US08707546B2
A multi-layer, multi-turn structure for an inductor having a plurality of conductor layers separated by layers of insulator is described. The inductor further comprises a connector electrically connected between the conductor layers. The structure of the inductor may comprise a cavity therewithin. The structure of the inductor constructed such that electrical resistance is reduced therewithin, thus increasing the efficiency of the inductor. The inductor is particularly useful at operating within the radio frequency range and greater.
US08707540B2
The present invention provides a leader member in a recording tape cartridge that has excellent productivity, even though the leader member is manufactured with stainless steel, a manufacturing method thereof, and the recording tape cartridge. A leader member that is attached to a free end of a recording tape wound around a single reel accommodated in a case and that is pulled out from an opening formed in the case by an pull out member of a drive device is manufactured by metal injection molding of stainless steel.
US08707532B2
A method and apparatus for removing wires from a bale includes a conveyor system for moving one or more bales and a de-wiring station positioned adjacent the conveyor system. The de-wiring station includes a robot with an end tool. A bale that is bound by one or more wires is transferred by the conveyor system to a position proximate the de-wiring station. The robot with end tool moves to sense the location of the wires, cut the wires, collect the wires and deposit the wires in a collection hopper.
US08707528B2
The invention relates to a device for use in production of bevel gears. The device comprises a turning machine (22), with a working spindle (22.1) and a counter-holder (23), arranged co-axially to a rotational axis (B1) of the working spindle (22.1) for the coaxial tensioning of a workpiece blank (K1). A multi-functional tool holder (24) is provided, which may be displaced relative to the workpiece blank (K1) held in the turning machine (22) and comprises a tool base (25) mounted to rotate about an axis (B2). The tool base (25) is provided for fixing one or more tools. A tool housing (26) with milling head (27) is provided, the tool housing (26) being displaceable relative to the workpiece blank (K1) held in the turning machine (22) and the milling head (27) is mounted to rotate about a milling head axis (B3). A controller is provided for control of the movement processes, to subject the workpiece blank (K1) firstly to a turning process with a tool fixed to the tool base (25) and then a toothing machining with the milling head (27).
US08707522B2
A buckling device for fastening a belt is provided. The buckling device comprises a first portion, a second portion, an elastic portion and at least one push portion. The elastic portion is disposed between the first portion and the second portion. The second portion engages with the belt and the belt is fastened. The at least one push portion is integrally formed with the elastic portion and is exposed from the first portion and the second portion. The at least one push portion is adapted to be pushed inwards by an external force to force the elastic portion to extrude outwards so that the second portion is forced to move outwards to release the belt.
US08707518B2
A quiet door hinge assembly may include a first hinge wing having at least two knuckles and a second hinge wing having at least three knuckles. A central pin may be disposed to connect the first and second hinge wings by passing through the knuckles. Non-metallic separators may be placed between the knuckles disposed to preclude direct contact between the knuckles.
US08707515B2
A strain relief device for securing three radially arrayed flat cables coming into a closure includes a body having three armatures extending radially. Each armature includes at least two cantilevered segments extending from the at least one armature in opposing directions. At least one cable may be received in a receiving area partially defined by the armature and the cantilevered segment. Compressive force acting on the strain relief device secures the cables in the receiving area relative to the strain relief device.
US08707507B2
A cleaning appliance of the canister type includes a chassis, a plurality of front floor engaging steering members connected to the chassis, a rear floor engaging rolling assembly connected to the chassis, and a control mechanism for steering the steering members.
US08707485B1
A therapeutic pillow is provided which allows for proper support of the spine and neck by supporting a proper range of cervical lordosis, while also giving increased comfort to the user. The pillow includes the combination of a firmer inner core and a second outer layer. The inner core area includes a central recessed area for the head and a curved neck area for spinal support while the second outer layer provides comfort to the sleeper/user. The outer cover is padded with options including down/feather fill or down alternative. The inner core insert of the pillow is made of poly-fill fiber and stuffed to a firm level for support. The inner core insert has two shape options, one for side sleepers and the other for back/side combination sleepers.
US08707483B2
A patient support apparatus includes a patient support structure, such as a bed frame or mattress or both, that is configured to support a patient in a recumbent position. The patient support structure is configured to provide at least one therapy to a patient. A therapy enabler token is coupleable to the patient support structure. The at least one therapy is disabled when the therapy enabler token is decoupled from the patient support structure and the at least one therapy is enabled in response to the therapy enabler token being coupled to the patient support structure.
US08707482B1
A fitted covering for a mattress includes a body, a peripheral elastic band, and an anchor band. The body includes an upper panel and a side skirt extending outwardly away from the upper panel. The upper panel and the side skirt are coupled to one another along a seam extending substantially entirely around an outer periphery of the upper panel. The upper panel defines at least one corner. The peripheral elastic band is coupled with and extends around the side skirt opposite the upper panel. The anchor band is elongated and defines a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The first end and the second end are positioned on opposite sides of the at least one corner such that the anchor band extends diagonally across the at least one corner, and each of the first end and the second end is secured within the seam.
US08707474B2
Controls for use in association with a toilet conserve water by allowing the amount of water utilized for each flush to be varied. The controls conserve water by minimizing the amount of water lost in the event of either a minor leak or a major leak. The controls may include a magnet to raise a float connected with a water float control valve. The controls may include water level sensor apparatus. The controls may include a force transmission assembly which effects operation of water inlet and outlet valves under the influence of force transmitted from a handle of a toilet. A separate body of water may be maintained in a container in the tank. A pump may be connected in fluid communication with the container and operated under the influence of force transmitted from the handle.
US08707467B2
A caregiver cover with a stretched torus or other like shaped body and an elongated open or closed shaped neck opening. The caregiver cover provides adequate coverage of chest, shoulders, upper arms, and upper back of a caregiver to protect the caregiver's clothes from becoming soiled when burping, holding, bathing, or otherwise performing activities common to caring for a baby; and/or to provide adequate coverage for a nursing mother to maintain privacy while nursing without fully covering the baby; and/or to provide a comfortable surface for the baby. The body may be a soft, comfortable, absorbent fabric such as terry cloth, flannel, knit or the like and/or reversible. A neck fastener and/or a collar may be joined to the body. The body may be a single layer, a double layer, a triple layer, or multiple layers with a top panel, a middle panel, a bottom panel and/or multiple panels.
US08707463B2
A garment to be positioned about one or more body portions of a person performing a physical activity comprises a garment region having a garment region elasticity and a training region having a training region elasticity, the garment region stretching a greater distance as the result of an applied force than the training region under the same applied force. The training region at least partially defines a tensioning system of a biofeedback device. The biofeedback device is configured to provide sensory cues (e.g., feedback forces) to the person performing a physical activity when the person's biomechanic position is sub-optimal, the sensory cues indicating to the person that their biomechanic position is sub-optimal and indicating to the person how to adjust their one or more body portions towards a more optimal biomechanic position. The garment may provide for training and help the person achieve optimal biomechanic motion.
US08713711B2
A disclosed chemical detection system for detecting a target material, such as an explosive material, can include a cantilevered probe, a probe heater coupled to the cantilevered probe, and a piezoelectric element disposed on the cantilevered probe. The piezoelectric element can be configured as a detector and/or an actuator. Detection can include, for example, detecting a movement of the cantilevered probe or a property of the cantilevered probe. The movement or a change in the property of the cantilevered probe can occur, for example, by adsorption of the target material, desorption of the target material, reaction of the target material and/or phase change of the target material. Examples of detectable movements and properties include temperature shifts, impedance shifts, and resonant frequency shifts of the cantilevered probe. The overall chemical detection system can be incorporated, for example, into a handheld explosive material detection system.
US08713707B2
Methods and arrangements are provided for handling, within a communications system comprising a distributed domain (301) and a central domain (303), electronic records that contain predictions of the outcome of a certain incident. Within the distributed domain (301) there is generated (304), before the outcome of the incident is known, a multitude of electronic records that contain predictions of the outcome of the incident. The electronic records are conveyed (305) from the distributed domain (301) to the central domain (303). After the outcome of the incident is known, the central domain (303) finds out (306) which of the electronic records, if any, contain correct predictions of the outcome of the incident. Each of the electronic records is furnished (304, 401, 502, 902, 1202, 1911), within the distributed domain (301), with a cryptographically protected proof of a certain moment of time associated with the generation of the electronic record. The central domain (303) accepts (306, 1430, 2011) only those of the electronic records conveyed thereto as valid for which the cryptographically protected proof of a certain moment of time associated with the generation of the electronic record shows that said certain moment of time was not later in time than a certain time limit.
US08713705B2
A system and method are provided for validating executable program code operating on at least one computing device. Program instructions that include a request for access to sensitive information are executed on a first computing device. An authentication request for access to the electronic information is sent from the first computing device to a second computing device. In response to the authorization request, a challenge is sent from the second computing device to the first computing device. The first computing device executes the challenge and generates an authentication response that includes at least one memory object associated with the program instructions. The response is sent to the second computing device from the first computing device, and the second computing device generates and sends a verification to the first computing device confirming that at least some of the first program instructions have not been altered or tampered with, and further grants the first computing device access to at least some of the electronic information.
US08713701B2
A multichannel security system is disclosed, which system is for granting and denying access to a host computer in response to a demand from an access-seeking individual and computer. The access-seeker has a peripheral device operative within an authentication channel to communicate with the security system. The access-seeker initially presents identification and password data over an access channel which is intercepted and transmitted to the security computer. The security computer then communicates with the access-seeker. A biometric analyzer—a voice or fingerprint recognition device—operates upon instructions from the authentication program to analyze the monitored parameter of the individual. In the security computer, a comparator matches the biometric sample with stored data, and, upon obtaining a match, provides authentication. The security computer instructs the host computer to grant access and communicates the same to the access-seeker, whereupon access is initiated over the access channel.
US08713697B2
An apparatus for storing event information relating to operation of an HVAC system includes: (a) at least one memory controller coupled with the HVAC system for receiving the event information; and (b) at least one memory unit coupled with the at least one memory controller. A first memory unit of the at least one memory unit is configured for receiving first selected information of the event information for accessing by at least one of a first party and a second party. A second memory unit of the at least one memory unit is configured for receiving second selected information of the event information for accessing by the second party.
US08713694B2
A data transfer method performed at a proxy server includes intercepting a data request from a client computer that is directed to a target server, encrypting profile information, augmenting the data request by adding the encrypted profile information to the data request, and sending the augmented data request to the target server. A data transfer method that is performed at an information server includes receiving a data request from a proxy server, extracting profile information added to the data request by the proxy server, using the extracted profile information to generate a response, and sending the response to the proxy server.
US08713689B2
Disclosed is a computer program that provides a secure workflow environment through a cloud computing facility, wherein the secure workflow environment may be adapted to (1) provide a plurality of users with a workspace adaptable to provide secure document management and secure communications management, wherein the users comprise at least two classes of user, including a participant and a subscriber, the subscriber having control authority within the workspace that exceeds that of the participant and the participant having control over at least some of the participants own interactions with the workspace, (2) maintain a secure instance of each communication provided by each of the users such that each communication can be managed, (3) maintain a secure instance of each document interaction provided by each user such that each interaction can be managed; and extending the secure workflow environment to the users through a secure network connection.
US08713685B2
A system and method are disclosed for creating a secure video content path, or a protected media content bus, within an unsecure personal computer. A portable security module, or electronic key safe, may be inserted into a personal computer that has different internal components for processing secure and unsecured content. The security module may establish a secure encrypted link with a secure video processor of the personal computer, and may use the personal computer's network interface to request authority to receive secured content. The security module may provide content keys to the secure video processor to access secured content received over an external network.
US08713683B2
Security arrangements for a universal serial bus (USB) protocol stack of a USB host system are provided. The security arrangements prevent an unauthorized or suspicious USB device from communicating with the host system, detect suspicious activity originating from a device which is already communicating with the host system and may provide notification to a user.
US08713676B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for identifying domains as malicious based on Internet-wide DNS lookup patterns. Disclosed embodiments look for variance in the servers that look up a domain and also look at the popularity growth (quantity of queries from unique addresses) of a domain after registration to identify malicious domains. Other disclosed embodiments measure the similarity of servers that query a domain and cluster domains based on the similarity of those servers. Disclosed embodiments may use such temporal and spatial lookup patterns as input to a blacklist process to more effectively and quickly blacklist domains based on their Internet-wide lookup patterns.
US08713674B1
Cloud based security is the common core of any cloud based service offering and includes in-line inspection of transaction for its customers, meaning that transactions are analyzed in real-time and a decision is made on the spot whether to allow or block the transaction based on a variety of criteria. In depth content analysis for illicit activities does not scale well to in-line transaction review. The present application discloses systems, methods and computer programs to conduct content analysis based upon a fixed time periods worth of in-line transactions, where the results of the content analysis can identify malicious sites and incorporate the identified sites into subsequent in-transaction review.
US08713671B2
A system and method of adding programming to a Symbian operating system. A binary component for use by the operating system, with the binary component including both a capability level and a trust level. The trust level is either equal to or higher than the capability level. If the trust level of the binary component is equal to or higher than the capability of a calling process the calling process automatically loads the binary component.
US08713666B2
Disclosed are methods, devices, and media for enforcing network access control, the method including the steps of: extracting a packet signature from a packet (or packet fragment) received from a network; storing the packet signature and the packet in a buffer; computing a buffer signature using a per-endpoint secret key; determining whether the packet signature and the buffer signature are identical; and upon determining the packet signature and the buffer signature are identical, transmitting the packet to a protocol stack. Preferably, the step of extracting includes extracting the packet signature from a field (e.g. identification field) of a header of the packet. Preferably, the method further includes the step of: upon determining the packet signature and the buffer signature are not identical, discarding the packet. Methods for receiving a packet from a protocol stack, and transmitting the packet to a network are disclosed as well.
US08713657B2
Systems and methods for weak authentication data reinforcement are described. In some embodiments, authentication data is received in a request to authenticate a user. In response to detecting weak authentication data, the systems and methods determine whether the user was previously authenticated as a human user. An example embodiment may include initiating an authentication process based on determining that the user was previously authenticated as a human user.
US08713652B2
Systems and methods provide a gaming machine that is protected from the introduction of rogue code. One aspect of the systems and methods includes disabling a user access feature, such as a login or network access feature of an operating system executing on the gaming machine. A further aspect of the systems and methods includes removing debuggers and debugging information from an operating system or application executing on the gaming machine.
US08713645B2
A tool for verifying that a message received by a social networking service was sent by a bona fide owner of a social networking account who purportedly sent the message. The tool receives a message and it locates in the message a string that was entered into a message text field of the message. The string is compared with a registered authentication string for the bona fide owner of the account. If the string in the message matches the registered authentication string, the string is removed from the message and the message is forwarded to the social networking service. If the string in the message does not match the registered authentication string, the message is blocked from being forwarded to the social networking service.
US08713644B2
A method of operating a host computer having a web-browser with the capability of executing at least one web-browser add-on to provide a web application access to a smart card to protect the smart card from security threats associated with being connected to the Internet. Prior to establishing a connection between a web application executing in the web browser, verifying that the web application has been authorized to connect to a smart care using the web-browser add-on to provide a web application access to a smart card.
US08713641B1
A system and method for authorizing, authenticating and accounting users having transparent access to a destination network, wherein the users otherwise have access to a home network through home network settings resident on the user's computers, and wherein the users can access the destination network without altering the home network settings and without installing software on the user's computer. The system includes a gateway device for receiving a request from a user for access to the destination network, and means for identifying an attribute associated with the user based upon a packet received by the gateway device, wherein the packet is transmitted from the user's computer, and wherein the user's computer is configured for accessing the home network.
US08713633B2
In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for a method and system including storing a plurality of proxy access credentials for a user to securely access each of a plurality of cloud computing facilities; receiving a request from a client device for access to one of the plurality of cloud computing facilities; securing a communication link to the client device, thereby providing a secure link; receiving access credentials from the user through the secure link; verifying an identity of the user with the access credentials; assessing a security state of the client device to determine if the client is in compliance with a security policy; and if the client is in compliance with the security policy, coupling the client to one of the plurality of cloud computing facilities through a second secure link using a corresponding one of the plurality of proxy access credentials for the user.
US08713618B1
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for segmenting videos in a video hosting service. To determine segments related to timestamps, user generated comments are parsed for timestamps. The timestamps are organized into sets and a segment is identified for each set of timestamps. A start point for each segment is determined based on the timestamps in each set. The segment will have an endpoint that can be either the end of the itself, or optionally can be determined based on the timestamps. Each timestamp is associated with a segment. One or more indicators represent each timestamp and each indicator is coupled to the segment associated with timestamp represented by the indicator. The segments are ranked according to popularity or the submission time of their related timestamp indicators. Responsive to receiving a client request for a video, the comments, indicators, and segments are loaded to the client.
US08713617B2
An isolation device isolates a transport medium internal to a customer premises from a transport medium external to the customer premises such that operational changes to one of the internal and external transport media do not affect the other of the internal and external transport media. A first interface communicates with the external transport medium and a second interface communicates with the internal transport medium. An addressable set-top box external to the customer premises receives encoded telecommunication information from the external transport medium and generates television signals from the encoded telecommunication information for transmission over the internal transport medium.
US08713611B2
An apparatus, method and data structure for generating at least one table in a broadcast environment, are provided. The apparatus includes a generator to generate an event information table (EIT) and an extended text table (ETT). The ETT has program guide information for an n-hour span and has a transmission interval. The ETT has a transmission interval and program description information according to the EIT. The transmission interval of the EIT is shorter than the transmission interval of the ETT.
US08713604B2
Various systems and methods allow supplemental information such as recipes, parts lists, instructions, notes, outlines or other information associated with a television program to be delivered in the same transport stream that carries the television program to the viewer. The transport stream includes at least two elementary streams, wherein the first elementary stream conveys video content associated with the television program and the second elementary stream conveys supplemental information that summarizes at least a portion of the television program. The device receiving the digital transport stream identifies the first and second elementary streams in the digital transport stream, processes the first elementary stream to present the video content associated with the television program to the viewer, and makes the supplemental information in the second elementary stream available to the viewer.
US08713603B2
A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for providing advertisements with a media program transmitted to a user device are described. The method permits the user to control the presentation of advertisements to select prefacing advertisements in lieu of more time consuming or more numerous intervening advertisements presented during the media program.
US08713600B2
A method is performed using a smart TV, which receives from a television signal source device a television signal feed encoding primary television content and then presents that content. The smart TV receives data via the computer network, including first data representing a to-be-replaced portion of the primary television content and second data representing secondary television content. Using the second data, the smart TV automatically presents the secondary television content in place of the to-be-replaced television content. The method includes the smart TV: (a) automatically monitoring, during presentation of the secondary television content, the television signal feed and comparing it with the first data; and (b) automatically altering presentation of the secondary television content in accordance with a user-control action with respect to the television signal source device, in response to detecting any difference between the television signal feed and the first data indicative of that user-control action.
US08713586B2
Application code for deployment to a client over a data link is optimized to minimize download time by supplying only the application code with a particular object that is required by the object. In a web application that includes multiple pages, the HTML and JAVASCRIPT are scanned to identify code resources called by a particular web page. When all called resources are identified, they are extracted and concatenated into a single resource file. When the page is downloaded to the client, the import file is included with the page. The import file may be cached so that it need only be downloaded once, rather than being downloaded every time the page is requested. The invention is suitable for use with other interpreted scripting languages.
US08713585B2
A communication device includes a first processing unit that detects a target and receives a first command for activating an interface upon a detection of the target. The communication device also includes a second processing unit that exchanges data with the target through the first processing unit. Further, the communication device includes an interface between the first processing unit and the second processing unit. The first processing unit selects a predetermined interface level from among a plurality of interface levels based on the first command and exchanges data with the second processing unit based on the predetermined interface level.
US08713575B2
A data processing architecture includes multiple processors connected in series between a load balancer and reorder logic. The load balancer is configured to receive data and distribute the data across the processors. Appropriate ones of the processors are configured to process the data. The reorder logic is configured to receive the data processed by the processors, reorder the data, and output the reordered data.
US08713573B2
A synchronization scheduling apparatus and method in a real-time multi-core system are described. The synchronization scheduling apparatus may include a plurality of cores, each having at least one wait queue, a storage unit to store information regarding a first core receiving a wake-up signal in a previous cycle among the plurality of cores, and a scheduling processor to schedule tasks stored in the at least one wait queue, based on the information regarding the first core.
US08713564B2
A method (and system) for managing a distributed-memory parallel application running on multiple servers, includes dynamically moving a plurality of executable program components, where each of the plurality of executable program components are running on one of a plurality of virtual machines, using migration of the virtual machines between physical servers. The load balancing is operated based on a workload of each of the virtual machines and servers, where a virtual machine, or a plurality of virtual machines, are transferred to balance the workload between each of the servers.
US08713561B2
A device may include a first manager to store attribute information of a first program in a first storage in response to an install request to install the first program, and a second manager to store attribute information of a second program in a second storage in response to an install request to install the second program. The second manager may store attribute information of a third program and attribute information of the second program included in the third program in the second storage, and store attribute information of the first program included in the third program in the first storage, in response to an install request to install the third program that includes the first program and the second program.
US08713557B2
A system for peer-to peer distributed client updates. The system includes a server to which a list of target network accessible devices as devices that are to receive an update file is uploaded. The server then generates a list of the targeted network accessible devices, which includes a plurality of superior nodes and a plurality of subordinate nodes, which are each subordinate to a respective one of the superior nodes. The server then sends an update file to each of said superior nodes, which sends the update file to each of the nodes subordinate to the respective superior nodes. Each of the target network accessible devices then directly transmits a reporting result indicating a result of a software update at each of the superior and subordinate nodes.
US08713552B2
A client transmits, to a server, an instruction to copy a certain file for update, and receives the copied file. Upon update of the received file, the client generates update information on the update of the received file, and transmits the generated update information to the server. The server extracts a file containing a part related to the received update information, and judges whether or not the extracted file has been copied and then transmitted to a different client. If judging that the extracted file has been copied and transmitted to the different client, the server transmits warning information to the different client to which the extracted file has been transmitted, the warning information indicating that the file is updated in the client other than the different client.
US08713545B2
A data processing system includes a host computer, an additional computer, an application module including a first executable code, a module for analyzing said first executable code and a module for generating a second executable code segmented notably into code blocks which are executed in a preferential manner on one of the two computers. The second executable code includes a sub-module for managing the distribution of the processing operations between the host computer and the additional computer and a sub-module for managing the additional computer as a virtual machine which executes the blocks allocated to the additional computer.
US08713540B2
A graphical program is analyzed, where the graphical program includes an I/O interface including one or more ordered parameters for providing input to or receiving output from the graphical program. A function is generated in a textual programming language based on the analyzing, where the function implements the functionality of the graphical program, and includes a textual function I/O interface with the one or more ordered parameters of the I/O interface of the graphical program. User input is received specifying a modified textual function I/O interface that differs from the textual function I/O interface. A wrapper for the function is generated with the modified textual function I/O interface, where the wrapper includes the function, and where during execution the wrapper receives or outputs values in accordance with the modified textual function I/O interface, and provides values to or receives values from the function via the textual function I/O interface.
US08713539B2
An electronic device is provided that, in an embodiment, saves a plurality of values for a variable specified by a condition after a respective plurality of encounters of a breakpoint by a program that modifies the variable. One of the plurality of values is selected based on a condition. A determination is made whether to stop execution of the program at the breakpoint based on the one of the plurality of the values. Execution of the program is stopped at the breakpoint if the determining is true. The program is allowed to continue to execute if the determining is false.
US08713538B2
A method for monitoring a heap in real-time to assess the performance of a virtual machine. A mobile agent is created to be preloaded with boundary settings for each heap metric. Boundary settings are thresholds that are used to diagnose the effectiveness of operation of the heap. The mobile agent is deployed onto an application server to monitor the effectiveness of operation of the heap of a virtual machine within the application server. If a boundary setting for one of the heap metrics is exceeded, then the mobile agent determines whether a non-critical, a critical or a fatal error has occurred. An appropriate response is then performed. By monitoring the heap in real-time, undesirable behavior characteristics of the heap can be detected early thereby allowing remedial actions to be enacted to address such problems before those problems escalate into more serious problems.
US08713528B1
A code verification tool verifies that code generated from a model represents all of the functionality of the model and does not contain any unintended functionality. The code verification tool may receive for examination a model or an intermediate representation (IR) of the model and the generated code or an intermediate representation of the generated code. The code verification tool may create further intermediate representations of the model and/or the generated code in order to compare the functionality presented in both.
US08713527B2
A build process management system can acquire data pertaining to a software build process that is currently being executed by an automated software build system. The software build process can include executable process steps, metadata, and/or environmental parameter values. An executable process step can utilize a build artifact, representing an electronic document that supports the software build process. The acquired data can then be synthesized into an immutable baseline build process and associated baseline artifact library. The baseline artifact library can store copies of the build artifacts. The immutable baseline build process can include baseline objects that represent data values and dependencies indicated in the software build process. In response to a user-specified command, an operation can be performed upon the baseline build process and associated baseline artifact library.
US08713518B2
A system and method for computational unification of heterogeneous implicit and explicit processing elements which supports the aggregation of any number of such processing elements. The system and method of the present invention supports the generation of a unified executable program through the use of directive statements which are analyzed in conjunction with the semantic structures in the parsed source code to generate appropriate source code targeted to the implicit and explicit processing elements. The computational unification system and method of the present invention further embodies expertise with the particular programming style and idiom of the various processing elements.
US08713516B2
A system and method is presented that leverages independent innovation in entertainment content and graphics hardware. In this system and method, the current image generation run-time application is replaced with a new framework defining the connectivity, features, and behavior necessary to implement a graphics system. All this takes place in the context of a software platform utilizing a late-integration mechanism that dynamically integrates the various real-time components in a run-time application. Ultimately displacing hardware as the central focus of development efforts, this software platform functionally is the graphics application, at least as viewed by the simulation host computer, database developers, and those responsible for visual system procurement and maintenance. An innovative software architecture, the Graphical Application Platform (GAP) is presented. The GAP builds on image generator, workstation, and scene graph success by extending the concepts of platform and framework into the real-time graphics domain—bridging the gap between image generation concerns and contemporary hardware and software realities by decoupling content, hardware and applications. This new approach also provides technology to address emerging concerns related to the selection and acquisition processes in the context of new low-cost, high-performance graphics hardware.
US08713513B2
Quality of modularization of source code is tested using different perspectives such as a structural modularity perspective, an architectural modularity perspective, a size perspective, and a similarity of purpose perspective. A history of changes in modularization may be kept such that the degree to which given source code is well-modularized can be determined over time. The changes made to the code by individual programmers may be kept, such that the degree to which their coding enhanced or harmed modularization may be tracked.
US08713499B2
A method of electron-beam lithography is provided, notably for technologies of critical dimension of the order of 22 nm. In such methods applied notably to networks of lines, the methods of the prior art do not offer precise and efficient correction of the shortenings of line ends. The method provided solves this problem by carrying out the insertion of contrast intensification structures of types which are optimized for the structure of the lines to be corrected. The method allows the semi-automatic or automatic calculation of the dimensions and locations of said structures. Advantageously, these calculations may be modeled to produce a target design, derived from libraries of components. They may be supplemented with a joint optimization of the size of the etchings and of the radiated doses, as a function of the process energy latitude.
US08713498B2
A data processing system determines current information corresponding to a node included at a device design. Physical layout information corresponding to the node is received, the physical layout information including one or more layout geometries, the one or more layout geometries providing a circuit network. The circuit network may be partitioned into two or more network segments. A current conducted at a network segment is identified based on the current information. Information representative of dimensions and metal layer of a layout geometry included at the network segment is received. The computer determines that the current exceeds a predetermined maximum threshold, the predetermined maximum threshold determined based on the dimensions and metal layer.
US08713486B2
Roughly described, a design rule data set is developed offline from the design rules of a target fabrication process. A design rule checking method involves traversing the corners of shapes in a layout region, and for each corner, populating a layout topology database with values that depend on respective corner locations. After the layout topology database is populated, the values are compared to values in the design rule data set to detect any design rule violations. Violations can be reported in real time, while the user is manually editing the layout. Preferably corner traversal is performed using scan lines oriented perpendicularly to edge orientations, and scanning in the direction of the edge orientations. Scans stop only at corner positions and populate the layout topology database with what information can be gleaned based on the current scan line. The different scans need not reach each corner simultaneously.
US08713483B2
A method for separating features in a target layout into different mask layouts for use in a photolithographic process. Features of a target layer are searched for features having a predefined shape. In one embodiment, portions of the feature having the predefined shape divided into two or more sub-features and at least one sub-feature are not considered when separating the features into two or more mask layouts. In another embodiment, features having a predefined shape are cut to form two or more sub-features and all features and sub-features are considered when separating the features of the target layout into the two or more mask layouts.
US08713481B2
A displayed navigational cube configured to be navigated for use by a service provider to enable the service provider to select at least one vendor for meeting requirements of the service provider for deploying a selected service in a service delivery environment. The displayed navigational cube includes mutually orthogonal axes of a first axis, a second axis, and a third axis. Subservices of the selected service, vendors, and requirements are respectively represented on the first, second, and third axis to define elements at each unique combination of subservice, vendor, and requirement. Each element is transparent or non-transparent such that the navigational cube includes transparent elements and non-transparent elements. Each transparent element denotes an indication that the vendor is unable to meet each requirement for implementing each subservice. Each non-transparent element denotes an indication that the vendor is able to meet each requirement for implementing each subservice.
US08713477B2
Presenting links to a user includes: (i) identifying at least one of several work center screens to be made available to a user on a screen. Each work center screen is customizable and contains role-specific information associated with a topic in an enterprise resource computing system. (ii): for each identified work center screen, any screen of a particular type to which the user can directly navigate from the work center screen is identified. (iii): the screen includes: (A) for each identified work center screen, a first link providing navigation to the corresponding work center screen, and (B) for each first link, a second link to each screen of the particular type identified for the corresponding work center screen, providing navigation to the identified screen without visiting the work center screen, the second link displayed to indicate an association with the first link.
US08713476B2
A computing device includes a display screen, where the computing device is configured to display on the screen a menu listing one or more applications, and to display on the screen an application summary that can be reached directly from the menu, where the application summary displays a limited list of data offered within the one or more applications, each of the data in the list being selectable to launch the respective application and enable the selected data to be seen within the respective application, and where the application summary is displayed while the one or more applications are in an un-launched state.
US08713469B2
A terminal and method of controlling the same are presented. The terminal includes a touchscreen for displaying a list of items and a controller for controlling a scroll of a first list of items in a first direction and a scroll of a second list of items in a second direction, wherein the second list of items is related to an item selected from the first list of items, wherein the second list of items is scrolled in the second direction while the first list of items is displayed.
