to the file system that corresponds to the NVM's physical capacity, and which can define the amount of data the file system can commit for storage in the NVM.
US08645611B2
Embodiments of the invention describe a DMA Remapping unit (DRU) to receive, from a virtual machine monitor (VMM), a hot-page swap (HPS) request, the HPS request to include a virtual address, in use by at least one virtual machine (VM), mapped to a first memory page location, and a second memory page location. The DRU further blocks DMA requests to addresses of memory being remapped until the HPS request is fulfilled, copies the content of the first memory page location to the second memory page location, and ramps the virtual address from the first memory page location to the second memory page location.
US08645602B2
Disclosed is a microcomputer that can gain bus access irrespective of the magnitude relationship between the frequency of a bus master and the frequency of a bus slave. A CPU operates in accordance a first clock, which has a variable frequency. A timer operates in accordance with a second clock. A frequency conversion logic circuit is coupled to the CPU through a main bus and coupled to the timer through a peripheral I/O bus. When the first clock is higher in frequency than the second clock, the frequency conversion logic circuit generates a bus control signal for the timer by using a first synchronization signal, which indicates the change timing of a bus control signal for the peripheral I/O bus. When the first clock is lower in frequency than the second clock, the frequency conversion logic circuit generates a bus control signal for the CPU by using a second synchronization signal, which indicates the change timing of a bus control signal for the main bus. Therefore, bus access can be gained irrespective of the magnitude relationship between the frequencies of the CPU and timer.
US08645593B2
A signal processor includes a processor that counts the number of input data pieces or a size of each of the input data pieces; a first memory that stores a result of the counting by the processor; and a second memory that records whether the result of the counting exceeds a capacity of the first memory.
US08645592B2
Techniques are disclosed for managing the flow of IO jobs from a client to a hardware device such that resource starvation is reduced without significantly impacting throughput. Each flow can be assigned an amount of time that a hardware device can deplete completing IO jobs from the client. When the allocated amount of time is used IO jobs associated with the client can be stored in a queue until the client obtains more time.
US08645591B2
A programmatic time-gap defect correction apparatus and method corrects errors which may go undetected by a computer system. Buffer underruns or overruns, which may incur errors in data transfers, yet remain undetected and uncorrected in a computer system, are corrected by an error avoidance module in accordance with the invention. Bytes transferred to and from buffers, used by an I/O controllers to temporarily store data while being transferred between synchronous and asynchronous devices, are counted and an error condition is forced based on the count. If the count exceeds the capacity of the buffer, an error condition is forced, thereby reducing chances that errors are incurred into the data transfer.
US08645589B2
A system may include a processing unit executing program instructions (SW), a data acquisition (DAQ) hardware device for acquiring sample data and/or generating control signals, and host memory configured to store data samples and various data associated with the DAQ and processor operations. The DAQ device may push HW status information to host memory upon being triggered by predetermined events taking place in the DAQ device, e.g. timing events or interrupts, to avoid or reduce SW reads to the DAQ device. The DAQ device may update dedicated buffers in host memory with status data on any of these events. The status information pushed to memory may be read in a manner that allows detection of race conditions. Interrupts generated by the DAQ device may be similarly handled. Upon generating an interrupt, the DAQ device may gather information required to handle the interrupt, and push the information into system memory, along with information identifying the interrupt. SW may read system memory for this information, and handle the interrupts as required without having to query the DAQ device.
US08645588B2
The present invention provides embodiments of an apparatus used to implement a pipelined serial ring bus. One embodiment of the apparatus includes one or more ring buses configured to communicatively couple registers associated with logical elements in a processor. The ring bus(s) are configured to concurrently convey information associated with a plurality of load or store operations.
US08645578B2
A method to provide transfer of data without the use of a network from an application program to an embedded device. A routing service establishes a communication channel without the use of a local area network. The routing service then manages the control of this communication channel for the transfer of data and closes the channel in an appropriate period.
US08645575B1
An instant message associated with a conference call is received. At least some of the contents of the instant message are converted into speech, which may be represented as an audio stream. The speech is then provided to at least one participant associated with the conference call. The speech provided to the at least one participant may further include additional speech in addition to the speech corresponding to the contents of the instant message. The additional speech could, among other things, identify a participant who sent the instant message.
US08645567B2
A network controller in a communication device may be operable to provide pass-through communication of local host-management traffic between a local host and a management controller within the communication device, wherein the local host may be operable to utilize its network processing resources during communication of the local host-management traffic. The network controller may use packet filtering to provide the pass-through communication, wherein the network controller may utilize a plurality filtering rules during filtering of packets received in the network controller. The filtering rules may specify packet processing and/or forwarding actions by said network controller based on one or more specified conditions. The specified conditions may based on one or more match criteria; wherein the match criteria comprising source address, destination address, and/or traffic type data in the received packets. Address learning mechanisms may be used in the network controller to enable configuring and/or performing packet filtering transparently.
US08645565B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for throttling traffic to an IP network server using alias hostname identifiers assigned to the IP network server with a domain name system are disclosed. One method includes maintaining a plurality of weight values and corresponding alias hostname identifiers for the IP network server that are associated with the IP network server in a DNS system. The method further includes throttling network traffic sent to an IP network server by sending, from the IP network server, messages to nodes that send the traffic to the IP network server, where the messages selectively enable or disable traffic flow to the individual alias hostnames.
US08645557B2
The system of interconnections (20) for external functional blocks on a chip provided with a single configurable communication protocol, comprises two physically separate communication networks (21, 22): a request network (21) for transmitting request messages from an initiating block (23, 24, 25, 26) to a recipient block (27, 28, 29, 30, 31) and a response network (22) for transmitting response messages from a recipient block (27, 28, 29, 30, 31) to an initiating block (23, 25, 26). The response messages include additional information making said request (21) and response (22) networks able to respectively manage the request messages and the response messages independently.
US08645555B2
A resource monitoring method may include receiving a request to perform a read operation on an object at a first monitoring node of a plurality of monitoring nodes, and determining whether or not a copy of the object is present in a namespace associated with the first monitoring node. The namespace may include an overlay namespace and a local namespace. The local namespace may identify objects being monitored by the first monitoring node. The overlay namespace may include local viewpoints for other monitoring nodes of the plurality of monitoring nodes. Each local viewpoint may identify one or more objects that are monitored by a respective other monitoring node. The method may further include performing, by the first monitoring node, the read operation on the object if the copy of the object is determined as present in the namespace associated with the first monitoring node.
US08645549B2
The present invention has an object to provide a server apparatus capable of accessing a terminal apparatus connected via an IP network to a router from an externally provided terminal apparatus in a simple and firm manner without previously performing complex setting operation.A server apparatus of the present invention is comprised of: a connection information transmitting unit, when specific information of a second terminal apparatus connected via a router to an IP (Internet Protocol) network is received from a first terminal apparatus connected via the IP network to the connection information transmitting unit, which transmits connection information to the first terminal apparatus, the connection information being employed so as to access the second terminal apparatus from the first terminal apparatus; and a relay unit, when the relay unit is accessed from the first terminal apparatus by employing the connection information transmitted by the connection information transmitting unit, which relays the first terminal apparatus to the second terminal apparatus having the specific information.
US08645545B2
A system and computer program product for balancing the loads of servers in a server farm. A vector, referred to herein as the “DesiredVector,” is computed to hold the load factors for each of the servers. Upon receipt of a client request, a vector, referred to herein as the “ActiveConnections,” is modified for each scenario where the new client request is considered to be serviced by a different server. The ActiveConnections vector holds the current number of client requests being serviced by each of the servers. Angles made by each of the different ActiveConnections vectors with the DesiredVector are computed. Upon identifying the ActiveConnections vector that produces the smallest angle with the DesiredVector, the client request is directed to the server which corresponds to the identified ActiveConnections vector. In this manner, the best possible distribution of requests among the servers is made for every client connection.
US08645540B2
Provided is a method for the deployment of resources in a utility services environment, in which various resources are allocated and deallocated according to a calculated need for those resources. Provides is a “weighted” period of time, or “window,” corresponding to requests for a particular resource. A configuration file stores information on each resource in the utility services environment and a weighted period of time value corresponding to each resource. A list of provisioning/deprovisioning, or “resource.” actions corresponding to each resource is maintained. Provisioning/deprovisioning actions are correlated with times of execution. When a request for a provisioning/deprovisioning action is received, the list of actions and the configuration file are examined to determine whether or not the requested action has been executed with respect to the particular action within the weighted period of time. If so, the request is discarded without any action taken. If not, the action is executed.
US08645538B2
A surveillance system for monitoring outbreak of a contagious disease is disclosed. The system comprises a handheld computing and communication device with a short range ad hoc networking device. Handheld devices carried by persons in contacting with the device carried by a user form an ad hoc communication network at a location. Identities of all devices in the ad hoc network are broadcasted through the network. The user's device receives the identities and stores the received data in a log file. The log file may be sent to a central station after the device receives an authorized signal during an outbreak event of the contagious disease. The device may further include a body temperature automatic measuring system. The user's body temperature trend file may be sent together with the log file.
US08645535B1
Methods and systems for detecting profile changes based on device behavior. One example method includes assigning a network configuration to a device associated with a network, applying a mobile device management (MDM) profile to the device, the MDM profile including settings configuring the device according to the network configuration, monitoring network activity of the device to detect one or more actions by the device that are prohibited by the network configuration, determining that the MDM profile has been altered based at least in part on the detection of one or more actions prohibited by the network configuration, and performing a remediation action associated with the device based on the determination that the MDM profile has been altered.
US08645522B2
A service registration system includes a server that provides a service through a network, a peripheral device capable of communicating with the server and using the service, and a terminal device capable of communicating with the server and the peripheral device. When the terminal device receives the registration requesting information representing information related to registration necessary for using the service from a user, the terminal device transmits registration requesting information to the server. When the server receives the registration requesting information from the terminal device, the server transmits service information necessary for using the service. Further, the terminal device can transmit the service information to the peripheral device when it receives the service information from the server. Further, when the peripheral device receives the service information from the terminal device, the peripheral device stores the received service information and operates in a mode where the service is usable.
US08645498B2
A method of transaction processing in a system comprising a plurality of distributed nodes, the method comprising the steps of receiving a message at a first node, the message defining an operation to be performed on data associated with an entity, queuing the message for processing by a message handler running on the node, permitting the message handler to process the message, in the event that no other message handler is operating on the data and forwarding the message to a second node for subsequent processing.
US08645496B2
Systems and methods for backing up data of a client. In a system that includes clients in communication with a server, the data of the client is backed up by first enumerating writers that are active on a client. Metadata from the active writers is received and identifies data to be backed up. A snapshot of the client is taken and the client data identified in the metadata received from the writers is backed up from the snapshot.
US08645483B2
A system may include generation of a markup language representation of a business document based on a business object model, and generation of a first multi-part MIME electronic mail message comprising a first part and a second part, the first part associated with a text content-type and the second part associated with an attachment content-disposition, and the second part comprising the markup language representation of the business document. The first electronic mail message may be transmitted to a business application platform associated with the business document and implementing the business object model.
US08645476B2
Method and apparatus for command synchronization is described. In some embodiments, a remote system system may set up a user interactive session with a local device according to a user interaction protocol. The remote system may insert a predetermined execution time into a first command and send the first command to a local device according to the user interaction protocol. The first command, when executed on the local device, causes a second command compliant with the user interaction protocol to execute on the local device at the predetermined execution time.
US08645465B2
A method, system, and architecture for providing a conference system that effectively achieves high availability conferencing is provided. The conference system architecture provides a conference system that comprises a set of stateless conference servers and a shared conference store to provide highly available conferencing to its users. The conference servers serve (host) conferences (meetings) that allow users to conduct distributed conferences. Each conference server generally performs conference provisioning operations and conference control operations. The shared conference store provides for the storage of conference state information, thus allowing the conference servers in the conference server pool to be stateless by maintaining conference state information on the shared conference store. A stateless conference server may also locally maintain, for example, in cache memory, some of the conference state information that is maintained on the shared conference store.
US08645464B2
Status information associated with at least one application associated with a meeting invitee is detected. An estimated arrival time of the meeting invitee to a meeting is determined based upon, at least in part, the status information. The estimated arrival time is provided to at least another invitee of the meeting.
US08645459B2
A system for provisioning services may include a device that may receive a service order that identifies a service to be provisioned. The device may obtain, using the service order, a specification for the service. The device may further identify, based on the specification, a service processing system to invoke for provisioning the service, and invoke the service processing system by sending the service order and the specification to the identified service processing system.
US08645457B2
Systems and methods are described that may be used for the creation of user defined objects arising from the implicit interaction of a user with a network resource. The objects are made generally available within the network. A network resource in communication with a network maintains content accessible by a plurality of users of the network. An agent provided to a user device identifies an implicit interaction with a portion of the content and transmits information associated with the implicit interaction to another computing system communicatively connected to the network. The information includes a URL identifying the network resource and the portion of the content and is provided in a user-defined object on the network. Frequency of occurrence of a URL in a plurality of the objects can be used to determine relevance of a network resource and its content.
US08645445B2
The invention may provide a method and filter block for compensating droop in a frequency response of a signal. The filter block may include a decimator, which decimates a high frequency input signal to a set frequency output signal. The set frequency can be, for example, the Nyquist frequency for the input signal. Further, the filter block may include a droop compensator that compensates the droop in the frequency response of the output signal from the decimator. The droop compensator may be made using recursive filters, as opposed to large tap FIR filters, which may result in less memory consumption and decreased power consumption.
US08645438B2
A file system and method of file access are disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a method is performed at a host device coupled to a non-volatile memory, where the host device includes a memory having a first file data structure. A first directory entry in a file directory of a file system is located where the first directory entry corresponds to a first file stored in the non-volatile memory. First data associated with the first directory entry, including first location data indicating a location of the first file in the non-volatile memory, is retrieved and stored in the first file data structure. A request to open the first file is received. In response, the first location data of the first file is retrieved from the first file data structure and data of the first file from the non-volatile memory is read. First metadata associated with the first file is extracted from the data read from the non-volatile memory.
US08645425B1
A method, computer program and database system are disclosed for guiding the development of workload group definition (WD) classifications for a database system having resources. WD classification information is provided where a workload group is a set of system requests having characteristics defined by a WD and a WD classification identifies one or more WDs with similar performance requirements. If WD classification is not acceptable, one or more of the following functions is performed until WD classification is acceptable: (a) splitting one or more WDs; and (b) merging two or more WDs.
US08645420B2
A hierarchical framework for a library of software process management methodologies includes at a first level of hierarchy, a collection of activities that describe the process, wherein each activity requires the use of a unique skill set domain. At a second level of hierarchy, the framework includes a collection of tasks that describe the activity. At a third level of hierarchy, the framework includes a collection of steps that describe the task. For each methodology, a portion of the activities are categorized across a set of taxonomies common to a plurality of methodologies contained in the library such that the portion of activities is reusable for the plurality of methodologies.
US08645412B2
Described herein are approaches for computing correlated aggregates. An aspect provides for receiving a stream of data elements at a device, each data element having at least one numerical attribute; maintaining in memory plurality of tree structures comprising a plurality of separate nodes for summarizing numerical attributes of the data elements with respect to a predicate value of a correlated aggregation query, said maintaining comprising: creating the plurality of tree structures in which each node implements one of: a probabilistic counter and a sketch, wherein said probabilistic counter and said sketch each act to estimate aggregated data element numerical attributes to form a summary of said numerical attributes; and responsive to a correlated aggregation query specifying said predicate value, using said plurality of tree structures as a summary of said data element numerical attributes to compute a response to said correlated aggregate query.
US08645411B1
A method including receiving a website text item of the website, where the website text item is categorized by a text category and a website element category, identifying, multiple text items of multiple websites relating to multiple businesses in an industry, searching the multiple text items using the website element category to identify multiple comparable text items, parsing the website text item to generate multiple keywords, searching the multiple comparable text items using the multiple keywords to identify a comparable text item, where the comparable text item includes a conversion rate corresponding to a percentage of transactions completed by multiple website visitors accessing the comparable text item, identifying, a modified conversion text item from the multiple comparable text items, where the modified conversion text item has a modified conversion rate that exceeds the conversion rate, generating, a conversion improved website including the modified conversion text item.
US08645406B2
A fallback query mechanism that serves as a way to recover from query conditions (or criteria) that break due to excessively large result sets relative to a preset threshold. The fallback query mechanism detects when a query has failed to execute because the query requested more items from the database (or list) than allowed by the threshold, rewrites the query to examine no more than the threshold number of most recently created items that match one of the indexed filter criteria specified in a view, and then applies one or more of the other filter criteria. The mechanism then reruns the query and displays the results to the user.
US08645405B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer products, for generating a natural language expression in response to a query. A computer-implemented method of generating a natural language expression in response to a query, includes generating a text frame from the query, and processing the text frame in conjunction with a grammar and one or more logic configuration files applied recursively to the text frame to generate the natural language expression from the query, the logic configuration files including functions that can pass arguments.
US08645399B2
Dynamic blocking determines which pairs of records in a data set should be examined as potential duplicates. Records are grouped together into blocks by shared properties that are indicators of duplication. Blocks that are too large to be efficiently processed are further subdivided by other properties chosen in a data-driven way. We demonstrate the viability of this algorithm for large data sets. We have scaled this system up to work on billions of records on an 80 node Hadoop cluster.
US08645398B2
A method includes receiving popularity measure values for a media asset. The popularity measure values provide a measure of a popularity of the media asset provided in digital content and physical content. Popularity measure value weights for the popularity measure values are identified. A digital ranking score for the media asset in digital content is determined based on the popularity measure values and corresponding popularity measure value weights for the digital content. A physical ranking score is determined for the media asset in physical content based on the popularity measure values and corresponding popularity measure value weights for the physical content. A digital ranking weight and a physical ranking weight are identified for the media asset. The method also includes determining a cross-platform ranking score of the media asset based on the physical ranking score, the physical ranking weight, the digital ranking score, and the digital ranking weight.
US08645397B1
A method and apparatus for propagating updates in databases are disclosed. For example, the present method uses “blocking” and/or “thresholding” to delay update propagation and/or to limit the propagation of updates to an optimal stage. For example, the present method receives at least one database update and extracts at least one token from the at least one database update. The method then determines whether a threshold for propagating the at least one database update for the at least one token is reached. The method then propagates the at least one database update for updating an index structure of a database pertaining to the at least one token whose threshold has been reached.
US08645396B2
Methods, computer program products and systems are described for online-content management. Online content from multiple contributors is received at one or more first computers for public online display. An authentication score is determined for a contributor of the multiple contributors. The contributor's name and a representation of the contributor's authentication score is published online for display on one or more second computers in association with the online content received from the contributor.
US08645390B1
A method of processing a search query includes, for each search context of a plurality of search contexts, for each scoring primitive of a plurality of scoring primitives, and for a set of previously executed search queries that are consistent with the search context, determining a correlation between the scoring primitive and actual user selections of results of the previously executed search queries by a plurality of users. For each search context, machine learning is performed on the correlations to identify a predicted performance function comprising a weighted subset of the scoring primitives that meet predefined predictive quality criteria. Executing a user submitted search query includes associating the user submitted search query with a respective search context, and ordering at least a portion of the search results in accordance with the predicted performance function for the search context for the user submitted search query.
US08645388B1
A method for processing a query includes providing an inverted multi-path index for storing path-value pairs. Each path-value pair references at least one structured document stored in a database system, and comprises an index path expression of an indexed element and an indexed value associated with the indexed element. The method includes receiving a clause including a path expression-value pair comprising a path expression associated with an element, determining that the clause can be processed by the inverted multi-path index, processing the clause to identify a path-value pair in the inverted multi-path index matching the path expression-value pair of the clause, and identifying the structured document referenced by the matching path-value pair.
US08645386B2
Systems and methods are provided for providing data from a plurality of databases stored on a plurality of disparate servers. A query is received for data from a plurality of databases stored on a plurality of disparate servers. An address for a first server is resolved that stores a first database identified by the catalog field in the query using a logical name-to-connection metadata map. A first sub-query is transmitted to the first server based on the received query, and a first sub-query response is received from the first server. The resolving, transmitting, and receiving are repeated for a second server. The first sub-query response and the second sub-query response are combined to generate a query response according to the received query, and the query response is transmitted.
US08645382B2
A converter for converting an application program that is executed for every job request into a batch processing program for collectively processing a plurality of job requests. The converter includes: a code identifier for identifying a portion of the application program that includes a service request to another server, and a portion that does not include a service request; an integration unit for converting the service request into a collective service request that collectively issues a plurality of service requests corresponding to the plurality of job requests; a multiplexing unit for converting the processing code in the application program into a multiplexed code for executing multiple processings corresponding to the plurality of job requests; and an output unit for outputting, as the batch processing program, the application program that the integration unit and the multiplexing unit have processed.
US08645359B2
In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method uses one or more search references to identify media items that correspond with the one or more search references and one or more individuals associated with each media item. The method of one embodiment provides a searching and identification service that uses one or more images as one or more search key inputs to identify relevant images of a media collection, including associating information of any depicted individuals with search key inputs. In one embodiment, a computing system operates to provide an association, reporting, and/or display service as part of managing an asset by using one or more search references to search through an image collection as part of determining how a product or service is being used by characterizing an association between each individual associated with the image and the one or more search references.
US08645357B2
Techniques implementable in an enterprise application or application suite for managing the organizational structure of an enterprise. In one set of embodiments, a single, unified hierarchy can be defined for the organizational structure of an enterprise. The unified hierarchy can include high-level nodes that correspond to entities common to different manifestations of the organizational structure (e.g., reporting structure, cost structure, etc.). The unified hierarchy can also include lower-level nodes that are unique to a particular manifestation. By defining a single, unified hierarchy in this manner, organizational changes in the enterprise can be modeled in the application/application suite by simply updating the unified hierarchy (rather than updating multiple hierarchies). In addition, the unified hierarchy can be used to facilitate security provisioning and reporting.
US08645347B2
A method, system, and apparatus for improving performance when retrieving data from one or more storage media. Files to be stored on the one or more storage media are classified into a ranking of different sets. Differences in retrieval value of different regions of the one or more storage media are exploited by selecting which files to store in which regions. For example, files that have a higher classification are stored in regions with faster retrieval values. The files can be classified based on frequency of access. Thus, files that are more frequently accessed are stored in regions that have a faster retrieval value. The files can be classified by another measure such as priority. For example, the classification for some or all of the files can be based on user-assigned priority. The classification may be based on events or data grouping.
US08645346B2
A system and method for facilitating querying one or more data sources. A system provides mechanisms to enable flexible specification of user queries and generation of one or more SQL queries that correspond closely to corresponding user queries. An operator tree and a logical operator tree may be created as intermediate steps to generate the one or more SQL queries. Capabilities of data sources are determined and used to generate remotable SQL queries for composable queries, to reduce an amount of post-processing that is performed on result sets. The system enables user queries that extend beyond those defined by a data model.
US08645340B2
A system and method for updating, monitoring, and controlling applications on a workstation. The workstation includes a workstation management module configured to detect the launch or request to access a network by an application. A workstation application server receives data associated with the application from the workstation. The application server module can determine one or more policies or categories to associate with the application by referencing an application inventory database. Once the application server module has the category or policy, it forwards a hash/policy table to the workstation management module. Upon receipt of the hash/policy table, the workstation management module applies the policy that is associated with the application to control network access by the application.
