US08677500B2
Provided are a digital broadcasting receiver and method of broadcast content protection. The digital broadcasting receiver comprises a platform which stores received broadcast data, middleware which comprises an application manager managing various applications so that broadcast content corresponding to the received broadcast data is used according to a consumption policy, a platform interface unit which acts as an interface between the platform and the middleware, and a middleware interface unit which acts as an interface between the various applications and the middleware. According to the method, various broadcast content protection and management policies can be accepted in various digital broadcasting receivers, each having different hardware and software structures.
US08677497B2
A query is received from a particular endpoint device identifying a particular wireless access point encountered by the particular endpoint device. Pre-existing risk assessment data is identified for the identified particular wireless access point and query result data is sent to the particular endpoint device characterizing pre-assessed risk associated with the particular wireless access point. In some instances, the query result data is generated based on the pre-existing risk assessment data. In some instances, pre-existing risk assessment data can be the result of an earlier risk assessment carried-out at least in part by an endpoint device interfacing with and testing the particular wireless access point.
US08677484B2
A system includes a detection unit configured to detect unauthorized access to one or more information processing apparatuses that are virtually implemented by virtual machines executed by a computer; an authorized network configured to transfer authorized access to the one or more information processing apparatuses from an external network; a honeypot network configured to transfer unauthorized access to the information processing apparatuses from the external network; and a control unit configured to connect the information processing apparatuses for which no unauthorized access has been detected to the authorized network, and connect the information processing apparatuses for which unauthorized access has been detected to the honeypot network; wherein the control unit shifts, in response to detecting unauthorized access by the detection unit, the corresponding information processing apparatus into a decoy mode in which the detected unauthorized access is disconnected from a normal operation.
US08677482B2
A system and method for secure processing is provided, wherein a monitor application is injected into a secure application binary within the security perimeter of a secure processor. The components of the monitor application are injected into different portions of the application binary utilizing a seed value. In this manner, the positioning of the monitor application in the application binary is altered each time the application binary is booted. After the monitor application is inserted into the application binary, the secure process is passed to the host processor for execution. During execution of the secure process, a system and method is provided for the monitor application to communicate, to the secure processor, attempts to tamper with or attack the secure process.
US08677475B2
A communication system may be configured to provide multiple levels of security for a communication link between a first node and a second node of a network. The system may be further configured to select a first level of security from the multiple levels of security for transmitting first data send by a first client via the first node to the second node and to select a second level of security from the multiple levels of security for transmitting second data send by a second client via the first node to the second node, the second level of security being different than the first level of security.
US08677474B2
Provided are techniques for the prevention of certain types of attacks on computing systems. The current disclosure, which describes one particular type of attack, is directed to the detection and prevention of an attack rather than the mechanics of the particular described attack. The claimed subject matter both detects and prevents an attack without exposing a network to denial-of-service (DoS) attacks by being too restrictive.
US08677463B2
A computer readable storage medium is disclosed having a computer program stored therein, which in a particular embodiment, the computer program includes but is not limited to machine readable instructions that when executed by a computer manage a plurality of sub accounts under a main account in a data distribution system, the computer program including but not limited to instructions to assign the plurality of sub accounts under the main account in a main account data structure at a server in the data distribution system; instructions to assign a plurality of end user devices to each one of the plurality of sub accounts; and instructions to receive end user device attribute data from at least one of the end user devices to the main account data structure after the attribute data is created at the at least one end user device.
US08677459B2
Embodiments enable secure zero-touch remote provisioning/management of a computer system. A computer system is shipped to end customers with its remote management controller enabled but not provisioned. During automatic testing, for example, provisioning authentication data is embedded into the remote management controller. The computer system vendor harvests the provisioning authentication data or derivative data therefrom from the remote management controller and stores it in a database. Upon sale of the computer system, the computer system vendor provides to the end-customer the harvested data of the computer system's remote management controller. The end-customer can then remotely authenticate a remote provisioning/management console to the remote management controller. Once successfully authenticated, the remote provisioning/management console can provision the remote management controller with one or more user accounts/roles with corresponding authentication details, authenticate as one of the provisioned user accounts, and perform computer system provisioning using remote manageability functions as desired.
US08677455B2
To provide an authentication technology acquiring high security with a simple configuration. In an information processing device utilizing a user's input operation for authentication, an input frame is displayed to the user, the user is prompted to input a keyword to within the input frame, a magnitude of the input by the user is judged, and the inputted keyword is judged, results of the judgments are used as authentication information for the authentication. A magnitude of the input may be a size of the input frame and a size of a character, which are designated by the user.
US08677454B2
A mechanism for utilization of virtual machines by a community cloud is disclosed. A method of the invention includes authenticating a virtual machine (VM) to be joined to a cloud environment managed by a central administrative computing device as a cloud computing resource, wherein the VM is operating on a workstation that is not a dedicated cloud computing resource, updating a database of VMs utilized as cloud computing resources with information of the VM related to its operational status, and providing instructions for the VM to operate as a cloud computing resource, the instructions based on current demand for cloud services of the cloud environment and an overall current supply of cloud computing resources presently available in the cloud environment.
US08677453B2
Techniques for highly parallel evaluation of XACML policies are described herein. In one embodiment, attributes are extracted from a request for accessing a resource including at least one of a user attribute and an environment attribute. Multiple individual searches are concurrently performed, one for each of the extracted attributes, in a policy store having stored therein rules and policies written in XACML, where the rules and policies are optimally stored using a bit vector algorithm. The individual search results associated with the attributes are then combined to generate a single final result using a predetermined policy combination algorithm. It is then determined whether the client is eligible to access the requested resource of the datacenter based on the single final result, including performing a layer-7 access control process, where the network element operates as an application service gateway to the datacenter. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US08677449B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for exposing metadata to a virtual machine. In one aspect, a method includes executing a virtual machine on a host operating system. A synthetic file system is mounted on the virtual machine to expose the synthetic file system to a plurality of guest applications executing on the virtual machine. The synthetic file system is configured to provide a plurality of system calls to the guest applications including at least a read operation or a write operation for reading from or writing to external metadata stored outside the virtual machine.
US08677448B1
Sensitive file accessing trends can be visually represented. In one embodiment, the present invention includes receiving, in a graphical user interface (GUI), a first user input indicating a selection of one folder from a plurality of folders, and identifying a plurality of sensitive files in the selected folder using one or more data loss prevention policies. In one embodiment access usage data for the sensitive files can be obtained and the number of users accessing the sensitive files within a plurality of time intervals can be determined using the access usage data. Finally, a usage trend representation comprising a visual illustration of the number of users accessing the sensitive files within each of the plurality of time intervals can be displayed to a user.
US08677438B2
After fixing the physical address of a wireless video transmission device to a route address or the like, it is possible to shorten the switchover time by having a conversion table provided that maps the physical addresses on the wireless video reception device side, since it does not occur that the addresses of AV equipment connected by wire with the wireless video transmission device are changed, even if the physical address of the wireless video reception device changes. Further, by performing split transfer of the CEC messages, it is possible to carry out transmission of the CEC messages promptly and to suppress reception confirmation bits with respect to CEC messages for which there exists no destination.
US08677437B2
The embodiments described herein provide a method and system for determining the extent to which a plurality of media signals are out of sync with each other. The method includes: receiving a first input media signal and a second input media signal wherein the first and second input media signals are in sync with each other; extracting at least one first characteristic feature from the first input media signal; extracting at least one second characteristic feature from the second input media signal; receiving a first output media signal and a second output media signal wherein the first output signal corresponds to the first input media signal after being transmitted through a network, and the second output signal corresponds to the second input media signal after being transmitted through the network; extracting the at least one first characteristic feature from the first output media signal; extracting the at least one second characteristic feature from the second output media signal; calculating a first signal delay based on the at least one first characteristic feature extracted from the first input and output media signals; calculating a second signal delay based on the at least one second characteristic feature extracted from the second input and output media signals; and outputting a synchronization signal based on the difference between the first and second delay signals wherein the synchronization signal represents the extent to which the first and second output media signals are out of sync with each other.
US08677434B2
Provided are a method and system for a module for a cable modem termination system. The module includes a digital modulator configured to block up-convert a plurality of digital channels and a digital to analog converter coupled, at least indirectly, to an output of the digital modulator to convert the digital channels to an analog format.
US08677432B2
A system and method for providing a personal broadcasting service using a mobile communication terminal with a multimedia broadcasting module are provided. A broadcasting service provider provides multimedia broadcasting content. A multimedia broadcasting terminal sends a channel selection signal to the broadcasting service provider, receives multimedia broadcasting content of a selected channel, and opens personal broadcasting. A normal terminal sends a multimedia broadcasting content request to the multimedia broadcasting terminal opening the personal broadcasting, and receives the multimedia broadcasting content from the multimedia broadcasting terminal opening the personal broadcasting.
US08677419B2
A program search device is described that searches for programs using a keyword search and handles the programs found in the search by classifying the programs into special programs and regular programs. The device searches for broadcast programs corresponding to a current time from an electronic program guide, and includes a program guide storing unit that prestores an electronic program guide a keyword storing unit that prestores one or more extraction keywords and corresponding effective periods, a time obtaining unit operable to obtain a current time, a detecting unit operable to read an extraction keyword corresponding to an effective period and detect, from the electronic program guide, one or more program display information sets including the read extraction keyword, and an extracting unit operable to extract each of one or more program display information sets that indicates a regular program, or a special program.
US08677411B2
A digital television (DTV) data stream includes a virtual channel table (VCT) and an event information table (EIT), the EIT including: a descriptor including: a descriptor tag identifying the descriptor as a genre descriptor, a descriptor length field, and at least one category code for an associated event in a DTV data stream.
US08677401B2
Method and system for creating one or more advertising avail sections (subavails) and thereupon aggregating the subavails to form one or more groups of subavails. The advertisement opportunities (avails) may be divided into sections (subavails) with each section being directed at a particular target audience (group). The subavails are then aggregated into one or more groups of subavails so that the groups of subavails can be sold to the advertisers. The grouping of subavails is generally based on a correlation wherein the subavails are characterized based on one or more characteristics. The groups of subavails are formed based on one or more shared characteristics. The advertiser has an option to buy a group of subavails (rather than an avail in prior art), whereby the advertiser may reach a targeted group of an audience.
US08677400B2
Systems and methods for identifying audio using a media guidance application where a video program that includes one or more audio assets is received by user equipment. The user initiates a request to identify an audio asset playing within the video program and the audio asset is identified by processing data associated with the audio asset and data within a database of audio asset information associated with a plurality of known audio assets. The audio asset information associated with the identified audio asset is then provided to a user interface for display.
US08677398B2
In a method for delivering targeted television advertisements based on online behavior, IP addresses indicating online access devices and IP addresses indicating television set-top boxes are electronically associated for a multitude of users. Using user profile information derived from online activity from one of the online access IP addresses, a television advertisement is selected, such as by using behavioral targeting or demographic information, and automatically directed to the set-top box indicated by the set-top IP address associated with that online access IP address. Preferably neither the user profile information nor the electronic association of online access and set-top box IP addresses includes personally identifiable information.
US08677393B2
Methods and apparatus to verify consumption of content are described herein. In an example method, a content library is generated within a data structure. The content library includes at least one content identifier associated with programming content. The programming content is insertable into content stream. A content stream including content for broadcasting on a broadcast device is received. To verify consumption of the programming content, a broadcast content identifier associated with the content for broadcasting is compared to the at least one content identifier of the content library.
US08677390B2
A network system includes a receiving apparatus for receiving contents, and a recording and reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing the contents received by the receiving apparatus, the receiving apparatus and the recording and reproducing apparatus being interconnected via a network. The receiving apparatus includes a viewing age limit compliance information acquisition section, and a determination section. The recording and reproducing apparatus includes a storage section, and an address information delivery section.
US08677366B2
Methods and arrangements for processing hierarchical data in a map-reduce framework. Hierarchical data is accepted, and a map-reduce job is performed on the hierarchical data. This performing of a map-reduce job includes determining a cost of partitioning the data, determining a cost of redefining the job and thereupon selectively performing at least one step taken from the group consisting of: partitioning the data and redefining the job.
US08677365B2
To perform zone-based workload scheduling according to environmental conditions in a system having electronic devices, indicators of cooling efficiencies of the electronic devices in corresponding zones are aggregated to form aggregated indicators for respective zones, where the zones include respective subsets of electronic devices. Workload is assigned to the electronic devices according to the aggregated indicators.
US08677363B2
A method for controlling a distributed processing system comprising a management computer for managing distributed processing of a job program and a plurality of execution computers for executing the job program, includes dividing the job program into a plurality of jobs and the management computer assigning the plural jobs among the execution computers, transferring processed information obtained by executing said jobs program by each of the execution computers to the management computer, storing processed information corresponding to the executed job program into the execution computers, and re-executing the job program on said management computer by using the processed information when the processed information is available.
US08677356B2
Operating system-directed workload scheduling of an adjunct partition in a logically partitioned computer is selectively overridden to handle platform work requiring a Quality of Service (QoS) guarantee. Firmware may track outstanding requests for platform work for an adjunct partition, and in response to a request for platform work that requires a QoS guarantee, the firmware may assume or take over scheduling decisions for the adjunct partition from the operating system of an associated logical partition and schedule execution of the adjunct partition to ensure that the adjunct partition will be allocated sufficient execution resources to perform the platform work independent of the scheduling desires of the operating system. As a result, any platform work that potentially impacts the platform work of other adjunct partitions will not be held up as a result of an unwillingness or inability of the operating system to schedule execution of the adjunct partition.
US08677355B2
A state branching system is described herein that allows parallel execution of complex state transitions while leveraging time invested to setup a starting state. By allowing branching at the virtual machine level, the state branching system allows setup of a particular condition or state in a virtual machine, then copying and branching to parallel instances of the virtual machine to explore different possible subsequent states. Upon detecting a large state change with unknown outcome, the state branching system instructs the hypervisor to copy the executing virtual machine into one or more separate virtual machines. The system then allows divergent branching between the two or more virtual machines to explore different states from a similar starting point. Once the executions have reached the next state, the system coordinates to determine which copies will continue execution. Thus, the state branching system allows faster exploration of complex state changes.
US08677344B2
An automatic data downloader (ADD) causes a source device communicating with the ADD to download available software for destination devices using a single predetermined update channel. The software is received by the ADD from the source device and stored. Upon connecting to destination device that is compatible with downloaded software, the ADD sends the software to the destination device.
US08677338B2
Methods and apparatus to data dependence testing for loop fusion, e.g., with code replication, array contraction, and/or loop interchange, are described. In one embodiment, a compiler may optimize code for efficient execution during run-time by testing for dependencies associated with improving memory locality through code replication in loops that enable various loop transformations. Other embodiments are also described.
US08677315B1
Examples of a continuous deployment system are provided that manage and track releases of software code, where some or all of the steps between check-in and deployment to production can be automated. Such systems can reduce the amount of developer effort needed to deploy a package, as developers may not have to be responsible for scheduling package builds, clicking deployment buttons, or manually running tests. The system can take care of all or some of that work.
US08677311B2
A separate-type signal processing apparatus includes: a first device having a data acquisition part; and a second device connected with the first device by wire or wireless, wherein the first and second devices work in cooperation to execute a predetermined process, the first device acquires version renewal data for addition to or renewal of software components for respectively controlling the first and second devices, through the data acquisition part, the first device has a first control part for sending a completion-of-acquisition notice signal to the second device, the second device has a second control part for sending a response signal to the first control part when the notice signal is input thereto, and the first control part transfers at least a part of the acquired version renewal data to the second control part on receipt of the response signal as an input thereto.
US08677307B1
Disclosed are improved methods, systems, and computer program products for visualizing and estimating IC die arrangement for an electronic design, and for performing chip planning and estimation based upon the estimated and visualized IC die arrangements. According to some approaches, an interface is provided for visualizing different die arrangement options for an electronic design, in which a filmstrip view is provided to display smaller images of different die arrangement options, and a central viewing area is provided to view a larger image of a selected candidate die arrangement. The different images, whether smaller or larger images, are maintained with design object information and not just static images. This allows for selection and highlighting of individual objects within the die arrangement images, as well as corresponding highlighting of that same object in other images.
US08677303B2
An integrated circuit is described. The integrated circuit, comprising: a central processor; a memory; and an electromigration compensation system associated with a plurality of leads within the integrated circuit, wherein the electromigration compensation system causes the plurality of leads to have interlocking, horizontally tapered ends that substantially reduces electromigration divergence and consequently lead resistance and circuit shorting.
US08677301B2
A approach is described for allowing electronic design, verification, and optimization tools to implement very efficient approaches to allow the tools to directly address the effects of manufacturing processes, e.g., to identify and prevent problems caused by lithography processing. Fast models and pattern checking are employed to integrate lithography and manufacturing aware processes within EDA tools such as routers.
US08677297B2
Roughly described, a system enables quick and accurate depiction to a user of multi-patterning layout violations so that they may be corrected manually and in real time, and without interfering with normal manual editing process. In one embodiment, the system involves iteratively building tree structures with nodes identifying islands and arcs identifying multi-patterning spacing violations between the connected islands. The system detects coloring violations during the building of these tree structures, using the relationships previously inserted. The coloring violations preferably are reported to a user in the form of visual indications of the cycles among the candidate spacing violations, with the candidate spacing violations also themselves indicated visually and individually. The user can see intuitively how to move the islands around, and in which directions and by what distance, in order to remove a multi-patterning spacing violation and thereby break the cycle.
US08677293B2
One embodiment relates to a computer method of evaluating proposed edits to a target layer of an integrated circuit. In the method, a number of editable regions is determined for metal layers overlying the target layer, where an editable region for a metal layer is laterally arranged between segments of the metal layer. The method identifies a number of possible vertical milling paths that extend from an exterior surface of the integrated surface to the target layer. Each possible vertical milling path passes through at least one editable region. The method generates a number of possible edit plans that are based on both the proposed edits and the number of possible vertical milling paths, where each edit plan places edits in a different combination of possible vertical milling paths.
US08677290B2
A method of forming a photolithography mask including forming a first linear non-dense feature on the mask and forming a plurality of parallel linear assist features disposed substantially perpendicular to the at least one linear non-dense design feature. In an embodiment, the photolithography mask further includes a first transverse linear assist feature disposed substantially transverse to the plurality of parallel linear assist features.
US08677289B1
A method of generating an assistant feature is provided. A plurality of main features is provided. A first main feature is selected from the main features. A plurality of rule-based features is disposed around the first main feature. A model-based feature is generated around the first main feature. An overlap Boolean feature is extracted from the rule-based features, wherein the overlap Boolean feature overlaps with the model-based feature in an overlap ratio up to a target value. The overlap Boolean feature serves as an assistant feature, and the assistant feature and the first main feature constitute a transfer feature.
US08677284B2
A user interface with multiple applications which can be operated concurrently and/or independently by using simple finger gestures allows a user to intuitively operate and control digital information, functions, applications, etc. to improve operability. The user is able to use finger gesture to navigate the user interface via a virtual spindle metaphor to select different applications. The user can also split the user interface to at least two display segments which may contain different applications. Moreover, each display segment can be moved to a desirable location on the user interface to provide a seamless operation environment.
US08677282B2
Systems, methods and articles of manufacture are disclosed for presenting image slices in a windowing environment based on multi-touch user input, the image slices generated by an imaging system. A series of image slices may be provided that represent a view of an object. A gesture may be defined based on at least a count of fingers represented in multi-touch user input. Further, the defined gesture may be associated with a corresponding action for manipulating an image slice. Multi-touch user input may be received. Upon determining that the received multi-touch user input includes the defined gesture, the corresponding action may be performed on an image slice of the series to generate a resultant image slice. The resultant image slice may be output via an output device.
US08677275B2
A system and method are provided for generating one or more menus having options that display insights from visualizations. The options presented in the menus enable users to determine relationships between elements of the visualization. The relationships may be displayed textually to enable user to navigate the menus using a keyboard, a text-to-voice converter, and/or pointers.
US08677263B2
A viewport displays a portion of content that is larger than the viewport. Within this viewport pan grip controls are displayed. The pan grip controls are active zones in the viewport receptive to user input and may have a graphical representation. They are presented at positions relative to the content as displayed in the viewport, and in some embodiments, in a predetermined, regular pattern that is independent of the displayed content. The viewport is panned in response to panning input received on the pan grip controls. The panning input may be a dragging of a pan grip control. The pan grip controls maintain their positions relative to the content as displayed in the viewport. Non-panning input on the displayed content is received outside of the pan grip controls.
US08677246B2
A user interface (UI) control apparatus connected to a remote appliance via a communication path. The UI control apparatus is capable of providing a suitable UI for a user which may be stored on the UI control apparatus or the remote appliance without the need of a data management server. The UI control apparatus including: a UI list obtaining unit configured to add information on a UI program stored in a remote appliance to a UI list which is information listing at least one UI program stored in the UI control apparatus, the remote appliance being connected to the UI control apparatus via a communication path; and a UI obtaining unit configured to (i) search the remote appliance and (ii) obtain, from the remote appliance, a UI program selected by a user from the UI list with the information on the UI program added to the UI list.
US08677244B2
Provided is an exclusive operation control apparatus which, when input operations of a plurality of users compete with each other, displays a content on which the plurality of input operations are reflected, instead of performing only one of the input operations. An operation determination section receives input information from the plurality of users, and determines an operation. An exclusive operation determination section determines an exclusive operation concerning a new operation by using the new operation and a previous operation. The content copying section copies the content based on a result of the determination. The content management section receives the new operation from the operation determination section and, when the new operation is an operation on the copied content, generates and displays on a display device display data which is obtained by reflecting the new operation on the copied content.
US08677239B2
An electronic album and a method for replaying the electronic album are provided. The method for replaying the electronic album includes determining whether a predetermined command is received, and replaying an image file and audio file simultaneously, if it is determined that the predetermined command is received. Hence, it is possible for a user to utilize image and audio files which are automatically replayed simultaneously.
US08677235B2
Technologies are described herein for ranking visualization types. In order to rank the visualization types, visualization metadata is generated for each of the visualization types and data set metadata is generated for the data set. A suitability score is then computed based upon the visualization metadata and the data set metadata through the use of data mapping rules and chart selection rules. The visualization types are then ranked according to the computed scores. A user interface may then be displayed that includes visual representations corresponding to the visualization types that are ordered according to the ranking. One of the visual representations may then be selected to apply the corresponding visualization type to the data set.
US08677233B2
An information processing apparatus includes: an image management unit configured to manage a plurality of images; a priority information management unit configured to manage, associated with each image, priority information indicating a priority that has been instructed by a supplier of the image; an approval information management unit configured to manage, associated with each image, approval information indicating whether or not to approve sharing of the image instructed by a viewer of the image; and a selection unit configured to select images from among the plurality of images based on the priority information and the approval information.
US08677220B2
The present invention relates to a new error control paradigm in a packet switched network that is particularly advantageous for multicast transmission.A transmission Status Vector TSV (T) is updated at the sender side whenever a new outgoing data packet (Dj−1) is scheduled for transmission. A corresponding Reception status Vector RSV (R) is similarly updated at the receive side whenever a new incoming and correctly indexed data packet (Dj−1) is validly received.As soon as a missing or corrupted data packet (Dj) is detected, the update of the RSV is suspended. A request is then sent to the sender to get the current Tsv's value, or a part thereof. The erroneous data packet is then recovered from the current TSV's value (Sk,m), from the lastly updated RSV's value (Sj−1), and from otherwise validly received data packets (Dj+1, . . . , Dk).The present invention more specifically relates to a transmitting unit (100) and a receiving unit (200) implementing that paradigm, and correspondingly to a method for protecting a flow of indexed data packets against data lost or data corruption, and a method for recovering a missing or corrupted data packet within a flow of indexed data packets.
US08677218B2
It is decided whether to adjust data associated with a decoder. In the event it is decided to adjust the data associated with the decoder, the data is adjusted to obtain adjusted data and decoding is performed using the decoder and the adjusted data. In the event it is decided to not adjust the data associated with the decoder, decoding is performed using the decoder and the data associated with the decoder.
US08677217B2
When detected number of errors data Nerror exceeds the upper limit number of errors Nmax, an error correction circuit of a memory controller stores twice as long data length as stored data length for execution Sdata as the data length for execution Sdata in a correction information memory unit, and code length Scref longer than the data length for execution Sdata and detectable more errors than the upper limit number of errors as the code length for execution Scode in the correction information memory unit 32 (step S100 and S110). The error correction circuit encodes input data using BCH code having the stored code length for execution Scode, stored encoded data in a semiconductor memory device, is input data stored in the semiconductor memory device, performs error correction for input data using BCH code, and decode error corrected data.
US08677208B2
A method of identifying a parallel recovery plan for a data storage system comprises identifying base recovery plans for symbols of an erasure code implemented across a plurality of storage devices in a data storage system, generating a list of first recovery plans for a first symbol by manipulating the base recovery plans, and combining selected first recovery plans from the list to generate a set of parallel recovery plans to reconstruct a failed storage device.
US08677206B2
A method for protecting signalling information in a frame to be transmitted to a receiver in a communication system, comprising: encoding frame signalling information of the frame to protect the frame signalling information; and encoding Forward Error Correction FEC block signalling information of FEC blocks in the frame by using Reed-Muller codes to protect the FEC block signaling information.
US08677205B2
A mechanism is provided for detecting and correcting a first number of bit errors in a segment of data stored in a memory region being read, while concurrently detecting the presence of higher numbers of bit errors in that segment of data. In the event of detection of a higher number of bit errors in any single segment of data of the memory region, error correction of that higher number of bit errors is performed on the memory region, while concurrently detecting the presence of an even higher level of bit errors. By performing error correction of higher levels of bit errors in such a hierarchical order, memory latency associated with such error correction can be avoided in the majority of data accesses, thereby improving performance of the data access.
US08677196B1
Embodiments provide methods, systems, devices, and/or machine readable storage medium for memory built-in self testing (memory BIST) that may not require JTAG. Embodiments may provide less chip overhead through the use of one or more direct access pins. Embodiments may provide simple checks to determine if the memories on a chip are good or bad with minimal cost, for example. In some cases, the memory BIST may determine whether or not memories are good when the chip powers on. Some embodiments may also perform stress testing on the memories to force early life failures of the memories. Embodiments do not necessarily have to diagnose failures.
US08677194B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to error reporting methods and systems. An error reporting application may be configured to be a stand-alone program, embedded within another application, or added as a plug-in application. The error reporting application may also be configured to provide a mechanism for a user to describe a problem with another application and send the problem description to a configurable, user defined location. The error report from the error reporting application may then be processed by an error processing system at the user-defined location.
US08677186B2
The debugging of a program in a data parallel environment. A connection is established between a debugging module and a process of the data parallel environment. The connection causes the data parallel environment to notify the debugging module of certain events as they occur in the execution of the process. Upon notification of such an event, the process execution is paused, and the debugging module may query the data parallel environment for information regarding the process at the device independent virtual machine layer. Upon completion of this querying, the process may then resume execution. This may occur repeatedly if multiple events are encountered.
US08677171B2
A method of determining a timing relationship between modules on a chip, each module being timed by an initiator. The timing relationship being determined on the basis of the power consumptions over time of the initiators and may be determined on the basis of e.g. a sum of the power consumptions or more complex calculations also incorporating the signal path or power delivery network, whereby a voltage drop or current drawn at a position in the chip may be determined. In addition, a parameter, which may be the sum or voltage drop, current or e.g. an energy content within a frequency range, may be determined. This parameter may be varied by e.g. providing different timing relations of initiators, in order to minimize the parameter or adapt it to a requirement as a maximum peak value, maximum difference between max and min peaks, a flatness criteria or the like.
US08677167B2
To enable power saving control by putting storage areas of the same attribute together in a specific RAID group in a storage apparatus that includes storage areas of different access patterns.The storage apparatus manages attributes of the RAID groups, which form a pool area, and attributes of the respective storage areas, based on an access log for each of the storage areas allocated to virtual volumes. The apparatus enables a power saving operation for each RAID group by putting the storage areas of each attribute together in a specific RAID group.
US08677162B2
A token value is maintained based on an allowable number of low power transitions of a hard disk drive without adversely affecting reliability, compared to an actual number of low power transitions of said hard disk drive. The allowable number of low power transitions increases over the hard disk drive's lifetime. Before the hard disk drive performs a low power transition, the token is evaluated to determine if the hard disk drive is allowed to perform a low power transition. Low power transitions discussed include parking the head and spinning-down the hard disk drive.
US08677151B2
Where a follow-up playback is realized for content data that is recorded by changing an encryption key at predetermined intervals for copyright protection, fast feed and playback operations are provided that can get close to a video scene of a present point of time. There are two areas on the memory in which to manage key information. The key information and seed information being written into a hard disk drive are held in memory in order to allow access to the key information and seed information even as they are written.
US08677149B2
A system and method for modifying material related to computer software. The system receives an original disclosure for a software system. A masquerading algorithm is applied to the original disclosure to generate a new disclosure. The subject matter of the new disclosure is different from the original disclosure but has the same functionality. The system also receives original source code for the software system and applies a camouflaging algorithm to the original source code to generate modified source code and conversion data for converting between the modified source code and the original source code.
US08677148B2
Systems and methods are provided for securing data. A processing device receives a data set and identifies a first subset of data from a first dimension of a multi-dimensional representation of the data set. The processing device encrypts the first subset of data using a first encryption technique to yield a first encrypted subset of data and replaces the first subset of data in the multi-dimensional representation of the data set with the first subset of encrypted data. The processing device then identifies a second subset of data from a second dimension of the multi-dimensional representation of the data set, with the second subset of data including at least a portion of the first subset of encrypted data, and encrypts the second subset of data using a second encryption technique to yield a second encrypted subset of data.
US08677146B2
The invention relates to a computer implemented method for sending a message to a recipient user, wherein a recipient asymmetric cryptographic key pair is associated with the recipient user, said key pair comprising a public recipient key and a private recipient key, the method comprising sending the message to said recipient user with the recipient address to which the message is sent comprising the public recipient key.
US08677143B2
A playing method of digital right managing multimedia is disclosed, in which the files of DRM multimedia to be played take a Page as a playing basic unit, when the operation of fast-forward/fast-reverse is triggered, the method comprises: determining time of fast-forward/fast-reverse; determining number of Pages of fast-forward/fast-reverse based on the time of fast-forward/fast-reverse; determining Page of target playing position based on the number of Pages of fast-forward/fast-reverse; calculating key stream of the Page of the target playing position based on prestored key data of the first Page; decrypting ciphertext of the Page of the target playing position based on the calculated key stream of the Page of the target playing position; and decoding the decrypted Page of the target playing position and playing the decrypted Page of the target playing position. A playing device is also provided.
US08677125B2
The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for automating authentication of a user. In one embodiment, a method calls for detecting an authentication event at a wireless communication device to gain access to a first wireless network through an access point associated with the first wireless network, automatically obtaining a credential from a second wireless network in response to the authentication event, and authenticating the user based on the credential to establish a connection between the wireless communication device and the first wireless network. A client-server based communication system includes a client module at a wireless communication device for user authentication of a Wi-Fi device to a Wi-Fi network through an access point associated therewith. For the purposes of authentication, the client-server based communication system further includes a server module with which the client module may automatically exchange short message service messages over a wide area network.
