US08640739B2
An undersea flexible pipe for conveying hydrocarbons, the pipe including from the inside to the outside an inner sealing sheath, at least one ply of traction armors wound about the inner sealing sheath, a deformable holding layer including at least one flexible ribbon or holding band wound about the traction armor ply, and at least one tubular structure surrounding the holding layer, wherein the ribbon includes fiber strands oriented substantially in the longitudinal direction of the ribbon. The ribbon is covered by a reinforcing layer of a polymer material for the deformation resistance of the holding layer.
US08640737B2
An apparatus and method for sealing pipes or underground structures is provided. In one embodiment, the end of a pipe is sealed by the use of a pipe liner and a sealing member. The sealing member may be a hydrophilic material, a hydrophobic material, a compressible material, or a paste. The sealing member is held in place by a mechanical fastener and a liner is installed adjacent the sealing member and against the wall of the pipe or other structure to be sealed. In another embodiment, a manhole is sealed by the use of a sealing member, a mechanical fastener, and a manhole liner.
US08640733B1
A valve for limiting excess flow includes a one-piece body having a seat, a diaphragm, and a plurality of flexible legs attaching the seat to the diaphragm and spacing the seat from the diaphragm, wherein the legs flex to seat the diaphragm within the seat if excess flow exceeds a limit.
US08640722B2
The rail skirt system includes a top rail, a skirt that hangs from the top rail, formed from rail bar members connected together at their inner ends by a middle connector tube connectable to a locking support leg, to provide support for the top rail on a side of a shelter. The outer ends of the rail bar members are connected to legs of the shelter by fixed corner connecting brackets.
US08640721B2
A portable hunting blind employs a hand-operated, spring biased clamp with a pair of compressible handles that open spring-biased clamping jaws. The clamping jaws include internal grooves for sure gripping. An elongated, bendable arm extends from one of the clamp handles. An attachment juncture formed in one of the handle ends secures the arm to the clamp. The flexible metal arm can be configured by bending as desired by a hunter to assume a desired shape. A camouflage curtain is secured to the arm, which supports it like a flag pole. When an area for deployment is reached, the clamp is affixed to an available object, such as a tree limb, support the curtain and camouflage a limited selected area. The shape of the concealed arm can be varied by bending the arm. The curtain bottom may be secured to a convenient object to prevent movement.
US08640717B2
Embodiments of this device or method repeatedly apply droplets of two or more liquids by means of nozzles of fixed relative direction in an alternate or sequential manner to a target location on a surface for removing material from the surface, adding material to the surface, or using the surface to biphasically catalyze a reaction of components of the liquids. The droplets have essentially no contact with one another before reaching the surface (FIG. 12A thru 13H). The effect of the droplets on the target surface can be modified by a continuous or interrupted flow of air or other gas to the target surface (FIG. 27A thru 29H), or by application of radiations such as sonic or ultrasonic radiation, or various frequencies of electromagnetic radiation, to the target surface, or some combination of these. Means may be included for adjusting the temperature of the liquids and gasses.
US08640710B2
The present invention is a protective cover assembly, pattern, and method for use for installation upon an external orthodontic headgear protraction appliance having a chin cup interface and a forehead pad interface. The present invention includes two aspects of a protective cover assembly, a protective chin cup cover assembly and a protective forehead pad cover assembly. Each protective cover assembly provides an absorbing soft cushioning fleece membrane between the facial skin of an orthodontic patient wearer and the hard surfaces of the orthodontic protraction headgear interfaces to prevent against a plurality of discomforts which result from wearing the orthodontic protraction headgear appliance during treatment of Class III Malocclusion; and configured to improve compliancy of use of the orthodontic protraction appliance in the orthodontic population, especially among growing children and adolescents.
US08640709B2
A multi-piece punctal plug has one a superficial plug removably connected to an anchor plug deeper in the naso-lacrimal canaliculus. The anchor is fixed to the wall of the lacrimal duct while the superficial plug is axially and detachably secured to the anchor plug so that the multi-plug complex may be inserted or removed together as one, or the superficial plug may be detached separately and replaced securely without disturbing the anchor. Removal and insertion is accomplished by a specific tool having an end for reversibly engaging the plugs.
US08640707B2
A multipurpose site guard for use at all peripheral and central venipuncture infusion sites, sensitive areas, and for pediatric and adult patients. The guard is a hollow plastic member with a base and a sidewall that forms a cover over the site. Improvements to this invention include holding the guard in place with a fabric connector having closure means, cushioning the guard's base with a soft material, and a hole disposed in the hollow member for providing access to the site.
US08640706B2
A surgical device for use in positioning an instrument for use in a surgical procedure. The surgical device comprises: a mechanical positioning mechanism configured to couple with an instrument outside of a patient's body and to move the instrument relative to said patient's body; a control mechanism comprising a detachable control handle configured to be detachably coupled with the mechanical positioning mechanism and is sealingly coupled with a drape interface mechanism of a sterile drape, the sterile drape being configured for isolating a portion of the surgical device within a sterile environment, the drape interface mechanism comprising a ring defining an opening through the sterile drape; and a connector operatively coupled with the control mechanism and the mechanical positioning mechanism and configured for causing the mechanical positioning mechanism to move the instrument by transmitting force applied by a human to the control mechanism through the connector.
US08640702B2
The aircraft emergency oxygen supply system includes one or more sources of supplemental breathable oxygen, one or more inlet valves for one or more breathing devices, connected to the inlet valves, and one or more cabin air pressure transducers. A pressure controller controls the inlet valves in response to the one or more cabin air pressure transducers. One or more second pressure transducers may connected to conduits downstream of inlet valves to be monitored, and the pressure controller may also control operation of the inlet valves in response to the one or more second pressure transducers.
US08640691B2
A fuel heating apparatus capable of heating fluid by use of solar energy to provide water for daily life is provided. The fuel heating apparatus includes a water tank, a lifting part and a control part. The water tank is configured to form an accommodation formed therein to store fluid, has an inlet/an outlet which are formed through the water tank to receive and discharge fluid, respectively, and is formed using light passing material or thermal conductive material. The lifting part is vertically installed at facing sides of the window to lift the water tank such that the fluid is heated through sunlight or solar heat introduced through the window. The control part controls operations of the lifting part. The heated fluid provided to the water tank is used for daily life water.
US08640682B2
An apparatus comprising an elongate member, a first arm, a second arm, a channel, and a cap. The elongate member has a first end and a second end. The first arm and the second arm extend from the first end. A space is present between the first arm and the second arm over the first end. The channel extends through the elongate member. The channel is in communication with an opening in the second end of the elongate member. The cap is configured to be secured to the second end and substantially seal the opening in the second end.
US08640678B2
A fuel tank for storing an alternate fuel and providing the fuel to an internal combustion engine includes: an inner shell with an internal cavity designed to store fuel; an outer shell configured and positioned relative to the inner shell such that an interstitial volume is created between the inner and outer shells; and a heating unit positioned in the interstitial volume. In some embodiments, the interstitial volume is filled with air; in other embodiments, the interstitial volume is filled with a thermally insulative material.
US08640673B2
A fuel pipe assembly for supplying fuel to a fuel injector located within a bore of an engine cylinder head comprises a tube nut for connecting the fuel pipe to the fuel injector and a securing arrangement comprising a locking nut and a deformable clamp member for securing the fuel pipe within the tube nut. The tube nut comprises a tubular member defining an axial bore to receive the fuel pipe, a distal end shaped for cooperation with the head of the fuel pipe, and a proximal end having an attachment mechanism for engaging a compatible attachment mechanism of the locking nut. The locking nut has an axial bore to receive the fuel pipe, and an attachment mechanism for engaging a compatible attachment mechanism of the tube nut. The clamp member defines a bore to receive the fuel pipe and is deformable under compression. In a first state of engagement, the locking nut and tube nut define a volume therebetween that accommodates the clamp member in an unstrained configuration and the fuel pipe is able to move laterally. In a second state of engagement, the clamp member is compressed between the locking nut and tube nut into a strained configuration such that lateral movement of the fuel pipe is constrained.
US08640671B2
A bearing device includes a plurality of pairs of bearing parts for supporting shafts to each of which a plurality valves are attached and connecting parts for connecting the bearing parts.Each connecting part is elastically deformable and includes a bent portion in a bent shape to absorb the force that will act in at least one of an axial direction and a radial direction of the shafts when the shafts are rotated.
US08640662B2
A valve timing control apparatus for a combustion engine according to which a rotational member, such as a sprocket, is driven by said combustion engine, a rotor is mechanically coupled with a camshaft for controlling opening and closing of cylinder valves of said combustion engine, a first configuration is provided in which the rotor is locked to the rotational member; and a second configuration is provided in which the rotor is unlocked from said rotational member. In another aspect an operating method of said valve timing control apparatus for adjusting a valve timing of a combustion engine is provided. The apparatus controls a relative rotation between a camshaft and an output shaft, which can either be prevented or permitted.
US08640660B2
The apparatus includes a driving shaft with a first gear wheel, a frame able to rotate within limits about the driving shaft, a servo mechanism for controlling the angular position of the frame, a valve-lifting crankshaft with a second gear wheel supported by the frame, a rocker cam assembly, a connecting rod pivotally connected to the valve-lifting crankshaft and the rocker cam assembly, a cam follower operatively connected to a charge exchange valve, and a spring for urging the cam follower against a cam lobe. The engine rotates the driving shaft. The first gear wheel rotates the second gearwheel and the valve-lifting crankshaft. The connecting rod transmits motion from the valve-lifting crankshaft to the rocker cam assembly. Stroke, lifting duration, and phase can be controlled by the angular position of the frame.
US08640648B2
The present description relates to a media apparatus that can function as an animal litter box. In one case, the media apparatus includes a media storage portion configured to define a media receiving volume. The media apparatus also includes an animal support portion that defines an opening proximate the media receiving volume.
US08640644B2
A powder spraycoating method and powder spraycoating equipment. A dense phase powder pump is used. According to a predetermined conveying-air function in a control unit, different rates of compressed conveying air can be defined for different powder rates. In one predetermined total-air function in the control unit, the sum of total-air rate composed of the rate of compressed conveying air and of the rate of supplemental compressed air can be kept constant even if the rate of compressed conveying air changes.
US08640635B2
An improved corbel includes a first tier having first blocks and a second tier having second blocks. Each of the first blocks includes a first aperture extending through the block from a first surface to a back surface and a second aperture formed through a top surface of the block, extending into the first aperture. The first blocks are arranged on a substantially planar surface to align the respective first apertures to define a first passageway. Each of the second blocks includes a third aperture extending through the second block from a top surface to a bottom surface. The second blocks are disposed above the first tier to align the third aperture of each of the second blocks with the second aperture of the first blocks to form a second passageway.
US08640625B1
A kinetic energy training cartridge simulates the performance, weight, length, and external geometry of a tactical cartridge. The training cartridge includes a cartridge case and a projectile that is secured to cartridge case by means of a sabot. The sabot includes a rearward extension that encapsulates part of the projectile, to add weight and to increase a length to diameter ratio of the projectile, so as to decrease an intrusion volume of the projectile within the cartridge case. In a preferred embodiment, the length to diameter ratio of the projectile is at least 15.
US08640598B1
The embodiments described herein relate generally to a sleeve piston for operating the bolt carrier of a firearm. The sleeve piston can comprise a monolithic sleeve piston or it can comprise two or more sleeve-piston parts, thereby evenly distributing the reciprocating mass of an auto-loading firearm about its barrel, minimizing muzzle rise. The sleeve piston can further be coupled to the bolt carrier by two or more operating rods, thereby reducing the tipping force or off-axis torque experienced by the bolt carrier during firearm operation. The sleeve piston can also reciprocate in a sleeve gas block coupled to a barrel, thereby helping to transfer heat away from the barrel. The sleeve piston embodiments of the present invention provide a balanced and compact operating mechanism that is ideally suited for rifles, carbines, and personal-defense weapons.
US08640590B2
An armor system includes a ceramic armor layer and a ceramic composite armor layer adjacent to the ceramic armor layer. The ceramic composite armor layer includes a ceramic matrix and unidirectionally oriented fibers disposed within the ceramic matrix.
US08640587B2
A hand-operated cutting apparatus including a main frame at least including a front wall, a base wall and two side walls, in which an opening is formed in the front wall, and a rack formed on an upper surface of the base wall along the length of the main frame, a bracket disposed between the side walls of the main frame and movable along the length of the main frame, a cutter provided in the front of the main frame and including a cutting blade located within the opening, and a squeezer attached to the front surface of the bracket facing to the cutter. The bracket includes a base, a handle pivotally provided on the base and a pusher arm pivotally provided on the handle, in which a lower end of the pusher arm is located between two teeth of the rack, and the pivot axis of the pusher arm on the handle departs from the pivot axis of the handle on the base towards the rear of the main frame.
US08640582B2
A method for manufacturing a flexible substrate includes punching out a flexible substrate from a flexible tape wherein the flexible substrate has a first contour that is a part of a contour of the flexible substrate, and a second contour that is a remaining portion of the contour other than the first contour, and requires a punching accuracy lower than a punching accuracy of the first contour. The method includes the steps of: operating a first die by a control section to punch out the first contour from the flexible tape; judging by the control section as to whether a punching accuracy of the first contour meets a standard; and operating a second die by the control section to punch out the second contour from the flexible tape thereby separating the flexible substrate from the flexible tape when the control section judges that the punching accuracy of the first contour meets the standard, and not operate the second die when the control section judges that the punching accuracy of the first contour does not meet the standard.
US08640581B2
The invention relates to a cutting machine, in particular for cutting mats to size by means of a blade (21) arranged on a cutting head (8). The cutting head (8) can be displaced by means of a drive in at least two axes. The cutting-to-size of mats requires a vertical cutting angle (B-B) and an inclined cutting angle (C-C) in order to provide the mat cutout with the, in the main, usual bevel cut. In order to adjust the blade (21) from the first cutting angle (B-B) into the second cutting angle (C-C) or vice versa, the cutting head (8) is run up against a stop (17) arranged on the cutting machine and is brought into contact in such a way that a swivellable element (20) carrying the blade (21) is swivelled from one into the other cutting angle (B-B, C-C). This adjustment can thus take place in an automatically controlled manner, without an additional drive being required for this.
US08640576B2
A production machine for non-circular workpieces provided with a tool feed unit (1) comprising a tool carrier (2) for receiving the tool and a compensation body (3) for impulse decoupling. The work movement of the tool carrier (2) can be effected by a drive (4) acting between the tool carrier (2) and the compensation body (3). The tool carrier (2) is supported by rolling bodies (5) and the compensation body (3) is suspended via elastically deformable guide elements (6) at a housing part (7) of the tool feed unit (1). A mass of the compensation body (3) is larger than a mass of the tool carrier (2) carrying the tool so that the working movements of the tool carrier (2) effect compensation strokes of the compensation body (3) that are only within the range of the elastic deformation of the guide elements (6). The guide elements (6) thus effect the guiding and resetting of the compensation body (3).
US08640573B2
A ratchet wrench for use in connection with medical instruments comprises a handle and a drive element which is rotatable around an axis (M) with respect to the handle. The wrench is adapted to tighten or loosen a respective element and a ratchet mechanism which is in connection with the drive element and which permits movement with respect to the handle in a first direction of rotation (R1) and blocks movement in the other direction of rotation (R2). The handle comprises a flat arm, wherein the ratchet mechanism is arranged on a bearing surface of the flat arm, and wherein the drive element extends through an opening in the flat arm in which opening the drive element is rotatably arranged.
US08640571B2
An automatic rotating turret device for work machinery is provided, in which a lift turret is not used. The turret device is provided with an axial-direction slide body, which is advanced or retracted in the direction of the axis of rotation of the turret by the drive device advancing or retracting the drive body in a direction orthogonal to the direction of rotation axis; and a clutch device that is engaged or disengaged by the axial-direction slide body being advanced or retracted, the turret being of a non-lift-type, and there being provided to the drive body a tapering action part for generating an expanding action caused by the movement of the drive body and pressingly sliding the axial-direction slide body against the turret stage.
US08640564B2
This invention is revises the cap nut which the custom knows to suppose it to install trough's outline, will cause to install the dadoing to lead (lead angle to be small) lowly or on two above trundle ditch cap nut will not have the broken tooth's question, when will process should install the trough, only need use the face cutter then to process the forming, will reduce the production cost; And return circuit of this invention all establishes in the backflow part, therefore may promote and the cap nut supposes the backflow hole and the load way grade of fit, causes to roll the moving parts movement to be smoother, and reduces the noise production.
US08640563B2
An actuator for a ram air turbine system includes a lock bolt having a multiple circumferentially arranged lateral supports. A piston rod supports multiple up-lock wedges. Multiple rollers are supported by the lateral supports with chamfers on the rollers engaging one another and are configured to radially support the up-lock wedges in a retracted position.
US08640547B2
The invention relates to a pressure sensor (6). This pressure sensor (6) comprises a flexible membrane (11) cooperating with a transmission device (10) that enables a value representing the pressure to be supplied on the basis of the deformation of the membrane (11). The membrane (11) is made from an at least partially amorphous material in order to optimise the dimensions of the sensor (6).
US08640536B2
A water sensing device for positioning at or over a waste outlet to provide an indication of the duration of water flow out of the outlet. The device may be configured as a plug or waste cover. The indication may be by light sources on the top surface of the device.
US08640534B2
A tire pressure monitor mount includes a carrier (20) adapted to temporarily suspend a tire pressure monitor (36) between the sidewalls (16) of a tire (10) prior to installation of the tire (10) on a wheel (62). Upon installation of the tire on the wheel (62), the carrier (20) is fixed in place thereby suspending the tire pressure monitor (36) between the sidewalls (6) and in spaced relation to the rim (66) where the tire pressure monitor (36) is less likely to be impacted and/or damaged by debris/chemicals within the tire (10).
US08640530B2
Systems and methods for direct and indirect measurement of the density of a fluid which exhibits sag characteristics is disclosed. The sag measurement system includes a test container for holding a fluid mixture to be analyzed and a suction port on the test container. A pump is coupled to the suction port for circulating the fluid mixture from the test container through a circulation loop. A measurement device is coupled to the circulation loop and a return port directs the fluid mixture from the circulation loop back to the test container at substantially the same vertical location as the suction port. The fluid mixture flowing through the circulation loop passes through the measurement device before returning to the test container through the return port. The measurement device is operable to monitor the particle distribution of the fluid mixture as it changes due to gravity.
US08640529B2
Integrated acoustic phase separator and multiphase fluid composition monitoring apparatus and method
An apparatus and method for down hole gas separation from the multiphase fluid flowing in a wellbore or a pipe, for determining the quantities of the individual components of the liquid and the flow rate of the liquid, and for remixing the component parts of the fluid after which the gas volume may be measured, without affecting the flow stream, are described. Acoustic radiation force is employed to separate gas from the liquid, thereby permitting measurements to be separately made for these two components; the liquid (oil/water) composition is determined from ultrasonic resonances; and the gas volume is determined from capacitance measurements. Since the fluid flows around and through the component parts of the apparatus, there is little pressure difference, and no protection is required from high pressure differentials.
US08640519B2
Provided are a press-molding mold, in which cracks and wrinkles to be formed at the corner portions of a press-molded article are reduced regardless of the depth of the drawing, and a press-molding method using that mold. The press-molding mold (1) comprises a die (2) having a recess (2b) and a wrinkle holding face (2a) formed around the recess (2b), a punch (3) having a protrusion (3a) matching the recess (2b), and a blank holder (4) having a cushion face (4a) matching the wrinkle holding face (2a). In the press-molding mold (1), the wrinkle holding face (2a) and the cushion face (4a) form a clamping portion (14), by which a material member (5) is clamped for the press-molding operation. The clamping portion (14) of the press-molding mold (1) is divided by an opening portion (15) communicating with a corner recess (2c) of the recess (2b), into a first clamping portion (14a) and a second clamping portion (14b), by which the material member (5) is clamped.
US08640517B2
The invention relates to a method for feeding lubricant during hot rolling, in which the surfaces of the rolling rolls are fed with a lubricating emulsion, characterized in that said lubricating emulsion, consisting of a lubricating oil having a viscosity between 10 cSt and 400 cSt at 40° C., mixed with water, is directed onto the surfaces of the rolling rolls via at least one lubricant feed nozzle, at a temperature above 0° C. but below 25° C.
US08640512B2
A lock structure for an electrical device includes a rotatable fastener and a lock body. The rotatable fastener has an extending portion and a retaining portion, wherein the extending portion and the retaining portion form a T-shaped structure; the lock body is connected to the rotatable fastener and has a key hole. The lock body further has a first position and a second position in a radial direction of the extending portion. The key inserted in the key hole operates the lock body to displace from the second position to the first position, wherein the lock body drives the rotatable fastener to rotate to an unlocked position. When the lock body is in the first position, the lock body is pressed to displace from the first position to the second position, wherein the lock body drives the rotatable fastener to rotate to a locked position.
US08640511B1
A system for securing an item to an anchor is disclosed. The system may include a first extension extending from an item, an interface mechanism connected to the first extension, and a lock. The interface mechanism may include a cylindrical base, a sleeve, and a second extension. The cylindrical base may comprise an extension aperture receiving the first extension therewithin. The slide may surround at least a portion of the cylindrical base and occupy a blocking position locking the first extension within the extension aperture. The second extension may extend from the slide and comprise a traveler occupying a locking position locking the slide in the blocking position. The lock may engage the second extension and lock the traveler in the locking position.
US08640510B1
A system for securing an interface mechanism within an aperture is disclosed. The system may include an interface mechanism comprising a body portion, extension, anchor, and traveler. The extension may extend from the body portion and have a traveler aperture. The anchor may selectively move through a range of motion with respect to the body portion. The range of motion may include one or more extended positions of the anchor. The traveler may be positioned within the traveler aperture. The traveler selectively moving through a range of motion with respect to the extension. The range of motion of the traveler may contain one or more blocking positions wherein the traveler confines the anchor to one or more extended positions. The system may further include a lock engaging the extension and confining the traveler to one or more blocking positions.
US08640504B2
A glove including a knitted liner having a thickness of about 0.70 mm to about 0.90 mm and a plurality of stitches made from a first yarn having a denier of 221 or less, the knitted liner comprising a plurality of finger components, a thumb component, and a palm component, at least one reinforcement section located at a base of at least one finger component, at a base of the thumb component, or in the palm component, or combinations thereof, and a foamed polymeric latex coating adhered to the knitted liner, the foamed polymeric latex coating penetrating half way or more for at least a portion of the knitted liner, the foamed polymeric latex coating not penetrating the entire thickness of the knitted liner.
US08640499B2
Corrosion of the inner surface of the crown of a glassmelting furnace is reduced or avoided by directing at low velocity along that surface a gaseous stream comprising water vapor, or comprising the combustion products of an oxy-fuel burner operated at a stoichiometric ratio of at least 1.0, or the combustion products of a burner operated at a stoichiometric ratio less than 1.0, or by injecting into the furnace interior a gaseous reactant which reacts with alkali species in said space.
US08640498B2
Glasses are disclosed which can be used to produce substrates for flat panel display devices, e.g., active matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCDs). The glasses have MgO concentrations in the range from 1.0 mole percent to 3.0 mole percent and Σ[RO]/[Al2O3] ratios greater than or equal to 1.00, where [Al2O3] is the mole percent of Al2O3 and Σ[RO] equals the sum of the mole percents of MgO, CaO, SrO, and BaO. These compositional characteristics have been found to improve the melting properties of batch materials used to produce the glass, which, in turn, allows the glasses to be fined (refined) with more environmentally friendly fining agents, e.g., tin as opposed to arsenic and/or antimony.
US08640497B2
To provide a magnetic-disk glass substrate manufacturing method that can reduce the inner diameter dimensional error.A magnetic-disk glass substrate manufacturing method of this invention including a chemical strengthening step of bringing a plurality of glass substrates 102 into contact with chemical strengthening treatment solutions of a plurality of chemical strengthening treatment baths 130, respectively, to chemically strengthen the glass substrates further includes an inner diameter measuring step of measuring the inner diameter of each of the glass substrates 102 before the chemical strengthening step, a grasping step of grasping a variation of the inner diameter of the glass substrate 102 to be generated by the chemical strengthening step for each of the chemical strengthening treatment baths 130, and a combination determining step of determining the chemical strengthening treatment baths 130, that perform chemical strengthening, based on the variations so that the inner diameters of the glass substrates, whose inner diameters are measured, after the chemical strengthening step become a desired value. In the chemical strengthening step, the glass substrates 102 are chemically strengthened in the determined chemical strengthening treatment baths 130, respectively.
US08640477B1
A hold-down bracket employed to secure an air conditioner to a roof mounted air conditioner support includes two bracket members which are adjustable relative to one another, one bracket member secured to the frame of the support and the other bracket member secured to the air conditioner.
US08640472B2
Recuperation systems and methods are applied to vapor compression cycles in dehumidification, such as in air conditioning. In some embodiments, a method for dehumidification includes introducing a refrigerant from a heating unit to a cooling unit along a first path; introducing the refrigerant from the cooling unit to the heating unit along a second path different from the first path; introducing the refrigerant from the heating unit to the cooling unit along a third path different from the first path; and contacting the cooling unit and the heating unit with a first gas stream.
US08640470B2
The present invention relates to a control method of a refrigerator which operates a cooling cycle including two storage compartments, a compressor, a condenser, a valve, fans, and evaporators for cooling the respective storage compartments, with one of the fans (5) corresponding to the storage compartment for storing items at relatively low temperatures being activated for a set amount of time even after the compressor is deactivated at the completion of cooling of the storage compartment for storing items at relatively low temperatures. In a refrigerator comprising a first storage compartment for storing an item, a second storage compartment for storing an item at a lower temperature than the first storage compartment, a cooling cycle including a compressor, a condenser for condensing a refrigerant from the compressor, a valve for directing the refrigerant from the condenser to first and second evaporators, with the first and second evaporators evaporating supplied refrigerants to cool the first and second storage compartments, respectively, and first and second (5) fans for circulating cool air from the first and second evaporators, respectively, and a controller for controlling the first and second (5) fans, the valve and the compressor, a control method of the refrigerator comprising: a first step of the controller activating the compressor if cooling of the second storage compartment is required and activating the second fan (5); and a second step of the controller deactivating the operation of the compressor, if the cooling of the second storage compartment is completed, and deactivating the operation of the second fan (5) after the operation of the compressor is deactivated.
US08640462B2
A geothermal energy system utilizes geothermal heat under the floor of a body of water. The system includes at least one well having a top and a bottom. At least one well is drilled to a sufficient depth to access geothermal heat from one or more areas under the floor. The system further includes at least one energy converter operatively coupled to the well. The at least one energy converter is configured to convert the geothermal heat to another form of energy.
US08640461B2
A power-generating tower comprises: at least one of the lower heat-exchange assemblies, at least one of the upper heat-exchange assemblies, a tower structure arranged to support each upper heat-exchange assembly, at least one ascending circulating-fluid column within the tower structure, at least one descending circulating-fluid column within the tower structure, and at least one turbine. Each ascending column is arranged and connected to receive the circulating fluid from at least one of the lower heat-exchange assemblies and to convey the circulating fluid thus received upward and into at least one of the upper heat-exchange assemblies. Each descending column is arranged and connected to receive the circulating fluid from at least one of the upper heat-exchange assemblies and to convey the circulating fluid thus received downward and into at least one of the lower heat-exchange assemblies. The turbine is arranged to be driven by flow of circulating fluid.
US08640460B2
An ocean wave electrical generating system is described. The generating system is adapted to harness the energy of ocean waves in a wide variety of applications and conditions. The system reduces the effect of the variable input energy from ocean waves by initially storing the energy in the form of potential energy and subsequently transforming the potential energy to kinetic energy. The release of kinetic energy is coupled with generators which are isolated from the effects of the variable input energy into the system by this process. This system is developed to utilize the variable potential energy available and to provide a constant kinetic energy output.
US08640457B2
A method includes substantially reducing specific fuel consumption and exhaust emissions of an engine by adjusting an exhaust flow from a set of predetermined cylinders among a plurality of cylinders of the engine through an exhaust gas recirculation system to an intake manifold, by adjusting a temperature of a cooler of the exhaust gas recirculation system, and by adjusting a fuel injection timing, in response to variance in a plurality of parameters of the engine.
US08640452B2
A hydraulic fluid circuit for a power transmission device includes a first hydraulic circuit segment fluidly decoupled from a second hydraulic circuit segment. A hydraulic pump includes a first fluidic pumping element and a second fluidic pumping element. The first fluidic pumping element fluidly communicates with the first hydraulic circuit segment. The second fluidic pumping element fluidly communicates with the second hydraulic circuit segment. The first fluidic pumping element is controllable to a first pump operating point to achieve a preferred high fluidic flow rate in the first hydraulic circuit segment. The second fluidic pumping element is controllable to a second pump operating point to achieve a preferred high fluidic pressure in the second hydraulic circuit segment.
US08640440B2
Disclosed herein is a catalytically active particulate filter, an exhaust gas cleaning system and a process for cleaning the exhaust gases of predominantly stoichiometrically operated internal combustion engines, which are suitable, as well as the gaseous CO, HC and NOx pollutants, also for removing particulates from the exhaust gas. The particulate filter comprises a filter body and a catalytically active coating consisting of two layers. The first layer is in contact with the incoming exhaust gas, the second layer with the outgoing exhaust gas. Both layers contain alumina. The first layer contains palladium. The second layer contains, in addition to rhodium, an oxygen-storing cerium/zirconium mixed oxide.
US08640436B2
With an arrangement for the discharge of oil-contaminated exhaust air separated from the lubricating oil de-aeration system of a gas-turbine engine and led to the atmosphere via a venting line, the venting line (13) issues into an attenuation chamber (12) formed within the exhaust cone (9) of the gas-turbine engine and connected to a Venturi nozzle (14) via a discharge tube (17) for drawing off the oil-contaminated exhaust air and blowing it into the exhaust-gas flow, with the Venturi nozzle (14) being arranged in the exhaust gas-flow of the gas-turbine engine and oriented in a flow direction. The oil-contaminated exhaust air is completely discharged with the exhaust-gas flow without contacting visible engine parts.
US08640431B2
In a medicine packaging machine including a medicine accommodating mechanism for accommodating plural medicines, a chute for guiding medicines arbitrarily taken out from the medicine accommodating mechanism to a medicine packaging sheet, and a medicine packaging mechanism having a heater for thermally welding the medicine packaging sheet, the heater is provided with an incision tooth for forming an incision at an edge portion of the medicine packaging sheet at the same time when the medicine packaging sheet filled with the medicines. Furthermore, a cutting mechanism for cutting at a predetermined position a separate package bag formed by thermally welding the medicine packaging sheet is provided.