US08645337B2
A database server stores compressed units in data blocks of a database. A table (or data from a plurality of rows thereof) is first compressed into a “compression unit” using any of a wide variety of compression techniques. The compression unit is then stored in one or more data block rows across one or more data blocks. As a result, a single data block row may comprise compressed data for a plurality of table rows, as encoded within the compression unit. Storage of compression units in data blocks maintains compatibility with existing data block-based databases, thus allowing the use of compression units in preexisting databases without modification to the underlying format of the database. The compression units may, for example, co-exist with uncompressed tables. Various techniques allow a database server to optimize access to data in the compression unit, so that the compression is virtually transparent to the user.
US08645336B2
A digital interactive phrasing (DIP) system allows listeners to select and edit digitally prepared elements, such as audio or video clips, in any arrangement to create a custom mix. The elements may be reused to make new, different arrangements, as desired by the listener. The system allows the selection, assembly and playback of created sequences of elements, such as songs, verses, dialogs and video elements.
US08645332B1
A method for refining data discrepancies in data loads from multiple data stores includes receiving a data set containing data records from one or more data sources, comparing the received data set with a prior data set to identify delta records among corresponding records of the received and the prior data sets, recalculating a best record for data located in each of the corresponding delta records, and if a discrepancy exists in a data value for corresponding delta records, executing a refinement action rule. The refinement action rule includes at least one replace statement and search criteria. The method also includes capturing a user's interaction with a user interface presenting the data set, and storing the interaction in a data store as a refinement action rule. A system for implementing the method and a computer readable medium are also described.
US08645329B2
A change management model-based approach can be used for managing information, such as rows of data, presenting merged information from a pending and/or production datastore with rule-based redirection to an appropriate pending and/or production datastore. Such a model can support versioning, leveraging the pending data storage; can provide for direct or merged views of the appropriate datastore; and can provide a model logic for production data updates, version updates, and/or for change context updates. A unified presentation and update model for change management can merge pending data over the production information based on the context, and allow updates on top of production/date effective versioned information. Based on various rules, the data can be pushed to production or to a change order in the context of either datastore or to a fresh change order itself.
US08645327B2
Methods, systems and apparatus for a distributed data environment can allow data to be seamlessly accessed from remote computing devices. For a given user having multiple computing devices, a personal distributed data bank can be formed from data storage capacities resident at the multiple computing device. The given user can access data on any of the multiple computing devices without knowing on which of the multiple computing devices the data resides. In one embodiment, an index for the user's data within the personal distributed data bank can be provided to facilitate searching, browsing and accessing of user data by the given user.
US08645313B1
A system and method for indexing non-uniquely indexed entries in a report generated with a business intelligence system, such as, for example, an on-line analytical processing (OLAP) system. A dummy index is added to each index element returned in the report. Non-unique index elements receive different dummy indices to distinguish otherwise identical row elements. The dummy index is added to a base template and optionally also to a view template of a report generator of the OLAP system.
US08645306B2
A method to track stability and performance of diagnostic instrumentation, especially for veterinary automated hematology analyzers, applies a weighted moving averages algorithm to the diagnostic results of patient samples calculated by the analyzer. Control chart rules are used to set limits or ranges in order to determine if weighted averaged diagnostic results are within or outside of such limits or ranges. If the weighted average diagnostic results are outside of such control chart rule limits, then fuzzy logic and a gradient descent algorithm are applied to the weighted averaged diagnostic results.
US08645296B2
Some embodiments of knowledgebase partitioning for implementing parallelization in a rule engine have been presented. In one embodiment, a compiler divides a knowledgebase into a set of virtual partitions. The knowledgebase includes a network constructed according to rules added to the knowledgebase. A rule engine may execute the virtual partitions of the partitioned knowledgebase in parallel using threads obtained from a pool of threads.
US08645294B1
Described is a method for image registration utilizing particle swarm optimization (PSO). In order to register two images, a set of image windows is first selected from a test image and transformed. A plurality of software agents is configured to operate as a cooperative swarm to optimize an objective function, and an objective function is then evaluated at the location of each agent. The objective function represents a measure of the difference or registration quality between at least one transformed image window and a reference image. The position vectors representing the current individual best solution found and the current global best solution found by all agents are then updated according to PSO dynamics. Finally, the current global best solution is compared with a maximum pixel value which signifies a match between an image window and the reference image. A system and a computer program product are also described.
US08645285B2
A method for analyzing electrical generation data includes receiving data associated with a generating device at a metered location and storing the data associated with the generating device in a database, receiving data associated with time periods that the generating device is used at the metered location and storing the data in the database, associating the received data associated with a generating device with the data associated with time periods that the generating device is used at the metered location, processing the received data associated with a generating device with the data associated and the time periods that the generating device is used at the metered location to identify time periods that the generating device outputs electrical power to an electrical grid, and identifying a preferred time period that the generating device may be used to output power to the grid.
US08645284B2
Methods, systems and articles of manufacture for computerized employment recruiting are provided. The system accesses a candidate database of candidate data for a plurality of candidates and a job posting database. The system compares the qualifications of the candidates to the job criteria for the job postings and determines a match between the qualifications and the job criteria. The system also identifies a inferred links between the candidates and the employer for the job postings to provide an added reliability factor to the referred candidates. The system ranks the matched candidates based, at least in part, using the inferred links and provides the ranked candidates to the employer. The system may use ontology based, and semantic matching based, algorithms for matching candidates to job postings, and also for identifying inferred links between candidates and employers.
US08645278B2
Online sale of software product use licenses through a data network by offering software products (SOFT) through vendor sites, purchasing a license on-line on one of said vendor sites, and activating said license on-line by a different licensing site. A specific component (COMP) is provided with the software product (SOFT) and identifying data (IDV) of the vendor site are transmitted during the download of the software product (SOFT). When the component (COMP) is executed in an equipment, the component (COMP) locally accesses said data (IDV) and identifying data (IDL) of the licensing site and activates the license by setting up an on-line communication with the licensing site.
US08645269B2
The present invention relates to electronic trading of securities. In some embodiments, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for optimizing the distribution of trading executions in an investor's accounts. Pursuant to some embodiments, as integer allocation algorithm is provided.
US08645263B1
Methods and systems for risk prioritization allow a user or organization to prioritize various risk items using a knowledge base. The knowledge base may be continually updated and/or improved based on newly available historical data (e.g., cost of mitigation, actual effects), new forecasts or predicative analyses (e.g., costs for mitigation), expert community consensus and/or new priority information. As new information is updated in the knowledge base, new and existing risk items may be evaluated and/or re-evaluated to determine a risk priority. Risk priority may be determined based on a remediation cost score as well as a risk score. The prioritization system may further develop recommendations for prioritizing and mitigating a risk item.
US08645262B1
A system and method provides security information by allowing the user to choose from among tools that will be displayed to the user, some of which may be displayed in a manner that replaces a display of a different tool when the user selects it. Some tools such as a series of small charts displayed on the user's computer screen will display information regarding multiple securities, while multiple other tools display information about a single security selected by the user, for example, by the user clicking on the small chart corresponding to that security.
US08645259B1
Current market price, limit price, and short term volatility define the probability that the market price will reach the desired limit price and that the order will be executed. A computer implemented method estimates the probability of executing the limit price order and provides output to the investor to assist in setting the limit price in an informed way. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a computer implemented system provides the investor with prices predicted to be executable at a set of given probabilities of execution. In one embodiment, the output to the investor includes a set of limit order execution probabilities, such as 80%, 90%, 95%, or similar, and corresponding limit order set prices. In another embodiment, an investor sets the execution probability, such as 95%, which is provided as input into the system. The output to the investor includes the calculated limit price corresponding to the set execution probability.
US08645258B2
A credit derivative trading system comprises a credit derivative authority configured to receive defined positions for credit derivatives and update a plurality of trade clients in real-time whenever there is movement in the market for a particular credit derivative.
US08645256B1
Computer-based systems, software, and computer-implemented methods for creating an index of securities based upon various data transformations of risk factor metrics regarding entities or securities associated with the entities and weighting each index member in proportion to its combined transformed weighting value.
US08645255B2
In at least one embodiment computerized methods and corresponding systems for providing guaranteed income payments to an investor are provided that include the step or steps of: receiving information from the investor representing at least a current age of the investor, a desired income start date, a desired income payment amount, and a premium payment amount; receiving a premium payment from the investor and placing the premium payment into a first investment sleeve; and automatically transferring using at least one computing device, during a waiting period and according to a predefined event, a portion of the premium payment from the first investment sleeve to a second investment sleeve, wherein the portion of the premium payment transferred calculated by the at least one computing device as a function of a time remaining in the waiting period and the desired income amount.
US08645254B2
An investment fund maximizes an investor's risk-adjusted expected return on an investment while also providing the investor with a defined minimum level income upon the maturity of the investment. The investment fund comprises a risk-free portfolio and an upside portfolio. The risk-free portfolio holds risk-free assets that provide a defined minimum income stream upon a predefined maturity date, and the upside portfolio holds sophisticated assets that are only available to qualified investors that meet one or more investing criteria. As new contributions are added to the fund, they are allocated between the risk-free and upside portfolios so that the fund will provide a minimum defined income stream upon its maturity date, where this minimum income amount may increase as more value is added to the fund. Upon maturity, the investor receives the income stream from the risk-free portfolio and the assets from the upside portfolio.
US08645249B2
Systems, methods and computer program products are provided for modeling future benefits. According to the method, modeling future benefits begins by defining a growth rate for the good for each time segment of a period of time, where the period of time includes a plurality of time segments. An uncertainty for the good is then determined for each time segment. Next, a benefit distribution is determined for each time segment based upon the growth rate and uncertainty for the respective time segment. Finally, a benefit value is selected for each time segment by randomly selecting each benefit value based upon a respective benefit distribution to thereby model future benefits over the period of time.
US08645247B2
The disclosure provides an investment structure and corresponding arrangement which involves methods and systems whereby the asset manager directly or indirectly makes a seed investment in the new fund and hedges its risk, while obtaining financing on its investment. Additionally, in another embodiment, the financial institution or asset manager may actually make an investment into the fund and hedge itself by trading with the fund. The financial institution would require little collateral as the methods and systems of the disclosure are designed to recognize offsetting positions and early detect any hedging mismatches.
US08645245B2
Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for optimizing amounts collected in an offset action where a creditor attaches funds from a debtor's deposits account to satisfy overdue debt payments. In operation, embodiments of the present invention leverage a deposits account's transaction history to detect a deposit pattern for the account and, based on the detected pattern, predict the date of the next large deposit to the attachable account. An offset associate, using the present invention, can then schedule the offset action to occur on the expected date of the next large deposit.
US08645226B1
In general, the subject matter described in this disclosure can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products. A server system receives a request to purchase a product from a first computing device. The first computing device is one of multiple computing devices assigned to a user account. The server system requests to charge an account associated with a user of the first computing device for a price. The server system receives an indication that the account has been charged. The server system sends for receipt by each of the computing devices a notification that a purchasing event has occurred. The server system receives, as sent by each of at least a subset of the multiple computing devices, a request for details. The server system sends, for receipt by each of the at least subset of the multiple computing devices, an indication that the product has been purchased.
US08645218B2
A request is received from a first consumer to sell at least one ticket, in which a provider of the ticket may have authorized the ticket to be sold. Information regarding the ticket may then be presented to at least a second consumer, who may make an indication to purchase the ticket. Thereafter, the first and second consumers each may be charged a fee in connection with a sale of the ticket to the second consumer.
US08645214B2
An electronic system and process for facilitating a financial transaction comprising a drop safe and a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, disposed at a retailer location, in communication with one another in which the POS terminal receives, from a user, a request to commence a drop request and, in response, instructs the drop safe to commence a drop request, whereupon after acceptance of the drop request the drop safe accepts, via a currency acceptor, currency that is identified and authenticated, and upon completion of the drop, the drop safe ascertains the total amount of accepted currency and transmits the ascertained amount to the POS terminal which then completes the transaction. The drop request may occur during a transaction with a customer for the purchase of goods or services or at other times. Other features are disclosed.
US08645209B2
A system and method of delivering an advertisement to a target market, may comprise with at least one computing device, collecting data relating to consumer information gathering (accessing activity); analyzing the data relating to consumer information gathering, to determine a consumer interest trend; utilizing the consumer interest trend to define a target advertising market; and utilizing at least one communications channel delivering a selected advertisement related to the target advertising market to user devices within the target advertising market.
US08645200B2
A method and system for using individualized customer models when operating a retail establishment is provided. The individualized customer models may be generated using statistical analysis of transaction data for the customer, thereby generating sub-models and attributes tailored to customer. The individualized customer models may be used in any aspect of a retail establishment's operations, ranging from supply chain management issues, inventory control, promotion planning (such as selecting parameters for a promotion or simulating results of a promotion), to customer interaction (such as providing a shopping list or providing individualized promotions).
US08645197B1
The invention provides a method of facilitating contact between a consumer and a requesting entity, with the method comprising the following steps. During an interaction with the consumer, the method of the invention obtains contact information and index information from the consumer. The method then evaluates whether the consumer meets a selection criterion specified by the requesting entity using the indexing information. A data store entry associated with the consumer can be updated with the contact information. The contact information is then referred to the requesting entity thereby providing the requesting entity with up-to-date contact information.
US08645196B2
A remotely actuatable vehicle security system for a parking garage. In some embodiments, the vehicle security system includes a structure forming an enclosure between a ceiling and a floor of the parking garage and an electronic actuation system. The structure has a closeable opening through which a vehicle enters and leaves the enclosure. The electronic actuation system is configured to actuate a drive mechanism to close the opening or to expose the opening upon receipt of a remotely generated signal.
US08645194B1
A method of prioritizing processes of an organization includes determining a plurality of processes capable of being performed by the organization, determining a plurality of goals or challenges associated with the organization, and generating a process impact matrix indicating respective impact levels for each process. Each respective impact level is indicative of an impact of each process on each of the plurality of goals or challenges. The method further includes converting each respective impact level to an impact score, determining, for each of the plurality of processes, a relative impact score based on the respective impact levels, and prioritizing each process based on the relative impact scores.
US08645180B1
A compliance management system is disclosed, including an analysis engine to analyze received compliance requirements. Stakeholders and relevant surveys are identified using results of the analysis. An assessment engine initiates and manages a process to assess the received compliance requirements. Results of the assessment are used to determine changes to existing policies and procedures. A workflow engine initiates and manages workflows to effect changes the policies and procedures.
US08645177B2
The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that includes generating a first graph including possible flight segments between airline stations for an airline and determining a set of permissible crew pairings based on a traversal of the first graph. The method also includes generating a second graph comprising the determined set of permissible crew pairings and determining a set of permissible aircraft routings based on a traversal of the second graph. The method includes generating a set of optimized aircraft routings using an integer-programming algorithm that accepts the determined set of permissible aircraft routings as input, and outputting the set of optimized aircraft routings for use in a flight schedule.
US08645169B1
A graphical representation is provided that displays a user's insurance coverage. Via the graphical representation, the user may request information about various aspects of the coverage and/or may request to chat or speak with a representative that specializes in a particular coverage area. The graphical representation may show how the user's insurance coverage compares to population groups and medians. A user may adjust the coverage on the graphical representation and be provided with a revised premium amount. The user may select this coverage to be implemented and the user's policy may be appropriately revised.
US08645163B1
Systems, methods and media for determining information regarding drugs are provided herein. A healthcare plan identifier and a brand name drug identifier are received by a processor. Healthcare plan data and a formulary table associated with the healthcare plan data are obtained from one or more databases, based on the healthcare plan identifier. A drug tier associated with the brand name drug identifier is determined, based on the formulary table associated with the healthcare plan data, the healthcare plan data, and the brand name drug identifier. One or more costs associated with the brand name drug identifier is determined, based on the drug tier. Information regarding drugs is transmitted to display on a display.
US08645160B2
Novel methods for delivering a drug to hospital patients for short-term in-hospital use while minimizing long-term use of the drug. Embodiments are provided in which hospitals are identified which may be eligible to treat patients, for example, perform certain types of surgery, and which have measures in place to limit use of the drug to short-term use. The identified hospitals are preferably registered in a storage medium, including computer readable storage media, and may be authorized to receive the shipments of the drug. The received drug may then be dispensed to the patient.
US08645149B2
A method and system for functionally testing units under test, such as electronic controller boards for a spa system.
US08645145B2
An audio decoder includes an arithmetic decoder for providing a plurality of decoded spectral values on the basis of an arithmetically encoded representation of the spectral values, and a frequency-domain-to-time-domain converter for providing a time-domain audio representation using the decoded spectral values. The arithmetic decoder selects a mapping rule describing a mapping of a code value onto a symbol code in dependence on a context state described by a numeric current context value. The arithmetic decoder determines the numeric current context value in dependence on a plurality of previously decoded spectral values. The arithmetic decoder evaluates a hash table, entries of which define both significant state values and boundaries of intervals of numeric context values, in order to select the mapping rule. A mapping rule index value is individually associated to a numeric context value being a significant state value.
US08645143B2
Embodiments of the present invention improve content selection systems and methods using speech recognition. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a speech recognition method comprising receiving location parameters from a global positioning system, retrieving location data using the location parameters, and configuring one or more recognition sets of a speech recognizer using the location data.
US08645128B1
A first-pitch metric function based on a first audio sample and a second pitch-metric function based on a second audio sample may be determined. The first and second pitch-metric functions may have either local minima or local maxima that correspond to candidate pitch values of the first and the second audio samples, respectively. The first and the second pitch-metric functions may be transformed to generate a first and a second transformed pitch-metric function, respectively. A correlation function based on a correlation between the first and the second transformed pitch-metric function may also be determined. A lower-dimensionality representation of the correlation function may further be determined. The lower-dimensionality representation may convey information indicative of pitch dynamics between the first and second audio sample. A computing device having a processor and a memory may perform an action based on the information indicative of the pitch dynamics.
US08645121B2
The present translation system translates visual input and/or audio input from one language into another language. Some implementations incorporate a context-based translation that uses information obtained from visual input or audio input to aid in the translation of the other input. Other implementations combine the visual and audio translation. The translation system includes visual components and/or audio components. The visual components analyze visual input to identify a textual element and translate the textual element into a translated textual element. The visual image represents a captured image of a target scene. The visual components may further substitute the translated textual element for the textual element in the captured image. The audio components convert audio input into translated audio.
US08645118B2
An emulator is disclosed that allows for diagnoses of failures or defects within the emulator. A map of faulty resources is generated to identify which resources should be avoided during compilation. Thus, in a transparent and automated manner, defects found during diagnostics are stored in a database of unusable emulator resources. A compiler has access to the database and compiles the design taking into account unusable resources. In another embodiment, the defects of an emulator board are stored on the emulator board itself. This allows each board to store its own maintenance information that can be used at the manufacturing site for changing defective chips. Defects stored on the board itself allow the defects to be obtained independent of a position of a board within the emulator to simplify identification of the faulty resource.
US08645115B2
We have created novel engineered genetic counter designs and methods of use thereof that utilize DNA recombinases to provide modular systems, termed single invertase memory modules (SIMMs), for encoding memory in cells and cellular systems. Our designs are easily extended to compute to high numbers, by utilizing the >100 known recombinases to create subsequent modules. Flexibility in our engineered genetic counter designs is provided by daisy-chaining individual modular components, i.e., SIMMs together. These modular components of the engineered genetic counters can be combined in other network topologies to create circuits that perform, amongst other things, logic and memory. Our novel engineered genetic counter designs allow for the maintenance of memory and provide the ability to count between discrete states by expressing the recombinases between their cognate recognition sites.
US08645108B2
According to certain embodiments, one or more sets of model samples of model sensor data are accessed. Each set comprises one or more model samples corresponding to an annotation of one or more annotations. The following are performed for each set to yield one or more annotated model characteristic functions: represent each model sample of the each set as a model minterm to yield a set of model minterms; generate a model characteristic function from the set of model minterms, the model characteristic function indicating whether a given minterm is a member of the set of model minterms; and annotate the model characteristic function to yield an annotated model characteristic function. A general model characteristic function is generated from the one or more annotated model characteristic functions.
US08645102B2
A network health analyzer that analyzes health of a computer network may be implemented in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. A network profile comprising an issue profile and one or more benchmarks appropriate for the network is determined. A set of numeric measures that is common to all issues in the issue profile is established. The network health analyzer collects data points pertaining to the operation of the network. Based on the data points, numeric values corresponding to the numeric measures may be calculated. In turn, health indexes for all issues in the issue profile may be determined. Based on these health indexes for the issues, an overall health rating may be determined.
US08645082B2
Described are computer-based methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for monitoring, detecting, and quantifying chemical compounds in a sample. A sample measurement comprising a digitized spectroscopic profile is received. A multivariate multistage background model comprising a first model that models a first time effect, a second model that models a second time effect that is different than the first time effect, or both is calculated. A background corrected sample measurement based on the sample measurement and the multivariate multistage background model is generated. A multivariate multistage library search, fault detection, and quantification algorithm is executed to identify one or more primary chemicals in the background corrected sample measurement. The search, detection, and quantification algorithm includes identifying one or more candidate chemicals in the background corrected sample measurement based on a multivariate statistical process control and identifying and quantifying a first primary chemical based on a focused chemical evaluation of the one or more candidate chemicals.
US08645071B2
A disclosed direct velocity seismic sensor includes a housing, a proof mass suspended in the housing by a resilient component, and a motion dampener that damps oscillation of the proof mass to a degree that displacement of the proof mass relative to the housing is substantially linearly proportional to a rate of change of seismic displacements of the housing over a frequency range of interest. A described method for constructing a seismic sensor includes using a calculated resonant frequency to determine a damping factor that causes the displacement of the proof mass to be substantially proportional to the rate of change of seismic displacement of the housing. One illustrative disclosed system includes an optical velocity sensor and a detector where a light beam produced by the velocity sensor and a reference beam interfere at the detector, and the detector produces a signal indicative of a velocity experienced by the velocity sensor.
US08645070B2
A system and method for determining fluid distribution in subterranean reservoirs including determining a water saturation in macroporosity from the capillary pressure data representative of the macroporosity using a saturation height function, correcting capillary pressure data representative of microporosity to have an entry pore value equivalent to a pore size defining the microporosity, determining a water saturation in the microporosity from the corrected capillary pressure data representative of the microporosity, and using the macroporosity water saturation and the microporosity water saturation to estimate fluid distribution within the subterranean reservoir. The system and method may also include the estimation of hydrocarbon reserves.
US08645061B2
Systems, methods, and devices are described for implementing map matching techniques relating to measured location data. Probabilistic models, including temporal Bayesian network models and Hidden Markov Models, may be used for combining multiple classes of evidence relating to potential locations of points traversed on routes over time. Multiple route segments and overall routes may be maintained under relative uncertainty as candidates. The candidate route segments and overall routes may then be reduced into a smaller number of candidates or a single most likely route as a trip progresses. As the trip progresses, route segments in proximity to each location point are identified and candidate matches are determined. A probability of an entity traversing a candidate match at a given time and a probability of an entity traversing between a first candidate match at a first time and a second candidate match at a second time are determined based on a plurality of factors. Different modalities may be used to measure and transmit the location data.
US08645057B2
A method for electronically generating driving directions. The method including: indicating a starting address; indicating an ending address; indicating one or more preferences for the directions; and generating driving directions based on the indicated starting address, ending address, and one or more preferences; wherein at least one of the one or more preferences comprises one or more of an indication to use no roads of a certain type in the generated driving directions; an indication to generate driving directions that start from a nearest highway; an indication to generate driving directions that start from a named road or highway and/or an indication to generate driving directions that include a named road or highway.
US08645054B2
A navigation system includes a map database 11 that stores map information, broadcast wave receivable area information indicating an area capable of receiving a broadcast wave, and broadcast wave reception blocked area information indicating an area incapable of receiving a broadcast wave; a vehicle position detecting unit 15 for detecting a current position of a vehicle; a control unit for estimating a direction of travel from the current position of the vehicle detected by the vehicle position detecting unit, and for deciding, from the broadcast wave receivable area information and broadcast wave reception blocked area information acquired from the map database, as to whether an area capable of receiving the broadcast wave continuously exists in the direction of travel estimated; and an output unit for producing a message indicating existence of an area capable of receiving the broadcast wave continuously in response to a decision result of the control unit.
