Document Document Title
US08191165B2 Methods, systems, and computer program products for controlling distribution of digital content in a file sharing system using license-based verification, encoded tagging, and time-limited fragment validity
A method for controlling distribution of digital content includes fragmenting a digital content file into fragments and tagging at least some of the fragments with corresponding tags to provide tagged fragments for distribution. The tags may be generated using a pseudo-random number (PRN) bit sequence. A digital rights license is generated for the digital content file based on the tags and/or fragments. The digital rights license is configured to allow reassembly of the tagged fragments to provide the digital content file. Later, the fragments may be re-tagged with corresponding second tags to provide second tagged fragments for distribution that are different from the first tagged fragments. Related systems and computer program products are also discussed.
US08191163B1 Hybrid streaming and downloading DRM in mobile networks
Methods, systems, and media are provided for rights protection of an instance of media content in a hybrid downloading and streaming media environment. A request from a device to download an instance of media content is communicated. Verification is obtained as to whether or not the device is authorized to receive and execute the instance. The instance of media content is streamed so that portions may be downloaded. The instance of media content also includes interspersed, non-storable authorization information. When subsequent execution of the instance of stored media content is attempted, a subsequent request for the authorization information is communicated. Only the authorization information is streamed for the subsequent request, allowing execution without burdening network resources with data-intensive streams.
US08191161B2 Wireless authentication
A wireless authentication system for authenticating a user before allowing access to a protected resource is described herein. An authentication device receives an indication of an intent to access a protected resource. The authentication device sends a request for a key. The wireless user device and the authentication device may engage in a key exchange. The authentication device determines whether the one or more keys obtained via the key exchange are valid and may allow access to the protected resource if the one or more keys are valid. The authentication device may request further verification of the identity of the user, such as a keyholder verification. The authentication device may allow access to the protected resource if the key and the keyholder verification are valid.
US08191152B1 Methods systems and articles of manufacture for generating and displaying video related to financial application
Systems, methods and articles of manufacture for generating a video such that when another person views the video, the other person can view non-private information but not private information of the person who generated the video. A first interview screen is generated by a financial application and displayed to a first person or user of a financial application. The screen includes private data related to the first person such as a name, address and social security number of the first user or a relative of the first user, which may be entered by the first person or on behalf of the first person. A video of the interview screen is generated and may be transmitted over a network to a second person who may also utilize a financial application. The video is displayed to the second person, but the second person cannot view the private data related to the first person due to blurring or masking of the private data.
US08191147B1 Method for malware removal based on network signatures and file system artifacts
A network communication corresponding to a malicious network signature associated with malicious code is detected on a host computer system. A determination is made whether or not the malicious network signature is validated as associated with a non-malicious code process. Upon a determination that the malicious network signature is not validated, the corresponding network communication is blocked, and the associated malicious code is located on the host computer system and removed from the host computer system. In some embodiments, the host computer system is further evaluated for the presence of residual artifacts of the malicious code on the host computer system.
US08191134B1 Lockless distributed IPsec processing
According to one embodiment of the invention, a plurality of IPsec packets belonging to a single IPsec tunnel are received. Different ones of the plurality of IPseck packets are distributed to different ones of a plurality of processing cores of a network element. At least some of those IPsec packets are processed in parallel and without taking a lock on a Security Association (SA) data structure storing a SA associated with the plurality of IPsec packets. The SA is atomically accessed and atomically updated.
US08191132B1 Scalable transparent proxy
A facility for proxying network traffic between a pair of nodes is described. The facility receives packets traveling between the pair of nodes that together constitute a distinguished network connection. For each packet of the connection that is part of a transport protocol setup process, the facility updates a representation of the status of the setup process to reflect the packet, and forwards the packet to its destination without proxying the packet. For each packet of the connection that is subsequent to the setup process, the facility proxies the contents of the packet to the packet's destination.
US08191115B2 Method and apparatus for extensible security authorization grouping
A method and apparatus for providing an extensible grouping mechanism for security applications for use in a computer system. Groups may be established and maintained by non-system administrators and used to control actions that are taken with respect to objects, such as files and other resources. The groups and associated security functions may be implemented across a plurality of different software products and optionally integrated into an existing security mechanism maintained by system administrators. Software products used in the system may be arranged to request authorization to perform requested actions with respect to objects access to which is not controlled by a systems administrator.
US08191114B2 Methods, systems, and computer program products for determining an originator of a network packet using biometric information
Methods, systems, and computer program products for determining an originator of a network packet using biometric information are disclosed. A network packet is received from a network device. A header or a trailer of the network packet is analyzed to determine whether the header or trailer includes an identifier of biometric identification information of a network user. The network packet is identified as having originated from the network user if the header or trailer includes the identifier of biometric identification information of the network user. Identifying the network packet as having originated from the network user does not require reading a payload of the packet.
US08191107B1 System and method for lost contact response
A lost contact policy response system and related method for adjusting the operation of one or more network infrastructure devices upon detection of a loss of contact with a policy server function. The response system includes a policy enforcement function (“PEF”), a policy manager function, and either or both of policy set(s) and policy enforcement rule (“PER”) set(s). The PEF implements stored or generated PER set(s). The policy manager function includes a monitoring function and an analysis function. The monitoring function monitors for continuing connectivity or signal exchange contact with a network policy server function. The analysis function selects a designated policy, policy set, PER or PER set, and instructs the PEF to implement the selected policy, PER or set. The policy and/or PER sets may be pre-installed, updated, re-installed, revised, or otherwise changed when and as desired. The related method includes corresponding steps for implementing the operations of the functions described.