US08640425B2
This is directed to systems, processes, machines, and other means that all a user to install flashing without removing exterior siding. The invention can allow a user to quickly and easily allow flashing which enables a structure to be more weather resistant.
US08640419B2
A steel reinforced concrete (PSRC) column is prefabricated with angle steels at the corners. The column has auxiliary reinforcement bars between the angle steels and tie bars surround the angle steels and auxiliary reinforcement bars. Column capital steel plates are fixed to the structure, outside the angle steels and the auxiliary reinforcement bars. Column capital reinforcing steel plates are diagonally attached inside the PSRC column. A mold is used to fill the column with cement.
US08640413B2
A method is provided of laser marking a graphic design in an unassembled multi-component structure. A graphic design to be laser marked in a multi-component structure is partitioned into a plurality of graphic design sections, with each of the graphic design sections being assigned to a corresponding component of the multi-component structure. The graphic design sections are laser marked in their corresponding components of the multi-component structure while the multi-component structure is in an unassembled state. The laser-marked components are adapted for assembly together into an assembled state in which the multi-component structure has a viewable expansive surface with the graphic design sections collectively simulating an overall appearance of a graphic design spanning across the corresponding components of the multi-component structure. A kit for assembling laser-marked components into a multi-component structure is also provided.
US08640412B2
In building a house, it is necessary to arrange bearing walls and non-bearing walls in a well-balanced manner. However, in the case where a bearing wall is configured by fixing a plate-like body such as a bearing wall panel to the exterior-side face of a structural frame member formed by assembling horizontal members and pillar members into the shape of a square frame, the surface of the bearing wall panel protrudes from the face of the structural frame member on the exterior side by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the bearing wall panel. Thus, the exterior-side face of the bearing wall in which the bearing wall panel is provided is not flush with the exterior-side face of the non-bearing wall in which the bearing wall panel is not provided, and so there is a step. Accordingly, processing of the base during attachment of an exterior building material has been necessary. Furthermore, there has been a problem that in the case where the condition of the framework is to be inspected after building, the inspection cannot be performed unless the bearing wall panel is removed.Receiving members are fixed to inner side faces enclosed by structural members including pillars, studs, and horizontal members, of a building so as to allow a face of a bearing wall panel on the exterior side to be flush with faces of the structural members on the exterior side and a face of an adjacent non-bearing wall on the exterior side.
US08640404B2
A stair tread overlay and a riser overlay made from solid wood for fitting over a conventional, exposed wooden stair having a generally rounded nose like those found in most residential general construction staircases and prefabricated staircases. The tread overlay and riser overlay cover the exterior surface of a conventional wooden stair from stringer to stringer to hide a construction grade stair tread and riser below that are made from a composite material or unsalvageable hardwood to present an attractive, solid wood surface that is finishable.
US08640403B2
A modular plastic floor tile has a body of a first polymer compound and features overmolded onto the body from a second polymer compound. The compounds may be different from each other in hardness and/or color. The features may include skins on support member cores disposed below the tile lower surface. The skins adhere to the bottom and at least a portion of the sidewall of the support member core.
US08640397B2
An adjustable bird slope has a face that can be extended or contracted so that the bird slope can effectively fit almost any perching area.
US08640392B2
Overhead truss assemblies for use with retail displays are provided. The assemblies include multiple trusses that are parallel to and spaced from each other, spanning overhead or otherwise elevated and connecting merchandise display racks on opposing sides of an aisle or aligned with and atop a single merchandise display rack. The trusses have horizontal truss segments and define variable mounting widths. The variable mounting widths are established with one or more connector assemblies that cooperate with and move longitudinally along the horizontal truss segments. Each connector assembly includes a captured plate that is slidingly housed inside of the horizontal truss segment, and an insert connected to and moving in unison with the captured plate. Moving the connector assembly inwardly toward a middle portion of the truss defines a relatively narrower mounting width, while moving the connector assembly outwardly toward an end of the truss defines a relatively wider mounting width.
US08640385B2
A trim attachment structure includes a door frame, trim and a clip. The door frame has an attachment part, which is formed by a single plate, and a fitting hole. The fitting hole has a square shape in which the diagonals thereof are aligned with specific directions. The trim has a pair of ribs respectively facing a pair of end parts of the fitting hole. The clip is installed in the fitting hole. The clip includes a head part, a tube part and a latching hook. The tube part has a tip end part which projects from the fitting hole to the outer side of the attachment part. Angled parts of the tip end part are held between the ribs. The latching hook is latched at the peripheral edge of the fitting hole on the outer side of the attachment part.
US08640383B1
A counterbalance system for a tilt-in window that utilizes a brake shoe assembly. The brake shoe assembly is comprised of a brake shoe housing and a cam element. The brake shoe housing has a first arm element, a second arm element, and a flexible bottom section. A cam opening is disposed within the brake shoe housing. A gap space exists above the cam opening. The cam element is disposed within the cam opening. The cam element contains a tilt post receiving slot that received the tilt post from a window sash. A catch finger extends from the first arm element into the gap space. The catch finger at least partially obstructs the tilt post receiving slot. This prevents the tilt post of the window sash from being inadvertently lifted out of the brake shoe assembly.
US08640375B2
A disassembly tool 60 is provided for a handgun 10. The disassembly tool 60 includes spaced aligned upstanding side wall members 74 having a longitudinally extending slot 64 formed therebetween. A diagonally descending wall member 76 is formed on each one of the upstanding side wall members 74 to facilitate positioning of the slot 64 on a guide rod 20 so that a spring assembly 18 is compressed to allow disassembly of the handgun 10. The method of making the tool 60 includes machining a bar 62 to a predetermined length. A longitudinally extending slot 64 is then formed in the bar 62 creating upstanding side wall members 74. The upstanding side wall members 74 are then machined to a predetermined angle so that diagonally descending wall members 76 are formed.
US08640374B1
Several examples of a cartridge magazine system are shown each arranged to hold a plurality of cartridge magazines adjacent to a magazine well of a weapon. The system including several interoperating components, for example: a rigid cylindrical shaft having a center axis aligned with an insert axis of the magazine well, a cartridge magazine holder assembly, and a stop cap at a lower end of the shaft to maintain position of the cartridge magazine holder assembly upon the shaft. One example of the magazine holder assembly including: a collar in contact with the shaft so as to freely reposition along the shaft wherein the collar is rotatable about the shaft. At least one fork extends radially from the collar. Wherein each fork includes a surface for retention of a cartridge magazine in position to be inserted into and removed from the magazine well without removing the magazine from the fork.
US08640361B2
An item of footwear, in particular for sport, includes a sole, a double-crossbow shaped elastic structure, having an upper wall and a lower wall which define an empty space inside them. The elastic structure is placed in the sole so as to elastically react under the weight of a foot. An element extends from one of the walls and is suitable for going into abutment against the opposite wall when the crossbow structure is not compressed.
US08640351B2
A multifunction measuring device includes: an orientation compass and an inclinometer mounted in a mounting seat and disposed in a housing so that the orientation compass and the inclinometer are respectively exposed through front and rear openings in the housing; a first magnification member disposed in the housing, connected movably to a connecting seat fixed in the housing, and including a first magnifying lens aligned with a first viewing hole in the housing; and a second magnification member connected movably to the housing, and including a second magnifying lens aligned with a second viewing hole in the housing.
US08640350B2
An improved laser line generating device is provided for use in construction layout tasks. The laser line generating device is comprised of a first laser light generator operable to emit from a housing a first plane of light having a fan angle greater than 180° and arranged in the housing to project the first plane of light perpendicular to a horizontal plane; and a second laser light generator operable to emit from the housing a second plane of light having a fan angle greater than 180° and arranged in the housing to project the second plane of light perpendicular to the first plane of light and perpendicular to the horizontal plane, such that the first plane of light intersects with the second plane of light at two points.
US08640341B2
A method of producing a rolling sliding member, wherein, after a work for a rolling sliding member, which is made of a bearing steel and formed in a predetermined shape, is quenched, a heating start temperature is set to be 10 to 100° C., a heating finish temperature is set to be 220 to 350° C., a time between the heating finish time and the heating start time is set to be a heating time, the quenched work for the rolling sliding member is heated so that a rate of temperature increase indicated by the following formula becomes 7 to 35° C./s rate of temperature increase=(heating finish temperature−heating start temperature)/heating time, the work is tempered by being cooled without being maintained at a heating finish temperature from the heating finish time.
US08640335B2
A broaching apparatus (200, 400) includes; a broach (300, 600) having a cross-section corresponding to a geometry of slot (115) between adjacent steeples (110) of a turbine rotor (100), and a mechanism (210, 220, 230, 410, 420, 430) which moves the broach (300,600) through the slot (115) in a direction substantially parallel to a direction of extension of the slot (115).
US08640333B2
An electrical contact assembly has a plurality of formed elongate closed seam tubular elements attached to a carrier with each of the elongate tubular elements attached to the carrier via a tab. Scored creases are formed in the tabs for separating the elongate tubular elements from the assembly and scored creases are formed in the carrier for defining carrier strips. The carrier strip had a plurality of grouped elongate tubular elements. The electrical contact assembly is placed in a crimping die where at least one or more wires are inserting into selected elongate tubular elements. Pressure is applied to least one or more of the selected elongate tubular elements to produce bulk material deformation along a substantial portion of the elongate tubular elements to crimp the elongate tubular elements to the wires as electrical contacts.
US08640331B2
A system and method for affixing barbs on a suture are provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a suture supply mechanism for selectively retaining a length of suture and a barb supply mechanism for operably engaging a barb supply assembly including at least one barb. At least one of the suture supply mechanism and the barb supply mechanism are configured to approximate towards the other of the barb supply mechanism and suture supply mechanism to engage the at least one barb of the barb supply assembly with the suture of the suture supply assembly. Also provided are a barb for use in forming a barbed suture and a suture including at least one barb.
US08640327B2
A pressure-loss adjusting-member installation tool having pressure-loss adjusting-member grippers that are configured to freely grip or release a pressure-loss adjusting member which is arranged at a position between a lower nozzle arranged at one end of a fuel assembly having a relatively small pressure-loss when a primary coolant flows and a lower core support plate, and which can cause the primary coolant to pass therethrough in a state with a pressure-loss being increased more than that of when the primary coolant passes through only core support plate flow holes formed on the lower core support plate; and a holding unit that holds the pressure-loss adjusting-member grippers in a same positional relationship as a relative positional relationship between the fuel assemblies arranged in plural on the lower core support plate.
US08640326B2
An electric wire testing apparatus tests the condition of an end portion of an electric wire including a plurality of core wires and a sheath for covering the core wires. The electric wire testing apparatus includes an imaging device arranged to photograph an end surface of the core wires that have been exposed by stripping off the sheath, a counting unit arranged to count the number of the core wires from an image photographed by the imaging device, and a determining unit arranged to determine pass/fail of the condition of the end portion of the electric wire based on whether or not the number of the core wires counted by the counting unit matches a predetermined number.
US08640321B2
A replaceable deformable insert is disposed in a clinching die cavity having an annular recess adjacent the insert. A first layer is established on a second layer and secured between a retractable punch and the clinching die. The punch is pressed into the first layer to form a depression in the first and second layers. The first and second layers are compressed together between the punch and the clinching die, creating hydrostatic pressure in the first and second layers and the insert. A portion of the insert is extruded to fill the annular recess with insert extrudate, while a portion of the second layer is simultaneously radially extruded into an annular space previously occupied by the insert. A portion of the first layer is simultaneously radially extruded into an annular volume previously occupied by the second layer, thereby forming an interlocking assembly of the first and second layers and insert.
US08640314B2
A piston assembly transportation and assembly apparatus and methods of transporting and installing a piston assembly therewith are provided. The apparatus maintains a piston assembly in its assembled state during transportation without allowing damage and contamination to the piston assembly. The apparatus also facilitates storage and installation of the piston assembly into a cylinder bore. The apparatus includes a housing having a bore bounded by an inner cylindrical surface extending from a first end of the housing toward a second end of the housing. A chamfered surface diverges radially outwardly from the first end to mate with an upper surface of a stuffing cone during assembly. The second end has a wall extending radially inwardly from the inner cylindrical surface to axially confront an upper crown of the piston assembly to both prevent the piston assembly from passing though the apparatus and to prevent contamination from entering the apparatus.
US08640308B2
A pair of transition escutcheons are provided to unobtrusively cover old mounting holes and provide a method of actually locating the placement of new mounting hole for cabinetry hardware. Each transition escutcheon is comprised of a generally flat body, having a projection extending from a bottom, a platform separated from a border by an annular indention, and a hole passing through the escutcheon located a set distance from the projection. The escutcheons are inserted into the old mounting holes and rotated until the holes are horizontally agreed. New mounting holes are drilled or locations further marked through the holes in the escutcheons. Once the new holes are drilled, the new hardware is mounted on the escutcheons with the and covering the old mounting holes.
US08640306B2
A hinge device 100 includes: a one-piece hinge base 20 such that connecting hinge bases 21a, 21b in which rotational shaft portions 23a, 23b are protrusively provided in the same direction by a burring process are connected together through a hinge base connecting part 22; and a one-piece holder 10 such that connecting holders 11a, 11b having click washers 30a, 30b attached thereto are connected together through a holder connecting part 12, wherein the one-piece holder 10 is assembled to the one-piece hinge base 20 from one direction.
US08640302B2
A filter bag of a vacuum cleaner has a filter mounting plate that includes a generally strap-shaped securing element with pivot members on an end thereof. A housing of the vacuum cleaner defines a filter bag compartment therein and has pivot receivers into which the pivot members can be substantially vertically inserted. Then the filter mounting plate can be pivoted into a substantially horizontal installed position as the filter bag is inserted into the filter bag compartment. In the installed position, a first stop member of the filter mounting plate contacts and is stopped by a second stop member of the housing so as to prevent further pivoting and so as to properly position and hold the filter mounting plate.
US08640297B2
Devices for removing thatch buildup from the underside of a mower deck, and methods therefore. The device includes a head having a straight edge and at least one curved edge, a neck, and a conical handle.
US08640292B1
A deviator apparatus for use in segmental concrete construction has a duct and a pipe extending through an interior of the duct. The duct has a first end and a second end and a central portion. The first end has a diameter substantially greater than a diameter of the central portion. The pipe has a diameter substantially less than a diameter of a duct at the first end. The pipe has a length substantially greater than a length of the duct. A plurality of tendons extend through the pipe. The duct increases constantly in diameter from the central portion to the first end. The duct has ribs formed on an exterior surface thereof.
US08640291B2
A vulc style and cupsole style footwear and a method for manufacturing the footwear are disclosed. The footwear includes a midsole that is directly attached to the upper. The midsole may be attached to the outsole by adhesive. In the method of manufacturing the footwear, the upper and an outsole are disposed a set distance apart. Polyurethane or other material for providing cushioning to the footwear is either injected between the upper and outsole or poured onto the outsole and the upper is traversed over the outsole so as to define the mold for defining the midsole. The polyurethane is directly attached to the upper and adhered to the outsole/cupsole.
US08640290B1
An adjustable breast support apparatus and method of use having a base, an upright support, and one or more breast supporter assemblies having breast supports for supporting the breasts and easing the weight and strain placed upon a user's back and torso. The base rests or attaches with a table, a chair, or another structure or the base may be mounted with the user's belt. The breast supports are shaped to comfortably conform to the underside of the users breasts. A retaining strap holder and retaining strap allow for a third point of support whereby the apparatus is further secured with the user.
US08640288B2
The present disclosure is a disposable transporter that is absorbent, portable, and lightweight, and having sufficient strength to carry an injured soldier or medical patient. The transporter has a backing substrate, absorbent body, and gripping device. The gripping device permits manual carrying or insertion of poles to form a litter or portable cot. The absorbent body may have active agents that kill microorganisms to reduce the risk of contamination, infection, and odors from blood or other body fluids. The disclosure provides a process for producing base materials for the transporter. Also disclosed is a transporter kit having a transporter and a water-resistant case.
US08640279B2
A patient transfer sled having a support structure including at least one air cushion partially disposed within at least one pocket, and a fluid passageway extending through the support structure into the air cushion. Systems for patient transfer that may include a support surface, such as a table, a patient transfer sled having at least one air cushion, and a source of pressurized air. Methods for moving a patient relative to a support surface include positioning a patient on a patient transfer sled having at least one air cushion, and inflating the air cushion with air to form a sheet of flowing air between the patient transfer sled and the support surface. The methods may be used, for example, to move a patient on an air film over a surface within a system.
US08640277B1
A body scrubber includes a housing having two opposing sides, a top, a bottom and an open front face. Positioned within the open front face are a plurality of tiered, motorized cleansing rollers each formed of a hollow, perforated tube encapsulated by an absorbent cleansing sleeve. Either soap or water can be delivered to the interior of each tube using a control panel. A bather first delivers soap to the rollers and places a desired portion of the body against the motorized cleansing sleeves; when the soap has been thoroughly applied, the bather delivers water to rinse the applied soap. Accordingly, a bather may easily cleanse certain bodily areas that would otherwise be inaccessible with conventional cleaning implements.
US08640276B2
A molded tub and surround which is formed of a multiple of portions. Wall portions meet a tub portion at a joint with a retaining ledge which extends inward toward a tub bowl from a flange. A ledge interface within the bottom of the wall portions engages the ledge. An angled interface surface is located directly in front of the ledge and slopes downward toward the bowl. A shallow interface within the bottom of the wall portions engages the angled interface surface.
US08640264B2
By adding a second smaller bill under the main bill of a cap and creating a gap from the front to the back between the two bills, the two bills create a curved shape that acts like an airfoil and allows the free flow of air over a wearer's forehead, inducing a cooling effect. Besides the benefit of a cooling effect, the appearance of the hat is such that an observer looking at someone wearing it would not be able to tell there was anything overtly different about the design.
US08646106B2
An optical article for playback in a player includes a first file comprising a first control logic; and a second file comprising a second control logic. The first file is configured to direct the player to play a first content data stored on the optical article, when the first control logic is read by the player. The player is directed to read the second file if the player cannot read the first file. The second file is configured to direct the player to play a second content data stored on the article when the second control logic is read by the player. The optical article includes a mark containing an optical state change material disposed on at least a portion of the first file, wherein the mark is in one of a first optical state or a second optical state, and wherein the first control logic can be read only when the mark is in the second optical state.
US08646101B1
A method and system of verifying and authenticating personal history data of a subject comprising requesting the personal history data of the subject from a data base provider, searching the data base for the personal history data of the subject, transmitting the requested personal history data to the requester, reviewing the personal history data by the subject and verifying the accuracy of the personal history data by the subject and authenticating the verified personal history data by the subject.
US08646087B2
A method includes analyzing execution of a software program, the software program having sources returning values, sinks that perform security-sensitive operations on those returned values or modified versions of the returned values, and flows of the returned values to the sinks, the analyzing determining a first set of methods having access to a value returned from a selected one of the sources. A static analysis is performed on the software program, the static analysis using the first set of methods to determine a second set of methods having calling relationships with the selected source, the static analysis determining whether the returned value from the selected source can flow through a flow to a sink that performs a security-sensitive operation without the flow to the sink being endorsed, and in response, indicating a security violation. Apparatus and computer program products are also disclosed.
US08646078B2
A model restricts un-trusted data/objects from running on a user's machine without permission. The data is received by a protocol layer that reports a MIME type associated with the DATA, and caches the data and related cache file name (CFN). A MIME sniffer is arranged to identify a sniffed MIME type based on the cached data, the CFN, and the reported MIME type. Reconciliation logic evaluates the sniffed MIME type and the CFN to determine a reconciled MIME type, and to update the CFN. A class ID sniffer evaluates the updated CFN, the cached data, and the reconciled MIME type to determine an appropriate class ID. Security logic evaluates the updated CFN, the reported class ID, and other related system parameters to build a security matrix. Parameters from the security matrix are used to intercept data/objects before an un-trusted data/object can create a security breach on the machine.
US08646073B2
To protect a user of a social network, the user's activity is monitored during a baseline monitoring period to determine a baseline activity record. If subsequently monitored activity of the user deviates sufficiently from the baseline activity record to indicate abuse (hijacking) of the user's account, the abuse is mitigated, for example by notifying the user of the abuse. Monitored activity includes posting links, updating statuses, sending messages, and changing a profile. Monitoring also includes logging times of the user activity. Monitoring anomalous profile changes does not need a baseline.
US08646072B1
Misuse of a trusted seal by a website is detected. Web browsing activities at a client are monitored. Upon detecting a website visited by the client, the client requests evaluation of the website by a security server. The security server replies with a reputation score indicating whether the website is trustworthy. If the website is not trustworthy, perceptual hashes of selected images in the website are computed and compared with perceptual hashes of known trusted seals. If there is a match between the hash of a website image and the hash of a seal image, a query is made as to whether the website is authorized to use the trusted seal. If the website is not authorized to use the seal, the website is reported to be misusing the trusted seal.
US08646070B1
A storage area network management application operates using agents for management of resources. Authenticity is verified in installing an agent on a host computer system in the storage area network. A file is identified for use in installing the agent. The file is signed to produce a digital signature for the file. A certificate is sent to a recipient for use in verifying authenticity of information. The file and digital signature are sent to the recipient. At the recipient, the certificate and the digital signature are used to verify the file. An agent installation operation is performed, using the file, to install the agent on the host computer system.
US08646069B2
A computer system security apparatus and a security method thereof, the apparatus including a recognition unit to recognize identification information of a user; an operation unit to produce a result value by executing a predetermined operation on the identification information of the user and unique identification information of the computer system; and a main control unit to execute a booting of the computer system according to whether a preset password of the computer system and the result value are the same.
US08646068B2
An exemplary apparatus includes one or more processors, volatile memory, a storage drive and circuitry configured to establish a network connection and to attempt to send credentials via an established network connection. Such an apparatus further includes circuitry configured, responsive to authentication failure after an attempt to send credentials, to release an implemented security policy and load an operating system stored on the storage drive, and, responsive to an attempt to send credentials, to maintain an implemented security policy and to use an operating system exposed via an established network connection and associated with the sent credentials Such an apparatus optionally includes circuitry configured to implement a security policy that isolates at least a portion of a local storage drive. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.
US08646049B2
Systems and methods are provided for managing user information comprising presence information, wherein authentication of requesting parties is based on public-private key pair encryption and key Domain Name Service (kDNS) infrastructure. Thus, a response to a request for presence information may be dependent on the authentication status of the requesting party. Presence information stored on a presence server or other network element may be stored or updated upon receiving a request from a user which includes the requestors identify, and is signed with the private key of the requestor. After authentication of a user having a registered unique identifier and an associated public key, presence information may be stored or updated, in either encrypted or unencrypted form. Presence information is preferably stored with user specified policy information for managing access to the presence information by other users, e.g. what information may be shared with anonymous or unauthenticated other users, or with other specific authorized users, or authorized user groups. Advantageously, all communications between communication parties and network elements of the system are encrypted. A scalable and distributed system and method is provided for managing exchange of dynamic information, such as presence information, between users of communications and network services, with improved reliability, security, and personalization. Systems and methods are particularly applicable for securely managing exchange of presence information and other information for multiparty communications service and for peer-to-peer network services.
US08646048B2
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for authenticating and authorizing an external entity. These mechanisms and methods for authenticating and authorizing an external entity can enable improved data security, more efficient data transfer, improved data access channels, etc.
US08646039B2
An apparatus and methods are disclosed for performing peer authentication without the assistance of a human “guard.” In accordance with the illustrative embodiments, a peer is selected from a non-empty set of candidates at authentication time based on one or more of the following dynamic properties: the current geo-location of the user to be authenticated; the current geo-locations of the candidates; the current time; the contents of one or more directories (e.g., a telephone directory, an organizational chart or directory, etc.), the contents of one or more call logs; and the candidates' schedules.
US08646034B2
The present invention provides a bootstrap system comprising a network system and a mobile handset where the mobile handset can easily receive services of NFC bootstrap application. The handset is effectively authenticated after a bootstrap controller in the network verifies whether a user credential derived in the mobile handset and a user credential separately received from a network server are equal. The application setting is sent to a handset from a bootstrap controller via ad-hoc near field communication (NFC) between the mobile handset and the bootstrap controller. Then the user of the mobile handset can receive various services of the NFC application after the network server delivers the user credential to the service devices with NFC interface.
US08646032B2
A method and an apparatus provide for operating a user interface of a device to receive from a user, for individual ones of a plurality of user privacy categories, a user privacy setting; to map each user privacy setting to one or more device sensors to form a sensor policy for the user privacy category; and to monitor application program accesses to device sensors to detect a violation of a sensor policy. An aspect of the exemplary embodiments of this invention is the user interface that can represent privacy levels of each application program to the user in a “user-friendly” format. Another aspect of the exemplary embodiments is to provide the user device with an ability to detect and act on or at least report privacy violations by the application programs.
US08646030B2
A method, non-transitory computer readable medium and apparatus for providing a master privacy policy in a communications network are disclosed. For example, the method receives a privacy control parameter to configure a master privacy policy, stores the master privacy policy in the communications network, and applies the master privacy policy to configure a third party service provider privacy policy for a third party service provider based upon the master privacy policy.
US08646029B2
Various embodiments provide an interface between a Web browser's layout engine and a scripting engine. The interface enables objects from the layout engine to be recognized by a memory manager in the scripting engine and interact in a streamlined, efficient manner. In accordance with one or more embodiments, the interface allows browser layout engine objects to be created as objects that are native to the scripting engine. Alternately or additionally, in some embodiments, the native objects are further configured to proxy functionality between the layout engine and the scripting engine.
US08646025B2
A system, method and computer program product are provided for automatically generating a rule exception. An event is identified that at least potentially violates a rule. Thereafter, an exception to the rule is automatically generated.
US08646020B2
Systems and methods for navigating hypermedia using multiple coordinated input/output device sets. Disclosed systems and methods allow a user and/or an author to control what resources are presented on which device sets (whether they are integrated or not), and provide for coordinating browsing activities to enable such a user interface to be employed across multiple independent systems. Disclosed systems and methods also support new and enriched aspects and applications of hypermedia browsing and related business activities.
US08646012B2
A system, method, and web-based application platform enabling a television viewer to utilize an Internet device to request a Video-On-Demand (VOD) server to stream a selected video to the viewer's Set Top Box (STB). An Internet Protocol (IP) connection is established between the Internet device and an application executing at a web site, and an Internet device identifier is passed to the application. The application communicates with the VOD server to obtain a listing of available videos, and provides the listing to the Internet device. When the viewer selects a video, the application accesses an equipment-mapping table, which associates the Internet device identifier with an STB identifier. The application then sends the STB identifier and a request for the selected video to the VOD server, which delivers the video to the STB over a television delivery system.
US08646009B2
In response to a request from a playback apparatus over a network to play back content, a first recording/playback apparatus transmits data indicating content satisfying the request to the playback apparatus over the network. When selecting desired content from the transmitted data, the playback apparatus requests the first recording/playback apparatus to transmit data of the selected content to the playback apparatus over the network. When the data of the desired content is transmitted to the playback apparatus from the first recording/playback apparatus over the network in response to the request, the content being transmitted is played back via streaming. When the playback apparatus transmits data indicating the played back content and an address of a second recording/playback apparatus to the first recording/playback apparatus over the network, the first recording/playback apparatus transmits data of the played back content to the second recording/playback apparatus over the network in accordance with the address.
US08646008B2
A method of processing additional information related to an announced service or content in a Non-Real Time (NRT) service and the broadcast receiver are disclosed herein. A method of providing a Non-Real Time (NRT) service in a broadcasting receiver includes receiving a service map table (SMT) and a first descriptor through a service signaling channel, identifying an image identifier and an image type of an image for an NRT service based upon the first descriptor, receiving the image via a flute session and displaying the image when corresponding service is played, wherein the image is logo or icon data for the NRT service. The method may further include connecting a service signaling channel, parsing the received SMT and the first descriptor, determining whether a service is the NRT service based upon the parsed SMT and storing the received image.
US08645986B2
A conventional contents-watching device, etc. calculate users' tastes of contents only on the basis of watching frequencies, so that variety programs that the users are less interested in but that are broadcasted every week are apt to get a higher degree of users' tastes than a soccer game of the Japanese national team that the users are highly interested in but that is broadcasted only several times per year. In order to solve the problem set forth above, the present invention proposes a contents-watching device that calculates a taste value by normalizing a watching index indicative of the number of contents-watching times or the like for every contents-attribute with an emergent index indicative of the number of contents-watching chances, acquires an contents-attribute connected with contents to be a subject for watching recommendation, and has a function to calculate watching recommendation information by using the taste value of the contents-attribute.
US08645963B2
Techniques for grouping two or more threads based on lock contention information are provided. The techniques include determining lock contention information with respect to two or more threads, using the lock contention information with respect to the two or more threads to determine lock affinity between the two or more threads, using the lock affinity between the two or more threads to group the two or more threads into one or more thread clusters, and using the one or more thread clusters to perform scheduling of one or more threads.
US08645961B2
An image formation apparatus that has a webpage viewing function includes a job receiver that receives a job execution instruction from a user terminal, a job analyzer that analyzes the received job execution instruction, a job executor that executes a job based on a result of the analysis, and a job registration part that, if the received job execution instruction includes URL information specifying a webpage, registers user identification information pertaining to a user who issued the job execution instruction and the URL information included therein in correspondence with each other such that the webpage can be viewed with use of the URL information.
US08645953B2
To determine, when a virtual machine is executed by an arbitrary machine, whether the virtual machine can access computer resources required for the virtual machine, provided is a method of checking a possibility of executing a virtual machine including a first physical computer for executing a first virtual machine and a second physical computer capable of executing a virtual machine. The method includes the steps of: acquiring information on first logical resources; acquiring setting information set to a adaptor of the first physical computer so that the first virtual machine accesses the first logical resources; listing second logical resources accessible when the first virtual machine is executed by the second physical computer by setting the setting information to a adaptor of the second physical computer; and determining whether the first virtual machine can be executed by the second physical computer by comparing the first and second logical resources.
US08645950B2
Techniques for analyzing virtual machine images are described. In one embodiment, a subset of settings is extracted from one or more virtual machine images, the virtual machine images store therein values of the settings. The settings are used by software executing in virtual machines of the virtual machine images, respectively. A target one of the virtual machine images is selected and target values of the settings are obtained from the target virtual machine image. Sample values of the settings are obtained from a plurality of virtual machine images. The subset formed by identifying similarities and differences of the values between the virtual machine images.