US08645051B2
A system for monitoring a vehicle's contribution to the efficiency of flow and throughput in traffic includes: a computation unit that determines the fluctuation in velocity of the vehicle over a time or a distance; and a notification unit that provides a notification related to the determined fluctuation in velocity of the vehicle. The notification unit may be a display that displays a visual representation of the fluctuation in velocity of the vehicle over a period of time or over a distance. The notification unit may provide an audible notification related to the fluctuation in velocity of the vehicle. The system may further include a sensor that determines the velocity of the vehicle and provides the velocity to the computation unit.
US08645046B2
In view of a difference in detectability of an air-fuel ratio sensor with respect to each cylinder, a first exhaust system model and a second exhaust system model are defined. The first exhaust system model outputs an air-fuel ratio at the confluent portion based on an air-fuel ratio in a cylinder. The second exhaust system model outputs a detection value of the exhaust gas sensor based on the air-fuel ratio at the confluent portion. A confluent-portion-air-fuel ratio estimating portion designed based on the second exhaust system model estimates the air-fuel ratio at the confluent portion. A combust-air-fuel ratio estimating portion designed based on the first exhaust system model estimates a combust-air-fuel ratio in each cylinder.
US08645044B2
A method for operating an internal combustion engine includes determining an actual combustion heat release during ongoing engine operation, calculating an expected combustion heat release corresponding to engine operation associated with the actual combustion heat release during ongoing engine operation, determining a difference between the actual combustion heat release and the expected combustion heat release, and operating the internal combustion engine in a homogeneous-charge compression-ignition combustion mode to achieve a preferred combustion phasing during each combustion cycle in response to the difference between the actual combustion heat release and the expected combustion heat release.
US08645042B2
A hybrid powertrain includes a combustion engine, an electric machine arrangement, a gearbox operable to receive motive power from at least one of the combustion engine and the electric machine arrangement for providing motive power to a load of the powertrain. The powertrain is configurable in operation so that its combustion engine is switchable between an inactive state and an active state. The combustion engine is cranked to switch it from its inactive state to its active state. Application of cranking torque to the combustion engine is controlled in operation to substantially temporally coincide with a gear change in the gearbox.
US08645029B2
A control system of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include an input portion for inputting an order for generating an virtual avatar of a driver, an image detection portion that detects an outside image of the driver according to the order that is input by the input portion, an avatar generating portion that transforms the image of the real driver into the virtual avatar, and an integrated control portion that controls a driver seat, a steering device, a side view mirror, or a rear view mirror according to the shape of the virtual avatar.
US08645027B2
A method of adjusting the angular rolling position of the plane of a motor vehicle wheel, in which the wheel is mounted on a vehicle so that the plane of the wheel can present a static angular position and a safety angular position, the method providing for the plane of the wheel to be maintained in the static angular position when the wheel is rolling and, in case of detection of at least one critical rolling parameter, for the wheel plane to be shifted to a safety angular position for a predetermined time period before the plane of the wheel is returned to the static angular position. A wheel mounting of a motor vehicle in which the method can be implemented is provided.
US08645015B2
The invention relates to a device and a method for controlling the steering of a vehicle during a parking maneuver. To this end first the parking spot selected for parking the vehicle is surveyed. Based on said survey, an orientation field is prepared, which defines a target orientation for a plurality of positioning points inside the selected parking spot and in the surroundings of the parking spot, the vehicle being guided along these points from any arbitrary point inside the orientation field to the target point of the parking maneuver. The control of the vehicle occurs by comparing the respective current orientation thereof to the target orientation specified for the respective position in the orientation field and by an appropriate adjustment of the steering angle by the vehicle orientation to said target orientation.
US08645011B2
A method for providing traction control on a wheeled vehicle involves receiving a speed reference signal. A variance in wheel size between a first and at least one other wheel of the vehicle is determined. Lastly, a drive control signal operable to control power to each of the first and at least one other wheel is output, the drive control signal being based on the speed reference signal and determined variance in wheel size and operable to provide that a tractive force exerted by each of the wheels on a corresponding surface during traction and/or braking is substantially similar.
US08645008B2
A method for presenting the current drift values of an aircraft on a display device in which the drift values are presented in a vector presentation. The length of the drift vector above a predefined threshold value is presented in a manner proportional to the current drift velocity, and the length of the drift vector below the threshold value is presented in a manner disproportionate to the current drift velocity. There is a continuous transition between the two ways of presentation at the threshold value.
US08645006B1
The Electronic Kit Bag (EKB) is a computerized, portable pilot “kit bag” that accepts input data, manipulates said data, and outputs solutions. The EKB consists of standard and state-of-the-art computer parts and peripherals, interfaced for maximum utility. The central operating program of the device assesses the relationships of input data through logic based, three-dimensional decision-making algorithm. Data output is utilized either directly by the user, by the user through an aircraft system, or directly from the EKB to an aircraft system or autopilot.
US08645000B2
The present invention relates to a temperature controller having phase control and zero-cross cycle control function that can be achieved at a low cost by controlling power that is supplied to a load, by generating a phase control signal or a zero-cross control signal according to control target temperature of a load, using a microcomputer.
US08644997B2
A redundant, multi-source architecture provides output loads access to each of the plurality of power sources. The architecture includes at a least a first power bus and a second power bus. A plurality of loads are connected to the first power bus and the second power bus. Redundant first and second channel controllers are connected to receive power from the first power bus and the second power bus, respectively, wherein one of the first and second channel controllers is designated as the active channel controller. The active channel controller allocates power from both the first power bus and the second power bus to each of the plurality of loads.
US08644992B2
The present subject matter relates to methods and apparatus for controlling operation of a washing machine motor. Different control algorithms may be used during different time periods of operation of the motor where each algorithm is configured to provide different operating characteristics of the motor based on the needs of the washing machine system. The method and apparatus both provide for changing from one motor control algorithm to another algorithm while the motor is spinning. For certain type motors, a time period may be established between operation of the motor under a first or second control algorithms where no energy is supplied to the motor but the motor is permitted to continue to spin. During this period of time for these type motors, magnetic fields in the motor are permitted to subside prior to application of the second control algorithm.
US08644991B2
Configurations are provided for vehicular robots or other vehicles to provide shifting of their centers of gravity for enhanced obstacle navigation. A robot chassis with pivotable driven flippers has a pivotable neck and sensor head mounted toward the front of the chassis. The neck is pivoted forward to shift the vehicle combined center of gravity (combined CG) forward for various climbing and navigation tasks. The flippers may also be selectively moved to reposition the center of gravity. Various weight distributions allow different CG shifting capabilities.
US08644984B2
A robot programming device capable of reducing the operation of a robot in the field required for generating a program for palletizing operation, and shortening a time to generate the palletizing program. The robot programming device includes a storing part for storing three-dimensional models of the plurality kinds of units, a conveyor, a recognition device, a robot and a plurality of pallets; a layout making part for making a layout, in a virtual space, of the three-dimensional models stored in the storing part; a displaying part for displaying the layout made by the layout making part; an information setting part for setting information regarding each component displayed on the displaying part; and a program generating part for generating a palletizing program for the robot based on the layout of the three-dimensional models and the information set by the information setting part.
US08644978B1
A machining apparatus and method for fabricating endodontic instruments adapted for use in performing root canal procedures is disclosed. The machining apparatus includes computer numerical control (CNC) machining that automates much of the fabrication process. The disclosed machining apparatus and method is programmable to efficiently produce varying configurations of endodontic instruments on the same machining apparatus.
US08644977B2
A system for controlling pouring machines, equipment for pouring molten metal using the system and a method of pouring the molten metal where the molten metal can be smoothly poured by the coordinated operation of a casting machine having a first automatic pouring machine and the second automatic pouring machine. The system for controlling the pouring machines has a main control device, a control device for controlling the first pouring machine, and a control device for controlling the second pouring machine so that the operations of two automatic pouring machines are controlled and a smooth coordinated operation of the two automatic pouring machines is realized so that the automatic pouring machines can pour the molten metal into each of a number of molds of a casting line for molds.
US08644971B2
A system provides music that matches the mood of an e-book when the e-book is read on an e-Reader. The system comprises several sub-components to calculate a user's average reading speed, analyze the e-book for moods, match music to each mood, track music played and purchased, record user's music preference, and play the matched music based on the user's music preference. The moods are indexed as adjectives, adverbs, and onomonopias. A change in mood triggers a change in music played in a wall-to-wall or movie mode. When a user does not have a music preference, the system chooses a default music based on genre, style, and mode based on the analyzed mood. When the system plays music in the movie mode to match a predetermined number of moods, the system fades the music to a pause equal to the predetermined number before resuming the music based on a current mood.
US08644966B2
A device and a method for projecting field devices of a technical system, in particular a power plant system, into a control system of the technical system are provided. The device includes means for a computer-implemented display of two field devices as two data objects and means for a computer-implemented display of a connection between the two data objects of the two field devices.
US08644964B2
The present disclosure provides a method of controlling movement of a reference point on an end effector of a machine, where the machine includes a controller, a first control mechanism, and a second control mechanism. The method includes initiating a movement of the reference point to a desired location with the first control mechanism. The method also includes determining an actual position of the reference point and communicating the actual position of the reference point to the controller. A second control mechanism controls the movement of the reference point to the desired location.
US08644959B2
A system for demand-based functionalization of a motor control unit comprises a motor control unit, a first data store having a plurality of functional modules each configured to perform one or more functions of the motor control unit and an access device configured to access the first data store and to select at least one of the plurality of functional modules and to load at least one of the plurality of functional modules into the motor control unit. The selection is based on a demand and the selective loading results in a flexibly customizable functionality of the motor control unit.
US08644956B2
Implantable shock electrode line having a proximal end for connection to an implantable device which generates shock pulses, and a distal segment which has a shock electrode, wherein an area ratio of the shock electrode area to the surface area of the shock electrode line is not constant over the longitudinal extent of the shock electrode.
US08644947B2
A neurostimulation system comprises a user input device configured for receiving input from a user, and processing circuitry configured for (a) selecting a first electrode configuration in response to receiving the user input, (b) predicting a neural response induced by electrical energy theoretically conveyed by the first electrode configuration at a specified amplitude, (c) deriving a metric value from the predicted neural response, (d) comparing the metric value to a reference threshold value, (e) adjusting the specified amplitude of the electrical energy if the metric value is not in a specified range relative to the reference threshold value, (f) repeating steps (b)-(e) using the adjusted amplitude as the specified amplitude until the metric value is in the specific range relative to the reference threshold value, and (g) instructing a neurostimulation device to deliver the electrical energy at the adjusted amplitude via the first electrode configuration to stimulate the patient.
US08644936B2
A feedthrough assembly may include a ferrule defining a ferrule opening, a capacitive filter array at least partially disposed within the ferrule opening, and a feedthrough at least partially disposed within the ferrule opening. In some examples, the capacitive filter array includes a filter array ground conductive pathway. In some examples, the feedthrough includes a feedthrough ground conductive via. The feedthrough ground conductive via may be electrically coupled to the filter array ground conductive pathway, and the feedthrough ground conductive via may be electrically coupled to the ferrule.
US08644935B2
An implantable device is provided. The device is constructed from an open body containing electronic components, a heat-sensitive component, and a sealing component. The device is formed in a moisture controlled environment, such that the heat-sensitive component is attached to the open enclosure after the enclosure has been heated. The sealing component is subsequently affixed to the open enclosure to form a sealed enclosure.
US08644932B2
In general, this disclosure is directed to techniques and circuitry to determine characteristics of an implantable lead associated with an implantable medical device (IMD). The implantable lead may be designed to be MRI-safe by having one or more components that attenuate frequencies associated with an MRI that, if left unreduced, may interfere with the performance of the lead and/or cause harm to the tissue in which the lead is implanted. The circuitry may transmit a signal through the lead and receive a response signal. The device may determine the lead characteristics by comparing the transmitted signal with the received signal. In addition to determining whether the lead is MRI-safe, the techniques of this disclosure may be also utilized to determine whether the lead is faulty.
US08644922B2
An example includes apparatus including a non-thin-film battery, that can include an implantable housing, electronics disposed in the implantable housing, and a battery disposed in the implantable housing, the battery comprising: a plurality of cells electrically connected to one another, with at least one cell including a stack including at least one substantially planar anode having a thickness greater than 1 micrometer and at least one substantially planar cathode having a thickness greater than 1 micrometer, and a cell housing enclosing the stack of substantially planar anodes and cathodes and displacing less than approximately 0.024 cubic centimeters, wherein the plurality of cells are interconnected in at least one of series and parallel, and terminals interconnecting the battery and the electronics.
US08644909B2
A reference frame is described for use in a radiographic procedure. The reference frame is positionable relative to a joint or bone to be imaged, and is radio-transparent. The frame has embedded or affixed thereto a plurality of computer recognizable radio opaque markers. A method of obtaining three dimensional images of bones and joints using the frame is described.
US08644907B2
Disclosed is a surgical navigation system for tracking an instrument relative to a patient. The system can track a portion of the patient, an instrument, and/or both relative to image data, a coordinate system, an atlas, a morphed atlas, or combinations thereof. The system can include a tracking device on the instrument to provide six degree of freedom information regarding the location of the instrument.
US08644901B2
A system and method for non-invasively estimating the tissue blood oxygen saturation level of a human subject, including so-called “outliers”, whose physiological make-up causes previously-known techniques to generate invalid tissue blood oxygen saturation estimations. The system includes a computing device and a sensor. The sensor includes a light source configured to emit light of at least four different wavelengths, one at a time. The sensor also includes two light detectors, each positioned a different distances from the light source. Optical density measurements are taken by the light detectors and provided to the computing device. A first tissue blood oxygen saturation value is computed using the optical density measurements associated with three of the four wavelengths, and a second tissue blood oxygen saturation value is computed using the optical density measurements associated with four of the wavelengths. The first and second tissue blood oxygen saturation values are compared, and the human subject is identified as an “outlier” based upon that comparison.
US08644883B2
Disclosed is a display control apparatus and method in a mobile terminal capable of outputting video data to an external display device, which implements a function of using other services in the mobile terminal, separately from the service provided to the external display device connected with the mobile terminal. To accomplish the above function, the controller determines whether an event occurs or not during displaying video data sent by the mobile terminal on the external display device and upon occurrence of an event, displays a screen for processing the event on the mobile terminal. Thus, a user can enjoy concurrent service by using other services through the mobile terminal while continuing to watch video data currently being displayed on the external display device. In addition, irrespective of the screen of the external display device, information relative to the event is only displayed on the mobile terminal so that a user's privacy can be fully protected.
US08644881B2
A method for controlling a mobile terminal, and which includes receiving, via an input unit, a selection signal indicating a selection of a predetermined button among multiple predetermined buttons on the mobile terminal, in which the multiple predetermined buttons corresponding to different preset functions executed on the mobile terminal; capturing, via a camera included on the mobile terminal, a preview image of an object upon receiving the selection signal; recognizing, via a controller included on the mobile terminal, a character string included in the captured preview image; and performing, via the controller, a preset function using the recognized character string and that corresponds to the selection of the predetermined button.
US08644877B2
A terminal apparatus in a wireless communication system having a first and second base station group, and for which access is permitted for a specific base station, and not for a base station other than the specific base station, in the base station belonging to the second base station group, including: a reception unit which receives an identifier from any of base stations belonging to the first base station group; and a detection unit which executes base station detection processing for the second base station group, if the received identifier is an identifier of a base station corresponding to the specific base station in the base station belonging to the first base station group, and restrict execution of the base station detection processing, if not the identifier of the base station corresponding to the specific base station in the base station belonging to the first base station group.
US08644875B2
A method, apparatus, and computer program for controlling transmission power of a radio apparatus are provided. The method includes: determining, in a radio apparatus configured to support a cellular radio access technology in communication with a cellular counterpart apparatus and a short range radio access technology in communication with a short range counterpart apparatus, a maximum total transmit power of the radio apparatus; causing the radio apparatus to use a first transmit power level in transmission to the cellular counterpart apparatus; determining a remaining transmission power margin by computing a difference between the maximum total transmit power and the first transmit power level; and causing the radio apparatus to autonomously limit a second transmit power level to fall within the remaining transmission power margin and to use the second transmit power level in transmission to the short range counterpart apparatus.
US08644874B2
Transmit power control methods and apparatus are disclosed. In several embodiments, a mobile terminal (200) is configured to effectively ignore ‘UP’ transmit power control commands in the event that the mobile terminal (200) is operating in a power-limited state. In an exemplary method for controlling transmit power at a mobile terminal (200), a plurality of transmit power control commands are received. An accumulated power control value is adjusted (350) in response to each transmit power control command that directs a negative adjustment in transmit power. However, the accumulated power control value is adjusted (350) in response to a transmit power control command that directs a positive adjustment in transmit power only if the mobile terminal (200) is not in a power-limited state. Transmit power settings for each transmission are calculated (360) based on the accumulated power control value and the one or more radio link parameters.
US08644866B2
A method for communication includes receiving a Radio Frequency (RF) channel containing a desired signal conforming to a first air interface and an interfering signal conforming to a second air interface. A first receiver configured for the first air interface and a second receiver configured for the second air interface are synchronized to a common frequency and timing reference. While the first and second receivers are synchronized, the desired signal is decoded from the RF channel using the first receiver to generate a first output, the interfering signal is decoded from the RF channel using the second receiver to generate a second output, and the desired signal is reconstructed while suppressing the interfering signal by jointly processing the first and second outputs.
US08644865B2
A method of measuring interference to perform efficient data communication is disclosed. A method of measuring interference of neighboring cells comprises allocating one or more first resource elements, to which pilot signals are allocated, to predetermined symbol regions included in a first resource block; allocating one or more second resource elements for measuring interference of the neighboring cells to a first symbol region of the predetermined symbol regions; and measuring interference of the neighboring cells using the one or more second resource elements.
US08644864B2
A method and apparatus may be used to perform WTRU-WTRU paging in wireless communications. For example, a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may be configured to page another WTRU. In this example, the paging WTRU may receive a first message that indicates a group identification (ID). The WTRU may receive a second message that may include an indicator that indicates one or more other WTRUs that the paging WTRU may page. If the received indicator matches a paging indicator of the paging WTRU, the paging WTRU may transmit an access signal to one or more other WTRUs. The paging indicator of the paging WTRU may be predetermined, and may be received in a configuration message from a base station (BS). The first message may be a secondary advanced (SA)-preamble.
US08644863B2
Systems and methods are described that mitigating coverage gaps near region boundaries using a plurality of multi-sector broadcast (MSBC) paging channels in wireless networking environments. One or more MSBC paging channels can be assigned unique time slots, such that although the channels can be identical, they are disjointed in time. Accordingly, such channels and/or dynamically generated paging zones associated therewith can be overlapped in areas where wireless device density is high and requires substantial paging capacity. Additionally, a single paging channel can be employed in multiple instances in a paging region without overlap to mitigate inter-channel interference.
US08644862B2
A method and a system for providing signaling in cellular telephone system providing broadcast services to fully integrate broadcast services with the services provided by the cellular telephone systems. The signaling method coordinate interaction between an access network and the subscriber station to allowing the subscriber station to decode the broadcast service, to receive paging messages while receiving the broadcast service, to properly transition between operation states, and other functions known to one of ordinary skill in the art.
US08644858B2
An extracting unit detects movement from a first area to a second area, the first area and the second area defined as areas having different priorities. When the extracting unit detects the movement, this changes a communication process defined in the first area to the communication process defined in the second area. A notifying unit notifies that the area changed when the movement is detected. Herein, the priority of the first area and the priority of the second area are defined according to importance of a signal, which should be broadcasted from a processing unit.
US08644856B2
A mobile device that can use both data from a GPS or other GNSS receiver and signals from a wireless network to provide location based services based on the location of the mobile device is controlled at least partly by a locationing resource control module in the wireless network. The module provides network-assisted optimization of utilization of the GPS receiver and other resources by activating the GPS receiver and associated components when fine resolution location data is needed for provision of the location based services, and deactivating the GPS components when coarse resolution will suffice. The selective control of the GPS components is performed in the wireless network in response to receipt from the mobile device of location requisition data, conditions specifying what actions are to be performed by the mobile device, and current location data from the wireless network. The wireless network may also specify and prioritize at least some conditions.
US08644852B2
Systems and methods for providing contextual information about a place within a range of a wireless signal beacon are provided. A reference database of wireless beacons stores attributes associated with wireless beacons. Wireless-enabled devices and/or server systems receive information identifying wireless beacons in range of the wireless-enabled devices and determine a received signal strength indication of the wireless beacons. The wireless-enabled devices and/or server systems then retrieve from the reference database extended attributes that are associated with the wireless beacons and determine at least one associated contextual attribute about the place within range of the wireless beacons.
US08644848B2
Systems and methods are provided for providing alerts to users of mobile communications networks based, at least in part, on users' real-time geospatial location at a point in time. Users and third parties set up alerts for themselves or other users that comprise alert details and trigger criteria. Alert details comprise, inter alia, text or other data defining a message to the user to whom the alert is directed. Trigger criteria comprise a geo-fenced area and dates times the alert is active. When the a user enters a geo-fenced area associated with an alert at such date and time the alert is active, the alert is transmitted to the user.
US08644838B2
A method for acquiring FFR power pattern of Frequency Partitions (FPs) at a mobile station (MS) in a wireless communication system using Fractional Frequency Reuse (FFR) is disclosed. The method includes receiving a preamble from a base station (BS); and acquiring a FFR power pattern for a reuse-1 partition and reuse-N partitions using the received preamble, wherein the FFR power pattern is determined based on a segment identifier (ID), the reuse-N partitions include N frequency partitions, each frequency partition has a power level with a range of FP1_power level to FPN_power level, a power-boosted FP in the reuse-N partitions is a partition whose power level is the FP1_power level.
US08644835B2
A communication method of a macro base station serving a target mobile terminal in a macrocell including a picocell includes receiving information about an uplink interference of a pico base station in the picocell from the pico base station, and determining whether to perform a handover of the target mobile terminal to the pico base station based on an uplink interference of the macro base station and an uplink interference of the pico base station.
US08644829B2
A method and system for processing signaling release indication cause between user equipment and a wireless network, the method comprising the steps of: monitoring, at the user equipment, whether a signaling connection release indication should be sent to the wireless network; appending, at the user equipment, a cause for the signaling connection release indication to the signaling connection release indication; sending the appended signaling connection release indication to the wireless network; receiving the signaling connection release indication at the wireless network; and filtering said cause to determine whether to raise an alarm.
US08644816B2
A method for transmitting data from a mobile communication device to a remote server across a wireless network is described. The method comprising the following steps. Data is transmitted from an application executing on the mobile communication device using a standard reliable communication protocol. Prior to transmitting the data across the wireless network, receipt of the data is acknowledged, thereby simulating, to the application, receipt of the data by the remote server. Data is transmitted from the mobile communication device to the remote server using an intermediary communication protocol. A mobile communication device and a system implementing the method are also described.
US08644814B2
An arrangement for wireless communication includes apparatus operable to establish a region of wireless communications capability, and operable to establish communication with a communications hub by way of a backhaul. The apparatus is operable to determine availability of communication facilities on the backhaul and, in response to a request by a communications device operating with the use of the region of wireless communications capability, is operable to offer the backhaul implemented communication facilities to the communications device subject to the existence of a fault in offering of said facilities. The apparatus includes fault detection means operable to detect the presence of a fault. In the event of a fault being detected, the apparatus is operable to emit a signal intended to communicate the existence of the fault to t communications device.