US08677104B2
A data processing apparatus is provided comprising prediction circuitry for predicting a response of the data processing circuitry at at least one given execution point to execution of a program instruction; tracing circuitry for tracing operation of the data processing apparatus for outputting a prediction indicator indicating whether or not the predicted response is correct; a data store configured to store information relating to the predicted response of said data processing circuitry at the given execution point for use by at least one of said prediction logic and said tracing circuitry a later execution point; and a history buffer configured to store historical information with regard to one or more entries of the data store at a corresponding execution point previous to the given execution point to enable restoration of said data store to a state corresponding to said previous execution point.
US08677103B1
Systems, methods, and computer program products for controlling a plurality of pipelined stages are described. In some implementations, an apparatus is described that includes a pipelined data path including a plurality of adjacent stages, where a stage includes a data store, a valid indicator, and a transfer controller including a state machine having a plurality of states. In some implementations, the stage is configured to send a status indicator different from the valid indicator to the state machine to indicate whether new data is available for processing by the stage in a next cycle, and whether a new data transfer is desired in the next cycle between the stage and the adjacent stage.
US08677099B2
Provided are a reconfigurable processor and operating method thereof. The reconfigurable processor may use a configuration memory distributed to each operation unit. The distributed configuration memory may be separated into a distributed operation configuration memory including configuration information about an operation of a function unit, and a distributed routing configuration memory including configuration information about routing. The distributed operation configuration memory may be activated according to a predicate signal.
US08677098B2
What is provided is an enhanced dynamic address translation facility. In one embodiment, a virtual address to be translated is first obtained and an initial origin address of a translation table of the hierarchy of translation tables is obtained. Based on the obtained initial origin, a segment table entry is obtained. The segment table entry is configured to contain a format control and access validity fields. If the format control and access validity fields are enabled, the segment table entry further contains an access control field, a fetch protection field, and a segment-frame absolute address. Store operations are permitted only if the access control field matches a program access key provided by any one of a Program Status Word or an operand of a program instruction being executed. Fetch operations are permitted if the program access key associated with the virtual address is equal to the segment access control field.
US08677097B1
A method of configuring a computer memory system includes receiving a request from customized software driver or a BIOS extension software or a customized legacy BIOS or a customized UEFI PMM extension software or a customized UEFI BIOS, scanning memory module sockets in response to the request, recognizing memory modules in the memory module sockets, the memory modules being made of, at least in part, persistent memory modules (PMMs), configuring the PMMs to be invisible to the OS, and storing the mapping information to a designated protected persistent memory area, and presenting the PMMs as a persistent block storage to the OS.
US08677077B2
Management of storage used by pageable guests of a computing environment is facilitated. A query instruction is provided that details information regarding the storage location indicated in the query. It specifies whether the storage location, if protected, is protected by host-level protection or guest-level protection.
US08677076B2
The system described herein may track references to a shared object by concurrently executing threads using a reference tracking data structure that includes an owner field and an array of byte-addressable per-thread entries, each including a per-thread reference counter and a per-thread counter lock. Slotted threads assigned to a given array entry may increment or decrement the per-thread reference counter in that entry in response to referencing or dereferencing the shared object. Unslotted threads may increment or decrement a shared unslotted reference counter. A thread may update the data structure and/or examine it to determine whether the number of references to the shared object is zero or non-zero using a blocking-optimistic or a non-blocking mechanism. A checking thread may acquire ownership of the data structure, obtain an instantaneous snapshot of all counters, and return a value indicating whether the number of references to the shared object is zero or non-zero.
US08677073B2
A method and apparatus for supporting cache coherency in a multiprocessor computing environment having multiple processing units, each processing unit having one or more local cache memories associated and operatively connected therewith. The method comprises providing a snoop filter device associated with each processing unit, each snoop filter device having a plurality of dedicated input ports for receiving snoop requests from dedicated memory writing sources in the multiprocessor computing environment. Each snoop filter device includes a plurality of parallel operating port snoop filters in correspondence with the plurality of dedicated input ports, each port snoop filter implementing one or more parallel operating sub-filter elements that are adapted to concurrently filter snoop requests received from respective dedicated memory writing sources and forward a subset of those requests to its associated processing unit.
US08677066B2
In one embodiment, a method includes reserving extents in a storage pool, reading data from a first portion of an in-use RAID arranged according to a first array configuration, using the reserved extents in the storage pool to store a first portion of the data for writing to the in-use RAID, using one or more free extents in the storage pool or in the in-use RAID to store a second portion of the data for writing to the in-use RAID, writing the data to a second portion of the in-use RAID arranged according to a second array configuration, performing one or more first I/O operations according to the first array configuration, wherein the one or more first I/O operations are performed on the data before the data is read by the data migrating component, and performing one or more second I/O operations according to the second array configuration.
US08677062B2
Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for caching data in a storage system having multiple caches. A sequential access storage device includes a sequential access storage medium and a non-volatile storage device integrated in the sequential access storage device, received modified tracks are cached in the non-volatile storage device, wherein the non-volatile storage device is a faster access device than the sequential access storage medium. A spatial index indicates the modified tracks in the non-volatile storage device in an ordering based on their physical location in the sequential access storage medium. The modified tracks are destaged from the non-volatile storage device by comparing a current position of a write head to physical locations of the modified tracks on the sequential access storage medium indicated in the spatial index to select a modified track to destage from the non-volatile storage device to the storage device.
US08677058B2
A method of performing a write operation in a nonvolatile memory device comprises storing write data in a log block used to update a data block, determining whether a write pattern stored in the log block is a sequential write pattern or a random write pattern, and selecting a new data block for storing merged data in the data block and the log block. The new data block is determined to be a single-level cell block or a multi-level cell block according to the determined write pattern.
US08677049B2
A prefetch device and method are disclosed that determines from which addresses to speculatively fetch data based on information collected regarding previous cache-miss addresses. A historical record showing a propensity to experience cache-misses at a particular address-offset from a prior cache-miss address within a region of memory provides an indication that data needed by future instructions has an increased likelihood to be located at a similar offset from a current cache-miss address. The prefetch device disclosed herein maintains a record of the relationship between a cache-miss address and subsequent cache-miss addresses for the most recent sixty-four unique data manipulation instructions that resulted in a cache-miss. The record includes a weighted confidence value indicative of how many cache-misses previously occurred at each of a selection of offsets from a particular cache-miss address.
US08677047B1
An interface comprises a storage device controller that controls data flow from a Serial ATA bus to a storage device. A configurable bridge circuit is configured in one of a plurality of operating modes including a device bridge mode, and converts Parallel ATA information received on a Parallel ATA bus to Serial ATA information output to the Serial ATA bus when in the device bridge mode.
US08677039B2
Methods and systems for creating, reading, and writing compressed data for use with a block mode access storage. The compressed data are packed into a plurality of compressed units and stored in a storage logical unit (LU). One or more corresponding compressed units may be read and/or updated with no need of restoring the entire storage logical unit while maintaining a de-fragmented structure of the LU.
US08677034B2
An I/O control system for controlling I/O devices in a multi-partition computer system. The I/O control system includes an IOP partition containing an I/O processor cell with at least one CPU executing a control program, and a plurality of standard partitions, each including a cell comprising at least one CPU executing a control program, coupled, via shared memory, to the I/O processor cell. One or more of the standard partitions becomes an enrolled partition, in communication with the I/O processor cell, in response to requesting a connection to the IOP cell. After a partition is enrolled with the I/O processor cell, I/O requests directed to the I/O devices from the enrolled partition are distributed over shared I/O resources controlled by the I/O processor cell.
US08677032B2
A method of and apparatus for communicating between a host and an agent. The method includes the step of performing a first transaction between a host controller and a hub. The hub is operable to perform a single transaction with an agent based on the first transaction. The method then includes the step of performing a second transaction between the host controller and the hub. The second transaction is based on the single transaction.
US08677025B2
A high performance computer system has compute nodes interconnected by an inter-node communication network. The compute nodes include local packetized interconnects. Shared memory between compute nodes is emulated by tunneling packetized interconnect packets between the compute nodes. A memory region on one of the compute nodes is used as a window into a memory region in another compute node. Special registers may be provided to expedite remote operations on small amounts of data.
US08677022B2
A system and method for updating a remote display unit that communicates with a computing system are described. The method includes accessing display update information from an update queue that stores drawing commands issued by an application executing on the computing system, caching the display update information, applying a lossy compression algorithm to the display update information to create a lossy display update, and transmitting the lossy update to the remote display. The method also includes applying a lossless compression algorithm to the display update information in the cache to create a lossless display update and transmitting the lossless display update a predetermined of time after transmitting the lossy update.
US08677019B2
A data communication method between a first communication user arranged at a motor vehicle and a second communication user arranged outside the motor vehicle is provided. The first communication user can be addressed by the second communication user by way of a network address. The network address of the first communication user is defined by an address management unit arranged outside the motor vehicle and is transmitted to the first communication user.
US08677016B1
A system and method identifies topology information of an autonomous system as well as other autonomous systems, and can provide topology information in response to requests.
US08677013B2
An industrial automation system comprising a processor with an updating component coupled to automation devices via a network. The updating component reads control information from machine readable representations of the devices and populates a data structure with the control information. The updating component also updates configuration information of a device from data stored in a file object and/or the data structure, further allowing this transfer to be fragmented into a plurality of messages if the configuration information exceeds a threshold. As well, a vendor deployment methodology is provided that embeds devices and firmware for devices with a Device Type Manager (DTM) prior to deployment and can optionally allow post deployment updates to the DTM.
US08677010B2
Aspects of the invention may comprise receiving an incoming TCP packet at a TEEC and processing at least a portion of the incoming packet once by the TEEC without having to do any reassembly and/or retransmission by the TEEC. At least a portion of the incoming TCP packet may be buffered in at least one internal elastic buffer of the TEEC. The internal elastic buffer may comprise a receive internal elastic buffer and/or a transmit internal elastic buffer. Accordingly, at least a portion of the incoming TCP packet may be buffered in the receive internal elastic buffer. At least a portion of the processed incoming packet may be placed in a portion of a host memory for processing by a host processor or CPU. Furthermore, at least a portion of the processed incoming TCP packet may be DMA transferred to a portion of the host memory.
US08677004B2
A method includes receiving a command to migrate a workload partition from a source machine to a target machine. The source machine and the target machine are communicatively coupled to a first subnetwork and a second subnetwork, respectively. The workload partition has a source network address defined by network addressing of the first subnetwork. The method also includes determining a socket connection providing network communication between the workload partition and a host. The method includes notifying the host that the workload partition is migrating from the source machine to the target machine, wherein in response to the notifying the host is on alert to receive, through a network tunnel communication, an identification of a target network address that is assigned to the workload partition after the workload partition is migrated to the target machine. The workload partition is migrated from the source machine to the target machine.
US08677002B2
A system and method for streaming media on a wireless network is provided. In one aspect, the system includes a streaming device driver; a multidestination wireless streaming protocol module, a multitank level algorithm module, a synchronization mechanism module, and an autoequalizing speaker and drive system module. The system and method minimize latency, dropout, jitter, and synchronization issues associated with media streaming while optimizing performance and output quality of the media.
US08676996B2
There is provided a system and method for facilitating variations in a time scale for a shared environment. There is provided a method for use by a processor of a server for facilitating variations in a time scale for a shared environment, the method comprising receiving a message generated by a first client of a plurality of clients in response to a variation in the time scale, for rendering the shared environment, caused by a user of the first client, and sending a second message to a second client of the plurality of clients in response to receiving the first message to communicate the variation in the time scale caused by the first client, so as to cause the second client to render the shared environment approximately synchronously in accordance with the variation in the time scale.
US08676993B1
The subject matter of this disclosure can be implemented in, among other things, a method. In these examples, the method includes sending a request from a first network node to a second network node to request a bundled transport control protocol (TCP) connection between the first network node and the second network node, wherein the bundled TCP connection includes a group of member TCP connections associated with the bundled TCP connection. The method may also include receiving a response message with the first network node sent from the second network node, wherein the response message includes an indication of a status of the request, sending an acknowledgment message from the first network node to the second network node, and establishing the bundled TCP connection when the status of the request included in the response message indicates that the request is successful.
US08676992B2
Various systems and methods for financial analysis are provided. A system is provided comprising a first node comprising a public facing data store in communication with a private facing data store, wherein the first node further comprises a cooperative lookup module configured to locate a second node, a secure data connection between the first node and the second node, and wherein the first node is configured to request processed internal data from the second node.
US08676983B2
A method for balancing the loads of servers in a server farm. A vector, referred to herein as the “DesiredVector,” is computed to hold the load factors for each of the servers. Upon receipt of a client request, a vector, referred to herein as the “ActiveConnections,” is modified for each scenario where the new client request is considered to be serviced by a different server. The ActiveConnections vector holds the current number of client requests being serviced by each of the servers. Angles made by each of the different ActiveConnections vectors with the DesiredVector are computed. Upon identifying the ActiveConnections vector that produces the smallest angle with the DesiredVector, the client request is directed to the server which corresponds to the identified ActiveConnections vector. In this manner, the best possible distribution of requests among the servers is made for every client connection.
US08676982B2
A method of generating a transmission schedule for a network device of a home network includes ensuring that strongly interfering nodes of different domains do not transmit simultaneously while enabling other non interfering nodes of the different domains to transmit simultaneously. A domain master for a home network includes a receiver and a scheduler. The receiver receives at least one transmission from at least one node of its domain indicating at least one node of at least one neighboring domain whose transmissions are interfering. The scheduler schedules transmissions of said nodes of its domain in coordination with a domain master of said neighboring domain according to inter-domain node interference.
US08676970B2
Methods and apparatus for managing content may include receiving feedback information for content associated with a device having a set of device characteristics. The methods and apparatus may further include determining a compatibility rating of the content based on the feedback information. The methods and apparatus may also include providing a message based on a portion of the compatibility rating of the content for an other device having a portion of the set of device characteristics.
US08676969B2
Network DNA may be determined for a computer network that taxonomically classifies the computer network. Network DNA may include derived network DNA components and raw network DNA components. Raw network DNA components may be acquired from local or remote sources. Derived network DNA components may be generated according to derived network DNA component specifications. Derived network DNA component specifications may reference raw network DNA components. Network DNA determined for the computer network may include a network species component capable of indicating network species classifications for computer networks. Network species classifications may include enterprise network, home network and public place network. Network species classifications may be determined as a function of network security, network management and network addressing. One or more network DNA stores may be configured to store network DNA for computer networks. Network DNA stores may store network DNA history as well as current network DNA.
US08676965B2
A system and method of tracking high-level network transactions. At least one switching node on a network may collect low-level data packets, the low-level data packets forming collectively a corresponding stream of high-level messages as parts of high-level transactions involving network resources of the network. Identifiers of the network resources in the network serving the high-level transactions may be identified from the low-level data packets. The data content of the high-level messages may be determined. The high-level messages may be grouped into groups of high-level messages having similar data content. Commonalities in the occurrences of high-level messages having different data content may then be identified.
US08676960B2
Methods and apparatus are provided to monitor and analyze activity occurring on a networked computer system. In some embodiments, a method is provided for capturing, in a data structure, at least a portion of a notification describing a network event provided by a node on a computer network, identifying a data element (e.g., an IP address of the node) within the notification, and updating an index and/or summary based on the data element. The data structure may be stored in a file system maintained on a site, and sites may exchange information related to the notification data stored on each. In some embodiments, a query which is issued to a site may be processed using data transferred from other sites, and/or may be split into one or more additional queries which may be transmitted for processing to other sites.
US08676955B1
A system and method for directing network connections. The invention enables a network device to direct subsequent connections from a client to a server for accessing resources. A process extracts a persistence key from a received message, and employs the persistence key to identify the appropriate server. An interface is provided, enabling a user program to direct the process of extracting the persistence key. The invention also provides a way for multiple clients to persist to a common server.
US08676948B2
The present invention discloses a method for tunnel mapping involved with the field of the next generation network. The method of the present invention comprises: according to a service data stream resource information request received, selecting, by a transport resource control function entity (TRC-FE), a corresponding label switch path (LSP) tunnel, and after completing allocation of the service data stream, instructing a transport resource enforcement function entity (TRE-FE) to update a stream label mapping table; and completing, by the TRE-FE, the update of the stream label mapping table, and according to mapping information in the table, mapping the service data stream to the LSP tunnel designated. The present invention solves the problem that a mapping between a service data stream and LSP tunnel resource in a NGN based on MPLS-TE can't be implemented according to current standards, and fills a gap in implementation of resource allocation in a bearer network.
US08676946B1
An administrator selects a representation of a logical server on a display. The logical server is stored in a logical-server database. The logical-server database stores logical-servers and specifies their resource requirements and network identities. The logical servers are deployable to physical and/or virtual real servers. A logical-server manager program responds to the selection by displaying a warning symbol. The administrator interacts with the warning symbol, and the logical-server manager program responds by displaying a message specifying that the real server is unsuitable or impaired as a host for deployment of the logical server.
US08676940B2
Per one embodiment, apparatus may be provided that include a communications portal and a back-end system. The communications portal includes a provider interface accessible by providers and a target user interface accessible by target users. The back-end system may include an deployment management. The provider interface is configured to present graphical user interface tools representing offering options. The graphical user interface tools are presented on a remote provider data access point device display remote from the provisioning portal while the remote provider data access point device is authenticated for a given provider. The offering options include “provider selectable assets” screen inputs configured to receive asset selections from the given provider, and “asset location and identifying data” screen inputs configured to receive data locating and identifying assets selected by the given provider.
US08676934B2
A communication device including: a communication unit; and a control unit controlling the communication unit to inquire if one upload service allows direct upload to a server storing service information of each of a plurality of upload services, to have the communication unit obtain desired information from the server for directly uploading data to the one upload service when the one upload service allows direct upload, and to have the communication unit directly upload data to the one upload service according to the desired information.
US08676928B1
Method and system for writing data in a network is provided. The method includes receiving an original write command from a host system to write data to a target; sending a command notifying the host system to send data, wherein a local router sends the command to the host system; receiving data from the host system, wherein the local router receives data; segmenting the original write command into a plurality of write commands; sending the plurality of write commands with data to a remote router; sending a status command to the local router for the plurality of write commands except for a first write command; assembling the plurality of write commands with data to a single write command, wherein the remote router assembles the plurality of write commands with data; and sending the single write command to the target.
US08676901B1
Methods for transcoding attachments for mobile devices are described. In some embodiments, attachments associated with any communication are stored on a server. When a communication is sent from a server to a client device, a representation of the attachment that includes an indication of a native file type of the attachment is also sent along with the communication to the client device. In responding to a user's request to view the attachment, the server transcodes the attachment from the attachment's native file type to a viewable file type configured to display in the client device and then transmits at least a portion of the attachment in the viewable file type to the client device for display. Other embodiments are also described.
US08676900B2
A podcast system and method are provided to select and deliver media ads over a network to a user device and to insert the media ads in media content subscribed to and delivered over the network to the user device.
US08676893B1
Methods and apparatus related to teleo-experience sessions are disclosed. A server coordinates a common teleo-experience session for a plurality of P participant devices, each configured to receive media content from one or more teleo-operated devices of a plurality of D teleo-operated devices, with P greater than D. A plurality of teleo-control requests are received at the server that specify at least two preferred options for at least one parameter of the teleo-experience session related to the plurality of D teleo-operated devices. The server determines whether the at least two preferred options conflict. If the least two preferred options conflict, the server selects an option for the at least one parameter based on the at least two preferred options and sends at least one teleo-control instruction based on the selected option for the at least one parameter.
US08676887B2
Embodiments are directed towards managing messages based on generated interest clusters. A message may be analyzed to determine one or more interest clusters associated with the message. The message may be automatically sent to members within the determined interest cluster(s), or if no members are in the interest cluster(s), to those identified in the sender's contact list. As recipients of the message respond to the message, the membership to the interest clusters may be revised. Responses used to revise the membership may include forwarding, reading, ignoring, or deleting the message. Subsequent revisions to the membership may be made based on responses to subsequent messages sent to the members of the interest cluster. Display of the message may be in a rank order based on a determined hop distance for the message. Third parties may use the interest cluster and/or sneezers to direct advertisements, or the like.
US08676879B2
A system and method for interworking a Converged-IP Messaging (CPM) service to another messaging service. In particular, the present invention realizes a function of allowing a CPM service's recipient to receive a message sent from another CPM service's sender using a non-CPM service to which the recipient has subscribed. To this end, the present invention uses preference information of a recipient in determining a non-CPM service to be subjected to interworking. In this way, the CPM service can interwork with non-CPM services, contributing to expansion of an area where services can be provided.
US08676877B2
In some embodiments, a computer cluster system comprises a plurality of nodes and a software package comprising a user interface and a kernel for interpreting program code instructions. In certain embodiments, a cluster node module is configured to communicate with the kernel and other cluster node modules. The cluster node module can accept instructions from the user interface and can interpret at least some of the instructions such that several cluster node modules in communication with one another and with a kernel can act as a computer cluster.
US08676872B2
A recursive method for computing numerical values for mathematical functions includes providing a recursive Taylor series representation of a mathematical function f(x) of a variable x evaluated around a given operating point a. The recursive Taylor series representation includes a plurality of derivative derived terms that include ratios of derivatives of f(x) evaluated at the operating point a. Coefficient data is determined from ones of the derivative derived terms stored in a tangible memory device evaluated at the operating point a over a predetermined range. An approximation for the mathematical function f(x) is computed using the recursive Taylor series representation evaluated with the coefficient data.
US08676870B2
An apparatus includes: a plurality of bit producing circuits; a controller setting a sample frequency at which bits from the bit producing circuits are sampled; and a plurality of test circuits determining if bits sampled from each of the bit producing circuits are random, wherein the controller adjusts the sample frequency if the test circuits determine that the sampled bits are not random. A method performed by the apparatus is also included.
US08676861B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for creating and using imbedded Shortcodes. An imbedded Shortcode (ISC) and Shortcode may be uniquely associated with a full name that identifies an item of interest. The Shortcode may be visually identified when the full name is displayed by the ISC, which is select characters of the full name that are visually distinguished from the other characters of the full name. Thus, subsequent reference to the associated full name and its item of interest may be identified simply by using the Shortcode instead of the full name. For example, a user of an electronic device may observe the full name with the ISC in a visual display, and sequentially enter the characters of the Shortcode from the ISC into the electronic device to obtain additional information regarding the item of interest.
US08676855B2
A node apparatus acquires root link information including a serial number of root page information, information for checking the root page information for tampering, and a digital signature for checking the root link information for tampering from a management apparatus or another node apparatus that stores the root link information through a network and determines a range of page information assigned to each node apparatus according to predetermined rules. The node apparatus determines whether page information that is a child of the root page information indicated by the acquired root link information is within the assigned range. If so, the node apparatus acquires the child page information and pieces of page information linked together from the child to leaf page information from the management apparatus or another node apparatus as page information assigned to the node apparatus and stores the acquired page information in a storage area.
US08676844B2
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with graph authorization are described. One example method includes detecting that a user query shares a hook node with an authorization query. The example method may also include generating a base result graph by executing the user query on a base graph and generating an authorized graph by executing the authorization query on the base result graph. The method may also include providing the authorized graph.
US08676839B2
An information processing device includes a range of activity information acquisition unit which acquires information of the range of activity that is an area that a user who contributes contribution information on a facility visits, and a reliability level evaluation unit which evaluates the level of reliability for the contribution information based on the information of the range of activity.
US08676834B2
Systems are disclosed of processing a set-level query across one or more attributes, the query being grouped by one or more attributes, whereby groups that satisfy the set-level query may be aggregated over one or more attributes. The systems use bitwise arithmetic to efficiently traverse bitmap and bit-slice vectors and indexes of a data relation to determine groups that solve the set-level query.
US08676831B2
A master pattern is identified in a target database for use as a template for data entry. The target database is qualified based on one or more database prerequisites. A plurality of similarity patterns is generated based on comparisons of records in the target database. These similarity patterns may be qualified and consolidated based on one or more pre-configured pattern significance guidelines to produce broad and unique patterns that may be used as master patterns. The master patterns may be recommended to the user during data entry in the target database.
US08676827B2
A method is disclosed for expansion of rare queries to improve advertisement results, including receiving a query from a user by a search engine; determining that the query does not match an entry in an ad query lookup table coupled with the search engine; retrieving one or more expanded queries located within a query feature index whose features relate to one or more features of the received query, wherein the query feature index includes a plurality of queries expanded based on at least corresponding search results; generating, in real time and by the search engine, an ad query including an expanded version of the received query based on features of the retrieved expanded queries; and selecting one or more advertisements based on the generated ad query, wherein the one or more advertisements are displayed to the user in response to the query received from the user.
US08676817B2
An item set may comprise items respectively having a selection status, such as a selected item and an unselected item. The item set may be presented as a selected list and an unselected list having various properties (e.g., mutual exclusivity, such that an item appears on at most one list; both lists sorted according to a sort order; and the unselected list having an unselected list size limit, with unselected items appearing in the unselected list based on a priority order). In order to render the selected list and the unselected list, an item list may be generated that attaches to respective items a selected marker (indicating that the item appears in the selected list) or a hidden marker (indicating that the item does not appear in either the selected list or the unselected list), where the item list is also sorted according to the sort order.
US08676812B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for scoring items. One method includes generating a score for each of a plurality of items. The generating includes, for each item: obtaining a respective item-specific value of each of a plurality of indicators, determining a respective weight for the value of each of the plurality of indicators, wherein the respective weight for one or more of the plurality of indicators is derived from the value of the indicator, and generating the score for the item from the item-specific values and weights for the item-specific values. The method further includes providing the score for each item to a ranking engine implemented on one or more computers.
US08676799B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for evaluating clusters of geographic entities, for example, to be used in a randomized geographic experiment. One method includes using a clustering algorithm to cluster geographic entities into a set of clusters, and identifying whether each geographic entity is an ambiguously classified entity or a definitively classified entity. The method further includes determining a measurement for the set of clusters according to a quantification of an attribute of the definitively classified entities and the ambiguously classified entities. Similar measurements can be calculated for other sets of clusters, and the clusters can be compared according to their measurements.
US08676794B2
Online searching related to a physical object by a user making use of a computing device is accomplished by creating a representation of the object at the user's computing device. A software button originating remote from the user's computing device is provided to the user's computing device, and the button is constructed based upon the representation of the object. The software button is associated with a second device in use by a subscriber associated with the object, the button and it is actuable by the user. Upon actuation of the software button by the user, an executable agent is downloaded to his computing device, effective to establish a connection between the user's computing device and the second device.
US08676792B1
A method for performing an invitation triggered search by a query engine, involving receiving an invitation message associated with a project, wherein the query engine is a recipient of the invitation message, extracting at least one attribute from the invitation message, searching a plurality of sources to identify a plurality of resources associated with the at least one attribute, and sending a reply message including a display of the plurality of resources associated with the at least one attribute to a sender of the invitation message.
US08676791B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for providing assistance in detecting mistranslation in a translated document obtained by performing machine translation of an original document. A word included in the translated document is obtained. Search results are obtained of searching both a first document data group and a second document data group including the first document data group for pieces of document data related to the obtained word. Based on the obtained search results, an index is generated. The index indicates the adequacy of the obtained word as a translated word in a field corresponding to the first document data group. The generated index is output.
US08676787B2
Techniques for incorportating query results into an abstract database are described. Embodiments receive a first set of query results produced by executing a first abstract query using a first data abstraction model against a first database. One or more mappings between the first set of query results and one or more logical fields in a second data abstraction model are then determined, where the second data abstraction model models underlying physical data in a manner making a schema of the physical data transparent to a user of the second data abstraction model. Embodiments modify one or more logical field definitions to reference the first set of query results using the determined one or more mappings, such that abstract queries can be executed against both the second database and the first set of query results using the modified second data abstraction model.
US08676786B2
A computer-readable medium storing therein a data conversion program that causes a computer to execute a process that includes receiving after a schema of a database has been changed from a former schema to a new schema, a processing request concerning the database; judging based on difference information concerning the former schema and the new schema, whether in the processing request, a condition that specifies process data subject to processing, has been changed by the new schema; searching the database for conversion data whose format is to be converted from the former schema to the new schema, the searching based on judgment results obtained at the judging and on the processing request; and converting the format of the retrieved conversion data, from the former schema to the new schema.
US08676784B2
Embodiments are configured to provide information relevant to individuals of interest to a searching user. In an embodiment, a method includes identifying relevant individuals of a network using a relevance model that includes the use of a number of managed properties and ranking features to identify relevant individuals of a defined network. The relevance model of one embodiment is defined by a schema that includes a textual matching ranking feature, social distance ranking feature, a levels to top ranking feature, and a proximity ranking feature.
US08676777B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus for selecting geographic areas of interest for a query. A method includes for each query stored in search log data, determining an origin location for each occurrence of the query, determining a content location for each occurrence of the query, for each of a plurality of catchment areas, determining catchment area matches for the query based on the origin location of each occurrence of the query and the content location of the occurrence of the query, determining, for each catchment area, a catchment area score that is indicative of an interest level for the catchment area for a query, the determination based on a number of catchment area matches for the catchment area for the query and selecting, for the query and based on the catchment area scores for the catchment areas, one of the catchment areas as a selected catchment area for the query.
US08676774B2
The min-repro finding technique described herein is designed to ease and speed-up the task of finding a min-repro, a minimum configuration that reproduces a problem in database-related products. Specifically, in one embodiment, the technique simplifies transformations in order to find one or more min-repros. One embodiment provides a high-level script language to automate some sub-tasks and to guide the search for a simpler the configuration that reproduces the problem. Yet another embodiment provides record-and-replay functionality, and provides an intuitive representation of results and the search space. These tools can save hours of time for both customers and testers to isolate the problem and can result in faster fixes and large cost savings to organizations.
US08676772B2
Systems and methods for mapping and propagating a source dataset to a plurality of target tables in a target database are described herein. Embodiments include a physical database design with a template-based loader, and a method to propagate changes in the source dataset to a target database. Other embodiments include a database physical design with a plurality of small fact and summary tables. Still other embodiments include a method of extracting and loading data automatically into a target database, while simultaneously maintaining current summary tables.
US08676770B2
Presenting changes to versioned files. The method can include presenting a first view comprising a plurality of indicators, each of the indicators corresponding to a respective version of a file. A selection of a particular version of a file can be detected. A selection of another version of the file can be detected. In response to the selection of the other version of the file, the versions of the file can be compared to identify differences between the versions. Comparison information based on the differences can be generated. The comparison information can be filtered so that the comparison information fits within a second view having a desired size.
US08676749B2
System, method, computer program product embodiments and combinations and sub-combinations thereof for logging of data manipulation language (DML) statements are described herein. An embodiment includes a database engine, a replication agent and a replication server which replicates data from the database engine to one or more replicate databases. The database engine writes parsed query information into a transaction log so that a process of replication agent may read the parsed query information and forward it to the replication server. The database engine writes all log records associated with a statement in a manner that allows the replication server to distinguish if those log records belong to same statement. In another embodiment, replication agent selectively sends SQL statement information to the replication server based on the replication server architecture.