US08191102B2 Method of transmitting interactive television
A method (1) of transmitting interactive television, whereby interactive television applications are transmitted inside application-modules. These modules are transmitted in a broadcast stream. Recording systems cannot decide which modules are to be recorded. Therefore storage related information of said modules is signalled in the broadcast stream. Module identification information related is implemented in the Application Information Table (AIT) and/or in the Download Information Indication (DII) message. Thus information is included in the broadcast stream concerning categories stating whether application modules are mandatory, optional or forbidden to record. Alternatively properties of a module are chosen from Code/Data/Both and/or Fixed/Variable. Recording systems use this information do decide if application modules are to be recorded or disregarded. Alternatively, application module identification information is transmitted in said broadcast stream. A module identification number is used to avoid multiple recordings. Application modules having the same category are preferably grouped together.
US08191100B2 Method and terminal for providing IPTV to multiple IMS users
A method and terminal for providing Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and other communication services to a group of users, such as a family, using an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network. A group private user identity is associated with a group public user identity and with a plurality of individual public user identities, each of which is associated with a different user in the group. Utilizing the group private User ID and the group public User ID, a browser registers a group subscription with the IMS network. When an individual user enters an identifier such as a PIN, the individual is then registered with the IMS network, while maintaining the group registration with the IMS network and the IPTV network. Individual users can be changed without having to restart the browser.
US08191095B2 Backup communication modes
Systems and methods for implementing a communication mode for a communication terminal are provided. An embodiment of a method for implementing a communication mode includes receiving a first type of data over a first type of communication channel, determining that the first type of data is subsequently not available over the first type of communication channel, and responsive to determining that the first type of data is subsequently not available over the first type of communication channel, receiving the first type of data over a second type of communication channel.
US08191091B1 Signal processing apparatus and methods
A unified system of programming communication. The system encompasses the prior art (television, radio, broadcast hardcopy, computer communications, etc.) and new user specific mass media. Within the unified system, parallel processing computer systems, each having an input (e.g., 77) controlling a plurality of computers (e.g., 205), generate and output user information at receiver stations. Under broadcast control, local computers (73, 205), combine user information selectively into prior art communications to exhibit personalized mass media programming at video monitors (202), speakers (263), printers (221), etc. At intermediate transmission stations (e.g., cable television stations), signals in network broadcasts and from local inputs (74, 77, 97, 98) cause control processors (71) and computers (73) to selectively automate connection and operation of receivers (53), recorder/players (76), computers (73), generators (82), strippers (81), etc. At receiver stations, signals in received transmissions and from local inputs (225, 218, 22) cause control processors (200) and computers (205) to automate connection and operation of converters (201), tuners (215), decryptors (224), recorder/players (217), computers (205), furnaces (206), etc. Processors (71, 200) meter and monitor availability and usage of programming.
US08191090B2 Communication apparatus, communication system, and method of same
A communication apparatus, a communication system, and a method of same enabling control of a mode of output of additional information such as advertisements on a user side. A program signal and an additional signal are separated from a broadcast signal received by a receiver by a filter. The program signal is stored in a program signal use memory, while the additional signal is stored in an additional signal use memory. When there is an instruction by the user for output of the additional information, a display signal is generated by using the program signal and the additional signal read from the memories, while only the program signal is read from the memory for generation of the display signal in other cases.
US08191087B2 Optical disk and method of manufacturing the same
An optical disk having a recording layer on a substrate, a bonding layer which is made of an ultraviolet cured resin bonding the recording layer, a transparent layer which is bonded to the bonding layer, and an overcoating layer which is formed on the transparent sheet and is made of the ultraviolet cured resin further has a mixed layer which is formed by mixing the ultraviolet cured resins of the bonding layer and the overcoating layer. Consequently, the bonding layer, the overcoating layer, and the mixed layer are integrally cured, so that the substrate is entirely covered with the ultraviolet cured resin having transparency, which allows a light transmitting layer A to be protected with sufficient strength.
US08191083B2 Executing state machine processing modules with an executive processing module
An application that uses a state machine for processing can be optimized to process objects efficiently through an alternate, executive processing module. In one implementation, for example, one of the plurality of processing modules in a given state machine can be reconfigured to subscribe to an executive processing module, which, in turn, is subscribed to all events that occur during processing of the given state machine. When the corresponding state machine is tasked with processing a client request, the executive processing module processes the client request for each subscribed processing module. The executive processing module can optimize processing of the client request for all subscribed processing modules, and can further provide human-readable output regarding processing details of the same.
US08191079B2 Data transfer across a network
Requests for retrieval of data items from another data processing apparatus include embedded objects having executable class functions for performing operations at the target data processing apparatus. This has the advantages of the request implicitly sending data as well as requesting data and allows the request to perform a test on data within an object (such as a comparison with parameters of the request to determine whether the request may be satisfied). Objects within the request may be embedded within each other with different encryption and compression applied to the different objects. As well as achieving communication efficiencies, the ability to selectively encrypt components of a request may be used to provide greater security. For example, a store may be able to interpret the request, while credit details may be separately encrypted such that only a bank may decrypt that subcomponent of the request.