US08644812B2
A method for controlling operation of an active mobile communication device, including the following steps: performing a first determination of whether the device is in a moving vehicle at a relevant location; performing a second determination of whether the user of the device is the vehicle operator; and producing a risk indication signal as a function of the first and second determinations.
US08644811B2
A method for facilitating a call session includes receiving a request to establish a call session between a wireless phone and a remote phone, and establishing a call session between the wireless phone and the remote phone. The call session includes a first connection with the wireless phone and a second connection with the remote phone. The method further includes monitoring the first connection to determine if there is a connection loss of the first connection, and determining that there is a connection loss of the first connection. In response to determining that there is a connection loss of the first connection, the method further includes holding the second connection with the remote phone, attempting to reestablish the first connection with the wireless phone, and resuming the call session in response to the first connection being reestablished.
US08644800B2
Systems and methods for managing a user identity on a mobile device are provided. The system comprises the mobile device comprising a user agent and a client application, the user agent and the client application in communication with each other. The system further comprises an identity provider in communication with the mobile device, and a client service in communication with the mobile device. The user agent is configured to communicate with the identity provider and retrieve the user identity for the client application, and the client application is configured to transmit the user identity to the client service.
US08644798B2
Separable billing of business and non-business calls to/from a remote station or wireless communications device is provided. Business calls may be billed to the business, or other entity that provides a telephone to a user, and non-business calls may be billed to a user personally. When a call is desired to be connected, it is determined if the number of the call is a business number. If the number is a business number, the call is placed and billed to the business. If the number is not a business number, the call is placed and billed to the user when the user approves personal billing for the call. If the user does not approve personal billing of a non-business call, the call may be denied.
US08644789B2
Innovative new methods in connection with lighter-than-air free floating platforms, of facilitating legal transmitter operation, platform flight termination when appropriate, environmentally acceptable landing, and recovery of these devices are provided. Especially, termination of radio transmissions and flight related to regional, governmental and international border requirements, regulations and laws. The new methods comprise specific criteria, detection of the criteria and elements of operation for reducing or preventing illegal transmissions, for producing rapid descend to the ground, for environmentally acceptable landing and for facilitating recovery all with improved safety and enhanced compliance with known regulations.
US08644784B2
A terminal apparatus adapted to receive a wireless signal by antenna diversity, wherein provisions are made to reduce the number of receive circuits while also reducing the time required for antenna selection. The a terminal apparatus is adapted to receive a wireless signal by antenna diversity, and includes: a mode-of-use detection unit for detecting the mode of use of the terminal apparatus as set up by a user; a storage unit for storing priority information that predefines an antenna to be selected for use by prioritizing the plurality of antennas according to the mode of use that can be detected by the mode-of-use detection unit; and a comparator for outputting selection control information specifying at least one antenna from among the plurality of antennas by comparing the mode of use detected by the mode-of-use detection unit with the priority information stored in the storage unit.
US08644783B2
A fractional-N PLL synthesizer has an up-down counter counting up for positive edges of a frequency-divided signal produced by a frequency divider with a fractional divide ratio in a feedback path of the synthesizer and down for positive edges of a reference signal. A phase offset between portions of the synthesizer signal before and after a loss-of-lock interval is then assessed as a numerical value proportional to the product of the divide ratio and the cycle difference registered by the up-down counter (36) after the loss-of-lock interval. A correction term derived from the phase offset can be used in a signal processing device as employed, e.g., in a GNSS receiver, for producing, from an analog input signal, a phase-corrected baseband signal where portions of the signal before and after loss of lock are phase coherent.
US08644782B2
A method and apparatus for changing a frequency of a clock signal to avoid interference is disclosed. In one embodiment, data conveyed on a first interface is synchronized to a clock signal at a first frequency. Signals are conveyed on a second interface at another frequency. Responsive to a change of the frequency at which signals are conveyed on a second interface, a clock control unit associated with the first interface initiates a change of the clock signal to a second frequency. The second frequency may be chosen as to not cause interference with the frequency at which signals are conveyed on the second interface. The change of the clock frequency may be performed in such a manner as to prevent spurious activity on the clock line of the interface.
US08644779B2
An apparatus and a method of realizing an antenna matching in accordance with a user's body effect and a state of a mobile device are provided. The method includes determining a state of the mobile device on a basis of a call mode and at least one of whether an external device is connected to the mobile device, whether a receiver is being used, whether a speaker is being used, and whether a proximity sensor is activated, determining an optimal Tunable Matching Network (TMN) circuit adjustment value in accordance with the determined state, and performing the antenna matching in accordance with the optimal TMN circuit adjustment value.
US08644774B2
Secured broadband devices and methods for providing broadband communication are provided. A broadband device may include a housing, at least one broadband component, and a securing mechanism. The at least one broadband component may be situated within the housing and configured to receive a broadband signal. Additionally, the at least one broadband component may be configured to output at least a portion of the broadband signal for receipt by one or more external devices. The securing mechanism configured to secure the housing to an electrical outlet.
US08644756B1
Methods and systems for selecting content for outputting on a mobile device during a program break in an Internet radio stream using mobile device location information. In one aspect, the methods and systems seamlessly select content for outputting on a mobile device during a program break in an Internet radio stream using mobile device location information and program break markers. In another aspect, the methods and systems select content for outputting on a mobile device during a program break in an Internet radio stream using mobile device trajectory information.
US08644749B2
A surface heating type heating unit for a fixing device, and a fixing device and an image forming apparatus including the same. The surface heating type heating unit includes a planar heating element on an outer circumferential surface of a supporter having cylindrical shape, a power feeding terminal at each end of the supporter, and a connector disposed between the planar heating element and the power feeding terminal. The connector is formed on a first region on the power feeding terminal, and includes an adhesive material for adhering the planar heating element and the power feeding terminal, and a conductive material formed on a second region of the power feeding terminal excluding the first region.
US08644746B2
A fixing apparatus according to an embodiment includes: a first roller; a second roller that forms a nip between the second roller and the first roller and pressurizes a sheet passing through the nip against the first roller; a third roller that is disposed in parallel with the first and second rollers; a fixing belt that is stretched over the first and third rollers; a heater that uniformly heats the fixing belt in a direction of a width of the fixing belt; and a heat-uniformizing member that is a shaft-shaped heat-uniformizing member embedded in the third roller. An effective length in a longitudinal axial direction of the heat-uniformizing member is set to be the same or greater than a width of a predetermined maximum sheet so as to uniformly distribute heat of the fixing belt which is in contact with the third roller in the longitudinal axial direction.
US08644741B2
Provided is a developing device employing single-component development in which in an upstream side of a most proximate area of a developing roller and a blade for regulating a toner layer, toner aggregation is made difficult to occur between the developing roller and the blade, and uniformity of the toner layer on the developing roller is increased, so as to be able to perform development which does not apply heavy stress and is excellent in uniformity. In the developing device, the blade is divided into two areas of a downstream area in a rotational direction of the developing roller including the most proximate part to the developing roller and an upstream area in a rotational direction of the developing roller not including the most proximate part, and adhesion between a toner and the blade in the upstream area is made smaller than that in the downstream area.
US08644740B2
The present invention provide a mold for forming a developer blade and a developer blade manufactured with such a mold which are able to give images of good quality even in the low-temperature low-humidity condition and to improve a mold releasability. A mold 10 for forming a developer blade has a plate accommodation space 14 in which the metal plate is accommodated and a belt-like cavity 15 for forming the elastic member adjacent to the plate accommodation space. At least a part 20a of a cavity surface 20 defining the cavity 15 in the cross section taken along the cavity width direction is finished to have a surface roughness Ry of not more than 10 μm.
US08644738B2
A developer transporting device includes a transporting device body including a transporting portion in which developer is transported and which has an opening; a developer container that is detachably supported on the transporting device body and includes a containing portion for that contains the developer and has a connection hole connected to the opening, an opening-closing member that opens or closes the connection hole, and an opening-closing-member support unit that includes a guide portion that guides the opening-closing member; a movement restraining member supported on the transporting device body and restraining the opening-closing member from moving relative to the transporting device body when the developer container is attached to the transporting device body; and a releasing portion provided on the opening-closing-member support unit and releasing the opening-closing member when the opening-closing member is moved a position for closing the connection hole.
US08644737B2
A developing device including a two-component developer including toner and a carrier. The developing device includes first and second developer housing portions divided by a barrier wall having first and second communication openings. A development member is disposed on the first developer housing portion, and first and second agitators are respectively disposed on the first and second developer housing portions. The developing device satisfies 1.8≦(Wa/Wb)≦3.0, wherein Wa represents a mass of the developer in the first developer housing portion and Wb represents a mass of the developer in the second developer housing portion at an equilibrium state.
US08644734B2
An image forming apparatus may include one or more photosensitive media, a driving unit to rotate the photosensitive media, a detecting unit to detect a rotational state of each of the photosensitive media and a controller to control the driving unit based on the rotational state detected by the detecting unit so that two adjacent photosensitive media stop with a phase angle difference between them that is capable of compensating for image registration errors.
US08644732B2
A photosensitive drum unit is provided, to which a coupling member is easily mounted. A drum flange is fixed to one end portion of a cylinder having a photosensitive layer at a peripheral surface. The coupling member is inserted into the drum flange. Finally, a closing member is mounted to the drum flange.
US08644723B2
An image forming apparatus is for transferring a toner image on an image carrier onto a transfer medium, and thermally fixing the toner image by a fixing device, and comprises a cleaner removing residual toner on the image carrier. The apparatus: acquires information relating to a distribution of a density of the residual toner at each position within a section on the image carrier at an end of an image forming job, the section extending from the transfer position to immediately before a cleaning position; determines, based on the information, whether or not the density of the residual toner at the transfer position exceeds a corresponding threshold density pertaining to occurrence of fusion of the residual toner; and causes, if determining negatively, the drive unit to stop when the image forming job is completed and the residual toner at the transfer position reaches a predetermined position within the section.
US08644720B2
A method and apparatus for fusing a heat curable toner to a carrier sheet having said toner thereon. In the method, the toner is sandwiched between said carrier sheet and a movable fuser belt and heated to a first temperature by a first means, which first temperature is above a first glass transformation temperature of the toner. The toner is kept at an elevated temperature for a predetermined time by a second means, which elevated temperature is above the first glass transformation temperature, thereby raising the glass transformation temperature of the toner to a second glass transformation temperature. The apparatus has at least a first endless fuser belt, first heating means for heating the toner to a first temperature, second heating means located downstream of said first heating means for keeping the toner at an elevated temperature for a predetermined time and control means for controlling the first and second heating means.
US08644707B2
The invention relates to a bidirectional optical amplifier array (VA) which is preferably used in a passive optical network (PON) system, is disposed between a first line termination (OLT) and a second line termination (ONU), and is penetrated by an optical downstream signal (OSD) in one direction and an optical upstream signal (OSD) in the opposite direction. Said optical amplifier array is composed of a first part with two branching and combining units (D1 and D2), a unidirectional optical amplifier (E1), and a transponder (T) in which the optical downstream signals and upstream signals (OSU and OSD) are separately amplified. The two signals (OSU and OSD) that run in opposite directions are amplified in a bidirectional amplifier (E2) in a second part. A constant gain is maintained in the bidirectional optical amplifier (E2) by means of the continuous downstream signal (OSD) such that the amplifier can be operated in stable conditions for the upstream signal (OSU) regardless of occurring bursts. In another embodiment, a splitter (S1) is integrated into the inventive amplifier array (VA).
US08644706B2
Distributed and highly software reconfigurable CMTS (CMRTS) device, based on MAC and PHY units with FPGA and DSP components, for a HFC CATV network. The various CATV RF modulators, such as QAM modulators, may be divided between QAM modulators located at the cable plant, and remote QAM modulators ideally located at the fiber nodes. A basic set of CATV QAM data waveforms may optionally be transmitted to the nodes using a first fiber, and a second set of IP/on-demand data may be transmitted to the nodes using an alternate fiber or alternate fiber frequency, and optionally using other protocols such as Ethernet protocols. The nodes will extract the data specific to each neighborhood and inject this data into unused QAM channels, thus achieving improved data transmission rates through finer granularity. A computerized “virtual shelf” control system for managing and reconfiguring the FPGA and DSP based CMTRS units is also disclosed.
US08644702B1
A computer-implemented system and method for notifying users on the occurrence of an event is disclosed. An embodiment further includes notifying selected users upon the occurrence of particular events in sessions using a variety of notification methods.
US08644698B2
In an apparatus having a vertical focusing-state detection area and a lateral focusing-state detection area in a cross focusing point, wherein either one of the focusing-state detection areas has a calculation range that is overlapping with the adjacent focusing point, a photographing result desired by a photographer can be obtained without bringing into focus a subject in the focusing point adjacent to the cross focusing point selected by the photographer.
US08644695B2
A lens system includes an operating unit for operating a lens apparatus, an operation-side communication unit performing bidirectional communication to/from the operating unit via a transmission line, and a lens-side communication unit performing bidirectional communication to/from the lens apparatus via a transmission line. The operation-side and lens-side communication units perform wireless communication to/from each other. The operation-side communication unit includes a command selecting unit selecting a command to be transmitted to the lens-side communication unit from commands input from the operating unit, and an answer interpolating unit generating an interpolated answer by interpolating answers with respect to commands that are not selected. The lens-side communication unit includes an answer selecting unit selecting an answer to be transmitted to the operation-side communication unit from answers input from the lens apparatus, and a command interpolating unit generating a command by interpolating commands received from the operation-side communication unit.
US08644689B2
An apparatus and method are disclosed for capturing video content. A buffer stores a most recent time interval of a video signal. A capture module stops overwrite of a stored video signal in response to a capture command. A copy module retrieves the stored video signal.
US08644688B2
A community-based recommendation engine is provided. In one example embodiment, a system to provide community-based recommendation engine comprises a recommendation detector and a decision module. The recommendation detector is configured to receive, at a viewer's system, a recommendation for a content item from a contact of a viewer. The decision module may be configured to determine an action to be performed at the viewer's system, based on the recommendation and on one or more rules, accept the recommendation as an instruction to perform the action, and initiate the action at the viewer's system.
US08644680B2
The “color stripe” process is well known in the video field for preventing copying of video by analog video tape recorders, and operates by altering the phase of a portion of the video signal color burst. Here, a weakened version of the color stripe process is installed in a video signal by a digital media player which plays or stores conventional digital media, such as an optical disc (e.g., DVD or CD) player, a hard disc drive, a digital tape drive, or solid state memory. Thereby in an analog video signal output by such a digital media player the color burst phase alterations are reduced or attenuated so there is no copy prevention effect on a conventional downstream (receiving) analog video tape recorder. However the weakened color stripe process is still sufficient to be detectable by a suitable detector located in a downstream compliant device such as a video recorder, so the detected presence of the installed color stripe serves as an encoded indication of copy control or other content control for the video signal by the compliant device.
US08644669B2
A recording medium, which is provided by a content provider and allows the content provider to control messages, has recorded thereon content and a program executed at a time of playback of the content by a playback apparatus. The program causing the playback apparatus to interact with a different program prestored in the playback apparatus and executed at the time of the playback of the content and to transmit, to the different program, a message determined according to the result of the interaction. The playback apparatus includes a reading unit reading the program from the recording medium at the time of the playback of the content, a startup unit starting up the read program, an interaction unit interacting with the program, and a processing unit receiving a message corresponding to a result of the interaction from the recording medium and performing a process corresponding to the received message.
US08644668B2
According to the invention, a system for covering the docking port of an optical communication device and protecting a terminating end of an optical fiber at the optical communication device is disclosed. The system may include body, where the body is configured to be at least partially received by the docking port of the optical communication device. The body may also be configured at partially receive the optical fiber. The body may not allow communication between the optical fiber and the optical communication device.
US08644660B2
Provided are an opto-electric hybrid board and a manufacturing method. The opto-electric hybrid board includes an optical waveguide unit and an electric circuit unit having an optical element mounted thereon. The optical waveguide unit includes socket portions for locating the electric circuit unit, which are formed on a surface of an undercladding layer and formed of the same material as a core. The socket portions are located at predetermined locations with respect to one end surface of a core. The electric circuit unit includes bent portions which are formed by bending a part of an electric circuit board so as to stand, for fitting into the socket portions. The bent portions are located at predetermined locations with respect to the optical element. The optical waveguide unit and the electric circuit unit are coupled in a state in which the bent portions fit into the socket portions.
US08644657B2
Provided is a method of tuning a resonance wavelength of a ring resonator. The method of tuning the resonance wavelength of a ring resonator includes preparing a ring resonator which contains a ring waveguide and a dielectric layer covering the ring waveguide, and heating the ring resonator to induce a refractive index phase change of the dielectric layer.
US08644652B2
The present application relates to optical fibers having at least one slot. The optical fiber may be used, for example, in various sensing application. In some embodiments, a cross-section of the optical fiber perpendicular to the longitudinal axis has a largest dimension less than or equal to about 4 μm, and the slot has a width of about 5 nm to about 500 nm and a depth of at least about 10 nm. Also disclosed herein are methods of using the optical fibers and apparatuses including the optical fibers.
US08644642B2
Disclosed is a picture quality evaluation method that evaluates the quality of a second image based on alternating current component measurements for a pixel set in a first image and alternating current component measurements for a pixel set in a second image in the same location as the pixel set in the first image.
US08644641B2
A method for rectifying a camera image includes: receiving a plurality of distorted pixels of a distorted camera image; receiving a compressed rectifying rule, via an interface; and performing a decompression of the compressed rectifying rule, in order to obtain a decompressed rectifying rule for rectifying the distorted camera image. A plurality of rectified pixels of a distorted camera image is determined from the plurality of distorted pixels, using the decompressed rectifying rule.
US08644638B2
The shadows and highlights regions of an image can be automatically optimized in a localized manner. A mask can be generated that can automatically identify local regions of a digital image as highlight regions or shadow regions. Different processing can then be automatically applied to highlight regions separately from the shadow regions. Luminance histograms can be obtained for the overall digital image, as well as those portions of the digital image that are in the highlights regions and, separately, the shadows regions. The moments of those histograms, including the average and the variance, can be compared to target moments and processing can continue to be applied to highlights regions and, separately, shadows regions, until one or more target moments are achieved. Target moments can be generated from original moments of the original image histograms based on relationships generated from a prior manual optimization of a reference set of images.
US08644632B2
At least one particular method and apparatus provide an enhanced quality low resolution image extracted from a scalable high resolution bit stream in a DCP bit stream. In various implementations, an enhancement layer is used to produce the enhanced low resolution image. The enhancement layer may include, for example, spatial-domain or frequency-domain information to be used to enhance the typical low resolution image extracted from a DCP bit stream. One specific process includes encoding a digital image into an encoded image. The encoded image is capable of being processed to provide a higher resolution decoding of the digital image and to provide a lower resolution decoding of the digital image. The process further includes encoding additional information for enhancing the lower resolution decoding to provide an enhanced lower resolution image. A complimentary signal and decoding process are also provided, as well as structures for performing the processes.
US08644630B2
In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a decoder. The decoder is configured to obtain first and second motion vectors of a block other than the current block. The other block neighbors the current block at one of a left, top and top right position. The decoder is configured to determine first and second motion vectors of the current block using the first and second motion vectors of the other block such that the first motion vector of the current block has a same direction as the first motion vector of the other block and the second motion vector of the current block has a same direction as the second motion vector of the other block.
US08644629B2
A method is described to greatly improve the efficiency of and reduce the complexity of image compression when using single-sensor color imagers for video acquisition. The method in addition allows for this new image compression type to be compatible with existing video processing tools, improving the workflow for film and television production.
US08644627B2
First and second codewords are determined, based on first feature vector components of the image elements in an image block, as representations of a first and second component value. Third and fourth codewords are determined, based on second vector components, as representations of a third and fourth component value. First N1 and second N2 resolution numbers are selected based on the relation of a distribution of the first vector components and a distribution of the second vector components. N1 additional component values are generated based on the first and second component values and N2 additional component values are generated based on the third and fourth component values. Component indices indicative of the generated component values are then provided for the different image elements.
US08644620B1
In one general aspect, a computer-readable storage medium can be configured to store instructions that when executed cause a host device to perform a process. The instructions can include instructions to calculate a set of hash values associated with a set of blocks of a first image, and calculate a hash value associated with a block of a second image. The instructions can include instructions to receive an indicator that the hash value of the block of the second image matches a hash value from the set of hash values associated with the first image, and designate, in response to the indicator, the block of the second image for duplication.
US08644619B2
A key identification system is provided. The key identification system comprises an imaging system to capture an image of a master key, and a logic to analyze the captured image. The imaging system may be capture an image of a groove in the master key from an angle between perpendicular and parallel to the blade of said master key. The logic analyzes the captured image to compare characteristics of the groove with groove characteristics of known key blanks to determine the likelihood of a match between the master key and a known key blank. The key identification system may further compensate for displacement or orientation of the master key with respect to the imaging system when analyzing characteristics of the groove.
US08644615B2
Described embodiments include a system, method, and program product. A described system includes a circuit that determines a substantial correspondence between a human-perceivable feature included in a border region segment of a selected medical skin image and a human-perceivable feature included in each other medical skin image of a plurality of medical skin images. A circuit gathers the determined substantial correspondences. A circuit generates data indicative of a border region-overlap status of the selected medical skin image. A circuit adds the data to an omitted-coverage list. A circuit iteratively designates a next medical skin image as the selected digital image, and initiates a processing of each of the iteratively designated next medical skin images. A circuit identifies a possible non-imaged portion of the region of interest. A circuit outputs user-assistance information based on the identified possible non-imaged portion of the skin.
US08644613B2
When image data are input from a memory card or the like, a printing apparatus detects face region captured in these image data. Where the size and position of a face region fall within permitted ranges therefor set in advance in a permitted range table derived via sense evaluation testing, the input image data is selected as a printing target candidate. If the face region size and position do not each fall within their permitted range, however, the image data is not selected as a printing target. As a result, image data suitable for printing can be efficiently selected as printing targets from image data that contain human faces.
US08644611B2
A method for text recognition includes generating a number of text hypotheses for an image, for example, using an HMM based approach using fixed-width analysis features. For each text hypothesis, one or more segmentations are generated and scored at the segmental level, for example, according to character or character group segments of the text hypothesis. In some embodiments, multiple alternative segmentations are considered for each text hypothesis. In some examples, scores determined in generating the text hypothesis and the segmental score are combined to select an overall text recognition of the image.
US08644610B1
Present invention relates to a method and system for automatic searching for information on a network in response to an image query sent by a user. The image query includes an image that is captured by using a mobile communications device with a camera. The image is processed to detect the text present in it. The detected text is then recognized using an OCR. Subsequently, the text is searched for matches in the corresponding domain database, selected from the various domain databases present in the network. Thereafter, selected matches and additional related information is sent to the user.
US08644608B2
There is described an apparatus and method for recovering a contour of a bone from an input image of the bone with its surrounding tissues. The method comprises receiving the input image; applying in parallel at least three image processing functions to the input image to obtain at least three resulting images indicative of respective features of the input image, at least one of the at least three image processing functions pertaining to a spatial domain, and at least another one of the at least three image processing functions pertaining to a frequency domain; combining the at least three resulting images together to form a compounded image, the compounded image identifying at least two regions based on the respective features; identifying the contour of the bone based on the at least two regions of the compounded image; and outputting an output image for display, the output image comprising the contour identified.