US08713448B2
A portable communication terminal includes a display unit, a memory that stores content information and community information, an identifier display unit that displays on the display unit a content identifier capable of identifying the content and a community identifier capable of identifying a community, a first identifier reception unit that receives a designation of the content identifier, an upload determination unit that determines whether upload of content to a community is possible based on the content information and the community information, and an upload display unit that displays the community identifier of a community determined as being uploadable to be distinguishable from another community identifier.
US08713440B2
Techniques to manage communications resources for a multimedia conference event are described. An apparatus may comprise an audio management component operative to manage multiple audio connections for a multimedia conference event. The audio management component may comprise an audio monitor module communicatively coupled to an audio message module. The audio monitor module may be operative to monitor multiple audio connections for the multimedia conference event, and determine at least one audio quality parameter for an audio connection is lower than a defined threshold value to form an audio quality warning state. The audio message module may be operative to generate an operator message with the audio quality warning state and one or more options to improve audio quality for the audio connection. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08713425B2
A system is disclosed for hyperlinking to hyperlinked content corresponding to program material wherein the hyperlinking prints only pre-defined printable output of the hyperlinked content comprising a generator for generating a hyperlink address string associated with the program material including a first attribute indicating a hyperlink address to the hyperlinked content and a second attribute indicating one or more parameters defining the pre-defined printable output of the hyperlinked content, an encoder for encoding the hyperlink address string for transmission via a program signal transmitter, the program signal transmitter for transmitting the hyperlink address string, a program signal receiver for receiving the hyperlink address string, a data processor for processing the hyperlink address string for hyperlinking to the hyperlinked content printing only the pre-defined printable output of the hyperlinked content and a web browser for hyperlinking to the hyperlinked content printing only the pre-defined printable output of the hyperlinked content.
US08713422B2
Generally described, embodiments of the present invention relate to applying and evaluating conditional formatting rules to a given range of cells. Additionally, multiple conditional formatting rules may be evaluated to TRUE for the same cell contained in a user interface and multiple formats applied to that cell.
US08713418B2
A system for processing data captured from rendered documents is described.
US08713416B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for receiving incoming data in a processor and performing a checksum operation on the incoming data in the processor pursuant to a user-level instruction for the checksum operation. For example, a cyclic redundancy checksum may be computed in the processor itself responsive to the user-level instruction. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08713410B2
According to one embodiment, a data storage apparatus includes a channel controller, an error correction controller, and an additional correction module. The channel controller is configured to control writing to and reading from the nonvolatile memories of respective channels. The error correction controller is configured to use inter-channel error correction codes during any read process, performing inter-channel correction process on those of the data items read under the control of the channel controller, which have been designated. The additional correction module is configured to designate, in accordance with errors detected by the channel controller, data items to additionally correct, and to notify the data items so designated to the error correction controller while the channel controller is reading the data necessary in the inter-channel correction process.
US08713408B2
A non-volatile memory device may operate by writing a portion of a new codeword to an address in the device that stores an old codeword, as part of a write operation. An interruption of the write operation can be detected before completion, which indicates that the address stores the portion of the new codeword and a portion of the old codeword. The portion of the old codeword can be combined with the portion of the new codeword to provide an updated codeword. Error correction bits can be generated using the updated codeword and the error correction bits can be written to the address.
US08713398B2
Disclosed are an encoding apparatus for a quasi-cyclic low-density parity check code for calculating r×m-bit redundant data for information data of length k×m bits (k, m and r are positive integers), and a cyclic addition apparatus including a k×m-bit shift register and exclusive OR. With information data of a length of k×m×L bits (L≦k), a length of (r×m×(L+1)+k×m) bits is calculated as redundant data by adding redundant data of a length of r×m×L bits calculated using the encoding apparatus L times, k×m-bit data calculated by inputting the information data of a length of k×m×L bits to the cyclic addition apparatus, and r×m-bit redundant data calculated by inputting the k×m-bit data to the encoding apparatus.
US08713395B2
In a retransmitting method, at least one ARQ block included in a first PDU is fragmented into a plurality of ARQ sub-blocks, and at least one second PDU is generated from the plurality of ARQ sub-blocks. The second PDU includes a payload including an extended header and at least some of a plurality of ARQ sub-blocks. The extended header includes a field representing a sequence number of the first ARQ sub-block belonging to the payload.
US08713394B2
Provided is a method for supporting retransmission in a wireless communication system by user equipment. The method may determine a transmission parameter for initial transmission of uplink data, transmit the uplink data on an uplink channel using the determined transmission parameter, and, for retransmission of the uplink data, perform multiplexing of retransmission data of the uplink data with a channel quality indicator (CQI). A radio resource for the CQI may be determined based on the transmission parameter used in an initial transmission. The method may transmit the multiplexed data on a physical uplink shared channel.
US08713389B2
An architecture for testing a plurality of circuits on an integrated circuit is described. The architecture includes a TAP Linking Module located between test pins on the integrated circuit and 1149.1 Test Access Ports (TAP) of the plurality of circuits to be tested. The TAP Linking Module operates in response to 1149.1 scan operations from a tester connected to the test pins to selectively switch between 1149.1 TAPs to enable test access between the tester and plurality of circuits. The TAP Linking Module's 1149.1 TAP switching operation is based upon augmenting 1149.1 instruction patterns to affix an additional bit or bits of information which is used by the TAP Linking Module for performing the TAP switching operation.
US08713385B2
Various embodiments include methods, apparatus, and systems to scan at least a portion of a memory device for potential errors when a condition for scanning is met. The condition may be dependent on one or more of a number of read operations, a number of write operations, time, and others. Other embodiments including additional methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed.
US08713384B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes first and second chips sharing first and second data channels. The first and second chips output normal data of the respective chips through the first and second data channels in a normal operation, and the first chip outputs test data of the first chip through the first data channel, and the second chip outputs test data of the second chip through the second data channel in a test operation.
US08713375B2
A data processing apparatus is provided with trace circuitry for generating a plurality of trace streams including an instruction trace stream 10 and a data trace stream 12. The instruction elements within the instruction trace stream and the data elements within the data trace stream are marked with key values KV such that a match may be made between data elements and corresponding instruction elements. When predetermined conditions are met, synchronization markers 66 are inserted in both the instruction trace stream 10 and the data trace stream 12 in order to permit a precise correlation to be made between the instruction elements and the data elements when the data is subsequently analyzed.
US08713358B2
A method begins a first rebuilder application identifying a data slice having a storage error. The method continues with the first rebuilder application or a second rebuilder application identifying a data segment based on the identified data slice. The method continues with the second rebuilder application identifying one or more other slice servers that are storing other data slices of the encoded data segment. The method continues with the second rebuilder application receiving a sufficient number of the other data slices to reconstruct the data segment and decoding them to reconstruct the data segment. The method continues with the second rebuilder application encoding the reconstructed data segment in accordance with the information dispersal algorithm to produce a new set of data slices and selecting one of them as the rebuild data slice.
US08713353B2
Whether or not a signal which is transmitted from a current operation side node to a stand-by side node has been disconnected is determined on a communication route for the signal. When the signal is determined to have been disconnected, the network route is switched to the network route used when a client unit and the stand-by side node perform data communication. With this, the switching of the network route when processing having been performed by a node of a system is performed by another node in place of the node can be made quickly.
US08713347B1
A system and method are disclosed for masking a clock input from a clock line when the clock line is not being driven by a clock source. The clock mask is triggered by a clock cycle from the clock source. In one version, a memory controller configures a masking circuit to either allow a clock signal to the clock input or to mask the clock input from a bidirectional clock bus. The masking circuit may comprise a storage element and a gate, as an example.
US08713345B2
A local timing circuit receives a reference timing signal and generates a multi-phase timing signal for output to a digital signal processing circuit.
US08713343B2
In an electronic control apparatus, a microcomputer stops its operation when a power voltage supplied from a regulator starts to fall. When a low voltage detection circuit detects fall of the power voltage, the microcomputer is reset immediately and a communication start detection circuit is permitted to output a communication start signal. It is also possible to maintain the microcomputer in a wait state until proceeding to a sleep mode, and proceed to a normal operation mode when a power-on start signal is changed to be active in a period of the wait state.
US08713338B2
A signal generator circuit for reducing power consumption of out-of-band message communications between a first device including the signal generator circuit and a second device coupled to the first device comprises a switching circuit and a controller coupled to the switching circuit. The controller is operative to receive a reference clock signal and at least a first control signal indicative of a request for the first device to send a message to the second device when the first device is in a first mode of operation. The controller generates an output control signal and an output data signal. The output control signal is operative as a function of the first control signal to selectively power up the switching circuit and a transmitter driver during the first mode. The output data signal includes the message supplied to the transmitter driver for transmission to the second device during the first mode.
US08713336B2
The detecting unit detects a disconnection of communications that have been established with a display apparatus. When the disconnection of the communications is detected, the message generating unit generates a confirmation message that confirms whether the communications should be reestablished. The transmitting unit transmits the confirmation message to the display apparatus. The receiving unit receives a reply message that indicates whether the communications should be reestablished from the display apparatus. The main power supply controlling unit shuts down the main power supply when the reply message indicates that the communications should not be reestablished, or when no reply message is received.
US08713314B2
A secure communication system or method are disclosed that may employ a constant level of trust between participants and a security management entity. As part of the constant level of trust, a communication policy may cause participants to request key validation every time the participant wishes to take an action that requires use of a key. In this manner, the participant may regularly communicate with the security management, and this regular communication can be further used to implement key renewal and/or rollover procedures.
US08713311B1
Methods for changing authentication keys when transmitting data are provided. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a first data packet including a first sender-generated authentication value generated using a first authentication key, and a first message encrypted using a first encryption key, and receiving an indication that subsequent packets will include authentication values generated using a second authentication key. The method also includes receiving a second packet includes a second sender-generated authentication value and an encrypted second message, and applying the second authentication key to the second packet to generate a recipient-generated authentication value. The encrypted second message is decrypted if these two authentication values match. Otherwise, the first authentication key is applied to the second packet to generate another recipient-generated authentication value. If these two authentication values match, the encrypted message is decrypted using the first encryption key. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.
US08713305B2
Embodiment of the present invention provides a packet transmission method. The method includes: receiving an encrypted packet sent by a client by using a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel, wherein the encrypted packet is sent by the client after the client determines, according to a preset control policy, that the control policy comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address and a port number that are the same as a destination IP address and a destination port number of a packet to be sent and encrypts the packet to be sent, and the control policy comprises information about an IP address and a port number of an intranet server that can exchange a packet with a security socket layer protocol (SSL) VPN server; decrypting the encrypted packet; and sending the decrypted packet to a corresponding intranet server, wherein a source IP address of the decrypted packet is an external network IP address.
US08713303B2
A method and a system for establishing a security connection between switch equipments are disclosed in the present invention. The system includes the first switch equipment and the second switch equipment; the first switch equipment sends the switch key negotiation activation packet and the switch key negotiation response packet to the second switch equipment; the second switch equipment sends the switch key negotiation request packet to the first switch equipment. The embodiments of the present invention provide a security policy for data security transmission between switch equipments by establishing shared switch key between each two switch equipments, thus guaranteeing the confidentiality of the data transmission process between switch equipments in the data link layer. The calculation burden of switch equipment and the delay of the data packets transmitted from the transmission end to the reception end can be reduced and the efficiency of network transmission can be improved.
US08713292B2
A data processing system is used to evaluate a data processing function by executing a sequence of program instructions including an intermediate value generating instruction and an intermediate value consuming instruction. In dependence upon one or more input operands to the evaluation, an embedded opcode within the intermediate value passed between the intermediate value generating instruction and the intermediate value consuming instruction may be set to have a value indicating that a substitute instruction should be used in place of the intermediate value consuming instruction. The instructions may be floating point instructions, such as a floating point power instruction evaluating the data processing function ab.
US08713287B2
A processor blade determines whether a selected processing task is to be off-loaded to a storage blade for processing. The selected processing task is off-loaded to the storage blade via a planar bus communication path, in response to determining that the selected processing task is to be off-loaded to the storage blade. The off-loaded selected processing task is processed in the storage blade. The storage blade communicates the results of the processing of the off-loaded selected processing task to the processor blade.
US08713273B2
To generate a checkpoint for a virtual machine (VM), first, while the VM is still running, a copy-on-write (COW) disk file is created pointing to a parent disk file that the VM is using. Next, the VM is stopped, the VM's memory is marked COW, the device state of the VM is saved to memory, the VM is switched to use the COW disk file, and the VM begins running again for substantially the remainder of the checkpoint generation. Next, the device state that was stored in memory and the unmodified VM memory pages are saved to a checkpoint file. Also, a copy may be made of the parent disk file for retention as part of the checkpoint, or the original parent disk file may be retained as part of the checkpoint. If a copy of the parent disk file was made, then the COW disk file may be committed to the original parent disk file.
US08713261B1
Described are techniques for caching. At a first point in time, a first set of data portions currently stored in a first cache of a first data storage system is determined. Each data portion of the first set is located on a first device of the first data storage system. Sent to a second data storage system is first information including information identifying a storage location on the first device for each data portion of the first set. The second data storage system includes a second device that is maintained as a mirror of the first device. The storage location for each data portion of the first set is used to identify a second storage location of the second device corresponding to the storage location. The first information is used to populate a second cache of the second data storage system.
US08713243B2
A method for physically identifying an association between a removable storage device and its assigned drive letter, the removable storage device connecting to a computing device. A data structure which comprises the drive letter assigned by an operating system of the computing device is received and analyzed to retrieve the drive letter assigned to the removable storage device. The drive letter of the removable storage device is displayed on a screen of the removable storage device or on a display device connected to the removable storage device.
US08713235B2
This document provides apparatus and methods for providing low latency response from a processor to the interrupts collected from peripheral devices. In an example, an apparatus can collect interrupt requests from a plurality of peripheral devices, and can communicate interrupt information to a processor. Certain examples can reduce the quantity of processor general purpose inputs and outputs configured to receive the peripheral device interrupts in comparison to systems where the peripheral device interrupts are directly coupled to the processor.
US08713229B2
A method for communication between function modules in drive engineering is described, wherein a first function module has a first sensor interface, wherein a second function module has a second sensor interface, wherein the first sensor interface is functionally assigned to the second sensor interface, wherein the first function module is assigned to a first automation component, wherein the second function module is assigned to a second automation component, wherein an address, in particular a logical address, for the transfer of sensor data is automatically specified.
US08713227B2
An accessing device communicating with a host device and including a connector, a storage unit and a control unit is disclosed. The connector connects to the host device. The storage unit stores data. The control unit communicates with the storage unit according to a first communication protocol and communicates with the host device via the connector according to a second communication protocol. The control unit determines the kind of the second communication protocol according to selection information.
US08713226B2
The invention concerns a device for transmitting data between a serial data bus and working modules, wherein the data bus is connected to a bus node in a bus module having at least two serial communication ports which are connected to ports of a hub connected to or integrated with the bus node, wherein the communication ports are designed for the connection and for the power supply of the working modules and wherein at least one of the working modules is designed as an actuator and/or I/O module comprising a serial-to-parallel converter for the parallel connection of actuators and/or I/O interfaces provided on or connected to the respective working module.
US08713224B2
A method and system for processing data by a storage controller with a buffer controller coupled to a buffer memory is provided. The method includes, evaluating incoming data block size; determining if the incoming data requires padding; and padding incoming data such that the incoming data can be processed by the buffer controller. The method also includes determining if any pads need to be removed from data that is read from the buffer memory; and removing pads from the data read from the buffer memory. The buffer controller can be set in a mode to receive any MOD size data and includes a first channel with a FIFO for receiving incoming data via a first interface. The buffer controller mode for receiving incoming data can be set by firmware.
US08713222B2
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus including: a first controller configured to control a first external device; a second controller configured to control a second external device; a combo connector configured to connect the first external device to the first controller or to connect the second external device to the second controller alternatively; a first power controller configured to turn OFF buffer power supply of the second controller when the first external device is connected to the combo connector and the second external device is not connected to the combo connector; and a second power controller configured to turn OFF buffer power supply of the first controller when the second external device is connected to the combo connector and the first external device is not connected to the combo connector.
US08713221B1
First in, first out (FIFO) queues may be used to transfer data between a producer clock domain and a number of consumer clock domains. In one implementation, a control component for the FIFO queues may include a number of counters, corresponding to each of the consumer clock domains, each of the counters maintaining a count value relating to an amount of data read by the corresponding consumer clock domain. The control component may additionally include a credit deduction component coupled to the count values of the counters, the credit deduction component determining whether any of the count values is above a threshold, and in response to the determination that any of the count values is above the threshold, reducing the count value of each of the counters and issuing a write pulse signal to the producer clock domain, the write pulse signal causing the producer clock domain to perform a write operation to the FIFO queues.
US08713220B2
A network device includes a main storage memory and a queue handling component. The main storage memory includes multiple memory banks which store a plurality of packets for multiple output queues. The queue handling component controls write operations to the multiple memory banks and controls read operations from the multiple memory banks, where the read operations for at least one of the multiple output queues alternates sequentially between the each of the multiple memory banks, and where the read operations and the write operations occur during a same clock period on different ones of the multiple memory banks.
US08713219B2
A queue number acquiring unit acquires a command queuing number that is the upper limit of the number of process-waiting instructions that can be stored in each of storages that make up a virtual disk for each storage. A minimum queue number selecting unit selects the minimum value of the command queuing numbers of the storages that make up the virtual disk as a minimum queue number. A queue number setting unit sets the selected minimum queue number as the command queuing number of the virtual disk that includes the storage device of which the command queuing number is selected as the minimum queue number for each virtual disk.
US08713200B2
The invention pertains to systems and methods for providing content to a device including receiving an identifier for each of at least one device that should receive the content; determining a device type for each of the at least one device that should receive the content; determining device parameters for each of the at least one device that should receive the content based on the determined device type; tailoring the content for each of the at least one device that should receive the content based on the determined device parameters; and providing the tailored content to each of the at least one device that should receive the content.
US08713181B2
The present invention provides a computer implemented method for transferring an item from a source virtual universe to a target virtual universe. A target virtual universe host opens a session between a source virtual universe host and itself. Next, it determines that the source virtual universe host is authorized to transmit the item to the target virtual universe host. Next, it receives a command from a client computer to transfer the item from the source virtual universe host to the target virtual universe host. Next, it receives item data in the target virtual universe host.
US08713176B2
A system, device, and method provide for the selection of a device to perform a service using context information for the device. The context information may be included in a request from a control point device to the device or may be included in a response from the device to the control point device. The context information provides additional information relative to the services provided by the device or relative to the device itself. For example, if the device is a camera, the camera may include for each photograph taken by the camera a date the photograph is taken, a time the photograph is taken, a location at which the photograph is taken, a subject matter of the photograph, a temperature at the photograph location, a photographer, etc in the context information. Additionally, the camera may include the current geographic location of the camera in the context information.
US08713175B2
Systems and methods for reducing the number of challenge messages that are sent in response to an incoming message in situations where the incoming message is likely not unsolicited. The systems and methods include evaluating the behavior of a sender with regard to one or more federated messaging services and determining if the sender is approved or unapproved. If the sender is approved, the incoming message is deliver to a recipient's inbox without issuing a challenge message. Unapproved senders are required to respond to a challenge message.
US08713174B2
An event notification matching system, including an event matching table forming a plurality of nodes. Each node is assigned a subscriber request value and contains identifiers for one or more subscribers to be notified at the occurrence of an event relating to the subscriber request value. The event notification matching system may also include a table index. The table index receives input values from an event processing module and selects one or more of the nodes that have subscriber request values corresponding to the received input values. The event processor receives event data from a predetermined source, and formats the input values to simplify the operations performed by the event matching table. The event notification matching system is configured such that the event data need not be compared to non-matching nodes in the event matching table.
US08713171B2
A computer server including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) pool including a plurality of CPUs, at least two partitions being exclusively offered the plurality of CPUs and independently performing an operation system, and a resource managing and monitoring unit managing a CPU allocation and retrieval of the at least two partitions based on a number of currently available CPUs and a number of currently used CPUs is disclosed. The resource managing and monitoring unit monitors partition status information (the partition status information including the number of currently used CPUs, a number of guaranteed CPUs, a CAP status and a number of maximum available CPUs) for measuring a ratio of CPU usage about each of the at least two partitions.
US08713164B2
A feedback method and a processing system for policy installation failures are applied in communication technical field, which is favorable for an Access Resource Admission Control Function (A-RACF) to accurately grasp the detailed information of policy installation failure enforced by the Resource Control Enforcement Function (RCEF), therefore the efficiency of downwardly sending the policies for installation next time is improved. The method includes: when the installation of the policies downwardly sent from the A-RACF to the RCEF is failed, the RCEF generates a feedback message to be sent to the A-RACF, wherein the feedback message includes error reasons of the policy installation failures.
US08713159B2
A monitoring apparatus for monitoring communication configurations of a plurality of client devices connected to a server, the monitoring apparatus includes: a processor for controlling the communications between the client devices and the server in accordance with a process including: receiving from each of the client devices communication condition information and storing latest communication condition information of each of the client devices; determining at a time interval whether any of client devices became incapable of communication with the server by checking the latest communication condition information of each of client devices; and upon detection of at least one of the client devices for which obsolete communication condition information is stored, issuing a notice indicating that the at least one of the client devices are incapable of communication with the server.
US08713155B2
A method for managing devices in a device management system includes: sending, by a server, target device condition information to a gateway; and sending, by the server, management information for a target device to the gateway, and triggering the gateway to determine the target device according to the target device condition information and send the management information to the target device. According to a trigger of the server and the target device condition information sent by the server, the gateway searches for the target device; and according to a trigger of the server, the gateway sends the management information sent by the server to the target device. Embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a server and a gateway in a device management system. Thereby, a type of target devices can be managed in batches.
US08713153B2
A method and device for communicating information resources between subscriber end stations and nodes belonging to different network domains is described. The device instantiates different virtual network machines for different network domains using separate independently administrable network databases. Each of the administrable chores of the separate independently administrable network databases includes the assignment of access control and the configuration of the policies for those network databases. The policies include traffic filtering policies to indicate what kind of information payloads can be carried, traffic and route filtering policies to indicate what paths through the network will be used for each payload carried. Each of the network domains includes one of the different virtual network machines and each of the different network domains is virtually isolated from other network domains.
US08713151B2
A method and system for configuring a complex network and a server resource configuration and management module are provided. The method comprises: obtaining an access record of each cloud computing server in a cloud server pool in a network; constructing a complex network model according to the access record(s); performing a community division process to the complex network model to obtain a community structure and memberships of members in each community; and configuring a structure of the network according to the community structure and the memberships of the members in each community. The provided technical scheme is applicable to a cloud computing network. The method and system for configuring a complex network and the server resource configuration and management module, realize configuring the network according to the usage of each cloud computing server in the current network, solve the problem of no mechanism for configuring a cloud computing network reasonably.
US08713149B2
The present disclosure is directed to systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for data feed management. Data feeds can be received at one or more landing directories associated with a feed management system. The feed management system can be configured to map the data feeds in the landing directories to one or more subscribers, and the data feeds can be moved to one or more staging directories associated with the subscribers. The data feeds can be delivered to the one or more subscribers from the staging directories. Receipts indicating delivery of the data feeds can be stored by the feed management system. The feed management system can be configured to manage data feeds, landing directories, and staging directories.
US08713141B1
Described is a system and method for receiving first data corresponding to usage of a network, receiving second data corresponding to usage of the network, comparing the first data to the second data and providing an indication of a network event when the second data varies from the second data greater than a predetermined threshold.
US08713132B2
An integrated security system integrates broadband and mobile access and control with conventional security systems and premise devices to provide a tri-mode security network having remote connectivity and access. The integrated security system delivers remote premise monitoring and control functionality to conventional monitored premise protection and complements existing premise protection equipment. The integrated security system integrates into the premise network and couples wirelessly with the conventional security panel, enabling broadband access to premise security systems. Automation devices can be added, enabling users to remotely see live video or pictures and control home devices via a personal web portal or other client device. Camera management enables automatic configuration and management of cameras in the premise network. The camera management extends to remote control and monitoring from outside the firewall of the premise network to include routing of images or video from a streaming source device to a requesting client device.
US08713127B2
Techniques for distributed storage aggregation are presented. A storage aggregation server interacts over a network with a plurality of contributing servers to organize and partition excess storage on each of the contributing servers as a logical Random Array of Independent Disks (RAID). Network resource can process Input/Output (I/O) operations over the network against the RAID using an Internet Small Computers Systems Interface (iSCSI) protocol.
US08713116B2
A method for confirming delivery of an electronic message from a sender computer to a recipient over a computer network includes: converting by a server at least part of the content of the message to a dynamic image, and saving it on the server; generating a link to the dynamic image with a unique tracking key; generating a secondary electronic message transmitted to the recipient computer, the secondary electronic message including the link to the dynamic image and recipient details; transmitting the secondary electronic message to the recipient computer; updating the server to reflect that the dynamic image has been viewed by the recipient when the recipient opened the secondary electronic message and the link to the dynamic image to view the dynamic image; and informing the sender that the dynamic image has been viewed by the recipient, thereby confirming the delivery of the original electronic message.
US08713114B2
Systems and techniques for transferring a file from a first client associated with a first subscriber to a communications system to a second client associated with a second subscriber to the communications system by connecting from the first client to a communications system host; sending, through the communications system host, a request to the second client to establish a direct connection to the second client; when the second client accepts the request, establishing a direct connection to the second client that bypasses the communications system host; and transferring a file over the direct connection.
US08713111B2
To display pieces of data provided by different servers in one page, a providing apparatus provides a page to a client terminal, the page including data retrieved from a server. The providing apparatus includes a) a page return unit for, upon receipt of a page retrieval request from the client terminal, returning a page including code to the client terminal, the code to be executed on the client terminal, the code causing the client terminal to transmit a data transmission instruction to the server, the data transmission instruction instructing the server to transmit the data to the providing apparatus, b) a data reception unit for receiving the data transmitted by the server, the server having received the data transmission instruction from the client terminal, and c) a transfer unit for transferring the data received from the server, to the client terminal.
US08713102B2
A method for social network collaboration addresses the need for efficient and effective way of obtaining information. The method obtains aggregated information from members of a social network collaborating in response to a source collaboration message. The method provides for a demand-driven collaborated information production such that the information is significantly more relevant and accurate.
US08713101B2
A free-space, decentralized, distributed computing network may comprise at least one free-space dynamic memory unit, at least one free-space processing unit, at least one free-space static memory unit, and at least one free-space communications link. The free-space dynamic memory unit may store data. The free-space processing unit may process the data, stored by the free-space dynamic memory unit, into information. The free-space static memory unit may provide operational instructions to the free-space dynamic memory unit and to the free-space processing unit. The free-space communications link may connect in the free-space the free-space dynamic memory unit, the free-space processing unit, and the free-space static memory unit. The free-space dynamic memory unit, the free-space processing unit, and the free-space static memory unit may each comprise at least one tracking device, and a transducer, transmitter, and/or receiver.
US08713098B1
A computer-implemented method in a distributed network system is disclosed. The computer-implemented method includes: receiving, at a server, a first object update message from a server-side application, wherein the first object update message includes a first object identifier; identifying, among a plurality of object-client registration records, an object-client registration record that includes the first object identifier; updating the object-client registration record in accordance with the first object update message; selecting a set of client identifiers associated with the first object identifier from the object-client registration record; and, for a first client identifier in the selected set of client identifiers, sending a second object update message to a first client device associated with the first client identifier, wherein the second object update message includes the first object identifier.
US08713094B2
The Event-Associating Software Application for Accessing Digital Media (the “Software Application”) consists of a Software Application designed to receive messages and digital media files from external sources, then to read and categorize each file's metadata based on events of which the person submitting the file has taken a photograph or a video, or recorded audio. The Software Application parses each file's metadata, looks up events in the System database to match with the digital media file, and associates those events with the message. The Application's parsing function generally comprises reading the metadata, splitting it up into component parts, and categorizing it in databases together with the message data, which consists of EXIF data (Exchangeable Image File Format data, such as time, location, and other related tags) encoded in photograph and audio files and user-generated text and tags that accompany the files.
US08713081B2
A lookup table structure having multiple lookup tables is configured to include a quaternary adder. In particular examples, an adaptive logic module (ALM) including a fracturable lookup table (LUT) is configured to include a quaternary (4-1) adder. In some examples, only an XOR gate, an AND gate, two single bit 2-1 multiplexers, and minor connectivity changes to a LUT structure supporting a ternary (3-1) adder are needed to support 4-1 adders. Binary (2-1) and ternary adders are still supported using the original signal flows, as the ternary adder feature can be easily multiplexed out.
US08713064B1
Performing a user initiated search query is disclosed and comprises receiving user input comprising description details of at least one desired object, retrieving a plurality of objects from a database sharing one or more of the description details of the user input, constructing a tree data structure based on the description details of the plurality of objects, the tree data structure comprising one or more attributes related to each of the plurality of objects retrieved, displaying visual images associated with the retrieved plurality of objects, the visual images matching at least one of the attributes related to the plurality of objects, and receiving a user selection of one or more of the visual images.
US08713061B1
Administrative aspects of a data environment, such as the creation, deletion, and management of databases, are managed using a set of self-service Web services of a separate control environment. A user can submit a Web services call into an externally-facing interface of the control environment. The control environment can receive the call, extract information from the call, and determine appropriate actions to be performed in the data environment. A workflow can be instantiated that includes tasks used to perform the action in the data environment. Such an approach allows administrative aspects of the data environment to be managed through Web service calls to the control environment. Native access to databases in the data environment is provided using at least one externally-facing interface of the data environment, without accessing the control environment.
US08713058B2
A computer readable medium includes executable instructions to create a first export file that defines attributes and relationships associated with a first business intelligence object. A second export file that characterizes a second business intelligence object associated with the first business intelligence object is formed. The first export file and the second export file are combined into a composite export entity. The composite export entity is distributed.
US08713052B2
A file management apparatus that communicates with an online storage subject to use constraints. The file management apparatus including a processor that controls at least one of two access processes, one of the two access processes being an upload to the online storage, the other access process being a download from the online storage, and performs access inhibit control to inhibit the access processes to meet the use constraints based on at least one of a number of times access is made to the online storage per unit time and an amount of data communicated with the online storage per unit time.
US08713044B2
A data management system includes a record database, an account database, a scenario database, and a computing device. The computing device includes a data management tool that is configured to identify scenarios based on information stored in the record database and store the identified scenarios in the scenario database. Further, the data management tool may associate identified scenarios with customer records stored in the account database. Upon receipt of a scenario selected by a user, the data management tool may automatically generate a query that identifies at least one customer record associated with the selected scenario, execute the query, and create a sample billing record for each customer record identified.