US08645947B2
A virtual installation map, and method involving installing a software functionality using the same, the virtual installation map including a first software installation map including a plurality of software elements representative of a related software file, the software elements also including at least one dependency to another software element. The virtual installation map further including a second software installation map also including a second plurality of software elements representative of related software file along with related dependencies. The first and second software installation maps may be hosted in separate databases and may relate to software products provided by different vendors. One or both software installation maps may include a pointer or other reference to the other installation map thereby providing a virtual installation map, in one example.
US08645943B2
A communication system includes: a communication device configured to operate various functions using software programs stored in a software storage unit; a management server device configured to send an updating software program corresponding to one of the software programs; an operation information obtaining unit configured to obtain operation information of the software programs in the communication device; a determination unit configured to determine a software program that needs updating among the software programs based on the operation information obtained by the operation information obtaining unit; and an updating unit configured to replace the software program that is stored in the software storage unit and determined by the determination unit to need updating with the updating software program.
US08645937B2
The invention relates to a photovoltaic plant having a plurality of inverters (1) connected to each other by way of a network (12), wherein the inverters (1) comprise a control apparatus (7) having at least one microprocessor (8) and at least one storage, an interface for communicating with the remaining inverters (1), a DC/AC module (3) for converting a direct current supplied from an external energy source into an alternating current, and an input/output unit (9), and to such an inverter (1) and a USB mass storage device (11), as well as to a method for carrying out software updates. According to the invention, a USB interface (10) is arranged on at least one inverter (1) for connecting a USB mass storage device (11), in particular a USB stick, so as to carry out automatic updates in a software running in the microprocessor (8) and/or configuration block updates and/or so as to record logging data of the inverters.
US08645933B2
A method and apparatus for optimizing source code for use in a parallel computing environment by compiling an application source code, performing analysis, and optimizing the application source code. At the time of compilation, a compiler adds instrumentation to a prepared executable. An analysis program then analyzes the prepared executable and generates an analysis result. The analysis result is then used by the analysis program to optimize the application source code for parallel processing.
US08645932B2
The various embodiments of the invention relate generally to computer software, computer program architecture, software development, and computer programming languages, and more specifically, to techniques for analyzing control flow in COBOL-sourced programs to facilitate optimized conversions to object-oriented program structures. For example, a compiler can include a global optimizer configured to analyze execution flow for a range of blocks of source code in the memory to determine flow-affected code. Also, the compiler can include a native code generator configured to generate native code based on representations of the native code as functions of the source code. The native code is configured to execute on a virtual machine.
US08645931B2
Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to externally stored static elements for a document in a document editor and provide a method, system and computer program product for moving static elements for a document between an external file and the document in a document editor. A data processing system for moving static elements for a document between an external file and the document in a document editor can include an automated de-externalization and re-externalization processor coupled to a document editor. The automated de-externalization and re-externalization processor can include program code enabled both to replace static elements in a subject document with static element references while storing replaced static elements in entries in an external file, and also to replace static element references in the subject document with corresponding static elements stored in the entries in the external file.
US08645926B2
A testing system for a reverse client-server system management program comprises a server connected to one or more recipient devices and emulating devices through one or more repeaters. The recipient devices act as targets for the management program and the emulating devices emulate one or more of the recipient devices, to enable an assessment of the scalability of the management program to a large number of targets. The repeaters direct management requests from the server to the target devices depending on the configuration of the hook and/or the nature of the operation requested by the management request. The recipient devices and emulating devices execute the required system management operation on receipt of a management request from the server (via the repeaters). The recipient devices and emulating devices generate and transmit a report detailing the outcome of the system management operation.
US08645920B2
The debugging of a kernel in a data parallel environment. A debugger engine interfaces with a data parallel environment that is running one or more data parallel kernels through a first interface. For each of at least one of the one or more kernels, a program object is formulated that abstractly represents the data parallel kernel including data parallel functionality of the kernel. The program object has a second interface that allows information regarding the kernel to be discovered by the debugger user interface module.
US08645919B2
A scalable system and method is described that automatically identifies one or more generic tests for testing a GUI. A generic test case is written once instead of writing test cases for every single page or assembly. Each page has a corresponding page type. Each generic test is mapped to one or more testing rules, where the testing rules each have a rule type. An automated system is provided to scan target directories for all relevant pages related to a software product, identify a page type for each page, identify the appropriate generic test cases to be applied to each page, execute the generic test cases, and provide an output to indicate the results of the tests on the various pages. The generic tests for the GUIs can thus be automatically applied to identify and eliminate a certain class of bugs matching the behavior of the generic test case.
US08645916B2
Various embodiments enable dynamic crunching of script that can be referenced in a webpage. In at least some embodiments, a browser at a client can be employed to navigate to a webpage available from a server. The webpage can be a static webpage or a dynamically generated webpage. In response to a request from the client to the server, the server can be configured to dynamically generate script referenced in a webpage. Dynamic generation of the script at the server can include configuring the script and crunching of the script to reduce its size. The server can communicate a response having the dynamically crunched script to the client to enable execution of the script by the browser.
US08645913B2
A business object is generated based on a discovered web service having an associated Web Service Description Language (WSDL) file. The business object includes at least one data type and the at least one interface operation of the WSDL file. The business object is configured to expose web service functionality of the web service in an integrated manner within a business object based application environment. Generating the business object includes converting the at least one data type to a format consistent with the business object based application environment, creating at least one business object node of the business object that corresponds to each interface operation of the WSDL file, the at least one business object node being based on the at least one message, and creating a node action for the at least one business object node, the node action corresponding to the at least one interface operation.
US08645912B2
A method for use in replaying actions performed by a user of a software application. An input signal indicating an action performed by the user is received from a user input interface. Computer-executable instructions corresponding to the input signal are executed by a processor. An input event associated with the human-readable statements is stored in a memory device. Application object code corresponding to the human-readable statements may later be executed to replay the input event. In addition, an application state representing one or more variables of the software application may be stored.
US08645911B2
Systems, methods and machine-readable mediums for defining and executing new commands in a spreadsheet application are provided. A method may include receiving a declaration command in a first spreadsheet cell. The declaration command identifying a command name for the new command and operations performed for the command name based on a plurality of second spreadsheet cells. A system may include a processor programmed to evaluate the declaration command in the first spreadsheet cell according to the instructions stored in a storage device, receive the command name and at least two parameters identifying at least one input spreadsheet cell and at least one output spreadsheet cell of the spreadsheet application, create a new command for the spreadsheet application, and evaluate the new command as identified by the command name in a second spreadsheet cell for execution. The computer readable mediums provide instructions to cause the processor to perform the operations above.
US08645910B2
A program stored in a memory is read, and in a path representing the order of processing instruction sequences forming the program, a subgraph including a sequence of instructions that includes only one instruction at the entry and only one instruction at the exit is identified. At least a part of a source instruction sequence included in the subgraph is extracted as a new program block and stored in a memory. An instruction for calling the instruction sequence in the new program block is inserted in a program block including the source instruction sequence. The program block including the source instruction sequence is then stored in the memory.
US08645903B2
An apparatus for generating a task-based User Interface (UI) includes a task ontology unit for maintaining task information with respect to the task, a device ontology unit for maintaining device information with respect to a device, a UI description generation unit for reading the task information and/or the device information using the task ontology unit and/or the device ontology unit, respectively, and generating UI description information from the read task information and/or the read device information, the UI description information being made by a task-based language, and a UI description parsing unit for parsing the UI description information to output the task-based UI.
US08645890B2
Some embodiments provide a method that defines a set of connections that connect the nodes in a configurable node array. The method identifies different sets of connections for connecting a set of the nodes. For each identified set of connections, the method computes a metric score that quantifies a quality of the identified set of connections. The method then selects one of the identified sets of connections to connect the configurable nodes in the array.
US08645889B2
A method reduces coupling noise and controls impedance discontinuity in ceramic packages by: providing at least one reference mesh layer; providing a plurality of signal trace layers, with each signal layer having one or more signal lines and the reference mesh layer being adjacent to one or more of the signal layers; disposing a plurality of vias through the at least one reference mesh layer, with each via providing a voltage (Vdd) power connection or a ground (Gnd) connection; selectively placing via-connected coplanar-type shield (VCS) lines relative to the signal lines, with a first VCS line extended along a first side of a first signal line and a second VCS line extended along a second, opposing side of said first signal line. Each of the VCS lines interconnect with and extend past one or more vias located within a directional path along which the VCS lines extends.
US08645888B2
Methods and apparatus for increasing the accuracy of timing characterization of a circuit including at least one cell in a cell library are provided. One method includes the steps of: performing cell library timing characterization for the cell for prescribed first and second temperatures, the first and second temperatures corresponding to minimum and maximum temperatures of operation of the circuit, respectively; selecting one or more additional temperatures between the first and second temperatures; performing cell timing characterization for each process, voltage and temperature (PVT) corner at the one or more additional temperatures, as well as at the first and second temperatures; and performing timing sign-off for each PVT corner using the one or more additional temperatures, the timing sign-off being based at least in part on the timing characterization for each PVT corner.
US08645882B2
A method for designing an integrated circuit is described. The method comprises converting behavioral descriptions of the integrated circuit to register transfer level (RTL) descriptions. The method comprises at least one of the behavioral descriptions including frame synthesis with an input frame and a corresponding output frame. In one embodiment, the method further comprises providing at least two solutions for performing partial and complete operations for simulations as hardware component combinations, associating each solution with a cost, and selecting the solution with the lowest cost as the hardware component combination for a final design of the integrated circuit.
US08645881B1
A method and an apparatus to perform statistical static timing analysis have been disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes performing statistical analysis on performance data of a circuit from a plurality of libraries at two or more process corners using a static timing analysis module, and estimating performance of the circuit at a predetermined confidence level based on results of the statistical analysis during an automated design flow of the circuit without using libraries at the predetermined confidence level.
US08645878B1
Porting a first integrated circuit design targeted for implementation in a first semiconductor manufacturing process, and implementing a second circuit design in a second semiconductor manufacturing process wherein the electrical performance of the second integrated circuit meets or exceeds the requirements of the first integrated circuit design even if the threshold voltage targets of the second integrated circuit design are different from those of the first integrated circuit design; and wherein physical layouts, and in particular the gate-widths and gate-lengths of the transistors, of the first and second integrated circuit designs are the same or substantially the same. The second integrated circuit design, when fabricated in the second semiconductor manufacturing process and then operated, experiences less off-state transistor leakage current than does the first integrated circuit design, when fabricated in the first semiconductor manufacturing process, and then operated. Porting includes determining processing targets for the second semiconductor manufacturing process.
US08645876B2
There is provided a method comprising receiving data corresponding to a layout design for a plurality of input mask layers and generating a layout design for at least one generated mask layer. The relationship between a first geometric element in a first layout pattern comprising one or more of the generated mask layers and a second geometric element in a second layout pattern is then determined and verified to check if they comply with predetermined rules. If the relationship does not conform with the predetermined rules the design of at least one of the generated mask layers associated with the first or second layout pattern is modified.
US08645875B2
A method and system for quantifying manufacturing complexity of electrical designs randomly places simulated defects on image data representing electrical wiring design. The number of distinct features in the image data without the simulated defects and the number of distinct features in the image data with the simulated defects are determined and the differences between the two obtained. The difference number is used as an indication of shorting potential or probability that shorts in the wiring may occur in the electrical wiring design. The simulating of the defects in the image data may be repeated and the difference value from each simulation or run may be used to obtain a statistical average or representative shorting potential or probability for the design.
US08645869B1
A system implementable using a programmable processor includes a plurality of pre-stored commands for building an inventory of audio, musical, works or audio/visual works, such as music videos. A plurality of works can be collected together in a list for purposes of establishing a play or a presentation sequence. The list can be visually displayed and edited. A plurality of lists can be stored for subsequent retrieval. A selected list can be retrieved and executed. Upon execution, the works of the list are presented sequentially either audibly or visually. The works can be read locally from a source, such as a CD, or can be obtained, via wireless transmission, from a remote inventory. If desired, establishment of a predetermined credit can be a pre-condition to being able to add items to the list for presentation.
US08645862B2
A method, computer program product and system for displaying Web services. Web services may be displayed by generating a data model of a description of the Web service. A perspective visitor may be applied to the generated data model where the perspective visitor corresponds to a preselected domain. A perspective of the Web service associated with the preselected domain may be displayed in response to applying the perspective visitor. The perspective visitor may include a visitor pattern for encapsulating an operation to be performed on elements of the data model.
US08645859B2
A method generating section dividers that remain visible when the section to which they correspond has been scrolled off the display is provided. In a region displaying scrollable content, section dividers scroll with their corresponding section until the section divider reaches an edge of the display region. The section divider then becomes the new edge of the display region.
US08645858B2
The invention relates to presenting and browsing in metadata on handheld display devices such as music/mp3 players, mobile phones, PDA's, digital cameras. A graphical user interface (GUI) accesses metadata arranged in different categories and determines a hierarchical order of this. A metadata category is shown in a menu of category entries in a separate pane on the GUI. Rotation of the device is detected by a rotation sensor, and upon rotation the pane with the menu being browsed before rotation is maintained in the GUI, and at least one pane a menu representing a hierarchical super- or sub-category of the category being browsed before rotation is added or removed. This allows the user to expand or collapse metadata categories shown in the GUI by rotating the device.
US08645856B1
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an Internet client window with a ticker display area. The ticker display area displays moving hypertext ticker data associated with selected ticker types and ticker fields. Ticker data may be provided by third party suppliers such as sponsors. Activation of the hypertext ticker data results in a display of related information. The ticker data may move in various directions through the ticker display area at various speeds, and be displayed in various formats, all depending on the ticker types and ticker fields with which the ticker data is associated, upon the number of ticker types being simultaneously displayed, and upon other factors including user preferences or selections. The Internet client window includes various other navigational and informational data, links, and application-invoking buttons.
US08645850B1
A layout that specifies rectangular components within a container rectangle may be specified. Each rectangular component has at least one size and a gravity parameter, and can be classified as flexible or non-flexible based on the gravity parameter. The computing device determines a plurality of grid lines from the layout. Each rectangular component of the set of rectangular components is associated with at least two grid lines. The at least two grid lines are based on the at least one size of the rectangular component. The computing device generates a system of constraints, where each constraint is related to at least two grid lines of the plurality of grid lines. The computing device solves the system of constraints to determine a location for each grid line. The computing device generates a display of the rectangular components based on the locations of the grid lines.
US08645842B2
In an exemplary system, a content hub subsystem is selectively and communicatively coupled to a plurality of access devices. At least a subset of the access devices is associated with a predefined group of users. The content hub subsystem is configured to receive data representative of content from at least one of the access devices associated with the predefined group of users, map the content to the predefined group of users, and provide data representative of the content to the access devices associated with the predefined group of users. Each of the access devices associated with the predefined group of users is configured to generate at least one interactive graphical object representative of the content, and generate and present a graphical user interface including the interactive graphical object.
US08645841B2
A unified greeting system scans social media for content. The content can be any type of post to a social media site. If content is directed to a user of the unified greeting system and if the user is currently unavailable, the unified greeting system determines if the content requires a reply. If a reply is warranted, the unified greeting system determines the characteristics of the content to determine the type of reply. Then, the unified greeting system provides the reply, which can be an “out-of-office message.” The out-of-office message is the posted to the social media site to alert the poster that the person is currently unavailable.
US08645838B2
Methods for enhancing content objects within web pages use persistent content identification to identify content signals and associate behaviors with the content signals, such as controlling rendering of the content signals along with other information, such as advertising. One method executes within a user device and automatically inserts code within the web page to fetch remote information used in connection with rendering the content signal in a web page. Another method operates on a server and enhances a content object so that it will have certain behaviors when downloaded and presented with a web page.
US08645829B1
A property inspector with a partial functionality indicator is described that analyzes a selected group of objects within the design canvas of an ADE to determine the properties available to each of the objects and also which of the properties applies to the individual objects. The inspector interacts with a user by identifying which properties apply to only some of the selected objects. This interaction may take on any useful form of sensual identification data, such as visible, audible, or tactile indications.
US08645826B2
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly storing computer-readable code thereon that provides, when executed by a computer, a method for displaying a plurality of information elements on a display is hereby provided, the method comprising displaying a plurality of juxtaposed information elements defining a first axis thereof, selecting one information element from the plurality of displayed information elements, and displaying a plurality of user-selectable elements related to the selected information element, some of the plurality of user-selectable elements being substantially vertically disposed in respect of one another substantially defining a second axis thereof, the second axis being disposed at an angle in respect with the first axis. A method providing same is also hereby provided.
US08645820B2
A computer implemented method and apparatus for providing comb field text inputs on a mobile device comprising displaying a document on a mobile device, detecting entry of a comb field of the document on the mobile device, the comb field comprising at least one comb cell, determining a size of a canvas that fits onto the comb field on the mobile device, and generating a mobile platform canvas based on the comb field parameters, the mobile platform canvas capable of receiving at least one text character input.
US08645816B1
User documentation is customized. First and second pieces of user documentation content are generated based on predetermined requirements. The first piece is maintained independently from the second piece. The first and second pieces are processed in accordance with stylesheets. Localized content is derived from the first and second pieces. A deliverable document is derived from the first and second pieces. The document is provided in response to a user interface prompt.
US08645815B2
The consistency of the heading expressions used in each screen in a plurality of evaluated screens is exhaustively and reliably evaluated. The GUI evaluation system comprises: GUI information storage means for storing GUI information that concerns heading included in an evaluation target screen and includes information indicative of heading expression which is the expression used for the heading; heading group specification means for grouping headings included in each evaluation target screen by expression used for the headings in accordance with the GUI information stored in the GUI information storage means; and heading expression evaluation means for evaluating a consistency of heading expressions between a plurality of evaluation target screens by comparing heading groups that are grouped by the heading group specification means and included in all possible combinations of two of the plurality of evaluation target screens.
US08645813B2
A first portion of content relating to a first markup document may be displayed to a user of the client system. Information relating to the first portion of content is stored at a server system. An action to display a current version of the first markup document on the client system is received. A current version of content for the first markup document is retrieved from the host server. The stored information relating to the first portion of content may be used to identify a third portion of content associated with the first markup document which has not previously been displayed to the user. The display of markup document content associated with the first markup document may then be modified in a manner which facilitates the user in identifying the third portion of content.
US08645809B2
A channel coding method in a communication system using a Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) code. The channel coding method includes determining a degree distribution for a plurality of column groups of an information part and a plurality of column groups of a parity part; determining degrees for the plurality of column groups of the information part based on the degree distribution; determining a shortening order based on the degrees for the plurality of column groups of the information part; generating a parity check matrix based on the shortening order; and performing coding using the generated parity check matrix.
US08645804B2
Techniques are described that can be used to extend the data transmission rate specified by 10GBASE-KR of IEEE 802.3ap (2007) to more than 10 Gb/s using a multiple lane backplane. A signal for transmission over 10 Gb/s can be divided into multiple streams for transmission over multiple lanes. Multiple transceiver pairs can be used for transmission and receipt of the multiple streams. Each transceiver pair may comply with 10GBASE-KR of IEEE 802.3ap (2007).
US08645803B2
Methods and systems for rapid error correction by forward and reverse determination of coding states
An encoder creates an (p,k,n) n-state codeword with p n-state symbols of which k n-state symbols are data symbols, an n-state symbol being represented by a signal with n>2, p>2 and k>(p-k). Intermediate states of an encoder in forward and in reverse direction are provided in a comparative n-state expression and implemented on a processor. A plurality of signals representing a codeword with at least one n-state symbol in error is processed by the processor by evaluating the comparative n-state expression. A partial result of an expression is determined after a symbol has been received. An error location and an error magnitude are determined. The error is corrected by the processor.
US08645797B2
In one embodiment, a processor includes error injection circuitry separate and independent of debug circuitry of the processor. This circuitry can be used by a software developer to seed errors into a write-back path to system memory to emulate errors for purposes of validation of error recovery code of the software. The circuitry can include a register to store an address within the system memory at which an error is to be injected, a detection logic to detect when an instruction associated with the address is issued, and injection logic to cause the error to be injected into the address within the system memory responsive to the detection of the instruction. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08645794B1
A method for data storage includes, in a first programming phase, storing first data in a group of analog memory cells by programming the memory cells in the group to a set of initial programming levels. In a second programming phase that is subsequent to the first programming phase, second data is stored in the group by: identifying the memory cells in the group that were programmed in the first programming phase to respective levels in a predefined partial subset of the initial programming levels; and programming only the identified memory cells with the second data, so as to set at least some of the identified memory cells to one or more additional programming levels that are different from the initial programming levels.
US08645790B2
A data processing device for transmitting a first data includes a data generator configured to provide the first data, a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) generator configured to generate a CRC information having at least one bit whose binary value is modified in response to a toggle information, and a data transmitter configured to combine the CRC information and the first data as a combined data and output the combined data in serial. A data processing method for transmitting a first data includes a step of generating a first data, a step of generating cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information having at least one bit whose binary value is modified in response to a toggle information, and a step of generating a combined data by combining the generated CRC information and the first data as a combined data and outputting the combined data in serial.
US08645788B2
A system receives a first word on which to perform error correction; identifies combinations in which encoded bits, within the first word, can be inverted; generates candidate words based on the first word and the combinations; decodes the candidate words; determines distances between the decoded words and the first word; selects, as a second word, one of the decoded words associated with a shortest distance; compares the second word to the first word to identify errors within the first word; generates a value to cause a reliability level of the first word to increase when a quantity of the errors is less than a threshold; generates another value to cause a reliability level of the first word to decrease when the quantity of the errors is not less than the threshold; and outputs a third word based on the first word, and the value or the other value.
US08645787B2
A method for controlling an elementary parity node of a decoder for decoding non-binary LDPC codes or a code decoder using at least one non-binary parity constraint, and to the corresponding elementary parity node. The elementary parity node receives first and second input lists (U1, U2) having nm elements sorted in ascending or descending order, nm being greater than 1, and gives an output list (Uout) of nm′ elements sorted in said ascending or descending order, nm′ being greater than 1, each element of the output list (Uout) being the result of a computing operation φ between an element of the first input list (U1) and an element of the second input list (U2). A limited number of candidates is selected for each element of the output list to be generated so as to reduce the number of operations to be carried out in the elementary parity node.
US08645785B2
A method of transmitting data blocks between a user equipment and a station using parallel hybrid automatic repeat request processes. The station includes a scheduler that signals to the user equipment allocations of resources and parameters for transmission and re-transmission of the data blocks, and a set of reception buffers that receive and re-order the data blocks. The scheduler assigns a reception index to the corresponding scheduled reception and assigns reception buffers to received data blocks as a function of the assigned reception indexes identifying time slots scheduled for reception. A newly transmitted data block received in its scheduled time slot is assigned to the reception buffer corresponding to a new reception index. A re-transmitted data block received in a time slot later than its originally scheduled time slot is assigned to the reception buffer corresponding to a same reception index as its originally scheduled reception.
US08645784B2
Through the identification of different packet-types, packets can be handled based on an assigned packet handling identifier. This identifier can, for example, enable forwarding of latency-sensitive packets without delay and allow error-sensitive packets to be stored for possible retransmission. In another embodiment, and optionally in conjunction with retransmission protocols including a packet handling identifier, a memory used for retransmission of packets can be shared with other transceiver functionality such as, coding, decoding, interleaving, deinterleaving, error correction, and the like.
US08645779B2
A method for scan testing an integrated circuit that includes a plurality of on-chip logic modules includes configuring the integrated circuit for module level scan testing and chip level scan testing by way of an external automatic test pattern generator (ATPG) tool. The ATPG tool generates first and second sets of test patterns for module level and chip level scan testing of the integrated circuit. The ATPG tool generates the second set of test patterns by excluding the design faults which have already been targeted during the module level scan testing, from the first set of test patterns and reduces the overall time required for scan testing the integrated circuit.
US08645775B2
A repetitive bit value pattern associated to a predetermined bit position of a sequence of data words, the data words having two or more bits in a bit order, a bit position describing a position within the bit order being indicative of a value represented by the bit at the bit position, can be determined from program loop information, the program loop information having a program expression for determining an updated data word of the sequence of data words. Using the predetermined bit position, a sequence length value associated to the predetermined bit position is determined. The program expression is evaluated for a number of loop iterations indicated by the sequence length value, to obtain updated bit values associated to the predetermined bit position. The repetitive bit value pattern is determined using the updated bit values of the number of loop iterations.
US08645769B2
A time in which an administrator identifies a cause of a failure when the abnormality is detected in a plurality of servers is shortened.An operation management apparatus includes a failure detection unit 26 and a spread determination unit 27. The failure detection unit 26 obtains measured values of a plurality of performance metrics with respect to each of a plurality of target apparatuses to be monitored that are connected to a common apparatus and detects an abnormal item which is the performance metric whose measured value is abnormal with respect to each of the plurality of target apparatuses to be monitored. The spread determination unit 27 outputs the remaining abnormal item excluding the abnormal item detected in all the plurality of target apparatuses to be monitored from the abnormal item of each of the plurality of target apparatuses to be monitored.
US08645763B2
A system and method for generating a triage dump of useful memory data from a computer that encounters an error while executing one or more software programs. The computer system may identify data values within the triage dump that are characteristic of personal data. To protect the privacy of the software user the personal data may be poisoned by overwriting the data values with overwrite values. The overwrite values used to poison the data values may be predetermined, based on the data values themselves, or chosen at random. The triage dump may be sent to an external server to associated with the developer of the one or more software programs for analysis. When overwrite values are dynamically selected, the specific overwrite values used may be sent to the server in connection with a triage dump.
US08645760B2
The invention monitors display (error) messages from software programs presented to users and looks for items of interest. When detected, the text of the message is collected along with source of the message, and other details. This data is checked against a database of Messages, either locally, or networked to a remote database. If the issue has not been previously detected it is added to the database. If the message had been detected previously, counters recording frequency of occurrence. Then an option to see additional information is provided. If selected the database returns all the information it has on this specific issue. Also, additionally created content that normally does not exist in the message such as which application and vendor issued the message, frequency of occurrence, and vendor contact information. Additional content such as a detailed description and solutions that were manually created is included in the results to the user. The user can perform additional research and the collected information can be emailed to another user or company.
US08645759B2
A debugging mechanism receives arithmetic operation data inputs for causing an arithmetic unit to perform an arithmetic operation, and a control signal used for the arithmetic operation. The debugging mechanism includes a debug control unit which includes (1) a counter that performs a counting operation cyclically according to the processor clock operation, and (2) an OR circuit that receives the control signal and a counter signal that is output when the counter value becomes a specific value, and outputs an output signal generated by performing a logical OR operation of the control signal and the counter signal. The debugging mechanism also includes a debug storage unit which stores the arithmetic operation data, the counter value, and the control signal when the output of the OR circuit is valid.
US08645756B1
A computer-implemented method to remotely troubleshoot a software problem occurring on a first device. A connection is established by a second device with the first device. The second device extracts a first set of information from the first device. The second device provides a user interface via a display in order to receive a second set of information. The second device transmits the first set of information and the second set of information to a third device.
US08645755B2
Error handling is simplified for a self-virtualizing IO resource that utilizes a physical function adjunct partition for a physical function in the self-virtualizing IO resource to coordinate error recovery for the self-virtualizing IO resource, by restarting each virtual function adjunct partition associated with that physical function to avoid the need to coordinate error recovery within the logical partitions to which such virtual function adjunct partitions are assigned.
US08645751B2
Examples are disclosed for facilitating recovery from failures associated with a storage array having a plurality of storage devices.
US08645750B2
A computer system functions to dynamically assign the storage capacity to the host computer. If an event such as a failure occurs in the logical resources, the performance requirements of the virtual volumes must be guaranteed to the host computer.Accordingly, the computer system comprising a storage apparatus, wherein the storage apparatus detects the occurrence of an event in the logical resources, compares the performance of the logical resources where the event occurred with the performance of the virtual volumes and, in accordance with the result of the comparison, sets the correspondence relationship of the virtual volumes to the logical resources.
US08645749B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for storing the firmware and other data of a flash memory controller, such as using a RAID configuration across multiple flash memory devices or portions of a single memory device. In various embodiments, the firmware and other data used by a controller, and error correction information, such as parity information for RAID configuration, may be stored across multiple flash memory devices, multiple planes of a multi-plane flash memory device, or across multiple blocks or pages of a single flash memory device. The controller may detect the failure of a memory device or a portion thereof, and reconstruct the firmware and/or other data from the other memory devices or portions thereof.
US08645748B1
A system, method and computer program product for providing “bare metal” computer hardware with full operating system capabilities, including: (a) executing software contained in computer hardware read-only memory; (b) transferring software control to a location of a start-up program; (c) performing initialization of devices of the computer hardware; (d) selecting an origin storage device for restoration of an operating system to a destination storage device of the computer hardware; (e) establishing a connection with an origin for restoration of an operating system to the computer hardware; (f) initiating a transfer of the operating system data from selected origin to the computer hardware; (g) performing optional substitution of the computer hardware drivers; (h) performing optional structural modifications to the restored operating system; and (i) restoring the operating system to the computer hardware from a data storage device located either locally or remotely, from full or incremental operating system backup.
US08645746B2
Method and apparatus for providing failover operation for a connection between a first PCIE bridge and a first input/output (IO) device are provided. A first set of bussed bits is exchanged between the first PCIE bridge and the first IO device over a first link using a first set of lanes of the first PCIE bridge. In response to detecting the failure in the first link, the first set of bussed bits is exchanged between the first PCIE bridge and the first IO device using an unused portion of a second link connecting a second PCIE bridge and a second IO device.
US08645737B2
A power-saving control apparatus and method capable of power-saving and prevention of decrease in the speed of accessing files of a high level of importance is suggested.First file migration processing is executed for detecting a user access pattern for each file stored in a storage apparatus, grouping files of similar access patterns based on the detected access patterns, migrating each of the grouped files, by group, to memory media individually capable of power-saving control, and setting a power-saving control schedule for each group based on the access pattern for each file; and power-saving control of each memory medium is executed in accordance with the schedule set for each group; wherein the power-saving control schedule for each group is set based on the access pattern of the file whose level of importance is set to the highest level, from among the files belonging to that group.
US08645736B1
Methods and apparatus for updating state of computing device are disclosed. An example method includes automatically scheduling, in a computing device, an update-process trigger. In the example method, occurrence of the update-process trigger causes the computing device to transition from a low power state to a first active power state and perform an update process for the computing device. The example method further includes initiating, after scheduling the update-process trigger, a transition of the computing device from a second active power state to the low power state. In response to occurrence of the update-process trigger, the example method includes initiating the transition of the computing device from the low power state to the first active power state and performing the update process after the transition from the low power state to the first active power state is complete.