US08191078B1 Fault-tolerant messaging system and methods
A fault-tolerant messaging system comprises a primary broker, a first network, a back up broker, and a second network. The primary broker and the back up broker are coupled to the first network for communication with clients thus creating a messaging system. The primary broker and the back up broker are also coupled to the second network for replicating state from the primary broker and the back up broker, and also sending transaction events immediately to maintain synchronization. The brokers further comprise a replication module for communicating state between the primary broker and the back up broker, a recovery module for performing recovery on the back up broker upon failure of the primary broker, and a fault-tolerant connection module for establishing a fault-tolerant connection between the primary broker and the back up broker over the second network. The present invention also includes a number of novel methods for performing fault tolerance.
US08191071B2 Method for supervising task-based data processing
The invention relates to a method for supervising a task-based data processing, wherein for a plurality of tasks the following steps are performed for each task: scheduling the task for processing, and logging the scheduling of the task by storing a task identifier in a log memory, said task identifier identifying the scheduled task and being assigned to the scheduled task. The task identifiers stored in the log memory form a task history pattern of scheduled tasks. By means of the task history a pattern may be detected for determining whether a failure appears in the task-based data processing. At least one safety measure is taken when a failure is detected.
US08191068B2 Resource management system, resource information providing method and program
To provide a resource management system capable of stably providing most recently updated resource information at a high speed. A resource information update unit collects resource information from a plurality of agents by means of agent connection management unit according to an update schedule of resource information stored in a schedule storage unit, and stores the same in a resource information storage unit. A retrieval processing unit accesses the resource information storage unit to acquire retrieval results of resource information. A static schedule generation unit selects update interval for each of resource information, generates a static schedule, and store the same in the schedule storage unit.
US08191052B2 Producer graph oriented programming and execution
A method and apparatus for producer graph oriented programming and execution. According to one aspect of the invention, a runtime is provided that interprets producer dependency declarations for methods. The producer dependency declarations identify at run time a set of zero or more producers, where a producer is a runtime instantiatable construct that includes at least an instance and a method associated with that instance. The runtime automatically generates and executes, responsive to receiving a designation of a producer of interest whose method has a producer dependency declaration, a producer graph. The producer graph initially includes the producer of interest and is generated, from the producer of interest to source producers, through instantiation of producers based on the producer dependency declarations of the methods of the producers already in the producer graph. The runtime sequences the execution of the producers in the producer graph as by the producer graph.
US08191040B2 Application program interface for network software platform
An application program interface (API) provides a set of functions that make available support for processing XML documents for application developers who build Web applications on Microsoft Corporation's .NET™ platform.
US08191030B2 Identifying parasitic diode(s) in an integrated circuit physical design
A method comprises tracing a first and second terminal of a junction through a circuit layout to associated power supplies to determine their respective defined bias values. The method further comprises comparing the defined bias values of each terminal in order to determine, based on the comparison, whether the junction is forward biased.
US08191026B2 Semiconductor integrated circuit and switch arranging and wiring method
A semiconductor integrated circuit includes: a circuit block having a first power supply line to which one of a power supply voltage and a reference voltage is applied, an internal voltage line, and a circuit cell connected between the first power supply line and the internal voltage line; and a plurality of switch cells each including two voltage cell lines each connected electrically to the internal voltage line, two power cell lines each connected electrically to a second power supply line to which another of the power supply voltage and the reference voltage is applied, a control cell line electrically connected to a switch control line, and a transistor electrically connected between the internal voltage line and the second power supply line.
US08191024B2 Customizable H-tree synthesis tool
A computer program for generating an H-tree for an integrated circuit design stored on a computer readable medium includes code to receive from a user a set of parameters to configure the H-tree. The parameters include a starting segment length and an ending segment length. The computer program also includes code to select a starting location in the integrated circuit design. The computer program further includes code to place an anchor H at the starting location. The computer program further includes code to recursively place child Hs on the H-tree based on the starting segment length and the ending segment length to create a fan-out with equal weight on each child H. The number of levels of the H-tree is calculated according to a rounded down integer equal to a binary logarithm of a quotient of the starting segment length divided by the ending length.
US08191022B2 Stochastic steady state circuit analyses
A method for simulating a system without a time invariant or periodically time-varying steady state is provided. The method limits the number of states included in a Markov chain model by discretizing the states based on Gaussian decomposition, utilizes a state exploration algorithm that discovers only recurrent states, and/or utilizes a state truncation algorithm that eliminates states with negligible stationary probabilities.
US08191019B2 Non-predicated to predicated conversion of asynchronous representations
Methods, circuits and systems for converting of a non-predicated asynchronous netlist to a predicated asynchronous netlist are described. These may operate to identify one or more portions of an asynchronous netlist corresponding to a partially utilized portion of an asynchronous circuit. The asynchronous netlist may be modified to control the partially utilized portion. Additional methods, circuits, and systems are disclosed.
US08191014B2 Information processing apparatus, display control method and program
There is provided an information processing apparatus including a display control unit that displays a list screen of thumbnails associated with content, an execution unit that executes any application using the content associated with the thumbnails, and an image generation unit that generates an execution state image showing an execution state of the application by the execution unit, wherein the display control unit displays the execution state image generated by the image generation unit in at least a portion of an area where the list screen is displayed.
US08190995B2 Information processing apparatus and information selecting method
An information processing apparatus and an information selecting method are disclosed which can easily restore an original state after checking the result of executing predetermined processing based on different information. If an operator of an operation unit is pressed in an already processed state where a processing execution unit is executing predetermined processing using already selected information set in a selected information memory, information assigned to the operator is newly set in the selected information memory to execute the predetermined processing with the processing execution unit. After that, if the pressed operator is released, the processing execution unit is restored to the already processed state. With this operation, after checking a new processing state using different information from already selected information by pressing an operator, the already processed state can be restored simply by releasing the pressed operator.