US08713042B1
Methods and apparatus for processing autocomplete suggestions. Some implementations are directed to methods and apparatus for generating additional suggestions for provided multiple term autocomplete suggestions and determining additional suggestion scores for the additional suggestions. Like entries among the additional suggestions and the autocomplete suggestions may be identified and each similar grouping of the like entries combined into a consolidated entry. A combined consolidated score for each consolidated entry may be determined based on one or more of the additional suggestion scores and any of the autocomplete scores of the like entries combined into the consolidated entry.
US08713033B1
A system for monitoring incidents is provided. The system includes a problem management system, a first data store, a second data store, and a monitor. The first data store is accessible by the problem management system and can maintain information related to problems underlying incidents. The second data store is also accessible by the problem management system and can maintain information related to solutions for the problems underlying the incidents. The monitor can monitor the problem management system, the first data store, and the second data store for the number of times the first and second data stores are queried and for other information.
US08713028B2
Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for providing internet content, such as related news articles. One method includes an operation for defining a plurality of candidates based on a seed. For each candidate, scores are calculated for relevance, novelty, connection clarity, and transition smoothness. The score for connection clarity is based on a relevance score of the intersection between the words in the seed and the words in each of the candidates. Further, the score for transition smoothness measures the interest in reading each candidate when transitioning from the seed to the candidate. For each candidate, a relatedness score is calculated based on the calculated scores for relevance, novelty, connection clarity, and transition smoothness. In addition, at least one of the candidates is selected based on their relatedness scores for presentation to the user.
US08713027B2
Methods and systems provide tools that enable users to manage electronic messages by obtaining additional information about senders, receivers or entities mentioned in messages. A computing device may identify a sender or recipient of an electronic message and search a database to obtain additional data about the sender or recipient. The additional data may be displayed with the electronic message. The additional data may also be used to calculate importance values that the computing device can use to highlight, preferentially display, or sort the electronic messages. The importance values may be calculated by applying sorting algorithms to the retrieved additional data based on user defined criteria. Importance values may also be based upon information obtained from messages. A graphical user interface may be implemented to enable users to specify criteria and weighting factors to apply in sorting electronic messages.
US08713026B2
A method for playing digital media files with a digital media player using a plurality of playlists is disclosed. One embodiment uses a plurality of playlists—instead of a single playlist—to reference a given pool of digital media files. After the songs of one playlist have been played, another playlist is selected, and songs from that playlist are played. Since the playlist selection is automatically made by the digital media player while it is offline, a fresh listening experience is created without requiring the user to connect the digital media player to the Internet. Preferably, each playlist is purposefully curated to ensure that the play order keeps the experience commensurate with a particular brand message.
US08713025B2
A system, method and computer program product for developing an entity context frame or situation summary before using said context frame/situation summary to develop an index, perform a context search and return prioritized results. The search results may comprise a plurality of health related data where said health related data comprises a plurality of microbiome data.
US08713022B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to modeling communities associated with groups of data items. Tools are provided to iteratively assign data items to communities and to update topic and participant distribution in the assigned communities. As the distributions are updated, the characteristics of the communities are updated. Each activity area is defined from the perspective of a single user. Participants in a community are connected to a user, but not necessarily to each other. The combination of formations of communities and the statistical aspect of evaluating characteristics of the communities provides a multi-facetted organization of connections between data items and associated participants.
US08713015B2
Standard group operators afford expressive grouping across collections of various types for employment by a number of programming languages. The operators can leverage positional information to facilitate grouping of sequential/ordered input data. Groups can also include more than one input element. Additionally or alternatively, the operators can enable multi-level grouping such as nested or hierarchical grouping. In accordance with one aspect, the group operators can be employed in conjunction with language-integrated queries.
US08713009B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide automatic systems and methods for associating objects in databases of a web site by rate-based tagging. The frequencies of users entering specific tag terms for objects stored in the databases of the web site are used to determine hard associations between objects and tag terms and between objects. When the frequencies of user tags exceed established thresholds, hard associations between objects and tag terms are established. When objects are identified or determined to have hard association with tag terms, the objects are determined to be more clearly associated with the corresponding tag terms. Therefore, they should be highlighted or featured in more prominent locations on web pages of the web site to increase users' confidence in content of the web site. To identify hard-associated objects, more weights can be assigned to the hard-associated objects, which allows them to be more likely to be selected for display in prominent locations. In addition, objects that are determined to have hard associations with tag terms can also have hard associations with one another due to the common tag terms they share. The hard association relationship between objects can be displayed through links to associated objects when an object is selected for display.
US08713006B2
The present inventors devised, among other things, system, methods, and interfaces for researching, evaluating, and comparing expert witnesses. One exemplary system includes interfaces that facilitate users entering queries regarding experts based on name or subject matter and filtering search results based on damage awards, case types, attorneys, clients and date range. The system also enables side-by-side comparisons of the cumulative litigation history for multiple experts, and provides an expert challenge report that indicates whether an expert has been challenged in past litigation, the result of any challenges, the presiding judges in the any challenges, and the text of the challenged testimony.
US08713002B1
A computer-implemented method includes receiving a query at a central information provider, identifying media-related terms in the query that indicate the query relates to one or more media-related objects, and providing media-specific results in response to the query associated with one or more programs or program staff.
US08713000B1
Methods and systems for leveraging one's social network in the context of an opportunities marketplace are described. One aspect of the invention involves integrating social networking features into an online marketplace, or exchange. Accordingly, one aspect of the invention involves facilitating an opportunity search in a manner that provides social networking information with the results of the search.
US08712999B2
A computer-implemented method for generating online search results includes receiving, over the Internet, referring URL data including a query, and a network site ID for a network site that was visited based on third party search engine analysis of the query; generating indexed query and network site data based on the received referring URL data and network site; receiving a new query from a user; determining a network site relevant to the new query based on the indexed query and network site data; and displaying to the user a link to the network site. Systems for generating online search results are also disclosed.
US08712991B2
Some implementations include techniques and arrangements to provide document-related representative information with search results. For example, a representative query and/or representative results may be provided for one or more individual documents identified in a set of search results to supplement the search results returned in response to a received search query. The representative queries may be determined by correlating a plurality of previously submitted queries in search log data with a plurality of documents returned in response to the queries. In some implementations, click-through frequency for a particular document with respect to the plurality of queries may be taken into consideration when determining the representative queries for the particular document. In some implementations, the representative queries serve to categorize the search results based on subject matter, and a link may be provided to representative results corresponding to the representative query for accessing documents directed to similar subject matter.
US08712990B2
Computer-implemented systems and methods are disclosed for providing a business rule repository in a memory. An exemplary method includes displaying, on a display device, a graphical user interface (GUI) for creating a business rule, and receiving, in a computer, via the GUI user input relating to an input variable of the business rule, and user input relating to an action required by the business rule based on the input variable. The method further includes generating, by the computer, a text document associated with the business rule based on the input, and storing the text document associated with the business rule in the business rule repository.
US08712985B1
Data is received from a social networking system, the data including user data and performance data associated with one or more user pages in the social networking system. A query is received specifying desired user data and performance data. A performance group is generated including user data and performance data of user pages responsive to the query.
US08712982B2
An improved scalable object storage system allows multiple clusters to work together. Users working with a first cluster, or with a multi-cluster gateway, can ask for services and have the request or data transparently proxied to a second cluster. This gives transparent cross-cluster replication, as well as multi-cluster compute or storage farms based upon spot availability or various provisioning policies. Vendors providing a cloud storage “frontend” can provide multiple backends simultaneously. In one embodiment, a multi-cluster gateway can have a two, three, or higher-level ring that transparently matches an incoming request with the correct cluster. In the ring, a request is first mapped to an abstract “partition” based on a consistent hash function, and then one or more constrained mappings map the partition number to an actual resource. In another embodiment, the multi-cluster gateway is a dumb gateway, and the rings are located only at the cluster level.
US08712981B2
Various embodiments described herein provide systems, methods, software, and data structures to allow or prevent viewing of users and groups of users by other users and groups of users. Some such embodiments include retrieving a listing of members from a member database, defining a first subset of one or more members selected from the retrieved member listing, and designating the first member subset as visible to a second subset of one or more members when a member of the second member subset retrieves a member listing.
US08712977B2
A computer-readable recording medium stores therein an information retrieval program that causes a computer to execute a retrieval process in which files to be retrieved are narrowed down by using a bit string for each character in the files to find characters making up a retrieval keyword to retrieve a keyword identical to or related to the retrieval keyword in the files to be retrieved. The bit strings indicate the presence of the characters in the files. The information retrieval program causes the computer to execute extracting, from among the bit strings, a bit string of an arbitrary character; and compressing the extracted bit string, by using a special Huffman tree having leaves of plural types of symbol strings covering patterns represented by a predetermined number of bits and a special symbol string having a number of bits greater than the predetermined number of bits.
US08712976B1
A method is used in managing deduplication density. A deduplication density of a data object is determined. The deduplication density is indicated by a number of deduplicated data objects represented by the data object. Based on the deduplication density of the data object, the data object is skipped for applying a deduplicating technique to the data object. An association is created between the data object and another data object. The other data object is used for applying the deduplicating technique where contents of the other data object are identical to contents of the data object.
US08712974B2
A method is performed by a device of a group of devices in a distributed data replication system. The method includes storing an index of objects in the distributed data replication system, the index being replicated while the objects are stored locally by the plurality of devices in the distributed data replication system. The method also includes conducting a scan of at least a portion of the index and identifying a redundant replica(s) of the at least one of the objects based on the scan of the index. The method further includes de-duplicating the redundant replica(s), and updating the index to reflect the status of the redundant replica.
US08712973B2
A system, method, and medium for providing configurable item configuration data by receiving a plurality of configuration data sets from a plurality of sources, all which pertain to the same configurable item (CI), then using weighting rules and preferences to assign weight values for each option, feature, and component in each report according to discrepancies and commonalities between the data sets, creating a new data set for the configurable item by selecting options, features, and components having the greatest weight values among all of the data sets, assigning confidence factors to each option, feature, and component by weight comparisons between the plurality of data sets; updating a configuration management database entry for the configurable item accordingly. The confidence factors are useful for inhibiting regulated processes, such as software release processes and change control processes, and for generating human-readable configuration reports indicating confidence levels of the reports and their contents.
US08712972B2
System, method, computer program product embodiments and combinations and sub-combinations thereof for tuning query execution performance in a database management system are described. In an aspect, query optimization in a database management system (DBMS) with awareness of limited resource usage includes identifying limited resource usage for each possible plan being considered for query execution by a query engine. A determination of whether any possible plan has limited resource usage that does not exceed a threshold level is made, and when at least one possible plan does not exceed the threshold level, the identified limited resource usage is included as a consideration during plan selection by the query engine. In an embodiment, temporary database usage is identified for each possible plan.
US08712968B1
A computer-implemented method may include identifying a request to restore an image to a target disk while a first operating system is running on the target disk and creating a file in a first file system of the first operating system. The method may also include mapping a position in the file to a location on the target disk to provide a map that associates the position in the file with the location on the target disk. The method may further include using the map to write at least a portion of the image to the target disk to provide a restored operating system on the target disk. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08712964B2
Embodiments include systems and methods for updating a data store in a distributed data store system. In one embodiment, a previous version of a data store is compared to an updated version of the data store in order to create a transaction store. The transaction store may include a cryptographic hash indicative of the previous version of the data store and a cryptographic hash indicative of the updated version of the data store. The transaction store further indicates data differences between the previous and updated versions of the data stores. The transaction store may then be used to update data stores at other locations.
US08712962B1
In a first embodiment, a method and computer program product for use in replication comprising pushing a point in time (PIT) to a de-duplication device, creating a virtual LUN based on the PIT pushed to the de-duplication device, and exposing, via a Data Protection Appliance (DPA), the virtual LUN. In a second embodiment, a method and computer program product for use in replication comprising choosing an object to be recovered at a point in time (PI), spawning a virtual machine, creating a virtual LUN based on the PIT, exposing the virtual LUN to the virtual machine, recovering the object from the PIT mounted to the virtual machine, and un-exposing the virtual LUN to the virtual machine.
US08712952B2
The method uses predictive analysis to determine a model based on past data including a first social network built between communicating entities for a first observation period and behavioral centrality measures derived from behavioral data observed in a following time period. The model thus determined is then applied to a second social network built for a second observation period more recent than the first one. This provides predicted behavioral centrality measures for a future period, which can be used to perform an efficient selection of entities in the target, which may maximize virality with respect to the specific behavior of interest.
US08712951B2
Systems/methods for computing a power spectral density estimate for a noise signal. Where the noise signal appears in two channels (a single channel), n successive data acquisitions from the two channels (the single channel) are used to compute n respective cross (power) spectral densities, which are then averaged. The averaged cross (power) spectral density may then be smoothed in the spectral domain. The magnitude of the smoothed cross (power) spectral density comprises an estimate for the noise power spectral density. An effective number of independent averages may be computed based on the number n, the time-domain window applied to the acquired sample sets, the amount of overlap between successive sample sets, and the shape of the frequency-domain smoothing function. A statistical error bound (or uncertainty measure) may be determined for the power spectral density estimate based on the effective number of averages and the averaged single-channel and cross-channel spectral estimates.
US08712947B2
A method and system for generating an information template from a domain ontology, where the information template is specific to a content management system (CMS). After a domain ontology specification is received, a platform independent model (PIM) is generated that includes elements that represent knowledge in the CMS. The PIM is converted to a platform specific model (PSM) that is based on the CMS. The information template specific to the CMS is generated based on the PSM. A result of generating the information template is a documentation of content for the CMS in a format specified by the information template. An existing CMS is reverse engineered to interoperable forms by retrieving content of the information template in the existing CMS, transforming the content to the PIM, and transforming the PIM to a domain ontology model.
US08712943B1
Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving aggregate user data, the aggregate user data corresponding to response rate of one or more answering users responding to requests, processing the aggregate user data to generate an analytical model, the analytical model describing a probability that an average answering user will respond to a request based on response rates of one or more time intervals, receiving a request, identifying a plurality of answering users, processing the analytical model to identify a sub-set of answering users of the plurality of answering users, and transmitting the request to each answering user of the sub-set of answering users.
US08712931B1
User input on a computing device can be intelligently predicted using one or more learning algorithms. When user text input is received, an input repository comprising a plurality of text items is accessed. The plurality of text items includes a plurality of user-specific text items, which are classified according to a probabilistic model. One or more input predictions are inferred by applying the probabilistic model to the user text input. A suggested text input is presented using an output element of the computing device. The suggested text input is based on the user text input and one or more text items from the input repository. Additional input is received which overrides the suggested text. Any text associated with the user override is then classified within the probabilistic model, thereby updating the input repository based on the user override.
US08712926B2
A method for identifying emerging concepts in unstructured text streams comprises: selecting a subset V of documents from a set U of documents; generating at least one Boolean combination of terms that partitions the set U into a plurality of categories that represent a generalized, statistically based model of the selected subset V wherein the categories are disjoint inasmuch as each document of U is included in only one category of the partition; and generating a descriptive label for each of the disjoint categories from the Boolean combination of terms for that category.
US08712922B2
A shipping system for shipping packages involving the coordinated use of at least a first carrier and a second carrier. The shipping system includes physical delivery facilities for the physical delivery of packages, the physical delivery facilities including at least one transfer location at which the second carrier may take over delivery responsibilities for a package.
US08712921B2
An approach is provided in receiving risk feedback from a social network. Feedback transmissions are received by a user's system with each of the feedback transmissions being received over a computer network from a social network contact. The received feedback transmissions are analyzed and, based on the analysis, a risky action that was performed by the user is identified. The user performs a risk avoidance measure to counteract the identified risky action. In one embodiment, the risk avoidance measure is reported back to the user's contacts.
US08712920B2
The present invention is a method and apparatus for effectuating bilateral buyer-driven commerce. The present invention allows prospective buyers of goods and services to communicate a binding purchase offer globally to potential sellers, for sellers conveniently to search for relevant buyer purchase offers, and for sellers potentially to bind a buyer to a contract based on the buyer's purchase offer. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus of the present invention includes a controller which receives binding purchase offers from prospective buyers. The controller makes purchase offers available globally to potential sellers. Potential sellers then have the option to accept a purchase offer and thus bind the corresponding buyer to a contract. The method and apparatus of the present invention have applications on the Internet as well as conventional communications systems such as voice telephony.
US08712916B2
Techniques described herein overcome many of the issues that have previously made the printing of a single copy of a book from a digital version unattractive and infeasible. According to one embodiment of the invention, an automated mechanism such as a computer program automatically determines whether the spine thickness of a to-be-printed copy of a digital version of a book will exceed the specified maximum spine thickness that a specified binding or other finishing device can handle. In response to determining that the spine thickness will exceed the specified maximum spine thickness, the automated mechanism automatically splits the digital version of the book into two or more volumes such that, for each volume, the spine thickness of the printed version of that volume will be no greater than the specified maximum spine thickness that the specified binding or other finishing device can handle.
US08712915B2
A system and method for providing private demand-driven pricing for fixed cost digital goods are described. Symmetric private information retrieval is engaged on a table that includes public key encryptions of prices for digital goods stored in a database by a seller system, wherein a desired marginal pricing level has not been realized. The price of one digital good is decrypted with a private key for pricing by a purchaser system. A purchasing decision based upon the decrypted price is sent to the seller system without revealing the particular digital good being purchased. A conditionally disclosed symmetric key for goods is received under which the digital goods in the database have been encrypted. Symmetric private information retrieval is engaged on the database and the digital good purchased with the symmetric key is decrypted. The encrypted prices of the digital goods are privately updated based upon the desired marginal pricing level.
US08712908B2
A method, computer program product and computer system for issuing and servicing a Home Appreciation Participation Note (HAPN) for a real estate property, which includes issuing an Participation Contract (PC) for the property to PC investors, where the PC has a value derived from a sharing formula based on a change of a proxy for the value of the property relative to an initial value of the proxy, and the proxy is independent of an actual current condition of the property (after the initial valuation); and issuing a HAPN Bond for the property to HAPN Bond investors, where the HAPN Bond has an initial value set as a sum of an amount paid for the PC and an amount paid for the HAPN Bond. Both the PC and the HAPN Bond represent claims on the property, and the HAPN Bond is a performance bond for the PC if the value of the PC is negative.
US08712890B2
In accordance with the teachings described herein, systems and methods are provided for optimizing the capital structure of a financial institution. A system may include an optimization engine stored on a computer readable medium and executable by one or more processors, when executed the optimization engine being configured to: receive information identifying available capital of the financial institution for each of a plurality of capital instruments; receive information classifying each of the plurality of capital instruments within one of a plurality of risk levels; receive an overall target capital value for the plurality of capital instruments; and determine an optimum capital value for each of the plurality of capital instruments, the optimal capital values being determined using an optimization algorithm that relates the available capital for the plurality of capital instruments to the overall target capital value subject to a plurality of constraints, the plurality of constraints relating to the capital held by the financial institution at each of the plurality of risk levels.
US08712885B2
A method and apparatus are provided for assisting in checking accuracy of bank transaction records edited in a bank statement and performed by at least one transaction device. The method includes, for at least one of the transactions: emission, by the transaction device, of at least one first signal including a message relating to the transaction; receipt, by at least one mobile terminal, of the at least one first signal; transmission, by the mobile terminal, of a second signal including at least the message, to at least one banking organization; association, by a server of the banking organization in charge of the transaction, of the message with at least one datum relating to the transaction, and marking of the transaction as a pre-checked transaction.
US08712871B2
Tracking, controlling, optimizing, and otherwise managing the delivery of goods with a web server, a database server, and handheld computers. A database has at least route delivery information. At least portions of the database are communicated to respective handheld devices for display. Time-sensitive goods may be delivered based on information displayed on the handheld devices, which are also used to collect information during delivery. The collected information is communicated to the database for buffing, reporting and analysis.
US08712866B2
A system and method for ordering a print of a digitally represented still image on a calendar using a remote computer is provided. The system includes a remote computer connected to a photofinisher through a network. A computer readable medium is located on the photofinisher and has computer-executable instructions for performing the method that includes selecting an image using the remote computer and displaying the image in an image tray pane. A calendar workspace pane includes separate calendar image windows associated with each of the calendar pages. One of the images displayed in the image tray pane is associated with one or more of the calendar image windows. A calendar print order data file is established, which includes the association of the selected image with one or more of the calendar image windows. The computer-executable instructions are in HTML and JavaScript.
US08712861B2
Methods and systems for selecting and customizing an advertisement for a known user are disclosed. The advertisement is customized responsive to social distance between the user and members of the user's social network.
US08712857B1
Methods for providing an offer of an upsell item to users of a given self-service device, and systems and computer-readable media suitable for practicing the methods. The method can comprise enabling initiation of a given primary transaction between a given user and the given self-service device, with the given primary transaction involving a specific good and/or a specific service that is obtained using the given self-service device. The given user is identified, and the geographic location of the given user when initiating the given primary transaction is established. A second data element relating to the given user is obtained utilizing data representing the identity of the given user. The upsell item is determined utilizing, at least in part, the second data element and data representing the geographic position of the given user. The upsell item is then offered to the given user. Illustrative self-service devices can include devices that enable the user to obtain commodities such as gasoline, cash, snacks, drinks, paper items, or the like. Further aspects of the invention project the user's future position, arrival times, and anticipated needs based on primary transaction data and further data related to the user.
US08712855B1
Apparatus and methods for determining a transaction cost recovery amount are provided. The transaction cost recovery amount may be determined for each of a plurality of locations. The locations may include point-of-sale terminals and/or checkout lanes. The transaction cost recovery amount may be determined based on Merchant Category Code (“MCC”) information. When a customer leaves a first location associated with a first MCC, the customer may be informed of a transaction cost recovery amount at a second location. The second location may be associated with a second MCC. The transaction cost recovery amount may be determined based on a product inventory. The transaction cost recovery amount may be imposed to maintain an inventory level above a critical level. The transaction cost recovery amount may be based on a decrease and/or increase in an inventory level.
US08712854B1
Systems and methods for processing payment transactions using combination payment cards. The combination payment card is associated with an open-loop account and one or more closed-loop accounts. Transaction information is received from a point-of-sale device. At least one of the closed-loop and open-loop account is debited.
US08712853B2
According to one embodiment, a code reading apparatus includes a commodity-information reading unit, a commodity-information output unit, a benefit-information reading unit, and a benefit-information output unit. The commodity-information reading unit reads commodity information from a code symbol attached to a commodity. The commodity-information output unit outputs the commodity information read by the commodity-information reading unit. The benefit-information reading unit detects an image of benefit indication from an image imaged by an imaging unit and reads benefit information corresponding to the benefit indication from the detected image. The benefit-information output unit outputs the benefit information read by the benefit-information reading unit.
US08712836B2
A method for use in marketing includes detecting, at the point-of-sale, a plurality of Uniform Product Codes associated with respective items purchased by a customer. The method also includes transmitting, on a substantially real-time basis, the plurality of Uniform Product Codes over the Internet to a remote computer connected to the Internet.
US08712829B2
A method includes receiving a voter list, and receiving a plurality of different types of ballot images. The method includes using a control program to form a side file which associates the ballot images with the voter list, wherein the control program selects a ballot image which corresponds to a selected voter of the voter list. The method includes forming a print job which includes the selected ballot image, and printing the print job to form an unused ballot which includes the selected ballot image. The method includes comparing an image of the unused ballot with the selected ballot image.
US08712826B2
A method of evaluating the effectiveness of an organization. The method includes participants generating responses to a set of organizational statements as part of a one-day event. The participants are able to interact with each other during various phases of the one-day event in order to generate responses. The responses are entered into a software program running on a computer-based platform, and the software program operates on the responses to generate output results (evaluation results . . . e.g., scores associated with various organizational categories) as part of the one-day event. The results may be used to measure and benchmark effectiveness of the organization and to formulate suggestions and actions to be taken by the organization to improve the effectiveness of the organization.
US08712818B2
A machine shop comprises a computer system programmed to automatically determine an access role for a worker in response to a log-in; automatically determine at least one task for the worker based on the access role; and automatically interface with different legacy servers to order, subject to the access role, at least one of machine tooling for the machining of the part, product materials to be machined, and distributed numerical control (DNC) data for the machining of the part.
US08712811B2
A system and method comprising: receiving itinerary data from at least two sources; identifying a traveler associated with the itinerary data; and adding information about the identified traveler to the itinerary data.
US08712809B2
One aspect of the present invention is a method for effectively managing aspects of hospitality for an event. Event's may include Olympic (or other) event. An inventory of event hospitality items is acquired for the creation of hospitality program for client groups. Information from client's guest which make up the client group may be collected in order to identify which hospitality inventory items could best fulfill the client's needs and requests during the days of the event. Hospitality inventory items may include tickets, transportation, hotel, food/beverages, and event staff. Hospitality parameters may be established for each client group, wherein the parameters determine how hospitality inventory items should be allocated for the client group.
US08712803B1
Systems, methods and apparatus for electronically verifying vehicle insurance coverage. A plurality of identifiers may be stored along with corresponding vehicle insurance coverage information for each of the identifiers. A query may be received requesting verification whether a vehicle operator has current vehicle insurance coverage. The query may include an identifier associated with the vehicle operator. The vehicle operator's identifier may be compared to the stored identifiers to verify whether the vehicle operator has current automobile insurance coverage. A signal may be communicated to a source of the query indicating a result of the comparison.
US08712801B1
Various mechanisms are provided herein for automated institutional processing of payments. For example, fund can be transferred from one party to another party by transfer of funds from a static account into a dynamically created transaction account. Such a transfer can have additional features, including the refunding of the transfer funds and revocation thereof. According to another example, insurance claims can be automatically processed by transferring funds when claims are filed (with or without evidentiary documents). Such transfers can then be validated afterwards. Thus, when claims are received, they can be quickly examined for the relevant fields, such as claim amount, and then the amount can be disbursed in a matter of minutes after receiving a claim submission. Such disbursement, moreover, can be governed according to various heuristics, including the trustworthiness of claimants and rules regarding maximum disbursement amounts.
US08712773B2
The present invention relates to a method for modeling a common-language speech recognition, by a computer, under the influence of multiple dialects and concerns a technical field of speech recognition by a computer. In this method, a triphone standard common-language model is first generated based on training data of standard common language, and first and second monophone dialectal-accented common-language models are based on development data of dialectal-accented common languages of first kind and second kind, respectively. Then a temporary merged model is obtained in a manner that the first dialectal-accented common-language model is merged into the standard common-language model according to a first confusion matrix obtained by recognizing the development data of first dialectal-accented common language using the standard common-language model. Finally, a recognition model is obtained in a manner that the second dialectal-accented common-language model is merged into the temporary merged model according to a second confusion matrix generated by recognizing the development data of second dialectal-accented common language by the temporary merged model. This method effectively enhances the operating efficiency and admittedly raises the recognition rate for the dialectal-accented common language. The recognition rate for the standard common language is also raised.
US08712767B2
A scalable encoding apparatus, a scalable decoding apparatus and the like are disclosed which can achieve a band scalable LSP encoding that exhibits both a high quantization efficiency and a high performance. In these apparatuses, a narrow band-to-wide band converter receives and converts a quantized narrow band LSP to a wide band, and then outputs the quantized narrow band LSP as converted (i.e., a converted wide band LSP parameter) to an LSP-to-LPC converter. The LSP-to-LPC converter converts the quantized narrow band LSP as converted to a linear prediction coefficient and then outputs it to a pre-emphasizer. The pre-emphasizer calculates and outputs the pre-emphasized linear prediction coefficient to an LPC-to-LSP converter. The LPC-to-LSP converter converts the pre-emphasized linear prediction coefficient to a pre-emphasized quantized narrow band LSP as wide band converted, and then outputs it to a prediction quantizer.
US08712766B2
A method and system for analysis-by-synthesis encoding of an information signal is provide. The encoder (400) can include the steps of generating a first synthetic signal based on a first pitch-related codebook (402), generating a second synthetic signal based on a second pitch-related codebook (404), selecting a codebook configuration parameter based on the reference signal and the first and second synthetic signals, and conveying the codebook configuration for use in reconstructing an estimate of the input signal. The encoder can include an error expression having an error bias (506) and a prediction gain having a prediction gain bias (508) for determining the codebook configuration. The encoder can employ variable length coding and combinatorial subframe coding (600) for efficiently compressing the codebook configuration parameter and codebook related parameters for one or more subframes.
US08712760B2
A method and mobile device for awareness of language ability are provided. “Repeated pattern index”-related properties, such as, a vocabulary usage amount, a vocabulary type, or a ratio, a time point, a time length or repeated contents of a repeated voice segment, and “community interaction index”-related properties, such as, a number of persons who speak with a user, a conversation time length, or whether the user talks alone during each time interval, are extracted according to voice data collected by a voice collection element worn on the user. Then, a language ability of the user is further calculated, so as to provide evaluation of the language ability of a dementia patient for reference.
US08712751B2
In a particular embodiment, a first digital function module is created that represents a first analog circuit and a second digital function module is created that represents a second analog circuit. A first value representing a first analog signal is transmitted from the first digital function module to the second digital function module while concurrently or substantially currently, the second digital function module transmits a second value representing a second analog signal to the first digital function module. In a particular embodiment, the first digital function module is a current signal related to an output of the first analog circuit and the second analog signal from the second digital function module is a voltage signal related to an output of the second analog circuit. The values may be transmitted along a bidirectional analog data bus capable of communicating real floating point numbers.
US08712749B2
The present invention relates to human Janus Kinase 3 (JAK3) and JAK3-like binding pockets. The present invention provides a computer comprising a data storage medium encoded with the structure coordinates of such binding pockets. This invention also relates to methods of using the structure coordinates to solve the structure of homologous proteins or protein complexes. In addition, this invention relates to methods of using the structure coordinates to screen for and design compounds, including inhibitory compounds, that bind to JAK3 protein or JAK3 protein homologues, or complexes thereof. The invention also relates to crystallizable compositions and crystals comprising JAK3 kinase domain and JAK3 kinase domain complexes with AMP-PNP.
US08712739B2
Systems and methods are disclosed herein for enhancing turbomachine operations. Such systems and methods include a hybrid risk model. The hybrid risk model includes a physics-based sub model and a statistical sub model. The physics-based sub model is configured to model physical components of a turbomachine. The statistical sub model is configured to model historical information of the turbomachine. The hybrid risk model is configured to calculate a turbomachine parameter.