US08676724B2
Techniques for training a system to identify state changes in objects in virtual worlds. Base events transmitted by a virtual world engine are observed. Statistical analysis of the observed base events is performed. Based at least in part on this statistical analysis, a computer processor determines that a group of one or more of the observed base events is correlated to a first identified higher-level event. Optionally, the determination is based in part on a frequency of occurrence of the group of base events, on generated rules, or both. A candidate higher-level event including the group of base events thus determined is stored. User input is received about the candidate higher-level event. If so specified by the received user input, the candidate higher-level event is stored as a second identified higher-level event. As a result, the system is advantageously trained to identify higher-level events which represent abstract situations.
US08676713B2
A device for playing digital media comprises a connection for receiving content over a network and a digital rights management (“DRM”) module that identifies rights for the received content by accessing a DRM data structure. The DRM data structure can be a temporal cache. The device receives content and the DRM module identifies identifiers associated with the content and/or the device. The DRM module uses the identifiers to access the DRM data structure and identify rights associated with the content. The identified rights are applied to the content to prevent and/or permit activities with respect to the content. Permitted activities for the content may be presented in a display of the device and can be updated as the content changes and/or as rights associated with content change. Content providers and other authorized entities can change the rights associated with particular content by updating the DRM data structure.
US08676709B2
Transmitting category codes to payment instruments in proxy card transactions comprises receiving a first payment request to authorize a proxy card transaction, the first payment request identifying a proxy account of a user for payment of the transaction and a merchant category code associated with the merchant; selecting a financial account associated with the proxy account to fund the transaction; communicating a second payment request to authorize the transaction to a financial account system associated with the selected financial account, the second payment request comprising the merchant category code associated with the merchant; receiving an authorization for the transaction from the financial account system to fund the transaction using the selected financial account; and communicating an authorization for the transaction to the merchant computing device in response to receiving the authorization for the transaction from the financial account system to fund the transaction using the selected financial account.
US08676704B2
A method to transfer money to a payee's payment card account, without requiring an additional payment card or without acquiring the payee's payment card information is disclosed. A payee registers a payment card with a service provider. The payment card is associated with a payment card account. A payor transfers an initial amount of money to the service provider to be given to the payee, when payee uses the registered payment card for a specified spending category. The service provider stores the money until the payee uses the registered payment card to make a qualified purchase.
US08676695B2
Disclosed is a computer with a user interface, the computer including central processing units, memories, and network interfaces, a program code that performs a search and transaction based on user input, the interface displaying in conjunction with code execution, an input environment adapted to search criteria input, the criteria defining a search for desired entities, the program code establishing a search engine that searches on different web sources to generate a search result, the engine searching using a combination of different input entities, a first entity and a second entity includable in the different entities, the engine searching for the configuration, the different entities being purchasable from different web sources, the engine searching on different web sources for the combination, and presenting found configurations, the engine providing at least one order input determined by at least one found configuration, the system taking mutual dependencies between the entities into consideration.
US08676691B2
The present invention generally relates to a system, report, and method for automatically generating a series of natural language news-based stories to be presented via a digital interface or printed publication to a portfolio user. The disclosure relates to a filter or selection of a handful of relevant and desired financial instruments, or events created in a large group of events such as sports results, travel information, auction related data, online shopping tools, social media, retail store promotion generation, search engine daily report, etc. for a specific use. These financial instruments, based on different selections from a portfolio manager via a management tool, are then used to either produce a strategies page where a list of useful covered call trade and hedged trade are displayed in the form of a table, or natural language news-based stories relating to a selected list of financial instruments found in a portfolio. The events are based on different selections from a portfolio manager via a management tool and are then used to either produce a secondary page where a list of the selected event data is displayed or natural language news-based stories relating to a selected list of events found in a portfolio from a large event database.
US08676689B1
A system, method and software tool to measure and manage financial status. The tool produces a spreadsheet that summarizes the position of an individual or small business user by integrating net worth data with cash flow data and tracking against financial goals. These data are retrieved by linking with popular financial, tax preparation and budgeting software and the user's financial data stored on secure websites. The tool provides government statistics matched to the user to present a comprehensive financial position, comparing the user's position with similar households. The method integrates analysis of assets and liabilities with cash flow and assists the user in setting goals to achieve financial independence. The system supplies the user with written material explaining concepts of integrating net worth and cash flow, the software tool and access to a social networking website for exchange of ideas relating to wealth and cash flow measurement and management.
US08676681B2
A method includes storing a plurality of service fee profiles. Each of the profiles is for associating a respective service fee level with each of a plurality of transaction amount tiers. The method further includes, after the storing step, selecting a pair of currencies. The pair of currencies includes a sender currency and a recipient currency. The method also includes assigning one of the stored service fee profiles to the selected pair of currencies to set up a service fee schedule for the selected pair of currencies.
US08676677B2
A consumer financial transaction system enables a consumer to make transactions via a transaction device. The system has a database storage device for maintaining several databases which are configured to store information corresponding to accounts held by each of the consumers. The server maintains a compute interest pledge module configured to calculate a credit interest rate corresponding to one or more deposit accounts maintained by the consumer, at least of portion of which is pledged by the consumer as a security against the consumer's credit account. In another embodiment, a secondary transaction module is configured to store preferences for apportioning a withdrawal for a transaction between a consumer's credit account and a consumer's deposit accounts.
US08676670B2
A computerized vehicle control system for managing data associated with mobile assets (e.g., vehicles). The system includes an asset monitor, a user input device, a data storage device, a mobile wireless transceiver and a mobile asset processor. The asset monitor is in communication with a mobile asset for collecting monitored data associated with the mobile asset. The user input device is adapted to receive input data from a user. The data storage device is adapted to store the monitored data and input data. The mobile asset processor is adapted to determine that an event associated with the mobile asset has initiated; receive the collected data associated with the event from the asset monitor; determine that the event has completed; and store the collected data to the data storage device.
US08676666B2
A system for assessing environmental impact of processing print jobs includes a processor and a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium is in communication with the processor and comprises one or more programming instructions for: electronically receiving a campaign specification data structure including at least one job specification; and operatively selecting a plurality of vendors from a database. Each of the selected vendors is capable of performing a job as operatively specified by the at least one job specification of the campaign specification data structure. The computer-readable storage medium is in communication with the processor and also includes one or more programming instructions for generating a plurality of environmental impact assessments corresponding to the campaign specification data structure. Each of the plurality of environmental impact assessments is operatively associated with one of the selected capable vendors.
US08676661B2
Embodiments are directed towards providing a computer-implemented method and a network device that provides an electronic payment system for social networks, including maintaining (i) records of registered users, (ii) records of registered merchants, (iii) a credit account for each registered user and registered merchant wherein credits are backed by a commodity and a credit corresponds to a fraction of a standard unit of the commodity, receiving from a user device instructions to deposit a designated amount of currency from a user's account into the user's credit account, using the received instructions, obtaining the designated amount of currency, electronically purchasing from a seller an amount of a specified commodity equivalent to the designated amount of currency minus any transaction fee assessed by the seller, and updating the user's credit account by adding a number of credits equivalent to the amount of the purchased commodity.
US08676660B2
Once a purchaser has proceeded through a check out experience with an online retail system, the settings established during that checkout experience will be applied to future checkout experiences by that purchaser. By capturing and thereafter using checkout settings in this manner, a purchaser can proceed from a shopping cart directly to a checkout review page with the checkout review page being pre-populated with such prior established settings. Furthermore, the methodology allows the purchaser to have a virtually unlimited number of goods in their shopping cart and to have multiple different types of order fulfillment options (e.g., shipping, store pickup, delivery to an organization, etc.) automatically established for those goods.
US08676655B2
A device displays multiple products associated with a customer of a network and provided by the network, receives a customer selection of a filtering mechanism, and one of increases or reduces a display of the multiple products based on the customer selection of the filtering mechanism and based on device types associated with the multiple products.
US08676653B2
A method is disclosed for authenticating and enabling returns at a physical store location and based off of an electronic receipt. The electronic receipt may be viewed on a mobile electronic device with electronic receipts software thereon. The electronic receipts software may use machine readable codes to verify whether a customer is present at a returns terminal at a physical store location. More particularly, the electronic receipts software may contain a bar code reader module and use the camera of the mobile electronic device to capture a machine readable code such as a bar code or QR code. The electronics receipts software may recover data from the machine readable code which identifies the store, retail location, etc. This information may be compared against known values to determine that the customer is present at a returns terminal.
US08676645B2
A method and system for identifying users for advertising. Users, attributes, and first web sites provided by ISPs accessed by the users are identified. First data including content of the first web sites and user time spent thereon are received from ISPs and analyzed to determine first attribute values indicative of user interest. Second data received from ISPs include content of second web sites and user time spent thereon. Second attribute values, derived from questionnaires completed by the users, indicate interest in each attribute by each user. Third attribute values are determined by combining the first and second attribute values. The third attribute values are processed to identify users to which a product or service may be advertised. The identified users are communicated to a service provider or product provider. The first, second, or third attribute values may have missing values, which are determined by correlation and linear regression.
US08676642B1
A system and method for offering rewards. The method comprising the steps of: receiving a plurality transaction occurrences from a plurality of merchants relating to at least one account; ordering the plurality of transaction occurrences based on an ordering scheme; selecting a winning transaction from the plurality of transaction occurrences based on a reward selection scheme; and rewarding at least one reward to a user associated with the winning transaction.
US08676635B2
A method and system for managing transactions. At least one resource manager (RM) for managing changes to respective system resources of a data processing system is provided. A resource manager coordinator (RMC) for coordinating commit-backout activities of the at least one resource manager is provided. The resource manager coordinator (RMC) is hosted by the data processing system. The data processing system receives a business service request from a remote computer system to perform a task. The task includes compliant processes complying with a commit/backout protocol and non-compliant processes not complying with a commit/backout protocol. The compliant processes are running on the data processing system and the non-compliant processes are running on a counterpart processing system that is coupled to the data processing system by a labile link.
US08676634B2
Techniques for statistically estimating a rating or other “figure of merit” for a user are disclosed. According to one such technique, a first quantity of submissions that were submitted by a user is determined. A second quantity of submissions that (a) were submitted by the user and (b) obtained a particular rating from a rating mechanism also is determined. A user rating for the user is determined based at least in part on the first quantity, the second quantity, and a factor that is independent of both the first quantity and the second quantity—such as the probability that an answer submitted by any answerer in a population will obtain the particular rating from the rating mechanism. The influence that the second quantity has on the user rating relative to the influence that the factor has on the user rating may depend at least in part on the first quantity.
US08676633B2
A method and system for the assessment of the office document production environment(s) in a facility, and more particularly to a client-based method and system that can be used to collect, analyze, model, optimize, and report on document output costs and efficiencies in an office environment.
US08676628B2
A computer based system (1,5) for measuring the effectiveness of a marketing element for a product is disclosed. It has an apparatus (1) comprising one or more computing processes (30, 32, 34, 36) for determining how well a product and/or marketing element measures against each one of one or more consumer perceived benefits (15) that consumers seek through purchase and/or consumption of the product.
US08676627B2
Methods, systems and computer program products for improvement of vertical process merging by reconstruction of equivalent models and hierarchical process merging. Embodiments of the invention include a method for identifying and resolving differences between business process models, the method including receiving a first business process model project, identifying a second business process model project, performing changes to the second business process model project, merging the first and second business process model projects, creating a delta model configured to analyze the differences between the business process model projects, wherein an analysis of the differences between the first and second business process model projects are in the form of low-level changes and auto-applying the low-level changes of the first business process model project to generate a new business process model project.
US08676622B1
Methods and apparatus for a job resource planner for cloud computing environments are disclosed. A system includes a plurality of resource instances of a provider network, and a resource planner. The planner receives a plan request from a client, comprising a job goal and an indication of a resource acquisition policy to be used to obtain resource instances for the job. The policy specifies one or more instance data sources. The planner generates a resource acquisition plan for the job, based at least in part on an analysis of pricing data obtained from a specified data source. The analysis comprises one or more computation steps indicated in the policy. The generated plan includes at least one recommended acquisition price for a resource instance.
US08676621B1
A computer system that provides pooled computing resources to clients may receive requests for resources, each of which includes a bid amount. While the supply of resources exceeds the demand, the system may adaptively determine a theoretical bid threshold for the resource pool that represents the predicted value of the lowest bid amount for which corresponding requests will be granted when demand for the resources exceeds supply. The determination may be dependent on a distribution of the bid amounts included in the requests for resources. The system may adaptively determine the lowest bid amount for which corresponding ones of the requests will be granted during non-contention dependent on changes in demand for the resources, the total capacity of the resource pool, and the theoretical bid threshold value, and may grant requests that include higher bid amounts. The use of some resources may be terminated in response to changes in demand.
US08676619B2
The computer apparatus and methods of the preferred embodiment uses computer technology in a unique way to motivate children to devote more time to educational and cultural enrichment. In the preferred embodiment, educational material is provided at a child's local computer under control of a central computer system connected to it over a computer network. On completing a particular educational task, the child is rewarded with a certain number of points. Points that the child accumulates are stored centrally, and at least some of the points can be redeemed towards the purchase of goods and services offered through the system of the preferred embodiment by its commercial participants. The purchasing transactions are also administered by the central computer. Parents, preferably, use the system to support their children's purchasing activity financially and to select content available for presentation to the child. In other embodiments, the disclosed apparatus and methods can be used for purposes unrelated to education of children, and distribution of functionality between the central and local computers may be different, including wholly local implementations.
US08676617B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for implementing a software architecture design for a software application implementing self-service procurement used to procure goods and services “ad hoc” by requests from within an organization. The application is structured as multiple process components interacting with each other through service interfaces, and multiple service interface operations, each being implemented for a respective process component. The process components include an Accounting process component, an Internal Request Processing process component, a Purchase Request Processing process component, a Purchase Order Processing process component, a Goods and Service Acknowledgement process component, a Supplier Invoice Processing process component, a Payment Processing process component, an RFQ Processing process component, and a Due Item Processing process component.
US08676615B2
Described are systems and methods for designing certain aspects of an event venue and for communicating information regarding the event and the event venue to others. Certain embodiments provide a dynamic seat map via which an operator can assign certain characteristics to specific seats and/or seating sections. Certain embodiments generate interactive maps for users, via which information from a plurality of sources may be integrated and visually displayed. The user may specify certain criteria, and the interactive map may identify to the user seats and/or sections that match such criteria. Certain embodiments provide an interactive seat map via which users can select seats and share information.
US08676614B2
Disclosed is an automated reservations system for use with a frequent flyer account or other similar awards account. The automated reservations system initially authenticates customers utilizing one or more forms of identification. The customer is then prompted to provide travel itinerary information to the reservations system by a series of voice prompt menus. Utilizing the customer-entered itinerary information, the automated reservations system queries a flight information database to determine if the requested itinerary is available. The automated reservations system then determines if the customer has the required amount of frequent flyer miles to book the requested itinerary. If the customer has the required amount of frequent flyer miles, the automated reservations system allows the customer to either ticket or hold the requested itinerary. The automated reservations system is also capable of assigning seats for each passenger in the customer's itinerary.
US08676613B2
A method for rating insurance products using a programmed computer system having steps including receiving a coordinate pair comprising a longitude and a latitude of a location; determining a target coordinate grid block by truncating a decimal representation of the longitude and latitude of the location; querying a database for a first set of existing data associated with the target coordinate grid block; setting a ring counter to an initial value; determining a current ring of coordinate grid blocks grid adjacent to and surrounding the target grid block; querying the database for a second set of existing data associated with each coordinate grid block in the current ring of coordinate grid blocks; and calculating a rating for an insurance product based on an analysis of the data.
US08676608B2
A computerized tool and method for delivery of pharmacogenetic and pharmacological information, comprising a core system having algorithms and databases for storing, collating, accessing, cross-referencing, and interpreting genetic and pharmacologic data, with a graphical user interface for a client network of providers of laboratory genetic testing services to access the core services under contract. The system includes “paypoints” in support of improved business models. Included are mechanisms for ‘pass through’ third party and insurance reimbursement for interpretive reports, insurance reimbursement for on-line access to pharmacogenetic information at the point of care, tools for market segmentation, and a conversion tool for capturing new subscribers. Also disclosed are tools and predictive algorithms for preventing drug-drug and drug-gene adverse drug reactions.
US08676606B1
Systems and methods of providing comprehensive pharmaceutical consultations are disclosed, including generating a consultation recording block corresponding to a filling of a prescription order for a patient. The consultation recording block may include multiple consultation entries, where each consultation entry corresponds to a particular pharmaceutical consultation that is desired or required to occur in conjunction with the prescription fill. Input corresponding to various fields of various consultation entries may be received and stored. Different fields of different consultation entries corresponding to a particular patient and to a particular prescription order may be displayed, populated, viewed, resolved and authorized by different pharmaceutical personnel at different work flow stages of the filling, and in some cases, one or more consultation entries may be automatically generated and at least partially automatically populated. The techniques described herein allow for more comprehensive pharmaceutical consultations as compared to presently known techniques.
US08676604B2
A method and apparatus of providing a pharmaceutical consultation prevents a person from receiving a medication prescription if consultation is required, and enables a user to readily view the medication prescription information and convey information to the person. Methods and apparatus of providing a pharmaceutical consultation are provided herein. The methods and apparatus include receiving medication prescription data relating to the medication prescription, and displaying a consultation review screen having a medication prescription view with information relating to the medication prescription and a discussion view with information to be conveyed to the person. The medication prescription data includes a consultation requirement for the medication prescription. A transaction for the medication prescription is prevented if consultation is required, and permitted when data is received indicating the consultation is completed. The methods and apparatus of pharmaceutical consultation also include remote consultation between a user and a person at different geographic locations.
US08676603B2
The local surveillance sub-system recognizes that a patient medical procedure has or will soon commence by sensing the presence of a healthcare professional in or near the surveillance area, and in response, creates a separate patient medical procedure A/V file for the surveillance data that will be captured. A dedicated procedure remote may be provided for receiving manual interactions from HC professionals present for a procedure or, alternatively, the local surveillance sub-system may autonomously interact with a personal security token device possessed by the HC professional. A procedure data file is also created that holds all of the pertinent information concerning the procedure that is known by the local surveillance sub-system. The patient procedure surveillance A/V file is given a higher priority than ordinary surveillance data captured by the local surveillance sub-system and is then copied to a nonvolatile memory.
US08676600B2
Certain examples provide systems, methods, and apparatus to provide information regarding blood donation. Certain examples include a method for providing blood collection information to a donor. The method includes displaying a graphical representation of a donor's donation progress toward a goal for blood component collection to a donor via an executable application icon on a mobile device. The graphical representation is to provide a visual indication of the donor's donation progress toward a goal. The donor's donation progress toward the goal is based on data from a donation facility provided to the mobile device and is displayed via the graphical representation without the donor executing the application. The method includes facilitating access to additional blood donation information for the donor by executing the application via the graphical representation on the mobile device. The method includes facilitating donor action with respect to the blood donation information via the mobile device.
US08676590B1
A computer-implemented technique for transcribing audio data includes generating, along a vertical axis on a display of a client device, an image representing audio content. The technique further includes receiving, from a user of the client device, a selection of a portion of the image; and generating, via an audio module of the client device, an audio output corresponding to the selected portion of the image. The technique further includes receiving, from the user, a selection indicating a position along the vertical axis on the display to enter a text portion representing the audio output, wherein the position is aligned to the selected portion of the image. The technique further includes receiving, from the user, the text portion representing the audio output; and displaying, on the display, the text portion at the position, wherein the text portion extends along a horizontal axis on the display.
US08676589B2
Systems and associated methods for editing telecom web applications through a voice interface are described. Systems and methods provide for editing telecom web applications over a connection, as for example accessed via a standard phone, using speech and/or DTMF inputs. The voice based editing includes exposing an editing interface to a user for a telecom web application that is editable, dynamically generating a voice-based interface for a given user for accomplishing editing tasks, and modifying the telecom web application to reflect the editing commands entered by the user.
US08676578B2
According to one embodiment, a meeting support apparatus includes a storage unit, a determination unit, a generation unit. The storage unit is configured to store storage information for each of words, the storage information indicating a word of the words, pronunciation information on the word, and pronunciation recognition frequency. The determination unit is configured to generate emphasis determination information including an emphasis level that represents whether a first word should be highlighted and represents a degree of highlighting determined in accordance with a pronunciation recognition frequency of a second word when the first word is highlighted, based on whether the storage information includes second set corresponding to first set and based on the pronunciation recognition frequency of the second word when the second set is included. The generation unit is configured to generate an emphasis character string based on the emphasis determination information when the first word is highlighted.
US08676576B2
A copyright managing information processing apparatus includes a storage module for storing copyrighted content including audio data; a first topic module for recognizing audio data in content opened to the public by a to-be-opened information processing apparatus, converting the audio data into text data, extracting keywords from the text data, and conducting topic processing using the keywords to create topic information; a second topic module for recognizing audio data in content stored in the storage means, converting the audio data into text data, extracting keywords from the text data, and conducting topic processing using the keywords to create topic information; and a similarity determining module for comparing the topic information generated by the first topic module with that created by the second topic module for thereby determining presence or absence of similarity therebetween.
US08676574B2
In a spoken language processing method for tone/intonation recognition, an auditory spectrum may be determined for an input window of sound and one or more multi-scale features may be extracted from the auditory spectrum. Each multi-scale feature can be extracted using a separate two-dimensional spectro-temporal receptive filter. One or more feature maps corresponding to the one or more multi-scale features can be generated and an auditory gist vector can be extracted from each of the one or more feature maps. A cumulative gist vector may be obtained through augmentation of each auditory gist vector extracted from the one or more feature maps. One or more tonal characteristics corresponding to the input window of sound can be determined by mapping the cumulative gist vector to one or more tonal characteristics using a machine learning algorithm.
US08676564B2
A computer implemented method, system, and product for finding correspondence between terms in two different languages. The method includes the steps of: creating a technical term set and a general term set for each of i) a first language and ii) a second language, creating two bipartite graphs, where each graph corresponds to one of the two languages, and connects the technical term set and general term set of each language, respectively, with weighted links based on corpus information, creating a third bipartite graph by creating weighted links between general terms in the first language and general terms in the second language by using a translation dictionary, creating an association matrix M corresponding to the three bipartite graphs, calculating a similarity matrix Q by calculation of an inverse matrix, and outputting correspondence between the technical term sets of the first and second language on basis of the similarity matrix.
US08676558B2
Steering behavior model can include build rate and/or turn rate equations to model bottom-hole assembly behavior. Build and/or turn rate equations can be calibrated by adjusting model parameters thereof to minimize any variance between actual response 118 and estimated response produced for an interval of the well. Estimated position and orientation 104 of a bottom-hole assembly along a subsequent interval can be generated by inputting subsequent tool settings into the calibrated steering behavior model. Estimated position and orientation 104 can be compared to a well plan 106 with a controller 108 which determines a corrective action 110. Corrective action 110 can be converted from a build and/or turn rate to a set of recommended tool settings 114 by using an inverse application 112 of the steering behavior model. As additional data 118 becomes available, steering behavior model can be further calibrated 102 through iteration.
US08676552B2
Methods and apparatus for simulating fluid motion using procedural shape growth. In a vector-based, fluid motion simulation technique, fluid location may be defined by groups of one or more polygons deposited on a digital canvas. Two or more polygons may overlap. The polygons may be semitransparent. To simulate fluid motion, vertices that specify the edges of each deposited polygon are independently moved. By moving the vertices, a polygon may grow, and fluid motion effects may be simulated, including but not limited to directional flow and blending effects. A randomization technique may be applied to the movement at each vertex to simulate the non-uniform spreading of fluids. Overlapped polygons may be blended with overlapping polygons to simulate the mixing of fluids. The technique may be applied, for example, in watercolor painting simulation, where groups of one or more polygons are deposited using brush strokes.
US08676549B2
A shipping optimization process for articles having a substantially airfelt free absorbent core is provided. The process includes the steps of identifying an optimized diaper; identifying an optimized bag for holding two or more optimized diapers; identifying an optimized box for holding two or more optimized bags; identifying an optimized pallet and arranging the optimized boxes thereon; and identifying an optimized load plan for a vehicle and arranging the optimized pallets therein. The vehicle has a calculated Load Factor of from about 0.7 to about 1.0 when the vehicle is loaded with the optimized pallets.
US08676547B2
It is an object to provide a parameter extraction method using a model equation having a physical meaning, in which parameters optimum for an element are extracted without setting appropriate initial values based on experience or deep understanding of models and actual device characteristics.A structure is provided in which multiple patterns of initial values of parameters are generated by a random number generator mechanism, and automatic parameter extraction is executed for each initial value to select a combination of parameters in which ultimate difference between a calculated value and a measured value is minimized thereby finding an optimal solution.
US08676543B2
Mechanical oscillators employ the use of resonance parameters, frequency and the quality factor Q, for the measurement of corrosion or deposition. The ability of a mechanical oscillator to measure small amounts of metal loss or deposition is not only dependent upon the mechanical design but is limited by the precision in determining the resonance frequency and Q. Methods for measuring these resonance parameters with a high precision in the presence of noise are provided. The increased degree of precision improves the utility of these devices as sensitive probes for corrosion and deposition (fouling) measurement. The increased degree of precision is enabled in part by employing curve fitting consistent with modeling the mechanical oscillator as a simple harmonic oscillator. This curve fitting procedure, combined with averaging and utilizing signal processing parameters to mitigate noise effects, adds precision in measuring resonance parameters.
US08676542B2
Apparatus for reducing an interference portion in a time-discrete signal further including a useful portion, including a first provider for providing the time-discrete signal including the interference portion and the useful portion; a second provider for providing a first time-discrete reference signal including a first interference portion, and a second time-discrete reference signal including a second interference portion, the second interference portion being shifted in phase relative to the first interference portion. The apparatus further includes a subtractor for generating a differential signal from the two reference signals, the differential signal including a frequency component caused by the first and second interference portions; and a manipulator for manipulating the time-discrete signal on the basis of the differential signal such that in a manipulated time-discrete signal the frequency component is reduced.
US08676541B2
A shoe has a sensor system operably connected to a communication port. Performance data is collected by the system and can be transferred for further use via the communication port. The shoe may contain an electronic module configured to gather data from the sensors. The module may also transmit the data to an external device for further processing. The collected data can be further processed for a variety of different uses or applications.
US08676533B2
A measurement probe, for a co-ordinate positioning apparatus such as a machine tool, is described that includes a stylus holder that is deflectably mounted to a probe housing. One or more sensors are provided for sensing deflection of the stylus holder relative to the probe housing. A processor is included for producing a trigger signal when the deflection sensed by the one or more sensors meets a trigger condition, such as a deflection threshold. The probe also includes an accelerometer for measuring acceleration of the measurement probe. The trigger condition applied by the processor is alterable, during use, in response to the acceleration measured by the accelerometer. In this manner, false triggering can be suppressed.
US08676519B2
A device and a method for aiding inflation for a vehicle involves obtaining access to vehicle tire pressure and temperature data, and utilizing an under-inflation detection module and an inflation condition testing module, thus making it possible to carry out a test for detecting a possible optimal inflation condition if the following criteria are met:—there is a non-critical under-inflation state for at least one of the vehicle tires;—the tires are not in an overheated state;—and the tire state is unchanged by sunlight. When the test module determines the optimal inflation condition, a signal is outputted. Such a method causes tire inflation to be carried out under favorable conditions actually corresponding to the reference value provided by the manufacturers.
US08676517B2
A signal processing method for a Coriolis flowmeter including: performing frequency conversion of a first digital signal, the frequency conversion performed on the first digital signal modulating the frequency of the first digital signal so that the frequency of the first digital signal after the frequency conversion is 1/Nth of the frequency of the first digital signal before the frequency conversion, where N is an integer; performing frequency conversion of a second digital signal, the frequency conversion performed on the second digital signal modulating the frequency of the second digital signal so that the frequency of the second digital signal after the frequency conversion is 1/Nth of the frequency of the second digital signal before the frequency conversion; and measuring a phase difference between (i) the frequency converted first digital signal and (ii) the frequency converted second digital signal.
US08676513B2
Methods and devices to detect analyte in body fluid are provided. Embodiments include receiving one or more analyte sensor data, receiving a reference measurement value associated with an analyte level, determining a sensitivity parameter based on the received one or more analyte sensor data and the reference measurement value, performing a probability analysis based on prior analyte sensor data to determine presence of signal attenuation, and generating an output value based on the probability analysis.
US08676499B2
Movement guidance systems, devices, methods, and programs set a guidance branch point on a guidance route. The systems, devices, methods, and programs acquire a position and a shape of the guidance branch point and a prior branch point, and determine whether the prior branch point is adjacent based on the acquired information. The prior branch point is adjacent when the prior branch point exists within a first predetermined distance from the guidance branch point and is connected with a road in a same direction as the guidance branch point. When it is determined that the prior branch point is adjacent, the systems, devices, methods, and programs complete verbal guidance for the guidance branch point at a timing at which the movable body is located at a guidance end point that is located a second predetermined distance before the prior branch point.
US08676497B2
An apparatus and method searches and provides additional Points-of-interest (POI) information to a user when basic POI information such as POI name, address, phone number, etc. is specified. In one aspect, the system includes an information managing unit to search, display and transmit POI information, a communication interface and a plurality of information providers adapted to stream information to the communication interface, and a communication network adapted to connect the information managing unit and the communication interface. The basic information and an additional POI information search request can be transmitted from the information managing unit to the communication interface to search for the additional POI information in the information providers and transmit the additional POI information back to the information managing unit. The additional POI information may be filtered and organized before presenting to the user.
US08676496B2
A car navigation apparatus includes an intersection searching means 14 for searching for intersections in a vicinity of the current position of a vehicle from intersections which exist on a searched route and which exist between the current position and a destination, an intersection name outputting means 15 for outputting the names of the searched intersections, an intersection selecting means 17 for selecting an intersection from the intersection names outputted, an facility searching means 18 for searching for facilities which exist in a vicinity of the intersection selected through the map data, a facility name outputting means 19 for outputting the names of the searched facilities, a facility selecting means 20 for selecting a facility from the facility names outputted, and a facility information outputting means 21 for extracting facility information about the selected facility from the map data, and for outputting the facility information.
US08676487B2
A movement region prediction apparatus includes a mobile body detection device that detects a mobile body around a host vehicle; a prediction device that predicts a movement region of the detected mobile body; and a degree-of-normality acquisition device that acquires degree of normality of a situation of movement of the detected mobile body. The prediction device has a plurality of movement prediction models for predicting the movement region of the mobile body, and selects a movement prediction model from the plurality of movement prediction models based on the degree of normality acquired by the degree-of-normality acquisition device, and predicts the movement region of the mobile body using the selected movement prediction model.
US08676482B2
A hybrid vehicle battery life evaluating apparatus 1 includes an actual traveling measuring section 2 measuring, for each driving pattern, actual gasoline mileage data on a hybrid vehicle equipped with a battery as a power source, a test traveling storage section 3a storing test gasoline mileage data set for each driving pattern on the basis of a traveling test on the vehicle, a battery life evaluating section 5 comparing the measured actual gasoline mileage data with the test gasoline mileage data on the corresponding driving pattern to evaluate a degradation level of the battery on the basis of a value of a decrease in gasoline mileage set for each degradation level of the battery and transmitting information on battery degradation to a battery life display section 6, and the battery life display section 6 displaying the information on battery degradation.