US08190994B2 System and method for listening to audio content
A method including selecting a presentation content group, displaying content identifiers corresponding to the presentation content group, selecting a content identifier, and instantly presenting a substantially live presentation content from a media provider corresponding to the selected content identifier to a user.
US08190991B2 XSD inference
The automatic generation of schemas for XML documents is provided. In an illustrative implementation, a computer readable medium having computer readable instructions to instruct a computing environment to execute one or more inference algorithms is provided. In operation, an XML document is processed according to the computer readable instructions such that the content and tags of the XML document are identified. The XML document is processed according to an inference algorithm, which executes one or more processing rule, and uses the XML document information in conjunction with the rules and operations of the XML schema definition language, to automatically produce a schema for the XML document.
US08190985B2 Frame-slot architecture for data conversion
A machine based tool and associated logic and methodology are used in converting data from an input form to a target form using context dependent conversion rules. In particular, a frame-slot architecture is utilized where a frame represents an intersection between a contextual cue recognized by the machine tool, associated content and related constraint information to specific to that conversion environment, whereas a slot represents an included chunk of information. An exemplary conversion system (400) includes a parser (402) for use in parsing and converting an input stream (403) from a source (404) to provide an output stream (411) in a form for use by a target system (412). To accomplish the desired conversion, the parser (402) uses information from a public schema (406), a private schema (408) and a grammar (410). The public schema (406), private schema (408) and grammar (410) may include conversion rules applicable to less than the whole of a subject matter area including the input stream (403).
US08190978B2 Information recording/reproducing apparatus, and information recording medium
In an information recording, a first data processor divides input data into a plurality of frames so as to arrange the plurality of frames for each unit block. The unit block is a unit of error-correction with respect to the input data and the frames include first identification information, respectively. A second data processor inserts a linking block on a boundary portion between unit blocks in the record data. The unit blocks are adjacent to each other. The linking block includes a second identification information and the second identification information is different from each of the first identification information. A controller controls to record the unit block and the linking block on the information recording medium.
US08190976B1 High-speed interface for holographic storage read channel
Embodiments of the present invention provide a read channel including a front end to receive an optical image, convert the optical image into multi-bit soft information, and to serially transmit the multi-bit soft information to other components of the read channel. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08190970B2 Probe-based data storage devices
A probe-based data storage device includes a storage surface having an array of A storage fields; a probe array comprising A probes for writing data to respective storage fields; and an apparatus for controlling writing of blocks of user data in the array of storage fields.
US08190968B2 Semiconductor memory device and data error detection and correction method of the same
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array, a mode setting circuit, a parity data generation unit, and a data error detection and correction unit. The memory cell array has a plurality of first memory banks for storing normal data, and a predetermined number of second memory banks less than the number of the first memory banks for storing parity data according to control of a first flag signal. The mode setting circuit sets the first flag signal and a second flag signal controlling based on whether a separate memory bank is used to store the parity data in the second memory banks. The parity data generation unit receives normal write data during a write operation, generates parity data with respect to the normal write data in response to the second flag signal, and outputs the normal data and the parity data. The data error detection and correction unit receives normal read data and parity read data read from the memory cell array during a read operation, detects errors of the normal read data in response to the second flag signal, corrects the normal read data when the errors are detected, and outputs the corrected read data.
US08190966B1 Systems and methods for implementing end-to-end checksum
A network device includes input logic and output logic. The input logic receives multiple packets, where each of the multiple packets has a variable length, and generates a first error detection code for one of the received multiple packets. The input logic further fragments the one of the variable length packets into one or more fixed length cells, where the fragmentation produces a cell of the one or more fixed length cells that includes unused overhead bytes that fill up the cell beyond a last portion of the fragmented one of the variable length packets, and selectively inserts the first error detection code into the overhead bytes. The input logic also forwards the one or more fixed length cells towards the output logic of the network device.
US08190958B2 Error correction for a persistent resource allocation
Methods and apparatus for communicating and utilizing persistent allocation of resources are described herein. A base station can allocate persistent resources to a client station, and can associate the client station or persistent resource allocation with a particular shared NACK channel. The base station can monitor the NACK channel for a NACK indicating a map error. The base station can also monitor the resource allocation to implicitly determine a map error. The base station can resend one or more persistent resource allocation information elements in response to the NACK or implicit error determination. A client station having a persistent resource allocation can monitor persistent resource allocation information elements in map messages and can indicate failure to receive a persistent resource allocation information element in a NACK message on a preassigned share NACK channel.
US08190956B2 Quadrature decoder filtering circuitry for motor control
The disclosed quadrature decoder filtering circuitry for motor control uses one quadrature signal to correct an error in the other quadrature signal, thus allowing a noisy signal due to large dust particles or scratches to be recovered. In some implementations, a system processing for quadrature signals comprises a first circuitry triggered by edges of a first quadrature signal to detect inactivity of a second quadrature signal during consecutive edges of the first quadrature signal. A second circuitry is operable to count the number of consecutive edges of the first quadrature signal during inactivity of the second quadrature signal. A third circuitry is operable to combine transitions of the first quadrature signal with the second quadrature signal during a period of time determined by the count value of the second circuitry.