US08644607B1
A method is described for processing an image to generate a signature which is characteristic of a pattern within the image. The method includes: receiving an image; overlaying a window at multiple locations on the image to define a plurality of sub-images within the image, with each sub-image each having a plurality of pixels having a luminance level; determining a luminance value for each sub-image where the luminance value is derived from the luminance levels of the plurality of pixels; and combining the luminance values for each of the sub-images to form the signature. The combining is such that the signature is independent of the location of each sub-image. A method of creating a database of images using the method of generating signatures is also described.
US08644606B2
The method uses several steps to collect, analyze, compare, and flag an image for inappropriate content. The image is first collected based on detection and is analyzed via a database of inappropriate images. The collected image is scanned for skin-tone and/or texture, then the method eliminates the background of the image. The method then analyzes the curvature of the image. The next step is body part detection for inappropriate body parts. The image is then given a score based on all of the above steps. If the score is above a point, the image is flagged. If it is below a preselected point, the image is released. If the score is between the two points, it is withheld for further analysis.
US08644596B1
An image converter compiles three-dimensional content into a data store, identifies a number of stereo image pairs from the three-dimensional content, computes a depth map for each of the stereo image pairs from the three-dimensional content, and partitions the stereo image pairs in the data store into multiple categories. The image converter determines a depth cue for each of the categories based on the depth map for each of the stereo image pairs in each category. The image converter computes a depth map for a category associated with a two-dimensional input image based on the determined depth cue and renders a three-dimensional output image from the two-dimensional input image using the depth map for the category.
US08644594B2
Even when the size of a three-dimensional image is changed, the pop-out amount is automatically adjusted to one intended by the user. The pop-out amount is adjusted based on a conversion characteristic defining a relationship between the size and the pop-out amount of a three-dimensional image as the size of the three-dimensional image is changed, and therefore the pop-out amount of the three-dimensional image can be automatically adjusted to a given pop-out amount preferred by the user or intended by the user.
US08644593B2
A mobile terminal and a method for composing 3D images thereof are disclosed. The method for composing 3D images of a mobile terminal includes: selecting a background image as a reference from an image buffer; adjusting a convergence point of the selected background image; extracting an object image to be composed to the background image; displaying guidance information indicating a position at which the object image can be composed to the background image; and composing the object image to the background image according to the guidance information. Thus, when 3D images, each having a different convergence, are composed, the convergence point of a background image is adjusted and guidance information indicating a position at which an object image is to be composed is provided, thereby conveniently and accurately composing the 3D images.
US08644592B2
A method for determining a position of a fluid discharge in an underwater environment, the method including: collecting data relating to an underwater area through at least two acoustic sensors; filtering and processing the data collected to identify the presence of the discharged fluid and the underwater area involved; forming a single stereoscopic image by combining the plurality of single three-dimensional images; and estimating the position of the fluid discharge on the basis of the stereoscopic image thus obtained.
US08644590B2
In order to measure a measurement target on a PCB, height information of the PCB is acquired by using a first image photographed by illuminating a grating pattern light onto the PCB. Then, a first area protruding on the PCB by greater than a reference height is determined as the measurement target by using the height information. Thereafter, color information of the PCB is acquired by using a second image photographed by illuminating light onto the PCB. Then, the first color information of the first area determined as the measurement target out of the color information of the PCB is set as reference color information. Thereafter, the reference color information is compared with color information of an area except for the first area to judge whether the measurement target is formed in the area except for the first area. Thus, the measurement target may be accurately measured.
US08644589B2
A method for decomposing a target circuit pattern containing features to be imaged into multiple patterns. The process includes the steps of separating the features to be printed into a first pattern and a second pattern; performing a first optical proximity correction process on the first pattern and the second pattern; determining an imaging performance of the first pattern and the second pattern; determining a first error between the first pattern and the imaging performance of the first pattern, and a second error between the second pattern and the imaging performance of said second pattern; utilizing the first error to adjust the first pattern to generate a modified first pattern; utilizing the second error to adjust the second pattern to generate a modified second pattern; and applying a second optical proximity correction process to the modified first pattern and the modified second pattern.
US08644585B1
A stack of currency bills is received, transported, and imaged via an image scanner to produce image data that is reproducible as a visually readable image for each currency bill. Each of the currency bills has an associated serial number and additional identifying character information. The associated currency bill serial number and the additional identifying character information are extracted from the image data of each currency bill. Each currency bill is denominated. A suspect determination is made for each currency bill and upon a determination that a currency bill is a suspect bill, A suspect note report is automatically generated. Fields in the report are populated with information associated with the suspect bill including the extracted serial number, the extracted additional identifying character information, and the denomination of the suspect bill.
US08644578B1
In general, embodiments of the invention comprise systems and methods for delineating objects from imaging scans. According to certain aspects, methods of the invention include aggregating homologous objects from multiple scans into categories, developing profiles or characteristics for these categories, matching newly identified objects to these pre-existing categories for object identification, and red-flagging, or visualization of identified objects.
US08644575B2
According to one embodiment there is provided a computer-automated image processing method applied to a four-dimensional (4D) image data set of a patient's abdomen, e.g. by dynamic contrast enhanced computer-assisted tomography (DCE-CT). One of the three-dimensional (3D) scan images is taken to as the reference volume and the others as target volumes. Before registration between the 3D scan images, the image data set is partitioned into an abdominal cavity domain, containing the organs inside the abdominal wall, and an abdominal wall domain including the abdominal wall and externally adjacent skeletal features, such as the spine and ribs. Registration is then carried out separately on the two domains to obtain two warp fields which are then merged into a 4D image data set of the whole volume for further use, which may be to carry out perfusion measurements, to display and to store the registered 4D image data set.
US08644572B2
Methods, systems and computer program products for managing frequency domain optical coherence tomography (FDOCT) image resolution. A spectrum used to acquire an image of a subject is calibrated and default dispersion correction parameters are set. Default dispersion management parameters associated with a region of the image of the subject are also set. The image of the subject is acquires after setting the default dispersion correction parameters and the default dispersion management parameters. A quality of the acquired image is compared to a quality metric for the acquired image. The dispersion correction parameters are adjusted if the quality of the acquired image does not meet or exceed the quality metric for the acquired image. The acquired image is reprocesses based on the adjusted dispersion correction parameters. The steps of comparing, adjusting and reprocessing are repeated until the acquired image meets or exceeds the quality metric for the acquired image.
US08644563B2
Face recognition may be performed using a combination of visual analysis and social context. In one example, a web site such as a social networking site or photo-sharing site allows users to upload photos, and allows faces that appear in the photo to be tagged with users' names. When user A uploads a new photo, two analyses may be performed. First, a face in the photo is compared with known faces of users to determine similarity. Second, it is determined which other users user A frequently uploads photos of. Two probability distributions are created. One distribution assigns high probabilities to users whose photos are similar to the new photo. The other assigns high probabilities to users who frequently appear in photos uploaded by user A. These probability distributions are combined, and the person in the photo is identified as being the person with the highest probability.
US08644562B2
Biometric systems capture and combine biometric information from more than one modality, employing digital processing algorithms to process and evaluate captured images having data for a biometric characteristic. Such digital algorithms may include a pupil segmentation algorithm for determining a pupil image in the captured image, an iris segmentation algorithm for determining an iris image in the captured image, an eyelid/eyelash segmentation algorithm for determining an eyelid/eyelash image in the captured image, and an algorithm for measuring the focus on the iris. Some embodiments employ an auto-capture process which employs such algorithms, in part; to evaluate captured images and obtain the best possible images for biometric identification.
US08644560B2
An image processing apparatus includes a depth image obtaining unit configured to obtain a depth image including information on distances from an image-capturing position to a subject in a two-dimensional image to be captured; a local tip portion detection unit configured to detect a portion of the subject at a depth and a position close from the image-capturing position as a local tip portion; a projecting portion detection unit configured to detect, in a case where, when each of the blocks is set as a block of interest, the local tip portion of the block of interest in an area formed of the plurality of blocks adjacent to the block of interest, becomes a local tip portion closest from the image-capturing position, the local tip portion as a projecting portion; and a tracking unit configured to continuously track the position of the projecting portion.
US08644549B2
A system and method for forming volumetric images of an imaged object based on multiple radiation measurements of the object taken from different angles. A first volumetric image of the object may be calculated using a direct reconstruction method from a plurality of radiation measurements of the object. At least one iteration of an iterative reconstruction method may be performed to compute a second volumetric image of the object. The iterative reconstruction method may be initialized with the first volumetric image of the object.
US08644539B2
A hearing aid has improved immunity to RF electromagnetic interference produced from wireless communications devices. A microphone receives audio signals from the environment. Audio circuitry is connected to the microphone and amplifies the audio signals. A speaker is connected to the audio circuitry and directs the audio signals into an ear canal of the user of the hearing aid. The audio connection lines connect the microphone and audio circuitry and the speaker and audio circuitry. A filter is connected into each of the audio connection lines and operative for reducing the RF coupling from a wireless communications device.
US08644532B2
A method of the present invention includes coordinating tuning to the same channel of a radio band wherein the following steps are performed: tuning to a channel, within a radio band, that uses a side band; receiving control information in the side band of the channel; and processing the received audio information in the channel using the control information.
US08644527B2
A piezoelectric acoustic transducer achieves both space-saving and high sound quality without increasing the number of parts. In order to achieve this, the transducer includes a piezoelectric element constructed of a piezoelectric material interposed between two surface electrodes and a diaphragm of which at least one principal surface is provided with a print wiring and at least one principal surface is bonded to the piezoelectric element. The diaphragm includes a frame section, a vibrating section which is bonded with the piezoelectric element and which vibrates, and at least one supporting section which connects the frame section and the vibrating section and which supports the vibrating section. Either the frame section or the at least one supporting section includes at least one electrical resistance which is integrally formed to the print wiring and which constructs, in combination with the piezoelectric element, a series-RC circuit.
US08644520B2
A system and method include obtaining an aural impulse signature at a first location in a simulated space. An aural impulse signature at a second location in a simulated space is also obtained. Aural impulse signature morphing is applied via a computer to aural impulse signatures of the first and second locations to provide an intermediate aural impulse signature between the first and second locations.
US08644519B2
An electronic device having an enclosure including an upper panel and a bottom panel operably connected to the upper panel. A transducer is operably connected to the enclosure and the transducer is configured to mechanically vibrate the enclosure. The transducer includes an electromagnet, a magnet in communication with the electromagnet and a bracket substantially surrounding the electromagnet and the magnet, the bracket substantially secures the transducer to the bottom panel.
US08644513B2
Various techniques are described for processing externally encrypted data by database management system. Specifically, techniques are described for incorporating encrypted data stored in a first database that was encrypted by a first database management system into a second database where the encrypted data is accessed by a second database management system. When accessing externally encrypted data incorporated into the second database, the second database management system can decrypt portions of the data as needed. Because of the manner of incorporation of externally encrypted data into the second database, specifically because the externally encrypted data need not be decrypted before being incorporated into the second database, the computational overhead and security concerns associated with conventional approaches for migrating encrypted data from one database management system to another are avoided.
US08644506B2
Location based security rules are provided for preventing unauthorized access to a device, application, system, content, and/or network, etc. The location-based security rules enable a user, computing device, system, etc. to access the requested item or information when the user provides proper identification information. The proper identification information is based in part on the location of the user and/or the user's access request.
US08644494B2
An echo canceler 10 generates an echo elimination signal by filtering through adaptive filters 101 and 102 reference signals input from sound sources causing echoes. It includes a sound source number detecting unit 103 for detecting the number of the sound sources causing echoes from the reference signals, and a control unit 105 for making the number of taps of the adaptive filters 101 and 102 variable in accordance with the number of the sound sources detected by the sound source number detecting unit 103.
US08644480B2
Disclosed embodiments allow telephony services of different types to be provided by a telephone company at a service platform for telephone calls received at a local telephone exchange belonging to the telephone company, but which does not itself support services those different types of services. Additional embodiments allow for disabling a subscriber-configurability feature for a service of a first service type on the local exchange so as to prevent or inhibit a subscriber from configuring a setting which may interfere with services provided on the service platform.
US08644479B2
A method for protecting moderator access using a communication device. The method includes: displaying an interface for editing a conference call profile, the conference call profile including conference call scheduling information including one or more addressees for communicating with a conference call server, wherein the conference call scheduling information further includes a moderator access code and a participant access code; generating an indicator for the conference call profile for excluding sending of the moderator access code to invited participants; and storing the conference call profile including the indicator in a memory of the communication device. A communication device can be configured to perform the method.
US08644468B2
Predictive analysis relating to nodes of a communication network is carried out by providing communication event information for a first set of nodes and a second set of nodes of the communication network, providing a set of attributes for the nodes of the first set, using the attributes and the communication event information for determining a set of groups among the first set of nodes, assigning each node of the second set to at least one group of the set of groups based at least on the communication event information available for the second group, the assigning resulting in membership information of the nodes of the second set, and deriving or applying a prediction model for the second set of nodes based on the communication event information for the second set and the membership information.
US08644463B2
Briefly, a variety of embodiments, including the following, are described: a system embodiment and methods that allow random access to voice messages, in contrast to sequential access in existing system embodiments; a system embodiment and methods that allow for the optional use of voice recognition to enhance usability; and a system embodiment and methods that apply to the area of voicemail.
US08644462B2
A unified messaging system which can provide messaging services for a plurality of different “message types” is disclosed. The unified messaging system can serve as a single interface to a number of messaging services provided by various messaging components which use different message types (e.g., mail server). A unified message type is implemented and presented to a user as an abstract message. In addition, the unified messaging system can automatically determine, based on a first selected feature, if one or more message types should be used. A particular message type can also be automatically selected as a “best message type” based on one or more selected options.
US08644459B1
A computer-implemented method and system to remotely test message-waiting notifications over a communications network is provided. The method includes receiving broadband signaling from a voicemail platform; converting the broadband signaling to narrowband signaling; and transmitting the narrowband signaling, which generates status notifications, and transmits the status notifications to a remote test location. The system includes a switching element that routes the broadband signaling generated by the voicemail platform. The switching element routes the broadband signaling to a message processing component that executes code that searches a message-waiting-notification database to generate appropriate tones based on the broadband signaling received from the switching element.
US08644458B2
A method processes and conditionally routes a call. The method includes receiving a call from a caller, determining a telephone number of the caller, and determining if the telephone number of the caller is a telephone number assigned to a specific individual. The method also includes accessing an electronic database to determine a stored language preference of the specific individual when the telephone number of the caller is determined to be assigned to a specific individual, prompting the caller to select a language preference when the specific individual does not have a stored language preference, and storing the language preference selected by the caller based on the prompting in an electronic database. The method further includes routing the call to a predetermined destination based on the stored language preference of the specific individual in the electronic database.
US08644452B2
A device is used to precisely deliver the treatment plan created by an automatic planning system by positioning a single low energy radiation source, or a plurality of low energy sources connected to each other, in a predetermined parallel, planar, or similar geometry, each source equipped with blocking and attenuation mechanisms, thereby delivering a plurality of parallel overlapping beams indexed on a millimeter or submillimeter grid such that a concentration of dose is achieved at a variable depth in tissue relative to the dose where the radiation first enters the tissue. A plurality of overlapping beams indexed on a millimeter or submillimeter grid can converge on a target volume loaded with gold nanoparticles to deliver a tumorcidal dose of radiation in as little as a single session to tumor cells but not to normal cells or to deliver serial radiosurgical treatments.
US08644446B2
A spacer grid for a nuclear fuel assembly for a light water reactor delimits a substantially regular array of cells housing nuclear fuel rods. The spacer grid further including supporting members which project into the cells from the peripheral belt of walls. The inner surface of at least one supporting member has before irradiation a concave shape in a plane transverse to the longitudinal direction. The inner surface of the contact part of the supporting member also has a convex shape in a longitudinal plane orientated radially with respect to the central axis of the corresponding cell before irradiation.
US08644444B2
An assembly of the type having a water channel extending along a longitudinal axis and having an upper section of larger cross-section area than a lower section and at least one fuel rod receiving groove extending longitudinally on the outer surface of the lower section, fuel rods extending longitudinally and disposed around the water channel and fixing members for fixing at least one fuel rod to the water channel in the at least one groove below the upper section.According to one aspect of the invention, the at least one groove extends along the upper section such that a fuel rod received in fixing members is longitudinally extractable or insertable from the upper end side of the fuel assembly.
US08644442B2
The invention provides methods for the production of radioisotopes or for the treatment of nuclear waste. In methods of the invention, a solution of heavy water and target material including fissile material present in subcritical amounts is provided in a shielded irradiation vessel. Bremsstrahlung photons are introduced into the solution, and have an energy sufficient to generate photoneutrons by interacting with the nucleus of the deuterons present in the heavy water and the resulting photoneutrons in turn cause fission of the fissile material. The bremsstrahlung photons can be generated with an electron beam and an x-ray converter. Devices of the invention can be small and generate radioisotopes on site, such as at medical facilities and industrial facilities. Solution can be recycled for continued use after recovery of products.
US08644432B2
A method for operating a Viterbi decoder uses few data move operations to improve efficiency. The Viterbi decoder predicts a state in which the convolution encoder might have operated while generating a convolutionally encoded data stream. The Viterbi decoder maintains a first set of states and based on the received convolutionally encoded data stream, predicts second and third sets of states. The Viterbi decoder then calculates first and second sets of decision bits based on the transitions to the second and third sets of states. Path metric values associated with the third set of states are stored in a memory buffer. Thereafter, during trace-back, the Viterbi decoder extracts first and second decoded bits from first and second sets of decision bits respectively.
US08644431B2
A receiver system and method for recovering information from a symbol data sequence Y. The symbol data sequence Y corresponds to a symbol data sequence X that is transmitted onto the channel by a transmitter. The symbol data sequence X is generated by the transmitter based on associated information bits. At the receiver, a set of two or more processors operate in parallel on two or more overlapping subsequences of the symbol data sequence Y, where each of the two or more overlapping subsequences of the symbol data sequence Y corresponds to a respective portion of a trellis. The trellis describes redundancy in the symbol data sequence Y. The action of operating in parallel generates soft estimates for the associated information bits. The soft estimates are useable to form a receive message corresponding to the associated information bits.
US08644430B1
A specialized preamble is provided to facilitate matrix channel estimation of a MIMO channel. In a particular implementation, a channel training preamble provided by the IEEE 802.11a standard is modified to facilitate MIMO channel estimation.
US08644414B2
A multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication method using a codebook is provided. The MIMO communication method may use one or more codebooks and the codebooks may change according to a transmission rank, a channel state of a user terminal, and/or a number of feedback bits. The one or more codebooks may be adaptively updated according to a time correlation coefficient of a channel.
US08644411B2
A multi-user MIMO downlink beamforming system (200) is provided to enable transmit beamforming vectors to be efficiently provided to a subset of user equipment devices (201.i), where spatial separation or zero-forcing transmit beamformers (wi) are computed at the base station (210) and used to generate precoded reference signals (216). The precoded reference signals (216) are fed forward to the user equipment devices (201.i) which apply one or more hypothesis tests (207.i, 208.i) to the precoded reference signals to extract the precoding matrix (W), including the specific transmit beamforming vector (wUE) designed for the user equipment, and this extracted information is used to generate receive beamformers (vi).
US08644410B2
A base station includes antennas, a local signal generator; first and second mixers generating first and second mixed signals by mixing first and second signals from first and second antenna among the antennas and the local signal; first and second analog digital converters converting to first and second digital signals, first and second interference detecting units detecting first and second interference signals based on the first and second digital signals; first and second interference removing units generating first and second processed signals by removing the first and second interference signals by first and second filters having first and second filter central frequencies shifted in first and second directions from first and second interference central frequencies of the first and second interference signals, respectively; and a combining unit combining the first and second processed signals.
US08644409B2
Systems and methodologies are described herein that facilitate improved modulation and coding techniques for a multiple-in multiple-out (MIMO) communication system. As described herein, data to be transmitted over a set of physical layers (e.g., corresponding to antennas, beams, etc.) can be processed such that encoding is performed on a per-codeword basis and modulation is performed on a per-layer basis, thereby mitigating performance degradation experienced by traditional systems due to layer imbalance. As further described herein, per-codeword code rate parameters and per-layer modulation parameters can be signaled to a device in various manners, such as through modulation and coding scheme (MCS) signaling, explicit code rate and/or modulation scheme signaling, relative code rate and/or modulation scheme signaling, or the like.
US08644395B2
A method for performing temporal error concealment is provided. The method includes the following steps: detecting a damaged macroblock having four 8×8 damaged blocks; obtaining motion vectors of a plurality of 4×4 neighboring blocks surrounding the damaged macroblock; and for each of the 8×8 damaged blocks, determining a predicted motion vector according to motion vectors of six of the plurality of 4×4 neighboring blocks which are closest to the 8×8 damaged block.
US08644382B2
A prediction set determining section (13) selects a prediction set from a prediction set group including a plurality of prediction sets having different combinations of prediction modes corresponding to different prediction directions. Further, a prediction mode determining section (11) selects a prediction mode from the prediction set thus selected. An entropy encoding section (4) encodes the prediction set thus selected, the prediction mode thus selected, and residual data between an input image and a predicted image formed on the basis of the prediction set and the prediction mode. This allows an image encoding device to carry out predictions from more various angles, thereby improving prediction efficiency.
US08644375B2
Aspects of the present invention relate to systems and methods for intra prediction. According to one aspect of the present invention, a macroblock may be partitioned into two, or more, sets of blocks. The pixel values for a block within a first set of blocks may be predicted using reconstructed values from only neighboring macroblocks. The pixel values for a block within another set of blocks may be subsequently predicted using reconstructed values from blocks in previously reconstructed sets of blocks and/or reconstructed values from neighboring macroblocks. The block residuals for the first set of blocks may be signaled, and the block residuals for subsequently predicted blocks may be signaled. The pixel values for blocks within a set of blocks may be predicted in parallel.
US08644374B2
Techniques are provided herein to shift at an encoding device a portion of a video sequence by a first predetermined number of pixels horizontally and by a first predetermined number of pixels vertically to produce a shifted first portion of the video sequence. The shifted first portion of the video sequence is encoded to produce a first video description. The portion of the video sequence is shifted by a second predetermined number of pixels horizontally and by a second predetermined number of pixels vertically to produce a shifted second portion of the video sequence. The shifted second portion of the video sequence is encoded to produce a second video description, and the first video description and the second video description are transmitted. The techniques are scalable to shift and encode the portion of the video sequence a plurality of times to produce any number of video descriptions. Similarly, techniques are provided herein to perform such functions in reverse at a decoder.
US08644369B1
Apparatus and methods generate equalizer coefficients for an equalizer of a receiver. In a high-speed receiver, received symbols can be subject to inter-symbol-interference (ISI). An equalizer can compensate for ISI and improve a bit error rate (BER). However, traditional adaptive techniques to generate coefficients for equalization can generate corrupted coefficients when equalized samples used for adaptation are based on clipped or heavily compressed signals. In certain situations, the clipping rate can be relatively high, such as over 20%. Equalizer performance is improved when the equalized symbols used directly or indirectly for adaptation are selected such that equalized symbols based on clipped input samples are not used for adaptation.
US08644360B2
The present invention provides a method for transmitting and receiving ultra wide band (UWB) signals. By this method, application systems such as wireless UWB communication, wireless UWB positioning and UWB target detecting radar can be achieved. In this method, an UWB device periodically generates pulse signals. In each pulse repetition period, an output signal can be a positive-polarity pulse (positive pulse), or a negative-polarity pulse (negative pulse), or an empty signal (empty signal) without any change. A method of UWB device controlling the output signal to shift between the positive pulse, negative pulse and empty signal is very simple and easy to implement. A transmitter can transmit any variable pulse sequence (the arranging order of the positive pulse, negative pulse and empty signal; the length of the sequence). One or more definite pulse sequences are used to constitute wireless information frame according to certain rules, and functions such as communications, positioning and target detection between one or more transmitters and one or more receivers can be realized. The prevent invention provides a method for generating UWB signals, as well as a low-cost and a high-performance UWB signal receiving method. According to the UWB signal generating and receiving method disclosed in the present invention, the system can very conveniently change (by software control) a central frequency and signal bandwidth of the UWB signals, and therefore can satisfy application requirements in different fields. A plurality of such transceivers can simultaneously work at the same waveband or different wavebands.