US08676474B2
A control system for a machine may include a processor configured to communicate with a power source. The processor may also be configured to communicate with a transmission assembly. The processor may be configured to determine whether the power source is in a potential stall condition based at least in part on an actual speed of the power source and a requested speed of the power source. If the power source is in the potential stall condition, the processor may be configured to request that fuel be supplied to the power source although the fuel is not currently required by the power source, in anticipation of an increase in load on the machine.
US08676464B2
A vehicle control system configured to stabilize a behavior of a vehicle during turning by correcting a driving force or a braking force. The vehicle control system comprises a lateral acceleration detecting means detecting longitudinal acceleration acting in an axle direction of the vehicle Ve (step S102); and a driving/braking force correcting means determining a changing amount Fctrl and a changing rate DFctrl of the correction based on the lateral acceleration Gy in case the running vehicle Ve is turned.
US08676462B2
The invention relates to a device and an operating method for an electronically controlled braking system having a friction brake, including friction linings for at least one wheel brake and having at least one electronic control device ESP+EPB−ECU. The aim of the invention is to provide an improved seat grinding device and an improved seat grinding process. The aim is achieved by proposing that an automated, electronically controlled or regulated routine is provided for seat grinding the friction partners of the friction brake, such that the automated seat grinding routine is fully executed after a release, particularly after entering a release code or after electronically connecting an interface of the electronic control device ESP+ESC−ECU of the braking system to a separate control device EST, and the results data of the seat grinding routine are stored in a memory area of the electronic control device ESP+ESC−ECU.
US08676460B2
A shift control device is provided for a vehicle of shift-by-wire type having shift operation detecting means electrically detecting a shift operation of a driver, range switching means switching a shift range in response to the shift operation of the driver, failure detecting means detecting a failure in a shift operation detection executed by the shift operation detecting means, and vehicle state detecting means detecting a vehicle state upon detection of the failure in the shift operation detection, the range switching means being switched to a fail-safe mode, when the shift operation detection is recovered from a failed state to a normal state and the range switching means is switched from the fail-safe mode to a normal control mode, a recovery condition for determining switching of the fail-safe mode to the normal control mode being altered depending on the vehicle state.
US08676444B2
Embodiments of driver alertness monitoring systems, devices, and associated methods based on steering variability and/or lane variability are described herein. In one embodiment, a method for detecting alertness of a driver operating a vehicle includes recording a steering position of the vehicle with a steering sensor and transmitting the recorded steering position to a processor. With the processor, the method also includes deriving a steering variability based on the recorded steering position of the vehicle over time, calculating a lane variability based on the derived steering variability and a transfer function of the vehicle, and estimating an alertness of the driver based on both the derived steering variability and the calculated lane variability.
US08676441B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a steering assist device which can perform steering assist control having excellent capability to follow up a traveling path by increasing the steering amount in the steering control at a curve entrance. A steering assist device of the present invention is a steering assist device 1 for calculating a steering target value based on a shape of a traveling path on which a vehicle travels, and assisting steering according to the steering target value, wherein it is determined whether the vehicle is traveling a curve entrance of the traveling path, and when it is determined that the vehicle is traveling a curve entrance, a change in the steering target value is increased compared with the case of traveling a part of the path other than a curve entrance. As a result, a steering amount to turn the steering wheel can be increased at a curve entrance, and a delay in the turning of the steering wheel at a curve entrance can be suppressed.
US08676437B2
A vehicle test system including a plurality of apparatuses mutually communicable via a network. A control apparatus included in the apparatuses controls two or more objects in the vehicle by using respective control modules each having fault detecting module used to detect fault in the object being controlled. A test apparatus connected to the control apparatus commands any one of the control module included in the control apparatus in order to read out fault information in the objects. The control apparatus generates, in response to the test apparatus, a response command indicative of the fault information detected by the fault detecting module and transmits the response command to the test apparatus via the network. The response commands includes both fault information corresponding to the control module to which the test apparatus commands and fault information corresponding to the other control module.
US08676433B2
A control device for a vehicle hydraulic control circuit having a hydraulic switch disposed on a hydraulic control circuit of an automatic transmission, includes: a malfunction detecting portion configured to detect a malfunction of the hydraulic switch; and a malfunction removing portion configured to execute an operation for restoring a contact of the hydraulic switch when a malfunction of the hydraulic switch is detected.
US08676429B2
An autonomous mobile device is capable of taking action that is suitable to execute a task in accordance with a given situation includes and executes a predetermined task upon autonomously moving to a destination. The autonomous mobile device includes a storage unit that stores an environment map, a laser range finder that acquires peripheral obstacle information, an unknown information identification unit that identifies unknown obstacle information from the peripheral obstacle information, an assessment information acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of types of assessment information including movement information, relative position information, and attribute information that are related to the unknown obstacle, when the unknown obstacle information is identified, and a scenario selection unit that selects, based on the assessment information, one action scenario among a plurality of action scenarios including an action scenario which is defined to execute the task and is other than an action scenario to cancel or continue the execution of the task.
US08676423B2
It is known to charge the battery in a hybrid vehicle with a generator such that the efficiency (electric power per fuel quantity) is maximal. It is known that the consumption-optimized mode can be terminated in order to charge the battery faster. A mathematical calculation rule is applied to the optimal value of the efficiency in order to determine a value for an efficiency which then indicates a load point shift for the internal combustion engine. In particular, constant percentages can be used which are applied to the inverse efficiency.
US08676422B2
Disclosed is a creep control system and method for a hybrid vehicle, which controls the driving of a motor according to the distance to a preceding vehicle in order to provide creep driving when the hybrid vehicle has come to a complete stop. In particular, driving information is detected and a determination is made as to whether the hybrid vehicle is in an idle stop and completely stationary state. Then when the hybrid vehicle is in the idle stop and completely stationary state, a determination is made as to whether a distance from a preceding vehicle is more than a predetermined distance. When the distance to the preceding vehicle is more than the predetermined distance, a motor is driven to perform creep driving.
US08676420B2
An electric wheelchair includes a body portion, an operating section to detect an operation by an operator, an obstacle sensor to detect an obstacle existing in the vicinity of the body portion, an obstacle determination section to form a search region extending from the body portion in an operating direction, and to determine an obstacle existing in the search region, as the obstacle to be avoided, a virtual repulsive force calculation section to calculate a virtual repulsive force to move the body portion away from the obstacle determined by the obstacle determination section, a resultant force calculation section to calculate a resultant force composed of an operating force and the virtual repulsive force, and a control section to control a movement of the body portion so that the body portion is moved in a direction of the resultant force.
US08676418B2
A control for a hybrid vehicle includes; obtaining information that an EV switch that is operated when a travel of the vehicle in an EV mode in which priority is given to an EV travel in which the vehicle travels by a motive power only from a rotary electric machine is to be selected has been operated; starting a permission preparation control for causing a transition from a state in which a situation of the vehicle satisfies a predetermined reservation condition for reserving the EV mode to a state in which the situation of the vehicle satisfies a predetermined permission condition for permitting the EV mode if the situation of the vehicle does not satisfy the permission condition but satisfies the reservation condition when the EV switch has been operated; and enabling to control the travel of the vehicle in the EV mode if the predetermined permission condition is satisfied.
US08676414B2
A hybrid vehicle includes a multi-mode power system. The power system includes a battery, an electrical power input, a first motor/generator, a second motor/generator, and a clutch. A first operating mode is defined by deactivation of the internal combustion engine and the operation of the vehicle by electrical force provided from the battery to the second motor/generator. In a second operating mode, activation of the internal combustion engine generates electrical power by providing rotational force to the first motor/generator. In a third operating mode, engagement of the clutch couples the internal combustion engine and the second motor/generator to provide rotational force to the wheels. In a fourth operating mode, engagement of the clutch couples the internal combustion engine with the second motor/generator, and the first motor/generator further provides rotational force to the wheels.
US08676400B2
A method for an electric vehicle travelling from a starting point to a destination, a navigation system for an electric vehicle, a method for charging an electrical energy storage device of an electric vehicle, a charger for charging an electrical energy storage device of an electric vehicle, and an electric vehicle are described.
US08676393B1
Disclosed in an example embodiment herein is a technique for performing discovery and power budgeting for a power sharing group comprising a plurality of power supply modules configured for sharing power. Data is collected to determine members of the power sharing group, input power and load power for members of the power sharing group. A power budget is determined for members of the power sharing group and the power budget is distributed to members of the power sharing group. Load shedding inputs are calculated in the event that load power exceeds the capacity of the power sharing group.
US08676390B2
A system is provided herein for remotely controlling and monitoring machinery, the machinery having a control network for control thereof, one or more switches coupled to the control network for controlling the machinery via the control network. The system includes a controller hardwired coupled to the control network of the machinery. The controller is configured to control the machinery via the control network separately from the switches, and the controller is configured to monitor operation of the machinery. In addition, the system includes an arrangement for receiving signals for controlling the controller from a remote location and an arrangement for transmitting, to a remote location, information collected by the controller resulting from the controller monitoring operation of the machinery. Advantageously, with the subject invention, the system can control and monitor machinery from remote locations directly. In the event of faults or failures, corrective action may be taken using the subject invention.
US08676380B2
There are provided a moving robot and a method of operating the same. A bottom surface is photographed to sense a moving distance and a moving direction based on input image data. The amount of light radiated to photograph the bottom surface is sensed to feedback control the light emission degree of a light source unit. The light source unit is controlled when errors are generated in sensing the image data. Therefore, the sensing ratio of the photographed image is improved so that correctness of calculating the position of the moving robot is improved.
US08676370B2
A workpiece carrier for supporting a plurality of workpieces, the workpiece carrier comprising a supporting body including a plurality of workpiece support elements, each for supporting a workpiece and providing for individual positioning of the same, the workpiece support elements each including at least one biasing element for applying a biasing force to an edge of the respective workpiece, at least one first cam for acting on an edge of the respective workpiece at a first location against the bias of the at least one biasing element, and at least one second cam for acting on an edge of the respective workpiece at a second location against the bias of the at least one biasing element, wherein the at least one first cam and the at least one second cam are operable such as to enable the position of the respective workpiece to be set relative to the supporting body.
US08676356B2
A system and method for determining unknown values of certain motor parameters includes a motor input device connectable to an electric motor having associated therewith values for known motor parameters and an unknown value of at least one motor parameter. The motor input device includes a processing unit that receives a first input from the electric motor comprising values for the known motor parameters for the electric motor and receive a second input comprising motor data on a plurality of reference motors, including values for motor parameters corresponding to the known motor parameters of the electric motor and values for motor parameters corresponding to the at least one unknown motor parameter value of the electric motor. The processor determines the unknown value of the at least one motor parameter from the first input and the second input and determines a motor management strategy for the electric motor based thereon.
US08676344B2
The present invention provides medical devices that contain polyisobutylene urethane copolymers, polyisobutylene urea copolymers and polyisobutylene urethane/urea copolymers. More particularly, the present invention provides medical leads that contain such copolymer.
US08676339B1
A surface warming diathermy apparatus and method includes an applicator with a first chamber and a second chamber where the first chamber contains a dielectric solution. A primary coil is wrapped around the applicator beginning with the first chamber. A secondary coil is wrapped around the applicator also beginning with the first chamber and a RF energy source connected with the primary coil. The apparatus is tuned to a near resonant state by means of a variable high-voltage capacitor connected to each end of the secondary coil.
US08676337B2
Techniques are disclosed for recharging an Implantable Medical Device (IMD). In one embodiment, a first external coil is positioned on one side of a patient's body, such as on a front side of the torso in proximity to the IMD. A second external coil is positioned on an opposite side of the patient's body, such as on the back of the torso. A recharging device generates a current in each of the coils, inductively coupling the first and the second coils to the secondary recharge coil of the IMD. According to another aspect, each of the two external coils may wrap around a portion of the patient's body, such as the torso or head, and are positioned such that the IMD lies between the coils. According to this aspect, current generated in the coils inductively couples to a second recharge coil that is angled within the patient's body.
US08676334B2
The present disclosure relates to peripheral nerve interface system and method for prosthetic hand control, which may measure, analyze and control efferent motor nerve signals and afferent sensory nerve signals by regenerating a peripheral nerve and control an artificial prosthetic hand by means of the measurement, analysis and control of the signals. For this, the peripheral nerve interface system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a nerve conduit connected to a terminal of a damaged peripheral nerve at a cut body portion; a prosthesis for substituting for the cut body portion; and a peripheral nerve interface unit electrically connected to the nerve conduit and the prosthesis to restore a function of the damaged peripheral nerve and control operations of the prosthesis by transmitting and receiving signals of the damaged peripheral nerve.
US08676330B2
Non-invasive electrical nerve stimulation devices and magnetic stimulation devices are disclosed, along with methods of treating medical disorders using energy that is delivered noninvasively by such devices. The disorders comprise migraine and other primary headaches such as cluster headaches, including sinus symptoms that resemble an immune-mediated response (“sinus” headaches), irrespective of whether those symptoms arise from an allergy that is co-morbid with the headache. The disclosed methods may also be used to treat other disorders that may be co-morbid with migraine headaches, such as anxiety disorders. In preferred embodiments of the disclosed methods, one or both of the patient's vagus nerves are stimulated non-invasively. In other embodiments, parts of the sympathetic nervous system and/or the adrenal glands are stimulated.
US08676328B2
A transcranial securing device for deep brain stimulation leads comprising: a principal part for securing inside an opening formed in the cranium of a patient; and at least one first securing part housed inside said principal part; said or each securing part comprises at least one axial bore adapted to allow the passage of one or more deep brain stimulation leads; said or at least one securing part is arranged so as to be capable of passing from a first position in which the lead or leads can slide axially in the respective bores, to a second position in which it grips the lead or leads in the respective bore or bores, preventing said sliding.
US08676316B2
Systems and methods for estimating caloric expenditure. The systems can include a physiological sensor to measure a patient's physical activity, and a posture sensor to measure the patient's posture. An estimated caloric expenditure can be calculated based on data from the physiological sensor and the posture sensor. For example, the estimated caloric expenditure can be calculated at least in part based on the posture data. For example, the estimated caloric expenditure can be validated based on the posture data.
US08676315B2
A system in combination with a stimulator system and an electrophysiology recorder system in delivering a stimulator signal to a subject's heart is provided. The electrophysiology recorder system can be generally operable to acquire an electrocardiogram from the subject's heart. The system can include an electrical couple in electrical connection between the simulator system and the electrophysiology recorder. The electrical couple can be configured to communicate the stimulator signal without loading an impedance of the electrophysiology recorder system on the stimulator system.
US08676313B2
A wearable defibrillator consists of a vest (or belt) which is worn by the patient. The device monitors the patient's ECG with sensing electrodes and can monitor other patient conditions and in appropriate cases can treat certain conditions. An accelerometer(s) in the wearable defibrillator can allow for the device to determine the position, movements, forces applied to the patient, and/or the device. The device can use a least one patient motion detector generating a signal indicative of patient activity. Analysis of the signal can be indicative of patient activity appropriate for treatment or indication of device condition.
US08676311B2
An electrode package for use with a defibrillator, the electrode package comprising an outer shell providing a vapor barrier between an interior space inside the outer shell and an exterior environment, one or more defibrillation electrodes positioned in the interior space inside the outer shell, each of the defibrillation electrodes including a metallic layer in electrical contact with a conductive liquid-containing layer through which electrical current is delivered to a patient when the defibrillation electrodes have been applied to the patient, the conductive a liquid-containing layer being subject to drying out as liquid from the water-containing layer vaporizes and travels from the interior space to the external environment, and one or more electrical conductors extending from inside of the outer shell to a package electrical connector outside of the shell, the package electrical connector being configured to be connected to a mating defibrillator electrical connector connected to the defibrillator, and an electronic memory device positioned outside the outer shell and in electrical contact with some of the electrical conductors extending from the outer shell to the package electrical connector.
US08676306B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to implantable systems, and methods for use therein, that can detect T-wave alternans and analyze the detected alternans to provide information regarding cardiac instabilities and predict impending arrhythmias.
US08676300B2
A method generates a three dimensional (3D) model of a tubular organ having an occluded segment. The occluded segment adjoins a proximal segment at a proximal end thereof, and a distal segment at a distal end thereof. The procedures included injecting a first dye injection into the tubular organ, the first dye approaching a first end of the occluded segment. Multiple first-injection two-dimensional (2D) images of the tubular organ are acquired, each acquired from a different perspective, the first-injection 2D images further acquired with a respective organ timing signal reading. A second dye is injected into the tubular organ, the second dye approaching a second end of the occluded segment. Multiple second-injection 2D images are acquired of the tubular organ, each acquired from a different perspective, the second-injection 2D images further acquired with a respective organ timing signal reading. Superimposed 2D images are generated, one for each of the perspectives, each of the superimposed 2D images including the proximal segment and the distal segment. The boundary regions of the proximal segment and the distal segment in the superimposed 2D images are determined. The boundary regions of the occluded segment in the superimposed 2D images are determined by interpolating between the boundary regions of the proximal segment and the distal segment. A 3D model of the tubular organ from the superimposed 2D images is generated and a 3D center line of the tubular organ is determined, the 3D center line passing through the proximal segment, through the occluded segment and through the distal segment.
US08676294B2
To perform a more accurate and detailed diagnosis of a brain disease, a diagnosis server of the brain disease diagnosis system for diagnosing a brain disease of an examined person includes: an acquiring unit for acquiring a brain image of the examined person so as to obtain an acquired image; a region setting unit for setting a plurality of regions in the acquired image; an individual index value calculating unit for calculating an individual index value based on a pixel value of the acquired image, in each of the plurality of regions; a whole index value calculating unit for calculating a whole index value by weighting the individual index value of each of the plurality of regions; a diagnosis unit for diagnosing the brain disease of the examined person based on the whole index value; and an output unit for outputting information indicating a diagnosis outcome.
US08676291B2
A release liner for electrode pads is described which enables the pads to be used with defibrillators requiring the electrodes to be electrically interconnected for self-test prior to use, and with defibrillators which do not require the electrodes to be electrically interconnected. In one example this variation is afforded by folding the release liner one way to electrically connect conductive layers underlying two attached electrodes. In another example this variation is afforded by leaving the conductive layers electrically connected or breaking the connection.
US08676275B2
Ambient sound-based call functions include calculating, via a computer processor on a mobile communications device, a decibel level of ambient noise. In response to receiving an incoming call from a calling device, and prior to activating a ringtone on the mobile communications device, the ambient sound-based call functions include determining that the decibel level exceeds a threshold value, and sending an automated response to the calling device in lieu of connecting the call to the mobile communications device.
US08676266B2
A system for controlling a mobile communication antenna is provided, which includes a plurality of antenna systems each installed in a BS, and a remote control system for monitoring and controlling the plurality of antenna systems. In each of the antenna systems, an antenna module includes a radiation plate and a radiation device for transmitting and receiving radio signals for a mobile communication service, a sensor unit senses the inclination and horizontal rotation of the antenna module, a transceiver transmits data sensed by the sensor unit to the remote control system and receives a control signal from the remote control system, and a controller controls an operation of the antenna system according to the remote control signal received from the transceiver. In the remote control system, a BS monitoring information DB server accumulates the sensed data received from the plurality of antenna systems on a BS basis and an antenna system basis, and a remote control center outputs control signals to the antenna systems to monitor the antenna systems remotely.
US08676264B2
A carrier processing method, a communication device and a communication system are provided according to the embodiments of the present invention. The method includes: acquiring control information of each multi-carrier module associated with carriers; according to the acquired control information, determining a carrier used by each multi-carrier module; and performing processing by each multi-carrier module according to the determined carrier. The communication device includes: a processing unit, configured to acquire control information of each multi-carrier module associated with carriers, and according to the acquired control information, determine a carrier used by each multi-carrier module; and a notification unit, configured to instruct each multi-carrier module to perform processing according to the determined carrier. The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present invention enable at least two multi-carrier modules to cooperatively implement processing.
US08676259B2
A wireless communications interface couples wireless service to conventional wireline phone appliances. In one embodiment, the wireless communications interface is connected to the phone appliances through existing phone jacks. This allows a user to place and receive calls over a wireless network using the existing wireline infrastructure in a building. By using the invention, users can consolidate their portable and fixed phone service with one of the multiple wireless service providers and bypass the wireline service provider entirely, if so desired. In a second embodiment, the wireless communications interface is directly connected to the phone appliances, bypassing the installed wireline infrastructure. In a third embodiment, both wireline and wireless service are operative, and the wireless communications interface may include logic arbitration to route multiple calls to multiple phone appliances.
US08676256B2
A system, method, and wireless communication device that profiles a user thereof, or a user at a second wireless communication device in communication therewith. The wireless communication device gathers user data for a user thereof, or from a user at a second wireless communication device, and either directly generates, or has generated elsewhere, a user profile, such as a personality or psychological profile, or medical diagnosis of the user, and can display the user profile to the user and/or alter the wireless communication device functionality based upon the user profile. The gathered user data can be from physical user interaction with the wireless communication device, or from other equipment resident at the wireless communication device, such as a camera and medical diagnostic devices.
US08676255B2
An integrated circuit system is provided for wireless data communication, comprising a set of hardware components and a port for connection to an RF antenna or an RF Front-End-Module, wherein at least a subset of hardware components is arranged for being shared for simultaneous wireless data communication based on a first protocol and a second protocol. Preferably, the first protocol includes a Wi-Fi standard and the second protocol includes a dedicated protocol for wireless audio communication.
US08676252B2
A method for dual mode mobile terminal in an MIMO wireless communication system is disclosed. The present invention includes the steps of if an uplink transmission mode is for simultaneous transmission to an LTE base station and a CDMA base station, determining whether a transmission power to the LTE base station is equal to or greater than a threshold value, transmitting a simultaneous transmission mode dedicated scheduling request signal for excluding a risky frequency band from an uplink band to the LTE base station, receiving a scheduling information on the uplink band except the risky frequency band from the LTE base station, transmitting a CS service signal to the CDMA base station, and transmitting a PS service signal to the LTE base station using the scheduling information.
US08676247B2
A method and apparatus for dynamically determining the scope of services for a base station operating in local mode. The method includes: receiving (206) an overlap status for at least one neighboring infrastructure device; detecting (208) that the infrastructure device has switched from a wide mode of operation to a local mode of operation; and selecting (210) one of a plurality of local mode operating states, based on the received overlap status.
US08676240B2
Mechanisms for efficient transmission of large amount of download data from a base station to a user equipment in a multi-carrier that minimizes power consumption on the user equipment are described. When multiple component carriers are to be used to transmit the download data, the base station informs the user equipment. The base station transmits on the anchor carriers without wait after informing the user equipment and transmits on the non-anchor carriers after waiting a predetermined delay. The predetermined delay provides time to allow the user equipment to activate the receiving resources and be ready to receive the download data over the non-anchor carriers. In this manner, the user equipment can be in a power conservation mode and activate the receiver resources only when needed.
US08676239B2
A wireless communication system including a master station, and slave stations that execute a predetermined operation based on an operation instruction transmitted by the master station, in which the master station includes a normal frame processor that generates an operation instruction, and a Go/Stop signal processor that generates an execution instruction signal instructing to execute the operation instruction to transmit the signal when a response to the operation instruction is obtained from all the slave stations during a predetermined response waiting time, each of the slave stations include an execution-instruction-signal receiving unit that receives the execution instruction signal, and the execution-instruction-signal receiving unit executes an operation corresponding to the execution instruction signal when receiving the execution instruction signal or waits execution of the corresponding operation until the execution instruction signal corresponding to the operation instruction is received.
US08676238B2
Mobile devices each maintain a whitelist of application identifiers corresponding to applications that the user(s) of that mobile device wants to receive notification messages for and a blacklist of application identifiers corresponding to applications that the user(s) of the mobile device does not want to receive notification messages for. Each mobile device transmits its representations of the whitelist and blacklist to a certain one of a plurality of couriers that controls transmission of notification messages for that mobile device. Each notification message includes a mobile device identifier and an application identifier. Each courier processes a given notification message for a mobile device (e.g., deliver to that mobile device, drop, report as uninstalled to the sender) based on the application identifier included in the mobile device and the representations of the whitelist and blacklist for that mobile device.
US08676231B2
Methods and apparatus for estimating mobile station location include receiving reported signal strengths or other attachment indicator values from a mobile station. The reported signal strengths are compared with characteristic received signal strength values in a coverage area of a mobile network. A mobile switching center determines if a local function is requested and initiates a location estimation process by a mobile location module (MLM). The MLM receives the reported signal strength contours associated with the attachment points. Based on a comparison of the reported attachment indicator values with characteristic values, the MLM provides a mobile location estimate.
US08676228B2
For allowing a reliable and fast determination of the position of devices with a high degree of privacy preservation a tracking system for determination of the position of devices within a wireless network is claimed, wherein the tracking system is including a number of tracking stations, each tracking station being adapted for wireless communication with at least one device. The system is characterized by a management unit for control of a tracking activity of the tracking stations. Further, an according method for tracking the position of a device within a wireless network is claimed, preferably for use with the above mentioned tracking system.
US08676225B2
A wireless communication device includes a transmission portion, an information acquisition portion, a storage portion, a selection portion, and a transmission control portion. The transmission portion transmits information. The information acquisition portion acquires location information for the wireless communication device that includes a received signal strength of a signal that is transmitted from a base station in the vicinity. The storage portion stores, in association with specific location information, regulating information that regulates the transmission from the transmission portion of the information that corresponds to the location of the wireless communication device. The selection portion selects from the storage portion the regulating information associated with the location information acquired by the information acquisition portion. The transmission control portion controls, based on the regulating information that was selected by the selection portion, the transmission from the transmission portion of the information that corresponds to the location of the wireless communication device.
US08676216B2
Methods and apparatuses are provided for determining one or more parameters of an access point that can be set or adjusted to mitigate interference to other access points. A rise-over-thermal (RoT) threshold can be set at an access point based on one or more parameters, such as pathloss measurements, location of the access point, etc., such that interference from devices communicating with the access point can be mitigated. In addition, a noise floor, RoT threshold, etc., can be adjusted based on determining a transmit power difference, out-of-cell interference, and/or similar measurements.
US08676204B2
A mobile station device that communicates with a base station device, the mobile station device including: a determination unit which determines whether to request the base station device to provide control information of a small base station device accessed by the mobile station device or not; a first transmission unit, when the determination unit determines that the control information is to be requested, which sets information of the small base station device in a control information request message and transmits the control information request message to the base station device; a first reception unit which receives a response message transmitted from the base station device; and a measurement control execution unit which executes measurement control according to control information set in the response message received by the first reception unit.
US08676191B2
A method and device for managing communication channels for data exchange from an aircraft establishes at least one connection path between the aircraft and at least one ground entity with a plurality of communication channels of at least two different types. After detecting an event such as modification of a communication channel condition or a modification of aircraft position, a communication configuration enabling the aircraft to receive or transmit data from or to the ground entity via at least one of the communication channels is determined. A mechanism for establishing at least one connection path is then adapted based on the communication configuration. Advantageously, the transmission of at least one datum includes determining a priority level of the datum and determining the type of communication channel of the connection path, the datum being transmitted if the determined type of communication channel is compatible with the priority level.
US08676190B2
According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention a network apparatus may be provided, which network apparatus may include a detecting device, a selecting device, a receiving device, a determining device and a sending device. The detecting device may be adapted to detect a condition for a handover. The selecting device may be adapted to select a first group, wherein the first group includes at least one first target apparatus member. The receiving device may be adapted to receive a second group, wherein the second group may include at least one second target apparatus member. The determining device may be adapted to determine a difference group of the first target apparatus members and the second target apparatus members. The selecting device may be adapted to select at least one target apparatus member of the difference group. The sending device may be adapted to send a preparation information to the at least one selected target apparatus member of the difference group.
US08676189B2
A converged mobile-Web communications solution interfaces to both a mobile phone network and an Internet or Intranet network, so that services that are provided to mobile phones in the mobile phone network are also provided to Web clients in the Internet or Intranet network.
US08676178B2
Described is a system and method for updating a contact and adding a new contact from a call log in a communications device. The system includes a contact manager that is directed towards creating and updating call contact cards in a contact database with information retrieved from call logs of phone calls made to or from the communications device. In one embodiment, information is pre-populated into a predetermined data field of the contact card, thereby reducing workload to a user. The method includes determining if a request is for updating an existing contact card or for adding a new contact card to the contact database. The update or addition is made with information retrieved from call logs. Call information is pre-populated into a predetermined data field of the contact card, when it is determined that the request is to add a new contact card to the contact database.
US08676175B2
Content transfer involving a gesture is described. In an implementation, a method is implemented by a mobile communications device that includes recognizing a gesture input via a touchscreen of the mobile communications device that is indicative of a direction, the touchscreen including a display of content. One or more other mobile communications devices are located that are positioned, approximately, along the indicated direction of the gesture. A communication is formed to transfer the content to the located one or more other mobile communications devices.
US08676174B2
A method and apparatus for quickly and easily requesting content over a mobile device via a telephone network without requiring user entry of a number of pieces of information or having to forward through to certain request screens and/or browse for content. The method includes verifying a mobile device based on an incoming telephone call to a particular destination telephone number; retrieving by a content server the specific content associated with the particular destination telephone number in which contact has been initiated by the mobile device; and providing the specific content to the mobile device requesting the content. Specific content includes but is not limited to broadcast data, satellite transmitted data, and cable network data provided during a telephone call, so that a mobile device can receive everything from television shows to news broadcasts and educational shows, etc. so long it is within range of a telephone network.
US08676173B1
A method of establishing connection between users of mobile devices includes receiving at a computer a location of a first user from a first mobile device, receiving from a second mobile device a location of a second user having an acquaintance relationship to the first user, and sending a message to the first mobile device based on the proximity of the first user to the second user.
US08676168B2
According to embodiments described in the specification, a method and apparatus for managing message notifications in a portable electronic device including a thermal notifier output device. The method comprises receiving a message at the portable electronic device; determining a notification setting responsive to receiving the message; and generating a thermal notification signal at the thermal notifier output device according to the determined notification setting. The thermal notification signal provides non-visual identification of an originator of the received message.
US08676166B2
According to embodiments described in the specification, a method, system and apparatus for managing messages at a mobile electronic device is provided. The method comprises: receiving a message and storing the message in a memory of the mobile electronic device; determining, at a processor of the mobile electronic device, if the message passes at least one filter criterion maintained in the memory, the filter criterion for use in generating a primary message view; when the message does not pass the filter criterion, adding a device-side label to the message; generating the primary message view according to the filter criterion; detecting an interaction with the message; and in response to detecting the interaction, automatically removing the device-side label from the message.
US08676165B2
The invention proposes a method of peer-to-peer instant messaging and the mobile terminal thereof, which could make the mobile terminal to establish and maintain a list of friend users and update the connection status of the friend users timely. The method of peer-to-peer instant messaging includes following steps: receiving the list of on-line users with capability of peer-to-peer instant messaging sent by the radio network (S260); comparing said list of particular users with said received list of on-line users (S270); updating, according to said comparison result, the connection status record of each user in said list of particular users (S280) so that the mobile terminal could establish a peer-to-peer instant messaging with at least one user mobile terminal in said list of particular users according to said updated connection status record. The present invention enables the user to establish peer-to-peer connection more effectively and to perform instant messaging while occupying less network resources.