US08645727B2
A processor has: a power table including a plurality of power control registers each rewritably storing power control information; a condition determiner for rewritably storing a plurality of operating conditions (e.g., a comparison address to be compared with the program counter) and determining which one of the plurality of operating conditions is satisfied by a current operation of the processor so as to supply an index signal to select one of the plurality of power control registers based on the determination; and a voltage/clock controller for controlling the power consumption in a control object circuit block according to the power control information in one of the power control registers that is selected by the index signal.
US08645724B2
Consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure a redriver circuit is provided for a first and a second serial-unidirectional communications channel. The redriver circuit conditions received data signals by adjusting signal properties to correct for signal level attenuation and noise. The conditioned data signals are transmitted to corresponding outputs of the channels. The redriver circuit disables, in response to a first enable signal being inactive, current drawing circuitry of components for both channels on a common side of the redriver. The redriver circuit disables, in response to a second enable signal being inactive, current drawing circuitry of components for both channels on the other side of the redriver.
US08645713B2
An encrypting method including encrypting a first data segment of encryption target data on the basis of first key information, generating second key information on the basis of the first data segment by using a predetermined algorithm, and encrypting a second data segment of the encryption target data, which is different from the first data segment, on the basis of the second key information.
US08645710B2
A configuration for achieving efficient content verification processing based on hash values is provided. Hash values of hash units set as segmented data of a content stored on an information storage medium are recorded in a content hash table and are stored on the information storage medium together with the content. An information processing apparatus for executing content playback executes hash-value comparison processing based on one or more randomly selected hash values. Regardless of the data amount of content, the configuration can perform hash-value determination and comparison processing based on hash units having a small amount of data, so that user equipment for executing content playback can perform efficient content verification.
US08645708B2
An authentication system is provided that includes a portable device and a decryption node. An individual uses the portable device, such as a portable device like a cell phone to compute a challenge and a response. The challenge and response is sent to a decryption node. In response, the decryption node computes a presumed response and compares the presumed response to the response of the portable device, in order to authenticate the individual associated with the portable device.
US08645706B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a flexible way of accommodating typical user errors when attempting to gain access. One method prevents an error in an access protocol by determining if an access request contains an error that may be forgiveable, such as repeated entry of the same incorrect password or the use of all capital letters. If the access request contains an error, the access request will be classified as invalid. As such, the invalid access request will not count against the number of allowed access requests. Errors may include repeated passwords, obvious typographical error, etc. A message may also be provided or sent to the user that informs the user of their error.
US08645696B2
An apparatus and a method for authenticating a secure communication is described. A server receives a request from a client for an original SSL certificate. The server embeds a message in a common name (CN) of a new SSL certificate directing the client to another server. The client is transparently reconfigured and establishes a secure communication with the other server using the new SSL certificate.
US08645690B2
Disclosed herein is a method of verifying key validity and a server for performing the method. The method is configured such that a service provision server verifies key validity in an anonymous service for providing local linkability. The service provision server receives a revocation list. A local revocation list is generated using the received revocation list and a secret key. A virtual index of a service user required to verify key validity is calculated. Whether a key of the service user is valid is verified, based on whether the virtual index is included in the local revocation list.
US08645689B2
Secure and stateless data transfer between a source agent at a first computer system and a destination agent at a second computer system is provided. A first list of labels of content structures is generated at the first computer system. During a first data transfer session, the first list, authentication information, at least one object included in the content structures, and file identifiers for one or more files included in the content structures are transferred from the first computer system to the second computer system. A second list is generated at the second computer system and received at the first computer system. The second list lists at least one requested file identified by the transmitted file identifier(s). During a second data transfer session, authentication information, the first list, the at least one object, and the requested file(s) are transferred from the first computer system to the second computer system.
US08645685B2
Methods and devices are described that authenticate portable tokens, such as plastic tokens used in casinos on card tables. The systems and methods assign authentication data to a token. The authentication data is verified when a person tries to redeem value on the token. A person's authentication data may be acquired via an interface provided by a gaming machine, for example, and the authentication data stored so that the authentication information is later be read when someone tries to redeem value on the token. Only a person who presents the tokens and authentication data could then negotiate such tokens.
US08645681B1
Techniques are described for establishing a secure communication channel between a server computer and a client computer. A method includes (a) at the server computer, receiving a command from a user, the command including a secret passphrase, (b) at the server computer, generating a cryptographic key for use by the client computer, (c) at the server computer, storing the cryptographic key within a locked file in encrypted form, the locked file being protected by the passphrase, (d) at the server computer, sending the locked file to the client computer over a network connection, and (e) conducting secure communications between the server computer and the client computer over the network connection, using the cryptographic key for encrypting the secure communications. A corresponding method performed by the client computer is also described. Corresponding computer program products and apparatuses are also described.
US08645665B1
A processor including a virtualization system of the processor with a memory virtualization support system to map a reference to guest-physical memory made by guest software executable on a virtual machine which in turn is executable on a host machine in which the processor is operable to a reference to host-physical memory of the host machine.
US08645663B2
An input/output (I/O) device includes a host interface for connection to a host device having a memory, and a network interface, which is configured to transmit and receive, over a network, data packets associated with I/O operations directed to specified virtual addresses in the memory. Processing circuitry is configured to translate the virtual addresses into physical addresses using memory keys provided in conjunction with the I/O operations and to perform the I/O operations by accessing the physical addresses in the memory. At least one of the memory keys is an indirect memory key, which points to multiple direct memory keys, corresponding to multiple respective ranges of the virtual addresses, such that an I/O operation referencing the indirect memory key can cause the processing circuitry to access the memory in at least two of the multiple respective ranges.
US08645661B2
A computer implemented method to establish at least one paging partition in a data processing system. The virtualization control point (VCP) reserves up to the subset of physical memory for use in the shared memory pool. The VCP configures at least one logical partition as a shared memory partition. The VCP assigns a paging partition to the shared memory pool. The VCP determines whether a user requests a redundant assignment of the paging partition to the shared memory pool. The VCP assigns a redundant paging partition to the shared memory pool, responsive to a determination that the user requests a redundant assignment. The VCP assigns a paging device to the shared memory pool. The hypervisor may transmit at least one paging request to a virtual asynchronous services interface configured to support a paging device stream.
US08645651B2
A method for queuing update buffers to enhance garbage collection. The method includes running an application thread and providing, for the application thread, a data structure including current and finished update buffer slots. The method includes providing an update buffer for the application thread and storing a pointer to the update buffer in the current update buffer slot. The method includes storing null in the finished update buffer slot and, with the application thread, writing to the update buffer. The thread may write a pointer to the filled update buffer in the finished update buffer slot after the buffer is filled. The method includes using a garbage collector thread to inspect the finished update buffer slot and claim filled buffers and change the pointer to null. The thread then obtains an empty update buffer and updates the current update buffer slot to point to the new buffer.
US08645647B2
Producing snapshots of data stored on a data storage device, the method including producing a first snapshot of data stored in a set of data storage units on a data storage device, where the first snapshot is allowed to include data written to the set of data storage units during the production of the first snapshot, and producing a second snapshot of the data stored in the set of data storage units on the data storage device, where the production of the second snapshot is begun after the completion of the first snapshot, and where the second snapshot includes only data present in the set of data storage units before the production of the second snapshot is begun.
US08645642B2
Tracking dynamic memory de-allocation using a single configuration table having a first register and a second register includes setting the first register as an active register, initiating a de-allocation of desired storage increments from a memory partition, setting the storage increments in the second register as invalid, purging all caches associated with the single configuration table, setting the second register as the active register and the first register as an inactive register, setting the desired storage increments in the first register as invalid, switching the active register from the second register to the first register to complete memory de-allocation using the single configuration table.
US08645641B2
In a particular embodiment, a storage device includes a controller that is adapted to receive environmental data from a plurality of environmental sensors, where the environmental data is related to an operating environment of the storage device. Further, the controller is adapted to receive state information related to the data storage medium from a plurality of firmware detectors, to weight the received environmental data and the received state information according to a pre-determined weighting table, and to dynamically manage at least one attribute of the storage device based on the weighted environmental data and the weighted state information.
US08645639B2
A hierarchical memory request stream arbitration technique merges coherent memory request streams from multiple memory request sources and arbitrates the merged coherent memory request stream with requests from a non-coherent memory request stream. In at least one embodiment of the invention, a method of generating a merged memory request stream from a plurality of memory request streams includes merging coherent memory requests into a first serial memory request stream. The method includes selecting, by a memory controller circuit, a memory request for placement in the merged memory request stream from at least the first serial memory request stream and a merged non-coherent request stream. The merged non-coherent memory request stream is based on an indicator of a previous memory request selected for placement in the merged memory request stream.
US08645636B2
A storage system according to one embodiment includes a first storage tier; a second storage tier; logic for storing instances of a file in the first storage tier and the second storage tier; logic for receiving a request to access the file or instance thereof from a user in a group of users; logic for providing the user requesting access to the file with remote access to an instance of the file on the first storage tier that is not being used by any other user in the group of users; logic for setting an ownership status of the instance of the file on the first storage tier to owned by the user requesting access to the file; and logic for setting an ownership status of an unused instance of the file on the second storage tier from owned by the user requesting access to the file to unowned or owned by a second user which previously owned the instance of the file on the first storage tier. Additional systems, methods, and computer program products are also presented.
US08645631B2
A microprocessor includes a first-level cache memory, a second-level cache memory, and a data prefetcher that detects a predominant direction and pattern of recent memory accesses presented to the second-level cache memory and prefetches cache lines into the second-level cache memory based on the predominant direction and pattern. The data prefetcher also receives from the first-level cache memory an address of a memory access received by the first-level cache memory, wherein the address implicates a cache line. The data prefetcher also determines one or more cache lines indicated by the pattern beyond the implicated cache line in the predominant direction. The data prefetcher also causes the one or more cache lines to be prefetched into the first-level cache memory.
US08645630B2
The present invention is directed to a stream context cache system, which primarily includes a cache and a mapping table. The cache stores plural stream contexts, and the mapping table stores associated stream context addresses in a system memory. Consequently, a host may, according to the content of the mapping table, directly retrieve the stream context that is pre-fetched and stored in the cache, rather than read the stream context from the system memory.
US08645628B2
Various embodiments of the present invention manage access to a cache memory. In or more embodiments a request for a targeted interleave within a cache memory is received. The request is associated with an operation of a given type. The target is determined to be available. The request is granted in response to the determining that the target is available. A first interleave availability table associated with a first busy time associated with the cache memory is updated based on the operation associated with the request in response to granting the request. A second interleave availability table associated with a second busy time associated with the cache memory is updated based on the operation associated with the request in response to granting the request.
US08645618B2
A method of controlling a flash media system. The method includes providing a flash lane controller having a processor control mode and creating and presenting soft contexts. The soft contexts generally place the flash lane controller into the processor control mode. In the processor control mode, the flash lane controller stores the entire soft context, finishes executing any outstanding contexts, suspends normal hardware automation, and then executes the soft context.
US08645616B2
Methods for memory block protection and memory devices are disclosed. One such method for memory block protection includes programming protection data to protection bytes diagonally across different word lines of a particular memory block (e.g., Boot ROM). The protection data can be retrieved by an erase verify operation that can be performed at power-up of the memory device.
US08645612B2
According to one embodiment, an information processing device includes an OS and a virtual machine switching section. The OS accesses a hardware resource including a nonvolatile semiconductor memory and a semiconductor memory used as a cache memory of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory. The virtual machine switching section switches a virtual machine in exection from a first virtual machine to a second virtual machine while a cache process is executed, when cache miss in a process executed by the first virtual machine is detected.
US08645608B2
According to one embodiment, an electronic device forming a first communication path which couples a first interface of a high-rank unit and a second interface of a mid-rank unit and a second communication path which couples a third interface of the mid-rank unit and a fourth interface of a low-rank unit, while cutting off a third communication path which couples the first interface and the fourth interface, in an ordinary state. When data needs to be write from the high-rank unit to the low-rank unit, the electronic device forming the third communication path and cutting off the first communication path and the second communication path.
US08645606B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to upbound input/output expansion requests and response processing in a PCIE architecture. A first request to perform an operation on a host system is intitiated. The first request is formatted for the first protocol and includes data that is required in order to process the first request. A second request is created in response to the first request, the second request includes a header and is formatted according to the second protocol. The data required to process the first request in the header of the second request is stored, and the second request is sent to the host system.
US08645605B2
A method is provided comprising: enumerating a group of available virtual functions corresponding to the physical function; mapping the group of available virtual functions to a non-transparent port of the switch by creating a copy of a configuration space for the physical function while assigning unique vendor and device identifications for different classes of devices, wherein the mapping creates a pseudo physical function exposing a subset of the SR-IOV capability from the configuration space for the physical function; receiving a request to access the physical function from the single host; and providing the pseudo physical function to the single host for loading on the single host, in response to the receiving of the request, wherein the pseudo physical function is designed to call management functions of the single host to enable the group of available virtual functions in a local hierarchy of the single host.
US08645598B2
At least one downstream interface may be configured to be simultaneously connected to both a USB 3.0 compliant device and a USB 2.0 compliant device. The interface may be used for communicating with a USB 3.0 compliant device via a downstream port and simultaneously communicating with a USB 2.0 compliant device via the downstream port.
US08645597B2
A memory block reclaiming judging apparatus and a memory block managing system are disclosed in the present invention. The memory block reclaiming judging apparatus comprises a peripheral information accessing unit, a data packet information recording unit, a data calculating unit, and a comparing and judging unit, wherein the data calculating unit is configured to calculate remaining scheduling times of a data packet-and write the remaining scheduling times of the data packet into the data packet information recording unit, and meanwhile set a flag for indicating acquirement of information of the required scheduling times as valid; the comparing and judging unit is configured to generate a memory block reclaiming instruction, reset the remaining scheduling times of the data packet in the data packet information recording unit to an initial value, and set the flag for indicating acquirement of information of the required scheduling times as invalid.
US08645590B2
The present invention is directed to a method which allows for substitution of standard SAS ALIGN primitives with an alternative, more spectrally pure set of SAS ALIGN primitives that allows for enhanced continuous adaptation performance. Two consenting SAS devices which are connected to each other may negotiate for and start communicating using the alternate set of ALIGN primitives, which may allow for improved jitter tolerance and reduced bit error rate.
US08645586B2
A method is disclosed for retrieving the reservation status information of a storage area network (SAN) device, a host transmits a persistent reservation in command with service action setting of ‘read reservation’ to a first LUN, wherein the host is connected to a port of the data storage server to which the LUN belongs. The host receives a message from the LUN. The host determines that the message is a success. The host sends to the LUN a persistent reservation in command with service action setting of ‘read keys’, responsive to a success message. The host determines that the LUN responds with a zero data length. The host determines the LUN is reserved with type 2 reservation, responsive to a determination that the LUN responds with a non-zero data length.
US08645581B2
A terminal device including a plurality of logical ports as ports for providing logical connections, the logical ports logically connecting external devices to the terminal device, the terminal device comprising: a receiver configured to receive an execution instruction for an unmount process which is a process of transition from an activated state in which the logical connections are activated to a deactivated state in which the logical connections are deactivated; and a controller configured to control the logical ports, wherein the controller deactivates the logical connections corresponding to the logical ports, in response to the execution instruction for the unmount process.
US08645579B2
A system, device, and method for virtually connecting a media device to a computing device are disclosed. One embodiment comprises a method to operate a virtual media device in a computing device, wherein the virtual media device that is controlled by a remote media device. In this manner, a computing device may stream media data to and from the remote media device.
US08645577B2
An apparatus for outputting an event of a third party device in a home network is provided, which includes a remote user interface (RUI) client taking part in a user interface (UI) session using a universal plug and play (UPnP) remote protocol; an RUI server taking part in the UI session, judging whether the RUI client exists on the home network, storing and transmitting an event message of a third party device that does not take part in the UI session; and an i-box receiving the event message from the RUI server if the RUI client does not exist on the home network, and transmitting the event message to the RUI client existing outside the home network by using an external network.
US08645576B2
In one embodiment, an apparatus includes one or more internal interfaces in communication with one or more network devices in a first network site through a Layer 2 link, an overlay interface in communication through a Layer 3 link with a core network connected to one or more other network sites, and a table mapping addresses for network devices in the other network sites to addresses of edge devices in the same network site as the network device. The apparatus further includes a processor operable to encapsulate a packet received at one of the internal interfaces and destined for one of the network devices in the other network sites, with an IP header including a destination address of the edge device mapped to the destination network device, and forward the encapsulated packet to the core network.
US08645564B2
A method for managing network traffic is described which includes receiving a traffic engineering specification at a Server from a Client, receiving a communication at the Server, a destination of the communication being the Client, and sending the communication from the Server to the Client via a tunnel virtual interface configured over one or more of Internet service provider (ISP) connections associated with the Client based on the traffic engineering specification, the tunnel virtual interface being a point of connection to a tunnel virtual network link.
US08645562B2
A method and apparatus for an adaptive Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) streaming service using metadata of content are provided. The metadata may include one or more BaseURL elements. Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) of segments forming media may be generated based on the BaseURL elements. Additionally, a URL of a segment may be generated by mapping a BaseURL element among the BaseURL elements to a sourceURL attribute of the segment. Segments indicated by generated URLs may be identical to each other.
US08645547B1
Systems and methods for providing a messaging service may comprise receiving first user credentials and second user credentials corresponding to first user and second user respectively. In addition, systems and methods for providing a messaging service may include generating first capabilities and second capabilities, the first capabilities being based on roles corresponding to the first user and the second capabilities being based on roles corresponding to the second user. Moreover, systems and methods for providing a messaging service may include allowing a messaging session between the first user and the second user based on the first capabilities and the second capabilities.
US08645533B2
A communication system is disclosed which permits data communication between a server apparatus and a client apparatus over a network. The server apparatus includes a time information managing means which manages time information and which transmits the time information to the client apparatus. The client apparatus includes a time storing means which receives the time information from the server apparatus, which stores the received time information, and which is tamper-proof.
US08645532B2
Provided are methods and computer program products monitoring the contents of network traffic in a network device. Methods may include collecting, using a kernel space driver interface, network traffic data sent by and/or received at the network device, parsing the collected network traffic data to extract transaction data corresponding to at least one logical transaction defined by a network protocol and storing an indicator of a quantity of the collected network traffic data that was parsed, and generating an event incorporating the extracted transaction data.
US08645527B1
A network monitoring device includes a data structure for maintaining information about endpoints involved in network flows. Each endpoint, either a source or a destination for a network flow, has information maintained in a modified binary trie, having a branch for each bit of the source or destination address, but with interior nodes having only a single child node elided. A pruning thread is given a limited amount of time for operation, with the effect that the data structure is maintained available for use except for only that limited amount of time. In the event that the pruning thread is unable to prune the entire data structure, it maintains a marker indicating where last it left off, and returns to that location in the data structure at a later pruning operation.
US08645524B2
Techniques to allocate virtual network addresses are described. An apparatus may include a virtual network address management module. The virtual network address management module may be capable of determining an approximate age for a virtual network address, referred to herein as a virtual network address age value. The virtual network address management module may include a virtual network address assignment module, a virtual network address age generator and a message filter module. The virtual network address assignment module may be arranged to assign a virtual network address to a device at a virtual network address assignment time. The virtual network address age generator may be arranged to receive a message arrival time for a message with the virtual network address, and determine a virtual network address age value for the virtual network address with the virtual network address assignment time and the message arrival time. The message filter module may be arranged to determine whether to send the message to the device based on the virtual network address age value. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08645520B2
The invention facilitates remote management of a computer via a network. Remote computer management in which communication between a managed computer and a remote computer management server is initiated by the managed computer is implemented so that the communication is formatted in accordance with a network communications protocol that can be used to format communication that is allowed to pass through a firewall and/or gateway that mediates communication with the managed computer.
US08645517B2
In a framework wherein resources of a content provider may be delivered to clients from different domains, a method distributes the requests based on content-provider policies. In some cases, the domains include at least two distinct content delivery network (CDN) domains. The domains may include a content provider domain. Responsive to a request, either the content provider domain or one of the two CDN domains is selected, the selection being based at least in part on one or more policies set by the content provider.
US08645515B2
An environment manager includes a set of consolidated and integrated utilities which allow an administrator direct, remote access to information technology resources. The environment manager allows the administrator to control many aspects of the information technology environment including backup and archival of data systems, monitoring of systems, opening and closing of information technology systems, server fail-overs and virtual server environments, managing expert application, desktop management and security and system security.
US08645514B2
Methods and systems for automatically organizing devices in a network are disclosed. Information may be collected for a plurality of devices in a predetermined area over a predetermined period of time. The information may include device location information and device information for one or more user groups. Each user group may include one or more users. An average preference for each user group may be determined for each device based on the device usage information. The plurality of devices may be organized automatically into a plurality of clusters based on at least the determined average preferences. Each cluster may include one or more devices.
US08645513B2
A method and associated computer program product for developing an Information Technology (IT) system. An abstract IT structure for the IT system is provided. A virtual IT structure for the IT system is generated from the abstract IT structure by a translator. A real IT structure for the IT system is generated from the virtual IT structure.
US08645507B2
Described herein is a method and system for facilitating power management in a communications system. The communications system includes a server and one or more communications devices operably coupled to a network, each communications device being operable to enter a low power state in response to a “hibernate” command. The “hibernate” command may be provided by a power management unit in the server in response to, for example, a change in routing preference, location or availability status of the user.
US08645506B2
A server apparatus and the like for accurately collecting responses of questionnaires from respondents who submit responses to the questionnaires with regard to a target including a plurality of scenes and in which the scene changes over an elapsed time.Ambient sound data of a terminal device collected when response operation is performed from the terminal device on the basis of the response operation with which a respondent submits a response to the questionnaire are received, and the received sound data are compared with the sound data of the target stored by the storage means, and on the basis of the comparison result, the scene of the target is identified.
US08645502B2
Data read from a database may be transferred to an external system utilizing a dynamic interface, through a remote procedure call (RPC) communication mechanism. In particular embodiments within the SAP environment, data is transferred utilizing an executable program in a high level language such as Advanced Business Application Programming (ABAP). Data may be streamed from the ABAP executable program directly to a Data Services Job engine via a NetWeaver remote function call (NWRFC) C/C++ connector.
US08645501B2
Methods and apparatus for obtaining web content are disclosed. The method includes identifying resources identified by domain name references that a user may request, obtaining a status of at least one operating condition that affects operations of the communication device, fetching, in advance of the user requesting the content, network addresses of the resources so as to resolve the domain name references, and adapting a level of the fetching based upon the at least one operating condition. The network addresses of the resources are cached so as to generate cached network addresses, and if the user requests the content, the cached network addresses are utilized to access the resources associated with the content.
US08645486B2
A method for transferring content from a server (2) onto a recording medium (14), said server (2) being accessible via a communication network (4), comprises the following steps: a) connecting said recording medium (14) to a networkable device (3), b) establishing a connection between the networkable device (3) and said server (2) via said communication network (4), and c) transferring content from said server (2) onto said recording medium (14) via said networkable device (3), wherein at least one of steps b) and c) is managed by an application which is provided on said recording medium (14) and which is activated or is activatable after said recording medium (14) has been connected to said networkable device (3).
US08645484B2
A system and method for providing a messaging service in a community is disclosed. The system includes a communication interface and a message routing module. The communication interface receives a message from a first member of the community using a first text messaging channel. The message includes a community number identifying the community. The message routing module is communicatively coupled to the communication interface. The message routing module determines one or more second members of the community based at least in part on the community number. The message routing module determines one or more second text messaging channels for the one or more second members. The communication interface sends the message to the one or more second members of the community using the one or more second text messaging channels.
US08645478B2
A method in one example implementation includes providing a memory component with one or more alternative email entries associated with a plurality of name records. The name records represent one or more authorized users of a network. The method further includes determining whether any of the one or more alternative email entries corresponds to a sender email address in an incoming email message, where the incoming email message is being sent from the sender email address to at least one official email address associated with the network. In more specific embodiments the method includes tagging the incoming email message with a first or second flag depending on whether any of the one or more alternative email entries corresponds to the sender email address and whether a username of the sender email address includes an identifiable portion of one of the plurality of name records.
US08645469B2
An instant messaging communication method, computer program product and apparatus. The instant messaging communication apparatus includes input means for inputting an instant message and a semantic tag for the instant message; a network module for transmitting the input instant message and semantic tag and receiving an instant message with a semantic tag; construction means for constructing a visual topic structural diagram of the transmitted and received instant messages according to the semantic tag; and display means for displaying the visual topic structural diagram. An embodiment of the communication apparatus provides structured guidance to the user's discussion, directs the user to make pertinent announcement and enables the user to easily sum up the main points of the discussion from the log through a visualized topic structural diagram.
US08645449B1
Circuitry (fixed or configured in a programmable device) for performing floating point addition and subtraction uses approximately the same resources as required for either operation separately. The circuitry is based on a recognition that when adding or subtracting two numbers, the two resulting mantissa values will be two out of three possibilities, and will involve either a one-bit shifting operation, or a shifting operation involving a large number of bits. Therefore, one mantissa path—a subtraction path—can be provided with full add/normalize/round circuitry, while a second mantissa path—an addition path—can be provided with a simple one-bit shifter and simplified rounding circuitry. Because the input numbers are signed, the “addition path,” which only adds the mantissas, may provide the mantissa for the subtraction result, depending on the signs of the input numbers. Similarly, the “subtraction path” may provide the mantissa for the addition result.
US08645443B2
A method and system for the design and implementation of desensitized digital filters with droop correction. The desensitized digital filter includes a first filter configured to receive an input signal, a decimator or upsampler, and a modified desensitized half-band filter. The first filter introduces droop into the passband of the desensitized digital filter. The desensitized half-band filter has a transfer function F(z)=K(1+z−1)G(z) wherein K≠0 is a scale factor, that is modified to omit a (1+z−1) factor block. The modified desensitized half-band filter compensates for the passband droop introduced by the first filter. The first filter may be a sinc filter, CIC filter, or filter having similar properties.
US08645442B2
A finite impulse response filter comprises an input formatter, a plurality of sample registers, a plurality of coefficient registers, an arithmetic unit, a multiply accumulate unit, a crosspoint switch, an interpolator, a control unit, and an output formatter. The input formatter separates the in-phase portion of a complex-number discrete-time sample from the quadrature portion. The sample registers store a plurality of discrete-time samples. The coefficient registers store a plurality of coefficients. The arithmetic unit adds two of the discrete-time samples to create a sum. The multiply accumulate unit includes a multiplier that multiplies the sum by a coefficient to create a product, an adder that adds the product to a sum of products, and a register that stores the sum of products. The crosspoint switch allows communication between the first and second plurality of registers and the arithmetic unit and the multiply accumulate unit. The interpolator inserts a desired number of zeros into the time-sampled data stream to adjust the time-sampled data stream to an increasing sampling rate. The control unit controls the settings of the crosspoint switch, the arithmetic unit, and the multiply accumulate unit. The output formatter combines the in-phase sum of products and the quadrature sum of products to create a filtered complex-number discrete-time sample.
US08645435B2
An application issues an application command to a file system of the computing device, where the application command includes a location of data at a source. The file system allocates space on a medium for the data and compiles a list including an identification of each portion of the medium that is to be used to store the data. The file system then issues a file system command to a block driver of the medium, where the file system command includes the location of the data at the source and the compiled list. The block driver contacts the source, requests the data at the location thereof, and writes the data to the portions of the medium included in the compiled list.
US08645430B2
In one embodiment, an apparatus for automated generation of subject line content for e-mail messages includes an input operable to receive content data including text-based information corresponding to a body of an e-mail message, a text analyzer including logic operable to analyze received content data, a topic extractor including logic operable to extract topic data in accordance with an output of the text analyzer, a string generator including logic operable to generate subject line data in accordance with an output of the topic extractor, and a message output operable to output a multi-field e-mail message having a body field inclusive of the content data and a subject line field inclusive of generated subject line data.
US08645427B2
To provide a human relationships registering system, a method and a server for registering human relationships, a program for registering human relationships, and a medium storing human relationships registering program and readable by a computer, all of which are used to establish wide and close relationships with members having a variety of occupations or engaged in various technical fields and to obtain expert knowledge or information. The human relationships registering system comprises first data processing units 2 and 3 including sections for receiving personal data of a new member, and a second data processing unit including a section for storing the received personal data. The second data processing unit stores the personal data of the new member in correlation to an existing member when the existing member confirms the new member.
US08645424B2
A system for electronically recording and sharing medical data is provided, the system comprising an electronic source document, wherein the electronic source document comprises a database. In one particular embodiment, the medical data comprise clinical study data, and in another the medical data comprise patient specific data. In some embodiments, the system includes means for defining data parameters and storing the data parameters within the electronic source document, as well as a browser-based means for entering data into the electronic source document and storing the data therein. In a further embodiment, the system comprises means for one or more users of the system to view stored data. In a still further embodiment, means for one or more users to amend data stored in the electronic source document is provided, and in yet another embodiment the system comprises means for creating and maintaining an audit trail when one or more of the users amends data stored in the electronic source document. In other embodiments, the system further comprises an application specific navigation tool; in some embodiments, the application specific tool comprises a graphical user interface. Appropriate methods of using the system are also provided.
US08645419B2
A method is provided for enhancing service diagnostics for root cause analysis of an identified problem in a vehicle. Service repair data of previously serviced vehicles is obtained from a memory storage device. The service data is compiled based on a service repair history for each vehicle. Each vehicle within the compiled service data having at least two service repairs performed within a predetermined period of time is identified. Combinations of parts serviced during each service repair are identified. A count is determined that indicates the number of times each combination appears in the compiled service data. The combinations having counts greater than a predetermined threshold are identified. A determination is made whether any of the combinations having counts greater than the predetermined threshold are present in the structural taxonomy database. A functional taxonomy database is updated by assigning the selected combinations to the function taxonomy database not present in the structural taxonomy database.
US08645415B2
A computing system partitions received events into a number of channels by account identifier. The channels receive the events and perform de-duplication of the events. This de-duplication can be performed with a filter that is updated to reflect the receipt of any original event. The filter may be used to either determine that the event is not a duplicate of another, or to determine that the event cannot be ruled out as being a duplicate of another. In the latter case, further processing may be performed to for definitively determine whether the event is truly a duplication, or in the alternative, the event may be immediately treated as a duplicate.
US08645409B1
Apparatus, systems and methods for contextual search term evaluation are disclosed. A current search query is received during a search session. A predicate subsequence in the search query is identified. A subsequent search term in the query is identified. The search term attributes of the subsequent search term are adjusted.
US08645408B2
The present invention provides for the discovery of an Internet Protocol (IP) address of an application server associated with an IP network. An IP device is granted access to an IP network. Access to the IP network assumes an IP address assignment for the IP device. The network domain name is discovery by performing a Reverse DNS query on the assigned IP address or an IP address associated with the IP network device granting access to the IP device. Using a application server domain name (derived from the network domain name) a DNS query is perform to determine all IP addresses associated with the application server domain name.