US08644358B2
The present invention relates generally to highly power-efficient quantum cascade sources, such as highly power-efficient quantum cascade lasers having ultra-strong coupling between injector and active regions which may be configured to provide broadband quantum cascade lasers.
US08644352B1
A system and method for accounting for delay to accurately schedule a data packet for transmission between communicating devices. According to an aspect of the invention, a data packet to be scheduled is identified and the packet modified time, reflecting an estimation of the transmission time of the packet, and the scheduled transmission time, reflecting the time the packet should be scheduled to be transmitted, are calculated. A time stamp in the packet is adjusted to reflect the packet modified time and the packet is stored until either the packet modified time or the scheduled transmission time, when the packet is then transmitted.
US08644345B2
A multi-carrier signal transmission apparatus transmits a transmission stream including at least preamble information necessary for synchronizing a transmission signal and data information as a multi-carrier signal. A modulator generates a transmission symbol stream by modulating an arrangement of the preamble information and the data information. A symbol expanding portion expands the transmission symbol stream on a frequency axis by generating a complex conjugate value of at least one part of the preamble information symmetrically on the frequency axis.
US08644343B2
The present invention relates to a method for establishing a path, having a certain QOS-class, between a modem and an edge node over a communications network. The communications network comprises an Access Multiplexer and an Ethernet aggregation network, where the Access Multiplexer couples the modem to the Ethernet aggregation network. The modem is coupled to the Access Multiplexer over at least one ATM connection. The modem forwards an ARP request, that is received from a host terminal, for an address of the edge Node over an ATM having a certain QOS-class. The Access Multiplexer intercepts the ARP request that is forwarded by the modem and assigns a chosen address for the edge node based on information on the edge node that is contained in the ARP request. Subsequently, the Access Multiplexer includes this chosen address in an ARP reply. The modem receives the ARP reply that contains the address of the edge node on the ATM connection having the certain QOS class and the modem retrieves the address and subsequently stores this address together with an identification of the connection.
US08644340B2
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a plurality of signals at a plurality of ports, each of the signals having a protocol type; mapping each of the signals to one or more time slots of one of a plurality of Low Order Optical Transport Network (OTN) containers; mapping the Low Order OTN containers to a High Order OTN container; mapping the High Order OTN container to a High Order OTN envelope for communication over an OTN; and, in connection with the mapping of the High Order OTN container to the High Order OTN envelope, for each of the signals, inserting into the High Order OTN envelope information identifying the port that the signal was received at, the protocol type of the signal, the Low Order OTN container that the signal was mapped to, and one or more of the time slots that the signal was mapped to.
US08644330B2
An apparatus may comprise a channel estimation architecture for wireless communications. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08644325B2
A system, method, and node for a Routing Controller (RC) to obtain from a Path Computation Element (PCE), network resource path metrics across a plurality of domains in a communication network in which each domain includes a plurality of Border Nodes (BNs). The RC sends to the PCE, a first message requesting a first path computation between each pair of BNs. The first message contains a maximum metric-value that a path computation must not exceed for a Path Computation Client (PCC) to consider the path computation acceptable. The RC then sends a second message requesting the PCE to compute a subsequent path computation for each BN pair for which the first path computation did not exceed the maximum metric-value. The second message contains a minimum metric-value that a path metric must exceed for the PCC to consider the path metric acceptable. The RC then receives the computed subsequent path computation.
US08644324B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing priority routing at a Diameter node are disclosed. One exemplary method includes receiving, at a Diameter message processor associated with a DSR, a Diameter message from a first Diameter node. The method further includes assigning, at the Diameter message processor, a priority level indicator to the Diameter message. The method also includes routing the Diameter message with the priority level indicator to a second Diameter node. A second exemplary method includes receiving, at a Diameter message processor associated with a DSR, a Diameter message that includes a priority level indicator from a first Diameter node. The second method further includes applying, at the Diameter message processor, a routing action to the Diameter message based at least in part on the priority level indicator contained in the Diameter message.
US08644318B2
Certain aspects of the present disclosure provides techniques for a handshaking protocol, and corresponding circuit elements, for an asynchronous network. The techniques utilize a clock-less delay insensitive data encoding scheme. The proposed network may operate correctly regardless of the delay in the interconnecting wires.
US08644316B2
A method including receiving data packets encapsulating at least part of a media stream, extracting a decoder-ready packet from the data packets, processing the decoder-ready packet; and substantially synchronously with the processing of the decoder-ready packet, generating delivery performance information for the at least part of the media stream, data from which is included in the decoder-ready packet.
US08644313B2
A method of installing forwarding state in a link state protocol controlled network node having a topology database representing a known topology of the network, and at least two ports for communication with corresponding peers of the network node. A unicast path is computed from the node to a second node in the network, using the topology database, and unicast forwarding state associated with the computed unicast path installed in a filtering database (FDB) of the node. Multicast forwarding state is removed for multicast trees originating at the second node if an unsafe condition is detected. Subsequently, a “safe” indication signal is advertised to each of the peers of the network node. The “safe” indication signal comprises a digest of the topology database. A multicast path is then computed from the network node to at least one destination node of a multicast tree originating at the second node. Finally, multicast forwarding state associated with the computed multicast path is installed in the filtering database (FDB) of the network node, when predetermined safe condition is satisfied.
US08644306B2
In a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) video communication method and apparatus, first and second VoIP-based terminals store video event indexes and images mapped thereto with respect to state information of a user and terminal, and establish a session using session establishment information defining the video event. The first terminal then transmits a data packet including the video event index, and the second terminal receives the data packet and outputs an image mapped to the video event index of the images stored in advance. Thus, by transmitting and receiving a predefined index alone without transmitting user and terminal states as a real time data-type image, the VoIP video communication method and apparatus prevent unnecessary waste of bandwidth in video communication.
US08644297B2
The present invention provides a communicating device and a method for peer to peer communication between voice over IP (VOIP) devices by means of transmitting IP address to remote site by Call ID method and establishing a data structure. The data structure stated above may record the Internet IP address corresponding to the outgoing and incoming VOIP phone number. When a user dials or receives the phone number recorded in the data structure, the communicating device with this data structure will find the Internet IP address corresponding to this VOIP phone number and using this IP address for peer to peer communication. It is unnecessary to register to SIP proxy or Call Agent which provided by service provider.
US08644295B2
Methods are provided for fade protection at infrastructure equipment in a wireless communication network. The disclosed fade protection methods quantify signal quality, and based on the signal quality can detect fade conditions and/or recovery from such fade conditions. In one implementation, the disclosed fade protection methods can be implemented at Fixed Network Equipment (FNE) in an Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) Project 25 (P25) compliant system.
US08644277B2
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate dynamic selection of a random access channel configuration. Typically, a single random access channel configuration is utilized throughout a cell; however, the configuration employed, while appropriate for some mobile devices within the cell, can introduce unnecessary overhead for other mobile devices. A mobile device can measure a characteristic of a radio link between the mobile device and a base station. The measurement can be compared to a set of thresholds provided by the base station. Based upon the comparison, a random access channel configuration can be selected from a set of formats. The selected configuration can be utilized to initiate random access procedures.
US08644276B2
Example methods and apparatus to provide network capabilities for connecting to an access network are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves receiving a request at a first access network of a first network type. The request is addressed to a database and requests network connectivity information for connecting a wireless terminal to a second access network of a second network type different from the first network type. The example method also involves sending a response to the wireless terminal via the first access network. The response includes the network connectivity information for connecting the wireless terminal to the second access network.
US08644267B2
A wireless communication system, including: a plurality of wireless communication terminals connected to each other in a wired fashion and configuring a cluster; and a plurality of wireless communication base stations, wherein each of the wireless communication base stations divides a call signal into short signals, intermittently transmits the signals to the plurality of the wireless communication terminals, and varies transmission timing from one wireless communication base station to another, and the plurality of the wireless communication terminals receive the call signals from the plurality of the wireless communication base stations in a time division and alternate fashion.
US08644264B2
Methods and systems for estimating and canceling pilot interference in a wireless (e.g., CDMA) communication system. In one method, a received signal comprised of a number of signal instances, each including a pilot, is initially processed to provide data samples. Each signal instance's pilot interference may be estimated by despreading the data samples with a spreading sequence for the signal instance, channelizing the despread data to provide pilot symbols, filtering the pilot symbols to estimate the channel response of the signal instance, and multiplying the estimated channel response with the spreading sequence. The pilot interference estimates due to a plurality of interfering multipaths are accumulated to derive the total pilot interference, which is subtracted from the data samples to provide pilot-canceled data samples. These samples are then processed to derive demodulated data for each of at least one (desired) signal instance in the received signal.
US08644260B2
Methods and apparatus are described herein to manage a serving cell change. A HS-SCCH monitored set is maintained to store entries for all pending serving cell change requests. The HS-SCCH for each entry is monitored for a timer period. Once a change request has been confirmed for one entry, monitoring for the other entries continues until expiration of the associated timers.
US08644259B2
A method and apparatus for selecting or reselecting a home Node-B (HNB), (i.e., a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell), among cells having colliding physical layer signals are disclosed. Once the identity (ID) of an HNB is determined, measurements needed to support cell selection or reselection are performed. A broadcast channel that broadcasts an HNB ID is detected and synchronized to, and information obtained from the broadcast channel is forwarded to a non-access stratum (NAS). The broadcasted HNB ID is checked against an HNB white-list provided by the NAS to determine whether the HNB is suitable for a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU). The WTRU selects the HNB to camp on, or changes from a cell currently serving the WTRU to the HNB if it is determined to be more suitable than the current serving cell.
US08644254B2
A method and an apparatus for controlling transmitter power of a femto base station in a broadband wireless communication system are provided. In the method, a femto base station receives a signal having an intensity of a threshold or more from UE and transmits a message reporting power-on of a transmitter to a femto base station controller. The UE transmits a message reporting downlink signal measurement results of femto base stations to the femto base station controller via a macro base station. The femto base station controller determines a femto base station which becomes a handover target of the UE using report messages of the femto base stations and the UE. The femto base station controller transmits a handover procedure start message to the macro base station and the determined femto base station.
US08644251B2
A wireless communication network comprising a plurality of base stations capable of wireless communication with a plurality of subscriber stations within a coverage area of the network, wherein at least one of the plurality of base stations is capable of transmitting an edge-zone indicator which indicates the proximity of the at least one base station to an edge of an enhanced multicast broadcast system (E-MBS) zone.
US08644248B2
A terminal having a stream control transmission protocol (SCTP)-based handover function and an SCTP-based handover method, the terminal including: a session management unit to initiate an SCTP session with a second terminal; a link layer information collection unit to store beacon signals in a link layer state information database; a signal intensity extraction unit to, if the terminal enters an overlapping area of first and second communication areas, extract an intensity of a beacon signal transmitted by a second base station managing the second communication area from the link layer state information database; and a handover unit to, if the intensity is greater than a critical value, add an IP address received from the second base station to the SCTP session, and to, if the intensity is greater than a second critical value, requests the second terminal to communicate with the terminal using the received IP address.
US08644245B2
A method for performing communication in a user equipment of a wireless communication system comprises receiving a control region through a specific frequency block of a plurality of frequency blocks, the control region including a plurality of control channels; identifying a first control channel for the user equipment in the control region; and performing an operation in accordance with information included in the first control channel, wherein the specific frequency block through which the first control channel is transmitted is changed according to a certain pattern with the lapse of time.
US08644244B2
Methods, devices and systems for sensor-based wireless communication systems using compressive sampling are provided. In one embodiment, the method for sampling signals comprises receiving, over a wireless channel, a user equipment transmission based on an S-sparse combination of a set of vectors; down converting and discretizing the received transmission to create a discretized signal; correlating the discretized signal with a set of sense waveforms to create a set of samples, wherein a total number of samples in the set is equal to a total number of sense waveforms in the set, wherein the set of sense waveforms does not match the set of vectors, and wherein the total number of sense waveforms in the set of sense waveforms is fewer than a total number of vectors in the set of vectors; and transmitting at least one sample of the set of samples to a remote central processor.
US08644240B2
A user equipment 100n according to the present invention includes a broadcast information reception unit 112 configured to receive broadcast information in a downlink, wherein the broadcast information reception unit 112 is configured to regard the corresponding cell as a restricted cell when information included in the broadcast information is an unsupported value.
US08644237B2
Uplink load generation and control simplify network testing and other tasks. For example, a network operator can decide to test the network by imposing a test load in a selected uplink. The operator can suitably configure an appropriate Mobility Management Entity (MME) with information using a network Operations and Maintenance Support System. In due course, the MME informs the selected user equipment (UE): if the UE is in Idle mode, the network sends a page message; if the UE is in Active mode, with an on-going communication session, the page message is sent after the session ends; and if the UE is detached from the network, the UE is informed during the initial network attach procedure. Thus, uplink load generation is controllable by the network operator, enabling the operator to adjust an existing network and perform realistic simulations on a “green field” network, i.e., a network before launch.
US08644236B2
A method for communication includes providing a first transceiver configured to communicate with a second transceiver over a bi-directional link having a first aggregation of frequencies that are assigned to carry first communication traffic in a first link direction from the first transceiver to the second transceiver and a second aggregation of frequencies that are assigned to carry second communication traffic in a second link direction from the second transceiver to the first transceiver. Communication feedback is transmitted from the first transceiver to the second transceiver communication feedback at an adaptive feedback rate. The feedback rate is determined so as to achieve a desired balance between the information carrying capacities of the first and second aggregations. An information carrying capacity of the second aggregation is controlled responsively to the communication feedback.
US08644235B2
A radio transmitting apparatus wherein even if a preamble sequence transmitted via any one of the antennas of the radio transmitting apparatus is detected, the order of the space diversity can be determined with reliability and data signals can be normally decoded. In this apparatus, a deciding unit (101) decides preamble sequences the number of which is equal to the order of the space diversity and further decides transmission block intervals the number of which is equal to or greater than the order of the space diversity. An allocating unit (102) sequentially allocates the preamble sequences, the number of which is equal to the order of the space diversity, to the respective antennas, the number of which is equal to the order of the space diversity, within the respective transmission block intervals. The allocating unit (102) allocates different ones of the preamble sequences to the respective antennas at the respective same transmission timings that are within the respective transmission block intervals.
US08644233B2
A terminal transmits control information to a base station by using a periodically allocated dedicated channel. In further detail, the terminal checks control information that needs to be transmitted, detects a priority of the checked control information, and selects control information to be transmitted to the base station based on the detected priority. The terminal forms a PDU by multiplexing the selected control information, and transmits the PDU to the base station.
US08644231B2
A method of transmitting a feedback message in wireless communication system is provided. The method includes selecting N best subbands of M subbands according to CQI, where both M and N are a natural number and M is larger than N, generating multiple input multiple output (MIMO) information comprising N codebook indexes and N differential CQIs and transmitting the feedback message comprising the MIMO information.
US08644230B2
A method and an apparatus for determining an availability of at least one space channel are disclosed. For example, the method generates a first request to identify at least one available white space channel, and encodes the first request to obtain a second request, wherein the second request comprises one or more bursts of data, wherein each of said bursts of data has a duration less than or equal to a pre-determined maximum signal duration that is based on one or more error tolerance standards associated with a digital television receiver. The method then transmits the second request wirelessly to other devices to solicit a response as to the availability of at least one space channel.
US08644228B2
The present invention relates to a resource allocation device for efficiently using resources by persistently allocating the resources in a wireless communication system, and a method thereof. In the method, a quality of service (QoS) configuration is received according to a predetermined service, persistent resource allocation is performed according to a resource allocation request corresponding to the QoS configuration, various retransmission methods are determined when performing the persistent resource allocation, transmission data are established according to the determined retransmission method, and the transmission data are transmitted.
US08644227B2
A method for transmitting a control signal together with RACH transmission and a method for allocation a communication resource for the control signal transmission are disclosed. In allocating a communication resource for a control signal transmission within a transmission unit resource region for performing an RACH transmission, the present invention includes the steps of setting a resource region used for the RACH transmission to a portion of the transmission unit resource region and allocating the control signal transmission resource region unused for the RACH transmission within the transmission unit resource region.
US08644217B2
The invention deals with the adjustment of the nominal target error rate for transmission of data from a priority queue to a new predetermined target error rate depending on the state of the priority queue. Usually, the adjustment to the new predetermined target error rate will be to a predefined lower target error rate based on states of the priority queue, such as amount of data in the priority queue, time passed since the latest transmission of data from the priority queue, whether the amount of data in the priority queue will fit into one transport block, whether the data unit to be transmitted for the priority queue is the first or last data unit in the priority queue and may also be based on the type of data stored in the priority queue. There may be more than one such priority queue.
US08644216B2
Methods and systems for facilitating preemptive based radio access control are provided. The methods and systems include receiving queue data corresponding to a set of requests for highly prioritized communications included on a prioritized queue and utilizing the queue data to determine whether a set of conditions for involuntarily terminating a radio communication session has been met. Session data corresponding to characteristics for each of a plurality of radio communication sessions are also received and utilized to determine which of the plurality of radio communication sessions to terminate if the set of conditions for involuntarily terminating a radio communication session have been met.
US08644210B2
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus of transmitting and receiving backhaul downlink control information in a wireless communication system. In the method for transmitting backhaul downlink control information from a base station in a wireless communication system according to one aspect of the present invention, the base station transmits resource allocation information to at least one terminal and at least one relay node via a relay-physical downlink control channel (hereinafter referred to as “R-PDCCH”); transmits backhaul system information to the at least one relay node and the at least one terminal via a relay physical downlink shared channel (hereinafter referred to as “R-PDSCH”) which is determined according to the resource allocation information; and changes a backhaul downlink resource block according to the backhaul system information.
US08644205B2
A method of transmitting information content to a plurality of mobile equipment, in which information related to the capability of properly decoding the content from a p-t-m radio bearer is collected by the radio network controller from the UEs that have joined the service. The proper configuration for the transmission of the content is then selected based on the collected information.
US08644204B2
A method for a base station to instruct a mobile station to perform an operation mode transition, the method including: receiving battery level information from the mobile station, the battery level information being included in a signaling header; determining, based on the battery level information, if the mobile station can perform an operation mode transition; and instructing the mobile station to perform the operation mode transition, if it is determined that the mobile station can perform the operation mode transition.
US08644202B2
An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a network adapter configured for wireless communication using more than one technology, and wherein the network adapter is configured to share a plurality of shared hardware components by limiting access to the air to one comm only at given time by designating one comm that owns the shared hardware components as a primary comm and all other comms are secondary comms, wherein the primary comm allows the secondary comms to use the shared hardware components when it is in an idle-state but when the primary comm returns from the idle state, it claims ownership of the shared resources and the secondary comms release the shared resources.
US08644194B2
Method and apparatus for managing traffic of a switch include logically partitioning a physical port of the switch into a plurality of virtual ports. One or more virtual output queues are uniquely associated with each virtual port. Switching resources of the switch are assigned to each of the virtual ports. A source virtual port is derived from a frame arriving at the physical port. The frame is placed in a given one of the one or more virtual output queues uniquely associated with the source virtual port derived from the frame. A destination virtual port for the frame is determined. The frame is transferred from the virtual output queue in which the frame is placed to an egress queue associated with the destination virtual port and forwarded from the egress queue to a destination physical port of the switch.
US08644192B2
Wireless communication systems using transmitter initiated communications methods. Several devices in the system listen by following a common frequency hopping sequence. When communication is desired, a transmitting device sends a request to send signal to an addressee; if available, the addressee sends a clear to send signal, and the transmitting device and the addressee then perform communications using a separate frequency hopping sequence. Methods for adding new devices are also included. In an example, a new device uses a discovery frequency hopping sequence to ping a number of frequencies until the common frequency hopping sequence is discovered. In another example, a new device listens on a single frequency forming part of the common frequency hopping sequence until the common frequency hopping sequence overlaps the single frequency.
US08644183B2
Systems and methods for memory-efficient storage and extraction of maximum power reduction (MPR) values in two-carrier wireless data systems are presented. A wireless broadband device can operate under the HSUPA Category 9 standard, in which two carriers can be employed for data uplinks. Due to power saturation, interference, and other factors, transmission output power is limited to various levels depending on channel configuration. Under previous standards using one carrier, the maximum power reduction (MPR) needed to address those issues could be stored on the device, since the total number of MPR values was limited. With the introduction of dual carriers in HSUPA-9, storing all possible MPR values is no longer feasible. Platforms and techniques are disclosed which allow accurate generation of MPR values in a two-carrier system, utilizing the 2nd, 4th, and 6th moments of the complex signals to derive MPR values without attempting to store all possible carrier combinations.
US08644182B2
The present invention provided a method and apparatus for reporting a channel quality in a wireless communication system. A terminal receives an uplink grant from a base station via one of a plurality of downlink component carriers (CCs). The uplink grant includes a channel quality indicator (CQI) request for instructing uplink allocation and CQI reporting. The terminal reports the CQI of the downlink CC being linked to the base station. The downlink CC being linked is one of the plurality of downlink CCs, which is linked to the uplink CC for which the uplink allocation is scheduled.
US08644180B2
Methods and systems for determining attributes of communication channels of MU-MIMO users in an OFDMA system are disclosed. One method includes receiving from a base station, for at least one sub-band of contiguous sub-carriers, an indication of an estimate of or an upper-bound on a total number of streams that are co-scheduled by the base station on the at least one sub-band and an indication of a fraction of a transmit power at the base station that is applied to streams that are scheduled for transmission to a particular user. The method further includes determining one or more signal quality measures for the at least one sub-band based on at least one of the fraction or the estimate of or the upper-bound on the total number of streams that are scheduled by the base station on the at least one sub-band. In addition, an indication of the one or more signal quality measures is transmitted to the base station in the method.
US08644177B2
Techniques for use in controlling data traffic in a wireless local area network (WLAN) which includes at least one access point (AP) are described. In one illustrative example, the terminal is associated with the AP and receives data traffic from a source device via the AP. The terminal identifies whether a processing requirement of the terminal for processing data traffic exceeds a predetermined threshold. In response to such identifying, the terminal produces a control message which includes a source address corresponding to the source device and a destination address corresponding to the terminal, and sends the control message to the AP. The control message is defined to instruct the AP to prohibit transmission of the data traffic originating from the source address and destined to the destination address. In one scenario, the control message further includes a time value indication, for instructing the AP to prohibit transmission of the data traffic only for a time period indicated by the time value indication.
US08644170B2
Techniques to determine the rate for a data transmission in an OFDM system. The maximum data rate that may be reliably transmitted over a given multipath (non-flat) channel by the OFDM system is determined based on a metric for an equivalent (flat) channel. For the given multipath channel and a particular rate (which may be indicative of a particular data rate, modulation scheme, and coding rate), the metric is initially derived from an equivalent data rate and the particular modulation scheme. A threshold SNR needed to reliably transmit the particular data rate using the particular modulation scheme and coding rate is then determined. The particular rate is deemed as being supported by the multipath channel if the metric is greater than or equal to the threshold SNR. Incremental transmission is used to account for errors in the determined data rate.
US08644168B2
A communication apparatus includes a determination portion determining a communication path over which first information to be communicated is routed, on the basis of second information corresponding to communication qualities of multiple communication paths provided between a first site and a second site.