US08190944B2 Device configured to switch a clock speed for multiple links running at different clock speeds and method for switching the clock speed
A device configured to switch a clock speed for multiple links running at different clock speeds and a method for switching the clock signals are disclosed. A frequency divider derives a plurality of clock signals at different frequencies from a source clock signal. A clock switching controller selects a maximum data rate among data rates requested by a plurality of ports of links and outputs a transmit clock signal at the selected maximum data rate to the ports along with a clock enabling signal for each of the ports. Each of the clock enabling signals selectively enables the transmit clock signal for matching a data rate requested by each port. The clock speed may be selected and updated as required by the ports glitch-free in a known amount of time without interrupting data transfers on any of the other ports.
US08190938B2 Method and apparatus for controlling energy consumption during resource sharing
An approach is provided for controlling energy consumption during resource sharing. One or more peer nodes determine scheduling information relating to when the peer nodes can utilize a predetermined level of communication capacity for sharing a computer resource (e.g., sharing content). The peer nodes transition between an active state for sharing the computer resource at the predetermined capacity and an inactive state to minimize energy use according to the scheduling information until the content transfer is complete.
US08190935B2 Information processing apparatus and method of controlling operating frequency of an information processing apparatus
An information processing apparatus has a CPU, a clock supply unit configured to supply a clock signal, a CPU idle ratio obtaining unit configured to obtain the idle ratio of the CPU at each predetermined time, a clock control unit configured to determine an operating frequency of the clock signal, and a DMA transfer unit configured to execute a DMA transfer in synchronization with the clock signal supplied from the clock supply unit. The clock control unit controls the operating frequency of the clock signal to the operating frequency determined based on the idle ratio of the CPU if the DMA transfer is not being executed, whereas the clock control unit controls the operating frequency of the clock signal to a predetermined frequency if the DMA transfer is being executed.
US08190925B2 Single shared power domain dynamic load based power loss detection and notification
The advanced management module services in a data processing system are configured to determine the system load and provide an input to the early power off warning detection logic that evaluates the power system state to detect a condition when power resources are insufficient to maintain the write caching storage system power within defined acceptable limits. The early power off warning detection logic generates a notification based on the system load and the available power supply resources to maintain maximum availability and reliability characteristics.
US08190923B2 Method to securely initialize, protect and recover system date/time
The claimed method and system monitors computer system timer(s) relative to other timers to detect discrepancies and/or may capture an offset to provide a method of more accurately determining a current time. The invention may also provide a method to detect power source tampering using a last known good time and may provide a means to securely initialize system time using an encrypted time stamp.
US08190919B2 Multiple stakeholder secure memory partitioning and access control
A machine implemented system and method that effectuates secure access to a flash memory associated with a mobile device. The system includes a security component that intercepts transactions between an external processor and the flash memory and implements authentication and access control to the flash memory. The system further includes components that can partition the flash memory and can associate authentication and access control information with the partitioned flash memory.
US08190915B2 Method and apparatus for detecting data tampering within a database
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates detecting data tampering within a table in a database. The system operates by hashing a row in the table to create a row-hash. The system then hashes a block of consecutive row-hashes to create a block-hash. Finally, the system signs the block-hash with an encryption key, so that tampering with data in the row will result in an invalid row-hash and an invalid block-hash.
US08190904B2 System for executing remote electronic notarization and signatory verification and authentication
A remote electronic notarization system for remote electronic verification, authentication and screening of potential signatories for remote electronic notary transactions via a remote pc encrypted platform that communicates over a digital broadband or WIFI cellular/PDA device or portable pc device is presented in this disclosure. The system implements electronic components including electronic signature devices, digital certificates, electronic documents, electronic biometric devices, electronic audio/visual software/hardware, electronic payment systems and devices for human interface and verification. The electronic components are electronically synchronized to allow remote notary publics to execute remote electronic notary transactions via a satellite kiosk network or an on-line virtual kiosk application.
US08190893B2 Portable security transaction protocol
A technique for providing message authenticity includes accepting transaction information, accepting a first data item used for authenticating an originating user, cryptographically processing the transaction information using only a second data item, wherein the entropy of the first data item is less than the entropy of the second data item, and authenticating the originating user using the first data item. The first data item can be a sequence of digits corresponding to those displayed on an external device, such as, for example, an RSA authorization token, credit card, etc. In general, the first data item will be a short alphanumeric string and the second data item will generally be much larger, e.g., a 128 bit sequence to be used principally for data authentication. According to another aspect of the present invention, consequential evidence of the transaction may be secured to provide after-the-fact evidence of the transaction. This evidence can include a message written to a tamper-resistant log record, the message including the transaction information, the first data item, the second item, and an identifier for the originating user, as well as other information. At a subsequent point, the transaction can be shown to have been sent by the originating user and received by the intended recipient, by consulting the log record. Preferably, the validity of the transaction would be ascertained by an independent, mutually trusted third party.
US08190880B2 Methods and systems for displaying standardized data
Embodiments of the invention are generally related to data processing, and more specifically to processing data retrieved from a database. A GUI screen displaying query results may provide for the selection of a data standard to be applied to the query results. An analysis routine may identify specific results that comport with a selected data standard and visually identify the specific query results that comport with the selected data standard.
US08190879B2 Graceful conversion of a security to a non-security transparent proxy
A graceful conversion of a security to a non-security transparent proxy is performed. A security transparent proxy is an intermediary between two end devices, with an established secure connection with each end device using different security keys. In response to a policy decision or other stimulus, the security transparent proxy is gracefully converted to a non-security transparent proxy such that it can forward, without decrypting and encrypting, the information received from a first endpoint on the first connection therewith to the second endpoint on the second connection therewith. This conversion is “graceful” in that it does not drop either of the two original sessions. In one embodiment, this graceful conversion is accomplished by triggering a key renegotiation on both of the two sessions such that the two connections will use the same encryption key.