US08645404B2
A split data word including a portion of each of two word-aligned data words stored at two word-aligned address boundaries within a memory is read from a displaced-read memory address relative to the word-aligned address boundaries within the memory. The portions of each of the two word-aligned data words within the split data word are compared with corresponding portions of a word-aligned search pattern. A determination is made that a potential complete match for the word-aligned search pattern exists within at least one of the two word-aligned data words based upon an identified match of at least one of the portions of the two word-aligned data words within the split data word with a corresponding at least one portion of the word-aligned search pattern.
US08645401B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide for an end-to-end system and method for identifying custodians, preserving, collecting, processing, reviewing, analyzing, producing, presenting, and dispositioning data responsive to a legal discovery request.
US08645400B1
A method and apparatus uses a section filter to perform a filtering operation, such as a match, do not match, within range, or without range filtering operation, on bitstream data in accordance with a rule. The filtering operation may begin at any bit location in the bitstream data and end at any location in the bitstream data. The result of the filtering operation is compared to a value determined by the rule, or if further rules are to be employed, the result is transmitted to a further section filter which performs a further filtering operation on the bitstream data. As many section filters may be linked in this way as the number of rules to be employed. When the section filter corresponding to the last rule to be employed has performed its filtering operation, all results are compared to values determined by the rules employed to determine which data to extract from the bitstream data.
US08645391B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for attribute-value extraction from structured documents. In one aspect, a method includes obtaining an initial attribute whitelist, extracting candidate attributes from a first collection of documents, and grouping the candidate attributes. The method further includes calculating a score for each unique attribute in the candidate attributes, generating an expanded attribute whitelist including the initial attributes and each unique attribute having a score that satisfies a threshold, and using the expanded attribute whitelist to identify valid attribute-value pairs. In another aspect, a method includes extracting candidate attribute-value pairs from a collection of documents and identifying one or more features for each candidate attribute-value pair. The method further includes filtering out non valid attribute-value pairs.
US08645374B2
A method of selectively enabling data tables includes accessing data from a first data table, downloading a second data table, upon reaching a predetermined criteria, comparing corresponding data from the first and second data tables each time data is accessed from the first data table, prompting a user to accept the second data table for use if there is a difference between the corresponding data, charging an account of the user if the user accepts the second data table for use in response to the prompt, and performing alternate operations if the user does not accept the second data table for use.
US08645373B2
A computer implemented process encompasses the following steps: Identify the user's current media content library/ies; Analyze the content of those libraries, deriving a “taste signature” for the user from that analysis; Match the derived “taste signature” to other media content and to other users; and provide the user with recommendations based on that automatic matching process.
US08645371B2
A personal resources organizer with calendar interface and object detection is provided. The personal resources organizer monitors personal resources for use with a scheduled event by identifying one or more personal resource objects present in a container and retrieving a list of required personal resource objects for an event scheduled in an electronic schedule. The identified one or more personal resource objects are compared with the list of required personal resource objects for the schedule event and a report of a readiness for the scheduled event is generated based on results of the comparison. The report may then be output for use by a user in determining the user's readiness or preparedness for the scheduled event such that the user may make modifications to the personal resource objects in the container and/or the list or required personal resource objects.
US08645362B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for using resource load times in ranking search results. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a search query from a particular user device; receiving, for each of a plurality of resources responsive to the search query, a respective first score; accessing load time data that specifies, for each of the plurality of resources, a load time measure for the resource; and adjusting the first score for each of the plurality of resources based on the load time measure for the resource to generate a second score for each of the plurality of resources.
US08645353B2
Anchor images and information associated therewith are accumulated during a Web crawling operation. One or more rules are applied to the accumulated candidate anchor images to filter out candidate anchor images that are not appropriate for use as the anchor image for a particular target video. The remaining candidate anchor image is then selected as the anchor image for the particular video.
US08645350B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods operate to obtain data from a first array constructed from a directed acyclic graph formed as a prefix tree having key strings associated with a plurality of interconnected nodes, including branch nodes coupled via branches to sibling nodes and child nodes. Reference numbers are assigned to nodes in a monotonic progression as the prefix tree is traversed along the plurality of nodes. Sibling nodes are assigned reference numbers before child nodes, and child nodes are assigned reference numbers according to the order of appearance of key string characters. The first array comprises the key strings ordered according to the reference numbers. A second array can be formed as a linear searchable index derived from data in the first array, with elements of the second array comprising the reference numbers. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US08645349B2
A search engine provides efficient and scalable search queries for documents using a document summaries index file structure. The document summaries index file structure comprises an index portion and a records portion. The index portion contains a plurality of document identifiers, each of which is linked to a record in the record values portion. The records portion includes a document summary that may include a number of fields, including a name-length, name, type, and value-length, and value. Each record value is searched to determine if the contents matches criteria in the search request. The document summaries index file can be modified to add new indexable criteria in a scalable and efficient manner.
US08645345B2
A search engine and a method achieve timeliness of documents returned in a search result by a relevancy feedback mechanism driven by the frequency in which a URL is returned in recent searches. The relevancy feedback mechanism includes one or more random processes which determine whether or not a cached or indexed web page associated with a URL in the search result should be refreshed. In addition, the random processes also determine whether or not hyperlinks in the cached or indexed web page should be followed to access related web pages. Accesses of web pages resulting from the operations of the random processes are used to update any document index maintained by the search engine. Relevancy scoring functions implemented in look-up tables are also disclosed. A more accurate relevancy scoring function is achieved using a lexicon based on anchortexts of extracted hyperlinks of web documents.
US08645339B2
A method, system and computer program product for managing and querying a graph. The method includes the steps of: receiving a graph; partitioning the graph into homogeneous blocks; compressing the homogeneous blocks; and storing the compressed homogeneous blocks in files where at least one of the steps is carried out using a computer device.
US08645335B2
The subject disclosure is directed towards changing a file from a fully deduplicated state to a partially deduplicated state in which some of the file data is deduplicated in a chunk store, and some is recalled into the file, that is, in the file's storage volume. A partial recall mechanism such as in a file system filter tracks (e.g., via a bitmap in a file reparse point) whether file data is maintained in the chunk store or has been recalled to the file. Data is recalled from the chunk store as needed, and committed (e.g., flushed) to the file. Also described is efficiently returning the file to a fully deduplicated state by using the tracking information to determine which parts of the file are already deduplicated into the chunk store so as to avoid their further deduplication processing.
US08645325B2
A system and method for hosting entity-specific photo-sharing websites for entity-specific image capture devices provides software for the entity-specific image capture devices that causes the image capture devices to transmit entity ID information when the image capture devices transmit images over the Internet. The system and method further provide an online photosharing service capable of hosting the entity-specific photo-sharing websites for each of the entities, such that when the image capture devices connect to photo-sharing service, the photo-sharing service uses the entity ID received from the image capture devices to automatically associate the image with the photo-sharing websites of the identified entity.
US08645322B2
Utilizing publishing and subscribing clients in network media channels having a first network coupled to at least a first server and a second server. The first server includes storage configured to store media data, and a network media channel manager configured to send and receive the media data according to one or more network media channels. The first server is also coupled to a publishing client, which is configured to publish the media data using a first network media channel selected from the one or more network media channels, and a subscribing client in a local network external to the first network. The subscribing client subscribes and accesses the media data using a second network media channel selected from the one or more network media channels. One or more network media channels include at least one local channel that is limited to the local network so that only the subscribing client can present to the local channel.
US08645320B2
The present invention relates to a method for performing an image level copy of an information store. The present invention comprises performing a snapshot of an information store that indexes the contents of the information store, retrieving data associated with the contents of the information store from a file allocation table, copying the contents of the information store to a storage device based on the snapshot, and associating the retrieved data with the copied contents to provide file system information for the copied contents.
US08645319B2
An information processing system, a data update method and a data update program are disclosed. In a data base system of master-slave configuration, the update result can be accessed also on slave side with the access request immediately after the particular update. The data base system DBS includes a master DB computer and at least a slave DB computer. The slave DB computer judges from the count on an update counter table whether the update log received from the master DB computer is to be reflected in a duplicate data base or not. Thus, the lost update problem is solved while at the same time realizing a high-speed process.
US08645315B2
A bookmark extracting apparatus accurately selects the most suitable bookmarks related to a website, being browsed at present, from bookmarks registered in advance. The bookmark extracting apparatus provides the selected bookmarks to a user. It includes a keyword extraction unit which extracts a keyword based on browsing history information of a website up to now, and a providing unit which provides a bookmark related to the keyword extracted by the extraction unit from a plurality of registered bookmarks, based on the keyword.
US08645310B2
A method for verifying the performance of a real-time system modeled as a timed automaton. An abstract model of the system is checked against an initial Linear Temporal Logic specification. If a path to an undesirable state is found, the counterexample is validated or invalidated using negative cycle detection. If a negative cycle is detected, optimization is undertaken to identify a minimal infeasible fragment in the negative cycle. The specification is then refined to eliminate usage of the minimal infeasible fragment, and the abstract model is then checked against the refined specification.
US08645307B2
An apparatus for generating a probabilistic graphical model based on a time-space structure. The apparatus includes a first matrix generation unit configured to generate a first matrix having variables corresponding to stream data; a second matrix generation unit configured to classify the variables of the first matrix into either object variables that are objects of interest or input variables, acquire combination variables from multi-order combination of the input variables, and generate a second matrix using the acquired combination variables; and a model creation unit configured to create the probabilistic graphical model using the object variables of the first matrix and the combination variables of the second matrix.
US08645304B2
Structural changes in causal relationship over time may be detected, for example, by a Markov switching vector autoregressive model that detects and infers the structural changes in the causal graphs.
US08645301B2
A computer-implemented method and system for automated entity identification for efficient profiling in an event probability prediction system. A first subset of entities belonging to one or more entity classes is defined. At least one historical profile is constructed for each entity in the subset of entities based on a set of possible outcomes of transaction behavior of each entity in the first subset of entities. Based on the historical profiles, a second subset of entities having transaction behavior associated with a transaction is selected, the transaction behavior being predictive of at least one targeted outcome from the set of possible outcomes. The first subset of entities is redefined with the second subset of entities.
US08645297B2
A method for using predictive modeling of a physical process in order to determine and implement a solution to the physical process. The method includes analyzing the physical process to determine the relevant physical relationships, observations, data, and outcome probabilities associated with the physical relationships of the physical process, and storing representations of the relevant physical relationships, observations, data and outcome probabilities in a memory of a computer. The method also includes recursively analyzing the stored representations by the computer, and generating at least one tree structure that models the physical process, the tree structure including at least one root node, a plurality of decision nodes, and a plurality of end nodes. The method further includes partitioning observations at each decision node into probable outcomes using target partitioning, generating a plurality of other decision nodes based on the target partitioning, determining a solution to the physical process based on criterion variables, by the computer using the tree structure of the physical process to arrive at an end node, and implementing a physical solution to the physical process.
US08645289B2
A “Cross-Lingual Unified Relevance Model” provides a feedback model that improves a machine-learned ranker for a language with few training resources, using feedback from a more complete ranker for a language that has more training resources. The model focuses on linguistically non-local queries, such as “world cup” (English language/U.S. market) and “copa mundial” (Spanish language/Mexican market), that have similar user intent in different languages and markets or regions, thus allowing the low-resource ranker to receive direct relevance feedback from the high-resource ranker. Among other things, the Cross-Lingual Unified Relevance Model differs from conventional relevancy-based techniques by incorporating both query- and document-level features. More specifically, the Cross-Lingual Unified Relevance Model generalizes existing cross-lingual feedback models, incorporating both query expansion and document re-ranking to further amplify the signal from the high-resource ranker to enable a learning to rank approach based on appropriately labeled training data.
US08645283B2
A method includes receiving first media data from a plurality of persons; identifying first media data generated within a window of time at a certain location and associating the identified first media data with an occurrence of a first event; determining which persons of the plurality of persons were present at the occurrence of the first event; and storing information related to the first event in association with information identifying those persons determined to be present at the occurrence of the first event. The method further includes, in response to receiving further media data from a plurality of persons, determining if the further media data was generated within a window of time at a certain location; determining based at least in part of the stored information if the certain location associated with the further media data is the same as the certain location associated with the first media data, and if at least some of the persons from which the further media data is received are the same as the persons from which the first media data was received and, if so, declaring that a second event is occurring that is related to the first event; and sending a notification of the occurrence of the second event to those persons who were determined to be present at the occurrence of the first event and who are determined to not currently be present at the occurrence of the second event.
US08645282B2
A Secure Virtual Point of Service (SVPOS) that coordinates the authentication, authorization, and identity, settlement, arbitration and non-repudiation for an electronic commercial transaction. For each commercial transaction, both the buyer and merchant authenticate itself to the SVPOS and create two unique transaction encryption keys, one for the buyer and one for the merchant. The merchant uses both encryption keys to encrypt a package that include at least product identification. The merchant and buyer calculate a hash of the package and transmit the calculated hash to the SVPOS for comparison to prevent repudiation. If the calculated hash is identical the buyer receives the merchants encryption key and decrypts the package. Payment is released by the SVPOS if the buyer is satisfied with the package via a Parlay system. If the buyer is not satisfied, said SVPOS performs arbitration between the buyer and merchant to determine if the package is correct.
US08645281B2
A process for authenticating an end user. A first pattern of colored quadrilaterals is generated. A second pattern of multiple colored nodes that include a first subset of nodes is generated. The first and second patterns are sent to the end user. If a transparent credit card is overlaid by the end user on top of the second pattern, then a second subset of nodes in the credit card would match in color and location the first subset of nodes. The authenticity status of the end user is determined by determining whether each node of a third subset of nodes within the second subset of nodes (i) corresponds to a unique node of the multiple colored nodes and (ii) has a color that matches a specific color in one quadrilateral of the colored quadrilaterals. The determined authenticity status is sent to the end user via an output device.
US08645277B2
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.
US08645276B2
A method for managing information technology (IT) through auto discovery analysis to achieve business relevance is provided. An IT infrastructure is monitored to discover managed components of the infrastructure and discover business processes which are supported by the infrastructure. An information model is formed based on the discovered components and the discovered business processes. The information model can be used to provide assorted IT services.
US08645272B2
A system and method are provided which allow users to load stored value accounts through online bill payment. The system and method do not rely on the user loading the stored value account sharing online banking login information or account number/routing information. In an aspect, the method includes a user selecting online banking as a payment option, receiving a bill for the load amount, paying the bill through online banking bill pay, the system receiving notification from the bank of an online banking bill payment and the system notifying the stored value account provider of the payment. The cash settlement is released to a stored value account provider in response to load request.
US08645271B2
A method for controlling secure telemetric payments using an open network. A plurality of servers are utilized: (1) first servers linking merchants with financial institutions, (2) second servers operated by the financial institutions for performing financial transactions for a group of clients with whom consumers perform commercial and financial transactions, and (3) third servers used by service operators for performing validation operations for the transactions. Separate telephone networks are used for connecting the second servers to the third servers, and for linking the third servers to the consumers.
US08645270B2
A computer-implemented method, a server, and a computer use an enhanced customer interaction channel based on a predetermined payment key associated with a specific company and location. The predetermined payment key uniquely identifies the specific company and location and enables the enhanced customer interaction channel based on existing payment processing systems. The specific company may use the enhanced customer interaction channel to reach customers who were previously unknown to the specific company for a variety of purposes such as rewards, coupons, offers, product information, and the like.
US08645268B2
Tax refunds are provided via a money transfer service. Merely by way of example, a taxpayer (or a tax preparer) might provide to the IRS an account number at a bank, as a target for a direct deposit refund related to a tax return. In an aspect, the account number might have a specific format that informs the bank that the refund is to be processed by the money transfer service, and in another aspect, the account number might include data that identifies the taxpayer to the money transfer service.
US08645265B2
An apparatus and methods for a card that allows a cardholder to set up auto-charge payment of dues and fees to a series of clubs, merchants or service providers. The card also may be used for other transactions that accept credit cards. The apparatus includes a database containing information of the associated clubs, merchants and service providers, so that applicants and cardholders can easily configure auto-charging for multiple business concerns in one sitting. The apparatus may process auto-charge transactions in an automated fashion without requiring a cardholder to submit payment authorization or the business concern to submit a charge for each payment. Inconvenience and administrative costs to the cardholder and the business concern are reduced. The system and method provide a competitive advantage to the associated business concerns to secure the initial account and then to maintain it. The system and method encourages card loyalty of both the card members and the business concerns to the card provider.
US08645261B2
The present invention provides a method and system for providing a market-backed annuity allowing for client-selected segment terms and automatic rollover. The method and system includes techniques for allowing an investor to specify a segment maturity date, specify a percentage of upside and downside protection, specify an underlying market index, and choose an amount of investment capital. By providing flexibility, the current invention increases the security and performance of market-backed annuity products.
US08645243B1
A system for providing retirement location advice may comprise at least one subsystem that receives location characteristic preference input from a customer, at least one subsystem that finds possible locations that a customer could afford during their retirement based on a retirement plan of the customer and the location characteristic preference input of the customer, and at least one subsystem that displays the possible locations found.
US08645242B1
Systems and methods for compiling and analyzing bids from bidders in an auction offering of securities by an issuing company are disclosed. A data striper stripes bid data compiled from the bids of potential investors into a plurality of stripes according to an algorithm and a bid aggregation system aggregates the bid data in the stripes. The bid aggregation system may perform a first-level aggregation on the bid data in the data stripes for combinations of a plurality of attributes related to the bid data and/or a second-level aggregation based on the first-level aggregation. The auction management system may further comprise an analytics system for analyzing the aggregated bid data. The analytics system may receive user requests for analysis of the bid data, perform the analysis in real time based on the user inputs, and serve the results of the analysis to the user.
US08645240B1
A system, method, and computer readable medium for usage billing of one or more hosted applications serving one or more clients. The hosted applications are contained within one or more isolated environments or run without isolated environments. The system may include usage billing based on one or more of resources open, amount of data flowing through resources, number of open files, number of transactions, number of concurrent users, number of processes, CPU utilization and memory usage, The system may further include a management interface where administrators may add, remove and configure isolated environments, configure client policies and credentials, and force upgrades. If using isolated environments, the isolated environments may be isolated from other applications and the host operating system on the clients and applications within the isolated environments may run without performing an application-installation on the client.
US08645237B2
A process that arranges information warehoused at individual accounting and tax preparation firms at a central location for the purpose of marketing information. Data contained at these firms have qualitative and quantitative characteristics that are different from data archived at the Internal Revenue Service or other tax authorities. This fact makes the data valuable as data in two ways. First the data can be exchanged to provide new revenue streams. Secondly, these data, if grouped into data warehouses of other firms, has value as pure data, not just customer lists. These data may be sold or rented creating additional revenue streams for their originators. The purchasers of this bulk data are interested in using this data in the field of data mining. Data mining is a technique of analyzing vast amounts of information to uncover relationships to predict events and has wide application in many areas of the economy.
US08645231B2
Apparatus and methods for distributing coins in a coin distribution system. Coins may be distributed among members of a coin consortium. Coins may be shipped from a first coin consortium member to a second coin consortium member based on a requirement to adjust a first coin inventory of the first consortium member and a second coin inventory of the second consortium member, respectively. Neither the first consortium member nor the second consortium member is the U.S. Federal Reserve Branch. Coins may be shipped from the second coin consortium member to the first coin consortium member based on a second requirement to adjust the first and second coin inventories.
US08645229B1
A secondary marketplace acquires an ownership interest in a set of copies of media content items from a set of owners. The owners have previously purchased one or more legal copies of the media content items. The secondary marketplace utilizes the acquired ownership interest in the copies of the media content items to provide potential consumers with a set of digital media content items. A one-to-one correspondence exists between the digital media content items and the copies of the media content items. The secondary marketplace permits the potential consumers to utilize one or more user selected ones of the digital media content items for a fee. A right by the secondary marketplace to permit the potential consumers to utilize the digital media content items is by virtue of the acquired ownership interests in the plurality of copies of the media content items from the owners.
US08645228B2
A business object model, which reflects data that is used during a given business transaction, is utilized to generate interfaces. This business object model facilitates commercial transactions by providing consistent interfaces that are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction. In some operations, software creates, updates, or otherwise processes information related to a freight order, a maintenance plan, a maintenance task list, a request for supplier freight quote, and/or a supplier freight quote business object.
US08645227B2
One method herein includes forwarding an invoice for a purchase agreement made between a seller and a buyer. The method includes receiving a service selection indicating that the invoice is to be paid using an escrow system. The service selection includes a token for verification of a buyer's signatory. The method receives funding confirmation that the buyer has deposited funds into an escrow account. Based on funding confirmation, notification to ship the goods is sent. The method receives shipping confirmation confirming that the goods have been shipped. Upon receipt of the goods, a receiver is authenticated as the authorized signatory using the verification system. This authentication is based on the stored token matching a provided token. Based on verification of the receiver, the goods are released and the deposited funds from the escrow account are deposited into the seller's account.
US08645222B1
Computer implemented methods and systems for fulfilling a customer request for a requested item purchased from a merchant is provided. The method may be performed by a tangibly embodied processing machine disposed in a customer device. The method may include (1) observing, through the input of information, an observed event that is associated with a customer; (2) associating the observed event with a corresponding order record; (3) retrieving order information from the corresponding order record, the order information including at least customer financial entity account information; (4) generating a merchant request based at least in part on the order information in the corresponding order record, the merchant request including at least customer identification information and customer financial entity account information; and (5) outputting the merchant request to the designated merchant, so as to provide the designated merchant with information to fulfill the customer request.
US08645215B1
An automatic sales tax declaration system includes a control center, a point of sale (POS) terminal at a shop, a declaration machine accessible to a customer, and a tax declaration card. The POS terminal and the declaration machine both communicate with the control center via a mobile telecommunication network. When a sale is made, the merchant collects the payment using the POS terminal, which records customer tax information on the tax declaration card and transmits merchant tax information to the control center. Subsequently, the customer uses the tax declaration card and the declaration machine to transmit the customer tax information to the control center. The control center calculates the sales tax based on the customer and merchant tax information. If the control center does not receive merchant tax information corresponding to the customer tax information, it concludes that the merchant may have attempted to conceal sales and evade taxes.
US08645212B2
User action in the form of movement of a tracking device on a webpage, represented by cursor gestures on the webpage, is used to detect if a user intends to leave the webpage. Upon detection of an intent to leave the webpage, an advertisement may be displayed to a user. The advertisement may be targeted to the user and/or based on the content the user was viewing on the webpage.
US08645211B2
A system and method is provided for adding an advertisement to a personal communication and providing additional communication data to a recipient that interacts with the advertisement regardless of the network device the recipient is utilizing. A sender network device communicates with an advertising application operating on a Web site to generate a personal communication containing at least one advertisement. In one embodiment of the present invention, the advertising application is configured to select an advertisement based on at least a portion of the content of the personal communication. If the advertisement is interactive, and the advertisement is interacted with, the advertising application will provide the recipient with additional communication data in a format that can be understood by the recipient network device.
US08645206B2
An exemplary system includes a publisher subsystem configured to communicate with an access device and an advertiser device over a data communication network. The publisher subsystem includes a publish module, a session module, and an allocation module. The publish module is configured to publish content over the data communication network, the content including an advertisement. The session module is configured to detect a selection of the advertisement, initiate a session between the access device and the advertiser device in response to the selection, the advertiser device being associated with the advertisement, and receive feedback from the advertiser device. The allocation module is configured to allocate revenue based on the feedback. In some examples, the amount of the revenue is independent of the feedback.
US08645203B2
System and method for finding potential trading partners in both two-party and multi-party scenarios
System and method for bartering items between two or more parties using a communications network in which each party accesses a central server via the communications network and provides a list of items they have to trade and want to obtain, a description of the items and any conditions for trade of the items. The lists are stored in a database and links indicating the party's possible trades are automatically created. A search for possible trades between the parties is undertaken using the links and the parties involved in each possible trade are notified to confirm the trade. Upon receipt of confirmation from each party, the trade is processed to completion. Weights may be assigned to the links, representing a degree of similarity between descriptions of items, whereby the search for possible trades is conducted based on the weights of the links.
US08645193B2
Systems and methods for the aggregation, analysis, and display of data for used vehicles are disclosed. Historical transaction data for used vehicles may be obtained and processed to determine pricing data, where this determined pricing data may be associated with a particular configuration of a vehicle. The user can then be presented with an interface pertinent to the vehicle configuration utilizing the aggregated data set or the associated determined data where the user can make a variety of determinations. This interface may, for example, be configured to present the historical transaction data visually, with the pricing data such as a trade-in price, a list price, an expected sale price or range of sale prices, market low sale price, market average sale price, market high sale price, etc. presented relative to the historical transaction data.
US08645191B2
A product pricing system determines a product price. The system receives product pricing constraints and multinomial logit (“MNL”) calibration parameters. The system then generates a calibrated MNL model using the calibration parameters and encodes the MNL model and the product pricing constraints into a mixed-integer program (“MIP”). The system then solves the MIP to generate the product price.
US08645189B2
An approach is provided to analyze consumer behavior data. In the approach, location data corresponding to the consumers is identified. Discarded tagged packages are received from the consumers. The discarded tagged packages include wireless tags that associate the discarded tagged packages product identifiers. At a refuse collection point, each of the wireless tags are read (e.g., using an RFID reader). The reading retrieves the product identifiers associated from the tags on the discarded packages. The product identifiers and the location data are stored in a data store. Consumer consumption maps are generated from the stored product identifiers and location data.
US08645188B2
One embodiment is directed generally to a computer system, and in particular to a system for providing automatic estimating of demand parameters. According to certain embodiments, a computer readable medium has instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to determine a reliable demand parameter for a level within a sales hierarchy. The instructions include estimating a demand parameter for a first pool. The estimating is based on blending and comparing with respect to an enlarged pool comprising the first pool as a subset of the enlarged pool to obtain an estimated demand parameter.
US08645183B2
The present invention relates to an environmental load assessment system, which is capable of efficiently and simply assessing an environmental load of a building in all stages (e.g., a planning stage, a design stage, a construction stage, and a use stage after construction) in doing executing a business by subdividing an assessment process, such as simple assessment in the design stage, detailed assessment in the start stage, and site assessment in the construction stage according to the progress of a construction project. The system of the present invention includes a DB server for storing material information, environmental load information, and itemized material information about a construction work and storing environmental load information about an energy source; a management server for assessing environmental loads based on simple assessment, a detailed assessment, and site assessment according to the progress of a target assessment construction project; and a UI server for providing user terminals with an execution environment so that the management server can be operated.
US08645178B2
Each of a plurality of team members may define a task by providing data concerning a task to a centralized controller, wherein each task may be assigned any other team member of the plurality of team members. The controller may receive task event information from a first team member of the plurality of team members regarding a task, which task is associated within the controller with the first team member and a second team member. The controller subsequently sends updated task information, based on the task event information, to both the first team member and the second team member. Relevant to any given task, the task event information may comprise a task delegation indication, which may further comprise a non-delegation indication such that further delegation of the task in not permitted.
US08645168B2
A system for coordinating the submission and processing of a bill according to predictive payment data of a plan. The system comprises a provider interface and an integrated database for receiving a predictive payment plan submitted from the provider interface. The system also has a predictive payment request of the plan storable in the database, the request including a plurality of predictive payment parameters. An adjudication engine is coupled to the integrated database, and an insertion function is used for inserting the predictive payment parameters into an adjudication rule set of the adjudication engine. The adjudication rule set is used for eventual adjudication of the predictive payment data, wherein adjudication of the predictive payment data results in the generation of the bill. The system also has a workflow engine for coordinating the processing of the electronic bill and for updating the bill information in response to processing.
US08645166B2
A processor-based method for presenting patient test data includes acts of obtaining values of factors indicative of different patient health parameters and operatively associating the values of the factors with a unique identifier in a database borne by a physical computer-readable medium. Using a processor, a Z-score is determined for each factor and absolute values for each Z-score are converted into logarithm values. On a display, a radar graph depicts the Z-scores for the plurality of factors, the radar graph defining at least an arc subdivided into a plurality of sectors, each sector being subdivided into a plurality of arcuate sections, wherein log values are plotted from a center point of the radar graph, with the Z-scores of identified ones of the plurality of factors being representing as highlighted arcuate sections extending from the center point of the radar graph outwardly in correspondence with a magnitude of each Z-score.
US08645165B2
Systems and methods for multi-dimensional, value-based clinical care path decision support are provided. A system includes a care decision subsystem to receive a patient problem and at least one clinical patient attribute, to identify a plurality of patient care path options for evaluation by the patient and a provider, and to generate a mashup of patient-specific criteria including clinical efficacy, cost, and access associated with each of the plurality of patient care path options. Each of the plurality of patient care path options can be utilized in an evaluation with respect to an objective associated with the patient problem. A user interface displays the plurality of patient care path options and associated mashup of patient-specific criteria to facilitate a data-driven selection of at least one of the plurality of patient care path options based on comparative efficacy, cost, and access tailored to the patient.
US08645164B2
Methods, systems, devices and/or apparatus related to displaying and visualizing medical information for facilitating effective analysis by medical professionals. Example systems for displaying medical information related to a human subject may include a computer system, server system(s), data monitoring device(s), electronic medical record/interoperability tool, medical information database(s) and a medical information visualization tool having an interface, software and management database(s). Such system may simultaneously output at least two medical parameters (relating to near real-time medical information and historical medical information) to a display device using the medical information visualization tool.
US08645162B2
A computer implemented method involving a medical service for a patient includes estimating an expected payment associated with the medical service for the patient based on a set of data including payments for similar medical services provided to a population of individuals. The method also includes estimating a cost expected to be borne by the patient for incurring the medical service based on the estimated expected payment and based on a set of parameters associated with a healthcare coverage plan of the patient. The method further includes presenting financial information that communicates the cost expected to be borne by the patient for incurring the medical service.
US08645153B2
A system and method of composing medicine orders is disclosed. Patient dosage information for multiple medications is merged into a personalized medication schedule for the consumer. The schedule is printed on paper divided into sections by lines of perforation. Individual doses of medication are added to each section corresponding to the instructions printed therein.
US08645151B2
Estimations of carbon dioxide (“CO2”) emission of an entity upon the condition of incomplete or missing data uses one or more algorithms implemented in a machine having a processor and a memory and data concerning the entity. The data is applied to an algorithm implemented as code executable in the processor. The algorithm produces a result that comprises an estimate of the CO2 emission of the entity. The CO2 emission estimate can be output to a user, and the underlying formula and data can inspected and optionally modified by users with suitable permissions. The CO2 emission estimate can be applied as a factor in a formula to compute a rating for the entity which can be output from the machine. Error estimates associated with the data used by the algorithm can be generated to provide improved estimates.