US08676163B2
Transponder comprising a resonant circuit, comprising an antenna and a capacitor, and at least one memory, wherein it comprises at least one contact zone for receiving a portion of human body, so that the positioning of a portion of human body on a contact zone modifies the electric circuit of the transponder, capable of switching from a first state in which it does not allow the memory to be read and/or written to a second state in which it allows the memory to be read and/or written when the resonant circuit of the transponder is contactlessly powered by a reader and in that it comprises an indicator which makes it possible to indicate that the positioning of a portion of human body on the contact zone of the transponder is or has been recognized.
US08676152B2
An alarm system includes a mobile terminal and an alarm controller. The alarm controller is configured to communicate with the mobile terminal, to attempt a call to a monitoring service using a first communication technique responsive to detection of an alarm condition, and to attempt a call to the monitoring service using the mobile terminal if the call attempt using the first communication technique is unsuccessful.
US08676140B2
A system for controlling an RF gain of a receiver that reduces a time taken to maintain an input signal level at an optimum dynamic range is provided. The system includes a tuner that receives a radio frequency (RF) signal and down-converts the RF signal to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal, and a demodulator. The tuner includes a radio frequency programmable gain amplifier (RF_VGA), a filter and an IF programmable gain amplifier (IF_VGA). The demodulator includes an analog to digital converter (ADC), and an Automatic Gain Control (AGC) unit that (i) receives a digital signal and an IF gain of the IF_VGA. The ADC samples a filtered IF signal under oversampling conditions to obtain an oversampled signal that includes an in-band signal and an out-of-band signal. The AGC unit (ii) controls the RF_VGA, the IF_VGA and (iii) measures an RF energy of the RF signal.
US08676122B2
A system for enabling communication utilizing a satellite communications network includes a mobile communication device and a satellite modem apparatus. A text message is generated at the mobile communication device and transmitted to the satellite modem apparatus using a short range wireless protocol. The satellite modem transmits the text message as a short burst data message to a satellite within the satellite communications system where it is routed to a receiver unit. The satellite modem apparatus does not include a processor. Instead, the mobile communication device includes a processor and program code for generating, transmitting, and receiving text messages, and for encrypting a text message, and/or compressing a text message to a size suitable for transmission via an L-band communications protocol from the satellite modem apparatus.
US08676119B2
A first device may include and/or involve at least one contact sensor, and logic to facilitate pairing between a second device and a third device as a result of contact between the contact sensor and at least one of the second and third devices.
US08676109B2
A cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning blade configured to abut with a surface of the image carrier member, and to remove residual toner from the surface of the image carrier member; a cleaning roller rotatably configured to attach residual toner removed by the cleaning blade to the surface and make abrasive contact with the surface of the image carrier member; a toner layer regulating member configured to regulate residual toner attached to the cleaning roller to a predetermined toner layer thickness and scrape and remove excess residual toner; a frame member configured to store residual toner scraped and removed from the cleaning roller; and a toner supply member configured to make contact with the cleaning roller to attach residual toner stored in the frame member to the surface, and to attach residual toner attached to the surface to the cleaning roller.
US08676106B2
An endless fixing belt includes a heat generation layer configured to generate heat by energization, a rubber layer provided on the heat generation layer, a fluorine resin layer provided on the rubber layer, a first electroconductive layer provided at one longitudinal end portion of the fixing belt, and a second electroconductive layer provided at the other longitudinal end portion and configured to form an energizing path cooperatively with the first electroconductive layer through the heat generation layer. The fluorine resin layer extends to cover a part of the first electroconductive layer and a part of the second electroconductive layer.
US08676102B2
A fixing device for thermally fixing a developing agent image to a sheet includes: a flexible fusing member; a heater; a nip member; a backup member; and a temperature detection element. The flexible fusing member has an inner peripheral surface defining an internal space. The heater is disposed in the internal space and radiates radiant heat. The nip member is disposed in the internal space and receives the radiant heat from the heater. The inner peripheral surface is in sliding contact with the nip member. The backup member provides a nip region in cooperation with the fusing member upon nipping the fusing member between the backup and nip members. The backup member confronts the nip member in a confronting direction. The temperature detection element is disposed in a superposed region of the nip member superposed with the nip region in the confronting direction and detects a temperature of the region.
US08676098B2
A developing device includes a developer carrier that holds a developer on a surface thereof, rotates around a rotation axis, and supplies the developer to an image carrier at a facing portion at which the developer carrier faces the image carrier; a transport member that transports the developer in a transport direction along the rotation axis while supplying the developer to the surface of the developer carrier; and a guide member that includes a guide portion that guides, toward downstream in the transport direction, the developer that has passed the facing portion without being supplied to the image carrier, the guide member making an amount of the developer that reaches the transport member on an upstream side of the guide portion in the transport direction be smaller than an amount of the developer that reaches the transport member in on a downstream side of the guide portion.
US08676096B2
A powder container includes a body and a pair of walls that block one end of the body and the other end. The powder container is mountable in an apparatus. The body has an opening in a location closer to the one end to supply the powder to the apparatus. The powder container includes a shutter, a guide portion and a boss. The shutter is situated in a closed location before the powder container is mounted in the apparatus and is moved to an opened location to open the opening when the powder container is mounted in the apparatus. The guide portion maintains the shutter on the body and guides the shutter. The boss is located between the shutter and an outer wall surface of the one of walls and next to the end of the shutter at the closed location in a movement direction of the shutter.
US08676087B2
An image forming device including an accommodating member, a moving section, a driving section, a transmitting section, and first and second switching sections. The accommodating member is movable between an accommodating position and a pulled-out position. A charger includes a charging wire and a wire cleaner movable therealong. The moving section is configured to move the wire cleaner. The driving section is configured to generate a drive force to move the moving section. The transmitting section is movable to one of a first path on which the transmitting section is drivingly connected to the driving section and a second path on which the transmitting section is disconnected from the driving section. The transmitting section is configured to transmit the drive force from the driving section to the moving section when the transmitting section is moved to the first path. The first switching section is configured to switch a position of the transmitting section from the second path to the first path. The second switching section is configured to switch a position of the transmitting section from the first path to the second path.
US08676082B2
An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes: a photoreceptor drum that is provided along a paper path of transfer paper; a discharging unit including a light emitting body that emits discharging light, the discharging unit eliminating electrical charge on a surface of the photoreceptor drum; a blast unit that is provided to blow air toward the discharging unit; and a air duct that is provided in the vicinity of the light emitting body, and is configured such that the air from the blast unit toward the discharging unit is configured to blow to a side of the paper path through the air duct.
US08676075B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a conveying belt; a first photosensitive member; and a second photosensitive member; a first transfer member; a second transfer member; a first pushing member; a second pushing member; and a changing unit, wherein the first photosensitive member is disposed on the upstream side of the second photosensitive member in a conveying direction of the transfer receiving member, and the changing unit changes the pushing force of the second transfer member that is disposed on the downstream side of the first photosensitive member in a conveying direction of the transfer receiving member.
US08676070B2
The image forming apparatus hasa first and a second transfer member which transfer toner images onto a transfer body; anda control section, which measures a first density of a first toner image formed on the transfer body, measures a second density of a second toner image formed on the transfer body anddetermines a transfer current for the first and the second transfer member based on the first and the second density.
US08676061B2
A frequency converter includes a first direct digital synthesizer that receives a signal having a predetermined frequency f_master as a clock signal and further an internal frequency setting signal, and outputs an internal signal having a frequency based on the internal frequency setting signal, and a second direct digital synthesizer that receives the internal signal as a clock signal, and further an output frequency setting signal, and outputs an output signal having a frequency f_slave (=f_master−Δ) based on the output frequency setting signal. A difference between the predetermined frequency f_master and the frequency of the internal signal is larger than a difference between the predetermined frequency f_master and the frequency f_slave of the output signal.
US08676057B2
An optical transmission device that is connected to transmission paths of a network, that performs optical communication according to a wavelength division multiplex format and that transmits optical signals over the transmission paths according to path types that have been set to wavelengths of the optical signals, including an upper limit value storage section that stores an upper limit value of the number of operational wavelengths that is the number of wavelengths to which the path types are set; an acceptance section that accepts a changing request that requests that the number of operational wavelengths be changed; and a license determination section that decides the number of operational wavelengths, wherein if the number of wavelengths that has been changed according to the accepted changing request is equal to or smaller than the stored upper limit value, the license determination section newly sets the changed number of wavelengths for the number of operational wavelengths.
US08676047B2
An image capture apparatus comprises an inclination detection unit which detects an inclination of the image capture apparatus, a display unit which displays the inclination of the image capture apparatus, and a predetermined reference orientation set for the image capture apparatus, a still state determination unit which determines that the image capture apparatus is in a still state, if a variation of the inclination falls within a predetermined range, and a reference orientation setting unit which sets the reference orientation of the image capture apparatus, wherein the reference orientation setting unit does not set the reference orientation if the still state determination unit determines that the image capture apparatus is not in the still state.
US08676043B2
A system includes a reading unit reading first management information including a first item specifying video data and the video data from a storage medium, a storage unit recording second management information including the first item obtained from the first management information and the video data transferred from the reading unit, a memory storing third management information including the first item and a second item specifying a transfer or no transfer of the video data, and a controller transferring the first management information to the memory from the reading unit, updating the second item of the third management information in response to the transfer of the video data, and controlling the transfer of the video data in the video content which is designated by a read request from one of the reading unit and the storage unit to the outside based on the second item of the third management information.
US08676041B2
Full resolution graphic overlays (e.g., graphics, menus, arrows, buttons, captions, banners, picture in picture information) and subtitles in frame compatible 3D delivery for a scalable system are described.
US08676034B2
A web server presents a web page to a user. The web page dynamically presents information corresponding to a digital video recorder (DVR) associated with the user. The web server accepts input information to control the DVR. A delayed-job server accepts input from the web server and stores a job entry corresponding to the input in a message queue. The delayed-job server processes the job entry from the message queue and creates a function request representative of the web server input. An access server accepts the function request from the delayed-job server and bi-directionally communicates messages with the DVR. The access server communicates a response to the function request back to the delayed-job server. The delayed-job server communicates data from the response to the web server, wherein the web server is not blocked while waiting for the response from the delayed-job server.
US08676023B2
The present invention discloses a method for fabricating polymeric wavelength filter based on an asymmetric Bragg coupler with single-grating waveguide. The asymmetric waveguide coupler is formed firstly on a negative photo-resist mold. PDMS film is injected into the narrow waveguide of the coupler to act as a protection layer. The gratings pattern is exposed on the alternative waveguide and subsequently transferred to PDMS stamp mold. The PDMS stamp mold is used as a stamp to transfer the gratings pattern of the ABC wavelength filter onto UV cured polymer to form the final ABC filter. Whereby, the fabrication process is reliable and accurate, and can offer great potential for mass production of the ABC filter with single-grating waveguide.
US08676020B2
A cable joint for jointing two cable ends of an optical fiber cable of an optical fiber composite electric power cable including an electric power cable and an optical fiber cable. The cable joint includes a repair box arranged between the two cable ends of the optical fiber cable. The repair box is arranged within the optical fiber composite electric power cable and further includes storage for storing extra length needed for jointing optical fibers of the optical fiber cable.
US08676018B2
An optical fiber stripper that may cooperate with an optical fiber handler for stripping one or more coating from an optical fiber is disclosed. The stripper is used as a part of a termination system for preparing the optical fiber for an optical connection, thereby providing the craft with a simple, reliable, and easy termination of the optical fiber. By way of example, the stripper cooperates with an optical fiber handler having an optical fiber secured therein for preparing the end of the optical fiber for a mechanical splice in a fiber optic connector.
US08676015B2
A non-zero dispersion shifted optical fiber (NZDSF) includes a central core, an inner cladding, and an outer cladding. The central core has an outer radius r1 and a maximum refractive index difference Dn1 with respect to the outer cladding. The inner cladding includes a first intermediate cladding and a buried trench. The first intermediate cladding has an outer radius r2 and a refractive index difference Dn2 with respect to the outer cladding. The buried trench has an outer radius r3, a width w3, and a negative refractive index difference Dn3 with respect to the outer cladding. In some embodiments, the inner cladding includes a second intermediate cladding having an outer radius r4 and a refractive index difference Dn4 with respect to the outer cladding. For a radius of curvature of 30 millimeters at a wavelength of 1625 nanometers, the optical fiber typically exhibits bending losses of about 0.5 dB/100 turns or less. The optical fiber's 22-meter cable cutoff wavelength (22 m-λcc) and effective cutoff wavelength at two meters are typically less than 1150 nanometers.
US08676007B2
A light-based touch-sensitive surface, including a housing, a surface attached to the housing for receiving touch input, a plurality of light sources in the housing for emitting light that crosses the surface, a plurality of light receivers in the housing for detecting the light emitted by the light sources, a curved lens adjacent to the surface through which the light emitted by the light sources passes, including two substantially similarly curved exterior panels, one of which forms a curved rim for the surface, and a calculating unit in said housing, connected to the light receivers, for calculating a touch location based on an absence of light expected to be received by the receivers.
US08675996B2
A method for registering a two-dimensional image of a cardiocirculatory structure and a three-dimensional image of the cardiocirculatory structure includes acquiring a three-dimensional image including the cardiocirculatory structure using a first imaging modality. The acquired three-dimensional image is projected into two-dimensions to produce a two-dimensional projection image of the cardiocirculatory structure. A structure of interest is segmented either from the three-dimensional image prior to projection or from the projection image subsequent to projection. A two-dimensional image of the cardiocirculatory structure is acquired using a second imaging modality. The structure of interest is segmented from the acquired two-dimensional image. A first distance map is generated based on the two-dimensional projection image and a second distance map is generated based on the acquired two-dimensional image. A registration of the three-dimensional image and the two-dimensional image is performed by minimizing a difference between the first and second distance maps.
US08675995B2
Methods for locating a feature on geospatial imagery and systems for performing those methods are disclosed. An accuracy level of each of a plurality of geospatial vector datasets available in a database can be determined. Each of the plurality of geospatial vector datasets corresponds to the same spatial region as the geospatial imagery. The geospatial vector dataset having the highest accuracy level may be selected. When the selected geospatial vector dataset and the geospatial imagery are misaligned, the selected geospatial vector dataset is aligned to the geospatial imagery. The location of the feature on the geospatial imagery is then determined based on the selected geospatial vector dataset and outputted via a display device.
US08675992B2
Provided herein are systems methods including a design of a microscope slide scanner for digital pathology applications which provides high quality images and automated batch-mode operation at low cost. The instrument architecture is advantageously based on a convergence of high performance, yet low cost, computing technologies, interfaces and software standards to enable high quality digital microscopy at very low cost. Also provided is a method based in part on a stitching method that allows for dividing an image into a number of overlapping tiles and reconstituting the image with a magnification without substantial loss of accuracy. A scanner is employed in capturing snapshot images. The method allows for overlapping images captured in consecutive snapshots.
US08675981B2
Gender recognition is performed using two or more modalities. For example, depth image data and one or more types of data other than depth image data is received. The data pertains to a person. The different types of data are fused together to automatically determine gender of the person. A computing system can subsequently interact with the person based on the determination of gender.
US08675979B2
A transcoder reduces the processing amount when a coded stream to which at least intra prediction is applied is transcoded into a coded stream to which intra prediction and inter prediction are applied. The transcoder converts a first coded stream to at least part of which intra prediction is applied, into a second coded stream to which intra prediction and inter prediction are applied. The transcoder includes a decoding unit that decodes the first coded stream to generate decoded image data; a prediction mode obtaining unit that obtains a prediction mode of intra prediction applied in decoding; and a coding unit that codes the decoded image data by applying the intra prediction or inter prediction to generate the second coded stream. A control unit controls causes the coding unit to use the prediction mode obtained by the prediction mode obtaining unit when the coding unit applies intra prediction.
US08675978B2
The present invention relates to an image processing device and method enabling noise removal to be performed according to images and bit rates. A low-pass filter setting unit 93 sets, from filter coefficients stored in a built-in filter coefficient memory 94, a filter coefficient corresponding to intra prediction mode information and a quantization parameter. A neighboring image setting unit 81 uses the filter coefficient set by the low-pass filter setting unit 93 to subject neighboring pixel values of a current block from frame memory 72 to filtering processing. A prediction image generating unit 82 performs intra prediction using the neighboring pixel values subjected to filtering processing, from the neighboring image setting unit 81, and generates a prediction image. The present invention can be applied to an image encoding device which encodes with the H.264/AVC format, for example.
US08675969B2
The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for detecting page boundaries which are capable of accurately detecting complete page boundaries and dealing with many kinds of complex conditions. The method comprises: an edge image detecting step for detecting an edge image from the book document image; a horizontal page boundary detecting step for detecting top page boundaries and bottom page boundaries on the edge image; a binding center line detecting step for detecting the binding center line by searching an intersection point of the left page and the right page on the top page boundaries and the bottom page boundaries; a page width determining step for determining the page width of the book document image; and a vertical page boundary determining step for determining the left page boundary and the right page boundary by using the top page boundaries, the bottom page boundaries, the binding center line and the page width.
US08675967B2
In a pose estimation for estimating the pose of an object of pose estimation with respect to a reference surface that serves as a reference for estimating a pose, a data processing device: extracts pose parameters from a binarized image; identifies a combination of pose parameters for which the number of cross surfaces of parameter surfaces that accord with surface parameter formulas, which are numerical formulas for expressing a reference surface, is a maximum; finds a slope weighting for each of cross pixels, which are pixels on each candidate surface and which are pixels within a prescribed range, that is identified based on the angles of the tangent plane at the cross pixel and based on planes formed by each of the axes of parameter space; and identifies the significant candidate surface for which a number, which is the sum of slope weightings, is a maximum, as the actual surface that is the reference surface that actually exists in the image.
US08675966B2
A system and a method are disclosed for generating a saliency map of an image. The method includes receiving image data representative of image forming elements of an image and determining saliency values for image forming elements by an iterative method. The iterative method includes computing a norm of the image data, computing values of deviation from the norm of the image data of the image forming elements, identifying the image forming elements corresponding to the image data having magnitudes of deviation that meet a pre-determined condition, assigning saliency values to the identified image forming elements based on the values of deviation, and repeating the computing the norm and deviation, identifying image forming elements and assigning saliency values using the image data of image forming elements that have no assigned saliency value. A saliency map of the image based on the assigned saliency values.
US08675965B2
A method for analyzing an image of a real object, particularly a printed media object, generated by at least one camera comprises the following steps: generating at least a first image by the camera capturing at least one real object, defining a first search domain comprising multiple data sets of the real object, each of the data sets being indicative of a respective portion of the real object, and analyzing at least one characteristic property of the first image of the camera with respect to the first search domain, in order to determine whether the at least one characteristic property corresponds to information of at least a particular one of the data sets of the first search domain. If it is determined that the at least one characteristic property corresponds to information of at least a particular one of the data sets, a second search domain comprising only the particular one of the data sets is defined and the second search domain is used for analyzing the first image and/or at least a second image generated by the camera.
US08675961B2
An image processing system includes: an update unit updating color space information indicating a color space by allowing rotational movement of a selected reference color, taking a line connecting a white color to a black color in the color space as a rotation axis, based on adjustment information indicating that hue of at least one reference color is adjusted, which is in a reference color group including plural reference colors of a RGB system and plural reference colors of a CMY system in the color space; and a correction unit correcting an input image signal based on the color space information.
US08675953B1
An electronic device that determines a geometric scale of an object using two or more images of the object is described. During operation, the electronic device calculates the size of the object along a direction using multiple images of the object that were taken from different perspectives (such as different locations and/or orientations in an environment) along with associated imaging-device characteristics. For example, the size of the object may be calculated using the images, the associated focal lengths of a digital camera that acquired the images, and the law of cosines. Using the scale of the object, an image of the object may be appropriately scaled so that it can be combined with another image.
US08675950B2
An image processing apparatus includes: an image extracting section that extracts a template image from blade images which form a streaming video obtained by capturing blades periodically arrayed in a jet engine; an image comparing section that compares the blade images with the template image; an image selecting section that selects an image as a record image from the blade images based on a result of the image comparison of the image comparing section; and a display section that displays the surface shape of the blade calculated based on the record image.
US08675937B2
A method is disclosed for increasing the quality of computer tomographic recording series, to a computation unit and to an X-ray CT system. An embodiment of the method includes scanning a subject over a period of time which makes it possible to record at least two temporally offset projection data sets of the same recording region; transforming the projection data sets into transformation data sets for at least two spatial frequency ranges; calculating temporal compensation values of the transformation data sets for some of the spatial frequency ranges and replacing the compensated values of the transformation data sets with the calculated compensation values in new transformation data sets, projection data of congruent rays always being compared; transforming the new transformation data sets back into new projection data sets; reconstructing image data sets on the basis of the new projection data sets and representing the image data sets.
US08675936B2
Computer-implemented methods of reconstructing an image object for a measured object in object space from image data in data space include causing a computer to execute instructions for providing zonal information separating the object space into at least two zones, providing at least two zonal image objects, each zonal image object being associated with one of the at least two zones, reconstructing the image object using a data model derived from forward projecting the zonal image objects into data space, wherein the contribution of each zonal image object to the data model is weighted according to a zonal scaling factor, and outputting the image object.
US08675935B2
Fast and continuous registration between two imaging modalities makes it possible to completely determine the rigid transformation between multiple sources at real-time or near real-time frame-rates in order to localize video cameras and register the two sources. A set of reference images are computed or captured within a known environment, with corresponding depth maps and image gradients defining a reference source. Given one frame from a real-time or near-real time video feed, and starting from an initial guess of viewpoint, a real-time video frame is warped to the nearest viewing site of the reference source. An image difference is computed between the warped video frame and the reference image. Steps are repeated for each frame until the viewpoint converges or the next video frame becomes available. The final viewpoint gives an estimate of the relative rotation and translation between the camera at that particular video frame and the reference source.
US08675932B2
A method is disclosed for establishing at least one change in a tubular tissue structure in a living being from a first time to a second time, which differs from the first, wherein the midline of the tubular tissue structure is respectively determined in a provided first volume data record, generated at the first time, of the tubular tissue structure in the living being, and in a provided second volume data record, generated at the second time, which differs from the first, of the tubular tissue structure. In at least one embodiment, at least one change in the minimum and/or the maximum diameter of the inner wall of the tubular tissue structure and/or at least one change in the minimum and/or the maximum diameter of the outer wall of the tubular tissue structure is established in order to establish the at least one change in the tubular tissue structure along the tubular tissue structure at mutually corresponding positions of the midlines of the tubular tissue structure in the first volume data record and the tubular tissue structure in the second volume data record. At least one embodiment of the invention also relates to a calculation unit for carrying out the method and to a data storage medium, which has a calculation program implementing the method.
US08675930B2
The present invention provides tools and methods designed to aid in the placement of artificial facet joints at virtually all spinal levels. One aspect of the present invention is a measurement tool for installing an artificial cephalad facet joint including a fixation measurement element and a support arm element. This measurement tool assists in the selection and/or configuration of an artificial cephalad facet joint for implantation in a patient. Another aspect is a measurement tool for installing a caudad facet joint including a stem element and a trial caudad bearing surface element. This measurement tool assists in the selection and/or configuration of a caudad facet joint for implantation in a patient. Yet another aspect is a measurement tool holder including a measurement surface connected to a holder element. This tool holder assists in determining the measurements obtained with the caudad facet joint measurement tool.
US08675928B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to fingerprint scanning. Specifically, the present invention relates to a multi-sided fingerprint scanning device on a card (e.g., credit card, smart card, etc.), an associated energy-efficient method for attaining accurate fingerprint information using a multiple charge-coupled biometric sensor array. In a typical embodiment, a scanning device will be provided that includes a scanning area comprised of a set (e.g., at least one) of imaging pixel electrodes (e.g., arranged adjacent to one another in a grid-like or other fashion). As a user presses his/her finger against the scanning area, a portion of the finger will contact a plurality of electrodes. When this occurs, a voltage source of the device will apply a first voltage to each of the plurality of electrodes. A meter of the device will take a first electrical measurement (e.g., resistance and/or charged skin voltage) of the plurality of electrodes. The voltage source of the device will apply a second voltage to the plurality of electrodes. The meter of the device will take a second electrical measurement (e.g., resistance and/or charged skin voltage) of the plurality of electrodes. The voltage level difference between the first electrical measurement and second electrical measurement is calculated. The voltage level difference provides accurate fingerprint information.
US08675927B2
According to one of embodiments, taking in facial image data for a user, extracting feature points of the face of the user from the facial image data and then coding the feature points, and registering the facial image data on a destination management table so that the facial image data is associated with a special identifier and/or the coded feature points. In particular, the face of the sender is incorporated into a video mail, so that the exchange of addresses (faces) is facilitated and the reliability of the e-mail itself can be enhanced. Further, a face can be automatically registered on an address book at a receiving end. In this case, a similar face can be updated by the latest face.
US08675915B2
Systems, methods and for analyzing game control input data are disclosed. A machine-readable medium having embodied thereon instructions for analyzing game control input data is also disclosed.
US08675914B2
A method and system for tracking a needle in a fluoroscopic image sequence is disclosed. In order to track a needle in a fluoroscopic image sequence, the needle is initialized in a first frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence. Needle segments are detected in each subsequent frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence, and the needle is detected in each frame of the fluoroscopic image by tracking the needle from a previous frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence based on the detected needle segments in the current frame.
US08675913B2
A gesture recognition method for an interactive system includes the steps of: capturing image windows with an image sensor; obtaining information of object images associated with at least one pointer in the image windows; calculating a position coordinate of the pointer relative to the interactive system according to the position of the object images in the image windows when a single pointer is identified according to the information of object images; and performing gesture recognition according to a relation between the object images in the image window when a plurality of pointers are identified according to the information of object images. The present invention further provides an interactive system.
US08675909B2
A digital electronic display connected to a traffic signal and a method of controlling the digital electronic display are provided. The digital electronic display includes a communication unit configured to receive content including content segments and metadata, a display screen, and a processor. The processor is configured to monitor the traffic signal to determine when, and the duration during which, a red light and a green light of the traffic signal is illuminated, present a content segment on the display screen corresponding to the red light based on the metadata and substantially for the entire duration when the red light is illuminated, and control the display screen to operate in a low-power state substantially for the entire duration when the green light is illuminated.
US08675903B2
A portable full duplex communication device (100) is provided with improved acoustic porting (114) by providing an earpiece enclosure (108) within the housing (102) of device. The earpiece enclosure (108) includes an array of micro-ports (114) formed to provide optimal low frequency response and echo performance without the use of external acoustical leak ports to the housing.
US08675889B2
An autobias vehicular microphone system (300) includes a microphone (301) which uses an amplifier (306) for amplifying an output of the microphone. A first feedback path (308) provides an amplifier output signal to the amplifier input for providing amplifier linearity, and a second feedback path (305) is used for providing bias to a voltage reference (303). The voltage reference (303) operates to provide an autobias to the amplifier (306) based upon amplifier load-ing. By holding the bias point to a constant voltage, a constant clip level can be maintained depending on varying load conditions of electronic devices (307, 309, 311) using the microphone (301). Additionally, one or more switches can be used to vary the bias point which can be interpreted to control functionality of the electronic devices (307, 309, 311).
US08675888B2
Provided is a car audio, in which a holding unit where a portable media device is held is inserted in an insertion space formed through the font of a car audio body and the holding unit is drawn out by opening and closing the insertion space with a front panel unit. Therefore, it is possible to hold and use a portable media device in a vehicle and the holding unit is stored in the insertion space when the portable media device is not used.
US08675880B2
A device (100) for processing data, the device (100) comprising a detection unit (110) adapted for detecting individual reproduction modes indicative of a manner of reproducing the data separately for each of a plurality of human users, and a processing unit (120) adapted for processing the data to thereby generate reproducible data separately for each of the plurality of human users in accordance with the detected individual reproduction modes.
US08675878B2
There is provided a system and method for distributors to use an interoperable key chest. There is provided a method for use by a distributor to obtain content access authorizations from a key chest or central key repository (CKR), the method comprising receiving a user request from a user device for access to an encrypted content identified by a content identification, transmitting a key request to the CKR including the content identification, receiving an encrypted first key from the CKR, decrypting the encrypted first key using a second key to retrieve the first key, and providing a DRM license for the encrypted content to the user device using the first key for use by the user device to decrypt the encrypted content using the first key. By generating such DRM licenses, distributors can unlock protected content even sourced from distributors using different DRM schemas.
US08675871B2
A computer program product is provided and includes a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and on which instructions are stored for execution by the processing circuit for validating parameters passed to a parameter database, computing a length required for control vector CV data, preparing an optional block in accordance with a result of the computation, converting the CV to a format for a standardized key block while copying the converted CV into the optional block and updating optional block data in the standardized key block.
US08675868B1
A memory is organized into blocks. In a write operation, data to be stored is combined with an address-dependent value (ADV) to form a block of information, and this block is encrypted. The block of encrypted information is written into a block of memory identified by the write address of the write operation. In a read operation, the block of encrypted information is read back from the memory and is decrypted to recover the data and the ADV. The address of the memory block from which the block of encrypted information was read is used to check the ADV to confirm that the ADV is related in the proper way to the address of the memory block that stored the encrypted information. If the check fails, the processor is prevented from executing the data, thereby preventing the processor from executing blocks of code that are in incorrect locations in memory.
US08675858B1
A method and apparatus is presented for enabling an agent to assume the identity or persona of a called party and process calls directed to the called party. In one embodiment, methods, which enable an agent to assume the identity or persona of a called party, and process calls directed to the called party are considered a call center functions and may be implemented in a call center. A call is initiated to a called party. Initiating the call generates called party information. Using the called party information a server retrieves information associated with the called party and then forward the information associated with the called party to an agent. The call is then forwarded to the agent. As a result, the agent may use the information associated with the called party to assume the identity or persona of the called party when responding to the call.
US08675857B1
The present invention enables network providers of toll free calls to give customers a choice of what network announcements they want to listen to as they wait in queue. For example, customers could select to hear silence with periodic estimations of wait time, different types of music, current global, domestic, or local news, information about sports or financial information. The present invention allows customers to toggle between different selections via a predefined Dual Tone Multiple Frequency (DTMF) signal.
US08675849B2
A method of receiving a phone number is provided, including receiving, at a receiver of a first phone during a first voice communication session between the first phone and a second phone, a phone number transmitted by a user of the second phone after the first voice communication session is established. The phone number is detected with a signal detector coupled for communication with the receiver, and stored in a memory coupled to the signal detector.
US08675844B2
Caller information display system includes a caller terminal, a service system and a receiver terminal. The caller terminal stores caller information and transmits data including the caller information during a call. The service system receives the data including the caller information from the caller terminal and transmits the data to a receiver terminal. The receiver terminal receives the data from the service system, stores the caller information to be linked with a telephone number of the caller terminal, and displays the caller information when a paging signal is received.