US08644161B2
A shared channel used to communicate between a cable modem termination system and multiple cable modems is managed to prevent and/or reduce the impact of congestion. If the average channel utilization is above a near-congestion threshold, a cable modem in an extended high consumption state is assigned a reduced data transmission priority for managed traffic. Priority for that cable modem is restored to a default preferred level when the channel usage by that cable modem drops below a predetermined level or when the average aggregate channel utilization by all cable modems drops below the near-congestion threshold.
US08644157B2
The present solution is directed to a system for handling network interface card (NIC) congestion by a NIC aware application. The system may include a device having a plurality of network interface cards (NICs), a transmission queue corresponding to a NIC of the plurality of NICs; and an overflow queue for storing packets for the NIC when congested. The system may also include an application executing on the device outputting a plurality of packets to the transmission queue responsive to detecting that the NIC is identified as not congested. The device identifies the NIC as congested responsive to determining that a number of packets stored in the transmission queue has reached a predetermined threshold and responsive to detecting identification of the NIC as congested, the application stores one or more packets to the overflow queue. The device transmits one or more of the plurality of packets stored in the transmission queue and transmits a predetermined number of packets from the overflow queue.
US08644152B2
In one embodiment, a device includes: a transceiver operable to transmit packets to and receive packets from a modem; and a logic engine configured to transmit first packets at a rate through an upstream path for a modem to an Internet node such that no throttling is triggered in the modem, the logic engine being further configured to transmit second packets through the upstream path for the modem to the Internet node at a rate sufficient to trigger throttling in the modem if the modem implements throttling, the logic engine being further configured to compare an average transmission time for first packets to an average transmission time for the second packets to determine whether the modem implements throttling.
US08644150B2
A method and system for performing admission control in a packet-based telecommunication network includes a backbone network coupled between at least two access networks. When a first user on a first access network wants to communicate with a second user located on a different access network, a request is made to a quality server whether network resources are available. The quality server separately monitors both access networks and the backbone network and determines whether network resources are available to satisfy the request. In one embodiment, a two-tier approach is used wherein a coordinator module interacts with an admission control subsystem including a plurality of subsystem modules. Each admission control subsystem module is responsible for monitoring a part of the network, such as, one access network or a backbone network. The coordinator module determines which subsystem modules are associated with the user request and interrogates such subsystem modules as to resource availability.
US08644148B2
Apparatus configured to receive a first end-to-end flow control representation for at least one logical connection from a first further apparatus to a second further apparatus, update at least one end-to-end credit value for the at least one logical connection from the first further apparatus to the second further apparatus dependent on the first end-to-end flow control representation, select at least one logical connection to the second further apparatus dependent on the end-to-end credit value, generate a second end-to-end flow control representation for the at least one logical connection to the second further apparatus, and transmit the second end-to-end flow control representation addressed to the second further apparatus.
US08644144B2
The present invention discloses a method for measuring IP network performance and controlling IP network QoS, and apparatus and system thereof. In embodiments of the present invention, the information about the measurement contents, the data stream to be measured, and the measurement modes is sent to the IP network performance measurement peer end, and the end-to-end IP network performance measurement of the measurement contents of the data stream to be measured is started according to the measurement modes.
US08644142B2
The present invention provides a terminal capable of establishing multiple communication sessions with a public network proxy through different access networks. The terminal actively communicates with the public network proxy to control which of the multiple communication paths are active, as well as control the transition from actively using one communication path to using another. The public network proxy facilitates data and voice sessions between the terminal and any number of other communication devices. In one embodiment, the communication sessions are reserved tunneling sessions, and the terminal cooperates with the public network proxy to effectively control how many tunneling sessions are established, how many tunneling sessions are active at any given time, and the transition from one tunneling session to another for active communications. Each of the communication or tunneling sessions may be established over different access networks using different communication technologies and protocols.
US08644138B2
Data indicating a problem in a network is derived by collecting reformatting requests from devices in the network. The reformatting requests are generated by the devices in response to problems the devices experience in communicating using the network. The reformatting requests are correlated to determine a pattern in the reformatting requests over a period of time, and data indicating a problem in the network is derived based on the pattern.
US08644133B2
Aspects of a method and system for utilization of a reserved and/or out of band channel for managing a data rate of an Ethernet channel are provided. In this regard, a data rate of a network link may be managed via traffic communicated over a reserved and/or out of band channel on said network link. The reserved and/or out of band channel may be an auxiliary channel established in the IEEE 802.11AN standard. Traffic communicated over the reserved and/or out of band channel may enable negotiating a data rate for the link, scheduling a change in the data rate on the link, exchanging link state information, configuring a number of active physical channels on the link, configuring a signal constellation utilized for representing data on said the link, configuring an inter-frame or inter-packet gap, and/or configuring signal levels utilized for signaling on the link.
US08644126B2
Optical information recording medium 10 comprises: a plurality of recording layers 14 which undergo a change in refractive index by irradiation with recording beam; and an intermediate layer 15 provided between the recording layers 14. The intermediate layer 15 includes first intermediate layer 15A disposed adjacent to a recording layer 14 at a side opposite to an incident side from which recording beam enters the recording layer, and second intermediate layer 15B disposed adjacent to a recording layer 14 at an incident side from which the recording beam enters the recording layer. The first intermediate layer 15A and the recording layer 14 have different refractive indices, whereas the second intermediate layer 15B and the recording layer 14 have substantially the same refractive index. The first and the second intermediate layer 15A, 15B are merged with each other at an interface therebetween, whereby refractive index gradually changes at the interface.
US08644120B2
An optical information device used with a grooveless multilayer disc including multiple recording layers used to record and reproduce information signals and a guide layer dedicated to detect tracking error signals (TES) can always stably detect the TESs when the distance between the recording layer and guide layer varies due to selection of a target recording layer. For example, a plurality of light spots for detecting the TESs are formed by a holographic grating on the guide layer, but are defocused with respect to each other. The TESs are detected individually from the respective light spots. The TESs are subjected to an addition operation to be a signal for tracking control, thereby extraordinarily increasing the defocus dynamic range of the TESs.
US08644114B2
A signal transmitter device comprises an electrical acoustic signal transmitter signal, which has a piezoceramic disk on a metal membrane, on a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board has an opening in the region of the piezoceramic disk or the metal membrane, wherein the metal membrane extends over the opening for the purpose of bearing on the printed circuit board in an edge region of the opening. The piezoceramic disk arranged on the metal membrane is arranged towards the opening and substantially in the region of the opening, wherein a contact projection as part of the printed circuit board for electrical contact-connection to the signal transmitter is provided at the edge region of the opening. Separate parts can thus be obviated.
US08644104B2
A memory system that includes a memory device and a memory bank. During operation, the memory device receives a request to concurrently access a data word at a first row in a first storage region of the memory bank and error information associated with the data at a second row in a second storage region of the memory bank. The memory request includes a first row address identifying the first row and a second row address identifying the second row. Next, the memory device routes the first row address and the second row address to a first row decoder and a second row decoder in the memory bank, respectively. Finally, the memory device uses the first row decoder to decode the first row address to access the first row and concurrently uses the second row decoder to decode the second row address to access the second row.
US08644097B2
A memory device has: a plurality of memory cell blocks, the memory cell block including a plurality of memory cells, a redundancy memory cell, and a selector switching a defective memory cell among the plurality of memory cells to the redundancy memory cell; and a control circuit outputting control signals of the selectors of the plurality of memory cell blocks, based on defect information indicating whether or not each of the plurality of memory cell blocks has a defective memory cell and on specification information for specifying the defective memory cell in the memory cell block having the defective memory cell, wherein the control circuit has: a plurality of flip-flops provided in correspondence with respective bit lines of the control signals of the selectors of the plurality of memory cell blocks and for shifting the specification information serially.
US08644095B2
An input-output line sense amplifier configured to drive input data signals over an input-output signal line to an output driver circuit, the input-output line sense amplifier having an output driver stage having a plurality of different programmable output drive capacities to tailor the output drive of the sense amplifier.
US08644087B2
A circuit includes a first circuit configured to sense a leakage of a first bit line and output a first signal in response, and a second circuit configured to receive the first signal output from the first circuit and in response supply current to a second bit line for maintaining a voltage level of the second bit line.
US08644086B2
A semiconductor device includes a plurality of first chips, a second chip that controls the first chips, and internal wiring that connects the first chips and the second chip. The first chips each include: an optical fuse; a first latch circuit that retains information on the optical fuse; a second latch circuit that retains information on an electrical fuse, the information being supplied from the second chip through the internal wiring; and a select circuit that selects the information retained in either one of the first and second latch circuits. A redundancy determination signal is generated from the information selected. The information on the electrical fuse is transferred from the second chip to the first chips through the internal wiring.
US08644062B2
A multi-level memory device includes an insulating layer having an opening therein, and a multi-level cell (MLC) formed in the opening that has a resistance level varies based on the data stored therein. The MLC is configured to have a resistance level that varies as write pulses having the same pulse height and different pulse widths are applied to the MLC.
US08644055B2
This application describes embodiments of MRAM cells that utilize a PMOS transistor as an access transistor. The MRAM cells are configured to mitigate the effects of applying asymmetric current loads to transition a Magnetic-Tunnel Junction of the MRAM cell between magnetoresistive states.
US08644051B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of memory cell arrays each includes a plurality of memory cells, the plurality of memory cell arrays being stacked on a semiconductor substrate to form a three-dimensional structure, and a data input/output circuit includes a first address buffer and a second address buffer configured to store a first address and a second address of the plurality of memory cells, and a controller configured to perform control to time-divisionally output the first address and the second address to a first address bus and a second address bus in data input/output.
US08644047B2
A semiconductor device is disclosed which comprises a first wiring layer, a second wiring layer formed over the first wiring layer, data input/output terminals, and a data bus formed in the first and second wiring layers. The data bus includes N data lines transmitting data between a predetermined circuit and the input/output terminals. M first data lines among the N data lines have a length shorter than a predetermined length and residual N-M second data lines have a length longer than the predetermined length. Shield lines adjacent to the N data lines are formed in the first and second layers. The N data lines are arranged at positions at which the data lines do not overlap one another in a stacking direction of the first and second wiring layers.
US08644046B2
A non-volatile memory device can include a plurality of immediately adjacent offset vertical NAND channels that are electrically coupled to a single upper select gate line or to a single lower select gate line of the non-volatile memory device.
US08644041B2
A Power Factor Corrector (PFC), typically used as the first stage of switched mode power supplies, particularly suited for Universal Mains inputs, is disclosed, along with methods for controlling a switched mode power supply having power factor correction. In order to increase efficiency, particularly under low load conditions, without undue degradation of the Power Factor, the switching of the PFC circuit is confined to one or more operating windows within each half-cycle. In example embodiments, the operating window comprises a small time window centered around the peak of the mains voltage. The higher the power level, the wider the switching window.
US08644040B2
Exemplary embodiments of a power supply can be provided. The exemplary power supply can include a voltage source which supplies a supply voltage; and a charge pump circuit supplied by the voltage source and configured to generate an output voltage at an output. The charge pump can include alternating first and second clock states. In the first clock state, a first charge pump capacitor can be disposed between the supply voltage and ground and can be charged to the supply voltage by the voltage source, and a second charge pump capacitor can be coupled in series between the voltage source and the output. In the second clock state, the first charge pump capacitor and the second charge pump capacitor can be connected in series such that the charged connection of the first charge pump capacitor the first clock state can be grounded and the second charge pump capacitor can be charged by the voltage source.
US08644031B2
A flexible display device is provided. The flexible display device includes a flexible plate, a display unit and a sealant. The flexible plate has a concave. The display unit is disposed in the flexible plate and adjacent to the concave. The sealant is formed in the concave and covers the side of the display unit.
US08644029B1
A miniaturized wideband surface mount bias tee comprises a printed circuit board with a functioning first capacitor and a dummy second capacitor, and an inductor bonded atop the two capacitors. The capacitors, adhesive and solder are depositable by standard surface mount pick and place machinery. The inductor wires are bonded to one of the first capacitor bonding pads and to an inductor bonding pad. The circuit element bonding pads include portions bordering the pc board edges and are conductively connected to bonding pads on the bottom face of the pc board. Conductive thru-vias for the first capacitor bonding pads reduce parasitic inductance and extend the operating frequency range. A flat-topped insulating cap encloses the bias tee sides and top. The cap forms an air gap between the inductor and circuit elements and provides a surface for manipulating the bias tee with present-day assembly equipment.
US08644014B2
An exemplary server system includes a server cabinet, a number of racks received in the server cabinet, a number of servers mounted in the racks, and a heat dissipation device. The server cabinet includes a top plate, a bottom plate, and two end plates between the top and bottom plates. Each end plate defines an opening at a top end thereof and a plurality of apertures at a bottom end thereof. The servers are stacked between the end plates of the server cabinet with a channel defined therebetween. The heat dissipation device includes an intake fan arranged under the racks with air intakes thereof facing the apertures and air outlets thereof facing the channel, and two drawing fans respectively arranged at the openings of the two end plates for exhausting heated air of the server cabinet to the exterior.
US08644012B2
An electronic apparatus may comprise a screen housing, an antenna, and a waveguide. The screen housing may have a display side and an opposing rear side wherein the display side is a side from which a screen in the screen housing is viewable. The antenna may be disposed on the display side of the screen housing. The waveguide may have a first end and a second end. The first end may be coupled to a feeding point of the antenna. The second end may be coupled to a coaxial cable.
US08644008B2
A distribution unit has an incomer module disposed on the exterior of a battery casing and electrically connected to a battery housed within the casing, and a plurality of feeder modules electrically daisy-chained to the incomer module and configured to respectively distribute electrical power from the battery to a plurality of individual electrically powered devices.
US08644006B2
A composite cathode foil is provided. The composite cathode foil includes an aluminum substrate, a metal layer formed thereon, a metal carbide layer formed on the metal layer, and a carbon layer formed on the metal carbide layer, wherein the metal of the metal layer is selected from the group consisting of IVB, VB and VIB groups. The invention also provides a solid electrolytic capacitor including the composite cathode foil.
US08644005B2
Provided are a solid electrolytic capacitor including an anode, a dielectric layer provided on a surface of the anode, a coupling agent layer provided on the dielectric layer, a conductive polymer layer provided on the coupling agent layer, and a cathode layer provided on the conductive polymer layer, wherein the coupling agent layer contains a first coupling agent having a phosphonic acid group and a second coupling agent which is a silane coupling agent, and a method for manufacturing the solid electrolytic capacitor.
US08644002B2
In one example, a capacitor structure may include a capacitor comprising a surface that defines at least one feedthrough aperture and a ceramic insulator layer attached to the surface. The surface of the capacitor may include a capacitor registration feature, and the ceramic insulator layer may include a ceramic insulator layer registration feature. The capacitor registration feature and the ceramic insulator layer registration feature may cooperate to substantially align the ceramic insulator layer to the capacitor, e.g., prior to the ceramic layer being attached to surface of the capacitor.
US08644001B2
An electronic apparatus fixes a level to a level set by a level setting member when a detection unit detects that a lock member is operated to be brought into a lock state, and invalidates setting of the level made by the level setting member. After the detection unit detects that the lock member is operated to release the lock state, at the time the level setting member is operated, releases the fixation of the level.
US08644000B2
A multilayer ceramic capacitor, having a plurality of electrode layers and a plurality of substantially titanium dioxide dielectric layers, wherein each respective titanium dioxide dielectric layer is substantially free of porosity, wherein each respective substantially titanium dioxide dielectric layer is positioned between two respective electrode layers, wherein each respective substantially titanium dioxide dielectric layer has an average grain size of between about 200 and about 400 nanometers, wherein each respective substantially titanium dioxide dielectric layer has maximum particle size of less than about 500 nanometers. Typically, each respective substantially titanium dioxide dielectric layer further includes at least one dopant selected from the group including P, V, Nb, Ta, Mo, W, and combinations thereof, and the included dopant is typically present in amounts of less than about 0.01 atomic percent.
US08643995B2
A method and device for protecting an electric system against overvoltage occurrences, the electric system being adapted to be subjected to voltages. The device includes a plurality of surge arresters and a detector configured to detect overvoltage occurrences in the electric system. The surge arresters are connected in series, the plurality of surge arresters including a first surge arrester which is connectable to ground and a second surge arrester which is connectable to the electric system which is to be protected. The device includes a switch connected in parallel with at least one surge arrester of the plurality of surge arresters, and the switch is adapted to be open when no overvoltage occurrence is detected and adapted to close upon overvoltage occurrence detection and short-circuit the surge arrester with which it is connected in parallel. An electric system includes at least one such device.
US08643985B2
An electrical power converter for converting power from a bipolar DC source to supply an AC load is disclosed. For one such embodiment the bipolar DC source is a photovoltaic array and the AC power is sourced into an electric power grid. The bipolar photovoltaic array has positive and negative voltage potentials with respect to earth ground. The converter is a utility interactive inverter which does not require an isolation transformer at the electric power grid interface. Embodiments of the invention include methods of detecting and interrupting DC ground faults in the photovoltaic array.
US08643978B1
A spindle motor and a disk drive apparatus include a base member, an armature positioned above the base member, and a circuit substrate electrically connected to coils of the armature. The base member includes a bottom portion positioned below the armature and a lower slant surface extending radially outward and upward from an outer peripheral portion of a lower surface of the bottom portion. The circuit substrate includes a plurality of land portions arranged on its lower surface. The lower slant surface includes a first slant surface and a second slant surface arranged along a circumferential direction. At least one land portion is respectively arranged on each of the first slant surface and the second slant surface.
US08643966B2
An inspection device or inspection method for a magnetic head or magnetic disc which can form a servo pattern applicable to a write system, and a magnetic disc recording device or magnetic disc recording method. In inspection or recording of a magnetic disc, which rotates the magnetic disc, a servo pattern is written into a servo pattern region of the magnetic disc by a write-in element of a magnetic head, and is read by a read-in element of the magnetic head. Servo following of a position of the magnetic head on the magnetic disc is performed based on the servo pattern which comprises a plurality of patterns. The patterns are written-in with a first frequency for causing the patterns to be subjected to the servo following and, the patterns are overwritten with a second frequency different from the first frequency, except a servo following width used in the servo following.
US08643962B2
A lens moving mechanism includes a guide shaft extending in an optical axis direction and a lens frame. The lens frame includes a transfer portion which follows movement of the nut member, which is screw-engaged with a lead screw of a motor. An effective length of the guide shaft is greater than that of the lead screw so that an end of the guide shaft and the motor overlap each other. Part of the fit-on portion of the lens frame is positioned where the end of the guide shaft and the motor overlap each other when the lens frame is at a lens-frame moving end, and is positioned to face the lead screw in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis when the lens frame is at the opposite lens-frame moving end.
US08643960B2
An internal focus lens comprising sequentially from an object side a first lens group having a positive refractive power; a second lens group having a negative refractive power; and a third lens group having a positive refractive power. The second lens group is configured by a simple lens element and is moved along an optical axis to perform focusing. The internal focus lens satisfies condition expressions (1) 0.48<|f3|/f<0.73 and (2) 1.05
US08643957B2
An optical image system includes, in order from an object side to an image side, the first lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface; the second lens element with refractive power; the third lens element with positive refractive power having at least one surface being aspheric; the fourth lens element with refractive power having a concave object-side surface and a convex image-side surface, wherein at least one surface thereof element is aspheric; the fifth lens element with positive refractive power having a convex image-side surface; and the sixth lens element with negative refractive power made of plastic material and having a concave image-side surface, wherein at least one surface thereof is aspheric, and the image-side surface thereof changes from concave at a paraxial region to convex at a peripheral region.
US08643950B2
An image augmenting window and method of operation. An image augmenting window has at least one selectably transmissive internally focused intermediate image lens with a first and rear side opposite one another. Each lens respectively has a first portion that receives light and focuses it into a focused image on an internal focal plane. Each lens also has a projecting output optical structure that refracts the focused image as a projected image exiting the rear side at an exit angle. A selectably transmissive shutter is located in the internal focal plane and is controllable to block at least a portion of light passing through the lens. At least one controllable light source, positioned adjacent to a lateral side of a respective selectably transmissive internally focused intermediate image lens, emits projected light parallel to the exit angle. A controller independently controls each shutter and each controllable light source.
US08643945B2
An infrared light reflector having an infrared light reflective layer formed by polymerizing an infrared light reflective layer composition that contains a polyfunctional polymerizable compound, a cholesteric liquid crystal compound and a fluorine-containing alignment controlling agent in an amount of at least 60 ppm relative to the liquid crystal compound, wherein when a functional layer composition is applied onto at least one surface of the infrared light reflective layer, the number of the coating liquid cissing defects having a diameter of at least 5 μm is at most 10/m2.
US08643944B2
The present invention is directed to an infrared zoom lens that consists merely of optical components of germanium so as to implement an optical system that is capable of reducing variation in brightness during varying a magnification rate and is quite bright and that facilitates compensating for aberration, especially spherical aberration that is generally hard to do, thereby producing a clear and vivid image. The infrared zoom lens comprises first to fourth groups of lens pieces arranged in series from the foremost position closest to the object; each of the lens groups having all the lens pieces made of germanium, and at least one of the lens groups consisting simply of a single lens piece.
US08643936B2
This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for providing white light color output from an electromechanical systems (EMS) device with reduced likelihood of stiction. In one aspect, interferometric modulators are configured to provide a white color output while having a non-zero modulator gap dimension. Such a feature can reduce problems associated with zero modulator gap dimensions such as stiction. Various methodologies can be used to yield such a non-zero modulator gap and a white color output. In some implementations, for example, an optical element that introduced wavelength dependent phase shift is used. In some implementations this wavelength dependent phase shifting optical element includes a stack of color filters, a hologram, a diffraction grating, or layers of material having specific thicknesses and wavelength dependent indices of refraction.
US08643933B2
This disclosure provides connectors for smart windows. A smart window may incorporate an optically switchable pane. In one aspect, a window unit includes an insulated glass unit including an optically switchable pane. A wire assembly may be attached to the edge of the insulated glass unit and may include wires in electrical communication with electrodes of the optically switchable pane. A floating connector may be attached to a distal end of the wire assembly. The floating connector may include a flange and a nose, with two holes in the flange for affixing the floating connector to a first frame. The nose may include a terminal face that present two exposed contacts of opposite polarity.
US08643929B2
An apparatus includes an optical splitter, an optical intensity combiner, first and second Mach-Zehnder interferometers, and first and second drive electrodes. The first Mach-Zehnder interferometer connects a first optical output of the optical intensity splitter to a first optical input of the optical intensity combiner. The second Mach-Zehnder interferometer connects a second optical output of the optical intensity splitter to a second optical input of the optical intensity combiner. The first drive electrode is located between and connected to a pair of semiconductor junctions along first internal optical arms of the Mach-Zehnder interferometers. The second drive electrode is located between and connected to a pair of semiconductor junctions along second internal optical arms of the Mach-Zehnder interferometers.
US08643927B2
A protrusion formation hole is provided so as to pierce a support substrate. A polysilicon film as an electrical conducting material is embedded in the protrusion formation hole through an oxide silicon film. The polysilicon film partially bulges out of the protrusion formation hole toward a movable section to form a protruding section. In other words, the polysilicon film bulges out of the protrusion formation hole toward the movable section to form the protruding section. Thereby, a movable section included in MEMS can be prevented from sticking to other members.
US08643924B2
Two-dimensional optical scanner includes: a first acousto-optical deflector (AOD) and a second AOD that deflects light according to a signal; a first driving unit that rotates the first AOD around axis perpendicular to a first plane including the light on and light from the first AOD; a first prism that is arranged adjacent to an emission end of the first AOD and compensates angular dispersion of the light; a second driving unit that rotates the second AOD around axis perpendicular to a second plane including the light on and light from the second AOD and perpendicular to the first plane; a second prism that is arranged adjacent to an emission end of the second AOD and compensates angular dispersion of the light; and a relay lens that allows the emission end of the first AOD and an incident end of the second AOD to be optically conjugate.