US08712735B2
Aspects of the invention are directed to systems and methods for designing and analyzing data centers. One aspect is directed to a method of determining cooling characteristics of a data center. The method includes receiving data related to a configuration of equipment in the data center, identifying rack clusters in the configuration of equipment, and determining a cooling metric for at least one equipment rack of at least one rack cluster.
US08712724B2
A method includes receiving geo-location data collected over time period. The geo-location data is associated with a monitoring device. The method further includes receiving motion tracking data of the monitoring device. The motion tracking data is collected over time period. The method includes identifying one or more activities. The activities are identified based on inference rules that identify certain activities to have occurred when at least part of the motion tracking data is correlated to the received geo-location data. The method further includes defining a metric for one or more of the identified activities. The metric is associated to a calendar date. The method includes sending the metric to a calendar application with integration instructions. The integration instructions define the calendar date to which the metric will be added.
US08712721B2
Methods and devices for use in surveying operations are provided. A device is provided for selectively connecting to surveying equipment, such as a surveying pole, and is adapted for accurately adjusting a reference point in at least two axes. The device is adapted to work in conjunction with additional surveying equipment, such as theodolites and transits as well as one or more central processing units for analyzing, storing, and providing data.
US08712713B2
A method and apparatus for combining pressure information from pressure sensors, motion information from dead reckoning or other motion sensors, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, and geomagnetic sensors, and temperature information from temperature sensors, to separate a change in altitude from a change in environmental pressure or temperature. A change in measured pressure without any motion or change in temperature must be a weather-related barometric pressure change. If there is an associated temperature change, but no motion, and the rate of change is too fast for a normal weather change, the measured change represents a change in sensitivity of the pressure sensor with temperature, and the sensor calibration can be adjusted. A rapid change in pressure, associated with horizontal motion, but no measurable vertical motion represents a movement into a different pressure environment. Only changes in pressure that are associated with measurable vertical motion are true changes in altitude.
US08712709B2
A delta-sigma AD converter circuit includes a plurality of registers to store plural data obtained by dividing data stored in the shift register and to hold the plural data in such a form that each of the plural data is readable independently of the others, wherein one or more of the plurality of registers store the pulse density modulated data stored in the shift register in response to the register store instruction signal, and the filtering unit reads the pulse density modulated data from one or more of the plurality of registers responsive to the mode in response to the read request signal.
US08712708B2
Method, apparatus, and computer program product embodiments are disclosed for estimating the remaining charging time of a rechargeable battery. An example embodiment of the invention comprises a method comprising the steps of determining if the battery charging point is in a constant current phase or in a constant voltage phase; if the battery charging point is in the constant current phase, calculating a time remaining to charge in the constant current phase based on the constant current phase charging characteristics and a time remaining to charge in the constant voltage phase based on the constant voltage phase charging characteristics; and if the battery charging point is in the constant voltage phase, calculating a time remaining to charge in the constant voltage phase based on the constant voltage phase charging characteristics.
US08712694B2
To perform noise attenuation for seismic surveying, a sensor assembly is deployed on a ground surface, where the sensor assembly has a seismic sensor to measure seismic waves propagated through a subterranean structure, and a divergence sensor comprising a pressure sensor to measure noise. First data is received from the seismic sensor, and second data is received from the divergence sensor. The first data and the second data are combined to attenuate noise in the first data.
US08712684B2
A method of creating an exercise route for a user of a personal navigation device includes receiving a selection of a length of an exercise route to be generated, and generating a first plurality of suggested exercise routes according to a current position of the personal navigation device and the selected length of the exercise route, where each of the first plurality of suggested exercise routes has a starting point and ending point substantially equal to one another and equal to the current position of the personal navigation device. The method further includes displaying the first plurality of suggested exercise routes to the user on a display of the personal navigation device, receiving, from the user, selection of a selected suggested exercise route from the first plurality of suggested exercise routes, and displaying routing instructions on the display of the personal navigation device for the selected suggested exercise route.
US08712682B1
A system and method for estimating travel time are provided. A general travel time is determined for a first route. A personal travel time for the first route is determined based on travel data of a user while traveling the first route. A scaling factor is determined based on at least one travel characteristic associated with the user or the route. A travel time for is estimated a second route based on the general travel time, the personal travel time and the scaling factor.
US08712676B2
Probe data is analyzed to derive Longitudinal Speed Profiles (LSPs) and an Optimal Longitudinal Speed Profile (18) for each road segment or link in a digital map network. The Longitudinal Speed Profiles (LSPs) profiles are calculated during defined time spans whereas the Optimal Longitudinal Speed Profile (18) is based on the LSP for the time span corresponding only to free flow traffic conditions. All of the LSPs can used to create a respective energy cost for each time span, or only the OLSP (18) can be used (or alternatively the RRDSL 16 or LRRDSL 17) to calculate an energy cost for the free flow conditions only. The energy cost can be used to predict the energy required by a vehicle to traverse the link. Navigation software can use the energy cost to plan the most energy efficient route between two locations in the digital map. Sensory signals can be activated if a driver strays from the Optimal Longitudinal Speed Profile (18) to achieve extremely high levels of energy efficiency.
US08712671B2
Provided is an engine rpm control device which gradually reduces the output speed of an engine drive object when reducing the engine rpm. The engine rpm control device (20) includes a target engine rpm correction means used upon detection of an engine failure. The target engine rpm correction means has a storage device (51) containing a map of the correlation characteristic between the engine rpm and the output speed of object to be driven by an engine (100). The target engine rpm correction means corrects the target engine rpm so that an instructed engine rpm (Nset) or a derating target engine rpm (Nset′) is shifted to a predetermined failure-preventing engine rpm (N2) while maintaining the reduction ratio of the output speed of the drive object at a predetermined ratio.
US08712661B2
In an accelerator pedal effort control apparatus which increases a pedal effort of an accelerator pedal 2 when an accelerator opening angle is larger than a predetermined accelerator opening angle threshold value, in a case where a steering angle of a steering wheel when a vehicle driver starts to increase an opening angle of accelerator pedal 2 is small, a pedal effort increment is a reference pedal effort increment (ΔF) and, in a case where the steering angle is large, is a relatively small pedal effort increment (ΔF−β). Thus, when the vehicle turns right or left from a stopped state, pedal effort increment (ΔF−β) is set to relatively be small so that a smooth acceleration becomes possible.
US08712656B2
A bicycle shifting method suitable for controlling a gear ratio of a front chain ring and a rear chain ring of the bicycle is provided. The bicycle has a front electronic derailleur, a rear electronic derailleur, a controller, and a controlling switch, and the controller stores a gear-ratio table. The bicycle shifting method includes following steps. The controlling switch is triggered to generate a corresponding signal. One or both of the electronic derailleurs are controlled by the controller according the signal. When the signal is a speed-increasing signal, the controller controls the electronic derailleurs to increase the gear ratio along a speed-increasing path of the gear-ratio table. When the signal is a laborsaving signal, the controller controls the electronic derailleurs to decrease the gear ratio along a laborsaving path of the gear-ratio table. The speed-increasing path is different from the laborsaving path.
US08712653B2
A transmission control system for regulating operation of an automatic transmission of a vehicle includes a first module that provides a predetermined shift schedule including upshift and downshift lines and a second module that offsets each of the upshift and downshift lines by an offset amount to provide modified upshift and downshift lines when a deceleration of the vehicle exceeds a threshold deceleration. A third module regulates operation of the automatic transmission based on the modified upshift and downshift lines.
US08712651B2
A method of operating a multi-mode drive system that precisely orchestrates a shift between gear ratios in a power take off unit and a rear drive module. The method first shifts between gear ratios in the power take off unit and then, depending upon the success or failure of the shift of the power take off unit, shifts between gear ratios in the rear drive module.
US08712650B2
Described herein are devices, systems, and methods for managing the power consumption of an automotive vehicle, and thereby for optimizing the power consumption of the vehicle. The devices and systems for managing the power consumption of the vehicle typically include power management logic that can calculate an applied power for the vehicle engine based on information provided from the external environment of the vehicle, the operational status of the vehicle, one or more command inputs from a driver, and one or more operational parameters of the vehicle.
US08712647B2
A steering lock driving circuit includes: a microcomputer that, based on a detected condition of a vehicle, outputs one of a lock command for restricting rotation of a steering shaft by a rock member to carry out steering lock and an unlock command for releasing the steering lock; a latch circuit that, when an unlock signal indicating that the lock member is located in an unlock position is input to the latch circuit, holds the unlock signal; an OR circuit to which a logical NOT signal of a signal output from the latch circuit and a parking signal indicating that a shift position is a parking position are input; and an AND circuit to which one of the lock command and the unlock command, a signal output from the OR circuit and a condition coincidence signal generated when information detected from the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition are input.
US08712644B2
A vehicle control apparatus including a braking force applying device of a hydraulic type, capable of applying a braking force to each of a plurality of wheels. A hydraulic pressure controlling device controls a hydraulic pressure of the braking force applying device such that each of the wheels is not locked. A hydraulic pressure increasing or decreasing period changing device changes an increasing or decreasing period of the hydraulic pressure controlled by the hydraulic pressure controlling device. A controlling device controls the hydraulic pressure increasing or decreasing period changing device to change the increasing or decreasing period of the hydraulic pressure corresponding to each of the wheels in contact with a road surface having a high road surface friction coefficient, from that where a left-right braking force difference is not generated, to where the left-right braking force difference is generated by the hydraulic pressure controlling device.
US08712643B2
A device and a method for maneuvering a vehicle using maneuvering moves using at least one trajectory along which the vehicle is movable. Maneuvering moves have at least one reversing clothoid which borders on at least one trajectory and which is designed so that a steering motion of the vehicle is avoidable at standstill.
US08712640B2
In a vehicle driving assistance apparatus having an electric motor to impart steering torque to the driver and a driving control unit that conducts collision avoidance assistance control and other steering control including lane departure prevention control, power steering control and parking assistance control for providing assistance during parking of the vehicle, when a warning for alerting the driver is made by imparting torque to the steering wheel via the motor, the control input of the other steering control is suppressed, i.e. is reduced during either the first predetermined time before warning or the second predetermined time after warning. Owing to this configuration, the driver can be enabled to perceive the warning without fail even when another steering control is performed in parallel.
US08712631B2
In certain embodiments, the system of the invention automatically replicates a user's personal computing environment and provides associated remote server access using authentication credentials and data files supplied by a local handheld device as coordinated by session level software common to the handheld device, the replicated system, the system on which the replication occurs, and the remote servers. The application enables a handheld computing device to transfer a user's various online account credentials to a user's other computing devices securely and automatically. Thereafter the other computing device accesses a user's cloud-based storage and various on-line accounts and also pulls selected documents, bookmarks and related information directly from a user's handheld. The other computing device thereby essentially becomes a clone of a user's primary personal computer, complete with bookmarks, email account access, documents in a user's desktop and My Documents folder, pictures, music, and on-line content subscription access.
US08712629B2
A method (2) for detecting the malfunctioning of a sensor (11) of the pressure of a gas inside a tire of a vehicle includes at least a step (20) of determining whether a predefined gas temperature variation detection criterion is verified. If a temperature variation is detected, the method (2) includes a step (21) of determining whether a predefined criterion for detection of the variation of the pressure, measured by the pressure sensor (11), is verified. If a pressure variation is not detected, the method (2) includes a step (22) of notifying that a malfunction of the pressure sensor (11) has been detected. A device for detecting the malfunctioning of a sensor (11) of the pressure of a gas inside a tire of a vehicle is also described.
US08712628B1
Methods, systems and apparatus for vehicle and communication monitoring. In an aspect, a vehicle device comprising a processing subsystem, a communication subsystem that communicates over a wireless medium, and a memory subsystem that stores processing instructions that are executable by the processing subsystem and upon such execution cause the vehicle device to perform operations comprising: determining an operational status of a vehicle in which the vehicle device is located; receiving, from a communication device, operating data describing an operation being performed by the communication device; accessing usage policy data that describes a usage policy of the communication device during vehicle operation; and in response to determining, based on the operational status of the vehicle and the operation being performed by the communication device, that a usage policy violation has occurred, generating policy violation data describing the usage policy violation.
US08712623B2
In an apparatus for controlling an autonomous operating vehicle having a prime mover and operating machine, it is configured to have a geomagnetic sensor responsive to magnets embedded in the area, detect angular velocity generated about z-axis in center of gravity of the vehicle, detect a wheel speed of the driven wheel, store map information including magnet embedded positions, detect a primary reference direction, detect a vehicle position relative to the magnet, and detect a vehicle position in the area, calculate a traveling direction and traveled distance of the vehicle, and control the operation performed through the operating machine in the area in accordance with a preset operation program based on the detected direction, the detected position of the vehicle in the area, the calculated traveling direction and the calculated traveled distance.
US08712614B2
An interface for use with a pressure-based wheelchair joystick, which enables highly sensitive calibration of the pressure-based joystick, and allows the user to control the wheelchair.
US08712602B1
A remote controlled mobile target system having a target base on wheels and a target rotatable on the base under wireless control of a central processing unit. The target is rotatable between a shoot and no-shoot position independent of movement of the target base thereby giving a student a better simulation of real close quarters firearms engagement. The movements of the target base and target may be programmed or under the control of an instructor and when programmed the movements may be randomized based on number of hits to the target or hits to a specific hit sensitive area of the target.
US08712601B2
A starting apparatus starts an engine of a vehicle in response to a wireless signal transmitted from a remote control and keeps the engine running when a door of the vehicle is opened after the engine of the vehicle has been started. Moreover, a function controller included in the starting apparatus disables a function of a powered window apparatus and a sunroof apparatus of the vehicle in response to start of the engine of the vehicle and enables the functions of the powered window apparatus and the sunroof apparatus when a door of the vehicle is opened after the engine of the vehicle has been started.
US08712599B1
Integrated crash and vehicle movement sensing by use of distributed new multi-axis satellite sensors combines side and/or front/rear crash sensing with other applications requiring dynamic vehicle movement data like (but not limited to) roll and/or pitch detection as well as active suspension, head light beam leveling, etc. Depending on the required functionality, two or more satellite sensor modules are used, which measure multi-axis high-g and low-g acceleration, without needing any further sensor inputs like gyroscopes while achieving a high level of failsafe and redundancy.
US08712598B2
A method for cooling an electronic device having first and second flow paths for transmitting a coolant. The method includes assessing a merit of impelling the coolant along the first flow path relative to impelling the coolant along the second flow path. When the relative merit is above a threshold, coolant is impelled along the first flow path. When the relative merit is below the threshold, coolant is impelled along the second flow path.
US08712589B2
A system for judging success or failure of a work of a robot includes a position command generating unit, a contact position detecting unit, and a work success/failure judging unit. The position command generating unit generates a position command enabling movement of a fingertip of the robot so that a position and posture detecting unit, which is attached to the fingertip of the robot and has an elastic transformation area, is brought into contact with a predetermined position relating to a work target after the predetermined work is performed for the work target by the robot. The contact position detecting unit calculates a contact position that is a position of a tip end of the position and posture detecting unit at the time of being in contact with the predetermined position based on a value of an external force applied to the fingertip and the position of the tip end of the position and posture detecting unit. The work success/failure judging unit judges the predetermined work to be successful when the calculated contact position is within a predetermined range and judges the predetermined work to be failed when the calculated contact position is not within the predetermined range.
US08712587B2
The invention relates to a method and system that utilizes one or more cassettes or trays that hold medicaments for dispensing. In one embodiment a medicaments container includes control logic configured to enable the medicaments container to operate with an apparatus; control logic configured to determine whether the medicaments container is authorized for operation with the apparatus; and control logic configured to generate an alert if the medicaments container is not authorized for operation with the apparatus.
US08712581B2
A sample analysis and/or sample processing system having a robotic system includes at least one carrier in which one or more objects are retained, a positioning region having a plurality of defined Positions for positioning the at least one carrier, a robot for approaching the object(s) in the carrier, and a control unit for storing the position of the carrier and the objects retained therein and for controlling the robot. The positioning region has an elongate profile-member having a plurality of coupling positions stored in the control unit, and the carrier provides a coupling for suspending the carrier in a specific coupling position on the elongate profile-member.
US08712578B2
There is provided a device and method for arranging a vial, which can efficiently arrange a plurality of vials in the same arrangement place. A device for arranging a vial includes an arm member 150 for sandwiching one vial 1 and a carrying means 58 for carrying the vial 1 sandwiched by the arm member 150 to a vial arranging section 202. A layout of the vials 1 in the vial arranging section 202 can be set according to the number (n) of the vials 1 carried into the same vial arranging section 202. The carrying means 58 can advance and retract the arm member 150 in at least two or more directions in the vial arranging section 202.
US08712574B2
The present disclosure relates to systems and processes for controlling the relative positions or phasing of advancing substrates and/or components in absorbent article converting lines. The systems and methods may utilize feedback from technologies, such as vision systems, sensors, remote input and output stations, and controllers with synchronized embedded clocks to accurately correlate component placement detections and placement control on an absorbent article converting process. The systems and methods may accurately apply the use of precision clock synchronization for both instrumentation and control system devices on a non-deterministic communications network. In turn, the clock synchronized control and instrumentation network may be used to control the substrate position. As such, the controller may be programmed to the relative positions of substrates and components along the converting line without having to account for undeterminable delays.
US08712568B2
A substrate processing apparatus gives a user notice to prevent removal of a storage medium and provides a screen for determining whether the storage medium is removable. The apparatus controls display of the screen for manipulating substrate processing information and includes a part to which an external storage device is attached. The screen includes: a title panel displayed at an upper region of the screen; an information panel controlling or monitoring a task; and a navigation panel at a lower region of the screen. When the external storage device is attached to the part, an external storage device remove button is enabled by displaying the remove button on the navigation panel to indicate the external storage device is attached to the part. When the external storage device is not attached to the part, the remove button is disabled by displaying the remove button in a like color as the background.
US08712561B2
A method is provided for specifying the parameters of control curves of equipment for controlling the environmental conditions of climate-controlled enclosed spaces, including the step of specifying at least one control curve for the equipment, which is formed by a sequence of pairs of values introduced in succession. Each pair identifying the value of a predetermined parameter in a corresponding instant of time, the curve, indicating the desired variation of the parameter in time, is used for reproducing the variation of the parameter in time in said space according to the specified curve. The method also includes preliminary plotting of the shape of a curve in a graphic system of Cartesian axes. The curve represents a previously selected variation of the predetermined parameter as a function of time.
US08712557B2
A program editor creates a program-edit screen for a control system based on element data for representing circuit elements and operators and their attribute values. Here, the circuit elements and operators are components of sequential programs which constitute functions of the control system. The program editor which edits the element data on the created program-edit screen judges whether the data for representing the circuit elements and the operators is protected-function data or non-protected-function data and displays assembly sets of programs for implementing predetermined functions constituted by circuit elements and operators to which accesses are authenticated on the program-edit screen in a display mode different from those of the other assembly sets.
US08712549B2
A multiplexed medical carrier provides for sensing one or more patient parameters and/or delivering energy via separately identifiable effectors. The carrier includes a body and at least two electrical conductors coupled with at least two effectors. Effectors may be any combination of sensors, actuators or both. Sensors may measure such parameters as pressure, oxygen content, volume, conductivity, fluid flow rate, or any other chemical or physical parameters. Actuators may be used, for example, to pace a heart, stimulate muscle or neural tissue, broadcast ultrasonic energy, emit light, heat or other forms of radiation, or deliver any form of energy or substance. A method for collecting medical data from a patient includes interrogating a network of multiplexed sensors residing on parallel conductors in the patient, including addressing a first addressable sensor in the network to obtain data and addressing a second addressable sensor in the network to obtain data.
US08712546B2
Some embodiments of the present invention provide neurostimulation systems and components for selective stimulation and/or neuromodulation of one or more dorsal root ganglia through implantation of an electrode on, in or around a dorsal root ganglia. Some other embodiments of the present invention provide neurostimulation systems adapted for selective neurostimulation of one or more nerve root ganglia as well as techniques for applying neurostimulation to the spinal cord. Still other embodiments of the present invention provide stimulation systems and components for selective stimulation and/or neuromodulation of one or more dorsal root ganglia through implantation of an electrode on, in or around a dorsal root ganglia in combination with a pharmacological agent.
US08712539B2
Techniques that involve application of one or more rules to a “parent” program to generate a plurality of different “child” programs are described. Each of the rules may define a respective electrode configuration modification, and each child program may be a variation of the parent based on a modification of the electrode configuration of the parent according to one of the rules. The systems or devices may generate further generations of child programs from a previous generation child program using the same one or more rules. The child programs may be provided to a user, so that the user may test the efficacy of the new programs, assisting the user in identifying desirable programs. The child programs may be relatively minor variations of the parent program, and the user may “fine tune” a generally desirable parent program by testing the child programs.
US08712537B2
A visual prosthesis apparatus including a video capture device for capturing a video image, a video processing unit associated with the video capture device, the video processing unit configured to convert the video image to stimulation patterns, and a stimulation system configured to stimulate subject's neural tissue based on the stimulation patterns, wherein the stimulation system provides a span of visual angle matched to the subject's neural tissue being stimulated.
US08712535B2
Systems and methods for managing pain in a patient using an electrical waveform that link the modulation of a waveform parameter for different areas of a patient. One embodiment in a system for managing pain in a patient comprises an electric device configured to be implanted into the patient and including a plurality of electrodes having at least a first electrode associated with a first area of the patient and a second electrode associated with a second area of the patient. The system further includes an implantable device configured to be coupled to the electrode device and having a computer-operable medium programmed to change the waveform parameter applied to the first electrode and automatically set the waveform parameter applied to the second electrode based on a relationship between a first therapy range and a second therapy range of the waveform parameter.
US08712532B2
An ECT system capable of focusing the electrical signals on a specific portion of the patient's brain is provided. The ECT system includes a means of applying unidirectional electrical signals and asymmetric electrodes for focusing the signals on the patient. A method of titrating an electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) system and a method of operating an ECT system are also provided. The method includes setting an initial current value, administering an ECT signal to the patient, determining if the seizure threshold has been achieved, and repeating as necessary until the seizure threshold is achieved.
US08712531B2
A system for providing baroreflex stimulation comprises a sensor to detect a parameter and provide a signal indicative of the parameter and a baroreflex stimulator. The baroreflex stimulator includes a driver to provide a control signal adapted to deliver a baroreflex therapy and a controller to receive the signal indicative of the parameter and modulate the control signal based on the signal indicative of the parameter to change the baroreflex therapy from a first baroreflex therapy to a second baroreflex therapy.
US08712516B2
A power efficient biomedical electro-stimulator circuit BSC is provided. The circuit BSC includes a charging circuit arranged to control charging of a storage capacitor C based on electric energy from an energy source ES, e.g. a battery. The charging circuit includes an energy converter EC that applies a charging current I to the storage capacitor C, this charging current I being substantially constant over a charging period T, thereby providing a power efficient charging. In preferred embodiments, the energy converter EC is an inductive energy converter, e.g. a DC-DC converter, with a control circuit serving to provide an almost constant charging current during the charging period. In another embodiment, the energy converter EC is an energy converter that charges the storage capacitor via a series resonator, e.g. a series connection of an inductor and a capacitor. The proposed biomedical electro-stimulator circuit is advantageous for devices such as pacemakers, and neural stimulation etc. which can benefit of increased battery lifetime due to an efficient charging scheme.
US08712515B2
Novel methods and apparatus for diagnosing or screening disease states in living organisms by the measurement and analysis of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields, particularly extremely low frequency alternating current. The measurement of such fields is performed at a single point or at several test points on or in the body and compared to one or more reference. Information in the time-varying electromagnetic field is collected, then processed by diagnostic or screening algorithms to provide information about the disease state of the tissue being assessed.
US08712512B2
An apparatus for exerting force on a subject tissue includes a linear motor for generating a force according to a predetermined force profile incorporating at least one motion control parameter. The linear motor is directly coupled to a motor output member to drivingly produce linear motion of the motor output member under direction of a motor controller executing the predetermined force profile. A tissue-contacting member is connected to the motor output member for directly proportional linear motion therewith. A load cell provides load cell feedback to the motor controller. The motor controller adjusts the motion of the motor output member responsive to the load cell feedback to substantially conform the motion to the predetermined force profile. The linear motor moves the tissue-contacting member to contact the subject tissue according to the predetermined force profile and responsively initiate a subject reaction to the exerted force.
US08712510B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a method and apparatus for a wireless exercise monitoring system for interactively monitoring an aspect of exercise, nutrition, or fitness by connecting a wireless internet device to or with a digital camera and/or an exercise monitoring device. Exercise-related data and/or visual information from the camera is transmitted to a server using standard internet protocols and may be integrated with various operating systems for mobile wireless devices, especially those with enhanced capabilities for handing images and visual data. Responses may be calculated and transmitted back to a user, trainer, or coach.
US08712507B2
Methods and systems for arranging and labeling cardiac episodes based on acquired cardiac episode data are described. Cardiac episodes are algorithmically arranged based on one or more discriminating features of the episode data. A user is presented with at least one episode selected from the arrangement of cardiac episodes. The user inputs a label that characterizes the selected episode. The label is algorithmically appended to the data of the selected episode and to other episodes of the arrangement of cardiac episodes based on the discriminating features.
US08712506B2
The present invention provides minimally invasive imaging probe having an optical encoder integrated therewith for accurately measuring or estimating the rotational velocity near the distal end of the medical device, such as an imaging probe which undergoes rotational movement during scanning of surrounding tissue in bodily lumens and cavities.
US08712502B2
A target tracking device for tracking a moving target, based on X-ray fluoroscopic images from a plurality of directions, the target tracking device may include a plurality of X-ray fluoroscopic devices, an image processing unit, and a position determining unit. The X-ray fluoroscopic devices obtain a plurality of images from a plurality of directions, each of the images in a given direction having a different sensitivity. The image processing unit identifies a position of a target image based on pattern matching between the plurality of images and an image of the target. The position determining unit determines a 3D position of the target based on the position of the target image in the plurality of images from the plurality of directions.
US08712498B2
The present invention is a Miniature Vein Enhancer that includes a Miniature Projection Head. The Miniature Projection Head may be operated in one of three modes, AFM, DBM, and RTM. The Miniature Projection Head of the present invention projects an image of the veins of a patient, which aids the practitioner in pinpointing a vein for an intravenous drip, blood test, and the like. The Miniature projection head may have a cavity for a power source or it may have a power source located in a body portion of the Miniature Vein Enhancer. The Miniature Vein Enhancer may be attached to one of several improved needle protectors, or the Miniature Vein Enhancer may be attached to a body similar to a flashlight for hand held use. The Miniature Vein Enhancer of the present invention may also be attached to a magnifying glass, a flat panel display, and the like.
US08712497B2
A measuring system for measuring electrocardiogram signals comprises a diagnostic garment with ECG electrodes that may assume the form of a sleeve or glove. A disposable version of the glove can be inflated. By using an inflatable glove, the contour of the body is automatically matched by the contour of the glove. Samples from the ECG electrodes positioned on a diagnostic garment are compensated so that the samples better approximate samples from EEG electrodes that are positioned at classical locations. Also, samples from ECG electrodes are compensated to reduce signal noise resulting from positioning the ECG electrodes on the diagnostic garment.
US08712495B2
Device for accurately measuring concentration of component in blood and control method of the device
A measurement device includes an electronic component device, a perspiration acceleration device, and a perspiration collection device. The perspiration acceleration device or the perspiration collection device is removably coupled to the electronic component device. The electronic component device is attached to a measurement site with a belt. A perspiration accelerating performance is made with respect to the measurement site with the perspiration acceleration device coupled to the electronic component device, and thereafter, the perspiration acceleration device is replaced with the perspiration collection device with the electronic component device attached to the measurement site, and the perspiration collection and measurement computation performance are made.
US08712479B2
A mobile terminal including a terminal body having first and second regions on a front surface thereof, a touch screen part on the first region and configured to display visual information and perform an inputting operation in a tactile manner, and a touch pad part corresponding to the second region and configured to input information corresponding to a touch applied to a pre-set position on the second region.
US08712476B2
A method and an apparatus for providing a spin-home function for a mobile communication terminal having a key input module, a microprocessor, a program memory, a data storage module, and an LCD display module so that applications are circulated and displayed on an idle screen. The method includes steps of (a) designating at least one application as a spin-home; (b) running a spin-home program stored in the program memory; (c) circulating next application designated as the spin-home and displaying the application on the LCD display module every time the user operates a second key button for circulating the idle screen; and (d) setting an application currently displayed on the LCD display module as the idle screen when the user operates a confirmation key button.
US08712471B2
Video signals for a mobile terminal are converted to accommodate reproduction by an alternative display terminal. The video signal is processed to provide a converted video signal appropriate for an alternative display terminal that is separate from the mobile terminal. This converted video signal is then provided for the alternative display terminal to accommodate the corresponding video display on a screen provided by the alternative (e.g., external) display terminal.
US08712470B2
A method and device for synthesizing an image for audiovisual communication includes: generating, if a request for synthesizing a sensor image input through a camera sensor and an image designated by a user is input, a synthesis image of the sensor image and the designated image. The method also includes storing, when the synthesis image is generated, object information of an object of the sensor image and object information of an object of the designated image; and changing, if a sensor image is input in which object information of the sensor image object has changed, object information of the designated image object according to the changed object information of the sensor image object and synthesizing the sensor image and the designated image in which object information has changed.
US08712459B2
Group control method for machine type communication and mobile communication system using the method
Provided are a group control method for providing a machine type communication (MTC) service, and a mobile communication system using the method. The group control method includes categorizing one or more MTC devices into one or more MTC groups, assigning MTC group identifiers to respective MTC groups, setting MTC radio network temporary identifiers (MTC RNTIs) according to the MTC group Identifiers, and using the MTC_RNTIs for addressing the MTC devices belonging to the respective MTC groups.
US08712449B2
An apparatus and method for operating a paging control in a broadband wireless communication system are provided. The method includes receiving paging information used to determine a location of a paging listening interval in an idle mode, determining whether multiple pagings are applied, using a maximum paging number field contained in the paging information, determining locations of a plurality of paging listening intervals in a paging cycle using a paging spacing value and an initial paging offset contained in the paging information, and determining whether the terminal is paged in each of the paging listening intervals.
US08712447B2
A method of transmitting and receiving a paging message in a mobile communication system is disclosed, by which the power saving effect can be enhanced in a manner of minimizing unnecessary wake-up, decoding and demodulation of a terminal by informing the terminal of a location of a frame to receive before a base station sends a paging message. An embodiment of the present invention comprises transmitting a signal including location information of the paging message for a specific terminal between paging listening intervals to the terminal and transmitting the paging message to the terminal for the paging listening interval.