US08190877B2 Trusted cryptographic processor
A cryptographic processor for redundantly-processing cryptographic operations is disclosed. The cryptographic processor includes a number of input ports, a first and second cryptographic engines, comparison logic and a plurality of output ports. The number of input ports is configured to accept both plaintext and ciphertext. Each of the number of input ports is coupled to both the first and second cryptographic engines. The comparison logic is configured to determine if the first and second cryptographic engines produce a result that is different. The number of output ports is configured to produce both plaintext and ciphertext.
US08190875B2 Reducing processing load in proxies for secure communications
In one embodiment, a method for providing secure communications using a proxy is provided. The proxy negotiates with a client and a server to determine a session key to use with communications between the client and the proxy and between the proxy and the server. Encrypted data may then be received from the client at the proxy. The proxy can decrypt the encrypted data for processing using the session key. In one embodiment, the decrypted data is not altered. The proxy then sends the encrypted data that was received from the client to the server without re-encrypting the data that was decrypted. Because the proxy did not alter the data in its processing of the decrypted data and the same session key is used between communications for the proxy and the server, the encrypted data stream that was received from the client can be forwarded to the server.
US08190862B2 Hardware device for processing the tasks of an algorithm in parallel
A hardware device for processing the tasks of an algorithm of the type having a number of processes the execution of some of which depend on binary decisions has a plurality of task units (10, 12, 14), each of which are associated with a task defined as being either one process or one decision or one process together with a following decision. A task interconnection logic block (16) is connected to each task unit for communicating actions from a source task unit to a destination task unit. Each task unit includes a processor (18) for processing the steps of the associated task when a received action requests such a processing. A status manager (20) handles actions coming from other task units and builds actions to be sent to other task units.
US08190859B2 Critical section detection and prediction mechanism for hardware lock elision
A method and apparatus for detecting lock instructions and lock release instruction, as well as predicting critical sections is herein described. A lock instruction is detected with detection logic, which potentially resides in decode logic. A lock instruction entry associated with the lock instruction is stored/created. Address locations and values to be written to those address location of subsequent potential lock release instruction are compared to the address loaded from by the lock instruction and the value load by the lock instruction. If the addresses and values match, it is determined that the lock release instruction matches the lock instruction. A prediction entry stores a reference to the lock instruction, such as a last instruction pointer (LIP), and an associated value to represent the lock instruction is to be elided upon subsequent detection, if it is determined that the lock release instruction matches the lock instruction.
US08190856B2 Data transfer network and control apparatus for a system with an array of processing elements each either self- or common controlled
A processor of SIMD/MIMD dual mode architecture comprises common controlled first processing elements, self-controlled second processing elements and a pipelined (ring) network connecting the first PEs and the second PEs sequentially. An access controller has access control lines, each access control line being connected to each PE of the first and second PEs to control data access timing between each PE and the network. Each PE can be self-controlled or common controlled, such as dual mode SIMD/MIMD architectures, reducing the wiring area requirement.
US08190850B1 Virtual block mapping for relocating compressed and/or encrypted file data block blocks
This invention is a system and a method for operating a storage server to provide read or write access to a data in a data network using a new architecture. The method of creating virtual block mapping pointer in response to a request by a client of the storage server to de-duplicate the file system data block or to allow compression of one or more file system data blocks into one or more physical data blocks. Further, the method relocates one or more file system data blocks from one part of the file system address space to another by using one or more virtual block mapping pointers that provides the mapping information for the one or more file system data blocks that are being relocated. The virtual block mapping pointer allows relocating of file system data blocks by same number of metadata operations regardless of number of files sharing the block that are being relocated and the state of those blocks (compressed or not).
US08190849B2 Sharing physical memory locations in memory devices
A memory structure includes a plurality of address banks where each address bank is operative to store a memory address. In certain embodiments, at least two of the address banks share physical memory locations for at least one redundant most significant bit. Additionally, at least two of the address banks in certain embodiments share physical memory locations for at least one redundant most significant bit and at least one redundant least significant bit. At least two of the address banks in certain embodiments also share physical memory locations for at least one redundant interior bit.
US08190845B2 System and method for allocating and deallocating memory within transactional code
Methods and systems are provided for managing memory allocations and deallocations while in transactional code, including nested transactional code. The methods and systems manage transactional memory operations by using identifiers, such as sequence numbers, to handle memory management in transactions. The methods and systems also maintain lists of deferred actions to be performed at transaction abort and commit times. A number of memory management routines associated with one or more transactions examine the transaction sequence number of the current transaction, manipulate commit and/or undo logs, and set/use the transaction sequence number of an associated object, but are not so limited. The methods and systems provide for memory allocation and deallocations within transactional code while preserving transactional semantics. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08190829B2 Data processing circuit with multiplexed memory
A data processing apparatus contains several processing circuits each operating under control of its own periodic clock signal, so that the clock signals may have different frequencies and/or can be autonomous. The several processing circuits each have an output for outputting memory access requests, which remain at the output for a validity duration interval defined by the clock signal of the particular processor. A multiplexing circuit multiplexes the access requests to a memory. The memory needs a minimum memory repetition period before it can accept an access request following acceptance of a preceding access request. The clock periods of the processing circuits are longer than the minimum memory repetition period. A timing circuit selects acceptance time points at which each particular access request from a first data processing circuit is accepted. The time point at which the particular request is accepted is always within the validity duration interval in which the particular access request is made. The timing circuit varies the position of the acceptance time points within the validity duration intervals, so that the position is delayed to make room for previously accepting an access request from another processor. The position is subsequently moved back toward a start of the validity duration interval in successive steps during application of successive access requests from the first data processing circuit.