US08675843B2
1. A Charging Data Record, CDR, generating node (110) for a cellular access system (100), the CDR generating node (110) being characterized in that it is arranged to generate CDRs for Internet Protocol version 6, IPv6, traffic in the CDR format for IPv4 traffic instead of in the CDR format for Iv6 traffic, the Charging Data Record generating node being arranged to generate IPv4 CDRs for IPv6 traffic instead of IPv6 CDRs by means of changing the Information Element “pdpType” or the Information Element “pdpPDNType” from F157H to F121H, and by means of changing the Information Element “served PDPaddress” or the Information Element “served PDPPDN Address” from an IPv6 format to an IPv4 format
US08675842B2
A system may include a database configured to selectively store and retrieve data. The system may further include a call record parser configured to receive a plurality of call records, each call record being associated with a respective call, parse the plurality of call records to identify periods of resource usage and types of resource usage for the associated calls, create parsed data based on the identified periods of resource usage and the types of resource usage, and store the parsed data in the database indexed according to the type of the identified resource and including the start and end times for the identified periods of usage.
US08675836B2
This application relates to providing an end user control of temporary numbers established and linked to a trusted phone number using traditional forwarding mechanisms. Temporary phone numbers can be created and assigned to individuals to provide them with a unique point of contact. The temporary numbers are then linked to the individual's private number. The temporary numbers can be shared with individuals and organizations with whom the individual has an interest in communicating with. However, these numbers will often find their way into the hands of third parties with whom the individual has no interest in talking with. When the user simply no longer feels that the numbers are being properly used, the user can remove the temporary numbers linked with their private number so no further calls can be made and routed to their private number. The temporary numbers can be used to uniquely identify the calling party.
US08675829B1
The present invention provides methods, devices, and systems for notifying a caller that they are leaving a low quality voice mail. The user can be notified that they are leaving such a voicemail before they are done leaving the message. This allows the user to try and leave another voicemail having a better quality, thereby making the voicemail more comprehensible.
US08675827B2
A method including receiving a voice call; analyzing speech in real-time to determine whether payment information is included in the voice call; omitting to record the voice call when it is determined that the voice call includes the payment information; and recording the voice call when it is determined that the voice call does not include the payment information.
US08675824B1
Systems and methods for secure recording in a customer center environment are provided. The system receives data related to a communication at a media distribution device. A key is provided by a key server to the media distribution device to encrypt the received data. In addition, an identifier may be associated with the received data. The key and the identifier are stored in a database associated with the key server. The encrypted data is recorded the a recorder, where it is accessible to authorized users within the customer center. Upon request, the key is provided to the authorized user to decrypt the encrypted data for play back. The customer center environment may include a user interface for viewing customer contacts. The contact may be organized into folders and annotations associated with the customer contacts may be received.
US08675823B2
A personal safety device comprises a “smart” safety lanyard capable of automatically contacting emergency response personnel. A “smart” lanyard of the subject invention comprises a strap with one or more fall arrest mechanisms or break away mechanisms operably attached thereto. A trigger mechanism also operably attached to the safety lanyard can detect when the fall arrest or break away mechanism has been deployed. A personal communication device operably attached to both the strap and to the trigger mechanism can automatically contact response personnel when the lanyard has been deployed.
US08675821B2
A network audio testing system and a network audio testing method thereof for testing the performance of a network communication system during communication are disclosed. The system includes a processing system and a sound simulation device. The processing system is for generating a near-end simulation signal and a far-end simulation signal. The sound simulation device is for receiving and making a near-end simulation sound. The near-end simulation sound is received by a microphone of the network communication system to generate a first test signal. The processing system further simultaneously makes the sound simulation device sounding the near-end simulation sound and a speaker sounding a far-end simulation sound to obtain a second test signal. The processing system compares the first and the second test signal to obtain an attenuation degree of the near-end simulation signal and a residual energy of the far-end simulation signal.
US08675820B2
A device for use with a radiation machine includes a first cone collimator, wherein the first cone collimator has a first end for receiving a radiation beam, a collimating portion for changing the radiation beam, and a second end for emitting an output beam, and wherein the first cone collimator is configured to be detachably coupled to a coupling device that has a plurality of moveable switches, and has one or more engaging portions configured to engage with a first subset of the plurality of switches. A method of using a cone collimator includes receiving a portion of a cone collimator, determining a subset of a plurality of switches that is pressed by the cone collimator, and determining an identity of the cone collimator based on the subset of the plurality of switches that is pressed by the cone collimator.
US08675815B2
A device, system and method for administering radiation therapy to a tissue surface of a patient utilizes an applicator capable of controlled movement and repositioning over a selected area of tissue, under the control of a computer or controller. A servo-controlled manipulator can effect a raster scan of the desired area, such as an area of the skin, and this can be in any desired pattern such as serpentine, spiral, parallel but unidirectional, or irregular patterns. Preferably a third direction of control is included, i.e. a depth direction, with an appropriate form of depth sensor, a signal from which can be used to adjust the radiation source so that radiation of the tissue surface is consistent over varied contoured.
US08675811B2
A circuit which is constituted by a plurality of n-channel transistors includes, in at least one embodiment, a transistor (T1) which has a drain terminal to which an input signal is supplied and a source terminal from which a output signal is supplied; and a transistor (T2) which has a drain terminal to which a control signal is supplied and a source terminal connected to a gate terminal of the transistor (T1). A gate terminal of the transistor (T2) is connected to the source terminal of the transistor (T2). With the arrangement, it is possible to provide (i) a semiconductor device which is constituted by transistors having an identical conductivity type and which is capable of reducing an influence of noise, and (ii) a display device including the semiconductor device.
US08675805B2
Provided is an automated periodic surveillance testing method and apparatus in a digital reactor protection system, which unites a passive testing means such as a self-diagnosis or an on-line state comparison with an active testing means such as an automatic logic test and the like in the digital reactor protection system. Accordingly, a device self-diagnosis, an on-line state diagnosis, and an automatic logic test are used as the automated periodic surveillance testing method in the digital reactor protection system. Thus, the time consumed in a periodic surveillance test can be minimized, thereby saving reactor operating costs, and excessive manpower can be avoided, thereby decreasing potential human errors. Also, a channel detour time at which one of multiple channels is detoured can be minimized based on the automated periodic surveillance test in the digital reactor protection system, thereby enhancing stability.
US08675788B2
A method of estimating frequency offset of a received signal in a terminal apparatus comprises a) determining a phase change between a first and a second reference symbol of the received signal, wherein the time distance t between the first and the second reference symbols is associated with an observation frequency f such that f=1/t. The method further comprises: b) determining a preliminary frequency offset Δf based on the determined phase change, wherein Δf forms a frequency offset hypothesis Δfh; and c) decoding at least a part of the received signal, with application of the frequency offset hypothesis Δfh, to a decoded signal. The method further comprises: d) determining whether the decoded signal is a successful decoding. If the decoded signal is a successful decoding, the frequency offset hypothesis Δfh is determined to be the estimated frequency offset, but if the decoded signal is not a successful decoding, the frequency offset hypothesis Δfh is adjusted by an integer n times the observation frequency f such that Δfh=Δf+n·f, where nε[+/−1, 2, 3, . . . ]. Steps c) and d) are then repeated.
US08675787B2
A circuit for detecting a predetermined symbol of a digital data stream includes a frequency shifter, a correlator, a filter and a decision unit. The frequency shifter performs inverse-frequency shifting upon a first data to generate a first frequency-shifted data. The correlator calculates correlation upon the first frequency-shifted data and a second data to generate a correlated data. The filter, coupled to the correlator, filters and the correlated data to generate a filtered correlated data according to a time-domain windowing length. The decision unit, coupled to the filter, determines the predetermined symbol from the digital data stream according to the filtered correlated data.
US08675786B1
A system includes a channel estimator configured to receive a plurality of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols via a plurality of respective antennas, and generate estimates of a channel based on the plurality of OFDM symbols. A demodulator is configured to generate a plurality of demodulated symbols based on the plurality of OFDM symbols and the estimates of the channel. A decoder is configured to receive the estimates of the channel from the channel estimator, receive the plurality of demodulated symbols from the demodulator, and calculate decision metrics for the plurality of OFDM symbols using both the estimates of the channel and the plurality of demodulated symbols.
US08675773B2
Systems, methods, apparatus and computer program products are provided for signaling to a receiver an availability of a service and a deterministic mapping of a service content corresponding to the service. A modulator receives a digital signal and generates a data frame from the digital signal, where the data frame is divided into segments, where at least one grouping of the segments contains the service content. The modulator modulates at least one grouping in accordance with the deterministic mapping. A receiving device receives a digital signal containing the availability of a service, the deterministic mapping corresponding to the service, and the service content, and performs an operation on the service content in accordance with the deterministic mapping.
US08675771B2
A log likelihood ratio arithmetic circuit for calculating a log likelihood ratio from information of a coordinate of a reception signal point to be applied to a communication system using a quadrature amplitude modulation method, wherein the circuit limits a scope within which a value of the log likelihood ratio varies corresponding to a position of the reception signal point to a range between adjacent signal points including a hard-decision threshold of a bit, and wherein the value of the log likelihood ratio does not vary outside of the range between the adjacent signal points.
US08675768B2
Systems and methods facilitate pilot signal design, power control, data rate determination, and channel assignment in the reverse link of a wireless communication system for dynamic scheduling and joint operation in SIMO, SU-MIMO, and MU-MIMO. Pilot signal is based on periodic transmissions of multiple sounding reference sequences for channel estimation. Power control is based on a reference signal at a predetermined power spectral density (PSD) level, and on an offset PSD determined and signaled based on an antenna that transmits the reference signal, other cell interference, and power amplifier headroom. PSD levels for SIMO/MIMO data transmissions are determined based on channel estimates and the predetermined PSD and offset PSD. Such data PSD levels are employed to generate data rates, and to dynamically schedule data streams for communication. Communication resources are conveyed through a channel assignment with an overhead that depends on the maximum multiplexing order of the estimated channel.
US08675762B2
The present invention provides a method of transforming pre-coded signals for transmission over an air interface in a MIMO wireless communication system. Embodiments of the method may include applying, at a transmitter, a transform matrix and a pre-coding matrix to a signal prior to transmitting the signal using a plurality of antennas deployed in a first antenna configuration. The pre-coding matrix is selected from a codebook defined for a second antenna configuration deployed in a non-scattering environment. The transform matrix is defined based on the first antenna configuration and a scattering environment associated with the transmitter.
US08675760B2
A mobile device receives beams orthogonal to a single user downlink MIMO channel associated with a selected first user in a user group. The mobile device estimates relative channel direction information with respect to the received beams for an associated single user downlink MIMO channel. The estimated relative channel direction information is hybrid-quantized to generate a semi-orthogonal matrix transmitted to the base station over a finite-rate feedback link. The mobile device receives downlink data transmission according to the hybrid-quantized relative channel direction information. The base station receives multiple semi-orthogonal matrices from remaining mobile devices to generate a semi-orthogonal group for the selected first user. A mobile device having the strongest quantized projected channel capacity is selected from the generated semi-orthogonal group as a second user. Mutual channel capacity information for the selected first and second users is determined to schedule corresponding downlink data transmissions, accordingly.
US08675755B1
A received signal includes a plurality of user signals, the plurality of user signals including at least a first user signal and a second user signal. The first user signal corresponds to first user data that has been modulated independently of second user data corresponding to the second user signal. At least one of the first user signal or the second user signal is encoded with a finite state machine encoder independently of the other of the first user signal and the second user signal. The received signal is demodulated, wherein demodulating the received signal includes calculating distances between (i) each transmit symbol in the received signal and (ii) expected symbol values, wherein each expected symbol value corresponds to user data for multiple users including the first user and the second user. User data in the received signal including the first user data and the second user data is decoded based on the calculated distances.
US08675752B2
Embodiments are directed to binary phase shift key modulating a first pilot symbol according to a reference sequence, and differentially binary phase shift key modulating a second pilot symbols. The original reference sequence and the delayed differentially modulated sequence are then combined before performing an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform and inserting a guard interval. Receiver operations are an inverse of the transmitter operations, which were just discussed. The receiver does not have to know the reference sequence. Embodiments are directed to specifying a plurality of seeds that are bit patterns each having r bits not all of which have a value of zero, extending the seeds into respective sequences by applying to each seed a recurrence formula; and using one of the sequences as a comb sequence and using the sequences other than the comb sequence as binary phase shift keying patterns.
US08675751B2
A method of embedding information within a burst carrier signal, the method comprising modulating meta-data using a modulator such that a meta-carrier signal results, lowering a Power Spectral Density (PSD) of the meta-carrier signal by Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) chipping the meta-carrier signal using a linear Pseudo-Random Number (PRN) sequence, embedding one or more modulated symbols of the meta-carrier signal within an unused portion of one or more quadrants of a modulation constellation of a burst carrier signal such that a composite carrier signal results, and synchronously transmitting the composite carrier signal using a transmitter such that symbols of the meta-carrier signal are synchronized with symbols of the burst carrier signal.
US08675748B2
Systems and methods which provide for reduced intra communication system information transfer by providing a compressed representation of a portion of intra communication system information are shown. An embodiment operates to provide intra communication system transfer of uncompressed received information while providing intra communication system transfer of a compressed representation of information ancillary to the received information. According to embodiments, ancillary information, such as CSI, associated with other transferred information is transferred with reduced data throughput requirements through application of compression techniques with respect to the transferred ancillary information. Embodiments additionally or alternatively reduce the intra communication system information transferred by reducing the received information transferred.
US08675746B2
A method, comprising: periodically enabling reception of a signal at a receiver, every first time; transforming the received signal in order to determine data in the received signal; comparing the determined data with reference data; and using the difference between the determined data and the reference data to estimate a correction to a multiple of the first time in order to determine a distance between the receiver and an origin of the signal.
US08675739B2
A multi-core processor device and a video decoding method using a multi-core processor, which can efficiently use system resources in a multi-core processor environment that requires a considerable amount of computation. The multi-core processor device includes a video decoder module which includes a plurality of function modules for performing video decoding; a memory which stores an input bitstream and loads the function modules; and a multi-core processor which includes a plurality of cores that perform a video decoding operation on the input bitstream by using the function modules, the cores including a first core and a second core, wherein, if the first core becomes idle during the video decoding operation, the second core allocates part of a remaining task of the second core to the first core and thus reduces an idle time of the first core.
US08675731B2
An encoder is operable to encode input data to generate corresponding encoded output data. The encoder includes data processing hardware. The encoder compresses content associated with blocks or packets, so that the encoded output data is smaller in size than the input data.
US08675729B2
In a picture coding method for generating a coded signal corresponding to each picture by coding a plurality of coded signals, a switching picture which is capable of switching a plurality of coded signals and subsequent pictures of the switching picture can refer to only a group of pictures of the same time in the coded signals. More specifically, the case where picture numbers of an adjacent picture of an S picture and the S picture are not continuous is not considered as an error.
US08675727B2
A method of supporting synchronization of Scalable Video Coding (SVC) information and Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) information using a Normal Play Time (NPT), the method including: receiving video information using a decoding apparatus; receiving audio information using the decoding apparatus; calculating the NPT of the video information using a Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) time stamp included in the received video information; calculating the NPT of the audio information using the RTP time stamp included in the received audio information; comparing the NPT of the video information and the NPT of the audio information to calculate a difference value; determining whether the calculated difference value is included in a specific synchronization region; and outputting the audio information and the video information when the calculated difference value is determined to be included in the specific synchronization region.
US08675718B2
Precoder weights employed at a base station which coordinates with other base stations to form a super-cell are determined by: (a) determining an initial downlink precoding matrix at the base station for a mobile station serviced by the base station in the super-cell; (b) revising a downlink receiver matrix associated with the mobile station based on the initial downlink precoding matrix; (c) transforming the downlink receiver matrix to an uplink precoder matrix associated with the mobile station; (d) revising an uplink receiver matrix associated with each base station in uplink communication with the mobile station based on the uplink precoder matrix associated with the mobile station; and (e) revising the initial downlink precoding matrix by transforming the uplink receiver matrix to a revised downlink precoding matrix. Steps (b), (c), (d) and (e) are repeated for a particular number of iterations to determine a final downlink precoding matrix for the mobile station.
US08675716B2
A transceiver device includes a transmitting unit, a receiving unit, and a detection unit. The transmitting unit transmits a first packet; the receiving unit receives a second packet and at least one receiving parameter; the detection unit is coupled to the transmitting unit and the receiving unit, and detects the first and the second packets to adjust the receiving parameter. When the detection unit detects that the first and the second packets are substantially the same, the detection unit pauses adjusting the receiving parameter.
US08675715B2
A high-bandwidth communication modem such as an ultra wideband (UWB) communication modem or a high-giga wideband (HGWB) modem includes an interface configured to transceive data in connection with a host device, a baseband processor configured to process, in a parallel manner, a baseband signal being transceived between the interface and a parallel/serial converter, the parallel/serial converter configured to combine a parallel signal into a serial signal and output the serial signal, and separate a serial signal into a parallel signal and output the parallel signal, a radio frequency (RF) processor configured to reduce a frequency of a received UWB or HGWB signal and transmit the frequency-reduced signal to the parallel/serial converter, and increase a frequency of the serial signal received from the parallel/serial converter and transmit the frequency-increased signal to a directional antenna, and the directional antenna configured to transceive a wireless signal by forming a directional beam and control a direction of the directional beam.
US08675713B2
A satellite-based positioning system reception device comprises a function for detecting false lock-ons based on a linear combination of complex signals arising from correlation pathways between a signal received from a satellite and a prompt local code and a plurality of local codes shifted by determined delays with respect to the prompt local code. An advantage is that the function for detecting false lock-ons makes it possible to remedy the false lock-ons due to multi-path phenomena.
US08675711B1
A transmitter transmits a signal to a receiver using spread spectrum signals. The transmitter generates a respective signal. The transmitter separates the respective signal into multiple predefined portions, wherein each predefined portion is below a noise floor. The transmitter transmits at least a plurality of the predefined portions of the respective signal at discrete bandwidth intervals in accordance with a spread spectrum signal splitting technique. The discrete bandwidth intervals are portions of spectrum that are available for transmission. The receiver receives at least a plurality of the multiple predefined portions of the respective signal at the discrete bandwidth intervals. The receiver reconstructs the respective signal using at least a plurality of the predefined portions in accordance with the spread spectrum signal splitting technique.
US08675703B2
A method for producing light emission from a semiconductor structure, including the following steps: providing a semiconductor structure that includes a first semiconductor junction between an emitter region of a first conductivity type and a base region of a second conductivity type opposite to that of the first conductivity type, and a second semiconductor junction between the base region and a drain region; providing, within the base region, a region exhibiting quantum size effects; providing an emitter electrode coupled with the emitter region; providing a base/drain electrode coupled with the base region and the drain region; and applying signals with respect to the emitter and base/drain electrodes to obtain light emission from the semiconductor structure.
US08675699B2
A laser pulse synthesis system is provided. A further aspect of the present system uses a phase-only modulator to measure ultrashort laser pulses. An additional aspect achieves interferences between split subpulses even though the subpulses have different frequencies. Yet another aspect of a laser system employs multi-comb phase shaping of a laser pulse. In another aspect, a laser system includes pulse characterization and arbitrary or variable waveform generation through spectral phase comb shaping.
US08675695B2
An apparatus comprising: a processor for determining if a laser is operating in a single-mode state and for determining the degree to which one of one or more tunable parameters for the laser must be adjusted so that laser operates in a single-mode state if not operating in a single-mode state, wherein the one or more tunable parameters include the following parameters: the laser current and the wavelength of the output light. The apparatus may include a laser and/or a holographic storage medium. Also provided is a method for determining if a laser is operating in a single-mode state and for determining the degree to which one of one or more tunable parameters for the laser must be adjusted so that laser operates in a single-mode state if not operating in a single-mode state.
US08675694B2
A system includes a laser configured to generate a pump beam at a pump wavelength. The system also includes a multi-media Raman resonator configured to receive the pump beam and generate an output beam. The multi-media Raman resonator includes multiple mirrors and multiple Raman media optically located between the minors. Output power in the output beam is spectrally concentrated around a single dominant wavelength that is longer than a pump wavelength. The longer wavelength of the output beam is associated with a combination of at least one Stokes shift associated with each of the individual Raman media. A filter could be configured to absorb light at a wavelength that is absorbed by one of the Raman media or to redirect light at the wavelength absorbed by one of the Raman media away from that Raman medium.
US08675693B2
Techniques for transmitting and receiving data in a communication system are described. A receiver may iteratively decode a data packet and may obtain better performance with more decoding iterations. The receiver may select the number of decoding iterations based on at least one parameter (e.g., packet size) to tradeoff between decoder throughput and link performance. In one design, a transmitter may obtain a transport format selected based on the number of decoding iterations, process a data packet in accordance with the transport format, and send a transmission of the data packet to the receiver. The receiver may receive the transmission of the data packet and may perform decoding for the data packet for up to the selected number of decoding iterations. The transport format and/or CQI information may be determined based on an expected degradation in link performance due to the receiver performing the selected number of decoding iterations.
US08675688B2
Provided are an apparatus and method of transmitting and receiving a wake-up signal. The method of receiving a wake-up signal includes the following: operating a radio frequency (RF) receiving unit that receives a wireless signal through an antenna during an SFD detecting time, wherein the SFD detecting time is shorter than a predetermined SFD detecting time period, according to the predetermined SFD detecting time period and detecting a start of frame delimiter (SFD) to indicate that the received wireless signal is a wake-up signal to wake-up a node in a sleep mode; and detecting the wake-up signal by continuously operating the RF receiving unit when the SFD is detected. Power consumption that is used to receive the wake-up signal can be reduced.
US08675682B2
A wireless node device receives data island packets from an HDMI device with a time cycle, and prohibits wireless transmission of a data island notification message when a video output format and an audio output format included in the data island packet are the same as a video output format and an audio output format included in the data island packet, respectively.
US08675681B2
An integrated circuit includes an array of interconnected programmable logic elements (2) each logic element performing data processing control by a configuration. The logic elements may be part of a field programmable gate array. Embedded within the array are a plurality of dedicated communication interface circuits (36) providing access to one or more shared communication channels (38) to provide intra-array communication. Communication transactions between functional unit (78, 80, 82, 84) are multiplexed (e.g. time-division-multiplexed) together to share a shared communication channel provided within the array.
US08675675B2
A computer-implemented method is disclosed including: receiving a broadcast signal containing a set of multiplexed multimedia channels; storing said multiplexed multimedia channels in a temporary storage buffer on a mass storage device; determining a point in said temporary storage buffer to begin demultiplexing and decoding a first channel responsive to a user request to view a particular program on said first channel in its entirety, said point indicating the start of said program on said first channel; and demultiplexing and decoding said first channel of said set of multiplexed multimedia channels from said point within said temporary storage buffer.
US08675671B2
A system for managing voice and data communications for at least one user is coupled to at least one wide area telecommunications network and includes at least a processor and data storage resources. A first bus is adapted to couple video data between the system and a video unit coupled to the system under control of the processor. A second bus is adapted to couple audio data between the system and a microphone unit coupled to the system under control of the processor, and audio data are coupled to a TDM bus in the system operating under control of the processor. A digital transmission link of the wide area telecommunications network couples the video and audio data from the system, under control of the processor. A user participates in a video call with the video data, while concurrently the user participates in a telephone call with the audio data. Voice communications of the telephone call that stay in a circuit-switched form are provided via the TDM bus, and the video call and the telephone call can provide a conference call.
US08675666B2
A method for synchronizing network elements to a global clock derived from the GPS clock acquired by a plurality of base stations. The global clock is distributed to controllers of various networks, and from there to network access devices. The network access devices further distribute the global clock to various wire-line and local wireless networks and from there, to the users served by these networks. The user equipment is enabled with a simple clock discipliner that adjusts the local clock to the global clock, resulting in a reliable synchronization across the converged communication networks.
US08675660B2
According to embodiments of the invention, there is provided a method for operating a network processor. The network processor receiving a first data packet in a stream of data packets and a set of receive-queues adapted to store receive data packets. The network processor processing the first data packet by reading a flow identification in the first data packet; determining a quality of service for the first data packet; mapping the flow identification and the quality of service into an index for selecting a first receive-queue for routing the first data packet; and utilizing the index to route the first data packet to the first receive-queue.
US08675659B2
The various embodiments include methods, servers and systems for communicating signaling information in a telecommunications signaling network that involves decoding a first portion of the received first message, determining if the decoded first portion identifies a destination component, determining if the destination component can be derived from the decoded first portion when the decoded first portion does not identify a destination component, recursively decoding subsequent portions of the received first message when previously decoded portions do not identify the destination component and that the destination component cannot be derived using the previously decoded portions, performing context-based routing operations using information extracted from the previously decoded portions to identify the destination component, packaging the previously decoded portions along with a remainder of the first message into a second message encoding signaling information, and sending the second message encoding signaling information to the identified destination component over a second communications link.
US08675657B2
A wireless communication apparatus transmits a packet that includes a destination address, a source address, and a frame body over a wireless network. The wireless communication apparatus computes a first calculation value for use in detecting packet falsification based on a destination address, a source address, and a frame body by using a predetermined computation method, and stores the first calculation value that is associated with the destination address. When a second packet is to be transmitted to a same destination address that is the same as the destination address stored in the storage unit, the wireless communication apparatus computes a second calculation value using the first calculation value stored in the storage unit and the frame body contained in the second packet by using the predetermined computation method.
US08675650B2
A technique is disclosed for synchronizing NAT information stored on different network devices that have been configured to implement a network address translation protocol. Each of the network devices includes a respective NAT data structure configured to store NAT information. The NAT information includes at least one NAT entry relating to a network node engaged in a communication session with at least one other network node. At least one NAT entry in a first NAT data structure is modified. The first NAT data structure is associated with a first NAT network device. A first NAT transaction message is generated which includes information relating to the modifications performed on the first NAT data structure. The first NAT transaction message is transmitted to at least one other NAT network device to thereby cause that device to modify its respective NAT data structure using information from the first NAT transaction message. In this way, synchronization of NAT information stored on each of the network devices may be achieved.
US08675640B2
A method for connecting to a called terminal includes: acquiring mobile station international integrated service digital network number (MSISDN) information corresponding to a called terminal which is located at an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) domain, together with international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) information and location area identity (LAI) information that correspond to the MSISDN information when a primary mobile access gateway control function entity mAGCF has a failure; and performing a connecting to the called terminal through a selected mAGCF according to the MSISDN information, the IMSI information and the LAI information.
US08675632B2
The present disclosure relates to signalling of reference signals for Multi Input Multi Output (MIMO) transmission schemes. A method embodiment for generating reference signals for use between a mobile terminal 10 and an access node 20 in a cellular communication network 100 comprises receiving, by the mobile terminal 10, a cyclic shift set indicator; selecting, from a group of cyclic shift sets, a cyclic shift set based on the received cyclic shift set indicator, each cyclic shift set comprising at least two parameters each indicating a cyclic shift; and generating, based on at least two parameters of the selected cyclic shift set, at least two orthogonal reference signals for at least two layers of a Single User Spatial Multiplexing transmission scheme to be simultaneously transmitted. A further method embodiment comprises selecting, from a plurality of groups of cyclic shift sets, a group of cyclic shift sets based on at least one of a transmission rank, being the number of layers to be simultaneously transmitted, and a number of configured antennas of the mobile terminal 10.
US08675631B2
Method and system for achieving faster device operation by logical separation of control information
Provided is a method and system for managing device operations. The method includes dividing control information into two or more portions, each portion being associated with a unique control sequence number. Each of the associated control sequence numbers is examined during an update cycle to determine which of the portions must be updated. The control sequence number includes information related to control information updates.
US08675627B2
Adaptive precoding codebooks are described. In one embodiment, the method of wireless communication includes reading at least a rank-2 baseline codebook having codewords representing precoding matrices. An adaptive codebook is generated by multiplying a first column of the codeword with a first transform matrix calculated from a channel correlation matrix, and multiplying a second column of the codeword with a second transform matrix calculated from the channel correlation matrix. The first and the second transform matrices are orthogonal.
US08675619B2
A communication terminal performs wireless ad hoc communication with another terminal via a first wireless interface dedicated to reception and a second wireless interface for both transmission and reception. The terminal executes defining a communication area to be divided into cells of first polygonal shapes and each of the cells to be divided into a plurality of sub-cells of second polygonal shapes different from the first polygonal shapes; allocating, so as to prevent adjacent cells from belonging to a set of two identical wireless channels, a first wireless channel and a second wireless channel as the set of wireless channels to the cells; and setting the first wireless channel and the second wireless channel so that the same transmission channel is set for sub-cells brought into contact between the adjacent cells while different transmission channels are set for adjacent sub-cells in an own cell where an own terminal is present.
US08675617B2
A client station in a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication system includes a beam commutation algorithm and a smart antenna responsive to the beam commutation algorithm for selecting one of a plurality of directional antenna beams. The smart antenna is configured as a virtual omni-directional antenna by using a commutation of switched directional antenna beams. A switched directional antenna system that performs a commutation sequencing can be blind to environmental conditions and changes.
US08675611B2
It is described a method for selecting a transmission mode for a radio data transfer between a user equipment and a base station of a telecommunication network. The method includes (a) determining the quality of a radio link, which extends between the user equipment and the base station, (b) determining the radio load within the telecommunication network, and (c) selecting a transmission mode based on the quality of the radio link and on the radio load. It is further described a control device for selecting a transmission mode for a radio data transfer between a user equipment and a base station and a computer program for controlling the described transmission mode selection method.
US08675607B2
The present invention relates to a solution for handling handover of connections for a user equipment from a packet switch network to a circuit switched network. This is provided as a method implemented in a node and system. The method is provided in a telecommunications network (100) connecting user equipment, i.e. UE, (101) communicating wirelessly (111) with the network. The method comprising steps of detecting (301) that handover is required from a packet switched, i.e. PS, based network (102) to a circuit switched, i.e. CS, based network (103), initiating (302) in a source mobility management node (104) a single radio voice call continuity, i.e. SVRCC, initiating (303) a PS to PS handover for non-voice components with information about voice related parameters and a PS to CS handover indicator, executing (304) hand over, sending (305) an update to a serving gateway, i.e. SGW, (107) from a target mobility management node (105) with non-voice related parameters and the PS to CS handover indicator, forwarding (306) the update from the SGW to a packet data network gateway, i.e. PGW (108), receiving the update in the PGW, detecting the PS to CS handover indicator, and handling (307) in the PGW the PS to CS handover indicator.
US08675601B2
Techniques are provided to enable a support for guest access of devices in a network. At a controller apparatus in a first mobility sub-domain of a network comprising a plurality of mobility sub-domains, a request message containing a request for guest network access for a device is received from a first access switch in the first mobility sub-domain. The controller apparatus forwards the request message to a guest controller. At a tunneling endpoint apparatus in the first mobility sub-domain, a tunnel is established to the guest controller to carry traffic between the device and the guest controller. Traffic for the device passes in a tunnel between the first access switch and the tunneling endpoint apparatus in the first mobility sub-domain, through the tunneling endpoint apparatus in the first mobility sub-domain and in the tunnel between the routing apparatus in the first mobility sub-domain and the guest controller.