US08712445B2
Displaying a map on a wireless communications device includes steps of obtaining map data for rendering the map to be displayed on the wireless communications device, determining a rotation that, when applied to the map, will orient a selected path in a selected direction, such as a current direction of travel, generating a corrected rotation by applying a spherical correction factor, e.g. based on a current location, and rendering the map on a display of the wireless communications device by applying the corrected rotation. The spherical correction factor corrects for map distortions that occur at high latitudes for paths that are neither purely north-south or east-west. When such a path is rotated to face upward to show direction of travel, the path needs to be straightened by applying the spherical correction factor.
US08712430B2
A system and method for deriving cell global identity information are provided. A method for deriving cell global information includes receiving, at a first cell, a measurement report, determining a second identifier for the second cell based on a first identifier and information about the first cell, and adding the second cell to a cell list. The measurement report includes the first identifier of a second cell, and the second identifier is used to reference the second cell.
US08712428B2
A method of estimating the location of a wireless terminal without the addition of hardware to either the wireless terminal or to the telecommunication system's base stations is disclosed. The illustrative embodiment of the present invention is based on the observation that the signal strength of a signal from a transmitter is different at some locations, and, therefore, the location of a wireless terminal can be estimated by comparing the signal strength it currently observes against a map or database that correlates locations to signal strengths. Furthermore, the illustrative embodiment deduces the signal strength of the serving base station's control channel signal at the wireless terminal, RD, based on the principal of reciprocity.
US08712425B2
While a circuit service, CS, call is in progress, a request for a packet service, PS, call is received from a background task that is running in the mobile communications user equipment. In response to receiving the request, several air interface parameters that relate to the in-progress CS call are evaluated, in order to decide whether or not to block the PS call based on the evaluation. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US08712407B1
A method of managing data communication network inventory is provided. The method comprises analyzing a plurality of separate data stores, the data stores comprising information about trouble tickets, change requests, and scheduled maintenance, where the analysis is conducted with reference to network inventory items. An integrated data store structured according to network inventory items is built, comprising trouble ticket information, change request information, and scheduled maintenance associated with the network inventory items, where the network inventory items comprise one or more port interfaces. A selection of a network inventory item is received. Filtered information is retrieved from the integrated data store summarizing the trouble ticket information, the change request information, and the scheduled maintenance related to the selected network inventory item. The filtered information is transmitted.
US08712405B1
A method for providing a neighborhood or local cordless service comprises the steps of receiving subscriber neighborhood zone selection input so that a mobile telephone equipped subscriber may place or receive calls for a fixed rate, for example, per month without having to pay radio frequency air time charges any time they are located within their selected subscribed-to zones. If the subscribed-to zones are adjacent to one another and the mobile subscriber roams from one zone to another, the subscriber may continue their free call uninterrupted and without paying air time charges.
US08712404B2
A wireless interface disposed in a vehicle monitors a network for signals transmitted by cellular towers. The signals include a first system identification signal transmitted from a first cellular tower. A computer processing device is communicatively coupled to the wireless interface and includes logic configured to receive the first system identification signal in response to the monitoring. The first system identification signal corresponds to a first system identification. The logic is also configured to retrieve a table of system identifications including the first system identification from a storage device. Each of the system identifications is mapped to a corresponding geographic location in which each of the cellular towers is disposed and a corresponding measurement system utilized in the geographic location. The logic is also configured to identify the measurement system from which the first system identification is mapped, and display indicators of the measurement system within an instrument panel.
US08712401B2
A method for communicating in an advanced long term evolution (LTE-A) network using common reference signal (CRS) resources associated with different interference levels due to resource partitioning is disclosed. Signals are received from an eNodeB indicating a subset of CRS resources for radio link monitoring (RLM) and/or reference signal received power (RSRP) measuring. The subset of CRS resources includes the CRS resources expected to have lower interference from the interfering eNodeBs. RLM and/or RSRP measurements are performed based on the indicated subset.
US08712394B2
Systems, methods, and apparatus to prepare a mobile device for provisioning are disclosed. An example method includes recording information about a mobile device via wireless communications in response to detecting a presence of the mobile device in a first location, determining a software version of the mobile device via wireless communications, and updating the software of the mobile device via wireless communications prior to provisioning the mobile device to a user.
US08712385B2
The exemplary live voicemail functionality offers a user of a mobile station the ability to listen to a voicemail message, as the message is being recorded in a voicemail platform. The mobile communication network serving the user directs an incoming call intended for the mobile station to the voicemail platform, which records the audio for the incoming message. The network infrastructure also duplicates the audio and directs the duplicate audio to the mobile station for monitoring of the incoming message by the user, as the platform is recording the voicemail message.
US08712382B2
The invention relates to a device for managing a subscriber connection, the device including a mechanism for granting connection services to the subscriber connection, mechanism for monitoring reception behavior concerning predetermined messages conveyed to the subscriber connection, and a mechanism for controlling a further connection service grant to the subscriber connection based on the reception behavior.
US08712380B2
Efficient network based techniques can be implemented in the equipment of an operator of a mobile communication network to automatically obtain an operator or billing identifier associated with a mobile device of a user or subscriber associated with the network. Such techniques can be utilized even when a client application program on the device is restricted by the device manufacturer from providing the operator's billing identifier in communications through the mobile network with an associated application server. The operator identifier associated with the user's mobile device can be obtained without significantly impacting system resources, performance, or user experience.
US08712379B2
A system and method for transmitting short message service (SMS) messages between a vehicle and a central facility includes determining an authentication tone having a unique characteristic, generating an SMS message that includes computer-readable data representing the authentication tone; sending the SMS message to a central facility, establishing a call between the central facility and the vehicle using a vehicle telematics unit and a wireless carrier system, generating the determined authentication tone at the vehicle, and transmitting the generated authentication tone over the established call to the central facility.
US08712378B1
A MLP request message is transmitted through a wireless mobile communication network, from a mobile station to a SUPL server. The MLP request message contains credential information for an AGPS application running on the mobile station. After the MLP request message has been transmitted, a MLP response message is transmitted through the network from the SUPL server to the mobile station. The MLP response message is responsive to the credential information and indicates whether the SUPL server has authorized the AGPS application. If the AGPS application is authorized, communication between the AGPS application and the SUPL server, through the network, implements a function of the AGPS application.
US08712375B2
An infrastructure that leverages established wireless messaging paradigms (such as, possibly inter alia, Short Message Service, Multimedia Message Service, Wireless Application Protocol, IP Multimedia Subsystem, etc.) to provide, in new and creative ways, an enhanced level of security for the payment element or portion of a transaction—for example, a transaction within Mobile Commerce (M-Commerce, which, broadly speaking, encompasses the buying and selling of merchant-supplied products, goods, and services through wireless devices), a purchase in the checkout lane of a brick-and-mortar store, a purchase at a (fast-food or other) restaurant, etc. The infrastructure may optionally leverage the capabilities of a centrally-located Messaging Inter-Carrier Vendor.
US08712368B2
The present disclosure provides a system and method for providing radio communication at a scene, such as a fire or security scene, in an LMR system. The scene may include responder radios located within a building structure and a commander radio stationed outside, wherein the commander radio is in communication with the responder radios. Users operating the commander radio and responder radios cooperate by performing different, yet related, tasks at the scene. Therefore, the commander radio may be assigned a first set of features for communicating with responder radios, and responder radios may be assigned a second set of features for communicating with the commander radio. Some features of the system may include: locking one or more radio keys or radio knob settings, transmitting or receiving evacuation alerts, automatic switching between analog and digital communication, providing audible RSSI, indicating communication status of the radio, and providing out of range notification.
US08712353B2
In an embodiment, a radio communication device may be provided. The radio communication device may include a first receiver configured to receive from a first cell first data representing a content encoded using a first codec; a second receiver configured to receive from a second cell second data representing the content encoded using a second codec; and a combiner configured to combine the first data and the second data.
US08712335B2
Monitoring systems and methods for monitoring one or more parameters within process equipment are disclosed. A monitoring system for wirelessly monitoring the process equipment can include a number of wireless sensors disposed within a fluid or gas process stream for monitoring various aspects of the fluid or gas medium such as temperature or pressure. Each of the wireless sensors can include a transmitter that can be used to wirelessly transmit sensor signals to a receiver in communication with a central monitoring unit. The wireless sensors can be placed directly within the fluid or gas medium, allowing accurate measurements to be taken within the process stream.
US08712333B1
A system including a sensing module to sense an interference signal in a wireless channel, determine whether the interference signal is noise or a modulated signal transmitted by a device, and attempt to determine a modulation scheme of the modulated signal. A capacity determination module determines capacities of the wireless channel to transmit data using a plurality of modulation schemes. The plurality of modulation schemes includes (i) the modulation scheme used by the device to modulate the modulated signal if the sensing module can determine the modulation scheme of the modulated signal and (ii) one or more modulation schemes that can be used by the device to modulate the modulated signal if the sensing module cannot determine the modulation scheme of the modulated signal. A selection module selects, based on the capacities of the wireless channel, one of the plurality of modulation schemes to transmit data over the wireless channel.
US08712330B2
A mobile device such as a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) device detects out-of-band blocking signals and manages packet transmission in associated BLE link layer connections based on the detected out-of-band blocking signals. The BLE device is operable to measure out-of-band RSSI to detect out-of-band transmission interferences. The BLE device compares the measured out-of-band RSSI with an out-of-band energy profile such as a LTE energy profile or a WiMAX energy profile to determine the out-of-band blocking signals indicating cadence or periodic out-of-band traffic activities. A remote BLE deice (advertiser) aperiodically or periodically transmits an advertising packet to the BLE device for a specific link layer connection. If not connected within a determined time period, the remote BLE device (advertiser) reduces transmission power for transmitting the advertising packet. The BLE device receives the advertising packet and sends a connection request packet to the remote BLE device (advertiser).
US08712328B1
Systems and methods that reproduce surround sound effects from an audio source are described. Wireless communication devices form a wireless network in which music, for example, can be played on the speakers of the wireless communication devices to reproduce surround sound effects from a selected audio source. As the wireless communication devices roam with respect to each other or with respect to a focal point or listening position of the wireless network, the wireless network adjusts how the audio source is played at each speaker of the respective wireless communication device to maintain or to enhance the reproduction of surround sound effects from the audio source.
US08712316B2
A post-processing device includes: a casing having an opening; a processing mechanism performing a process on a recording medium; an outputting unit including a contacting member contacting the recording medium and a moving member moving between a contact position to contact the recording medium and a non-contact position not to contact the recording medium and coming close to the contacting member when moving to the contact position, the outputting unit outputting the recording medium via the opening when the moving member is in the contact position; and a covering member moving between a covering position to cover the opening and an un-covering position to uncover the opening to pass the recording medium. When the processing mechanism performs the process, the covering member moves to the covering position, and after the process is performed, the covering member moves to the un-covering position while the moving member moves to the contact position.
US08712312B2
A cover opening and closing unit includes a cover installed to be opened from and close a main body and a manual paper feed tray that is rotatably installed on the cover. The cover is connected to the main body by a link element and a connection link is connected to the link element and the manual paper feed tray so that, when the cover is opened from the main body when the manual paper feed tray is in an opened state with respect to the cover, an open angle of the manual paper feed tray with respect to a vertical direction is maintained within 90 degrees.
US08712308B2
A lubricant coating device related to the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a lubricant supply unit 12 which supplies a lubricant 11 onto an outer peripheral surface of an image carrier 1 that is driven to rotate and a lubricant smoothing unit 13 which is disposed on the downstream side in a rotating direction of the image carrier 1 of the lubricant supply unit 12 and smoothes the lubricant 11 supplied onto the outer peripheral surface. In the lubricant coating device, the lubricant smoothing unit 13 rotates while being in surface contact with the outer peripheral surface of the image carrier 1 and thereby smoothes the lubricant 11 supplied onto the image carrier 1 by the lubricant supply unit 12.
US08712304B2
The present teachings provide a fuser member. The fuser member includes a substrate layer having a polyimide polymer and a fluoro acid. A method of manufacturing a fuser member is also described.
US08712299B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a first image carrier; a first image forming unit that forms an image; an intermediate transfer belt; a primary transfer unit that primarily transfers the image onto the intermediate transfer belt; a secondary transfer unit that secondarily transfers the image transferred further onto a recording medium; a second image carrier that transfers the image onto the recording medium; a second image forming unit that forms an image on the second image carrier; a direct transfer unit that directly transfers the image onto the recording medium; a recording medium carriage belt, and a driving roller that drives the recording medium carriage belt; a speed fluctuation detecting unit; and a drive control unit that controls driving of the driving roller so as to reduce the cyclic speed fluctuation of the carriage belt based on a detection result of the speed fluctuation detecting unit.
US08712291B2
Provided is a charging member capable of stably charging an object to be charged while suppressing adhesion of toner or an external additive onto a surface of an elastic layer and compression set of an abutting portion of the elastic layer. The charging member is a charging member, comprising a mandrel; and an electro-conductive elastic layer, wherein: the elastic layer has a universal hardness decreasing from a surface toward a depth direction thereof; and the hardnesses at a central portion and both end portions in a longitudinal direction of the charging member satisfy the relationships: in the surface of the elastic layer, the hardnesses at the both end portions are higher than that at the central portion; and at a position having a depth of t (μm) from the surface of the elastic layer, the hardness at the central portion is higher than those at the both end portions.
US08712281B2
A photosensitive-drum supporting member has a pair of side walls confronting both ends of each photosensitive drum. The photosensitive-drum supporting member supports the photosensitive drums between the side walls. The photosensitive-drum supporting member moves between: a stowed position at which the photosensitive-drum supporting member is stowed within an apparatus main body; and a moved position at which the photosensitive-drum supporting member is moved from the stowed position to outside the apparatus main body through an opening. Exposing members are provided at the photosensitive-drum supporting member such that the exposing members move between: an exposing position at which each exposing member is adjacent to a corresponding photosensitive drum; and a retracted position at which each exposing member is separated from the corresponding photosensitive drum and is engaged by an engaging part. The exposing members are accommodated within the photosensitive-drum supporting member both at the exposing position and at the retracted position.
US08712277B2
According to an embodiment, there is provided a mechanism for electrification of a rotating body used in an image forming apparatus. In the mechanism, compression of an elastically-deformable pressing member brings a portion of a cloth-like or sheet-like conductive member into contact with an electrification object and presses the rest of the conductive member against a conductive contact member, which is any one of the rotating body, a rotating shaft that rotates together with the rotating body, and a shaft that rotatably supports the rotating body. A connecting between the electrification object and the contact member is achieved via the conductive member.
US08712273B2
The present disclosure is directed to enhance thermal efficiency of a fixing apparatus while a belt of the apparatus is heated, the fixing apparatus including: a belt including a plurality of heaters therein; a nip forming member that contacts with an inner surface of the belt; and a pressure member that forms a nip portion in conjunction with the nip forming member through the belt, wherein a ratio of an amount of heat generation by a heater farther from the nip portion to another heater closer to the nip portion is changed according to a speed at which a recording material is conveyed.
US08712271B2
In an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit which forms an image in which toner containing a wax is used on a recording material, and a fixing device which heats the toner image formed on the recording material at a nip portion which nips and conveys the recording material, when the fixing device heats the recording material on which a toner image having a maximum toner-carrying amount of toner is formed, when a temperature of a surface of the toner layer reaches a temperature at which an endothermic amount indicates a peak in a relationship between a temperature of the toner and the endothermic amount, a condition of the fixing device at the nip portion is set so that a temperature of an interface between the toner and the recording material is lower than a temperature of a surface of the toner.
US08712266B2
In the case where a peripheral velocity of photosensitive drums differs from a peripheral velocity of an intermediate transfer belt, the peripheral velocity of the intermediate transfer belt or the peripheral velocity of the photosensitive drums is corrected. The velocity of the intermediate transfer belt is transiently varied in an image forming operation. Accordingly, a plurality of tonner patch patterns including toner patches are formed on the intermediate transfer belt, and the difference in peripheral velocity between the intermediate transfer belt and the photosensitive drums is estimated based on a difference between the displacements in the tonner patch patterns.
US08712261B2
A lubricant supplying device includes a lubricant supplying roller configured to rotate in a certain direction and makes a sliding contact with an image carrier on which a toner image is carried; a solid lubricant arranged to slide in contact with the lubricant supplying roller; a changing unit configured to change a revolution of the lubricant supplying roller to adjust an amount of the solid lubricant supplied onto the image carrier; and a calculation unit configured to obtain a product life or total consumption of the solid lubricant from a total running distance or total operating time of the image carrier or the lubricant supplying roller, the product life or the total consumption of the solid lubricant being corrected based on the amount of the solid lubricant supplied onto the image carrier.
US08712260B2
A printing apparatus for performing a printing operation includes an image forming portion for forming an image on a surface of a sheet according to image data; a discharge portion for discharging the sheet with the image formed thereon with the image forming portion; a reverse transportation unit for returning the sheet discharged with the discharge portion into the printing apparatus to reverse the sheet, so that another image is formed on another surface of the sheet according to image data; a detection unit for detecting the sheet discharged with the discharge portion when the sheet is pulled out before the reverse transportation unit returns the sheet; and a control unit for controlling the image forming portion to form the image on another sheet according to the image data when the detection unit detects that the sheet is pulled out.
US08712259B2
A toner cartridge comprises a toner container which contains toner, a driving member which rotationally drives a conveying member, an agitating member which agitates a toner in the toner container while being rotated, a driven member which rotates in association with the driving member which is for rotationally driving the agitating member, and a rotational body which rotates according to rotation of the driven member, has a plurality of slits in rotational circumference for identifying a type of the toner cartridge, and has 1/K or more of the slits when a ratio of a rotational speed R1 (rad/s) of the driving member and a rotational speed R2 (rad/s) of the driven member is K=R2/R1.
US08712256B2
Various embodiments of a coherent receiver including a widely tunable local oscillator laser are described herein. In some embodiments, the coherent receiver can be integrated with waveguides, optical splitters and detectors to form a monolithic optical hetero/homodyne receiver. In some embodiments, the coherent receiver can demodulate the full phase information in two polarizations of a received optical signal over a range of optical wavelengths.
US08712255B2
It is provided an optical receiver comprising a compensator, a compensation controller and a clock extractor. The optical receiver selects first and second values, and obtains a stabilization time necessary to change the dispersion value and a transition time shorter than the stabilization time, compensates the received optical signal using the selected first value, changes the dispersion value from the first value into the second value, compensates the received optical signal using the dispersion value when the transition time has passed since starting to change the dispersion value, creates second extraction information of the dispersion value after the transition time, compensates for dispersion of the optical signal using an dispersion value calculated based on the second value and the difference between the dispersion value after the transition time and the second value in a case where the created second extraction information indicates that the clock extraction is available.
US08712253B2
An optical packet signal transmission device includes a transmitting unit which includes a plurality of data delay circuits; a plurality of optical branch units which branches some of the optical packet signals as monitor lights; an optical switch which selects one of the monitor lights; a test signal generation circuit which generates a test signal which is used to adjust a delay amount in the data delay circuits; a reference optical pulse generation circuit which generates a reference optical pulse based on the test signal; an optical phase comparator which detects an relative optical phase difference by comparing the phases of the selected monitor light and the reference optical pulse; and a control circuit which sequentially sends the test signals to the data delay circuits, switches the selected monitor light, detects a relative optical phase, determines the delay amount based on a detection result, and sets the delay amount.
US08712244B2
In a communication system using a PON, time synchronization of a slave device such as a base station is realized with respect to a master device such as an L2SW or the base station. Time information acquired by a GPS satellite is corrected by ranging information of a discovery function of an OLT so as to be reflected on time information of each ONU. A propagation delay from the L2SW to the OLT is obtained with the use of a delay estimation mechanism, a propagation delay from the OLT to the ONU which is obtained by ranging is added to obtain a propagation delay from the L2SW to the ONU. The obtained propagation delay from the L2SW to the ONU is added to the transmitted time stamp value whereby a time stamp value received at a base station or femtocell side becomes a time into which the propagation delay to the ONU is incorporated, and absolute values of clock timers can be synchronized with each other. The addition process can be realized by rewriting the time stamp value of the packet within the OLT or the ONU.
US08712241B2
Methods and apparatus for providing enhanced optical networking service and performance which are particularly advantageous in terms of low cost and use of existing infrastructure, access control techniques, and components. In the exemplary embodiment, current widespread deployment and associated low cost of Ethernet-based systems are leveraged through use of an Ethernet CSMA/CD MAC in the optical domain on a passive optical network (PON) system. Additionally, local networking services are optionally provided to the network units on the PON since each local receiver can receive signals from all other users. An improved symmetric coupler arrangement provides the foregoing functionality at low cost. The improved system architecture also allows for fiber failure protection which is readily implemented at low cost and with minimal modification.
US08712222B2
An editing device and editing method are provided for which it is possible for the operator to immediately recognize whether trim edit is possible or not at the stage of selecting the trim points, and eliminate unnecessary work. The editing device includes receiving means for receiving command input for trim editing; judging means for judging whether trim editing is possible or not based on the command input received by the receiving means; and notification means for outputting notification that editing is not possible when the judging means judges that editing is not possible.
US08712221B2
A video recording and playing apparatus for recording and playing a broadcast program. The apparatus comprises a recording unit to record broadcast programs on a storage unit, and a deletion unit to automatically delete a broadcast program recorded on the storage unit. The deletion unit determines, from among a plurality of broadcast programs recorded on the storage unit, a broadcast program which becomes a target of deletion, based on an audio signal or a rating of each broadcast program, in cases where a video recording capacity of the storage unit becomes smaller than a predetermined value.
US08712220B2
According to one embodiment, a video reproducing apparatus includes a video data generating device generating reproduction control video data for displaying a reproduction control image of video contents in a constant cycle on an occasion of reproducing the video contents; and an update cycle adjusting device making an update cycle in which the reproduction control video data is updated longer than the constant cycle, within a range in which all the reproduction control images which should be displayed by the reproduction control video data are displayed.
US08712207B2
Digital photographing apparatus, method of controlling the same, and recording medium for the method
Provided are a digital photographing apparatus that is capable of displaying a slide show in which music and images are displayed in a harmonious manner to the user by replaying a plurality of image files according to an atmosphere created by the music by determining a replay order of the plurality of image files according to the music based on music information and image information, a method of controlling the digital photographing apparatus, and a recording medium for recording the method.
US08712203B2
Technologies are generally described for an optical waveguide, methods and systems effective to form an optical waveguide, and an optical system including an optical waveguide. In some examples, the optical waveguide may include a silicon oxynitride region in a wall of the silicon substrate. The silicon oxynitride region may define an inner region of the optical waveguide. The wall may define a via. The optical waveguide may include a silicon oxide region in the substrate. The silicon oxide region may define an outer region of the optical waveguide adjacent to the inner region.
US08712191B2
When analyzing an image signal having pixel values defined on a sampling grid, the method detects at least one direction of regularity of the image signal in relation to a pixel of the sampling grid. This detection comprises computing a respective loss value associated with at least one direction in a set of directions, and selecting at least one direction of regularity by minimizing the loss value. The loss value associated with a direction (u, v), where u is a horizontal coordinate and v a vertical coordinate, has an axial loss component measuring variations of the pixel values in at least one linear array of pixels. This linear array is a horizontal array if |u/v|>1 and a vertical array if |u/v|<1.
US08712188B2
In one embodiment, a method of detecting document orientation includes capturing a document image, binarizing each subimage of the document image to retain textual content and eliminate graphic and noise content from the document image, detecting portrait or landscape orientation based on values computed from strip-based projection profiles, and detecting up or down text orientation based on a text-asymmetry ratio computed from strip-based projection profiles.
US08712177B2
A method for displaying a motion compensated overlay includes receiving a model of a structure of interest, capturing an image depicting a region of interest and an instrument, determining whether the structure of interest is visible in the image, registering the model of the structure of interest to the image upon determining that the structure of interest is visible, and combining the model of the structure of interest with the image according to a registration to determine an overlay image.
US08712175B2
A geometric transformation parameter computing unit computes a geometric transformation parameter which represents the geometric transformation of an image from the previous frame to the current frame, and calculates the level of reliability in that geometric transformation parameter. A super-resolution image prediction unit generates a prediction of a super-resolution image in the current frame by transforming a super-resolution image in the previous frame on the basis of the geometric transformation parameter. A super-resolution image generation unit calculates a low-resolution image in the current frame from the prediction result of the super-resolution image in the current frame by a simulation, calculates a difference between a low-resolution image, which is an input image for the current frame, and the simulation result, and calculates a weighted mean between a result of upsampling the difference and the prediction result of the super-resolution image in the current frame. Herein, the weighted mean is calculated on the basis of the level of reliability in the geometric transformation parameter.
US08712174B2
In an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment, a first prediction value calculating unit calculates a prediction value of the pixel value; a prediction error calculating unit calculates a prediction error between the prediction value and the pixel value of the target pixel; a second storage unit receives the prediction error sequentially from a first terminal and stores therein; a comparing unit compares the prediction error with each of the prediction errors already stored; a search unit, when the prediction error thus received is identical to each of the prediction errors, searches for a data array; a length information generating unit generates length information; an address information generating unit generates address information; a first code data generating unit generates first code data; and a second code data generating unit generates second code data by encoding the pixel value of the target pixel.
US08712173B2
A method for processing a 2N×2N block under intra-prediction includes: utilizing an intra-prediction unit for performing intra-prediction upon the 2N×2N block by utilizing a plurality of prediction modes, and accordingly generating a plurality of intra-prediction results respectively corresponding to the prediction modes, wherein N is a positive integer greater than four, and a number of the prediction modes is greater than four; and determining a target intra-prediction result from the intra-prediction results.
US08712163B1
Disclosed is a computer-implemented method of pill analysis including the steps of acquiring a pill image having an image frame and detecting contrast shifts within the image frame to locate at least one object with an object outline. A first value for the object(s) is determined, where the value is an area, a position, a length, a width, an angle, a color, a brightness, a code, a shape, a crystal pile size, a crystal geometry, a substance identity, or a character identity. Based on the first and second values, the computer outputs a result to a user.
US08712162B2
Interest points are markers anchored to a specific position in a digital image of an object. They are mathematically extracted in such a way that, in another image of the object, they will appear in the same position on the object, even though the object may be presented at a different position in the image, a different orientation, a different distance or under different lighting conditions. Methods are disclosed that are susceptible to implementation in hardware and corresponding hardware circuits are described.
US08712160B2
A device is trained for face recognition. A first acquired digital image of a scene includes a face. Face image data is extracted and stored in a face image library along with an unique identifier. A second acquired digital image may or may not include the face of the same person as the face in the first acquired digital image. Face recognition is applied to extracted face data of the second digital image, and the face of the first digital image is displayed as a match to the face of the second digital image when the first and second images are determined to match or the second digital image or a face therein is identified with biometric data stored along with the first digital image when the faces in the first and second images are determined to match.
US08712155B2
According to one embodiment, a device for identifying types of document files includes an extraction unit, an evaluation unit, and a document type identification unit. The extraction unit extracts document feature information indicating distinguishing information for a document included in a document file. The evaluation unit verifies the validity of the document feature information extracted by the extraction unit. The document type identification unit identifies a type of the document file corresponding to the document feature information extracted by the extraction unit if the document feature information is valid.
US08712149B2
An apparatus and a method for fast foreground detection are provided. A foreground characteristic value calculation module calculates a foreground characteristic value by using an image intensity of each pixel in a target image and a background intensity of a corresponding pixel in a background model. A first filter determines a first threshold and a second threshold according to at least one scenic factor for capturing the target image and filters out non-foreground pixels having their foreground characteristic value between the first threshold and the second threshold from pixels in the target image. A second filter determines an image difference condition and a chroma similarity condition according to the scenic factor and filters out non-foreground pixels having their foreground characteristic value satisfying the image difference condition and the chroma similarity condition from pixels left by the first filter. Pixels left by the second filter are served as foreground pixels.
US08712139B2
Systems and methods for segmenting images comprising cells, wherein the images comprise a plurality of pixels; one or more three dimensional (3D) clusters of cells are identified in the images; and the 3D clusters of cells are automatically segmented into individual cells using one or more models.
US08712127B2
A method and a system for using tomosynthesis projection images of a patient's breast to reconstruct slice tomosynthesis images such that anatomical structures that appear superimposed in a mammogram are at conforming locations in the reconstructed images.
US08712126B2
What is disclosed is a web-based system which comprises, in part, video analysis modules for performing different types of analysis services on a video, and a server in network communication with a user's computing device. A user selects one or more menu options displayed on a webpage. Each of the menu options is associated with a respective video analysis available to the user. The user makes their election and, within the same session, uploads to the server a video desired to be analyzed with respect to each of the video analysis services selected by the user. Once the server has obtained the user's selection(s) and has received the uploaded video, the server communicates the video to each video analysis module associated with each of the respective analysis services. Upon each completion of the video analysis, the results are communicated back to the user. Various embodiments are disclosed.
US08712124B2
The present disclosure relates various approaches for removing or reducing the effects of out-of-field sources of radiation if emission tomography applications. In certain embodiments, a plurality of measured views are acquired about an organ or region of interest. The measured views may be reconstructed to form an image and the image may be used in a cleaning or correction process that allows generation of a final image having reduced or eliminated artifacts attributable to out-of-field source effects.
US08712121B2
The present invention relates to an image generation device for generating an image from measured data, wherein image quality is optimized for a region of interest and to an imaging system comprising this image generation device. The image generation device comprises a noise determination unit for determining a distribution of noise in a projection domain of the region of interest, and a dose control unit (32) for determining a dose profile for a radiation source (2) of said image generation device based on said determined distribution of noise by using a noise propagation algorithm. Thereby, signal-to-noise ratio of a reconstructed volume can be improved and is not sensitively dependent on a selected region of interest.
US08712108B2
An apparatus, method and computer program storage device cooperate to acquire an image of at least a part of a meal. An analysis is then done on the image to determine a substance in the image. The analysis also considers caloric intake and exercise data and compares the same with a health management model to arrive at a recommendation for a user who consumed the meal. Various optional features include using wireless communications to receive exercise data from sensors, as well as communication related images such as the menu of a restaurant or the location of the restaurant.
US08712103B2
A method for determining processed image data about a surround field of a vehicle includes a step of combining a map information item with a position and an orientation of the vehicle and with an image of the surround field acquired by a surround-field monitoring device of the vehicle, in order to obtain a position-specific image of the surround field. In addition, the method includes a step of processing the position-specific image so as to include at least one symbol that is assigned to a classified object in the position-specific image, in order to determine the processed image data.