US08190826B2 Write combining cache with pipelined synchronization
Systems and methods for pipelined synchronization in a write-combining cache are described herein. An embodiment to transmit data to a memory to enable pipelined synchronization of a cache includes obtaining a plurality of synchronization events for transactions with said memory, calculating one or more matches between said events and said data stored in one or more cache-lines of said cache, storing event time stamps of events associated with said matches, generating one or more priority values based on said event time stamps, concurrently transmitting said data to said memory based on said priority values.
US08190823B2 Apparatus, system and method for storage cache deduplication
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for deduplicating storage cache data. A storage cache partition table has at least one entry associating a specified storage address range with one or more specified storage partitions. A deduplication module creates an entry in the storage cache partition table wherein the specified storage partitions contain identical data to one another within the specified storage address range thus requiring only one copy of the identical data to be cached in a storage cache. A read module accepts a storage address within a storage partition of a storage subsystem, to locate an entry wherein the specified storage address range contains the storage address, and to determine whether the storage partition is among the one or more specified storage partitions if such an entry is found.
US08190822B2 Storage control unit and data management method
An I/O processor determines whether or not the amount of dirty data on a cache memory exceeds a threshold value and, if the determination is that this threshold value has been exceeded, writes a portion of the dirty data of the cache memory to a storage device. If a power source monitoring and control unit detects a voltage abnormality of the supplied power, the power monitoring and control unit maintains supply of power using power from a battery, so that a processor receives supply of power from the battery and saves the dirty data stored on the cache memory to a non-volatile memory.
US08190821B2 Cache control apparatus, information processing apparatus, and cache control method
A cache control apparatus determines whether to adopt or not data acquired by a speculative fetch by monitoring a status of the speculative fetch which is a memory fetch request output before it becomes clear whether data requested by a CPU is stored in a cache of the CPU and time period obtained by adding up the time period from when the speculative fetch is output to when the speculative fetch reaches a memory controller and time period from completion of writing of data to a memory which is specified by a data write command that has been issued, before issuance of the speculative fetch, for the same address as that for which the speculative fetch is issued to when a response of the data write command is returned.
US08190816B2 Embedded scale-out aggregator for storage array controllers
Methods and systems for dynamic storage tiering may comprise: discovering one or more remote virtual drives associated with one or more remote storage arrays; advertising one or more local virtual drives associated with a local storage array; receiving one or more IO requests from a client addressed to one or more remote virtual drives associated with one or more remote storage arrays; transmitting one or more command descriptor block (CDB) requests to one or more remote storage arrays associated with the one or more virtual drives to allocate local cache space and transmitting the one or more IO requests to the one or more remote storage arrays via Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA).
US08190813B2 Terminal apparatus with restricted non-volatile storage medium
A terminal apparatus acquires setting information for controlling whether a storage area held by the non-volatile storage medium is to be used or not, from an external apparatus connected via a network, when the terminal apparatus is activated. The terminal apparatus updates area definition information defining the structure of storage areas in the non-volatile storage medium so that the storage area the use of which is restricted is in a state which cannot be recognized by the operating system, if the acquired setting information indicates that the use of the storage area is restricted. The terminal apparatus performs activation processing of the operating system after the update processing of the area definition information ends, if the acquired setting information indicates that the use of the storage area is restricted.
US08190812B2 Memory system capable of restoring broken information
A memory system includes a volatile first storing unit, a nonvolatile second storing unit in which a plurality of memory cells that can store multi-value data are arranged, the memory cells having a plurality of pages, and a controller that performs data transfer between a host apparatus and the second storing unit via the first storing unit. The controller includes a save processing unit that backs up, when, before data is written in the second storing unit in a write-once manner, data is written in a lower order page of a memory cell same as that of a page in which the data is written, the data of the lower order page and a broken-information-restoration processing unit that restores, when the data in the lower order page is broken, the broken data using the backed-up data.
US08190809B2 Shunted interleave for accessing plural memory banks, particularly those having partially accessed cells containing data for cache lines
A bank select device has a plurality of addressable locations and a plurality of storage locations correlated to each other so that each storage location is correlated to plural addressable locations and each addressable location is correlated to one storage location. Each storage location contains a respective bank select. The addressable locations and storage locations are grouped into interleave patterns such that, for each pattern, there are Q storage locations and 2A addressable locations arranged in L sequential loops each containing Q sequentially addressable locations and a remainder loop containing R sequentially addressable locations, where L·Q+R=2A. A shunt defines a non-zero offset for each interleave so that each interleave commences with a different bank select and a complete rotation of all of the interleaves addresses each of the memory banks an equal number of times. The shunt (S) may be selected as mod(2A,Q), −Q+mod(2A,Q), ±1 or ±prime to , where −
US08190808B2 Memory device having staggered memory operations
A memory system includes logical banks divided into sub-banks or collections of sub-banks. The memory system responds to memory-access requests (e.g., read and write) directed to a given logical bank by sequentially accessing sub-banks or collections of sub-banks. Sequential access reduces the impact of power-supply spikes induced by memory operations, and thus facilitates improved system performance. Some embodiments of the memory system combine sequential sub-bank access with other performance-enhancing features, such as wider power buses or increased bypass capacitance, to further enhance performance.