US08643922B2
A method is provided for gamut clipping with preprocessing enabled as software instructions stored in a computer-readable medium and executable by a processor. The instructions provide a color in a color space defined by at least three attributes. If the color lies outside a gamut boundary in the first color space, a distance is measured from the color to the gamut boundary. In response to the measured distance, a weight is calculated for an attribute of the color. Then, it is determined if the attribute of the color is to be shifted. If so, an attribute shift amount is derived. The attribute shift amount of the color is modified by applying the weighting. The attribute of the first color is shifted by the weighted attribute shift amount, creating a post-processed color. The post-processed color is then clipped.
US08643912B2
A driving mechanism includes: a first contacting member that comes into contact with a contacted member; a supporting member that supports the first contacting member and is reciprocatably provided, the supporting member moving the first contacting member into contact with or retracts from the contacted member; a cam that reciprocates the supporting member; and a driving force transmission member that is provided to transmit a driving force to the cam, the driving force transmission member is engaged with the cam by transmit a first driving force, and is disengaged from the cam by a second driving force. In the driving mechanism, the second driving force is applied to the driving force transmission member after the cam is stopped in a state where the cam comes into contact with the supporting member on a small radius end of the cam.
US08643907B2
In the case of a text mode, a text LUT is stored by using the number Nt1 of first text grid cells so that the storage size does not exceed the amount of free space of an integrated RAM. In the case of a photograph mode, or in the case of a mixed text-and-photograph mode and special paper being used as paper, a photograph LUT is stored by using the number Np1 of first photograph grid cells so that the storage size does not exceed the amount of free space of the integrated RAM. In the case of a mixed text-and-photograph mode and plain paper being used as paper, the photograph LUT is stored so that the total of storage sizes of the photograph LUT and the text LUT does not exceed the amount of free space of the integrated RAM.
US08643906B2
The present invention suppresses data processing load and processing time when generating density data for the same color that corresponds to a plurality of printing scans (or plurality of printing element groups) of a printing head and printing medium. In order to accomplish this, input image data is converted to a plurality of density data by referencing a three-dimensional lookup table that performs one-to-one correlation of input image data with a plurality of density data that corresponds to a plurality of relative movements (or plurality of printing element groups). By doing so, it is possible to perform a process of generating density data (CMYK) that corresponds to a plurality of relative movements (or plurality of printing element groups) from input image data at once, and thus it is possible to suppress an increase in data processing load and processing time.
US08643904B2
An image processing device converts original image data to converted image data by performing a scaling process and a color conversion process on the original image data; determines, for each pixel in the converted image data, whether or not at least one set of original pixel data corresponding to the converted pixel includes predetermined data; and produces output image data based on the converted image data. The image processing device selects, for each pixel in the converted image data, a first halftone method when no set of original pixel data corresponding to the converted pixel includes the predetermined data, and a second halftone method when the at least one set of original pixel data corresponding to the converted pixel includes the predetermined data. The image processing device produces output pixel data for each converted pixel in the selected halftone method.
US08643902B2
A bi-color-image-signal generating apparatus includes a reception unit and a generating unit. The reception unit receives specification of a specified color in a case of generating a bi-color image signal from a color image signal. The bi-color image signal has color components representing two colors which are an achromatic color and a chromatic color that is the specified color. The generating unit obtains an amount of each color material which is to be used to form an image having the two colors from the color image signal on the basis of a brightness of the specified color, an amount of each color material which is necessary for image formation using the specified color, and a brightness of the color image signal, and generates the bi-color image signal from the color image signal using the obtained amount of each color material.
US08643895B2
An image processing device includes an acquiring unit, a rendering unit, and a mode determination unit. The acquiring unit acquires an input data including a character in a first size. The rendering unit renders an output image based on the input data. The mode determination unit determines whether or not a prescribed mode in which a consumption of printing material is reduced while printing the output image is designated. If the mode determination unit determines that the prescribed mode is designated, the rendering unit renders the output image of the character in a second size smaller than the first size.
US08643888B2
Disclosed is an image forming apparatus including: at least three storing devices; a detecting unit; and a control unit, wherein the striping is carried out by using all of the storing devices, and the mirroring is carried out by using at least two of the storing devices except at least one storing device. When one of the storing device is failed, in case that the mirroring was carried out by using the failed storing device, the mirroring is continued by using the one storing device which is not used for carrying out the mirroring instead of the failed storing device. The striping is carried out by using all of the storing devices except the failed storing device.
US08643883B2
The present invention provides an image reading system and an image reading apparatus with which an environment for performing a specific scan mode can be constructed with ease according to the functions of connected information processing apparatuses and the scan environment can be changed with ease, and control methods and programs thereof. To accomplish this, the image reading apparatus selects an information processing apparatus to which image data read from an original is to be transmitted, transmits identification information for identifying the image reading apparatus stored in advance in a memory and an instruction to construct an environment for performing the specific scan mode to the selected information processing apparatus, receives a response to the transmitted instruction, and, when the response is received, displays a setting screen in which settings regarding the environment for performing the specific scan mode can be changed on a display.
US08643882B2
A client PC 12 is capable of creating a job which can be processed by an image forming apparatus 10 where the image forming apparatus 10 prints and outputs a page for main printing included in the job received from the client PC 12 according to the job. The client PC 12 includes a CPU 201 that receives an instruction for setting confirmation printing in the image forming apparatus 10 so that a confirmation page is printed in addition to the page for main printing and output to a destination different from that of the page for main printing, and carries out the received instruction on each of the jobs; and an NC 212 that sends the job with settings for the confirmation printing provided to the image forming apparatus 10.
US08643877B2
An image forming apparatus includes a sever access unit configured to acquire information representing an amount of use of a storage area from a document management server, and a determination unit configured to determine whether the amount of use exceeds a threshold when data is stored in the storage area by checking the size of the data. A document storage unit stores the data in a storage unit in the image forming apparatus when the amount of use exceeds the threshold, and stores management information relating to a storage location of the data in the storage unit in the document management server. The document storage unit stores the data in the storage area when the amount of use is the threshold or less.
US08643872B2
A print control unit coupled with a printer, the print control unit electronically connected to the host to provide one or more base resources to a unique Object Identifier (OID) generator, the one or more base resources including printing instructions. The unique OID generator generates a unique OID relating to a derived resource via a unique OID generation module. The unique OID includes the printing instructions of the one or more base resources. A resource generator internally generates the derived resource.
US08643862B2
An input recognizer performs a processing of recognizing handwriting input or soft key input, and a processing of calculating a length of a trajectory which a depressing coordinate has moved by repeating acquisition of the depressing coordinate on an input screen in response to an interruption command requesting input recognition. An interruption commander selectively performs a handwriting input mode and a soft key input mode. An input mode switcher sets a mode of the interruption commander to the soft key input mode when a depressing start of a touch panel portion is detected, and switches the mode of the interruption commander from the soft key input mode to the handwriting input mode when the input recognizer recognizes that the length of the trajectory which the depressing coordinate has moved from detection of the depressing start reaches a predetermined value.
US08643857B2
The objective of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus that can perform selective processing for a plurality of images stored in a multi-image file. To achieve this objective, the image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a designation unit for designating an image file; a determination unit for determining whether the file designated by the designation unit is a multi-image file; an image information analyzing unit for analyzing image information, stored in the image file designated by the designation unit, when the designated image file is determined to be a multi-image file; a switching unit for switching between user selection and automatic selection of a multi-image file image to be output target; an image information notification unit; an output range designation unit; an output form designation unit; and an output unit.
US08643845B2
Provided are a surface inspection apparatus and method capable of detecting foreign materials on the surface of a substrate, and a slit coater having the surface inspection apparatus. In the surface inspection apparatus, a slit lighting unit irradiates slit-shaped light. An optical system splits the slit-shaped light into two beams traveling along two different paths, is incident upon a subject, and extracts an interference image caused by combination of the two beams reflected from the subject. An imaging device captures the interference image to output an image signal. An analysis unit acquires a luminance value of the image signal, analyzes the luminance value in real time, and determines whether or not foreign materials are present.
US08643843B2
A method for estimating a degree of contamination of a front screen of an optical detection apparatus is provided comprising the steps: Transmitting a plurality (p) of transmission radiation pulses into a detection zone; generating a reception signal for each transmission radiation pulse including a plurality (q) of sampled values, a sampled value indicating the intensity of the received back radiation of the transmission pulse after a predefined time interval from the transmission of the transmission radiation pulse; generating an averaged reception signal having a plurality (q) of sampled values from the plurality of reception signals, with those respective sampled values of the reception signals being added which were determined at mutually corresponding points in time to determine a sampled value of the averaged reception signal; generating at least one front screen contamination value by evaluating an amplitude value and/or a measured peak shape value of the averaged signal.
US08643840B2
A cell for a vacuum ultraviolet plasma light source, the cell having a closed sapphire tube containing at least one noble gas. Such a cell does not have a metal housing, metal-to-metal seals, or any other metal flanges or components, except for the electrodes (in some embodiments). In this manner, the cell is kept to a relatively small size, and exhibits a more uniform heating of the gas and cell than can be readily achieved with a hybridized metal/window cell design. These designs generally result in higher plasma temperatures (a brighter light source), shorter wavelength output, and lower optical noise due to fewer gas convection currents created between the hotter plasma regions and surrounding colder gases. These cells provide a greater amount of output with wavelengths in the vacuum ultraviolet range than do quartz or fused silica cells. These cells also produce continuous spectral emission well into the infrared range, making them a broadband light source.
US08643833B1
An inspection system and method for inspecting the surface defects of the specimen is provided. The inspection system includes a laser focus module, a microscope objective module, an image pick-up module, and a process module. The laser focus module configured to emit laser beam on the specimen by a predetermined angle relative to a surface of the specimen, and to generate scattered light and reflected light when the laser beam irradiates on the surface defects of the specimen. The process module can calculate the real size of the defects by using the intensity information obtained from the image pick-up module and the microscope objective module or using the diameter information obtained from the reflected light image while the reflected light projects on a screen.
US08643829B2
A Brillouin analysis sensor system comprising: a Brillouin analysis sensor; a polarization beam splitter/combiner, operably connected to the Brillouin analysis sensor between the sensor and the sensing fiber, for receiving polarized lightwaves from the sensor, combining the lightwaves and launching combined lightwaves waves in the sensing fiber a first direction, and a phase conjugate mirror at a free end of the sensing fiber for receiving combined lightwaves from the polarization beam splitter/combiner, rotating the polarization of the combined lightwaves and launching the rotated combined lightwaves in the sensing fiber in an opposing direction to the first direction.
US08643826B2
A method for illuminating printing plates in which the light from a light source is imaged on a two-dimensional light modulator having a plurality of rows of light-modulated cells, and the light is modulated thereby, whereupon the light modulator is imaged on light-sensitive material via an imaging beam path, wherein the light-sensitive material is moved relative to the light modulator substantially perpendicularly to the direction of the rows of light-modulated cells at a relative speed and wherein the data pattern to be imaged on the light-sensitive material is displayed beginning in the first row of the light modulator in each row consecutively during an exposure time (T, T′) and then moved to the subsequent row of the light modulator. In order to improve the method, the image of the data pattern is held substantially stationary relative to the light-sensitive material during the exposure time (T, T′).
US08643818B2
A flat panel display device includes a display panel, a backlight module, a printed circuit board and a protection structure. The backlight module is disposed on a non-display side of the display panel. The printed circuit board with a signal connector is connected with the display panel and disposed between the display panel and the printed circuit board. The protection structure is used to protect the backlight module from the deformation caused by the external force, especially the optically films in it, like conductive film etc. The protection structure includes a protective film, a movable piece and an elastic element. The protective film is covered on the printed circuit board and having an opening to expose the signal connector. The movable piece is connected with the protective film, and the opening is disposed between the movable piece and the protective film.
US08643812B2
A display substrate has first and second conductive layers separated from one another by an insulation layer. The first and second conductive layers are used to integrally form on the display substrate, pixel units in a relatively central display area of the substrate and integrated gate driving circuitry as well as associated wirings thereof in one or more peripheral areas. The first and second conductive layers are covered by a first protection layer made of a first electrically insulative material. A second and supplementing protection layer is provided on top of the first protection layer. The supplementing protection layer (buffer layer) is formed of a material different from that of the first protection layer so as to provide supplemental resistance against corrosive chemical agents and supplemental resistance against formation of cracks. In one class of embodiments, the supplementing protection layer is made of a same material as used form at least one of an alignment layer, sealing layer and spacer layer of the display substrate.
US08643807B2
A backlight unit having improved luminance and reduced profile, and a liquid crystal display including the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the backlight unit includes: i) a light source, ii) a light guiding plate including an incoming surface on which light generated from the light source is incident, an upper surface substantially perpendicularly extended with respect to the incoming surface, and a bottom surface arranged facing the upper surface and iii) an optical sheet formed on the light guiding plate. The upper surface of the light guiding plate includes a guiding surface, an incoming surface, and an emission surface sequentially arranged close to the incoming surface of the light guiding plate, and the optical sheet may be formed to cover the inclined surface and the guiding surface.
US08643802B2
A pixel array including a plurality of scan lines, data lines, and sub-pixels is provided. Each of the sub-pixels arranged in the nth row includes a first switch, a first pixel electrode, a second switch, a third switch, and a second pixel electrode. The first switch and the second switch are electrically connected to the nth scan line and the mth data line. The first switch and the first pixel electrode are electrically connected. The second switch has a first signal output terminal. The third switch is electrically connected to the (n+i)th scan line. The third switch has a signal input terminal electrically connected to the first signal output terminal and a second signal output terminal. The first signal output terminal is electrically insulated from the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode. The first signal output terminal extends to the underneath of the second pixel electrode.
US08643795B2
A thermochromic, thermotropic, or thermoreflective filter relies on a mismatch between the index of refraction of a thermotropic material (e.g., a liquid crystal) and a substrate material that includes refractive or diffractive features. At colder operating temperatures, the refraction mismatches are eliminated or minimized such that the filter becomes transparent, whereas at high operating temperatures the refraction mismatches are increased such that for light at appropriate incidence angles, the structure becomes highly reflective. This filter has particular but not exclusive application as a temperature-controlled “smart mirror” for use in windows, walls, roofing, and other building materials.
US08643785B2
A video processing apparatus determines whether a video signal of a predetermined resolution is a pseudo-resolution video signal generated from a video signal of resolution lower than the predetermined resolution. The video processing apparatus generates a first frequency histogram relating to a video signal of a first resolution among a plurality of video signals which are identical in contents and different from one another in resolution and a second frequency histogram relating to a video signal of a second resolution which is lower than the first resolution, compares the first frequency histogram with the second frequency histogram, compares a similarity between the first frequency histogram and the second frequency histogram with a predetermined threshold value, and determines, if the similarity is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold value, that the video signal of the first resolution is a pseudo-resolution video signal.
US08643781B1
Methods and systems for implementing video driving circuitry are disclosed. For example, in an embodiment, a system for driving a plurality of different types of video devices is disclosed. The system includes, for example, a System on a Chip (SoC) that itself includes a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) controller circuit configured to generate digital video data, a first synchronization signal for controlling a first characteristic of the digital video data, and a second synchronization signal for controlling a second characteristic of the digital video data. The SoC further includes a delay circuit configured to variably delay the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal relative to the digital video data to generate a delayed first synchronization signal and a delayed second synchronization signal.
US08643778B1
A method includes receiving a digital video segment simulating motion at one speed, the frames in the segment spaced at a uniform time interval. The method further includes receiving a desired speed of motion, determining the appropriate uniform time interval corresponding to the desired speed, and generating a frame sequence simulating the motion at the desired speed, the frames in the generated sequence spaced at the determined appropriate uniform time interval. If the generated frame sequence includes a frame from the original segment, then only frames from the original segment are included in the generated frame sequence, and if the generated frame sequence includes an interpolated frame then only interpolated frames are included in the generated frame sequence.
US08643772B2
Camera arrangements that can include electromagnetic protection, such as from EMP/IEMI events, is disclosed. One example camera arrangement includes a camera including a viewfinder having a lens, and an electromagnetically shielded enclosure defining an interior volume containing the camera and configured to include at least one opening aligned with the lens. The camera arrangement includes a waveguide beyond cutoff disposed across the at least one opening, the waveguide beyond cutoff including a plurality of cells sized and oriented to shield the interior volume of the enclosure from electromagnetic signals while exposing an optical path between the lens and objects external to the enclosure.
US08643761B2
An apparatus includes an imaging unit to capture an image of an object, a selection unit to select one of a plurality of shooting modes of the imaging unit, a recording unit to record the captured image onto a recording medium, a switching unit to switch between a reproduction mode in which recorded image data is read out and displayed on a display device, and a shooting processing mode in which shooting processing is performed in the selected shooting mode and a reproduction control unit to cause the display device to display the read out image data. When the switching unit switches the mode to the reproduction mode, the reproduction control unit changes an operation that can be instructed in the reproduction mode according to the selected shooting mode.
US08643758B2
An image sensor includes a horizontal shift register electrically connected to a pixel array for receiving charge packets from the pixel array. A non-destructive sense node is connected to an output of the horizontal shift register. A charge directing switch is electrically connected to the non-destructive sense node. The charge directing switch includes two outputs. A charge multiplying horizontal shift register is electrically connected to one output of the charge directing switch. A discharging element is connected to the other output of the charge directing switch.
US08643752B1
A method and system is disclosed for reducing motion blur using CCD charge shifting. In one embodiment, photodiode wells are exposed for a set of successive exposures with each exposure duration being a fraction of a total exposure time. After each successive exposure, the photodiode wells integrate signal charges and shift them to corresponding storage lines. The shifted signal charges are then shifted along the storage lines for a specified number of storage units. At the same time, the CCD is moved in the direction of a leading edge of the CCD. The photodiode wells are then exposed for another exposure to produce another set of signal charges, which are shifted to the storage lines. Signal charges from the successive exposures are accumulated at the storage lines. After all successive exposures have been taken, the accumulated signal charges are shifted to a serial shift register and output to form an image.
US08643748B2
An electronic optical zoom system (100) includes a first lens assembly (101) and a second lens assembly (102). The first lens assembly (101) and the second lens assembly (102) may be adjacently disposed or concentrically disposed. The first lens assembly (101) and second lens assembly (102), in one embodiment, have different magnification configurations. An image sensor (103) captures electronic images of a subject (109). Optical zoom capability is achieved by an alterable electronic optical device (851), such as a switchable mirror (105). The alterable electronic optical device (851) selectively redirects received light between a first optical path (107) from a reflective surface (106) to a second optical path (117) from the alterable electronic optical device (851) depending upon the state of the alterable electronic optical device (851). The electronic optical zoom system (100) thereby provides optical zoom capabilities in a compact package without the need for physically moving lens assemblies.
US08643745B2
A content shooting apparatus is provided which is suitable for generating a digest meeting the user's desire.A scene information generation portion detects a characteristic scene with reference to a parameter contained in either video/audio in content recorded during shooting operation information for the shooting apparatus, and generates scene information, an auxiliary information assignment portion assigns the scene information its type, priority, start time, end time, or representative time as auxiliary information in accordance with a prescribed rule, a listing portion makes a list of the scene information and the auxiliary information thereof, and a scene sorting-out portion sorts out scenes from the content with reference to the priority, such that the number of scenes is within a predetermined range.
US08643744B2
An image processing apparatus capable of storing as many number of image files as possible, while adding file names conforming to a file storage standard, and capable of making it easy for a user to browse the desired image file among a vast number of continuously photographed image files. When one or plural representative images are selected from among continuously photographed images, a control unit of a digital camera as the image processing apparatus stores the one or more selected representative images into a memory card after a file name conforming to the file storage standard is added to each representative image, and stores continuously photographed images other than the one or more representative images into the memory card after file names not conforming to the file storage standard are added to these images.
US08643742B2
A technique for applying a crosstalk filter to raw image sensor data in a digital image processing pipeline is disclosed. Raw image sensor data generated by an image sensor, where each pixel in the raw image sensor data includes an intensity value for only a single color channel of a plurality of possible color channels, is processed in the digital image processing pipeline. For each pixel of the raw image sensor data, a corrected intensity value is computed based on intensity values associated with one or more additional pixels of the raw image sensor data that neighbor the pixel.
US08643740B2
An image processing device including a subject frame setting section which, by operating a subject detector which detects a subject captured in an image, sets a subject frame which surrounds a predetermined range of the subject detected from the image; an acceptance frame setting section which sets an acceptance frame with a range wider than the subject frame according to the context of the image; a position detecting section which detects a specified position on an image which is specified by a user; and a recognizing section which recognizes a subject which is a tracking target based on the acceptance frame set by the acceptance frame setting section and the specified position detected by the position detecting section.
US08643738B2
A control unit detects a face area from a first image and a second image which differ in shooting conditions by a face detector. If an area of the first image which is in a position corresponding to a face area detected from the second image is not detected as a face area, the control unit extracts the area of the first image as a non-detected area, and based on the non-detected area, executes learning of the face detector so that the non-detected area is detected as a face area.
US08643737B2
A mobile terminal and a method of controlling a mobile terminal are provided. The method includes displaying a camera preview image; detecting a face area from the camera preview image; if a button for capturing an image is manipulated, correcting an image captured by a camera using the detected face area and displaying the corrected captured image; and storing the corrected captured image.
US08643733B2
A direction instructing operation unit instructs a control unit to change a direction of a change in the photographic screen range. First motor drives a compensation optical system and second motor drives a compensation optical system in accordance with the control command given by the control unit. When the direction along which framing adjustment has been instructed by the direction instructing operation unit matches neither the drive direction of the first motor nor the drive direction of the second motor for driving the compensation optical system, the control unit matches a drive start time and a drive end time of both the first motor and the second motor, and then controls the ratio of the speed of the second drive unit to the speed of the first drive unit at a constant level to thereby control the moving direction of the photographic screen range.
US08643725B1
Method and system for validating video monitors, gauges, indicators and controls within their installed environment is disclosed. The methods do not require access to the electronic signals that control or stimulate those devices. Direct visual capture of the instruments under test is provided along with a novel sequence of operations to compare the present visual presentation to a known-good reference image and optionally, to known-bad reference images. When the method is applied to complex and interconnected systems, such as aircraft cockpits, tangible benefits are realized, including minimizing equipment removal and quicker fault isolation.
US08643723B2
In a system installed in a vehicle, a pickup unit repeatedly picks up a frame image of a target region including a road ahead of the vehicle, and an extracting unit extracts an edge of a lane marker formed on the road from each of the frame images. A creating unit creates a history of the edges of the lane marker for the respective frame images. A detecting unit detects pitch of the vehicle. The creating unit omits, as a target edge, an edge from the history of the edges for the respective frame images. The target edge to be omitted is extracted from a frame image that is picked up by the pickup unit with the pitch being detected by the detecting unit. A recognizing unit recognizes a region of the lane marker based on the history of the edges of the lane marker.
US08643718B2
An image measuring apparatus includes: a light source; an imaging device; and a controller configured to adjust a light emission amount of the light source based on a light reception amount of the imaging device, wherein: when a light reception amount of the light receiving element is more than a maximum value, the controller reduces a light amount of the light source in next light reception; when the light reception amount of the light receiving element is less than the maximum value, the controller increases the light amount of the light source in the next light reception; and when the light amount of the light source reaches the maximum light amount and the light reception amount is smaller than a minimum value, the controller makes the light amount of the light source in the next light reception a minimum light amount.