US08712097B2
An approaching object detection system, approaching object can be accurately detected while reducing the load on a calculation processing. A first moving region detection unit (30) detects (#3) only an optical flow substantially in horizontal direction in an image (P) captured by a camera (10) (#1) and sets (#4) a rectangular image portion (Q) containing a region moving in a substantially horizontal direction according to the detected optical flow. A second moving region detection unit (40) obtains a distribution (profile) of signal values of the set rectangular image portion (Q), (#5) in a vertical direction (longitudinal direction). Furthermore, the second moving region detection unit (40) correlates distributions of signal values of image portions (Q, Q) of two continuous images (P, P) in time series (#6) based on dynamic programming based processing to obtain an enlargement rate (#7). An approaching object determining unit (50) determines according to the enlargement rate whether the object is actually approaching.
US08712091B2
A loudspeaker grille is disclosed. In accordance with one example, a loudspeaker grille includes a louver arrangement to be arranged in front of a chassis of a loudspeaker to protect membrane and suspension thereof. The louver arrangement includes a first and a second louver arranged on opposing sides of a center plane. Both louvers include a plurality of fins which are arranged slanted with respect to the center plane and which are spaced such that a clearance is provided between projections of neighboring fins to the center plane. The fins of the first louver are inversely slanted to the fins of the second louver. Further, the fins of the first louver are shifted in a lateral direction within the to center plane with respect to the fins of the second louver.
US08712089B2
A positioning and retaining structure for an in-ear earpiece. An outer leg and an inner leg are attached to each other at an attachment end and attached to a body of the earpiece at the other end. The outer leg lies in a plane. The positioning and retaining structure have a stiffness that is greater when force is applied to the attachment end in a counterclockwise direction in the plane of the outer leg than when force is applied to the attachment end in a clockwise direction in the plane of the outer leg. The positioning and retaining structure position an earpiece associated with the earpiece in a users ear and retains the earpiece in its position.
US08712088B2
A positioning and retaining structure for an in-ear earpiece. An outer leg and an inner leg are attached to each other at an attachment end and attached to a body of the earpiece at the other end. The outer leg lies in a plane. The positioning and retaining structure have a stiffness that is greater when force is applied to the attachment end in a counterclockwise direction in the plane of the outer leg than when force is applied to the attachment end in a clockwise direction in the plane of the outer leg. The positioning and retaining structure position an earpiece associated with the earpiece in a users ear and retains the earpiece in its position.
US08712086B2
Disclosed is a portable audio device and a quick-disconnect passive acoustic cover. The portable audio device includes a housing and a speaker supported by the housing that have a first system frequency response. The speaker of the portable audio device has a first side and a second side associated with a first audio port and a second audio port, associated with a first acoustic load and a second acoustic load respectively. The housing is configured to removably receive the cover which is configured to redefine at least one of the first acoustic load and the second acoustic load to replace the first system frequency response with a second system frequency response. The cover provides one or more additional surrounding structures, which replace the inherent frequency response with an improved frequency response. Different embodiments of the disclosed cover provide a plurality of sound quality enhancement options to a user.
US08712082B2
The method of manufacturing a firmware-updated programmable hearing device comprising at least one processor and a memory unit in which hearing device firmware is stored, comprises the step of executing an update application in said processor installing an updated version of at least a portion of the hearing device firmware in said memory unit. The system for updating the firmware of a programmable hearing device as described above comprises: an update apparatus comprising a communication interface for communication via a wireless communication link and a storage unit in which an update application is stored, which is designed to be executed in said processor installing an updated version of at least a portion of the hearing device firmware in said memory unit.
US08712081B2
An embodiment of a hearing assistance apparatus for performing a Real Ear Measurement (REM), comprises a hearing assistance device housing, a microphone within the housing, an earhook connected to the housing, and a flexible tube. The house has a first opening for guiding sound into the housing to the microphone. The housing and the connected earhook form an interface, where the earhook has a shape to provide a slot near the interface of the housing and the earhook. The tube guides sound, and has a first end and a second end. The first end of the flexible tube and the slot of the earhook cooperate to retain the first end of the flexible tube in the slot of the earhook and flush with the housing to provide a sound-tight connection with the first opening.
US08712075B2
The present invention provides a spatially pre-processed target-to-jammer ratio weighted filter and a method thereof, which uses two microphones to receive audio signals. The audio signals are divided into a plurality of sinusoidal waves by a fast Fourier transform (FFT) module, and a beamformer uses the sinusoidal waves to generate beamformed signals. A reference generator generates at least one reference signal. The beamformed signals and reference signals are used to work out power spectral densities (PSD), and a target-to-jammer ratio (TJR) is worked out with the power spectral densities. TJR is used to determine whether a sound source exists. According to the determination result, a noise estimator is switched to eliminate noise from the beamformed signals and generate output signals. An inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) module recombines the output signals and then outputs the recombined signals.
US08712073B2
An apparatus for extracting a signal from convolutive mixtures includes a receiving unit which includes two or more receivers and receives a signal; a transfer function calculation unit which calculates transfer functions for demixing; and a demixing unit which demixes the received signal using the calculated transfer functions. The transfer function is determined such that a signal is extracted from a source closest to the receivers, and is calculated on the basis of a transfer function for a path to each receiver being approximated to a delta function as closer to the source.
US08712069B1
An audio processing system processes an audio signal that may come from one or more microphones. The audio processing system may use information from one or more non-acoustic sensors to improve a variety of system characteristics, including responsiveness and quality. Especially those audio processing systems that use spatial information, for example to separate multiple audio sources, are undesirably susceptible to changes in the relative position of any audio sources, the audio processing system itself, or any combination thereof. Using the non-acoustic sensor information may decrease this susceptibility advantageously in an audio processing system.
US08712068B2
An input signal is supplied to a loudspeaker-room-microphone system having a transfer function and that provides an output signal. An adaptive filter unit models the transfer function of the loudspeaker-room-microphone system and provides an approximated output signal, where the output signal and the approximated output signal are subtracted from each other to provide an error signal. The modeling of the transfer function of the loudspeaker-room-microphone system in the adaptive filter comprises transforming the input signal and the error signal from the time domain into the spectral domain; delaying of the input signal in the frequency domain to generate multiple differently delayed input signals in the frequency domain; adaptive filtering of each one of the multiple differently delayed input signals in the frequency domain according to the error signal in the spectral domain; summing up of the filtered differently delayed input signals in the frequency domain to generate the approximated output signal in the frequency domain; and transforming the approximated output signal from the spectral domain into the time domain.
US08712063B2
The binaural hearing system comprises a first hearing device and a second hearing device, each comprising an output transducer for converting audio signals into signals to be perceived by a user of the hearing system. A communication link interconnects the first and second hearing devices. A sound generator comprised in the first hearing device generates first audio signals. The first hearing device is adapted to transmit the first audio signals to the second hearing device via the communication link. Through the transmission of the generated first audio signals, it is possible to achieve a predictable latency for the perception of the first audio signals by the user's two ears.
US08712061B2
A two-channel phase-amplitude stereo encoding and decoding scheme enabling flexible and spatially accurate interactive 3-D audio reproduction via standard audio-only two-channel transmission. The encoding scheme allows associating a 2-D or 3-D positional localization to each of a plurality of sound sources by use of frequency independent inter-channel phase and amplitude differences. The decoder is based on frequency-domain spatial analysis of 2-D or 3-D directional cues in a two-channel stereo signal and re-synthesis of these cues using any preferred spatialization technique, thereby allowing faithful reproduction of positional audio cues and reverberation or ambient cues over arbitrary multi-channel loudspeaker reproduction formats or over headphones, while preserving source separation despite the intermediate encoding over only two audio channels.
US08712060B2
A method and apparatus for processing an audio signal is disclosed. Herein, the method includes receiving a downmix information having at least two independent objects and a background object downmixed therein; separating the downmix information into a first independent object and a temporary background object using a first enhanced object information; and extracting a second independent object from the temporary background object using a second enhanced object information.
US08712050B2
A method of implementing dynamic pseudorandom keyboard remapping of a system including a keyboard in communication with an operating system of a computing device includes encrypting an original keyboard scan code corresponding to each of a plurality of keyboard keys, using a mapping algorithm, wherein the mapping algorithm encrypts the original keyboard scan code by using both the original keyboard scan code and a current one of a sequence of pseudorandom numbers generated using a pseudorandom number generator (PRNG) algorithm and an initial seed value; and decrypting the original keyboard scan code based on an encrypted scan code generated and transmitted from the keyboard to the operating, responsive to a keystroke of the keyboard, wherein the operating system also uses the mapping algorithm, the PRNG algorithm, and the initial seed value.
US08712049B2
A system for implementing dynamic pseudorandom keyboard remapping includes a keyboard in communication with an operating system of a computing device; the keyboard configured to encrypt an original keyboard scan code corresponding to each of a plurality of keyboard keys, using a mapping algorithm, wherein the mapping algorithm encrypts the original keyboard scan code by using both the original keyboard scan code and a current one of a sequence of pseudorandom numbers generated using a pseudorandom number generator (PRNG) algorithm and an initial seed value; and the operating system configured to decrypt the original keyboard scan code based on an encrypted scan code generated and transmitted from the keyboard thereto, responsive to a keystroke of the keyboard, wherein the operating system also uses the mapping algorithm, the PRNG algorithm, and the initial seed value.
US08712038B2
A cryptographic calculation includes obtaining a point P(X,Y) from a parameter t on an elliptical curve Y2=f(X) and from polynomials satisfying: −f(X1(t))·f(X2(t))=U(t)2 in the finite body Fq, irrespective of the parameter t, q=3 mod 4. A value of the parameter t is obtained and the point P is determined by: (i) calculating X1=X1(t), X2=X2(t) and U=U(t); (ii) testing whether the term f(X−1) is a squared term in the finite body Fq and, if so, calculating the square root of the term f(X1), the point P having X1 as abscissa and Y1, the square root of the term f(X1), as ordinate; (iii) otherwise, calculating the square root of the term f(X2), the point P having X2, as abscissa and Y2, the square root of the term f(X2), as ordinate. The point P is useful in encryption, scrambling, signature, authentication or identification cryptographic applications.
US08712036B2
The described system and method provide for an encryption and authentication technique that achieves enhanced integrity verification through assured error-propagation using a multistage sequence of pseudorandom permutations. The method generates intermediate data-dependent cryptographic variables at each stage, which are systematically combined into feedback loops. The encryption technique also generates an authentication tag with minimal post processing that is the size of the state. The size of the state is dependent on the number of pseudorandom permutations and the size of the LFSR. The authentication tag provides a unique mapping to the plaintext for any number of plaintext blocks that is less than or equal the size of the state. In addition to being a stand alone encryption algorithm, the disclosed technique is applicable to any mode that uses pseudorandom permutations such as, key dependent lookup tables, S-Boxes, and block ciphers such as RC5, TEA, and AES.
US08712011B2
Methods and apparatus for planning imaging include planning imaging in conjunction with planning a radiation treatment. A radiation dose due to planned imaging may be calculated and used in optimizing a plan for delivering therapeutic radiation. Imaging and treatment may be performed using radiation beams having different characteristics. In some embodiments an imaging beam is generated using a low-Z target and a therapy beam is generated using a high-Z target. A radiation treatment planning system may include data characterizing both the imaging beam and the treatment beam.
US08712009B2
A method of determining integrity of a can seam including disposing the can seam between an X-ray source and an X-ray detector, exposing an overlap region of the can seam to radiation from the source, and determining an indication of integrity of the overlap region from a measure of variation in radiation intensity readings taken by the detector over a series of circumferential intervals of the can seam.
US08712007B2
In a computed tomography apparatus and operating method, a radiation source and radiation detector are rotated around a system axis, and a patient support plate and diaphragm elements of a diaphragm associated with the x-ray source are also movable in the direction of the system axis. Movement of the patient support plate and the diaphragm plates between respective end positions is coordinated during a dynamic computed tomography examination of a subject so as to reduce and homogenize the dose of x-ray radiation to which the subject is exposed during the examination.
US08711991B2
The invention relates to a method in a receiving communication node for performing channel estimation on a signal received over a channel from a transmitting communication node. The receiving and transmitting communication nodes are comprised in a radio communications network. The receiving communication node receives the signal from the transmitting communication node, filters the signal by applying matched filter to the received signal in a matched filter process resulting in an estimated channel, transforms the estimated channel from a frequency domain to a discrete cosine transform domain in a discrete cosine transformation process, truncates the transformed estimated channel by applying a sloped window truncation function of an adaptive length onto the transformed estimated channel, wherein the adaptive length in the discrete cosine transform domain is calculated based on channel state information, and transforms the truncated transformed estimated channel from the discrete cosine transform domain to the frequency domain in an inverse discrete cosine transformation process resulting in a channel estimate of the channel estimation.
US08711982B1
An envelope detector receives an input that is an Amplitude-Modulated (AM) or Amplitude-Shift-Keying (ASK) coded signal. Each channel has a sample switch and a diode that charge an internal sampling capacitor. A hold switch connects the internal sampling capacitor to a summing output capacitor or to a post-processing circuit. A reset switch discharges the internal sampling capacitor after each sample. Two or more channels may be time multiplexed to sample alternate cycles of the input, and then their outputs combined by the summing output capacitor or by the post-processing circuit. The diodes may be reversed to detect the negative envelope rather than the positive envelope. Clocks for the switches may be generated from the input, or may be from a separate clock source. Since the sampling window is open for a whole input cycle, the clock source is insensitive to phase error.
US08711965B2
A method and apparatus are provided for transmission in a communication system. The system includes a transmitter having at least one first and second antenna and a receiver, which includes at least one receiving antenna. The method includes determining a transmit diversity scheme for at least one group of symbols from among a plurality of modulated symbols. This step includes at least one step of obtaining a phase shift of at least one symbol of the at least one group of symbols. The phase shift is based on: at least one phase shift parameter N; and responses (hk1, hk2), respectively, between the at least one first antenna and the at least one receiving antenna and between the at least one second antenna and the at least one receiving antenna. The method further includes a step of phase shifting, allowing rotation of said symbol at a multiple of a π/N value.
US08711959B2
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for estimating a frequency offset which are robust against non-Gaussian noise. In a frequency offset estimation method of an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) system using a training symbol, the method includes receiving a reception signal, setting a specific initial frequency offset corresponding to the reception signal, and calculating a log-likelihood function based on a Complex Isotropic Symmetric α Stable (CISαS) probability density function obtained by modeling non-Gaussian noise included in the reception signal and estimating an optimum frequency offset based on the log-likelihood function and the initial frequency offset through a Maximum Likelihood Estimator (MLE). Accordingly, in a non-Gaussian noise environment, frequency offset estimated performance can be improved as compared with a conventional method in which noise is assumed to be a normal distribution.
US08711957B2
A data transmission apparatus is provided. A symbol mapper performs symbol mapping on information about an optimum key index that instructs a modified Walsh-Hadamard matrix that causes a minimum peak-to-average power ratio and generates a plurality of key symbols. A modified Walsh-Hadamard transformer generates a plurality of modified Walsh-Hadamard-transformed data symbols by performing modified Walsh-Hadamard transform on a plurality of data symbols according to a modified Walsh-Hadamard matrix that an optimum key index instructs. An inverse Fourier transformer generates a plurality of inverse Fourier-transformed symbols by performing inverse Fourier transform on a plurality of key symbols and a plurality of modified Walsh-Hadamard-transformed data symbols. A transmitter transmits a plurality of inverse Fourier-transformed symbols to a channel through at least one antenna.
US08711949B2
A video transrater, and a transrater system and method. The transrater, system and method may select an optimal bit rate from among a plurality of available bit rates in order to obtain a particular video quality and/or format.
US08711941B2
A video transcoder for converting an encoded input video bit-stream having one spatial resolution into an encoded output video bit-stream having a lower spatial resolution, wherein motion-vector dispersion observed at the higher spatial resolution is quantified and used to configure the motion-vector search at the lower spatial resolution. For example, for video-frame areas characterized by relatively low motion-vector dispersion values, the motion-vector search may be performed over a relatively small vector space and with the use of fewer search patterns and/or hierarchical search levels. These constraints enable the transcoder to find appropriate motion vectors for inter-prediction coding without having to perform an exhaustive motion-vector search for these video-frame areas, which advantageously reduces the computational complexity and processor load compared to those of a comparably performing prior-art video transcoder.
US08711926B2
Techniques for estimating distortion due to quantization of data are described. A histogram with multiple bins may be obtained for a set of coefficients to be quantized. Distortion due to quantization of the set of coefficients may be estimated based on the histogram and average distortions for the histogram bins. The number of coefficients in each bin may be multiplied with an average distortion for the bin to obtain a per-bin distortion. The per-bin distortions for all of the bins may be accumulated and scaled with a correction factor to obtain the estimated distortion. The techniques may be used to estimate distortions for a set of coding elements. Distortion and rate may be estimated for each coding element for each of multiple quantization steps. A set of quantization steps may be selected for the set of coding elements based on the estimated distortions and the estimated rates for the set of coding elements for different quantization steps.
US08711920B1
A system for an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) equalizer, said system comprising a program memory, a program sequencer and a processing unit connected to each other, wherein the processing unit comprises an input selection unit, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and an output selection unit; further wherein the program sequencer schedules the processing of one or more symbol-carrier pairs input to said OFDM equalizer using multiple threads; retrieves, for each of the one or more symbol-carrier pairs, multiple program instructions from said program memory; generates multiple expanded instructions corresponding to said retrieved multiple program instructions; and further wherein said ALU performs said processing of the one or more symbol-carrier pairs using the multiple threads across multiple pipeline stages, wherein said processing comprises said ALU executing one or more arithmetic operations to process said expanded instructions using said multiple threads across the multiple pipeline stages.
US08711916B2
A method of initializing tap coefficients of an equalizer may include estimating impulse response coefficients of a channel through which a received signal traveled based on a known portion of the received signal. The method may also include loading the impulse response coefficients into a channel filter and generating a reference signal. The reference signal may be passed through the channel filter to build a training signal. Tap coefficients of the equalizer may be adjusted based on the training signal from the channel filter and on a delayed version of the reference signal.
US08711909B2
A switch circuit connects a switch (SW) to a connector when a connector receives a signal and connects the switch (SW) to a terminal when the connector receives power. The connector receives a signal and power transmitted at the same frequency, outputs the received signal to a communication unit through an attenuator, and outputs the received power to a power receiving unit. The communication unit carries out reception processing to the signal and outputs the processed signal to a computer. The power receiving unit carries out reception processing to the power and stores the processed power. The power receiving unit supplies the communication unit or the computer with the stored power.
US08711904B2
A method of determining non-ideality characteristics introduced on a signal by a transceiver is disclosed. The transceiver has an up-conversion transmitter and a down-conversion receiver. In one aspect, the method includes: a) generating a signal comprising at least one known training symbol, b) up-converting this signal with a first frequency to a first signal in the transmitter, c) transferring the first signal from the transmitter to the receiver, d) down-converting with a second frequency this transferred first signal to a second signal in the receiver, the second frequency being different from but linked to the first frequency, e) detecting at least one of the training symbols in the second signal; and f) separating, in the frequency domain, at least one of the components of at least one of the detected training symbols for determining the non-ideality characteristics.
US08711898B2
The present invention provides systems and methods for communication between ultra-wideband (UWB) devices. In general, the UWB device may characterize the attenuation, and other characteristics of the communication environment. Using these characteristics the UWB device can adapt various communication parameters to improve the communication quality. The UWB device may use these characteristics to establish zones and sectors for communication with other UWB devices. Based on this zone and sector assignment the UWB device may select communication parameters for communication with other UWB devices. This Abstract is provided for the sole purpose of complying with the Abstract requirement rules that allow a reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the disclosure contained herein. This Abstract is submitted with the explicit understanding that it will not be used to interpret or to limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.
US08711893B2
An optoelectronic component contains an epitaxial layer sequence based on a nitride compound semiconductor having an active layer and an epitaxial growth substrate comprising Al1-xGaxN, where 0
US08711882B2
Reframing circuitry controls communications between a physical layer device and a link layer device. In a first direction of communication, the reframing circuitry receives a container frame with the container frame having a first arrangement of columns, and outputs a virtual container frame that includes a modified version of the container frame received by the reframing circuitry, with the modified version of the container frame having a second arrangement of columns different than the first arrangement of columns. For example, the reframing circuitry in generating the modified version of the container frame may remove a path overhead column of the container frame and replace that path overhead column with a stuff column in the modified version of the container frame. The virtual container frame may be configured to include the path overhead column that was removed from the container frame in generating the modified version of the container frame.
US08711879B2
With communication service considered, it is an object to provide a communication system in which power consumption of a mobile station device is suppressed. This mobile communication system includes a base station device and a mobile station device, wherein the base station device includes a scheduling portion that carries out scheduling to determine a downlink CQI effective period scheduled by using the downlink CQI as a downlink effective period, start the downlink effective period after a lapse of a given period from downlink CQI transmission timing, and allow the mobile station device to transmit control information and user data only during the downlink effective period.
US08711877B2
In an apparatus for connection control between two terminals, a communication unit transmits or receives a connection control signal to or from the terminals. A storage stores media format information usable on the two terminals, which are to be supplied with the media format information on media formats converted by a media format converter. A media format information supplementing unit references the media format information storage, based on the connection control signal received from the terminal, and verifies a possible presence of common media format information usable by the terminals to be interconnected. If there is no common media format information, predetermined media format information is supplemented to the connection control signal, and a resulting connection control signal is delivered to the communication device. Thus, media negotiation may be made even when media formats usable on the two terminals differ from each other.
US08711875B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for receiving a request in a router from a first endpoint coupled to the router, where the request is for an aggregated completion. In turn, the router can forward the request to multiple target agents, receive a response from each of the target agents, and consolidate the responses into an aggregated completion. Then, the router can send the aggregated completion to the first endpoint. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08711865B2
In one embodiment, an apparatus includes an Ethernet port, for connection to an Ethernet access network providing multiple different services. A plurality of local service ports are provided for connection to items of peripheral customer premises equipment (CPE), each item supporting a different, respective service. A bridge is coupled to convey data frames between the Ethernet port and the local service ports. A controller is coupled to receive via the Ethernet port at least one provisioning message indicating associations between the services and respective Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) identifiers, and to configure the bridge, responsively to the provisioning message, to forward the data frames received via the Ethernet port on each VLAN to a respective service port in accordance with the associations.
US08711856B2
The present invention discloses a method for processing broadcast packets/multicast control messages, comprising: replicating data to different broadcast/multicast logical channels in accordance with ONU types of users who join a VLAN when an OLT, on which a same port is connected to different types of ONUs, transmits the downlink broadcast packets/multicast control messages. The present invention also discloses a device for processing broadcast packets/multicast control messages. In accordance with the present invention, efficient processing of downlink broadcast packets and multicast control messages is realized when different types of ONUs coexist, unnecessary interference with ONUs from excessive data is avoided, and meanwhile the bandwidth between an OLT and an ONU can be utilized efficiently and meaningless bandwidth occupation by data streams can be avoided.
US08711855B1
An access network is described in which a centralized controller provides seamless end-to-end service from a core-facing edge of a service provider network through aggregation and access infrastructure out to access nodes located proximate to the subscriber devices. The controller operates to provide a central configuration point for configuring aggregation nodes (AGs) of a network of the service provider so as to provide transport services to transport traffic between access nodes (AXs) and edge routers on opposite borders of the network.
US08711851B1
Technologies are described herein for performing a multi-protocol data transfer. A first protocol that guarantees reliability and in-order delivery of data packets is utilized to transmit control information for a data transfer. Once the control information has been transmitted and received at the destination, a second protocol is utilized to transfer the actual data. The second protocol does not guarantee data reliability or in-order delivery. If any data packets are not delivered to the destination using the second protocol, either the first protocol, the second protocol, or a combination can be utilized to retransmit the missing packets.
US08711848B2
A method includes appending a preamble to a data packet and transmitting the preamble and data packet over a communication channel in the network. The preamble may be a Beacon, Admission, Broadcast, or High-Throughput Preamble. The Beacon Preamble includes the following symbols SS, SS, SS, SS, SS, SS, SS, SS, SS, SS, SS, SS, LS1, LS1, LS1, LS1, LS1, LS1, LS1, LS1, CP0, CEBeacon, CEBeacon. The Admission Preamble includes the following symbols SS, SS, SS, SS, SS, SS, SS, SS, SS, SS, SS, SS, LS1, LS1, LS1, LS1, LS1, LS1, LS1, LS1, CP0, CE, CE. The Broadcast Preamble includes the following symbols LS1, LS1, LS1, LS1, CP0, CE, CE. The high-throughput preamble includes the following symbols CP0, CE. The SS symbol includes 64 bits, the LS1, LS2, and CP0 symbols include 192 bits, the CE symbol includes 512 bits, and the CEBeacon symbol is a subset of CE.
US08711845B2
The first communication unit 101 performs data communication in a first communication mode specializing in packet communication via a first communication system A. The second communication unit 102 performs data communication in a second communication mode supporting voice communication via a second communication system B. The control unit 109 controls the first communication unit 101 and second communication unit 102. The control unit 109 controls the first communication unit 101 to perform data communication via the first communication system A until a voice communication start instruction is received. The control unit 109 determines whether to perform data communication via the second communication system B based on access control information on the second communication system B in response to the reception of a voice communication start instruction.
US08711839B2
An inventive Network Address Translation (“NAT”) device and method for automatic port forwarding whenever said NAT device detects that only one Local Area Network (“LAN”) IP address has been leased by its DHCP server is disclosed. Under this condition, the inventive NAT device automatically configures all ports to be forwarded (except those that may be reserved for applications running in the inventive NAT device), to the single leased LAN IP address. This minimizes, if not eliminates, the conventional address configuration required when a NAT device is added to an existing network.
US08711836B2
Apparatus and methods relating to synchronization of communication equipment are disclosed. Synchronization information received from a bonded communication link can be used to synchronize local and/or remote communication equipment, such as femtocell sites coupled to nodes in a ring network. This may involve isolating a frequency reference signal from a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) communication link which is a constituent link of a bonded communication link, for example. In a ring network, received synchronization information could be used in synchronizing a locally connected installation of communication equipment, and passed for transmission in the ring network for synchronizing other communication equipment. Such dropping and passing of an analog frequency reference signal could be applied in networks having other topologies as well. At least some embodiments of the invention are applicable to optical links. One or more dedicated wavelengths of an optical link could be used to transfer a frequency reference signal, for example. Other functions, such as quality monitoring, quality reporting, and/or predictive traffic forwarding may be provided in some embodiments.
US08711827B2
A mobile terminal having a receive diversity function using a plurality of receive antennas, having a calculation section which combines respective level measurement results of the receive antennas and calculates a level measurement value after being combined as the level measurement result of the mobile terminal.
US08711825B1
A client network device includes a physical-layer device, a parameter module, an adjusting module, and a power management module. The physical-layer device, during each client traffic window that occur within a predetermined period, (i) transmits, over a network, a request signal from the client network device to discover other network devices in the network, and (ii) receives, from one or more of the other network devices, corresponding responses to the request signal. The parameter module monitors a first parameter of the client network device. The adjusting module adjusts a second parameter based on the first parameter. The second parameter indicates a number of the client traffic windows to occur within the predetermined period. The power management module transitions the client network device from an active mode to a sleep mode between consecutive ones of the number of the client traffic windows that occur within the predetermined period.
US08711822B2
A method of managing subscriber mobility within a telecommunications system having at least first and second access domains supporting respective different access technologies. Each of the access domains comprises one or more mobility management gateways responsible for mobility management within the access domain. The method comprises receiving at a first subscriber server within said system, an update location request from a mobility management gateway within said first access domain, the first subscriber server being responsible for said first access domain. A common user database is then updated to update a profile of a subscriber to which said update location request relates in order to record said mobility management gateway within said first access domain as a current location of the subscriber. At said common user database, a notification rule set is applied to the subscriber profile to determine whether or not a notification to cancel a location for said subscriber must be sent to a mobility management gateway within said second access domain. If so, then a notification is sent from said common user database to a second subscriber server within said system, the second subscriber server being responsible for said second access domain. The notification is received at said second subscriber server, and a cancel location request sent to said mobility management gateway within said second access domain. A further update of said subscriber profile in the common user database is performed to remove said mobility management gateway within said second access domain as a current location of the subscriber.
US08711806B2
A communication system and data transmission method thereof are provided. The method includes adding an end marker to the end of source data and transmitting the source data and the end marker for a Packet data network GateWay (PGW) to a source evolved Node B (eNB) if a handover is carried out from the source eNB to a target eNB while the PGW is transmitting the source data to the source eNB, forwarding the source data and the end marker from the source eNB to the target eNB, transmitting target data immediately following the source data from the PGW to the target eNB, and transmitting the source data and the target data, which is classified into the source data by the end marker and immediately follows the end of the source data, from the target eNB to user equipment.
US08711805B2
Systems and techniques are disclosed for establishing a reference corresponding to the timing of a received signal from the first source, determining the timing for each received signal from a plurality of second sources, adjusting the reference to the timing of the received signal from one of the second sources, the timing of the received signal used to adjust the reference being closest in time to the unadjusted reference, and synchronizing a signal to the reference for transmission.
US08711798B2
A method of providing a packetized data transmission service to a mobile terminal (108) in a spread spectrum communication network (100), includes: at a transmitter (102), broadcasting an indication message to a cell on a downlink broadcast channel (114), the indication message providing notification of an available packetized data transmission service intended for the mobile terminal (108); at the mobile terminal (108), monitoring the broadcast channel (114) for the indication message, and upon receipt, acknowledging detection of the indication message to the transmitter (102) on an uplink contention channel (116); and at the transmitter (102), upon contention completion, transmitting packetized data transmission service configuration information to the mobile terminal (108) on the broadcast channel (114).
US08711776B2
Methods in a network node, such as a radio base station (RBS) node or a radio network control (RNC) node, for adapting network characteristics in a telecommunications system are provided. A plurality of entities indicative of the performance of the network are measured simultaneously, by means of a single table, and one entity is selected as main entity. The measurements are stored within main entity ranges and a correlation of the measurements is performed to determine a relationship among the entities with main entity range(s). The result(s) of the correlation is used to adapt network characteristics for optimizing the network. Related network nodes are also discussed.
US08711772B2
A user equipment (UE) determine to activate a data session. The UE configures a data session activation request message to include an indication of an association with communication sessions of a given type (e.g., delay-sensitive communication sessions), and then transmits the data session activation request message to an access network. The access network determines to establish an aggressive paging cycle of a downlink channel for the UE based in part upon receiving a message (e.g., which can be different than the data session activation request message) that conveys the indication of the association to the access network. The access network sends at least one instruction for facilitating an allocation of the aggressive paging cycle to the UE, and the UE receives the at least one instructions and monitors the downlink channel accordingly.