US08645148B2
A method for integrating airplane operation related services provided by ground-based systems is described. The method includes receiving information from a plurality of airplane service functions, the airplane service functions including airlines, airplanes, regulatory authorities, maintenance repair organizations, and aircraft manufacturers, the received information relating to airplane operation. The method further includes determining which of the received airplane operation information is applicable to each of the airplane service functions, and distributing the applicable airplane operation information to each of the airplane service functions.
US08645147B2
A display panel mounting system comprises a mounting base having at least one pin, and a mating mechanism coupled to a display panel for coupling to the mounting base. The mating mechanism comprises a first plate fixed to the display panel comprising a pair of prongs having an opening for receiving the pin of the mounting base, and a second plate movable coupled to the first plate, comprising a latch for securing the pin between the pair of prongs of the first plate.
US08645144B2
A technique is provided for limiting distortion of an audio signal being processed for playback by an audio device. In accordance with the technique, the audio signal is compressed to generate a compressed audio signal having a level that does not exceed a compression limit. The compressed audio signal is then soft clipped signal to generate a soft-clipped audio signal having a level that does not exceed a soft clipping limit, wherein the compression limit exceeds the soft clipping limit. The technique may also include passing the audio signal through a shaping filter prior to compressing the audio signal, wherein passing the audio signal through a shaping filter comprises modifying the level of selected frequency components of the audio signal.
US08645142B2
System and method to improve intelligibility of coded speech, the method including: receiving an encoded speech signal from a network; extracting an encoded media data stream and one or more control data packets from the encoded speech signal; decoding the encoded media data stream to produce a decoded speech signal; boosting an upper spectral portion of the decoded speech signal to produce a boosted speech signal; and outputting the boosted speech signal. In another embodiment, the method may include: receiving an uncoded speech signal; processing the uncoded speech signal, wherein the processing comprises generating an unencoded data stream from the uncoded speech signal; boosting an upper spectral portion of the unencoded data stream to produce a boosted speech signal; encoding the boosted speech signal to produce an encoded speech signal; and outputting the boosted speech signal.
US08645141B2
A system and method for text to speech conversion. The method of performing text to speech conversion on a portable device includes: identifying a portion of text for conversion to speech format, wherein the identifying includes performing a prediction based on information associated with a user. While the portable device is connected to a power source, a text to speech conversion is performed on the portion of text to produce converted speech. The converted speech is stored into a memory device of the portable device. A reader application is executed, wherein a user request is received for narration of the portion of text. During the executing, the converted speech is accessed from the memory device and rendered to the user, responsive to the user request.
US08645135B2
A transformation can be derived which would represent that processing required to convert a male speech model to a female speech model. That transformation is subjected to a predetermined modification, and the modified transformation is applied to a female speech model to produce a synthetic children's speech model. The male and female models can be expressed in terms of a vector representing key values defining each speech model and the derived transformation can be in the form of a matrix that would transform the vector of the male model to the vector of the female model. The modification to the derived matrix comprises applying an exponential p which has a value greater than zero and less than 1.
US08645134B1
Embodiments relate to generation of timed text in web video. In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method generates timed text for online video. In the method, a request to play a timed text track of a video incorporated into a web video service is received from a client computing device. Prior to receipt of the request, audio of the video is processed to determine intermediate timed text data. The intermediate timed text data lacks a complete text transcription of the audio, but includes data to enable the complete text transcription to be generated when playing the video. In response to receipt of the request, a text transcription of the audio is determined using the intermediate data with an automated speech-to-text algorithm. Finally, the text transcription of the audio is sent to the client computing device for display along with the video.
US08645130B2
A processing unit is provided which executes speech recognition on speech signals captured by a microphone for capturing sounds uttered in an environment. The processing unit has: an initial reflection component extraction portion that extracts initial reflection components by removing diffuse reverberation components from a reverberation pattern of an impulse response generated in the environment; and an acoustic model learning portion that learns an acoustic model for the speech recognition by reflecting the initial reflection components to speech data for learning.
US08645113B2
A method for evaluating a lightning/HIRF protection effectiveness of a vehicle design is provided. The method is performed using a computer system coupled to a database. The method includes storing in the database design service life goals and critical characteristics for at least one lightning/HIRF protection component. The method also includes storing in the database a potential for degradation of the at least one component. The potential for degradation is based at least partially on a position where the component is to be installed. The method also includes determining continued functionality of the at least one component using the computer system to compare the vehicle design to the stored design service life goals.
US08645112B2
A distributed simulation system is composed of simulator stations linked over a network that each renders real-time video imagery for its user from scene data stored in its data storage. The simulation stations are each connected with a physics farm that manages the virtual objects in the shared virtual environment based on their physical attribute data using physics engines, including an engine at each simulation station. The physics engines of the physics farm are assigned virtual objects so as to reduce the effects of latency, to ensure fair fight requirements of the system, and, where the simulation is of a vehicle, to accurately model the ownship of the user at the station. A synchronizer system is also provided that allows for action of simulated entities relying on localized closed loop controls to cause the entities to meet specific goal points at specified system time points.
US08645107B2
Automatically adding constraints between entities in a subject computer-aided design (CAD) model of a real-world object includes storing information regarding CAD model entities and related constraints in a computer database in which the CAD model entities belong to one or more components of the subject CAD model or other CAD models. The computer database is accessed to determine previously used constraints for at least one entity of a given component being added to the CAD model, and constraints are automatically added between at least one entity of the given component and another entity in the subject CAD model based on the previously used constraints.
US08645106B2
A custom-made stem has a shape displaying good fit and fill, reflecting personal characteristics of a femur obtained by computer calculation. A model is made from the femur which does not need much time to calculate in spite of the fact that it complies with the characteristic of shape of the femur, particularly with the personal difference in the curvature thereof, which usually complicates the calculation. Several models are made which can be implanted in a deep hollow by calculating in a reverse course how the stem is pulled out of the deep hollow, to display reliable models to a surgeon. By determining the movement peculiar to the stem of a particular patient, an improved stem is made in a short time which meets the needs of the surgeon. The stem, which is custom-made, can be confirmed beforehand that it agrees with the femur of the patient.
US08645104B2
A microbolometer comprises an array of sensor elements or ‘pixels’ each individually responsive to generate an output indicative of the intensity of infrared radiation incident thereupon. In practice there are significant non-uniformities in the response of each pixel and further processing of the outputs must take place to generate an accurate image. These non-uniformities are dealt with by means of individual correction factors to be applied to the outputs of each pixel in the image. Commonly, the correction used provides a constant offset (1pt) and a linear gain correction (2pt). As the optimal values of these corrections drifts over time it is still necessary to provide further correction. In the present invention this is achieved by calculating one or more common scalar correction parameters that when applied to all of the individual correction factors before they are used to correct the output of the sensor elements will minimize the differences between the corrected outputs of adjacent sensor elements in the array when summed over a particular selection of sensor elements in the array.
US08645098B2
According to the present invention a portable hand-held device (1) for detecting the spatial position of a working point of a manipulator, in particular of a robot, comprises handling means (2, 3) for handling the hand-held device by a user, means for detecting a position (4), wherein a spatial position of the means for detecting a position (4) is detectable; and a tactile element (5) which is connected, preferably detachably connected, to the means for detecting a position and at which a reference point (R) is defined, wherein the handling means (2, 3) and the means for detecting a position (4) are connected with one another by a joint.
US08645097B2
A method for analyzing the output of a rotary sensor, such as that coupled to a vehicle wheel assembly. In one embodiment, the method detects periodic irregularities in the output of an incremental rotary sensor and uses those irregularities with a reference signal and a pattern comparison technique to determine the absolute angular position of the sensor.
US08645096B2
A deflection measurement probe includes a body portion having a cavity defined by the body portion, a first positional measurement sensor disposed in the cavity of the body portion, the first positional measurement sensor including a sensor tip extending from the body portion operative to contact a measurement surface, and a second positional measurement sensor disposed in the cavity of the body portion, the first positional measurement sensor including a sensor tip extending from the body portion operative to contact a measurement surface.
US08645095B2
A temperature sensor includes a counting signal generation unit, a counting signal decoding unit, an input reference voltage selection unit, and a latch pulse generation unit. The counting signal generation unit is configured to generate one or more counting signals in response to an oscillation signal. The counting signal decoding unit is configured to decode the one or more counting signals and to generate one or more test selection signals and an end signal. The input reference voltage selection unit is configured to output a first selection reference voltage or a second selection reference voltage as an input reference voltage in response to the one or more test selection signals. The latch pulse generation unit is configured to generate one or more latch pulses in response to the one or more test selection signals.
US08645092B2
Disclosed herein are a system and method useful for providing quality control services in connection with a project for initiation of a process plant having field devices disposed at respective field sites in the process plant. Quality control data is generated at the field sites with a portable computer in response to quality control task information provided via a user interface of the portable computer. The quality control data is transmitted to a host computer having a database with project history information, and stored in the database through integration of the quality control data with the project history information. The quality control data may be generated via check lists downloaded from the host computer to the portable computer, where the check lists specify tasks customized for the respective field site. Recordation of the quality control data via the check lists may include entering deficiency information. The initiation project may include commissioning of the process plant, and the project history information in the database may be made available for subsequent preventative maintenance or other work during operation of the process plant.
US08645076B2
Aspects describe capturing various bacteria levels within a process affected by microbial agents. A model of the process and a model of expected bacteria growth are analyzed and, based on the analysis, at least one process parameter is automatically modified to improve or optimize the product or process or other business or operational objectives. Also provided are at least two autonomous agents within the process. The at least two autonomous agents communicate and autonomously implement an action in an upstream stage and/or downstream stage within the process, wherein the at least two autonomous agents access the representation of the process and the biological representation and/or bio-chemical representation to implement the action.
US08645056B2
A system and method for controlling a display of geographical data on a primary display device to assist in navigating a mobile platform such as an aircraft, ship, train, land-based motor vehicle, etc. The system includes a graphical user interface module (GUI) for receiving a plurality of user inputs, and an image control module. The GUI generates a primary display of the complete route being traveled on the primary display device. If the entire route does not fit on the display device, then the image control module generates data that the GUI uses to generate a context display on the primary display device. The context display presents the entire route as a smaller image on the primary display device, simultaneously with the primary display. The user inputs for the GUI enable the user to zoom, pan and perform other image control operations on either the primary display or the context display.
US08645049B2
A motor generator is connected to a high voltage battery through an inverter. A voltage of the high voltage battery is decreased and is applied to a low voltage battery through a DC-DC converter. At time of starting an engine, a starting operation of a starter is executed by applying an output voltage of the DC-DC converter 36 to the starter. At this time, the output voltage of the DC-DC converter 36 may be adjusted based on the temperature of the engine, the voltage of the low voltage battery and/or the degree of degradation of lubricant oil of the engine.
US08645041B2
A slip control apparatus includes a driving torque calculating means calculating driving torque, a driving torque applying means applying the calculated driving torque to driving wheels, and a slip restraining means restraining slippage at each driving wheel when the slippage occurs at each driving wheel, wherein when the slippage occurs at each driving wheel, the driving torque calculating means calculates demanded torque and adds consumed driving torque, which corresponds to the driving torque consumed for restraining the slippage at each driving wheel by the slip restraining means, to the calculated demanded torque to calculate the driving torque.
US08645040B2
A method for operating a vehicle brake system during a wheel slip condition. According to an exemplary embodiment, the method involves receiving a requested brake torque, monitoring wheel slip, and if no wheel slip is detected then operating the vehicle brake system according to the requested brake torque. If, however, wheel slip is detected then the method may operate the vehicle brake system according to a modified brake torque that is less than the requested brake torque.
US08645033B2
An engine driven vehicle includes at least one engine, and control devices that are arranged to control a transmission that is driven by the engine. The control devices are arranged to receive at least two sets of data, each set including at least one of a first signal that includes information about the gradient of the surface on which the vehicle is being driven sent from a first sensor, and at least one second signal that includes information about the vehicle's speed sent from a second sensor, and at least one third signal that includes information about the vehicle's acceleration. The control devices are also arranged to calculate at least one of two different resistance to travel constants k1 and k2, in response to the first, second and third signals, and to control the transmission in response to at least one of the constants k1 and k2.
US08645031B2
An apparatus for connection to a transmission actuator of an engine transmission includes sensors for sensing transmission shifting positions of a shifting device. An interface transfers the evaluation signals of the sensors to the control electronics of the transmission actuator. The sensors are arranged such that their spacing from the interface (2) is smaller than the spacing between the interface and the sensed shifting device.
US08645026B2
In a method for the operation of a transverse guiding driver assist system of a motor vehicle, a road banking information is ascertained as a function of a change in a deviation of a transverse course of a road surface from a horizontal. A future road course is determined from environmental data and/or operating data of a motor vehicle, using the road banking information. A lateral track deviation is determined as a result of a change of a road banking, using the road banking information. At least one transverse guiding parameter is established from the future road course and the road banking information to determine a steering intervention. The lateral track deviation is then corrected by using the transverse guiding parameter.
US08645025B2
A system and method for stabilizing a motor vehicle. The system includes a speed sensor for sensing a longitudinal speed and a transversal speed of the motor vehicle. The system also includes a calculation unit designed to calculate an attitude angle of the motor vehicle from the longitudinal speed and the transversal speed. The system also includes an evaluation unit designed to compare the attitude angle with a threshold value and to detect an oversteering situation if the attitude angle exceeds the threshold value. The system also includes an actuation unit which influences the driving behavior of the motor vehicle. The actuation unit is designed to actuate an actuator in an oversteering situation.
US08645024B2
A system that stiffens the rear suspension of the three-wheeled vehicle in coordination with the operator turning the front wheel to prevent leaning in turns and thus improve handling, performance and safety. The suspension system is controlled by the suspension control computer that receives input from a variety of sensors including a sensor in the steering neck that measures the angular rotation as the handlebars are turned by the operator. Based on these inputs, using proprietary programming, the suspension control computer calculates the timing, degree and appropriate side rear shock absorbing unit to stiffen. Active suspension offers significant advantages over non-active independent rear suspension in that it minimizes adverse handling characteristics caused by suspension leaning in turns while still allowing the comfort and handling of an independent rear suspension, as opposed to a non-independent rear suspension which provides a poor quality ride.
US08645010B2
In a system and method for communicating data in a locomotive consist or other vehicle consist (comprising at least first and second linked vehicles), a first electronic component in the first vehicle of the vehicle consist is monitored to determine if the component is in (or enters) a failure state. In the failure state, the first electronic component is unable to perform a designated function. Upon determining the failure state, data is transmitted from the first vehicle to a second electronic component on the second vehicle, over a communication channel linking the first vehicle and the second vehicle. The second electronic component is operated based on the transmitted data, with the second electronic component performing the designated function that the first electronic component is unable to perform.
US08645002B2
The present invention provides a system and method for facilitating and monitoring provisioning of wireless communication devices. Wireless devices are provided to an end user in an unconfigured state, capable of being configured for operation using one or more communication protocols. Upon receipt and validation of a provisioning request by the wireless device, for example by a server, the wireless device is securely provisioned for operation with a wireless service provider. Provisioning activities are monitored and information is generated in response to provisioning events, for example via a database. Portions of the information are made available to one or more wireless service providers or parties providing enabling technology of the wireless device. Such reports may be used to facilitate revenue agreements between various parties involved in providing and servicing the wireless device.
US08645001B2
A method for detecting and alerting a driver of vehicles in their blind spots, includes: tracking movement and relative position of a driver to one or more vehicles; determining one or more driver blind spots; determining when at least one of the one or more vehicles approaches one of the driver blind spots; determining when at least one of the one or more vehicles occupies one of the driver blind spots; activating one or more indicators in response to one or more vehicles approaching and occupying one of the driver blind spots; wherein the one or more indicators comprise light emitting diodes (LED), liquid crystal display (LCD), plasma, projected elements, and electroluminescent elements; and wherein a sequence and pattern of activating the one or more indicators is determined based on the relative position of the driver to the one or more vehicles.
US08644989B2
In order to program the sealing membranes to be applied to attachment parts of vehicle bodies, for example to the edge-formed seam of vehicle doors using a robot, an attachment part may be removed from the body and, away from the latter, be mounted on a teach frame where all regions of the attachment part which need to be coated are highly visible to the programmer during programming.
US08644985B2
A system and method provides for the identification and monitoring of carriers within a pneumatic carrier system. Each carrier which is to be employed within the system includes an identification device such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip which has stored thereon identification information for the carrier. Positioned throughout the system are communications devices such as antennas and readers which are employed to read and/or write identification information on the chip. When a carrier is put in the system, a destination location can be associated with the particular carrier ID. This associated information is then employed to, among many things, monitor and confirm identity of the carrier as it moves to its destination.
US08644976B2
Provided herein is a process for randomly patterning a plurality of carpet tiles, each tile having a composite pattern containing at least a base pattern and an overlay pattern. When installed, the random order of patterning results in random tile placement and an overall random appearance. The overlay patterns are randomly chosen from a library of patterns until each individual pattern has been used to create a tile series. The overlay patterns may be manipulated by rotating, mirror-imaging, rotating and mirror-imaging, or repositioning to produce additional variations and increase the number of tiles in the series. The base pattern may optionally be manipulated before being incorporated into the composite pattern. A tile collection, containing such randomly ordered composite patterns, is also described.
US08644972B2
A selected channel of a multi-channel signal which is represented by frames composed from sampling values having a high time resolution can be encoded with higher quality when a wave form parameter representation representing a wave form of an intermediate resolution representation of the selected channel is derived, the wave form parameter representation including a sequence of intermediate wave form parameters having a time resolution lower than the high time resolution of the sampling values and higher than a time resolution defined by a frame repetition rate. The wave form parameter representation with the intermediate resolution can be used to shape a reconstructed channel to retrieve a channel having a signal envelope close to that one of the selected original channel. The time scale on which the shaping is performed is shorter than the time scale of a framewise processing, thus enhancing the quality of the reconstructed channel. On the other hand, the shaping time scale is larger than the time scale of the sampling values, significantly reducing the amount of data needed by the wave form parameter representation.
US08644970B2
A method of processing an audio signal is disclosed. The present invention includes receiving downmix information of at least one downmixed object signal, obtaining side information including object information, and mix information, generating plural channel information based on the side information and the mix information, and generating an output channel signal from the downmix information using the plural channel information, wherein the object information includes at least one of level information of the object signal, correlation information of the object signal, gain information of the object signal and supplementary information thereof.
US08644960B2
A method, device and system for displaying, via a user interface, an ambiance setting for a bathing system. The user interface is configured to display at least one display page on a display screen. The method comprises displaying on the display screen, a plurality of ambiance settings selectable by a user of the user interface, receiving, at a processor, an indication of a selected ambiance setting from the plurality of ambiance settings displayed on the display screen and in response to the selected ambiance setting, displaying on the display screen a first operational setting for at least one first type of bathing unit component and a second operational setting for at least one second type of bathing unit component. The first operational setting and the second operational setting are pre-programmed in association with the selected ambiance setting.
US08644958B2
A system for the protection of an electric line for railway signals that comprises a computerized central apparatus (ACC) connected to a plurality of peripheral posts (PP). Each peripheral post comprises at least one plant-controller electronic card (CdE), which controls a plurality of plant-interface cards (IE) that supply the plants (E) directly, via a field bus (B1), on the basis of the commands received from the plant controller and acquire the control signals from the field sensors, transferring them to the controller.
US08644952B2
The present invention is directed to a medical electrical lead including an insulative lead body formed, at least in part, from a polyisobutylene urethane, urea or urethane/urea copolymer. In some applications, the lead body can include at least one outer tubular insulator and/or an inner elongated member formed from a polyisobutylene urethane, urea or urethane/urea copolymer. Portions of the lead body formed form the polyisobutylene urethane, urea or urethane/urea copolymer can be either extruded or molded.
US08644951B1
An MRI compatible medical device includes a non-magnetic metal alloy portion including a first and at least a second metal. A surface of the metal alloy portion includes an integral MRI heating resistant surface structure having a thickness≧3 nanometers. The MRI heating resistant surface structure includes one or more of (i) a matrix phase including the first and second metal having a plurality of nanometer or micron scale particles, precipitates and/or inclusions constituting a volume fraction≧3%, wherein the particles, precipitates or inclusions differ in chemical composition and physical characteristics of the matrix phase and are discontinuously distributed therein; (ii) a level of crystallinity at least 5% less as compared to a level of crystallinity in the bulk of the metal alloy portion; (iii) one or more metal atoms different from the first and second metal having a concentration profile evidencing diffusion into the metal alloy portion.
US08644950B2
A system and method are provided for assessing the compliance of internal patient tissue for purposes of catheter guidance and/or ablation procedures. Specifically, the system/method provides for probing internal patient tissue in order to obtain force and/or tissue displacement measurements. These measurements are utilized to generate an indication of tissue elasticity. In one exemplary embodiment, the indication of elasticity is correlated with an image of the internal tissue area and an output of this image including elasticity indications is displayed for a user.
US08644943B2
Disclosed is an apparatus for stimulating living body including a light source unit which irradiates an optical signal for generating an electrical signal; a photovoltaic cell unit which generates an electrical signal using a received optical signal; and an electrode unit which stimulates living body using the electrical signal, wherein the photovoltaic cell unit and the electrode unit are implanted in the living body. The apparatus for stimulating living body may be manufactured in a flexible form, so that it may extend the range of choice for site to be implanted for the apparatus. Further, the adoption of the photovoltaic cell unit avoids the need of surgical operation for the change of battery.
US08644937B2
The invention is directed to a method of bonding a hermetically sealed electronics package to an electrode or a flexible circuit and the resulting electronics package that is suitable for implantation in living tissue, such as for a retinal or cortical electrode array to enable restoration of sight to certain non-sighted individuals. The hermetically sealed electronics package is directly bonded to the flex circuit or electrode by electroplating a biocompatible material, such as platinum or gold, effectively forming a plated rivet-shaped connection, which bonds the flex circuit to the electronics package. The resulting electronic device is biocompatible and is suitable for long-term implantation in living tissue.
US08644933B2
Disclosed are charging algorithms implementable in an external charger for controlling the charging of both an external battery in the external charger and an implant battery in an implantable medical device. Because full-powered simultaneous charging of both batteries can generate excessive heat in the external charger, the various charging algorithms are designed to ensure that both batteries are ultimately charged, but in a manner considerate of heat generation. In some embodiments, the charging algorithms prevent simultaneous charging of both batteries by arbitrating which battery is given charging precedence at a given point in time. In other embodiments, the charging algorithms allow for simultaneous charging of both batteries, but with at least one of the batteries being only weakly charged at low power levels. In other embodiments, the temperature generated in the external charger is monitored and used to control the charging algorithm.
US08644931B2
In general, the disclosure relates to techniques for calculating mean impedance values and impedance variability values to detect a possible condition with a lead or device-lead pathway or connection. In one example, a device may be configured to determine an impedance value for an electrical path based on a plurality of measured impedance values for the electrical path, wherein the electrical path comprises a plurality of electrodes, and to determine an impedance variability value based on at least one of the plurality of measured impedance values. The device may be further configured to determine a threshold value based on the determined impedance value and the impedance variability value, compare a newly measured impedance value for the electrical path to the threshold value, and indicate a possible condition of the electrical path based on the comparison.
US08644930B2
Controller, system and method for an implantable medical device having a plurality of electrodes, said implantable device being capable of delivering a therapeutic stimulation to a patient. An electrode interface is operatively coupled between a plurality of electrodes and a control module. The control module uses an electrode interface to obtain a plurality of measurements of impedance values for a plurality of selected pairs of individual ones of the plurality of electrodes. A user interface displays an indicia, indicative of operability of a group of at least one of said plurality of electrodes, based on a comparison of said plurality of measurements to a predetermined range, said indicia being a qualitative representation of operability of said group of at least one of said plurality of electrodes.
US08644928B2
To shorten the length of a lead, alleviate physical burden on a patient in installation of a device into a body, and miniaturize the device while allowing both treatment based on cardiac stimulation and nerve stimulation. Provided is a nerve stimulation device implanted in the body together with a cardiac treatment device supplying an electric pulse to a heart depending on a cardiac rate, including a stimulation signal outputting part that stimulates a vagus nerve via a stimulation electrode disposed on the vagus nerve, an electric signal detecting part that detects an electric signal transmitted through a tissue outside the heart by a detection electrode disposed on the tissue, a cardiac event determining part that determines a cardiac event containing the electric pulse supplied to the heart by the cardiac treatment device based on the electric signal detected by the electric signal detecting part, and a controlling part that controls the stimulation signal outputting part based on the cardiac event determined by the cardiac event determining part.
US08644926B2
A subcutaneous cardiac device includes a subcutaneous electrode and a housing coupled to the subcutaneous electrode by a lead with a lead wire. The subcutaneous electrode is adapted to be implanted in a frontal region of the patient so as to overlap a portion of the patient's heart. The subcutaneous electrode is configured for therapy delivery in combination with one or both of the housing or a second subcutaneous electrode.
US08644923B2
A method and apparatus sense a cardiac electrical signal and determine a signal quality parameter of the cardiac electrical signal. A number of shock pulses to be delivered to a patient's heart is determined in response to the signal quality parameter. Each of the shock pulses are scheduled to be delivered at a unique offset from a T-wave shock interval in one embodiment of the invention.
US08644919B2
Spatial arrays of electrodes are provided, each array in a region of tissue. The electrodes of an array are connected so that some of the electrodes serve as shield electrodes relative to a pair of electrodes used for pulse stimulation or sensing of electrical activity, or both. The shield electrodes are connected together, defining an electrical node, the node defining a stable potential in predetermined relationship with power supply levels or with reference voltages for sensing circuitry. Multiplexing techniques may be employed so that sensed activity at each of several electrode locations can be communicated to electronics external to the electrode locations.
US08644918B2
An implantable cardioverter/defibrillator (ICD) executes a rate accuracy enhancement algorithm to select measured atrial and ventricular intervals for classifying a detected tachycardia based on average atrial and ventricular rates calculated from the selected atrial and ventricular intervals. The detected tachycardia is classified as ventricular tachycardia (VT) if the average ventricular rate is substantially higher than the average atrial rate.
US08644911B1
The invention is directed to a hyperspectral/multispectral system referred to as the OxyVu-1 system. The hyperspectral imaging technology performs spectral analysis at each point in a two-dimensional scanned area producing an image displaying information derived from the analysis. For the OxyVu-1 system, the spectral analytical methods determined in superficial tissues approximate values of oxygen saturation (HT-Sat), oxyhemoglobin levels (HT-oxy), and deoxyhemoglobin levels (HT-deoxy). The OxyVu-1 system displays the tissue oxygenation in a two-dimensional, color-coded image.The system contains a system console, a cart, system electronics, CPU, monitor, keyboard, pointing device and printer. The hyperspectral instrument head with support arm contains broadband illuminator, camera and spectral filter for collecting hyperspectral imaging cube. The single use OxyVu Check Pads and Targets are used to perform an instrument check prior to patient measurements. The OxyVu Target is placed within the intended field of view and is used as a fiduciary mark for image registration and for focusing.
US08644896B1
A tunable notch filter, comprises a transmission line coupled to an antenna; a plurality of ring resonators inductively coupled to the transmission line, wherein each ring resonator of the plurality of ring resonators is grounded and comprises a variable microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) capacitor; wherein a set of variable MEMS capacitors of the plurality of variable MEMS capacitors are independently tunable to vary a notch location and a notch width of the tunable notch filter; and wherein a set of ring resonators of the plurality of ring resonators further comprises an attenuator configured to reduce power reflected from the antenna.
US08644895B2
A protective device for a portable electronic device to draw attention to the user in an emergency is disclosed. A personal protective device for a portable electronic device comprising: a case configured to fit tightly around the portable electronic device such as a smartphone; at least one sound and/or light emitting device coupled with the case; one or more means for receiving an input, the input being configured to actuate the at least one sound and/or light emitting device; whereby the at least one sound and/or light emitting device is configured to generate a high volume of sound and/or light upon actuation thereby to attracting attention during an emergency. The sound and/or light emitting device is arranged inside the case and is capable of generating a high volume of sound and/or light in an emergency situation.
US08644892B2
A wireless communications device includes a battery, a processing section coupled to the battery, and an RF interface. The battery is configured to provide power to operate the wireless communications device in a first mode of operation. The processing section is configured to operate on battery power in the first mode of operation. The RF interface is configured to receive an RF signal and generate operating power for the wireless communication device from the RF signal in a second mode of operation. The wireless communications device is configured to detect available RF power and enter the second mode of operation from the first mode of operation.
US08644891B2
In order to reduce power consumption while an incoming call is detected by each of a plurality of communication methods, a mobile phone includes a radio circuit, a wireless LAN circuit, and a control portion to control power supply to them. The control portion cuts off power supply to the radio circuit when communication for a call by the wireless LAN circuit is established when power is supplied to both the radio circuit and the wireless LAN circuit.
US08644889B2
Aspects of the invention include a method and system for restoring connectivity from a telematics service provider to a desubscribed telematics unit, and therefore, restored a capability of providing telematics services to a vehicle owner. A vehicle owner with a lapsed subscription and a desubscribed telematics unit installed in his vehicle may have the need to request certain telematics services from the telematics service provider. Aspects of the invention provide for a vehicle owner with a lapsed subscription and a desubscribed telematics unit to request certain “a la carte” services from a telematics service provider using the vehicle owner's personal cellular telephone connected to the desubscribed telematics unit across a personal wireless link.
US08644888B2
A wireless headset system including a switching unit having a detection circuit coupled to a wireless adapter. The detection circuit provides a first output signal to the wireless adapter upon detection of a triggering event, such as activation of a manual switch or detection of voltage of an audio output signal from a mobile communications device. The first output signal causes the wireless adapter to enter into an active audio channel mode. The detection circuit also provides a second output signal to the wireless adapter when no triggering event is detected, and the second output signal causes the wireless adapter to enter into a standby mode. Placing at least the wireless adapter in a standby mode saves battery life of the system.
US08644887B1
An aspect provides a method, comprising: detecting an incoming voice call at an information handling device; detecting one or more external notification extension conditions at the information handling device; and in response to detecting one or more external notification extension conditions at the information handling device, extending a notification of the incoming voice call at the information handling device. Other aspects are described and claimed.
US08644868B2
A wireless radio device includes a wireless transceiver configured to receive on a first channel set and transmit on a second channel set and a control circuit. The control circuit determines one or more available channels for transmission and selects one or more channels for the second channel set from the channels available for transmission. The control circuit also determines one or more available channels for reception, the one or more available channels for reception including the one or more available channels for transmission and one or more channels that are not available for transmission due to operation of an incumbent radio device in a location of the radio device; and selects one or more channels for the first channel set from the channels available for reception.