US08675594B2
Provided are methods of spectrum sensing and assigning quiet periods in a cognitive radio system in order to increase the reliability of detection regarding whether an incumbent user appears in his/her frequency channel, customer premises equipment (CPE), a base station, and the structure of a super frame for performing the methods. The spectrum sensing method includes communicating with a base station (BS) and performing spectrum sensing for frequency channels having quiet periods (QPs) during the QPs of the frequency channels used in the cognitive radio system, wherein the QPs of the frequency channels do not overlap each other
US08675590B2
A network (100) includes a hub device (110) and at least one unattached peripheral device (120). The unattached peripheral device (120) transmits an attach request to the hub device (110) with a selected address, receives a new address from the hub device to identify the unattached peripheral device (120), and communicates with the hub device (110) using the new address.
US08675588B2
In a wireless communication system, when data communication is performed between a relay device and a terminal (in a second path), the same amount of data is required to be transferred between a base station and the relay device (in a third path). An amount of wireless communication resources required is obtained by adding an amount inversely proportional to a capacity of each of the second and third wireless transmission-paths. Therefore, the amount inversely proportional to the capacity of the third path is consumed in excess. Based on a channel quality of a first wireless channel between the base station and the terminal, a channel quality of a second wireless channel between the terminal and the relay station, and a channel quality of a third wireless channel between the base station and the relay station, it is determined whether data communication between the base station and the terminal is relayed.
US08675584B2
A method of configuring a radio connection by a mobile station (MS) in a multi-carrier system includes receiving carrier aggregation information on a plurality of aggregated carriers from a base station (BS), performing a radio connection to the BS by using at least one first carrier among the plurality of aggregated carriers, and reestablishing a radio connection to the BS by using a second carrier when an error occurs in the radio connection.
US08675576B2
A method and system for a wireless device configured to communicate with a network is presented. The network is communicated with at a radio link control layer. An indication is communicated to the network that a higher layer protocol is operating in an acknowledged mode. The higher level protocol is above the radio link control layer. In some implementations, the higher level protocol terminates at a device located outside the network. A resource allocation is received from the network. The resource allocation is at the RLC layer.
US08675570B2
Techniques for bandwidth allocation in communication systems such as OFDM, OFDMA, or SC-FDMA systems to improve spectral efficiency and increase flexibility and adaptability with scalable single or multiple-carrier bandwidth allocation characteristics.
US08675563B2
Methods and apparatus disclosed maximize the capacity of serving cells and minimize inter-cell interferences due to power emission from serving cells in a multi-carrier, multi-cell communication system. The control methods and apparatus take into account various factors such as cell configuration, frequency reuse, geometry and path-loss information, transmission priority, subchannel configuration, feedback from other cells, or any combination thereof, and produce signals that control the transmission power levels and the modulation and coding of transmitted signals.
US08675560B2
Communication in a dominant interference scenario may be supported by performing inter-cell interference coordination (ICIC). According to certain aspects of ICIC, resource coordination/partitioning may be performed to allocate resources to a serving Node B located near the vicinity of a strong interfering Node B. The interfering Node B may avoid transmitting on the allocated/protected resources, but transmissions from the interfering Node B on resources not allocated to the serving Node B (i.e., unprotected) may cause significant interference on cell-specific reference signal (CRS) tones of the serving Node B. Therefore, if the CRS tones of the unallocated/unprotected resources are used, performance degradation may result to various operations of the serving Node B. Therefore, certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for a UE receiver in utilizing resource partitioning information (RPI) for performing CRS processing in a heterogeneous network (HetNet).
US08675557B2
A method for communication between nodes in a wireless network, in particular in a wireless ad hoc or mesh network, wherein multiple wireless channels with different frequency bands are provided and wherein the nodes are enabled to operate on the different channels is characterized in that each the node has assigned a home channel where it usually resides, wherein a node that leaves its home channel and switches to another of the multiple channels—temporary operating channel—provides information about the temporary operating channel on the node's home channel.
US08675554B2
A wireless communication device is operable to perform neighbor cell analysis functions while operating in a continuous packet connectivity (CPC) mode and without requiring dedicated time periods for performing the neighbor cell analysis functions as part of a discontinuous reception (DRX) phase of the CPC mode. The DRX phase includes discontinuous (e.g., periodic) time periods for monitoring a downlink control channel from a serving base station. A receiver of the wireless communication device receives a control signal over the downlink control channel during each time period of the discontinuous time periods. A processor of the wireless communication device performs a portion of a neighbor cell analysis function during each time period of a quantity of the discontinuous time periods to produce neighbor cell analysis data. The processor accumulates the neighbor cell analysis data over the quantity of time periods to complete the neighbor cell analysis function.
US08675551B2
A mobility access gateway (MAG) comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising establishing a multi-protocol label switched (MPLS) tunnel with a local mobility agent (LMA), and establishing communications with a plurality of mobile nodes (MNs) associated with a plurality of service providers, wherein a plurality of packets destined for the LMA comprise a label that distinguishes between the service providers. Also disclosed is a method comprising receiving a packet destined for a MN, adding an inner label to the packet, wherein the inner label is associated with the MN, and adding a tunnel label to the packet.
US08675549B2
An apparatus and method for serving sector maintenance in a wireless communication system is described. A forward link serving sector (FLSS) change command (ChangeFLSS) is received and it is determined if a FLSS in the ChangeFLSS command is a member of a NonSynchronousSubset. If the determination is positive, a reverse link serving sector (RLSS) and a dedicated RLSS (DRLSS) in the public data may be updated to be equal to the FLSS in the ChangeFLSS command, and indications that the RLSS and the DRLSS have changed may be issued. Otherwise, the FLSS and a dedicated FLSS (DFLSS) in the public data may be updated to be equal to the FUSS in the ChangeFLSS command, and indications that the FUSS and the DFLSS have changed may be issued.
US08675539B1
Methods are disclosed for management-packet communication using management frames between various combinations of stations and access points to share application data, for example, a GPS ephemeris and/or its position data for at least one GPS satellite. The management-packet communications may push the application data, or operate in a pull mode based upon availability and requests. The methods may use infrastructure messaging and/or ad hoc or peer to peer messaging schemes. The apparatus supporting these methods include embodiments of integrated circuits, processors, program systems, installation packages, computer readable memories and servers.
US08675537B2
Techniques for sending information in a wireless network are described. The network may support (i) regular subframes used to send unicast information and (ii) multicast/broadcast single frequency network (MBSFN) subframes used to send broadcast information and having lower overhead than the regular subframes. In an aspect, MBSFN subframes may be used to mitigate interference. A first base station may cause high interference to stations (e.g., UEs) served by a second base station. The first base station may reserve a subframe for the second base station, send system information conveying the reserved subframe as an MBSFN subframe to its stations, and transmit in a first part of the reserved subframe in accordance with an MBSFN subframe format. The second base station may skip the first part and may send unicast information to its stations in the remaining part of the reserved subframe. In another aspect, MBSFN subframes may be used to support additional base station capabilities.
US08675532B2
Systems and methods for providing a low power receiver device using fine grained time division are provided. In one embodiment, the receiver device comprises a tuner, a demodulator configured to demodulate at least one sampled signal, a payload processor configured to process at least one demodulated signal into an output format, and a time division control logic configured to generate a control signal to switch at least one component within the receiver device between modes to conserve power. The at least one component may be switched between an active mode, a standby mode, a power off mode, and a low power mode. In further embodiments, the at least one component may be switched between staggered modes.
US08675522B2
Techniques disclosed herein include systems and methods for improving multicast traffic operations in a Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) network by conveying bridging domain information of an incoming interface (IIF) when transporting multicast traffic over the SPB network. Techniques disclosed herein include modifying encapsulation packet header information of existing Mac-In-Mac fields to convey additional information that can be interpreted at edge nodes by modifying edge node interpretation of multicast data. Specifically, the value of the I-SID in the BMAC-DA field can be set to be different from the I-SID value in the I-TAG field. Carrying the L2 VSN I-SID value in the I-TAG allows the Egress BEBs to determine which VLAN/L2 VSN/Bridging-Domain of the IIF is in use, and then modify or preserve underlying header information accordingly.
US08675521B2
In a system including a plurality of node devices that form an ad hoc network (5), a node device (N06) receives, from another node device (N08; N04), first frame data including identification information of a source node device and a destination node device. If node related information of only the node device can be additionally stored in the received first frame data, the node device generates second frame data including the identification information of the source node device (N01; N11) or the destination node device (N11; N01) as destination identification information, node related information within the first frame data, and the node related information of the node device, also generates third frame data that does not include the node related information within the first frame data, and transfers the generated second and third frame data to another node device (N02, N04; N08).
US08675507B2
Various embodiments are disclosed for a services policy communication system and method. In some embodiments, an intermediate networking device provides a service intermediary or intermediate connection between a network and one or more communications devices; implements a service profile set for assisting control of the intermediate networking device use of a service set on the network, wherein the service profile set includes one or more service profiles, each profile being associated with either the intermediate networking device or a communications device, each profile further including a plurality of service policy settings; and monitors use of the service set based on the service profile set, in which the implementation of the first service profile set is verified.
US08675496B2
Methods and apparatuses for identifying a physical link interconnecting network devices and/or correlating a designation of an interface on a network device to a physical location of the interface on the network device are disclosed herein. A method for identifying a physical link interconnecting a network device and a peer network device, where the network device and the peer network device each have an interface and a corresponding indicating light, may include: sending a packet from the interface of the network device to the interface of the peer network device over the physical link; causing the indicating light corresponding to the interface of the peer network device to blink at a predetermined cadence for a predetermined period of time upon receipt of the packet to enable recognition of the peer network device.
US08675495B2
A communication system includes a transmission device configured to transmit a packet and a reception device configured to receive the packet. The reception device is equipped with a behavior information acquisition unit, a model specification information acquisition unit, and a model specification information transmission unit. The behavior information acquisition unit acquires behavior information representing the behavior of a packet before the packet reaches the reception device from the transmission device. The model specification information acquisition unit acquires model specification information for specifying a mathematical model representing the behaviors of a plurality of packets based on the acquired behavior information. The model specification information transmission unit transmits the acquired model specification information to the transmission device. The transmission device is equipped with a model specification information reception unit. The model specification information reception unit receives model specification information.
US08675483B2
A network device includes a group of high speed redundant transmission lines and a switch. The switch is configured to select one of the high speed redundant transmission lines. The switch causes reflections and frequency dependent dispersions in the selected high speed redundant transmission line. The network device further includes a transmitting device that is configured to adjust signals transmitted over the selected high speed redundant transmission line so as to reduce the reflections and frequency dependent dispersions.
US08675481B2
A method for transmitting a reference signal in a multi-antenna system is provided. The method includes: selecting at least one orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol in a subframe containing a plurality of OFDM symbols; allocating a channel quality indication reference signal (CQI RS) capable of measuring a channel state for each of a plurality of antennas to the selected at least one OFDM symbol; and transmitting the CQI RS, wherein the CQI RS is allocated to an OFDM symbol which does not overlap with an OFDM symbol to which a common reference signal to be transmitted to all user equipments in a cell or a dedicated reference signal to be transmitted to a specific user equipment in the cell is allocated.
US08675480B2
A wireless communications system includes a base station, and a communications device configured to communicate with the base station via different wireless communications channels using a modulation standard wherein a received modulation differs from a transmitted modulation (e.g., due to environmental conditions) as measured by a modulation fidelity value. The base station and the communications device are configured to cooperate to determine respective modulation fidelity values associated with a current channel and an alternate channel based upon an estimated modulation fidelity calculated from the received modulation, and to selectively switch between the current channel and the alternate channel based upon the determined modulation fidelity values.
US08675478B2
In one embodiment, a network device joins a first multicast tree to receive post-ad-inserted video content. The network device also joins a second multicast tree to receive the pre-ad-inserted video content. The content from the first multicast tree is forwarded by the network device to the receiver(s). The network device determines if it does not receive the content on the first multicast tree due to any failure, in which case, it delivers the content from the second multicast tree to the receiver(s). This enables the receiver to receive the original (pre-ad-inserted) content during the failure in first multicast tree. When the failure is resolved, the network device can go back to sending the content from the first multicast tree to the receiver(s).
US08675475B2
Techniques for managing a wireless network when disruptive events occur are provided. In one aspect, a method for managing a heterogeneous wireless network having at least two classes of nodes is provided. The method includes the following steps. One or more network signaling activities are observed. If the network signaling activities exhibit a behavior that is associated with a power failure affecting at least one of the classes of nodes, network resources for transmission and processing of network signaling associated with one or more other of the classes of nodes are adjusted to accommodate the behavior.
US08675467B2
A machine readable information storage medium, a reproducing method and apparatus which reproduces data from the storage medium, and a recording method and apparatus for recording data on the storage medium. The information storage medium includes a control area which stores within a data structure information usable by the recording or reproducing apparatus to record or reproduce the data on or from the storage medium. The information stored within the data structure includes a version corresponding to a specification, a revision number of recording speed, and an extended part version field.
US08675465B2
An optical pickup device, an optical disk drive and method of controlling light performed by the optical pickup device are provided. The optical pickup device includes: a light transmitting system including an object lens for facing a medium having a multi recording layer for storing information, a light source system for providing a plurality of beams used to record information on or reproduce information from the multi recording layer via the light transmitting system, a light-receiving system disposed on a path of a beam reflected from the medium, and a light controller including a light control device for controlling stray light generated in the medium such that the stray light does not reach the light-receiving device.
US08675460B2
Provided is an optical disc device including: an objective lens; a plurality of light-receiving elements each for outputting an output signal corresponding to a light amount of reflected light from the optical disc medium; a plurality of amplifiers each for amplifying the output signal from a corresponding one of the light-receiving elements; and a signal output circuit for outputting a focus error signal based on amplified signals from the amplifiers. The optical disc device executes focus servo control of controlling, based on the focus error signal, a position of the objective lens so as to keep constant a distance between the objective lens and a signal surface; moves the objective lens to a position at which accuracy of reading information from the optical disc medium becomes high; and thereafter adjusts a gain of each amplifier so that levels of the amplified signals become close to each other.
US08675440B2
A method of controlling a deep power down mode in a multi-port semiconductor memory having a plurality of ports connected to a plurality of processors includes controlling the deep power down mode in the multi-port semiconductor memory such that activation/deactivation of the deep power down mode are determined in accordance with signals applied through various ports in the plurality of ports.
US08675435B2
A circuit includes a first inverter including a first PMOS transistor and a first NMOS transistor, and a second inverter including a second PMOS transistor and a second NMOS transistor. A first node is connected to gates of the first PMOS transistor and the first NMOS transistor and drains of the second PMOS transistor and the second NMOS transistor. A second node is connected to gates of the second PMOS transistor and the second NMOS transistor and drains of the first PMOS transistor and the first NMOS transistor. The circuit further includes a first capacitor having a first capacitance connected to the first node; and a second capacitor having a second capacitance connected to the second node. The second capacitance is greater than the first capacitance.
US08675429B1
A system is provided for high-speed communication between a memory controller and a plurality of memory devices. A memory controller, and a plurality of memory devices are provided. Additionally, at least one channel is included for providing electrical communication between the memory controller and the plurality of memory devices, an impedance of the channel being at least partially controlled using High Density Interconnect (HDI) technology.
US08675423B2
Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods having first conductive lines, second conductive lines, a memory array including memory cells, each of the memory cells coupled between one of the first conductive lines and one of the second conductive lines. At least one of such apparatuses and methods can include a module configured to cause a first current from a first current source and a second current from a second current source to flow through a selected memory cell among the memory cells during an operation of storing information in the selected memory cell. Other embodiments including additional apparatuses and methods are described.
US08675410B2
Each memory cell string in a generic NAND flash cell block connects to a Common Source Line (CLS). A value for applying to the CSL is centrally generated and distributed to a local switch logic unit corresponding to each NAND flash cell block. For source-line page programming, the distribution line may be called a Global Common Source Line (GCSL). In an array of NAND flash cell blocks, only one NAND flash cell block is selected at a time for programming. To reduce power consumption, only the selected NAND flash cell block receives a value on the CSL that is indicative of the value on the GCSL. Additionally, the CSLs of non-selected NAND flash cell blocks may be disabled through an active connection to ground.
US08675409B2
A non-volatile memory device may include a semiconductor substrate including an active region at a surface thereof, a ground select line crossing the active region, and a string select line crossing the active region and spaced apart from the ground select line. A plurality of memory cell word lines may cross the active region between the ground select line and the string select line with about a same first spacing provided between adjacent ones of the plurality of word lines and between a last of the plurality of memory cell word lines and the string select line. A second spacing may be provided between the ground select line and a first of the plurality of memory cell word lines.
US08675402B2
A nonvolatile memory cell is able to reduce the size per the unit area by employing a dual gate structure where the chalcogenide compound is used for a channel. The nonvolatile memory cell includes a phase-change layer, a first and a second gate that are in contact with sides of the phase-change layer to face each other across the phase-in change layer and control a current flowing through the phase-change layer by each gate being arranged to induce the phase transition of the phase-change layer independently of the other.
US08675395B2
A circuit compatible with dynamic random access memories (DRAM) and static random access memories (SRAM) is disclosed. The circuit includes a substrate having a first conductivity type. A trench isolation region (850,852) is formed in the substrate. The trench isolation region has sides and a bottom formed below a face of the substrate. A first semiconductor region having a second conductivity type (868) is formed at the bottom of the trench isolation region. A second semiconductor region having the second conductivity type (870) is formed separately from the first semiconductor region adjacent a first side of trench isolation region and in conductive contact with the first semiconductor region.
US08675382B2
A low-power programmable LSI that can perform configuration (dynamic configuration) at high speed and can quickly start is provided. The programmable LSI includes a plurality of logic elements and a memory element for storing configuration data to be input to the plurality of logic elements. The plurality of logic elements each include a configuration memory. Each of the plurality of logic elements performs different arithmetic processing and changes an electrical connection between the logic elements in accordance with the configuration data stored in the configuration memory. The memory element is formed using a storage element including a transistor whose channel is formed in an oxide semiconductor layer and a node set in a floating state when the transistor is turned off.
US08675378B2
A power supply for a device which has a load, comprising a first resonant generator and a second resonant generator, coupled in parallel, each generator having a phase output. The power supply further comprises a control circuit coupled to the first and second generators controlling the first and second phase outputs, wherein the first phase output and the second phase output are summed to provide a variable power supply to the load.
US08675377B2
A rectifier system for a primary AC electrical power distribution system comprising a PFC circuit connected onto the primary distribution system which delivers a DC power supply and means for storing electrical energy connected to the outputs of the PFC via a switching circuit. This circuit is controlled in such a manner as to effect either the discharge of the electrical energy stored in the storage means onto the DC power supply line, or the charging of the storage means by the DC power supply line. A first control circuit determines the state of operation of the switching circuit by comparing the value of the voltage on the power supply line with a first reference voltage. A second control circuit regulates the power delivered by the PFC over the power supply line by comparing the voltage present at the output of the storage means with a second reference voltage.
US08675372B2
In at least one embodiment of the disclosure, an electrooptic device includes first and second mounting terminals arranged on a terminal portion to be aligned in a direction intersecting with a side of the electrooptic substrate. A first flexible substrate is connected to the first mounting terminal. A second flexible substrate is connected to the second mounting terminal and arranged to be superimposed on the first flexible substrate. A resin member covers the first flexible substrate, the second flexible substrate and the electrooptic substrate.
US08675355B2
An assembly can include a base with a hinge axis, a hinge end, an opposing end, a latch surface disposed intermediate the hinge end and the opposing end, a latch with a prong and an actuation surface, and a button seat disposed intermediate the latch surface and the opposing end where the button seat includes a button stop; a spring; and a button configured for translation in the button seat where the button includes a retainer and a latch contacting surface extending outwardly away from a back side where, for an un-depressed orientation, the spring biases the retainer against the button stop to maintain a gap between the latch contacting surface and the actuation surface of the latch. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.
US08675346B2
A mesoporous, nanocrystalline, metal oxide construct particularly suited for capacitive energy storage that has an architecture with short diffusion path lengths and large surface areas and a method for production are provided. Energy density is substantially increased without compromising the capacitive charge storage kinetics and electrode demonstrates long term cycling stability. Charge storage devices with electrodes using the construct can use three different charge storage mechanisms immersed in an electrolyte: (1) cations can be stored in a thin double layer at the electrode/electrolyte interface (non-faradaic mechanism); (2) cations can interact with the bulk of an electroactive material which then undergoes a redox reaction or phase change, as in conventional batteries (faradaic mechanism); or (3) cations can electrochemically adsorb onto the surface of a material through charge transfer processes (faradaic mechanism).
US08675344B2
A high energy density multilayer ceramic capacitor, having at least two electrode layers and at least one substantially dense polycrystalline dielectric layer positioned therebetween. The at polycrystalline dielectric layer has an average grain size of less than about 300 nanometers, a particle size distribution of between about 150 nanometers and about 3 micrometers, and a maximum porosity of about 1 percent. The dielectric layer is selected from the group including TiO2, BaTiO3, Al2O3, ZrO2, lead zirconium titanate, and combinations thereof and has a breakdown strength of at least about 1100 kV per centimeter.
US08675330B2
A safety switching device, with which a safety-related device, can be set into a safe state. The safety switching device has a microprocessor or microcontroller, which can set an electric drive to be protected into a safe state both if an emergency circuit breaker, protective door switch, and/or two-hand switch is activated and also if there is faulty operation of the safety-related device or electric drive. For this purpose, the microprocessor is implemented such that it can determine from at least one analog signal to be measured whether a predetermined parameter lies outside a predetermined operating range. In addition, the microprocessor can be a component of a safety device which is constructed for multiple-channel control of a safety-related electric drive. In this way, the safety switching device can respond to several safety functions independent of each other in order to set an electric drive into a safe state.
US08675329B2
A device, such as an intelligent electronic device (IED), provides a monitoring and protective function for a power system. The protective function uses stimulus acquired from the power system to detect power system conditions and to take one or more protective actions responsive thereto. The device may detect arc flash events in the power system based upon electro-optical and/or current stimulus measurements obtained therefrom. The stimulus measurements may be recorded to use in metering, validation, identifying detector misoperation, and/or event oscillography.
US08675325B2
An electronic circuit breaker includes controllable mechanical contacts adapted to connect a primary power source to at least one load; and control circuitry for monitoring the flow of power from the primary power source to the load, detecting fault conditions and automatically opening the contacts in response to the detection of a fault condition. A primary power source supplies power to the control circuitry when the contacts are closed, and an auxiliary power source supplies power to the control circuitry when the contacts are open, whether by a trip or by manual opening.
US08675318B1
A method and system for providing a read magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) is described. The magnetic read transducer includes a first shield, a read sensor stack, an antiferromagnetic (AFM) tab, and a second shield. The read sensor stack includes a pinned layer, a spacer layer, and a free layer. The spacer layer is nonmagnetic and between the pinned layer and the free layer. A portion of the read sensor stack is at the ABS. The AFM tab is recessed from the ABS and adjacent to a portion of the pinned layer. The read sensor resides between the first shield and the second shield.
US08675310B2
A tape drive system according to one embodiment includes a magnetic head. The magnetic head includes first and second beams each having a tape bearing surface, a face, a recess in the tape bearing surface thereof, the faces of the beams facing either towards each other or away from each other; a first chip being positioned in the recess of the first beam; and a second chip being positioned in the recess of the second beam, wherein each chip has circuitry selected from a group consisting of read elements, write elements, and combinations thereof, wherein a tape bearing surface of each chip is generally aligned with the tape bearing surface of the associated beam, and wherein an end of each chip is generally aligned with the face of the associated beam. The system also includes a drive mechanism and a controller.
US08675308B2
According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording head includes a disk-facing surface configured to face a recording layer of a recording medium, a main magnetic pole includes a distal end located on the disk-facing surface and configured to apply a recording magnetic field to the recording layer of the recording medium, a leading shield on a leading side of the main magnetic pole, opposed to the distal end of the main magnetic pole across a gap, a high-frequency oscillator between the leading shield and the distal end of the main magnetic pole, and a recording coil configured to excite the main magnetic pole with a magnetic field.
US08675299B2
A read/write head is moved across a contact-start-stop (CSS) zone on a data storage disk during the spin-up and/or spin-down of the disk. Moving the head during spin-up and/or spin-down may reduce the concentration of wear along a surface of the CSS zone.
US08675283B2
A screen member diffuses a bundle of rays of light projected from a laser scanner such that the bundle of rays of light is guided to a viewing range. The screen member includes a plurality of optical elements. A surface of each optical element forms a curved surface that diffuses the bundle of rays of light, which enters the curved surface. The optical elements are arranged in a lattice pattern at each corresponding pitch that is set to adjust a peak-to-peak interval of diffracted rays, which are formed in the viewing range by diffraction of the bundles of rays diffused by the plurality of optical elements, to a value that is equal to or smaller than a diameter of a pupil of the viewer.
US08675268B2
An electromagnetically induced transparent (EIT)-based photonic logic gate. The electromagnetically induced transparent (EIT)-based photonic logic gate is a photonic crystal (PC) and electromagnetically induced transparent (EIT)-based stacked layer which is constituted by a photonic crystal (PCs) layers and an electromagnetically induced transparent material layers. For the photonic crystal (PCs) and electromagnetically induced transparent (EIT)-based stacked layer, a probe field is an input signal which is emitted from the photonic crystal layer and a control field is a control signal which is emitted from the electromagnetically induced transparent material layers. The probe field is an input signal which is emitted from the electromagnetically induced transparent material layers. By varying the detune frequency of probe field and Rabi frequency of control field, the band gap structure can be adjusted. Henceforth, the tunable optical electromagnetically induced transparent (EIT)-based photonic logic gate can be achieved.
US08675245B2
Since, for detecting a two-dimension code added to a document, the detection processing is performed by checking the four corners of the read image, if the user specifies an A3 size as a reading size of an image in the copy of an A4-size document, the two-dimensional code is not detected. When the document size detected by the copying machine differs from the reading size of the image specified by the user, the processing for the two-dimensional code detection is performed checking the four corners of the region of the document size detected by the copying machine.
US08675241B2
A method implemented in a printer controller for printing oversized image data is described. During printing, a process is executed to determine whether the data to be printed have a page data size that exceeds the maximum printable area for the specified recording medium. The page data size of a given page is the total extent (width and height) of the data objects on the page. If the page data size exceeds the maximum printable area, the process determines whether the portions of the image that exceeds the maximum printable area are background data. If they are, a portion of the background data that exceeds the maximum printable area are cut off, and the document is printed without reducing the size of the non-background data. The method can also be implemented on a print driver.
US08675236B2
A method comprising receiving digital image data from a plurality of digital image sources, which contains digital images and source identifiers. A plurality of processors are provided for simultaneously processing the digital images according to stored processing instructions which correspond to the source identifiers.
US08675235B2
A printing apparatus includes a storage section which stores printing jobs to be printed on a recording paper sheet; a transport section which transports the recording paper sheet; a printing section which performs the printing on the recording paper sheet transported by the transport section based on one of the printing jobs stored in the storage section; an occurrence rate judging section which calculates an occurrence rate of a jam of the recording paper sheet in the transport section during the printing based on each of the printing jobs stored in the storage section, and which compares a first occurrence rate which is the occurrence rate of a first printing job stored first in the storage section with a second occurrence rate which is the occurrence rate of a second printing job stored second in the storage section; and a control section which controls the printing section.
US08675227B2
A system comprises a plurality of image forming apparatuses, wherein a first image forming apparatus includes: a correspondence determination unit that determines which function in the first image forming apparatus the service provider of the first image forming apparatus corresponds to; a provider determination unit that determines a second image forming apparatus in the plurality of image forming apparatuses that includes the same service provider as the service provider of the first image forming apparatus; a license verification unit that verifies whether license information is assigned to the service provider of the second image forming apparatus determined by the provider determination unit; and an assignment unit that assigns, to the second image forming apparatus to which the license information is not assigned, license information of the service provider from the first image forming apparatus to the second image forming apparatus and server relation information that is information for accessing a server.
US08675223B2
An image forming device includes a storage unit that stores a program to use the device itself as image data of a virtual recording medium; and a controller including: a detecting unit that detects connection of another device using the device itself; a transmitting unit that transmits, if the connection is detected by the detecting unit, discriminates an information of the device itself to another device using the device itself; a receiving unit that receives a response information based on the discriminating information; and wherein another device using the device itself is available to access the image data of the virtual recording medium on the basis of the response information.
US08675216B2
According to one embodiment, an information management server device determines whether to permit the duplicating of the original data selected in the duplication source selection information. The information management server device reads the management ID of the original data related to the management ID in the duplication request and the electronic data body related to the entity ID with reference to the first and second storage units when the determination result for the original data has shown that the duplicating is permitted and creates duplicated original data by giving a new management ID to duplicated data obtained by duplicating the electronic data body.
US08675214B2
In a device management device, a storage unit stores device information pieces of devices on a network, an acquisition unit acquires a device information piece of one of the devices via the network, and a detection unit compares the device information piece with each of the device information pieces stored in the storage unit, and detects at least one of installation, movement, addition, change, and disposal events with respect to the one of the devices. A transforming unit transforms both identification information of the one of the devices and device information items corresponding to the detected event into data that enables an asset management device to manage the data. A transmission unit transmits the data to the asset management device via the network.
US08675196B2
An analyzer comprises: a sample stream forming section for forming a sample stream including particles; a light source; an optical fiber bundle formed by a plurality of optical fibers, into which light from the light source enters, and which emits light onto the sample stream; and an imaging device for imaging a particle in the irradiated sample stream.
US08675192B2
The present invention relates to a device and method for the high speed quantitative measurement of biomolecular targets on the surface or in the body of a planar medium for biological analysis. The method, according to the invention, includes the following, steps: a) at least two laser beams (F″) are focused and overlaid on each measuring point of said medium by the simultaneous intersection of these beams to extract a contained hot plasma (P), including a measured chemical element present in the targets and another chemical element exogenous to the targets and present in a known quantity on this medium; b) luminous emission rays for each plasma, corresponding to the quantified element and exogenous element, are detected and analyzed for each measuring point while measuring the brightness of these rays; then c) the concentration in each measuring point of the quantified element is determined through prior calibration of the rays of the qualified element to determine a correlation between the brightness of the rays, specific to said element, and the concentrations of the latter in mixtures of the quantified element and exogenous element in known proportions.
US08675191B2
A Raman analyzer for analyzing light emitted from a Raman cell is provided that has a beam splitter configured to split the light emitted from the Raman cell into a first beam and a second beam. An atomic vapor filter can be used to filter a Raman scattered line from the first beam and a chopper system can periodically interrupt the first and second beams that are directed towards a photo detector, which can convert light from the first and second beams into an electrical signal. The signal output from the photo detector can optionally be amplified, digitized, Fourier filtered, and/or subjected to Fourier analysis.