US08711770B2
A base station apparatus used in a mobile communication system to which an OFDM scheme is applied in downlink is provided with: a scheduler configured to perform assignment of radio resources to a user apparatus for each subframe; a control channel generation unit configured to generate a control channel for reporting a result of scheduling by the scheduler to the user apparatus; and a mapping unit configured to map the control channel and a data channel, wherein the control information includes information indicating a radio resource amount used for the control channel, and the mapping unit multiplexes information indicating the radio resource amount used for the control channel into a first OFDM symbol.
US08711768B2
Techniques for selecting a serving base station for a terminal by taking into account backhaul capability are described. The terminal may be within the coverage of multiple base stations, which may be of different types and may have different backhaul capabilities. One of the base stations may be selected as a serving base station for the terminal based on the backhaul capabilities of these base stations. The serving base station may also be selected based on additional criteria such as data or delay requirements of the terminal, transmit power capability of the terminal, characteristics of data for the terminal, etc.
US08711751B2
Methods and apparatus that reduce user identification overhead for communications. In one aspect of the invention, a reciprocal transmission channel characteristic (e.g., the channel impulse response) is used to derive shared and anonymous user identification between two wireless devices. In one embodiment, subscription-less data transmissions are broadcast from a base station to multiple user equipment, each user equipment receiving its correspondingly identified subscription-less data. The use of quantization levels and/or levels of tolerance for compensating for non-ideal differences in recipient and transmitter channel characteristics are also disclosed.
US08711741B1
Networked modems configurable to establish a communication system on a wired communication medium. Each modem includes: a network module, transmit and receive path modules and a frequency domain echo canceller. The network module is configured to communicate with network modules of remaining ones of the at least three modems to allocate bandwidth of the shared communications medium for at least two discrete point-to-point communication links between corresponding pairs of the at least three modems. The transmit and receive path modules are configured for multi-tone modulation and demodulation of communications on the wired communication medium and are responsive to the bandwidth allocation of the network module to concurrently process at least a first discrete point-to-point communication link with a first modem among remaining ones of the at least three modems and at least a second discrete point-to-point communication link with a second among remaining ones of the at least three modems. The frequency domain echo canceller is configured to substantially cancel leakage of the communications transmitted on the transmit path into the receive path and to enable each point-to-point communication link to support full duplex communications.
US08711737B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for forming crowds of users based on wireless contexts of corresponding mobile devices of the users. In general, wireless contexts of mobile devices of a number of users are obtained. For each mobile device, the wireless context of the mobile device includes a wireless Personal Area Network (PAN) context of the mobile device, a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) context of the mobile device, or both. The wireless contexts of the mobile devices of the users are then utilized to form crowds of users. More specifically, in one embodiment, users of mobile devices having sufficiently similar wireless contexts are determined to be in the same crowd of users.
US08711734B2
The present invention provides a system and method for fail-safe call survival by detecting failure of an active call serving component and switching the service over to a standby component. The system and method will prevent an existing call, whether established or to be established, from being dropped due to a single point of failure within a Voice over Internet Protocol system. The continuation of the call is based on the failed component as opposed to relying on communication endpoints to re-initiate or re-route the failed call. Call recovery is initiated independent from the call path of a call. The detection of a condition or need for call recovery and the determination to initiate call recovery procedures are made without involving endpoints or intermediate points of the call. The availability and sanity of all components are continuously monitored and are tailored specifically for the duties of each component.
US08711730B2
In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for identifying a target signal in an optical transport network frame structure may be provided. The method may include determining an Access Identifier (AID) for the target signal. The method may also include determining at least one attribute for the target signal. The at least one attribute may define at least one of an Optical Transport Network (OTN) multiplexing structure associated with the target signal and one or more attributes associated with one or a higher order or an intermediate higher order optical data unit entity for a supporting entity of a lower order optical data unit associated with the target signal. The method may further include identifying the target signal based on the AID and the at least one attribute.
US08711727B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, systems and apparatuses for optimizing downlink path loss (PL) measurements in time division duplex (TDD) systems enabling fast power control targeting to decrease fading margin. In one embodiment, a method of power control in a long term evolution time division duplex (TDD) system is provided. The method includes controlling a length of a path loss measurement filter based on an allocation type. A width and frequency position of the path loss measurement filter is made dependent on the allocation type.
US08711719B2
A method of generating network topology parameters of a communications network domain comprising a plurality of network nodes and a plurality of interconnecting links. The method comprises: identifying network nodes configured to interface with one or more other network domains as summarized nodes; and generating network topology parameters for one or more pairs of summarized nodes. The network topology parameters are dependent on the transmission parameters of one or more identified paths between said pair of summarized nodes. At least one said path comprises at least one other network node and respective interconnecting links.
US08711718B2
An apparatus used in a communication system having a plurality of time slots includes a signal processing circuit, a signal detector, and a controlling circuit. The signal processing circuit receives an input signal. The signal detector detects the input signal to generate a detection result. The controlling circuit controls the signal processing circuit according to the detection result. When the detection result does not meet a predetermined criterion, the controlling circuit adjusts the signal processing circuit for reducing power consumption of the signal processing circuit.
US08711710B2
Systems and methods may be provided for adaptive communications with utility meters based on atmospheric conditions. The systems and methods may include obtaining weather information associated with a location of a utility meter; determining, based upon the weather information, whether the utility meter location is associated with weather that affects communications performance; and modifying an acceptable communications error rate associated with the utility meter or the communications interface of the utility meter from a first value to a second value upon determining that the utility meter location is associated with weather that affects communications performance. One or more of the foregoing operations may be performed by a utility meter or a utility server computer associated with the utility meter.
US08711706B2
A protocol delay measuring device prevents an increase of the processing overhead of a communication terminal attributed to a protocol delay measurement. The measuring device determines the protocol delay by using first and second timestamps created respectively before and after a processed packet is obtained from an unprocessed packet by IPsec processing by the communication terminal. An acknowledges creates an identifier of the unprocessed packet. A timestamp database stores the created identifier along with the first timestamp and writes the identifier in a storage where the identifier is kept the same before and after the IPsec processing by the communication terminal. A correlator reads the identifier from the storage and extracts the first timestamp stored along with the same identifier as the read identifier in the timestamp database. A calculator calculates the difference between the extracted first timestamp and the second timestamp as the protocol delay.
US08711705B1
A mobile node includes a software client that is configured to monitor the quality of a communication service provided by a wireless network and to detect an impairment of the communication service. When a service impairment is detected, the software client is further configured to generate a service impairment report for transmission to a service quality management system for the wireless network. The service impairment report may include a description of the service impairment (such as the category of impairment), a time associated with the impairment, and a location associated with the impairment. The software client may also be configured to determine a cause of the detected impairment and to indicate the cause in the service impairment report.
US08711698B2
A device, method, computer program product, and network subsystem are described for obtaining a node identifier dependent on at least a position index and a loading indicator of a mobile node and routing data through the mobile node responsive to the node identifier.
US08711677B2
A multi-port Serdes transceiver includes multiple parallel ports and serial ports, and includes the flexibility to connect any of the parallel ports to another parallel port or to a serial port, or both. The transceiver can connect any of the serial ports to another serial port or to a parallel port. The transceiver includes a switch, a logic core, and a bus. The switch is selectively coupled to at least a first port and a second port. The switch activates the first port and deactivates the second port based on satisfaction of a condition associated with the first port. The logic core operates the serial and parallel ports, and the bus connects the ports. The bus can be described as a “ring” structure around the logic core, and is configured between the logic core and the ports. The ring structure provides efficient communication between the logic core and the ports.
US08711671B2
It is provided an apparatus, including observing means configured to observe a first parameter; deciding means configured to decide, based on the first parameter, whether or not an original search space of a downlink control channel of an orthogonal frequency division multiplex technology is to be redefined; and redefining means configured to redefine the original search space, thus obtaining a redefined search space.
US08711670B2
One aspect of the present invention relates to a base station apparatus in a mobile communication system, comprising: an acquisition unit configured to receive an uplink signal from a user equipment and acquire channel condition information and an average value of the channel condition information for each of one or more frequency resource blocks; a reference metric calculation unit configured to calculate a reference metric indicative of priority of assignment of the frequency resource blocks to the user equipment based on the channel condition information and the average value of the channel condition information acquired by the acquisition unit; a modification unit configured to modify the reference metric calculated by the reference metric calculation unit with a first parameter to generate a modified metric; a scheduler configured to compare the modified metrics of the individual frequency resource blocks generated by the modification unit and determine an assignment plan of radio resources; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit a downlink signal in accordance with the assignment plan determined by the scheduler, wherein the modification unit modifies the reference metric with the first parameter, the first parameter having a first value for a predefined first frequency resource block and a second value for a predefined second frequency resource block if the user equipment belongs to a group differentiated based on a path loss.
US08711668B2
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.
US08711657B2
Provided is a converter that converts sound waves into electrical signals, comprising a piezoelectric section including a plurality of piezoelectric elements that each convert a sound wave detected by a detection surface into one of the electrical signals; and a multilayer substrate to which the piezoelectric section is fixed. The multilayer substrate includes a plurality of signal wires that correspond respectively to the piezoelectric elements and each transmit the electrical signal output by the corresponding piezoelectric element; and a shield portion that electromagnetically shields at least a portion of the signal wires. The piezoelectric section is fixed to the multilayer substrate such that a surface of the multilayer substrate on which the piezoelectric elements are fixed is inclined with respect to the detection surfaces of the piezoelectric elements.
US08711651B2
Multi-rank memories and methods for self-refreshing multi-rank memories are disclosed. One such multi-rank memory includes a plurality of ranks of memory and self-refresh logic coupled to the plurality of ranks of memory. The self-refresh logic is configured to refresh a first rank of memory in a self-refresh state in response to refreshing a second rank of memory not in a self-refresh state in response to receiving a non-self-refresh refresh command for the second rank of memory.
US08711635B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell which stores data and which is capable of being rewritten electrically, a bit line which is connected electrically to one end of a current path of the memory cell, a control circuit which carries out a verify operation to check a write result after data is written to the memory cell, and a voltage setting circuit which sets a charging voltage for the bit line in a verify operation and a read operation and makes a charging voltage in a read operation higher than a charging voltage in a verify operation.
US08711630B2
A programming method of a non-volatile memory device that includes a string of memory cells with a plurality of floating gates and a plurality of control gates disposed alternately, wherein each of the memory cells includes one floating gate and two control gates disposed adjacent to the floating gate and two neighboring memory cells share one control gate. The programming method includes applying a first program voltage to a first control gate of a selected memory cell and a second program voltage that is higher than the first program voltage to a second control gate of the selected memory cell, and applying a first pass voltage to a third control gate disposed adjacent to the first control gate and a second pass voltage that is lower than the first pass voltage to a fourth control gate disposed adjacent to the second control gate.
US08711622B2
An integrated circuit including a link or string of semiconductor memory cells, wherein each memory cell includes a floating body region for storing data. The link or string includes at least one contact configured to electrically connect the memory cells to at least one control line, and the number of contacts in the string or link is the same as or less than the number of memory cells in the string or link.
US08711621B2
A threshold voltage distribution scheme for multi-level Flash cells where an erase threshold voltage and at least one programmed threshold voltage lie in an erase voltage domain. Having at least one programmed threshold voltage in the erase voltage domain reduces the Vread voltage level to minimize read disturb effects, while extending the life span of the multi-level Flash cells as the threshold voltage distance between programmed states is maximized. The erase voltage domain can be less than 0V while a program voltage domain is greater than 0V. Accordingly, circuits for program verifying and reading multi-level Flash cells having a programmed threshold voltage in the erase voltage domain and the program voltage domain use negative and positive high voltages.
US08711620B2
An apparatus is described that is configured to modify a signal to at least substantially remove a noise portion from the signal. In one or more implementations, the apparatus is a collaborative filtering module that is configured to communicatively couple to a memory array having a plurality of memory cell blocks. The memory array is configured to furnish a signal representative of data stored within the plurality of memory cell blocks. The collaborative filtering module is configured to determine a noise distribution associated with the plurality of memory cell blocks and generate a noise prediction, which is based upon the noise distribution, when a read operation for the plurality of memory cell blocks is issued. The collaborative filtering module is also configured to modify the signal utilizing the noise prediction to at least substantially remove noise from the signal.
US08711614B1
Memory elements are provided that exhibit immunity to soft error upset events when subjected to radiation strikes such as high-energy atomic particle strikes. The memory elements may each have four inverter-like transistor pairs that form a bistable element and a pair of address transistors. There may be four nodes in the transistor each of which is associated with a respective one of the four inverter-like transistor pairs. There may be two control transistors each of which is coupled between the transistors in a respective one of the inverter-like transistor pairs. During data writing operations, the two control transistors may be turned off to temporarily decouple the transistors in two of the four inverter-like transistor pairs.
US08711609B2
A nonvolatile memory device comprises a memory cell configured to store or output data in a magneto-resistance device in response to a write current applied to a bit line and a source line. A voltage detector is configured to sense potentials loaded in the bit line and the source line. A write current controller configured to control activation of a write control signal in response to an output of the voltage detector, and a write driver configured to control amounts of write current applied to the memory cell according to the activation of the write control signal.
US08711604B2
A non-volatile semiconductor memory according to an embodiment includes: a data storage unit including a memory cell array and a writing circuit; an encoder that directs the writing circuit to write write data to the memory cell array; a writing determining circuit that determines whether the writing of the write data to the memory cell array within a predetermined number of writing operations fails or succeeds, inverts the write data to generate new write data when the writing of the write data fails, and directs the writing circuit to write the new write data to the memory cell array; a switching circuit that inverts read data which is read from the memory cell to generate new read data when the writing determining circuit determines that the writing of the write data fails; and a decoder that decodes the read data into the information data.
US08711601B2
A resistive random access memory (RRAM) cell including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a plurality of repeated sets of layers is provided. Each of the sets of layers includes a resistance-changing layer, a barrier layer, and an ionic exchange layer between the resistance-changing layer and the barrier layer, wherein a thickness of each of the resistance-changing layer, the barrier layer and the ionic exchange layer exceeds a Fermi wavelength, and the thickness each of the resistance-changing layer and ionic exchange layer are less than an electron mean free path. Further, a RRAM module including the aforesaid RRAM cell and a switch is also provided.
US08711599B2
A memory device is provided. The memory device includes a plurality of memory cells and a controller to write data to and read data from the memory cells. Each memory cell includes a first semiconductor material having a spontaneous polarization, a resistive ferroelectric material having a switchable spontaneous polarization, and a second semiconductor material having a spontaneous polarization, the resistive ferroelectric material being positioned between and in contact with the first and second semiconductor materials. The memory device can be configured to store energy that can be released by applying a voltage pulse to the memory device.
US08711597B2
The present invention generally relates to the three-dimensional arrangement of memory cells. This 3D arrangement and orientation is made with macro cells that enable the programming, reading and/or querying of any memory cell in the 3D array without the need for overhead wiring or by utilizing a minimal amount of overhead wiring. The individual macro cells are electrically coupled together such that a single transistor on the substrate can be utilized to address multiple macro cells. In such an arrangement, all the auxiliary circuits for addressing memory elements are simplified thereby diminishing their integrated circuit area.
US08711595B2
A system, includes a controller including a plurality of first external terminals configured to supply a command, a clock signal and an address, and communicate a data, and communicate a strobe signal related to the data, and a semiconductor memory device including a plurality of second external terminals corresponding to the plurality of first external terminals, one of the plurality of first external terminals and one of the plurality of second external terminals transferring an information specifying a length of a preamble of the strobe signal before the semiconductor memory device communicates the data.
US08711576B2
An electronic apparatus which includes a hinge module includes a first housing in which a window unit is formed in a holding unit which holds the hinge module, a second housing which is joined to the first housing, and a substrate holding member which is arranged between the first housing and the second housing, and wherein the substrate holding member passes through the window unit of the first housing and includes a locking unit which locks the hinge module by being pressed by the second housing.
US08711573B2
In an integrated circuit (IC) adapted for use in a stack of interconnected ICs, interrupted through-silicon-vias (TSVs) are provided in addition to uninterrupted TSVs. The interrupted TSVs provide signal paths other than common parallel paths between the ICs of the stack. This permits IC identification schemes and other functionalities to be implemented using TSVs, without requiring angular rotation of alternate ICs of the stack.
US08711572B2
A circuit board having a semiconductor chip embedded therein includes: a core board having opposing first and second surfaces and a through-hole; a semiconductor chip received in the through-hole and having a first active surface and an opposing second active surface, wherein first electrode pads comprising signal pads, power pads, and ground pads are provided on the first active surface; a first dielectric layer provided on the first surface of the core board and the first active surface of the semiconductor chip and configured to fill a gap between the through-hole and the semiconductor chip so as to secure the semiconductor chip in position to the through-hole; and a first circuit layer disposed in the first dielectric layer so as to be flush with the first dielectric layer, provided with first conductive vias disposed in the first dielectric layer, and electrically connected to the first electrode pads.
US08711562B2
A robot control device according to one aspect of the embodiment includes a casing, a control circuit, and a fan. The control circuit is allocated in the inside of the casing and controls a robot to be controlled. In the casing, an intake portion is arranged in a top plate and one side plate, and an exhaust portion is arranged in a side plate adjacent to the side plate in which the intake portion is arranged. Further, the fan releases outside air sucked into the casing from the intake portion to the outside of the casing through the exhaust portion.
US08711555B2
A mounting apparatus for a PCI card includes an enclosure, a mounting bracket, a securing bracket mounted in the enclosure, and a securing member pivotably mounted on the securing bracket. The mounting bracket is used for securing a first end of the PCI card. The securing bracket includes a main body and an elastic securing portion extending from the main body. The securing member includes a pressing panel and a securing part. The pressing panel defines a receiving slot. The securing part is used for engaging the elastic securing portion to enable the pressing panel to press a second end of the PCI card. The receiving slot is used for receiving the second end.
US08711548B2
A load center includes a housing, a cover, and a circuit breaker. The load center can be retrofitted to further include a rotational motor, an actuator member, and a guide insert. The rotational motor includes a threaded drive shaft positioned through an aperture formed in the cover. The actuator member is threadingly engaged with the threaded drive shaft. The actuator member is oriented relative to the cover such that a handle of the circuit breaker is positioned through an aperture of the actuating member. Rotation of the threaded drive shaft causes the actuator member to translate such that a first actuating surface of the actuator member engages the handle and switches the handle from an OFF position to an ON position. The handle of the circuit breaker has full range of travel between the ON and OFF positions in response to the actuator member being moved into a neutral position.
US08711542B2
Embodiments of the invention provide methods and systems for insulating a cavity of a structure. A system may include an insulation machine having an insulation blower that blows insulation into the cavity and a hose having a lumen throughwhich the loose fill insulation is blown. The system may also include a cover positionable atop the cavity of the structure. The cover may include an aperture throughwhich the distal end of the hose is inserted to blow the loose fill insulation into the cavity and an electrically conductive material or layer. The electrically conductive material or layer may electrically contact the hose when the hose is inserted through the aperture. The system may further include a ground wire electrically coupled with the cover to dissipate a charge from the hose by providing an electric path for the charge.
US08711537B2
An electro-static discharge protection device includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped base in which insulating ceramic layers are laminated, a pair of discharge electrodes that are located inside the base and that include facing portions facing each other, and outer electrodes that are located on surfaces of the base and that are electrically connected to the discharge electrodes. The base includes a cavity therein, and the facing portions of the discharge electrodes are exposed in the cavity. The base has an hourglass shape in which the thickness of the insulating ceramic layers is gradually decreased from an area near both ends of the base to a central portion thereof with respect to both a longitudinal cross section passing through the center in the longitudinal direction of the base and a lateral cross section passing through the center in the lateral direction of the base.
US08711533B2
Disclosed herein is a semiconductor integrated circuit including in a same semiconductor substrate: first and second power supply lines; a protected circuit being connected between the first and second power supply lines and provided with a supply voltage; a detecting circuit detecting a surge generated in the first power supply line; an inverter circuit having one or more inverters connected in series to each other; and a protection transistor being connected between the first and second power supply lines and controlled by output of the detecting circuit to discharge the surge to the second power supply line. In the inverter circuit, an inverter whose output is connected to a control node of the protection transistor is connected between the first power supply line and a third power supply line that is different from the first and second power supply lines.
US08711529B2
A switching apparatus includes a DC voltage output unit, a switching element to supply the DC voltage to a load, a power detection unit to detect power supplied from the switching element to the load, a drive unit to control the switching element in PWM manner according to an output from the power detection unit, and a stop unit to stop the PWM control if a value of the DC voltage is lower than a first threshold value. The first threshold value is lower than a minimum operation voltage value of the power detection unit.
US08711526B2
A magnetic element is generally provided that can be implemented as a transducing head. Various embodiments may configure a magnetic stack to be separated from a side shield lamination on an air bearing surface (ABS). The side shield lamination can be constructed to have a plurality of magnetic and non-magnetic layers each coupled to a top shield.
US08711521B2
A suspension for a head gimbal assembly includes a flexure having a laminated structure including a substrate layer, an insulating layer formed on the substrate layer, and a conducting layer formed on the insulating layer. And first bonding pads are formed on the conducting layer at a first surface of the flexure, so as to electrically connect with a slider via solder balls, and second bonding pads are formed on the substrate layer at a second surface of the flexure opposite to the first surface, so as to electrically connect with extra components formed at the second surface via solder balls. The suspension can connect slider and other extra components at two opposite surfaces of the flexure with a simplified and compacted structure and a reduced cost.
US08711518B1
Systems and methods for fabricating a microelectric device are provided herein. Various embodiments provide for systems and methods for fabricating a magnetic recording pole using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) when depositing seed material. For some embodiments, fabrication of the magnetic recording pole may comprise using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) Ru as an adhesion layer for a plating seed layer.
US08711517B2
Apparatus for two dimensional data reading. In accordance with some embodiments, a magnetic read element has a plurality of read sensors positioned symmetrically about a pivot point with at least two of the read sensors configured to concurrently read two dimensional user data while being immune to skew angle misalignment.
US08711515B2
A motor includes a stator and a rotor including a disk portion, a cylindrical portion, and a stopper. The stopper includes a stopper protruding portion and is fixed to an inner surface of the cylindrical portion. The cylindrical portion includes a cylindrical portion protruding portion that opposes an outer surface of the stopper. Adhesive is included between the cylindrical portion and the stopper. A gap between an upper end portion of the outer surface of the stopper and an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion protruding portion defines a first tapered gap. A gap between a lower end portion of the outer surface of the stopper and an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion defines a second tapered gap. The adhesive is included in the first tapered gap and the second tapered gap. The stator includes an annular or substantially annular surface below the second tapered gap.
US08711512B2
A servo write apparatus, comprising a first servo write head configured to only encode a single first magnetic dibit onto a magnetic information storage medium, wherein the first magnetic dibit comprises a first azimuthal slope. The servo write apparatus further comprises a second servo write head configured to encode one or more second magnetic dibits onto a magnetic information storage medium, wherein the second magnetic dibit comprises a second azimuthal slope, wherein the first azimuthal slope differs from the second azimuthal slope.
US08711511B2
A tape drive configured to accurately position a head actuator in the presence of physical disturbances is disclosed. The tape drive includes a track-follow controller to position a head actuator over data tracks on magnetic tape. The tape drive further includes a disturbance observer configured to estimate a vibration disturbance and output a compensation signal to assist the track-follow controller to accurately position the head actuator over the data tracks in the presence of vibration. When estimating the vibration disturbance, the disturbance observer takes into account vibration frequency characteristics, such as frequency characteristics derived from a vibration specification associated with the tape drive, or frequency characteristics derived from known vibration disturbances experienced by the tape drive. A corresponding method is also disclosed.
US08711507B1
The present disclosure describes systems and methods for controlling synchronization of a servo clock by tying the triggering of the gate signal of the position error signal field of the short servo wedge portion directly to the synchronization marker in the full servo wedge. The systems and methods described herein include controlling synchronization of a servo clock for reading servo information from a disk that is rotating relative to a read head. The systems and methods may include estimating a gate delay corresponding to a position error signal (PES) field in a short null servo wedge based, at least in part, on the location of the servo synchronization marker. The systems and methods include producing a servo clock timing control signal based on the estimated gate delay, and applying the servo clock timing control signal to the servo clock.
US08711506B1
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk comprising a plurality of servo tracks defined by servo sectors. The disk drive further comprises a head comprising a read element offset linearly from a write element by a gap such that when the disk rotates, the read element reaches a servo sector before the write element. During a first operation, a first length of a beginning of the servo sector is read, and during a write operation, a second length of the beginning of the servo sector shorter than the first length is read to enable data to be written while the read element is over at least part of the servo sector.
US08711490B2
A lens system includes: a lens unit; a drive unit driving the lens unit in an optical axis direction; a detector detecting a position of the lens unit; a lens operation unit that operates driving of the lens unit; and a computing unit that computes a positional command value for controlling driving of the lens unit based on a signal input from the lens operation unit and controls driving of the lens unit; a time setting unit; and a threshold setting unit setting a positional difference threshold for switching the first and second current values set in the drive unit. When the difference between the positional command value and the lens position is larger than the positional difference threshold and duration after the second current value is set has not exceeded the high-current maximum time, the second current value is set. In other cases, the first current value is set.
US08711487B2
In fabrication of a light guiding unit, a half mirror layer as a reflection film for folding light is covered by a light transmission main body part as a coating member, i.e., a light transmission member, and a hard coating layer is deposited thereon. Therefore, even when the surfaces of a light guide main body part and the light transmission main body part forming the light guiding unit are cleansed as pre-processing of the deposition of the hard coating layer, the situations such that the half mirror layer is separated thereby may be avoided and optical properties of the half mirror layer may not be lost.
US08711481B2
A polarized film apparatus comprising printed bands of successively alternating polarization orientations is disclosed. The printed bands of alternating polarization orientations repeat throughout the length of the film. The polarized film can be installed in an object, for example a window where the amount of energy through the object has to be controlled. Two identical films are superimposed to create polarization patterns that can be varied when one film is displaced with respect to the other. The resulting variable polarization patterns can be utilized to control the amount of energy allowed through this arrangement. The polarized films with bands of alternating polarization orientations can be utilized to control the amount of energy for example sunlight, radiated heat transmission, illumination level, electromagnetic radiation, etc.
US08711479B2
A polarization-modulating optical element consisting of an optically active crystal material has a thickness profile where the thickness, as measured in the direction of the optical axis, varies over the area of the optical element. The polarization-modulating optical element has the effect that the plane of oscillation of a first linearly polarized light ray and the plane of oscillation of a second linearly polarized light ray are rotated, respectively, by a first angle of rotation and a second angle of rotation, with the first angle of rotation and the second angle of rotation being different from each other.
US08711478B2
A stereoscopic display includes: a display panel in which sub-pixels of a plurality of colors are arranged in a predetermined arrangement pattern; and a parallax barrier having a barrier pattern including transmission sections allowing light to pass therethrough and a shielding section shielding light. The arrangement pattern and the barrier pattern are configured in such a manner that stereoscopic vision is achieved when the display panel and the parallax barrier are both in a first arrangement state and in a second arrangement state, the first arrangement state and the second arrangement state having such a positional relationship that vertical direction and horizontal direction are interchanged with each other.
US08711471B2
A stable, single mode fiber amplifier is described. The amplifier consists of a seed source, a passive single clad multimode fiber, an active double clad multimode fiber or a multimode fiber horn and a semiconductor laser pump source. The passive fiber is packaged on a mandrel with a compound radius of curvature such that high order modes in the fiber are stripped from the core leaving only the fundamental mode. This fiber is then spliced to a multimode active fiber of similar core diameter. By exciting only the fundamental mode of this active fiber, stable single mode amplification is achieved.
US08711469B2
An electrophoretic element includes: an electrophoretic particle; a porous layer formed of a fibrous structure containing a non-migrating particle having optical reflective characteristics different from those of the electrophoretic particle and having a plurality of pores; and a partition that is partially adjacent to the porous layer and defines a space for accommodating the electrophoretic particle. An area rate of the pores per unit area of the porous layer is small in an adjacent region where the partition is adjacent to the porous layer compared with in a non-adjacent region where the partition is not adjacent to the porous layer.
US08711458B2
In imaging system (100), a spatial light modulator (101) is configured to produce images (102) by scanning a plurality light beams (104,105,106). A first optical element (107) is configured to cause the plurality of light beams to converge along an optical path (114) defined between the first optical element and the spatial light modulator. A second optical element (115) is disposed between the spatial light modulator and an output of the imaging system. The first optical element and the spatial light modulator are arranged such that an image plane (117) is created between the spatial light modulator and the second optical element. The second optical element is configured to collect the diverging light (118) from the image plane and collimate it. The second optical element then delivers the collimated light to a pupil (120) on the other side of the second optical element relative to the spatial light modulator.
US08711450B2
An image reading apparatus, an image reading method and a program are provided for favorably correcting color misalignment in a sub-scanning direction of a read signal read by a plurality of line sensors without increasing a circuit scale or processing time. To accomplish this, the image reading apparatus sets, as a reference signal, the read signal that is output from one of the plurality of line sensors, and detects a correlation between the reference signal and each of a plurality of read signals output from line sensors other than the one of the plurality of line sensors of a plurality of lines that are displaced in predetermined line units from a line from which the reference signal is read, and selects a read signal having a high correlation with the reference signal as a read signal from the line of the reference signal.
US08711449B2
A system and a method for implementing an automatic color plane misregistration (CPR) calibration procedure on a printing device are provided. The system includes a printing device. The printing device includes a user interface configured to receive a set of user inputs corresponding to parameters of a desired print project. The printing device also includes an automatic CPR calibration component configured to automatically implement a CPR calibration procedure in response to a user-defined trigger condition being met. The user-defined trigger condition can be programmable and stored in a memory.
US08711435B2
In one form, the method comprises obtaining scanned values of the image, scaling the scanned values to obtain scaled values, applying a non-linear correction function to the scaled values to obtain a first approximation of corrected reflectance values, filtering the corrected reflectance values by applying a piecewise Gaussian filter, applying the non-linear correction function to obtain a successive approximation of the corrected reflectance values, determining whether the successive approximation of the corrected reflectance values are sufficiently converged, selectively repeating the filtering and applying if the corrected reflectance values are insufficiently converged and selecting the corrected reflectance values for subsequent processing if the corrected reflectance values are sufficiently converged.
US08711433B2
The image forming apparatus comprises a resolution converting unit configured to convert a high-resolution image data into a low-resolution image data, an edge judgment unit configured to judge a shape of an edge in the high-resolution image data, and a density correcting unit configured to make a density correction in the low-resolution image data in accordance with the shape of the edge judged by the edge judgment unit.