US08644857B2
The present disclosure relates to a communication technology and discloses a method, device, and system for implementing a Location-Based Service (LBS). A corresponding particular service area is set for a User Equipment (UE) and services in the particular service area are provided by a corresponding application server. By applying the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, an operator can provide services for particular users in the particular service area, and implement intelligence and personalization to avoid the spread of junk information and to improve user satisfaction.
US08644850B2
Methods and systems for estimating the position of a radio signal receiver are described. The position of a first stationary radio signal transmitter is estimated using a primary set of positioning resources available to the receiver. Once the position of the first transmitter has been determined, it is added to a secondary set of positioning resources available to the receiver. If the primary set of positioning resources is ineffectual, the secondary set of positioning resources may be used to estimate the position of the receiver.
US08644847B1
In one implementation, a computer-implemented method includes receiving, from a first telephone device and at a second telephone device, a request to accept a telephone call. The method further includes obtaining information that indicates a first current geographic location of the first telephone device or the associated first user based on the second telephone device or an associated second user being a member of a group of call recipients that are permitted to receive the information that indicates the first current geographic location. The method additionally includes, using the obtained information, providing a representation of the first current geographic location of the first telephone device on the second telephone device in association with the telephone call from the first telephone device.
US08644846B2
Methods and mobile devices for providing various eco-friendly User Interfaces (UIs) are provided. In one method for providing the eco-friendly UI, the mobile device measures a recharging amount or time, displays the recharging amount or time, and determines whether the recharging amount or time is more than a predefined critical amount or time. If the recharging amount or time is more than the critical amount or time, the mobile device is transitioned into an executable state of a specific application. This may give a user motivation to use a solar charge system and thereby reduce battery consumption of the mobile device.
US08644837B2
A mobile telecommunications network includes a plurality of terminals, a core and a radio access network having a radio device for providing wireless communication resources to the terminals. Further provided is a processing device for recording information indicative of a movement cycle of at least one of the terminals through the radio access network and for identifying points within the movement cycle at which there are spare communication resources to provide a list of spare resource points to the terminal to enable the prediction of optimal data transfer points during a subsequent movement cycle of the terminal through the radio access network.
US08644822B1
A service profile for a mobile station identifies at least a first set of services that apply when the mobile station is in communication with a first radio access network and a second set of services that apply when the mobile station is in communication with a second radio access network. A service platform, such as an application server, receives a signaling message, e.g., a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) INVITE message, and the service platform identifies which radio access network is serving the mobile station based on information contained in the signaling message. The service platform then controls the provision of services to the mobile station based on the identified radio access network, in accordance with the service profile.
US08644817B1
An endpoint adaptor and methods of operating the same are provided. The endpoint adaptor provides a single persistent view of a mobile communication device to a network and network-based applications. Moreover, a mobile application on the communication device can leverage the full capabilities of the device without passing any of the complexities associated therewith beyond a network agent acting on behalf of the mobile application.
US08644815B2
In a mobile station (UE) according to the present invention, when a synchronization state determination unit notifies that a downlink synchronization state is a non-synchronization state; (1) when a first timer has expired, and when a second timer is being activated, a radio link failure state determination unit is configured to stop the second timer, and to determine that a current state is a radio link failure state; (2) when the first timer is being activated, and when the second timer is being activated, the radio link failure state determination unit is configured to stop the second timer; or (3) when the first timer is not being activated, the radio link failure state determination unit is configured to start the first timer.
US08644808B2
A system for providing mobile advertisement actions may include a memory to store a request, mobile carrier data, mobile advertisement data, and mobile advertisement action data. The system may include an interface operatively connected to the memory to communicate with a mobile device. The system may include a processor operatively connected to the memory and the interface. The processor may receive information and a request from the mobile device via the interface and may determine the mobile carrier data relating to a mobile carrier associated with the mobile device. The processor may identify the mobile advertisement data and the mobile advertisement action targeted to the request and the mobile carrier data. The processor may append the mobile advertisement action data to the mobile advertisement data. The processor may provide the mobile advertisement data with the appended mobile advertisement action data to the mobile device via the interface.
US08644805B2
An electronic device capable of receiving and sending calls is configured with at least two modes. When a call is received by a device in a normal mode, the device displays information and presents selectable options for handling the received call. When the device is in a restricted or meeting mode, the device provides authorized callers with the option of prompting the called party to immediately answer the call or to record a message for later retrieval or take other appropriate action. Settings associated with the normal mode and settings associated with the meeting mode are adjustable.
US08644797B2
A method of allowing content-based billing to a prepaid subscriber or subscribers is disclosed. According to one embodiment of the invention, the content-based billing is achieved by forwarding volume limit threshold data normally used by the Serving GPRS support node to the Gateway GPRS support node, which according to the prior art, counted all data bits at the same rate. According to this embodiment, by forwarding the volume limit threshold data to the GGSN, a modified data count is accumulated since billable data is monitored and accumulates, whereas free data does not accumulate. This modified data count is then provided from the gateway GPRS support node to the Serving GPRS support node, which then transmits the accumulated data count to the SCP.
US08644794B1
A computer device including a transceiver receives broadcasts from cellular sites within a range of the transceiver. The computer device compares the identity of cellular site identifying information received at different periods to determine a transit status of the device and based on the transit status, broadcasts its location.
US08644781B2
A clock generator for a mobile device, capable of operating in one of a full-power mode and a low-power mode according to a standby signal to generate a high-frequency clock signal and a low-frequency clock signal is disclosed. The clock generator includes a crystal oscillator, for generating an oscillation signal of a specific frequency according to the power mode of the clock generator; a frequency division block, for dividing the oscillation signal by a specific divisor according to the power mode of the clock generator to generate the low-frequency clock signal; and a buffer block, for amplifying the oscillation signal to generate the high-frequency clock signal; wherein during each power mode, a frequency of the low-frequency clock signal is substantially the same.
US08644780B2
The present invention provides a gain control circuit for an FM receiver that can reduce a reproduced audio output according to the magnitude of the noise component of an intended signal included in a received signal.The gain control circuit of the present invention is constituted by a noise level measurement circuit 26 and a preamplifier 25. The noise level measurement circuit 26 measures a noise level in an audio signal Sa1 output from an FM detector 4 and outputs a control signal Sc corresponding to the noise level. The preamplifier 25 reduces an output according a value of the control signal Sc. With the gain control circuit of the present invention, the volume of the speaker is reduced as the noise component in the audio signal Sa1 increases due to a decrease in received electric field strength, and therefore discomfort caused by unpleasant noise can be reduced.
US08644771B1
A portable communication device is provided. The device comprises a first radio transceiver operable for wireless communication in an unlicensed radio spectrum band, a directional antenna coupled to the first radio transceiver, a processor, and an application. When executed by the processor, the application analyzes a power level of a signal received by the first radio transceiver and controls a transmission power level of the first radio transceiver based at least in part on the power level of the received signal.
US08644763B2
A method and/or apparatus for cooperative transceiving between wireless interface devices of a host device includes processing that begins by providing an indication of receiving an inbound packet from one wireless interface device (e.g., Bluetooth compliant radio transceiver, IEEE 802.11 compliant radio transceiver, etc.) to another. The wireless interlace device receiving the indication processes the indication and, based on the processing, transmits an outbound packet in accordance with the processing of the indication. For example, the wireless interface device receiving the indication may delay transmission until the other wireless interface device has received the packet, or, if transmission of the packet would not interfere with the receiving of the packet by the other wireless interface device, the wireless interface device receiving the indication would transmit its packet.
US08644753B2
A cleaning blade for cleaning a moving surface of an object by contacting an edge thereof with the moving surface is provided. The cleaning blade includes a strip-shaped elastic main body, in which a leading end portion thereof including the edge is impregnated with an ultraviolet-crosslinked resin; and a cover layer, which is located on a surface of a portion of the crosslinked resin-impregnated portion including the edge as an outermost layer and which has higher hardness than the strip-shaped elastic main body.
US08644751B2
A heating device includes an illuminating unit that applies laser light towards a strip-like illumination area formed along a direction crossing a direction of movement of a recording medium; and a reflecting member that surrounds the illumination area, the reflecting member reflecting again reflected light from the illumination area. The reflecting member has protruding reflecting surfaces that protrude continuously towards the recording medium along a widthwise direction crossing a longitudinal direction of the illumination area, the protruding reflecting surfaces being disposed side by side in the longitudinal direction of the illumination area. The protruding reflecting surfaces are positioned at substantially equal distances from the illumination area along the widthwise direction of the illumination area, and changed so that an entire or a portion of a cross-sectional shape along the longitudinal direction of the illumination area is curved or inclined.
US08644750B2
A fixing device includes: a rotating fixing body including a resistance heating layer disposed throughout an entire periphery; and a pressure-applying member pressed against an outer peripheral surface of the rotating fixing body to form a fixing nip. The rotating fixing body further includes: a pair of electrodes each of which is a layer disposed along a different one of edges of the resistance heating layer throughout an entire periphery; and a pair of resistor layers each of which is disposed between the resistance heating layer and a different one of the electrodes. An inner edge of each resistor layer is positioned at a location corresponding to or axially more inwardly of an inner edge of the electrode. The resistor layers are higher in volume resistivity than the electrodes.
US08644742B2
A developer supply device is provided, which includes a developer fluidizing unit including a movable member that moves in a moving direction identical to a developer transfer direction while contacting a predetermined contact range of a developer transfer surface of a transfer board disposed along an inner wall of a developer storage section, which developer fluidizing unit fluidizes development agent stored in the developer storage section by movement of the movable member, and a developer level adjusting unit that adjusts a level of the development agent stored in the developer storage section to be higher than a downstream end of the predetermined contact range of the developer transfer surface of the transfer board in the moving direction of the movable member.
US08644739B2
A toner cartridge comprising: a cartridge body that has a toner discharge port on an one end side in its longitudinal direction; a shutter for opening and closing the toner discharge port; a screw-shaped shaft for conveying a toner in the cartridge body to the toner discharge port; a paddle member for conveying the toner in the cartridge body toward the screw-shaped shaft; and a toner inflow block member coupled to a portion of the paddle member.
US08644736B2
In the present invention, for a developing apparatus provided with a sensor for detecting the toner density of a developer, retention of the developer near the sensor face can be suppressed by increasing the force with which the developer present near the sensor face is carried in a shaft direction of a stirring/carrying member.
US08644728B2
An image forming unit includes a cartridge and a unit frame. The cartridge has a cartridge-grip. The unit frame is configured to accommodate the cartridge. The unit frame includes a first plate, a second plate, a first beam, and a second beam. The first plate has a through hole. The first beam extends between the first plate and the second plate. The first beam includes a frame-grip disposed between an upper end of the first beam and a lower end of the first beam. The second beam extends between the first plate and the second plate. When the cartridge is accommodated in the unit frame, a distance between the lower end of the first beam and an upper end of the frame-grip is smaller than a distance between the lower end of the first beam and an upper end of the cartridge-grip.
US08644727B2
A low cost batch or continuous toner agglomeration process for laser printer toner cartridges that virtually eliminates generation of airborne toner and that provides associated health and safety benefits. The residual powdered toner in cartridges is solidified in a clean, low cost thermal agglomeration process.
US08644721B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit; a fixing unit that heats a recording medium and fixes the image on the recording medium; a pressure member that is rotatable and has an outer peripheral surface, the pressure member moving from a position separated from the fixing unit to a position in contact with the fixing unit, the pressure member pressing the recording medium when the recording medium enters a contact section between the fixing unit and the outer peripheral surface; and a controller that controls transportation of the recording medium and a time at which a region of the outer peripheral surface reaches the contact section, the region contacting the fixing unit when the fixing unit contacts the outer peripheral surface and repeatedly reaching the contact section, so that the recording medium enters the contact section when the region reaches the contact section as the pressure member rotates.
US08644712B2
An opto-electronic communication module includes a housing, a circuit substrate, and an opto-electronic communication device, such as a laser, mounted on the circuit substrate. A protrusion that is unitarily formed in the housing extends through the circuit substrate to provide a thermal path to promote dissipation of heat emitted by the opto-electronic communication device.
US08644711B2
In a Wavelength-Division-Multiplexed Passive Optical Network (WDM-PON) utilizing a conventional downstream optical signal reusing method, there is an inventory problem that different optical transmitter types need to be provided for the operation, management, replacement, etc. of a system. A WDM-PON system according to the present invention, includes: a seed light (SL) unit generating a seed light whose wavelength intervals and center wavelengths are adjusted using at least one seed light source; an optical line terminal (OLT) receiving the wavelength-multiplexed seed light from the seed light unit, transmitting a downstream optical signal to a subscriber of the WDM-PON, and receiving a upstream optical signal from the subscriber; and an optical network unit (ONU) receiving the downstream optical signal from the OLT, flattening and modulating the downstream optical signal with upstream data so that the downstream optical signal is reused for carrying upstream data. It is possible to improve the quality and reliability of downstream transmission by sufficiently increasing an extinction ratio, and improve the quality and reliability of upstream transmission by sufficiently flattening an input downstream optical signal in a semiconductor optical amplifier.
US08644710B2
Optical nodes in an optical network may provide directionless, colorless, contentionless, and gridless transmission, reception, and switching of optical signals in which a non-fixed number of optical channels and a non-fixed bandwidth for each optical channel is used. Optical nodes can use the full extent of the optical bandwidth due to the absence of channel spacing.
US08644709B2
A multiport passive optical signal sharing device enabling optical signals received by each of a first plurality of ports of the device to be transmitted to all of the ports of a second plurality of ports of the device. The device includes a first coupling mechanism adapted to combine signals received by each port of the first plurality of ports of said device into a first optical signal, the first optical signal being transmitted over a bi-directional optical link. The device further includes a second coupling mechanism and guide for redirecting the first optical signal in a form of a second optical signal into the bi-directional optical link, in the opposite direction from that of the first optical signal, the first coupling mechanism being adapted to duplicate the second optical signal on each port of the second plurality of ports of the device.
US08644708B2
An apparatus comprising a first optical transmitter configured to couple to a second optical transmitter, a first optical receiver, and a seed light source, wherein the first optical transmitter and the first optical receiver are part of a first passive optical network (PON) and the second optical transmitter and a second optical receiver are part of a second PON, and wherein at least one of the first optical transmitter and the second optical transmitter is an injection locked laser transmitter. Also disclosed is a method comprising feeding a seed light to a plurality of injection locked laser transmitters in a plurality of PONs using only one broadband light source (BLS), wherein each PON comprises an optical line terminal (OLT) transmitter and a plurality of optical network units (ONUs) transmitters.
US08644704B2
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure a method for adaptively spacing channels of an optical network comprises determining a first desired power level of a first channel of an optical network. The method further comprises determining a second desired power level of a second channel of the optical network, the second desired power level being less than the first desired power level. Additionally, the method comprises determining a first spectral space between the first channel and one or more channels neighboring the first channel based at least on the first desired power level. The method also comprises determining a second spectral space between the second channel and one or more channels neighboring the second channel based at least on the second desired power level, the second spectral space less than the first spectral space.
US08644697B1
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for automatically progressively determining focus depth estimates for an imaging device from defocused images. After a depth-from-defocus (DFD) system generates sometimes-noisy estimates for focus depth and optionally a confidence level that the focus depth estimate is correct, embodiments of the present invention process a sequence of such input DFD measures to iteratively decrease the likelihood of focus depth ambiguity and to increase an overall focus depth estimate confidence level. Automatic focus systems for imaging devices may use the outputs of the embodiments to operate more quickly and accurately, either directly or in combination with other focus depth estimation methods, such as calculated sharpness measures. A depth map of a 3D scene may be estimated for creating a pair of images based on a single image.
US08644693B2
An apparatus integrated with micromachined (a.k.a. MEMS, Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) silicon thermal sensor as a proximity switch sensor in air/oil Lubricators is disclosed in the present invention. The present invention relates to mass flow sensing and measurement for both gas and liquid phase and relates to air/oil lubrication process for multi-point lubrication machine. The invented apparatus is utilized as an alarm device to prevent mechanical system failures caused by the discontinuity of oil lubrication. The MEMS silicon thermal sensor is distinguished with a variety of advantages of small size, low power consumption, high reliability and high accuracy. In addition to the above benefits, the most significant and critical advantage is its fast response time of less than 20 msec, which makes the proximity switch control become viable for preventing equipment damage from oil lubricants discontinuity.
US08644681B2
The invention relates to a method of delayed reading of digital video data stored in a file on a recording medium. According to the method, a fixed quantity of the storage resources of the recording medium is allocated to the file storing these data application to digital decoders.
US08644677B2
A network media player enables user-controlled playback of video or other content from various sources according to a playback control record. The network media player includes a content input port, an output port, and a processor configured to retrieve input content from one or more sources using the content input port. The processor is also configured to generate output content from the retrieved input content according to a playback control record so as to vary the playback of the retrieved input content. The processor is also configured to output the generated output content to the output port. In some embodiments, the playback control record includes an applicability identifier usable to determine whether the playback control record is applicable to input content and a content variation descriptor that defines an alteration to be applied to the retrieved input content.
US08644675B2
The present embodiments provide methods and systems for use in providing supplemental content to be played back with a portable storage medium. Some embodiments retrieve supplemental content associated with a portable storage medium distributed to be played back by a playback device; access a predefined clip template; process the supplemental content in accordance with the predefined clip template; and generate a plurality of clips of supplemental content in accordance with the predefined clip template, such that the plurality of clips of supplemental content have a playback length that is a fraction of a playback length of the supplemental content.
US08644661B2
A photonic integrated circuit comprises a plurality of optical waveguides. Some waveguides cross some other waveguides at respective crossing locations. Some waveguides have varying widths wherein a width of a waveguide at a respective crossing location is smaller than the wavelength of the optical signal.
US08644637B2
In a time-of-flight type, secondary ionization mass-spectrometry apparatus, spread of a primary beam irradiating a sample is calculated through a numeric or practical-experiment process, and the spread is used as a blurring function to restore an image to reduce blur. Provided is an image processing method of a mass-spectrum image derived by irradiating a surface of a sample with a converged short pulsed primary beam, while changing an irradiating position, to display two-dimensionally a signal intensity based on a ratio of mass to an electric charge relating to a mass spectrum, derived by a time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometer. The method includes the steps of: calculating a blurring function based on a shape of the primary beam incident on the surface of the sample; and restoring the mass-spectrum image based on the blurring function.
US08644634B2
A method for measuring lens quality includes receiving and transmitting an image's information to a location module through an image collecting module. A location module partitions the image's information into a plurality of measure areas. An image processing module computes the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) of each measure area. A comparing module compares the MTF with a predetermined MTF to determine quality of the lenses.
US08644624B2
Embodiments include a scene classification system and method. In one embodiment, a method includes forming a first plurality of image features from an input image, processing the first plurality of image features in the first scene classifier.
US08644618B2
Systems and methods may automatically evaluate printed line weights in an image composition. An image composition may be received and the number of horizontal and vertical rows of pixels may be determined. The number of positive pixels in each of the horizontal and vertical rows may then be determined. An actual size of a pixel may be calculated. The actual size of a pixel may be multiplied by the number of positive pixels in each of the horizontal rows and each of the vertical rows to determine a positive line weight of each of the horizontal rows and each of the vertical rows. A predetermined minimum permissible positive line weight for the image composition may be identified and compared to the positive line weight of each of the horizontal rows and each of the vertical rows.
US08644616B2
Systems and methods for character recognition by performing lateral view-based analysis on the character data and generating a feature vector based on the lateral view-based analysis.
US08644612B2
An information processing apparatus includes a gesture locus data recognition unit configured to execute processing for recognizing gesture locus data included in locus data according to characteristic data of the locus data and gesture characteristic shape data included in gesture dictionary data and output a result of the processing, a separation unit configured to separate gesture locus data and locus data other than the gesture locus data from the locus data according to the result of the recognition by the gesture locus data recognition unit, and a character locus data recognition unit configured to execute processing for recognizing locus data of a character included in the locus data other than the gesture locus data according to the characteristic data of the locus data other than the gesture locus data which is separated by the separation unit, and the locus characteristic data of a character included in a character dictionary data, and output a result of the processing.
US08644583B1
Currency bills are received, transported, and imaged to produce image data from which a visually readable image of each currency bill can be reproduced. Each of the currency bills includes a denomination, a serial number, and a set of secondary identifiers. One of the currency bills is determined to be a suspect bill. The suspect bill serial number is attempted to be extracted from the image data associated with the suspect bill. In response to failing to extract a complete serial number of the suspect bill, a serial number field in a suspect report is populated with a serial number snippet image.
US08644580B2
Methods of identifying microRNA labeled with a fluorescent probe in a biological sample are disclosed. The methods include obtaining a plurality of fluorescence images of the sample and forming an image stack based on the plurality of fluorescence images, decomposing the image stack to obtain a component image that corresponds to the labeled microRNA, and identifying the microRNA based on the component image.
US08644579B2
The present invention relates to a method of diagnosing/predicting a degenerative disease in the hip of a subject. The method including the steps of applying a compressive force on at least one hip joint of the subject and calculating a compression index value for at least one hip joint, wherein a non-zero compression index value for the at least one hip joint is indicative of the subject developing/having a degenerative disease. The present invention also relates to a diagnostic test for determining incongruity in a hip joint of a subject, where the test includes the steps of applying a compressive force on at least one hip joint of the subject and calculating a compression index value, wherein a non-zero compression index value for the hip joint is indicative of at least mild hip joint incongruity.
US08644573B2
A method for processing a sequence of a plurality of projection images of an object of interest is provided. The method, being recursive, comprises defining, a priori, a sparse image and a series of models for breaking down the object as a sum of a sparse component and of a complementary non-sparse component; initializing a sparse image depending on the sparse image defined a priori and initializing the series of models for breaking down the object; reconstructing an image of the sparse component of the decomposition model of the object from acquired projection images and from the initialized sparse image; and updating the sparse image so that, during the iterations, the reconstruction of the image of the sparse component gradually reintroduces the complementary component into the sparse image, in order to obtain a complete image of the non-sparse object.
US08644571B1
The therapeutic treatment of a patient using intensity-modulated proton therapy is described. In one example, a method of creating a proton treatment plan is presented that divides volumes of interest into sub-volumes, applies dose constraints to the sub-volumes, finds one or more feasible configurations of a proton therapy system, and selects a proton beam configuration that improves or optimizes one or more aspects of proton therapy. In some implementations, the method of dividing volumes into sub-volumes includes creating fractional sub-volumes based at least in part on proximity to a target volume boundary. In some implementations, the method of finding an improved or optimal proton beam configuration from a set of feasible configurations includes finding a minimum of a cost function that utilizes weighting factors associated with treatment sites.
US08644566B2
A biometric authentication device includes: a biometric information acquiring unit which acquires a user's biometric information and generates a biometric image representing the biometric information; a storage unit which stores data concerning registered biometric information of at least one registered user; and a processing unit. The processing unit detects from the biometric image a moderately blurred region having a first degree of blurring and a highly blurred region having a second degree of blurring which is higher than the first degree of blurring, identifies the cause of the occurrence of the highly blurred region and the moderately blurred region, and presents to the user a warning message corresponding to the cause of the occurrence of the blurred regions.
US08644565B2
A method segments iris images from eye image data captured from non-cooperative subjects. The method includes receiving a frame of eye image data, and determining whether a pupil exists in the image by detecting glare areas in the image. Upon finding a pupil, subsequent images are processed with reference to the pupil location and a radius is calculated for the pupil. A k means clustering method and principal component analysis are used to locate pupil boundary points, which are fitted to a conic. Using the pupil boundary, an angular derivative is computed for each frame having a pupil and iris boundary points are fitted to a conic to identify an iris region between the iris boundary and the pupil boundary. Noise data are then removed from the iris region to generate an iris segment. A method for evaluating iris frame quality and iris image segmentation quality is also disclosed.
US08644550B2
A multiple audio/video data stream simulation method and system. A computing system receives first audio and/or video data streams. The first audio and/or video data streams include data associated with a first person and a second person. The computing system monitors the first audio and/or video data streams. The computing system identifies emotional attributes comprised by the first audio and/or video data streams. The computing system generates second audio and/or video data streams associated with the first audio and/or video data streams. The second audio and/or video data streams include the first audio and/or video data streams data without the emotional attributes. The computing system stores the second audio and/or video data streams.
US08644530B2
An apparatus including a housing having a sound hole; a sound transducer in the housing; and a dust barrier in the housing between the sound hole and the sound transducer. The dust barrier has a deck located in a path between the sound hole and the sound transducer. The deck comprises a dust collection pocket configured to accumulate dust therein and prevent dust from passing through the deck at the dust collection pocket. A sound aperture is provided between the sound hole and the sound transducer such that sound passes by the dust collection pocket between the sound hole and the sound transducer.
US08644529B2
A microphone circuit includes a capacitor capsule and first and second impedance converters connected differentially to the capacitor capsule. The microphone circuit includes first and second output buffer amplifiers connected differentially to the first and second impedance converters.
US08644526B2
Fluctuation in decoded signal localization is suppressed to maintain the feel of stereo. A selection unit selects balance parameters when the balance parameters are input from a gain coefficient decoding unit, or selects balance parameters input from a gain coefficient calculation unit when there is no balance parameter input from the gain coefficient decoding unit, and outputs the selected balance parameters to a multiplication unit. The multiplication unit multiplies a gain coefficient input from the selection unit with a decoded monaural signal input from a monaural decoding unit to perform balance adjustment processing.
US08644517B2
A system and method that automatically disables and/or enables an acoustic beamformer is described herein. The system and method automatically generates an output audio signal by applying beamforming to a plurality of audio signals produced by an array of microphones when it is determined that such beamforming is working effectively and generates the output audio signal based on an audio signal produced by a designated microphone within the array of microphones when it is determined that the beamforming is not working effectively. Depending upon the implementation, the determination of whether the beamforming is working effectively may be based upon a measure of distortion associated with the beamformer response, an estimated level of reverberation, and/or the rate at which a computed look direction used to control the beamformer changes.
US08644516B1
An anonymous secure messaging method and system for securely exchanging information between a host computer system and a functionally connected cryptographic module. The invention comprises a Host Security Manager application in processing communications with a security executive program installed inside the cryptographic module. An SSL-like communications pathway is established between the host computer system and the cryptographic module. The initial session keys are generated by the host and securely exchanged using a PKI key pair associated with the cryptographic module. The secure communications pathway allows presentation of critical security parameter (CSP) without clear text disclosure of the CSP and further allows use of the generated session keys as temporary substitutes of the CSP for the session in which the session keys were created.
US08644510B2
Techniques are disclosed for forming a discoverable security association in communication environments and for lawfully discovering security associations formed in communication environments. For example, a method for forming a discoverable security association between a first computing device and a second computing device comprises the following steps. The first computing device obtains from a key management entity: (i) a first private key assigned to the first computing device, which is computationally associative with a first public key associated with the first computing device; and (ii) a first root key assigned to the first computing device. The first computing device chooses a first random value and generating a first nonce, wherein the first nonce is a result of an encryption of the first random value using the first root key. The first computing device generates a first key component based on the first random value. The first computing device encrypts the first nonce and the first key component with a second public key associated with the second computing device using an identity-based encryption process and sends the encrypted first nonce and the encrypted first key component to the second computing device so as to establish a security association with the second computing device. The security association is discoverable by a third computing device unbeknownst to the first computing device and the second computing device.
US08644508B2
A system and method is disclosed for assuring that networked communications between parties playing a game on a network (e.g., the Internet) are not tampered with by either of the parties for illicitly gaining an advantage over the other party. An initial sequence of tokens (e.g., card representations) for playing the game are doubly encrypted using an encryption key from each of the parties. Accordingly, during play of the game neither party can modify the initial sequence of game tokens during the game. At termination of the game, at least one of the parties can fully decrypt the initial sequence of tokens, and thereby, if desired, compare the played token sequence with the corresponding the initial token sequence.
US08644507B2
The present invention is directed to a game apparatus, system and method for improving in-game communications, more specifically a game apparatus, system and method for allowing players to dynamically transmit and receive communications in real-time from their coaches and/or other players on or off the field concerning game play instructions to be effected on the field or court. The system and method of the invention includes a headgear being provided to at least one player, where the headgear includes a game apparatus equipped with a circuit board, electrical wiring, battery, antennae, microprocessor, communications means and displaying means all enclosed within a housing that is affixed to the headgear. The communication means receives in real-time an encrypted signal containing a game play instruction intended for execution on the field during a game. The game apparatus' microprocessor decrypts the received encrypted signal containing the game play instruction intended for execution on the field during the game, which is converted to a viewable game play instruction that is displayed via displaying means on a visor, which is in mating engagement with said headgear. The visor may be permanently affixed to the headgear or detachable and may be color treated with a tint to enhance a player's ability to view the converted viewable game play instruction displayed thereon.
US08644504B2
A method, apparatus and system for media content deciphering is disclosed. In one embodiment, a first content stream is received at a receiver device from a transmitter device coupled to the receiver device, wherein the first content stream having media content formatted in a particular package structure, the media content is associated with High-Definition Content Protection (HDCP) values. The first content stream is deciphered into a second content stream by removing the HDCP values from the first content stream, while the package structure of the media content is maintained.
US08644498B2
An easy to use electronic device is provided. The electronic device functions as a telephone and has a display portion, an audio input portion, an audio output portion, and operation keys. The display portion has a passive element, and the operation keys have LEDs. The direction of an image displayed by the LEDs is switchable.
US08644495B2
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.
US08644493B2
Splitter wall plates for digital subscriber line (DSL) communication systems and methods to use the same are disclosed. An example apparatus comprises a splitter to separate a digital subscriber line (DSL) signal from a plain old telephone signal (POTS) signal, and a switch to selectively couple a VoIP signal received via a first jack or the POTS signal to a second jack.
US08644492B1
A system, method, and computer readable medium for real time feedback of script logic that comprises counting at least one agent utilizing at least one panel associated with at least one caller, establishing an average length of time required to utilize the at least one panel associated with the at least one caller, tallying a number of callers terminating interaction during utilization of the at least one panel, calculating statistics associated with the counted agents per panel, the established average length of time required per panel and the tallied number of callers terminating interaction per panel, and displaying the calculated statistics.
US08644487B2
Systems and methods that employ contact escalation periods as criterion for managing routing procedures of a contact center. A prediction component can predict when a customer is likely to escalate a contact that is forwarded to a contact center, and hence facilitate resource matching based on such prediction. Accordingly, proactive and anticipatory contact interaction is enabled, wherein routing of contacts occur in-part based on predicted likelihood of escalations.