US08675190B2
A compact Raman analysis system combines a near-infrared (NIR) laser source, a 2D array collecting anti-Stokes Raman spectra, and a probe configured to measure complex solid samples, including pharmaceutical tablets and other large-area targets with reduced background fluorescence at relatively low cost. The system collects spectra from an area of 1-mm or greater, preferably 3-12 mm or more, facilitating the collection of statistically useful data from inhomogeneous and laser-sensitive samples, among other applications. Potential pharmaceutical applications include tablet dosage level measurements, as well as online and at-line quality-control (QC) monitoring opportunities. Other applications include tablet identification as a forensic tool to identify counterfeit pharmaceutical products; granulation and blend uniformity for improved formulation via better process understanding.
US08675187B2
In an analysis system for detecting amounts of components contained in samples, many samples can be measured simultaneously in the whole of the system by use of compact inexpensive photometers. An LED with low heat generation and a long life span is used as a light source. Compactness is achieved by bended optical axis instead of a straight one. Components for bending an optical axis and components for condensing light to ensure an amount of light are in common use to reduce the number of components. Compactness, reduction of the number of components, and integration achieve easy optical axis alignment and precise measurement.
US08675183B1
A system, method and computer program product provides for estimating the range of a target. An acquisition window of an imaging device is adjusted to fit a target at an unknown range in response to a user input. An angle subtended by the largest dimension of the target viewed from the acquisition window is determined. The range of the target is estimated from a largest dimension of the target and the angle subtended by the largest dimension of the target. The device may be a man-portable aircraft survivability equipment (ASE) system trainer (MAST), or any simulator simulating a man-portable air defense system (MANPADS).
US08675180B2
Example embodiments are directed to a maskless exposure device and an alignment method. The alignment method performs an overlay of each layer of a plurality of layers on a substrate using a virtual mask in a maskless exposure technique. The maskless exposure device and the alignment method use a virtual mask instead of a physical mask used in a conventional mask exposure, a virtual target mark instead of an alignment mark used in the conventional mask exposure, and perform an overlay per layer, such that the deposition exposure can be achieved in the maskless exposure.
US08675177B2
An exposure method and apparatus simultaneously transfer patterns with various pitches with high resolution. On the pupil surface of an illumination system, at least first and second pairs of areas are set. The distribution of intensity of light over the pupil surface is set so that the intensities of light of the second pair of areas is smaller than that of the first pair of areas.
US08675176B2
A lithographic apparatus includes an illuminator configured to provide a projection beam of radiation and a polarization controller configured to control an intensity of a preferred state of polarization of the projection beam. The lithographic apparatus further includes a support configured to hold a patterning device. The patterning device configured to pattern the projection beam according to a desired pattern. The apparatus also includes a substrate table configured to hold a substrate, and a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate to form a patterned image on the substrate.
US08675162B2
Provided is a liquid crystal display panel which allows high quality display by suppressing a disturbance of liquid crystal molecule alignment caused by formation of liquid crystal alignment control protrusions. The liquid crystal display panel of the present invention is a liquid crystal display panel including a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the pair of substrates, one of the pair of the substrates including a colored layer, a light-shielding layer, and walled liquid crystal alignment control protrusions projecting toward the other substrate, the liquid crystal alignment control protrusions including a main protrusion and a secondary protrusion lower than the main protrusion, the secondary protrusion being provided on the colored layer along a borderline between the colored layer and the light-shielding layer, and the total of the height of the secondary protrusion and that of the colored layer being substantially the same as the height of the light-shielding layer.
US08675156B2
A color filter substrate for a liquid crystal display device includes a transparent insulation substrate, a black matrix defining first and second pixel areas on the transparent insulation substrate, and a color filter in the first and second pixel areas for displaying first and second colors, respectively, wherein a surface of the black matrix having recesses at sides thereof adjacent to the first and second pixel areas, respectively, for preventing an overflow of the first color from the first pixel area into the second pixel area.
US08675153B2
A display device (10, 20, 30) is provided, the display device (10, 20, 30) comprising an LED array (33, 35, 12) working both as a backlight source for an LCD panel (31) and as an ambient light source providing ambient light with properties dependent on the image content presented by the LCD panel (31). A corresponding method and computer program product is also provided.
US08675143B2
This television set includes a front housing, a first board mounted on the front housing, having a first connecting portion, a rear housing, and a second board mounted on the rear housing, having a second connecting portion connected to the first connecting portion, while the rear housing includes an exposing portion for exposing at least the first connecting portion in a state of being mounted to the front housing.
US08675139B2
There is provided an image/video processor comprises an embedded memory for image/video data that including a plurality of unit memory blocks including a plurality of memory cells; and a controller configured to store each bit of image/video data received through an input/output unit in each memory cell, read the image/video data stored in each memory cell of the embedded memory, and output the image/video data through the input/output unit, wherein at least two or more memory cells included in the plurality of memory cells have different sizes, the controller assign each bit of the image/video data depending on the importance of the image/video data and a size of the memory cell, and as the size of the memory cell is larger, a bit of image/video data of high importance is assigned.
US08675138B2
A method and system are provided in which a processor may perform fast source switching and/or automatic source switching by keeping active the signals from multiple sources. The processor may determine which received video signals are locked-in within a front-end portion of the processor. A video signal may be locked-in when a demodulator is locked to a carrier in the video signal or when a decoder is programmed to decode the video signal. During operation, the processor may switch from processing a current video signal to processing a video signal selected from those determined to be locked-in. The processor may maintain active a portion of a back-end portion of the processor to handle the switch from the current video signal to the selected video signal. The processor may switch to process between video signals when a predetermined content and/or metadata is detected within one of the video signals.
US08675136B2
An image display apparatus is provided which includes an image display unit for displaying a still image or a moving image, an imaging unit for capturing an image in a direction in which the image display unit is displaying the still image or the moving image, a detecting unit for detecting a light emitting unit of a remote controlling device included in the image captured by the imaging unit, and detecting a movement amount of the light emitting unit within the captured image, the remote controlling device controlled by a user, and a control unit for controlling a movement amount of a pointer displayed on the image display unit, depending on the movement amount of the light emitting unit detected by the detecting unit.
US08675132B2
A system, apparatus, and method are provided for a video detector that computes a measure of how much a given video content resembles one of a de-interlaced video content or a progressive video content. More particularly, the present invention determines the position of original and interpolated lines and the scaling factor of an input content whenever that content was scaled after de-interlacing.
US08675127B2
An imaging device includes a welded part on a lens barrel side that is hardened after a contact portion of a lens barrel or a contact part on the lens barrel side is softened, where the contact portion of the lens barrel and the contact part on the lens barrel side are fixed, and a welded part on a light-receiving circuit side that is hardened after a contact portion of the light-receiving circuit or a contact part on a light-receiving circuit side is softened, where the contact portion of the light-receiving circuit and the contact part on the light-receiving circuit side are fixed.
US08675124B2
R, G and B LEDs are used as a light source of an electronic flash. Electric energy is supplied to a capacitor to the LEDs. A system controller controls light emitting amounts of the LEDs so that a color temperature of the electronic flash light becomes a color temperature that has been manually set with a color temperature setting switch or a color temperature of a light source determined by color temperature sensors.
US08675122B2
A digital camera described herein includes an analyzer component that analyzes a histogram of a first image, wherein the first image has a first resolution. The digital camera also includes a setter component that sets an exposure time for capturing a second image based at least in part upon the analysis of the histogram of the first image, wherein the second image has a second resolution, and wherein the first resolution of the first image is less than the second resolution of the second image.
US08675119B2
A system (100) for the adaptive imaging of a scene includes a digital light processing apparatus (150) adapted for controllably reflecting an image of the scene in at least a first direction to thereby reflect an intensity modulated image of the scene along at least the first direction, an image detector (140) for detecting the intensity modulated image of the scene and generating corresponding image data, and an image data processor (154) for processing the image data into control data and providing the control data to the digital light processing (150) apparatus for control thereof.
US08675114B2
An image pickup apparatus capable of switching between image pickup modes is provided. An image pickup apparatus includes; an image pickup lens; an image pickup device receiving light from the image pickup lens to obtain image pickup data; an image processing section for performing image processing on the image pickup data obtained from the image pickup device; a microlens array section including a plurality of microlenses, and arranged between the image pickup lens and the image pickup device; and a driving section changing a relative distance between the microlens array section and the image pickup device.
US08675099B2
A method of scanning a scene using an image sensor includes (a) dividing the scene into multiple first portions; and scanning a first portion for presence of objects in an object class. The method further includes continuing the scanning of the multiple first portions for presence of other objects in the scene. The method also selects a second portion of the scene, in response to detecting an object in the first portion; and then tracking the object in the selected second portion. The second portion of the scene is selected based on estimating motion of the object detected in the first portion, so that it may still be located in the second portion.
US08675092B2
An image processing method generates first developed image data by correcting first image data with use of a white balance correction value corresponding to flash light, generates second developed image data by correcting the first image data with use of a second white balance correction value corresponding to external light, calculates a combining ratio of each block based on a flash component and an external light component of each of blocks into which the first image data is divided, and combines the first developed image data and the second developed image data according to the calculated combining ratio.
US08675091B2
Pictures can be taken with multiple (e.g., two) cameras, and the statistics associated with any of those pictures can be used to correct (e.g., color balance) any of the other pictures. Generally speaking, first image data captured by a first camera is accessed (e.g., retrieved from memory). Similarly, second image data captured by a second camera is accessed. The first image data and second image data are acquired at or about the same time using the first and second cameras together (e.g., at the same location, so that each camera is subject to the same light source). The first image data can then be processed (e.g., color balanced) using information that is derived using the second image data.
US08675086B1
An apparatus having a first circuit is disclosed. The first circuit may (i) receive an input signal from an electro-optical sensor and (ii) generate a compressed signal. The first circuit generally includes re-sampler circuits configured to process the input signal to generate output samples. Each output sample may be a linear combination of at least two input samples. Video processing may include at least two tasks among (a) generating a video signal by converting the input signal for an external video monitor, (b) generating a video signal by converting the input signal for a preview screen and (c) generating a video signal by resolution reduction of the input signal before compression. At least two re-sampler circuits may perform different tasks. Still processing generally includes a noise reduction of an input image of the input signal using at least one of the at least two re-sampler circuits.
US08675082B2
An imaging device of the present invention comprises a photographing lens for forming a subject image, an imaging section for converting the subject image to image signals and outputting the image signals, a storage section for storing image data obtained based on the image signals output from the storage section, an attitude detection section for detecting an attitude of the imaging device, an image detection section for detecting a face image contained in the image signals, and a storage control section for determining storage start and storage end for the image data, based on detection results of the attitude detection section and detection results of the image detection section.
US08675057B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to obtain an image of a consumer electronic device, the image comprising at least one visual indication of a first operating state of the consumer electronic device, and to transmit one or more commands to the consumer electronic device to change to a second operating state different from the first operating state, responsive to determining the first operating state by extracting information associated with the at least one visual indication from the image. The commands may be determined by accessing a database having control instructions associated with the consumer electronic device. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US08675040B2
A method and a device for adjusting depth perception, a terminal including a function for adjusting depth perception and a method for operating the terminal are provided. The method for adjusting depth perception includes: obtaining color and depth videos of a user; detecting a user's position based on the obtained depth video of the user; calculating a range of maximum and minimum depths in a 3-dimensional (3D) video according to the detected user's position; and adjusting a left and right stereo video generating interval of the 3D video to be rendered so as to satisfy the calculated range of the maximum and minimum depths. Therefore, during a 3D or multi-view video call, the 3D video having a three-dimensional effect optimized according to the user's position may be provided.
US08675038B2
A video conferencing device that includes a camera and display system captures video of local participants and displays incoming video feeds from remote locations. For example, incoming video feeds of the remote participants may be displayed on an outward-facing circular screen mounted on a central pedestal. One or more cameras are also mounted on the pedestal in order to capture video of the local participants. The incoming video feed can be arranged or organized in various ways on the display based in part on the quantity of incoming feeds and/or the needs of the conference-room participants.
US08675030B2
The present invention relates to a method for displaying a video image on a digital display device during a video frame comprising at least two distinct time segments for displaying a grey level. The cells of the device are able to take selectively an on state or an off state. The cells are able moreover to change state several times during a video frame. According to the invention, the cells change state at most once during each time segment of the video frame. The invention makes it possible to attenuate or suppress disturbances related to the temporal integration and to the sequential displaying of the R, G, B components of the video image.
US08675029B2
Systems and methods are provided for use in correcting flicker of a display (e.g., an LCD display). For example, correction may employ the insertion of at least one transition data frame between display data frames for use in displaying a transition image by pixel elements of the display such that a user perceives display of a constant average luminance by the pixel elements.
US08675024B2
A mobile terminal includes a wireless communication unit communicating with at least one electronic device, a display including a touch screen receiving touch input and displaying contents, and a controller executing an application related to the contents and reducing a first area of the touch screen on which the contents are displayed in response to a first input, thus reducing a size of the displayed contents. The controller further displays information about the at least one electronic device at a second area of the touch screen generated when the first area is reduced.
US08675022B2
Methods for a joy-stick graphical control in 3D space are disclosed. 3D data are rendered with a certain orientation in a 3D rendering space within a region of a 2D screen. One or more cross sectional views of the 3D data are rendered in the 3D rendering space where the cross sectional views are derived based on corresponding one or more 3D planes cutting through the 3D data at a 3D location. On one 3D plane, a joy-stick control is rendered in the 3D space at a pose determined based on the joy stick.
US08675021B2
Given two video sequences, a composite video sequence can be generated (15) which includes visual elements from each of the given sequences, suitably synchronized (11) and represented in a chosen focal plane. A composite video sequence can be made also by similarly combining a video sequence with an audio sequence. In the composite video sequence, contestants, action figures or objects can be shown against a common background (12) even if the given video sequences differ as to background, with the common background taken from one or the other of the given sequences, for example. Alternatively, a different suitable background can be used, e.g. as derived from the given video sequences, as obtained from another video sequence or image, or as otherwise synthesized.
US08675013B1
Embodiments render polygonal data in a geographical information systems according to a viewing perspective of a geographical information systems user. The user may define a viewing perspective. A bounding box may be determined that includes the area being viewed in the viewing perspective. A spherical coordinate to Cartesian coordinate matrix may be determined to approximately convert spherical coordinates of the polygonal data to Cartesian coordinates to be rendered by a graphics processor. The graphics processor may then render the polygonal data and bias detail towards the viewing perspective of the user.
US08675003B2
Disclosed herein are methods, apparatuses, and systems for accessing vertex data stored in a memory, and applications thereof. Such a method includes writing vertex data of primitives into contiguous banks of a memory such that the vertex data of consecutively written primitives spans more than one row of the memory. Vertex data of two consecutively written primitives are read from the memory in a single clock cycle.
US08674998B1
The present disclosure includes, among other things, systems, methods and program products for generating animation keyframes and a corresponding 3D animation sequence from a plurality of 2D images.
US08674996B2
A system for controlling a rendering engine by using specialized commands. The commands are used to generate a production, such as a television show, at an end-user's computer that executes the rendering engine. In one embodiment, the commands are sent over a network, such as the Internet, to achieve broadcasts of video programs at very high compression and efficiency. Commands for setting and moving camera viewpoints, animating characters, and defining or controlling scenes and sounds are described. At a fine level of control math models and coordinate systems can be used make specifications. At a coarse level of control the command language approaches the text format traditionally used in television or movie scripts. Simple names for objects within a scene are used to identify items, directions and paths. Commands are further simplified by having the rendering engine use defaults when specifications are left out. For example, when a camera direction is not specified, the system assumes that the viewpoint is to be the current action area. The system provides a hierarchy of detail levels. Movement commands can be defaulted or specified. Synchronized speech can be specified as digital audio or as text which is used to synthesize the speech.
US08674988B2
There is provided a system and method for artist friendly control of three-dimensional object shading, particularly hair. A methodology is disclosed for deriving a pseudo scattering function over a domain of Artist Friendly Controls (AFCs) from a physically based scattering function over a domain of Physically Based Controls (PBCs). The pseudo scattering function can provide intuitive decoupled adjustments of specific important visual characteristics while still providing a convincing and aesthetically pleasing result. An end user such as an artist may thus control the values, or AFCs, to implement specific aesthetic features for the shading of objects as seen on a display. The pseudo scattering function may be utilized for single scattering and multiple scattering models of hair shading.
US08674983B1
A method of synchronizing a textual view, a block diagram view and a three-dimensional view of the system being modeled is provided. Aspects of the model can be displayed via a textual viewer, a block diagram viewer and a 3D viewer in an embodiment. A user may make a change to the block diagram representing the model via the block diagram viewer interface and changes may be dynamically made to the textual representation of the model via the textual viewer and to the 3D representation of the model via the 3D viewer. Exemplary embodiments may maintain synchronization of model views to allow dynamic updating of model views as determined by an environment in which the model views are operating.
US08674979B2
One object is, when a thin film transistor whose channel is formed using an amorphous semiconductor is used for a driver circuit formed using only n-channel transistors or p-channel transistors, to provide a driver circuit in which the threshold voltage is compensated in accordance with the degree of change in the threshold voltage. In the driver circuit which includes a unipolar transistor including a first gate and a second gate which are disposed above and below a semiconductor layer with insulating layers provided therebetween, a first signal for controlling switching of the transistor is inputted to the first gate, a second signal for controlling a threshold voltage of the transistor is inputted to the second gate, and the second signal is controlled in accordance with a value of current consumption including a current which flows between a source and a drain of the transistor.
US08674978B2
An electrophoretic display includes: a plurality of spatially divided cells; and plural types of color substances contained in each of the cells wherein a display color is controlled by controlling electrophoresis of the colored substances within the cells, wherein each of a first cell, a second cell and a third cell included in the plurality of cells includes a first color substance corresponding to a mutually differing one of three primary colors in additive color mixing or subtractive color mixing and a second color substance in a relationship of complementary colors with the first color substance, wherein the first cell is controlled to be in a display state by the first color substance, and the second and third cells are controlled to be in a display state by the second color substance, respectively.
US08674967B2
A position indicator for use with a digitizer is provided. The position indicator generates a response to an alternating field received from the digitizer. The position indicator includes a core formed of a composition including a soft magnetic metal powder mixed with a resin binder, and at least one coil provided around the core configured to generate the response to the alternating field based on the alternating field received from the digitizer.
US08674963B2
Waveguide structures and optical elements for use in an optical touch input device are disclosed. The disclosed waveguide structures and optical elements allow for reduced bezel width and simplified assembly of optical touch input devices, and relaxed component tolerances.
US08674954B2
A method of manufacturing an organic light emitting diode display includes forming an organic layer on a support, forming a touch sensor on the organic layer, the touch sensor including a touch electrode pattern and a polarizing layer, separating the touch sensor from the support by removing the organic layer, and attaching the touch sensor to an organic light emitting diode display panel.
US08674953B2
A method of fabricating touch panel includes the following steps. A base is provided. A first transparent conductive layer is formed on the base. A first screen printing process is performed to form a first patterned sacrificial layer on the first transparent conductive layer, and the first patterned sacrificial layer is used to pattern the first transparent conductive layer to form a patterned sensing pad layer. A second screen printing process is carried out to form a patterned insulating layer. A second transparent conductive layer is formed on the base. A third screen printing process is performed to form a second patterned sacrificial layer, and the second patterned sacrificial layer is used to pattern the second transparent conductive layer to form a patterned bridge line layer.
US08674942B2
On a sub-display 14c, a plurality of first user-defined keys 53, bank switch keys 51 and an edit key 52 which are software keys are displayed. Immediately below the sub-display 14c, second user-defined keys 50a to 50d which are hardware keys arranged as if the arrangement of the first user-defined keys 53 were extended are provided. The sub-display 14c also displays user-definition name areas 54 for displaying respective names of user-definitions assigned to the second user-defined keys 50a to 50d. By a manipulation of one of the user-defined keys, a function assigned to the manipulated user-defined key is executed. By a manipulation of the edit key 52, a setup screen on which the display size and the like of the first user-defined key are specified is displayed on a separate main display 14a, 14b.
US08674941B2
Systems and methods are employed for implementing haptics for pressure sensitive keyboards, such as the type of keyboards having keys that produce alternating digital open/short signals that emulate actuation of conventional “momentary on” digital keys. The disclosed systems and methods may be implemented to provide haptics for both touch typing and variable pressure sensitive operation of a pressure sensitive keyboard. Users of a variable pressure keyboard may be provided with a variable pressure haptics effect, e.g., to enable the user to intuitively understand from the haptics vibration produced by the key how much pressure they are applying to a given key at any given time. Vibration characteristics (e.g., vibration rate, vibration waveform pattern, etc.) of a given pressed key may be varied in real time in coordination with, or in response to, corresponding changes in user pressure applied to the same given key.
US08674936B2
An operation input device includes: angular velocity detecting means for detecting an angular velocity; relative velocity detecting means for contactlessly detecting a relative velocity to a target object; distance detecting means for detecting a distance to the target object; and computing means for computing an amount of movement based on the angular velocity, the relative velocity, and the distance.
US08674933B2
An integrated system comprising both imaging and computing capabilities comprises a light valve and a CPU, as well as other functional members for performing computing and imaging.
US08674928B2
The present disclosure relates to a liquid crystal display device including a timing controller and a method for updating the software of the timing controller. The present disclosure suggests liquid crystal display device comprising timing controller including a processor configured to execute software for modulating digital video data to be supplied to the data driving circuit and selecting the backlight dimming data, and a timing control signal generator configured to generate timing control signals to control operating timings of the data driving circuit and the gate driving circuit.
US08674926B2
An image display device includes: an optical modulation element having a plurality of pixels; light sources illuminating the optical modulation element, each of which is independently controlled; a light source control value setting section setting control values for each of the light sources according to the grayscale of each pixel of an input image; optical sensors provided on areas of “n” pixels, respectively, where the “n” is an integer equal to or greater than 1; an illumination detection section detecting the illumination of the areas by the optical sensors; and a grayscale control section processing to correct grayscale of each pixel based on the detected illumination and controlling the optical modulation element according to the corrected grayscales obtained by correction.
US08674925B2
A display apparatus and a backlight scanning method thereof are provided. The display apparatus having a backlight illuminator includes a parameter generator for generating parameters indicative of motion features of a video signal; and a backlight driver for driving the backlight illuminator by generating a scanning signal which has a plurality of scanning pulses during a frame period and is adjusted according to the parameters generated at the parameter generator. The display apparatus and the backlight scanning method thereof drive the backlight by generating the scanning signal which has the plurality of the scanning pulses during the frame period and is adjusted according to the motion features of the video signal to be displayed, to thereby effectively mitigate the motion blur and the flicker.
US08674923B2
There is a need for decreasing a variation in times for writing to TFT elements for pixels in a direction along the extension of a gate line in a liquid crystal display apparatus. A display apparatus includes a display panel having multiple gate lines and drain lines arranged in a matrix and a data driver for outputting a display data signal to each drain line. The data driver includes: an internal control signal generation circuit generating an internal control signal for setting a timing to output a data signal to a drain line of each block on a block basis by dividing the plurality of drain lines into multiple blocks; and a register circuit for recording a setting for division of the block, a setting for delay direction and width of a timing to output the data signal, and a setting for rising and falling of an internal control signal.
US08674915B2
A liquid crystal display apparatus includes an auxiliary electrode between adjacent first and second scan signal lines, first and second thin film transistors with gate electrodes connected to the first and second scan signal lines, respectively, first and second pixel electrodes connected to one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the first and second thin film transistors, respectively, a data signal line that is connected to the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the first and second thin film transistors, and a common electrode facing the pixel electrodes via a liquid crystal layer. The first and second pixel electrodes are adjacent along the data signal line. A potential difference between the auxiliary and common electrodes is greater than a potential difference between the first pixel electrode and the common electrode and a potential difference between the second pixel electrode and the common electrode.
US08674910B2
In the present invention, there is provided a display panel driving method of the type wherein the total light emitting period length within a one-field period is controlled to variably control the peak luminance level of a display panel, including the step of: variably controlling, where the one-field period has N light emitting periods, N being equal to or greater than 2, the end timing of the ith light emitting period and the start timing of the i+1th light emitting period so as to satisfy the total light emitting period length within the one-field period, i being an odd number which satisfies 1≦i≦N−1 while i+1 satisfies 2≦i+1≦N.
US08674909B2
There is provided an EL light-emitting device with less uneven brightness. When a drain current of a plurality of current controlling TFTs is Id, a mobility is μ, a gate capacitance per unit area is Co, a maximum gate voltage is Vgs(max), a channel width is W, a channel length is L, an average value of a threshold voltage is Vth, a deviation from the average value of the threshold voltage is ΔVth, and a difference in emission brightness of a plurality of EL elements is within a range of ±n %, a semiconductor display device is characterized in that A = 2 Id μ * C 0 A ( Vgs ( ma x ) - Vth ) 2 ≦ W L ≦ ( 1 + n 100 - 1 ) 2 * A Δ Vth 2 Δ Vth ≦ ( 1 + n 100 - 1 ) * A * L / W .
US08674907B2
Disclosed is a pixel capable of finely controlling the amount of current and increasing the voltage range of a data signal. A pixel includes an organic light emitting diode, a first transistor, a storage capacitor, a load and an amplifier. The first transistor is coupled between a scan line and a data line, and supplies a data signal supplied to the data line to a first node when a scan signal is supplied to the scan line. The storage capacitor is coupled between the first node and a first power source, and charges a voltage corresponding to the data signal. The load is coupled between the organic light emitting diode and the first power source. The amplifier controls a voltage applied to the load corresponding to the voltage charged in the storage capacitor.
US08674891B2
Apparatus and techniques that provide tuning elements in antenna devices to tune frequencies of the antenna devices, including composite right and left handed (CRLH) metamaterial (MTM) antenna devices. Examples of the tuning elements for CRLH MTM antenna devices include feed line tuning elements, cell patch tuning elements, meandered stub tuning elements, via line tuning elements, and via pad tuning elements tuning elements that formed near corresponding antenna elements such as the feed line, cell patch, meander stub, via line and via pad, respectively.
US08674886B2
A mobile terminal including an antenna device including an antenna element and a first non-feeding element, a radio-frequency unit that receives a signal from the antenna element, first and second matching circuits connected to the antenna element, a first switch that selectively connects one of the first and second matching circuits to the radio-frequency unit, a second switch that selectively grounds the first non-feeding element, an attitude-detection unit that detects an attitude of the mobile terminal, and a control unit that controls the first and second switches based on an output of the attitude-detection unit.
US08674884B2
A dual-band circularly polarized antenna is disclosed, which includes a ground metal plate, a dielectric substrate, a first microstrip radiation portion and a second microstrip radiation portion. The dielectric substrate is formed on the ground metal plate. The first microstrip radiation portion is formed on the dielectric substrate and has at least one pair of symmetric truncated corners. The second microstrip radiation portion is formed on the dielectric substrate and includes a plurality of radiation units. Each of the plurality of radiation units is extended from the first microstrip radiation portion along a first direction.
US08674874B2
A method for calibrating an array antenna having a plurality of branches includes generating a test signal using a pseudo-random sequence assigned to one of the plurality of branches for each of the plurality of branches; adding the test signals to a useful signal of the antenna so as to form a summed signal emitted via the array antenna; receiving the summed signal with a receiver antenna; correlating the received summed signal with a replica of the pseudo-random sequence so as to produce a correlation result; estimating a characteristic of one of the plurality of branches by processing the correlation result; and calibrating the antenna based on the estimated characteristic.
US08674862B1
Systems and methods of calibrating a successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter (ADC) are disclosed. A plurality of capacitor stages, a first capacitor array, and a first capacitor stage are coupled in parallel. A capacitance of the first capacitor stage is compared to a sum of capacitances of the plurality of capacitor stages and of the first capacitor array. In response to the comparing, the capacitance of the first capacitor stage is increased by increasing the capacitance of a second capacitor array if the capacitance of the first capacitor stage is less than the sum of the capacitances of the plurality of capacitor stages and of the first capacitor array.
US08674857B2
A decoding apparatus and method store at least one table including at least one code, receive at least one instruction signal, and extract a symbol value and a symbol length from the at least one table based on the at least one instruction signal. The decoding apparatus calculates a target suffix length that minimizes the size of a generated table and minimizes the size of a non-prefix length of the at least one code.
US08674836B2
This security system includes an activity detection portion detecting an activity of a monitored person in a house, a first communication portion acquiring a detection result (information about the activity) and an abnormality determination portion determining whether or not an abnormality is happening to the monitored person on the basis of the detection result and an activity history of the monitored person in the house and determining the extent of the abnormality of the monitored person.
US08674831B1
Security systems may include sensing, networked communications, stealth, alarms, and countermeasures, any or all of which may adapt to threats. These systems may also include armor and barriers of concrete and/or steel. They can adapt to severity of threats, weather, and/or other situational aspects. They can anticipate at least some threats in order to obtain early warning and react more quickly to those threats. They can adapt by altering their configurations, including alterations in communication networking structures and methods, and changes in data-storage and processing duties at processing nodes. Defensive and/or offensive countermeasures can be employed to deter, confuse, trap, and/or disable terrorists. The systems are capable of self-maintenance, self-healing, and self-restoration as threats subside. The systems can include subsystems capable of autonomous operation. At least some of the systems and/or their subsystems are capable of allocating power among subsystems, and of regulating bandwidth utilizations.
US08674827B2
A detection system for an enclosed container includes many nanosensors for detecting materials harmful to human beings within an enclosed container and transmitting a signal representing a condition thereof. The nanosensors are carried on a carrier material, such as a corrugated sheet. At least one detection device detects a condition of the nanosensors and outputs a signal responsive thereto, which can be received by a monitoring system external to the container. Containers which have harmful materials within them can be inspected or stopped before entering the country.
US08674816B2
Techniques are described for providing remote device (e.g., thermostat, lighting, appliance, etc.) control and/or energy monitoring. A system monitors sensor data captured by one or more sensors that sense attributes relevant to user presence at one or more monitored properties and status of one or more energy consuming devices associated with the one or more monitored properties. The system analyzes the monitored sensor data and the monitored device status with respect to a set of one or more rules and performs an operation related to controlling the one or more energy consuming devices based on the analysis of the monitored sensor data and the monitored device status with respect to the set of one or more rules.
US08674812B2
In a communication system including a RFID tag, which has a function to record information and a function to carry out wireless communication with an external device and is capable of transmission with using both FM modulation and AM modulation, and a reader/writer for writing and reading information onto and from the RFID tag via wireless communication, a transmission to transmit information from the RFID tag to the reader/writer is carried out with using one of the FM modulation and the AM modulation at the RFID tag. If the reader/writer fails to decode a signal transmitted with using the one of the FM modulation and the AM modulation, transmission with respect to the information is carried out with using the other of the FM modulation and the AM modulation at the RFID tag. In this manner, reading error of data sent from the RFID tag is prevented.
US08674809B2
Systems and methods for activating one or more devices are disclosed. According to one embodiment, the device listens for an activate code, the activate code having a length field and a mask field, the mask field including a mask value, the length field specifying a length of the mask field to a final bit of the mask value. Upon receiving the activate code, the length field is compared to a stored length value for determining whether the length field meets a predefined criterion. If the length field meets the predefined criterion, an address of the activate value is loaded (if an address field is present) and the appropriate bits (mask value) of the mask field are compared to a stored activate value. An activate signal is generated if the mask value matches the stored activate value. The activate signal can be used to activate additional circuitry including the entire device.