US08711430B2
The data processing apparatus according to the present invention has the image data preparation unit that prepares various kinds of image data deriving from document data depending on various purposes of the document data; and the image synthesis instructing unit that instructs images to be synthesized based on the image data comprising a plurality of page portions on one sheet of paper for at least one kind of image data prepared by the image data preparation unit from various kinds of document data.
US08711415B2
A control device of an account managing server carries out (i) a first process in which the control device (a) obtains client identification information from a client PC via a network and (b) controls a storage device to store, as provisional login information, first login information contained in the client identification information, (ii) a second process in the control device (c) obtains second login information inputted into a multifunction peripheral and (iii) a third process in which the control device (d) permits usage of the multifunction peripheral in a case where the second login information is identical to the provisional login information stored in the storage device. This makes it unnecessary for a user to register login information of a client device newly connected to the network.
US08711406B2
An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a main chassis, an image reader unit, a cover unit, a first movable assembly, which rotatably supports the cover unit to be rotatable with respect to the image reader unit, and a second movable assembly, which rotatably supports the image reader unit to be rotatable with respect to the main chassis. The first movable assembly includes a support member, which supports the cover unit to be vertically movable with respect to the image reader unit, and a frame, which is arranged on the image reader unit and accommodates the support member. The first movable assembly is arranged to have a lower end thereof to be in a lower position with respect to a lower end of the image reader unit. The second movable assembly is arranged in a lower position with respect to the first movable assembly.
US08711402B2
A receiving unit 210 receives, from a PC 10, a print command that includes image data to be printed, an additional print parameter that is a print parameter of a function added to a printer driver of the PC 10 by installing a driver plug-in, and first identification information that is identification information on the driver plug-in; an identification-information storage unit 224 stores therein second identification information that is identification information on an installed main body plug-in; a determining unit 242 determines whether the main body plug-in can interpret the additional print parameter by comparing the first identification information with the second identification information; and a print unit performs a particular operation other than printing of the image data in accordance with the additional print parameter if it is determined that the additional print parameter cannot be interpreted.
US08711401B2
Systems and methods are described that facilitate sorting used printed sheets of paper or other media, identifying reusable pages (i.e., pages without print on one or both sides), and outputting the reusable pages for reuse. If print is detected on one side of a used page, a security or interference pattern, or a blackout pattern, is printed over the detected print (e.g., text or the like) to conceal or obscure the print to render it illegible. In this manner, potentially sensitive or confidential information is concealed, and the reusable pages are output for use in a user-selected application (e.g., label printing, etc.) while ensuring that confidential information is obscured.
US08711399B2
Take-off strips are adaptively generated based on the color profile of the image to be printed to smooth ink consumption and present a more constant ink coverage and ink flow. Adaptive take-off strips have complementary color profiles to the image being printed.
US08711394B2
A multifunctional printer 10 comprises an operation unit 13 making image formation requests, an image forming unit 16 forming an image in response to an image formation request issued from the operation unit 13 or an external device, a determination unit determining whether the image formation request is issued from the operation unit 13 or the external device, a main power source 23 activating the operation unit 13 and image forming unit 16 to bring them into a usable state, and a control unit actuating the image forming unit 16, when the main power source 23 completely activates the image forming unit 16 and the determination unit determines that the image formation request is a request issued from the external device, regardless of whether the operation unit 13 is activated or not.
US08711383B2
In an information processing apparatus according to this invention, a plurality of pieces of batch setting information each configured by a plurality of pieces of print setting information are registered in advance. A setting of print setting information, use of which is inhibited, of the plurality of pieces of print setting information is accepted. Batch setting information including the print setting information, use of which is inhibited, is specified from the plurality of pieces of batch setting information. Then, a setting screen which allows the user to select pieces of non-specified batch setting information, and does not allow the user to select the specified batch setting information is displayed.
US08711380B2
The disclosure proposes the automatic use of the job or image content information of a print job. This information is used to automatically adjust the general printing procedure for a print engine. The job's image content information is analyzed in the context of the constraints of the print engine to determine an improved printing procedure, which may include cycle-up operation, process control cycles, or maintenance cycles for that particular print job.
US08711376B2
An image printing method to transmit a signal to an image printing device. The image printing device can be in either a normal print mode or a saving print mode, and maintains the selected print mode as standard mode information. The image printing method includes a step to obtain the standard mode information from the image printing device, a step to display a confirmation window including a print setting change button based on a user operation through a print start button while a print setting window including the print start button is displayed, a step to determine print settings for a print signal based on the standard mode information and a user operation through the print setting change button, and a step to generate the print signal including the determined print settings. The step to display the confirmation window determines whether the confirmation window is to be displayed or not based on the standard mode information.
US08711375B2
When a document is to be edited and the edited document is to be output to a printing apparatus, a printing apparatus to be used is designated. Either of the first mode in which all predetermined setting items stored in a storage medium in advance are selected, and the second mode in which, of the predetermined setting items, setting items controllable by the designated printing apparatus are selected is set. Setting items to be selected are determined based on the designated printing apparatus and/or set mode. The document is so controlled as to enable editing it on the basis of contents set in the selected setting items.
US08711368B2
An optical filter includes a first substrate, a second substrate opposed to the first substrate, a first reflecting film provided to the first substrate, a second reflecting film provided to the second substrate, and opposed to the first reflecting film, a first electrode provided to the first substrate, a second electrode provided to the second substrate, and opposed to the first electrode, and a voltage control section adapted to control an electrical potential difference between the first electrode and a second electrode, and when switching a wavelength of a light beam to be dispersed by switching the electrical potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode, and measuring an intensity of the light beam dispersed, the voltage control section switches the electrical potential difference from a first electrical potential difference to a second electrical potential difference larger than the first electrical potential difference.
US08711364B2
A multiplexed OCT imaging system includes a plurality of sample arms, an imaging engine, and an optical controller. The sample arms are optically coupled to the imaging engine via the optical controller; the optical controller multiplexes optical signals from the sample arms to permit some of the sample arms to operate sequentially or simultaneously.
US08711358B1
A device that detects smoke, both indoor and outdoor; especially applicable in areas prone to sustained water flooding. It can be used in underground locations susceptible to water ingress so it can be submersed in up to 6 feet of water for up to 24 hours. Usable in applications that requires NEMA 6P or IP68 level of water protection.
US08711354B2
A method of detecting the presence of bacterial spores in a sample comprises non-destructively to the spores carrying out the steps of assessing the absorption, reflectance, and/or index of refraction (IOR) of the sample, subjecting the sample to UV radiation, and reassessing the absorption, reflectance, and/or index of refraction (IOR) of the sample to determine the presence or absence of spores. A detector is also disclosed.
US08711350B2
The invention relates to a test method for checking an inspection device, comprising at least the steps of: generating a prescribed number of faulty and/or correctly labelled containers or test containers; moving the faulty containers or test containers past the inspection device, which detects the faulty containers or test containers and generates a signal for ejecting the faulty containers or test containers, or indicates a value relative to the expected and the measured faulty and/or correctly labelled containers. The test method can be started or performed manually or automatically, and is suitable, for example, for checking a label seating inspection device for correct functionality, or optionally for confirming the faulty functioning thereof.
US08711348B2
Wafer inspection method to perform wafer inspection based on photo map information. The wafer inspection method may include: detecting a sample center location on a wafer; compensating the detected sample center location to a compensated center location based on photo map information; and detecting defective dies included in the wafer based on the compensated center location.
US08711342B2
A joulemeter is capable of non-destructively measuring multiple characteristics of a laser beam. The joulemeter comprises a series of parallel probe beams, which are directed though a transparent media adjacent to an absorbing media that the tested beams pass through. Arrays of optical sensors or a chirp sensor are used to intercept and measure deflections the probe beams. A control unit renders measurements on selected properties of the laser.
US08711341B2
A test receiver for use with an Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR), including a first receive fiber having a first attribute, and a second receive fiber having a second attribute different from the first attribute. The attributes may be lengths, marker events, or both. This configuration reduces the number of times an OTDR operator must travel back and forth between cable ends when testing fibers.
US08711339B2
A spectral sensor for inspecting value documents, includes an illumination device for illuminating the value document, imaging optics and a detection device. The illumination device contains a plurality of light sources with emission spectra that differ from one another, and which are switched on and off in succession, to illuminate a region of the value document with an illumination sequence consisting of light pulses with different emission spectra. One measured value is detected for each of the light pulses to record the spectral intensity distribution of the detected light. The plurality of light sources cover a section of the near infra-red spectral range and/or a section of the visible spectral range in such a way that the spectral sensor can record a spectral intensity distribution in the section of the near infra-red spectral range and/or in the section of the visible spectral range.
US08711334B2
A light barrier comprising a semiconductor component (1) and to a method for detecting objects with a carrier (2), a semiconductor chip (4) which detects an electromagnetic radiation, a semiconductor chip (4) which emits an electromagnetic radiation, and a direction-selective element (5, 8), which delimits an angle range of the radiation which can be received by the detecting semiconductor chip (4) and/or of the radiation to be emitted by the emitting semiconductor chip (3), wherein a main radiation axis (V) of the radiation which can be received is tilted relative to a main radiation axis (U) of the radiation to be emitted.
US08711331B2
There is provided an optical module for an objective. The optical module includes (a) a first holding device with an inner circumference, which extends in a first circumferential direction, (b) at least one first supporting device for supporting a first optical element and being fixed at said inner circumference of said first holding device, (c) an annular circumferential first assembly space being defined by displacing said first supporting device once in a revolving manner along said first circumferential direction, (d) at least one second supporting device being provided for supporting a second optical element and being fixed at said inner circumference of said first holding device, and (e) an annular circumferential second assembly space being defined by displacing said second supporting device once in a revolving manner along said first circumferential direction. The first assembly space intersects the second assembly space.
US08711326B2
A fluid handling structure to confine immersion liquid in a space between a projection system and a facing surface of a substrate, of a table to support the substrate, or both, is disclosed. The fluid handling structure includes a transponder to dissolve at least some of the gas in a bubble in the immersion liquid or to control a bubble in the immersion liquid so that it avoids entering an optical path of a beam from the projection system.
US08711322B2
Electrowetting display devices are presented. The electrowetting display includes a first substrate and an opposing second substrate with a transparent polar fluid layer and an opaque non-polar fluid layer insoluble with each other and interposed between the first and second substrates. A first transparent electrode is disposed on the first substrate. A second transparent electrode is disposed on the second substrate. A dielectric layer is disposed on the second transparent electrode. A reflective plate structure is interposed between the second transparent electrode and the second substrate, thereby defining a reflective region and a transmission region. A backlight plate is disposed on the back of the second substrate. During operation, the opaque non-polar fluid converges, therefore, exposing equal areas of reflective region and transmission region.
US08711315B2
An LCD includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates, first and second alignment films respectively disposed on the first and second substrates. The first substrate comprises multiple scanning lines and multiple data lines intercrossed with the multiple scanning lines to define multiple pixel areas. Each pixel area comprises multiple electrically interconnected first electrodes and multiple electrically interconnected second electrodes. The first electrodes and the second electrodes are disposed on different layers and mutually intersected to define multiple sub-pixel areas. Each sub-pixel area further comprises two protrusion-shaped patterns facing each other on two adjacent first electrodes where the first electrodes and the second electrodes are not overlapped. An angle within a range of 5-20 degrees is defined between the vertex connection direction of the two protrusion-shaped patterns facing each other and the rubbing direction of the first and second alignment films.
US08711314B2
It is an object to provide a liquid crystal display device which has excellent viewing angle characteristics and higher quality. The present invention has a pixel including a first switch, a second switch, a third switch, a first resistor, a second resistor, a first liquid crystal element, and a second liquid crystal element. A pixel electrode of the first liquid crystal element is electrically connected to a signal line through the first switch. The pixel electrode of the first liquid crystal element is electrically connected to a pixel electrode of the second liquid crystal element through the second switch and the first resistor. The pixel electrode of the second liquid crystal element is electrically connected to a Cs line through the third switch and the second resistor. A common electrode of the first liquid crystal element is electrically connected to a common electrode of the second liquid crystal element.
US08711313B2
A structure of pixel electrode includes a strip-like horizontal main trunk and a strip-like vertical main trunk, the horizontal main trunk and the vertical main trunk centrally and perpendicularly intersecting each other; a plurality of strip-like branches arranged in each of four domains that are formed by being equally divided by the central perpendicular intersection of the horizontal main trunk and the vertical main trunk, the plurality of strip-like branches extending outward from a central point of the perpendicular intersection of the vertical main trunk and the horizontal main trunk, the plurality of strip-like branches being spaced by a plurality of slits; and two centrally symmetric polygonal or sector openings provided in a central zone at the central perpendicular intersection of the horizontal main trunk and the vertical main trunk.
US08711310B2
A liquid crystal display includes a first substrate and a second substrate which face each other and each include a display area and a peripheral area, a liquid crystal layer in the display areas and between the first substrate and the second substrate, and a conductive sealant combining the first substrate and the second substrate. The first substrate includes a common electrode in the display and peripheral areas of the first substrate. The second substrate includes a first and signal lines in the peripheral area of the second substrate, a first insulating layer on the first signal line and the second signal line, and a conductor on the first insulating layer in the peripheral area and connected to the first signal line through a contact hole. The common electrode includes a cutout corresponding to the conductor, and the cutout is at a corner of the display areas.
US08711307B2
A heat shield comprising a first light-reflective layer, having a reflectance peak both in a wavelength range of from 400 nm to less than 850 nm and in a wavelength range of from more than 850 nm to 1300 nm and satisfying C>A>B, is disclosed. “A” means the maximum reflectance in the wavelength range of from 400 nm to less than 850 nm; “B” means the reflectance at a wavelength of 850 nm; “C” means the maximum reflectance in the wavelength range of from more than 850 nm to 1300 nm; and “B” is equal to or less than 50%.
US08711301B2
A cellulose acylate laminate film, which comprises a low-substitution layer comprising a non-phosphate compound and a cellulose acylate having a total degree of acyl substitution of more than 2.0 and less than 2.7 and a high-substitution layer comprising a cellulose acylate having a total degree of acyl substitution of more than 2.7
US08711291B2
A display apparatus has a structure in which a circumference of a front surface thereof is exposed to the outside. A front panel manufactured by an injection compression molding and formed of a transparent material is attached to a front surface of a display module.
US08711288B2
An integrated communications system. A substrate having a receiver disposed on the substrate for converting a received signal to an IF signal, a digital IF demodulator disposed on the substrate and coupled to the receiver for converting the IF signal to a demodulated baseband signal, and a transmitter disposed on the substrate operating in cooperation with the receiver to establish a two way communications path.
US08711282B2
A digital cable broadcast receiver and a method for automatically processing caption data of various standards and types, is disclosed. The digital broadcast receiver includes: a demultiplexer for dividing a received broadcast stream into video data, audio data, supplementary information; a controller for determining whether caption data included in the video data is digital caption data or analog caption data on the basis of caption information included in the supplementary information, and outputting a control signal according to a result of the determining; a digital caption decoder for extracting and decoding digital caption data from the video data according to the control signal; and an analog caption decoder for extracting and decoding analog caption data from the video data according to the control signal.
US08711281B2
A digital cable broadcast receiver and a method for automatically processing caption data of various standards and types, is disclosed. The digital broadcast receiver includes: a demultiplexer for dividing a received broadcast stream into video data, audio data, supplementary information; a controller for determining whether caption data included in the video data is digital caption data or analog caption data on the basis of caption information included in the supplementary information, and outputting a control signal according to a result of the determining; a digital caption decoder for extracting and decoding digital caption data from the video data according to the control signal; and an analog caption decoder for extracting and decoding analog caption data from the video data according to the control signal.
US08711269B2
A sensed image generated from an image signal output from an image sensor for receiving light that becomes incident sequentially through an imaging lens and a microlens array that is a two-dimensional array including a plurality of microlenses is acquired. A list is created in which, for each pixel position on the image sensor, the correspondence between the coordinates of the light incident at the pixel position on the imaging lens and the coordinates of the pixel position is registered. Images obtained by rearranging pixels at the coordinate positions on the image sensor corresponding to the coordinates in accordance with the arrangement order of the coordinates on the imaging lens are generated as a parallax image group.
US08711268B2
In a method for correcting shading effects in an image sensor including a plurality of pixels, shading effects on at least one readout pixel of the image sensor are modeled based on a parametric component, and the shading effects on the at least one readout pixel are corrected based on the modeled shading effects. The parametric component is dependent on at least one of a color channel corresponding to the readout pixel and a color correlated temperature of light incident on the at least one readout pixel.
US08711261B2
A pre-amplifier (column region unit) of a solid-state imaging device including a pixel-signal controller. The pixel-signal controller, for each vertical signal line, detects the level of each pixel signal independently by a pixel-signal detector on the output side of a pixel-signal amplifier, and sets a gain independently to the pixel-signal amplifier according to the level of the signal. At a subsequent stage of the solid-state imaging device, an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter and a signal extending unit are provided. The A/D converter digitizes a pixel signal, and the digitized pixel signal is corrected by a gain set to the pixel-signal amplifier with reference to a classification signal from the pixel-signal detector, so that the dynamic range of signals of one screen is extended.
US08711257B2
A color filter array of a color imaging device is formed by repeatedly arranging a basic array pattern in which RGB filters are arrayed in an array pattern of 8×12 pixels, in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction. The basic array pattern is arranged in a matrix manner in the horizontal direction and/or the vertical direction and includes A array to D array having an array pattern of 4×4 pixels. In each of arrays, G filters are arranged in a checkered pattern and the arrangements of G filters have a mirror image relationship between arrays that are adjacent to each other.
US08711255B2
A visual processing apparatus comprises a spatial processing unit and a visual processing unit. The spatial processing unit is operable to perform a predetermined process to an inputted image signal using surrounding pixels of a target pixel and output an processed signal. The visual processing unit is operable to input the inputted image signal and the processed signal and output an output signal that is visual-processed. The visual processing unit has a property in which, in an area where a value of the image signal is almost equal to a value of the processed signal, a proportion of a change of the output signal to a change of the inputted image signal when the processed signal is fixed to a predetermined level is greater than the proportion when the image signal is equal to the processed signal.
US08711254B2
An image processing apparatus comprises: a storage unit storing a first group of defective pixel data including positional information on a defective pixel of an image sensor and information on a type of defect; a detection unit which detects a defective pixel of the image sensor and generates a second group of defective pixel data; a combining unit which combines the first and second groups to generate a third group; and a correction unit which corrects an image signal output from a defective pixel of the image sensor using the third group, wherein the combining unit assigns a priority level corresponding to the type of defect to each piece of defective pixel data, and if there are multiple pieces of defective pixel data including common positional information, leaves the defective pixel data in the order of priority level, the highest the first and the lowest the last.
US08711252B2
An image processing device includes a normal light image acquisition section that acquires a normal light image, the normal light image being an image that includes information within a wavelength band of white light, a special light image acquisition section that acquires a special light image, the special light image being an image that includes information within a specific wavelength band, a normal light motion vector information calculation section that calculates normal light motion vector information based on a feature quantity included in the normal light image, the normal light motion vector information indicating a motion vector between a plurality of normal light images, and a noise reduction section that reduces an amount of noise included in the special light image based on the normal light motion vector information calculated by the normal light motion vector information calculation section.
US08711248B2
Techniques and tools for high dynamic range (“HDR”) image generation and rendering are described herein. In several described embodiments, images having distinct exposure levels are aligned. In particular embodiments, the alignment of a reference image to a non-reference image is based at least in part on motion vectors that are determined using covariance computations. Furthermore, in certain embodiments, saturated areas, underexposed areas, and/or moving objects are ignored or substantially ignored during the image alignment process. Moreover, in certain embodiments, a hierarchical pyramid block-based scheme is used to perform local motion estimation between the reference image and the non-reference image.
US08711244B2
An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit to acquire image data, an integration unit to calculate a white balance integration value, a first calculation unit to calculate a still image white balance control value, a second calculation unit to calculate a histogram white balance control value, and a histogram processing unit. The second calculation unit calculates the histogram white balance control value by converting a white balance control value which is used in white balance processing on the image data acquired by the imaging unit in an electronic view finder (EVF) mode to the still image white balance control value, and the histogram processing unit adjusts color balance of the image data acquired by the imaging unit using the calculated histogram white balance control value and performs the histogram processing in parallel with calculation of the white balance integration value.
US08711224B2
Video capture systems, methods and computer program products can be provided and configured to capture video sequences of one or more participants during an activity. The video capture system can be configured to include one or more video capture devices positioned at predetermined locations in an activity area; a tracking device configured to track a location of the participant during the activity; a content storage device communicatively coupled to the video capture devices and configured to store video content received from the video capture devices; and a content assembly device communicatively coupled to the content storage device and to the tracking device, and configured to use tracking information from the tracking device to retrieve video sequences of the participant from the tracking device and to assemble the retrieved video sequences into a composite participant video.
US08711221B2
Estimating the dynamic states of a real-world object over time using a camera, two dimensional (2D) image information and a combination of different measurements of the distance between the object and the camera. The 2D image information is used to track a 2D position of the object as well as its 2D size of the appearance and change in the 2D size of the appearance of the object. In addition, the distance between the object and the camera is obtained from one or more direct depth measurements. The 2D position, the 2D size, and the depth of the object are coupled to obtain an improved estimation of three dimensional (3D) position and 3D velocity of the object. The object tracking apparatus uses the improved estimation to track real-world objects. The object tracking apparatus may be used on a moving platform such as a robot or a car with mounted cameras for a dynamic visual scene analysis.
US08711209B2
Disclosed herein are methods, devices, and non-transitory computer readable media that relate to stereoscopic image creation. A camera captures an initial image at an initial position. A target displacement from the initial position is determined for a desired stereoscopic effect, and an instruction is provided that specifies a direction in which to move the camera from the initial position. While the camera is in motion, an estimated displacement from the initial position is calculated. When the estimated displacement corresponds to the target displacement, the camera automatically captures a candidate image. An acceptability analysis is performed to determine whether the candidate image has acceptable image quality and acceptable similarity to the initial image. If the candidate image passes the acceptability analysis, a stereoscopic image is created based on the initial and candidate images.
US08711207B2
One embodiment of a method and system for presenting artifact-free live video from video capture devices on a computer display including the step of using the vertical blanking interrupt signal of a display controller to generate a software trigger command for the video capture devices. The vertical blanking signal is further used to transfer acquired image frames to the graphic memory of the display controller during the vertical blanking interval. Other embodiments are described and shown.
US08711204B2
Systems, methods and articles of manufacture are disclosed for stereoscopically editing video content. In one embodiment, image pairs of a sequence may be stereoscopically modified by altering at least one image of the image pair. The at least one image may be altered using at least one mapping function. The at least one image may also be altered based on a saliency of the image pair. The at least one image may also be altered based on disparities between the image pair. Advantageously, stereoscopic properties of video content may be edited more conveniently and efficiently.
US08711203B2
The present invention relates to a method in a graphics system for creating a graphics stream allowing to form a three-dimensional graphics data, the graphics stream consisting of segments. The graphics stream is divided into at least a first segment and a second segment, the first segment comprises two-dimensional graphics data and the second segment comprises a depth map for the two-dimensional graphics data. The graphics stream can be decoded by a decoder to form two data sequences to be output separately to a display device for rendering a three-dimensional subtitle or graphics image for a three-dimensional video image.
US08711195B2
An optical writer includes a light source, an optical part, a housing, and an elastically deformable retainer. The light source projects light against a target. The optical part is disposed on a light path between the light source and the target. The housing houses the light source and the optical part. The elastically deformable retainer is detachably fixed to the housing and includes a plurality of contact portions on an inner surface of the retainer to hold the optical part. The retainer elastically deforms to separate at least one of the contact portions from other contact portions to hold the optical part by the plurality of contact portions.
US08711192B2
According to embodiments, the image decolorizing device has a first heating conveying unit, a second heating conveying unit, and a guide. The first heating conveying unit has a first heating member that heats a first surface of the sheet and a first pressure member that presses the sheet to the first heating member. The second heating conveying unit has a second heating member that heats the second surface of the sheet and a second pressure member that presses the sheet to the second heating member. The guide is provided between the first heating conveying unit and the second heating conveying unit and that guides the sheet that is conveyed through the first heating conveying unit, to the second heating member of the second heating conveying unit.
US08711186B2
A scanning projector includes a scanning mirror that sweep a beam in two dimensions. Tangential distortion in a fast-scan dimension is compensated by incorporating a tangent function when determining the light beam location and interpolating pixel data. Tangential distortion in a slow-scan dimension is compensated by driving the scanning mirror nonlinearly in the slow scan dimension such that the light beam sweeps across the display surface at a constant rate.
US08711185B2
Methods of scrolling a screen of a portable terminal having a touch screen. One exemplary method includes outputting a scrollable image; checking an entire scrolling amount of the image; measuring a drag-related variation when a drag is generated; calculating a scrolling rate based on the measured drag-related event with respect to a preset value; and outputting an image at a position corresponding to the scrolling rate based on the entire scrolling amount when the drag is cancelled.
US08711183B2
A method for generating a presentation of a region-of-interest in an original image for display on a display screen, comprising: establishing a lens for the region-of-interest, the lens having a magnified focal region for the region-of-interest at least partially surrounded by a shoulder region having diminishing magnification, the focal region having a perimeter defined by a radius r from a line segment; receiving one or more signals to adjust at least one of the radius r and a length len of the line segment to thereby adjust the perimeter; and, applying the lens to the original image to produce the presentation.
US08711174B2
A method is provided for visualizing both sides of a street based on imagery generated from panoramic street views. In particular, example methods may include directing presentation of a first panoramic view representing a first side of a street, and directing presentation of a second panoramic view representing a second side of the street. The first and second panoramic views may be presented in a street view in a perspective representation where a bottom of the first panoramic view and a bottom of the second panoramic view may be foreshortened relative to a top of each respective panoramic view, and where the bottom of each of the first panoramic view and the second panoramic view are located on either side of a representation of the street. The first panoramic view and the second panoramic view may each be formed of at least two image segments stitched together.
US08711172B2
A dithering method prevents the gray level saturation in a gray level region having high luminance and expresses all gray levels. The dithering method includes performing the temporal/spatial compensation on input data, generating dithering data by adding a head bit to the data on which the temporal/spatial compensation is performed, and selecting a corresponding gamma voltage according to the dithering data.
US08711171B2
According to one aspect of the invention, an image processing apparatus includes: a lowpass filter generation unit configured to generate a lowpass filter corresponding to gonio-spectral reflection characteristics; a map generation unit configured to perform filter processing on intensity distribution of observation illumination in order to generate a map indicating a capture intensity distribution of observation illumination for a representative color; an intensity calculation unit configured to interpolate a capture intensity at a position corresponding to a pixel in the map in order to calculate a capture intensity of the observation illumination for the pixel; and a proofing color calculation unit configured to multiply the difference between a glossy component and a diffuse component by the capture intensity to calculate a proofing glossy component, and to add the diffuse component to the proofing glossy component in order to calculate a proofing color of the pixel.
US08711166B1
Aspects of the invention relate generally to enforcing elements of the OpenGL ES specification. More specifically, regardless of whether or not the underlying API system would allow NPOT textures, the systems and methods herein may disallow them. As a result, objects bound with these textures may be considered errors, non-renderable, and rendered in black. In order to accomplish this, various functions may be tracked to determine whether an NPOT texture that uses mips is being bound to an object, and if so, treat the condition as an error and bind (then draw) the object with a black texture.
US08711164B2
An integrated memory controller (IMC) may sit on the main CPU bus or a high speed system peripheral bus and couple to system memory. The IMC may use a lossless data compression and decompression scheme for improved performance. The IMC may also include microcode for specific decompression of particular data formats such as digital video and digital audio. Compressed data may be decompressed in the IMC and stored into system memory or saved in the system memory in compressed format. Internal memory mapping may allow for format definition spaces which may define the format of the data and the data type to be read or written. Software overrides may be placed in applications software in systems that desire to control data decompression at the software application level.
US08711161B1
A memory cell reconfiguration process is performed in accordance with the operational characteristic settings determined based upon the results of analysis and/or testing of memory cell operations. The memory circuit can include a plurality of memory cells and memory cell configuration controller. The memory cells store information associated with a variety of operations. The memory cell configuration controller coordinates selective enablement and disablement of each of the plurality of memory cells, which can be done on a subset or group basis (e.g., enables and/or disables memory cells on a word length or row by row basis). The address mapping can be adjusted so that the memory space appears continuous to external components. The memory cell configuration controller can also forward configuration information to upstream and/or downstream components that can adjust operations to compensate for the memory cell configuration (e.g., to prevent overflow).
US08711158B2
A mobile terminal includes a detecting unit that detects a direction of the mobile terminal turned toward a stellar body existence direction; a display processing unit that acquires an image of a specific stellar body corresponding to the detected direction of the mobile terminal and image identification information thereon from a stellar body watching engine and, when any one of a plurality of kinds of information transfer is selected, that controls to display a rendered effect screen corresponding to the selected information transfer and including the image of the specific stellar body; and a transmitting unit that transmits, when the selected information transfer is carried out in a state in which the rendered effect screen is displayed, at least the image identification information or a URL associated with the image identification information along with a content of the selected information transfer.
US08711156B1
A method and system for remapping units that are disabled to active units in a 3-D graphics pipeline. Specifically, in one embodiment, a method remaps processing elements in a pipeline of a graphics pipeline unit. Graphical input data are received. Then the number of enabled processing elements are determined from a plurality of processing elements. Each of the enabled processing elements are virtually addressed above a translator to virtually process the graphical input data. Then, the virtual addresses of each of the enabled processing elements are mapped to physical addresses of the enabled processing elements at the translator. The graphical input data are physically processed at the physical addresses of the enabled processing elements. In addition, each of the enabled processing elements are physically addressed below the translator to further process the graphical input data.
US08711154B2
Embodiments are disclosed for a system and method for parallel processing of video signals. A multi-core processor is used to establish a master-slave relationship between a first processing core and a plurality of individual processing cores. Shared memory is used to store data and control messages. A plurality of individual private memories are associated with each of the individual processing cores; and control logic is used to establish a master-slave protocol for using the plurality of individual cores to process video data. The master processing core is operable to balance the video data processing load among the individual slave processing cores.
US08711153B2
A graphics processing system with multiple graphics processing cores (GPC)s is disclosed. The apparatus can include a peripheral component interface express (PCIe) switch to interface the GPCs to a host processor. The apparatus can also include a transparent bus to connect the GPCs. The transparent bus can be implemented with two PCIe endpoints on each side of a nontransparent bridge where these three components provide a bus interconnect and a control line interconnect between the GPCs. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