US08644483B2
A telephone relay apparatus stores peripheral telephone numbers of a plurality of peripheral telephone terminals scheduled to be located at the periphery of each specific terminal user. When a line connecting request from an outgoing telephone terminal of an arbitrary telephone outgoing user to a specific telephone terminal is received, connection of a telephone call execution line from the outgoing telephone terminal to the specific telephone terminal is tried. Therefore, when the connection is connected, a telephone call between the telephone outgoing user and the specific terminal user can be immediately made. However, when the telephone call execution line to the specific telephone terminal is not connected, the peripheral telephone terminal is selected in a transfer trying order, and connection of the telephone call execution line is tried with the peripheral telephone numbers in the transfer trying order.
US08644473B1
A method is provided for directing calls placed to a telephone number associated with a user according to a reservation identifying the user, a workspace, and a start time. The method includes acts of receiving a first message from a telephone device located at the workspace in response to a first input at the telephone device on or after the start time, retrieving the reservation from a reservation database in response to receiving the first message, sending a second message to the telephone device based at least in part on a portion of the reservation identifying the user, receiving a third message sent in response to a second input at the telephone device, the third message including an identifier of the telephone device, retrieving the telephone number associated with the user from a user database, and directing calls placed to the telephone number associated with the user to the telephone device.
US08644471B1
Methods, media, and network devices are provided for detecting errors in caller identifier records. A caller name provider is identified for a terminating endpoint that is a recipient of a communication from a transmitting device. The caller name provider receives queries for caller identifier information that will be transmitted to the terminating endpoint. The caller name provider returns records having the caller identifiers in response to the queries. When the records contain an error, the caller name providers receive update requests from a calling party of the transmitting device. The update requests include changes to the records that correct the errors.
US08644470B2
A phone network in a wireless environment that does not perform CNAM queries when a number is already stored in the receiving handsets' caller directory. CNAM query fees are charged only to obtain caller information on a new caller. The network does not make CNAM queries when the caller information is already available, whether in the contact information stored on the receiver's handset or through some other reliable source.
US08644467B2
A video-conferencing device for presenting augmented images that includes at least one interface, a network and a computer processor programmed to receive first information identifying a scene via the at least one interface. The computer processor also detects whether the scene contains at least one marker and identifies a location of each detected marker within the scene. In response to determining that the scene contains a first marker and based on the location of the first marker, the computer processor then augments the portion of the scene containing the first marker with second information. The computer processor then transmits the augmented scene to at least one external device via the network.
US08644466B1
The present invention provides a system for recording an interaction including, a telephone call between a caller and a digital processing system placed over an interjurisdictional boundary, and may include a telephone call placed to at least one called recipient. For example, a caller may place a telephone call over an interjurisdictional boundary to a remote computer server. The server may use an interactive voice response (IVR) unit to obtain caller identification information, provide recording identification information to the caller, and receive authorization from the caller to record an interaction between the caller and a call recipient. The server can also obtain testamentary intent information. A telephone call may then be placed by the server to the recipient, and a two-party digital voice recording can be made on the remote server of a three-way telephone call, in which the server is one of the parties.
US08644461B2
The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates managing an incoming data communication in connection with unified communications. A unified communications component can employ unified communications for a data communication with at least the following data communication modes: an email data communication mode, a voice data communication mode, and a voicemail data communication mode. A unified rules component can automatically redirect the data communication to a delegate for receipt based upon a universal rule, the universal rule is uniformly applicable to at least two of the email data communication mode, the voice data communication mode, or the voicemail data communication mode.
US08644460B2
An Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) includes a Serving-Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF). The S-CSCF includes a Service Capability Interaction Manager (SCIM) configured to invoke one or more application services in response to a message being received by the S-CSCF.
US08644457B1
A system and method are provided for allowing a user to consent to call recording. A user is prompted to make a recording preference. The recording preference is stored in a table indexed by UCID (universal call ID) or as part of a UUI (user-to-user information) field of the call. A recording module and/or a compliance manager, both associated with a call center, are configured to record or not record the call based on the recording preference. The recording preference can be enforced on incoming and outgoing calls to and from the call center. Advantageously, the user's recording preference is enforced throughout the call, regardless of how the call is routed/transferred within the call center.
US08644454B2
A radiation image capturing system including a CR cassette and a FPD cassette, and the icon corresponding to the bucky device is displayed in a different manner according to the type of cassette loaded on the bucky device. When the icon of the bucky device showing that the FPD cassette is loaded is selected, the icon corresponding to the FPD cassette does not need to be selected.
US08644443B2
A pair of linear arrays of gamma thermometer (GT) sensors arranged in a nuclear reactor core including: a first linear array of GT sensors, wherein the GT sensors are arranged asymmetrically along a length of the first linear array; a second linear array of GT sensors, wherein the GT sensors are arranged asymmetrically along the second linear array and wherein the second linear array of GT sensors is asymmetrical with respect to the first linear array of GT sensors, and the first linear array positioned in the reactor core at a first core location and the second instrument housing positioned at a second core location, wherein a line of symmetry of the core extends through a center of the core and the first core location is the same horizontal distance from the line of symmetry as the second core location.
US08644438B2
A method and apparatus of providing a configurable computer system capable of being modeled are disclosed. The system, in one embodiment, includes a configurable component and a clock distributor. The configurable component includes multiple programmable devices arranged in a predefined configuration. The predefined configuration, for example, is a cubical shape having multiple neighboring nodes. The configurable component is capable of being modeled in accordance with policies from a system program for data transmission. The clock distributor further includes a first clock element, which provides long-term accuracy, and a second clock element, which provides short-term accuracy.
US08644437B2
A method for digital compensation of a nonlinear system comprises identifying a plurality of circuit parameters of a nonlinear system. Each circuit parameter determines a nonlinear response of the nonlinear system. A first circuit parameter is chosen from the plurality of circuit parameters. The first circuit parameter determines a first effect on the nonlinear response. The first effect is at least as large a second effect from a second circuit parameter from the plurality of circuit parameters. At least one stimulus is applied to the nonlinear system. The nonlinear response of the nonlinear system is measured in response to the at least one stimulus. A compensation architecture is synthesized to substantially linearize the nonlinear response. The compensation architecture receives the nonlinear response of the nonlinear system and provides a substantially linear response.
US08644436B2
In one embodiment, an apparatus for channel estimation includes a first receiver configured to obtain a first channel estimate associated with a communication channel between the apparatus and a user equipment. The apparatus also includes a second receiver. The second receiver includes a channel estimation unit and a normal receiver processing unit. The channel estimation unit is configured to compute a second channel estimate of channel conditions associated with the communication channel. The normal receiver processing unit is configured to compute weights using the second channel estimation unit. The channel estimation unit is further configured to obtain a delay between the obtaining of the first channel estimate and the computing of the weights, and to compute the second channel estimate using the delay and the first channel estimate.
US08644435B2
A method for remotely detecting electromagnetic interference on a data transmission line of a communication network includes measuring at a client site a noise power spectrum on the data transmission line as a function of frequency, for a frequency range. The noise is present when the data transmission line is not carrying a data signal. The method further includes forwarding the measured noise power spectrum to a remote computer at a network operator's site, determining periodicities in the measured power spectrum by the remote computer, and determining the switching frequency of a power supply unit at the client site by the remote computer based on periodicities in the power spectrum.
US08644428B2
A system and method for channel interpolation in a wireless device. In one embodiment a wireless device includes a channel estimator. The channel estimator is configured to generate estimated channel coefficients for a wireless channel over which the wireless device receives a packet. The channel estimator includes an interpolation filter. The interpolation filter is configured to provide interpolated channel coefficients for a plurality of non-pilot sub-carriers. The interpolated channel coefficients are based on pilot sub-carriers of non-preamble symbols.
US08644427B2
A radio frequency receiver with dual band reception and dual analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) can be configured to operate in a single channel mode or a dual channel mode to receive a single RF input channel or two RF input channels at the same or different frequency bands. In the single channel mode, the dual ADCs can be used to improve the performance of the receiver for the single input signal or the dual ADCs can be configured for reduced power consumption. In the dual channel mode, the dual ADCs operate on the individual RF input signals to realize dual band reception. In one embodiment, the receiver is configured for asymmetric dual band reception to receive a wideband input signal on a first input signal path and a narrow band input signal on a second input signal path.
US08644412B2
A level of interference affecting signal components of received communication signals is estimated and used to weight the signal components. The signal components in a each of a number of groups of signal components are weighted based on respective interference estimates to thereby adjust signal components for colored interference, which may vary significantly between different groups of signal components. Each group of signal components may include a single component or components within a relatively narrow sub-band of the communication signals, such as a coherence bandwidth of an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) signal.
US08644405B2
A new protocol is proposed for transmission of data through lines such as telephone lines. The tones of a signal are grouped, and Trellis encoding is performed only of the members of a group. The computational cost of coding and decoding the data is reduced (compared to treating all the tones of a given direction equivalently), and the invention makes it possible to significantly reduce the computational and memory requirements of the encoder and decoder. Furthermore, Trellis decoding errors are not propagated between the groups.
US08644404B2
In a wireless communication system including a transmitter device and a receiver device used for transmission of wireless signals having a plurality of sub-carriers, the transmitter device performs error correction coding on transmitting data and selects at least one of the plurality of sub-carriers used for transmission of error-correction coded data as a null sub-carrier having zero amplitude, thus transmitting the error-correction coded data, while the receiver device receives signals having the plurality of sub-carriers from the transmitter device so as to retrieve original transmitted data by implementing error correction decoding on received signals, thus determining whether an interference wave occurs in the sub-carrier upon detecting reception power exceeding a predetermined threshold in the sub-carrier serving as the null sub-carrier.
US08644397B2
Techniques for transmitting reference signal and data using cyclic shifts of a base sequence are described. The base sequence may have good correlation properties, and different cyclic shifts of the base sequence may be orthogonal to one another. A user equipment (UE) may send at least one reference signal on assigned resources using at least one cyclic shift of the base sequence. The UE may send data on the assigned resources using at least one other cyclic shift of the base sequence. For each reference signal, the UE may modulate a cyclic shift of the base sequence with a known modulation symbol. For data, the UE may modulate each cyclic shift of the base sequence used for data with a data modulation symbol. Multiple UEs may share the same resources. Each UE may be assigned a different set of cyclic shifts among all cyclic shifts available for the resources.
US08644396B2
Processing may be performed by a first device on behalf of a second device to offload processing from the second device. In some aspects a device from which processing has been offloaded may be advantageously adapted to consume less power, have a smaller size, and have less complexity. Offloaded processing may be employed to enable a first device to process data for transmission and then send the data to another device for processing. Offloaded processing may be employed to enable a first device to process data on behalf of a second device and then send the processed data to the second device. In some aspects the data may be waveform encoded for wireless transmission between the devices. Offloaded processing may be implemented in a static manner or in a dynamic manner.
US08644391B2
A design space exploration method of a reconfigurable motion compensation architecture is disclosed. The method comprises: defining a predetermined application specification; extracting the community among plural motion compensation algorithms corresponding to plural video compression standards; analyzing the computation of the plural motion compensation algorithms basing on the community, thereby determining the computation elements included in a processing element; analyzing the data flow of the reconfigurable motion compensation architecture basing on the predetermined application specification, both in the cases of peak computation and worst data configuration, while executing the plural motion compensation algorithms with different data granularities and different number of the processing elements, thereby obtaining plural hardware parameters corresponding to the plural motion compensation algorithms; and selecting a predetermined data granularity and a predetermined number of the processing elements of the reconfigurable motion compensation architecture, basing on a predetermined design target and the plural hardware parameters previously obtained.
US08644388B2
A method and a device for approximating a DC coefficient of a first block of pixels of a first frame are proposed. The method comprises: calculating a luminance DC average value based on DC coefficients of first frame's macro-blocks without an approximation error; and determining the DC coefficient of the first block based on the DC coefficient of a second block, wherein the second block is a part of a second frame, which is a reference frame of the first frame, the second block overlapping with a reference block of the first block and having the closest DC coefficient to the luminance DC average value.
US08644386B2
A method and apparatus are provided for encoding and decoding a multi-view moving picture. A method of estimating a disparity vector to encode a multi-view moving picture includes: estimating disparity vectors for a predetermined number of encoded macroblocks; and calculating disparity vectors of macroblocks adjacent to the encoded macroblocks using the estimated disparity vectors. Therefore, it is possible to quickly perform encoding of a multi-view moving picture and enhance compressibility of the multi-view moving picture.
US08644383B2
Mean absolute difference (MAD) prediction for video encoding may be provided. Upon receiving a video stream comprising a plurality of quality layers, a first quantization parameter (QP) may be selected for a first frame of the video stream according to a second QP associated with a second frame and a third QP associated with a third frame. The first frame may then be encoded according to the selected first QP.
US08644372B1
In a method for detecting symbols in a signal received via a communication channel, the signal including a plurality of signal points, each signal point in the plurality of signal points is processed using a decision feedback equalizer (DFE) to produce a DFE decision. Reliability of the DFE decision is assessed to determine whether the DFE decision is at least one of i) reliable or ii) not reliable. When it is determined that the DFE decision is not reliable, a block of signal points of the plurality of signal points is processed using a Viterbi Detector (VD) to generate a block of VD decisions. The block of VD decisions is selected to be used in place of a block of DFE decisions.
US08644359B1
A system comprising a multiplicity of quantum dot lasers disposed on a back surface of a control circuit, wherein each of the quantum dot lasers produces coherent light; a multiplicity of micro-lens collimators, each micro-lens collimator secured to a corresponding quantum dot laser, where light generated by the quantum dot laser passes through the fiber and exits at the tip; a diffraction grating, wherein the light from each of the micro-lens collimators is directed to the diffraction grating; and wherein the coherent light leaving the diffraction grating is a high powered optical light.
US08644353B2
A packet flow side channel encoder and decoder embeds and extracts a side channel communication in an overt communication data stream transmitted over a network. The encoder selects more than one group of related packets being transmitted on the network, relates a packet of one group to a packet of another group to form a pair of packets; and delays the timing of at least one packet from each pair of packets The decoder determines inter-packet delays that are the difference in timing between two packets in a pair of packets; determines at least one inter-packet delay difference between two or more determined inter-packet delays; and extracts a bit using the at least one interpacket delay difference.
US08644351B2
There is provided a node device having a plurality of transmission lines, included in a network, the node device including a first clock extracting section configured to extract a clock from a first packet used for synchronization of a clock in the node device, the first packet being received from the network through the transmission line, a second clock extracting section configured to extract a clock from a signal received from the network through the transmission line, and a clock selector to select a clock out of the clock extracted by the first clock extracting section and the clock extracted by the second clock extracting section, wherein the clock selected by the clock selector is used for synchronization of a clock in the node device.
US08644342B2
A method, apparatus and medium are provided for detecting anomalous payloads transmitted through a network. The system receives payloads within the network and determines a length for data contained in each payload. A statistical distribution is generated for data contained in each payload received within the network, and compared to a selected model distribution representative of normal payloads transmitted through the network. The model payload can be selected such that it has a predetermined length range that encompasses the length for data contained in the received payload. Anomalous payloads are then identified based on differences detected between the statistical distribution of received payloads and the model distribution. The system can also provide for automatic training and incremental updating of models.
US08644338B2
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate unbundling and processing partial packet data units (PDU). PDUs can be transmitted at a communication layer and can include partial PDUs of a disparate communication layer. Complete SDUs can be determined in the partial PDU and provided to an upper communication layer. In addition, however, the partial PDU can comprise a partial SDU. Upon receiving a remaining or additional portion of the partial PDU, a remaining or additional portion of the partial SDU can be combined with the partial SDU to create a complete SDU (or a larger portion thereof). Where a complete SDU is created, it can be provided to an upper communication layer. Alternatively, the partial PDU can be combined with the remaining portion of the partial PDU to generate a complete or larger PDU, from which the previously incomplete SDU can be retrieved and provided to an upper communication layer.
US08644337B2
The invention is directed to 3GPP-compliant networks wherein a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) node provides a subscriber's maximum allowed Authorized Quality-of-Service (QoS) per QoS Class Identifier (QCI) to a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF) as the authorized QoS per QCI, such that the PCEF node can then allocate resources and bandwidth over one or more Internet Protocol Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) bearers with the same QCI.
US08644333B2
The present invention discloses a method for realizing cross-connect of optical channel data units (ODUk), which comprises: mapping the accessed services to the ODUk, and mapping the services mapped to the ODUk to the ODUk time slot frames according to the requirements of the time slot frames; mapping the ODUk time slot frames to the intermediate frame structures; performing the cross-connect for ODUk services in the intermediate frame structures. The present invention also discloses an apparatus for realizing cross-connect of ODUk. The present invention directly supports cross-connect of ODUk, so as to realize simple scheduling for the Optical Transport Network (OTN) services, and improve the resource utilization factor and the integration level.
US08644332B1
The invention provides for a system, method, and device for using the existing copper loop plant of twisted pair wiring for data communication by using a plurality of pairs in a cable bundle of twisted pair for the downstream data direction simultaneously, as if the plurality of twisted pair in the cable bundle were a broadcast medium. Between an individual subscriber's access pair and the cable bundle, an aggregation device is used to combine all received signals from the plurality of twisted pairs in the cable bundle and to make the entire downstream bandwidth of the plurality of pairs available to the subscriber.
US08644323B2
In a distributed management scheme for LEO satellite networks interactions between a satellite and the designated fixed center occur according to a time schedule and only when the designated center is in the coverage area of the payload. For exception/alarm reporting and real-time configuration updates the interaction varies with time. Interactions of this type occur between a satellite and the management center that is “nearest” to the payload or satellite at the time instant at which the network event occurs or configuration upload is needed. The nearest management center for a payload is the center that can be reached from the payload with fewest number of crosslink hops. A central network operation center determines, prior to payload launch, the association between satellites and management centers for routine information exchange, and the nearest management center for the payload for different snapshots of time.
US08644322B2
A communication system is provided having a plurality of FlexRay network nodes by which respective user data packets are provided in an IP data packet format or an Ethernet data packet format, and having a FlexRay bus system, by whose physical layer data are transmitted between the FlexRay network nodes. The IP data packet format or the Ethernet data packet format each having a plurality of bit positions. The FlexRay network nodes are set up such that contents of the bit positions of the user data packets are each converted onto corresponding signals of the physical layer of the FlexRay bus system.
US08644309B2
A quarantine device 1 performs processing on a network provided with a VLAN-aware Layer 2 Switch 7. The quarantine device 1 includes a terminal detection unit 11 that, when a single terminal is connected to a specified port of the Layer 2 Switch 7 through a VLAN-unaware hub, detects a connection of a new terminal 4 to the hub, and a switch control unit 12 that, upon detecting the connection of the new terminal 4, configures the specified port as a trunk port and, furthermore, configures a first VLAN, which transfers only Ethernet frames having preset tags attached thereto, and a second VLAN, which transfers only Ethernet frames having no tags attached thereto, on the specified port.
US08644308B2
Disclosed are a network interface card device and a traffic processing method using the network interface card device, the method including receiving a packet from a network, determining, by a first chipset, whether a detailed analysis is performed by verifying the received packet, and analyzing in detail, by a second chipset, with respect to a packet using the detailed analysis.
US08644302B2
A temporary ENUM architecture assigns a temporary ENUM at call time. For an originated communication requiring routing to a party which needs a particular callback format not supported, the TempENUM provides consistency with the specific format required by the receiving party. The TempENUM is assigned for the duration of the call or communication, or for a given amount of time thereafter. The TempENUM service gateway includes a TempENUM database, a module that assigns a suitable TempENUM at the time of call routing, and a module that handles a lookup in the TempENUM database, and maps the assigned TempENUM to a calling party identifier (CgPID). The TempENUM database stores a TempENUM from a coordinator system and relates the actual calling party identifier (CgPID) for use in callback attempts. Either during the initial call or communication, or shortly thereafter, the receiving party uses the TempENUM number to return communication the initial caller.
US08644301B2
Systems and methods for supporting E911 for VoIP mobile communications are provided. A mobile station formats a call setup message by including particular information in a header portion of the call setup message that is used by the wireless network to select an appropriate PSAP and route the call to the appropriate PSAP.
US08644298B1
For an IMS session that employs a CS bearer path that supports a local user element for at least a portion of the overall bearer path, the present invention provides for establishing and using the IMS session without providing a service control signaling channel when the IMS session is initially established. After the IMS session is established and supporting communications between the local and remote user elements, a service control signaling channel for the local user element may be established and associated with the IMS session to facilitate IMS services requiring service control signaling. Before or when a service is invoked, the local user element, the network, or an agent thereof may establish the service control signaling channel wherein the IMS will associate the service control signaling channel with the current IMS session and employ service control signaling over the service control signaling channel to facilitate IMS services.
US08644296B1
The invention comprises a method and apparatus for establishing at least one media path. Specifically, the method comprises receiving at least one connection request message, generating at least one connection setup message in response to each of the at least one connection request message, and transmitting the at least one connection setup message towards at least one communication network comprising at least one call control element, each of the at least one connection setup message operable to establish the at least one media path between at least one gateway system and at least one border element.
US08644286B2
Certain aspects of a method and system for a fast cell search using a primary synchronization channel (PSYNC) process in a multimode wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) terminal are provided. A WCDMA frequency search or a global system for mobile communications (GSM) frequency search is performed based on a current radio access technology (RAT), received signal strength indication (RSSI) scan measurements, and PSYNC detection operations. The RSSI scan measurements may be averaged by making multiple measurements during a measurement period. At least part of the PSYNC detection operations may be performed during a remaining portion of the measurement period. WCDMA carrier frequencies may be marked in accordance with the results of the PSYNC detection operations. For GSM, some of the frequencies may be removed from the search based on the PSYNC marking while the remaining search frequencies may be ranked based on results from the RSSI scan measurements.
US08644273B2
Methods and apparatus that reduce network management overhead required for the operation of wireless femtocells. In one aspect of the invention, a central network entity governs the simultaneous operation of several femtocells by specifying modes of operation, and operational parameters for one or more of the femtocells. In one embodiment, at least one of the specified modes of operation directs a femtocell to operate in a substantially autonomous manner within the network-defined operational parameters. The network-defined constraints are provided to the femtocell for example, responsive to a successful registration attempt.
US08644270B2
A method and system for configuring a frame in a communication system is provided. The method includes determining a number of frames for configuring one multi-frame, wherein the number is at least two, and configuring each of the determined number of frames, wherein the determined number of frames include a first frame and a second frame temporally discriminated from each other, each of the determined number of frames includes a downlink sub-frame and an uplink sub-frame, a downlink sub-frame of the first frame includes a first area for transmitting a reference signal used for an acquisition of synchronization between a base station and a mobile station, a second area including system information and common control information related to the multi-frame, a third area including modulation scheme information and allocation information of data bursts, a fourth area to which a downlink data burst is allocated in a diversity mode and a fifth area to which a downlink data burst is allocated in a band Adaptive Modulation and Coding (AMC) mode, and a downlink sub-frame of the second frame includes a sixth area including modulation scheme information and allocation information of data bursts, a seventh area to which a data burst is allocated in a diversity mode, and an eighth area to which a data burst is allocated in an AMC mode.
US08644269B2
A network includes an access point using a first protocol and a station using both the first protocol and a second protocol. The station uses the first protocol before a first threshold and a second protocol after the first threshold. A first duration between the second threshold and the first threshold is at least of sufficient length for the station to receive one data packet from the access point and send an acknowledgment. The station transmits to the access point a current clear-to-send packet at a current time during a current exchange based on success or failure of a previous exchange during which a previous clear-to-send packet was transmitted to the access point at a previous time.
US08644261B1
A method and system for determining whether an access terminal will perform a hand off to a target base station (BS) or register with a currently-serving BS and thereafter hand off to the target BS. In making that determination, the access terminal may make and compare pilot signal strength measurements. For a target BS transmitting a pilot signal detected to be stronger than a pilot signal transmitted by the currently-serving BS, the access terminal determines whether a distance between the target BS and a currently-registered BS exceeds a registration distance associated with the currently-registered BS. If the registration distance is exceeded, the access terminal registers with the currently-serving BS prior to handing off to the target BS such that the access terminal is more likely to receive page messages directed to the access terminal while it is registering with the currently-serving BS and handing off to the target BS.
US08644255B1
A method of operating a communication system is disclosed which includes, in a wireless communication device, transferring a wireless beacon signal and responsively receiving a wireless access request from a user device, determining if a user identifier received with the wireless access request has usage credits in a data structure, exchanging wireless signals with the user device and with a wireless communication network based on the usage credits to provide a wireless communication service to the user device, and decrementing the usage credits for the user identifier in the data structure. The method also includes wirelessly transferring usage credit updates for receipt in a master data structure.
US08644252B2
The present invention relates to a method, a user equipment and a network node in a cellular radio network. According to the method of the present invention, the network units detects a failed transmission of a handover command to the UE, which is still having a uplink channel available, and further receives a RRC message from the UE indicating the loss of a serving cell and indicating the strongest cell. The network unit prepares and initiates a new serving cell re-establishment and sends to the UE a RRC reconfiguration message. The UE can then continue normal operation in the new cell.
US08644250B2
Maintaining communication between a mobile terminal and a network in a mobile communication system is achieved by determining a transition to one of a synchronized state and an unsynchronized state with a network while maintaining an active state with the network, and transitions to one of the synchronized state and the unsynchronized state according to the determination.
US08644238B2
At least two modes of communicating demodulation reference signals in a system providing a multiple of communication points for communication devices are provided. In a first mode demodulation reference signals are communicated based on an sequence group and separation of sequences provided by adjustment of transmitted demodulation reference signals. In a second mode demodulation reference signals are communicated based on one or more sequence groups and non-adjusted transmission of demodulation reference signals.
US08644234B2
A wireless device for selecting a connection target based on signal quality, a system and a method thereof are provided. The invention selects a candidate device having the best signal quality and duration of the signal quality is not less than a threshold reaching a certain time. If the selected candidate device also selects the wireless device, a unique connection is established between the wireless device and the candidate device. In a dynamical and complicated environment, the disclosed system and the method can build up a stable linear topology through automatic negotiation among wireless devices. The invention then achieves the effect of updating topology in time to adapt to environment changes.
US08644232B2
A method for impliedly binding CCE indexes in one sub-frame to ACK/NACK channel indexes in one uplink sub-frame, and a method for impliedly binding CCE indexes in a plurality of sub-frames to ACK/NACK channel indexes in one uplink sub-frame, are provided.
US08644225B2
A method for determining a transmission channel for multi-hop transmission of a data packet from a plurality of data channels in an ad-hoc network. The network includes at least one local peer group. Each local peer group has a plurality of moving vehicles as nodes. The method comprises steps of determining available channels for data packet transmission at each node, transmitting a first list of available channels to at least one other node, receiving, from the at least one other node, a second list of available channel for the at least one other node, creating an available channel table including the first and second lists of available channels, selecting a transmitting channel for a data packet based upon information in the available channel table, and advertising the selected channel to the at least one other node.
US08644220B2
An apparatus, system and method for a multi-tier wireless home mesh network is described. The method may include formation of an infrastructure-less wireless home mesh networking environment comprising a collection of nodes that operate as a decentralized, ad hoc wireless network with multiple sub-networks or tiers that are responsible for different functions within the network. Each node of the multi-tier network is configured to forward data to other nodes and is assigned to a particular tier based on the node's performance capabilities. A further embodiment includes identification of a wireless home mesh network. Once identified, one or more proprietary messages may be exchanged in a secure manner to establish connections with a home electronics device as either a mobile node or a stationary node of the home network. A home electronics device may wirelessly communicate to route data within one or more nodes of the wireless home mesh network. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08644213B2
A data communication method and system for a mobile communication network includes an improved medium access control mechanism for improving QoS and power efficiency of network components while maintaining channelization effects. A data communication method for a wireless communication network includes a coordinator and at least one network node according to the present invention includes the steps of broadcasting, at the coordinator, a beacon frame for informing the at least one network node of a duration of a superframe; transmitting a Guaranteed Time Slot (GTS) from the coordinator to the at least one network node for allocating timeslots; and transmitting a data frame from the coordinator to the at least one wireless network through the timeslots allocated to the at least one wireless network node.
US08644211B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system including a mobile device and a content-retrieving agent for facilitating energy-efficient content retrieval. During operation, the mobile device receives a request for a piece of content from a user. In response to the request, the mobile device forwards the request to the content-retrieving agent which is configured to obtain the requested content from a remote device on behalf of the mobile device. The system allows the mobile device's receiver to be placed in an energy-saving sleep mode when the content-retrieving agent is obtaining the requested content for the mobile device and is not transmitting the content to the mobile device. The system allows the mobile device's receiver to wake up when the content-retrieving agent is transmitting the content to the mobile device. The mobile device receives the content from the content-retrieving agent.
US08644206B2
An ad hoc service provider includes a processing system configured to enable access by one or more mobile clients to a first wireless network via a second wireless network. The processing system is further configured to assemble service information for broadcasting to one or more mobile clients. The service information includes attributes of access to the first wireless network, the access being offered by the ad hoc service provider to one or more mobile clients.
US08644193B2
Methods, devices and computer program products facilitate self-configuration and self-optimization of radio networks. An internal topology discovery is performed to assess characteristics of a plurality of access points within an internal network. An external cell discovery can also be performed to identify one or more access points operating within an external network. Based on the assessments obtained through the internal and/or external topology discovery processes, operational parameters are assigned to each access point within the internal network. Such operational parameters can include a transmit power associated with each radio node.
US08644186B1
A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving a label-mapping message at a first router. The first router does not record the label-mapping message. The method further includes sending the label mapping message toward a root router of a Multipoint Label Switched Path (MPLSP) in a network and, further, evaluating a path vector sent from the root router to identify whether a first router's address is part of the path vector. If the first router's address is present in the path vector then a label mapping associated with the path vector is not installed by the first router. In more detailed embodiments, the first router identifies that if the first router's address is part of the path vector, a loop is present in the network. If the first router's address is not part of the path vector, the label mapping associated with the path vector is recorded.
US08644185B2
Embodiments provide systems and methods for diagnosing a network and identifying problems in a network which reduce the data transfer rate of data through the network. One embodiment of a method for network diagnosis may include infusing data into a network upstream and downstream of a portion of the network relative to a library drive, querying the drive at intervals over time for drive data to determine the data transfer rate at the drive and comparing the data transfer rate of the data infused upstream of the device or network portion with the data transfer rate of the data infused downstream of the device or network portion to determine throughput. By comparing the data transfer rate of data infused upstream and downstream of a network device or network portion, problem devices in a network may be identified.
US08644169B2
A data analyzer operative to be located at a customer premises, causes the transmission of a probing signal into at least one telephone line. The data analyzer computes a parameter that represents a characteristic of at least one telephone line based upon at least a measured reflected probing signal.