US08190807B2 Mapping a computer program to an asymmetric multiprocessing apparatus
A computer implemented tool is provided for assisting in the mapping of a computer program to an asymmetric multiprocessing apparatus 2 incorporating an asymmetric memory hierarchy formed of a plurality of memories 12, 14. An at least partial architectural description 22, 40 is provided as an input variable to the tool and used to infer missing annotations within a source computer program 24, such as which functions are to be executed by which execution mechanisms 4, 6, 8 and which variables are to be stored within which memories 12, 14. The tool also adds mapping support commands, such as cache flush commands, cache invalidate commands, DMA move commands and the like as necessary to support the mapping of the computer program to the asymmetric multiprocessing apparatus 2.
US08190805B2 Information processing apparatus and method for reconfiguring the information processing apparatus
The method for reconfiguring an information processing apparatus includes: transmitting, by the system management unit, a register setting request to set a register included in the control unit to a predetermined value to all of the system boards within the information processing apparatus, when a system board is added to or removed from any of the partitions; setting, by the system board that receives the register setting request, a register of a control unit of the local system board to the predetermined value, if a partition to which the local system board belongs includes the system board to be added or removed; and ignoring, by the system board that receives the register setting request, the register setting request if the partition to which the local system board belongs does not include the system board to be added or removed.
US08190804B1 Various methods and apparatus for a memory scheduler with an arbiter
Various methods and apparatus are described for a memory scheduler. The memory scheduler has a pipelined arbiter to determine which request will access the target memory core. Pipelining occurs in stages within the arbiter over a period of more than one clock cycle. The pipelined arbiter uses two or more weighting factors affecting an arbitration decision that are processed in parallel. A predictive scheduler in the memory scheduler uses data from a previous cycle to make the arbitration decision about a request during a current clock cycle in which the arbitration decision is made in order to increase overall system efficiency of requests being serviced in the integrated circuit.
US08190803B2 Hierarchical bus structure and memory access protocol for multiprocessor systems
A hierarchical bus structure is disclosed in which clusters of processors are arranged and interconnected within a hierarchy to facilitate processor communications via shared memories. The bus structure is well suited for voice processing applications in which clusters of embedded processors process voice streams in parallel, although the architecture is not so limited. Also disclosed is a memory access protocol in which the address and data portions of shared-memory access operations are performed as separate bus transactions that are separated in time, such that multiple concurrent memory access operations from different processors may be interleaved over a shared bus.
US08190802B2 Circuit, method and arrangement for implementing simple and reliable distributed arbitration on a bus
An arbitrator circuit for accessing a bus comprises a logic gate arrangement (406), one input of which is coupled to a first bus line. The circuit comprises a switching arrangement (404, 405, 407). As a response to a control signal the switching arrangement disconnects a first half (402) of the first bus line from a second half (403), and couples the second half (403) to a first fixed potential. A second bus line (401) is decoupled from the logic gate arrangement (406), which is coupled to receive a second fixed potential. The second bus line is coupled to the first fixed potential. Two sources are available for providing the control signal to the switching arrangement (404, 405, 407). One of them is the output of the logic gate arrangement (406).
US08190799B2 Mobile information processing apparatus
[Problems] To display, on an external display device, an image with a higher resolution than a screen's resolution of a display belonging to a mobile information communication apparatus. This is achieved only by additionally providing an interface means between the external display device and the mobile information communication apparatus and further additionally providing some functions to a display data generating means originally belonging to the mobile information communication apparatus.[Means for Solving Problems] A mobile information communication apparatus comprising a data processing means for sending plotting command/data to a display control means that controls the pixels of a display panel belonging to the mobile information communication apparatus; wherein an interface means is provided which receives the plotting command/data generated by the data processing means and sends, based on plotting command/data, an external display signal to the external display device; and wherein the data processing means and the interface means are configured to send, from the interface means, a higher-resolution external display signal.
US08190796B2 Hardware supported peripheral component memory alignment method
A memory alignment system for efficient data transfer between a local memory that is configured in a host system, and a remote memory, comprises a data communications controller configured in the host system to align transmitted and received data based on formatting information received from the host system. When transmitting data from local system memory, for example over an Ethernet connection, communications control driver software may first write formatting information corresponding to the data into the data communications controller. The data communications controller is operable to align the data based on the formatting information as the driver software moves the data into a configurable transmit data buffer inside the data communications controller. Similarly, the driver software may write formatting information for receive data into a receive-format configuration buffer. The data communications controller may align the receive data based on the receive-formatting information as the receive data is being read by the host system. Because the data communications controller performs all the required data alignment, no data alignment by the host processor is required.
US08190789B2 Computer system and its renewal method
A computer system including a management computer for managing the entire system, an integral apparatus, and a high-level connecting device for connecting the management computer and the integral apparatus is designed so that the management computer retains integral apparatus internal configuration information, configuration information about an integral apparatus to be introduced, that indicates the configuration of the integral apparatus that may possibly be introduced to the system, and lifetime information indicating lifetime of the integral apparatus; obtains connectivity guarantee information indicating whether connectivity between the computer and the storage apparatus is guaranteed or not; selects an integral apparatus to be removed from the system by referring to the lifetime information; selects an integral apparatus to be introduced to the system by referring to the integral apparatus internal configuration information, the configuration information about the integral apparatus to be introduced, and the connectivity guarantee information.
US08190787B2 Apparatus and methods for communicating with programmable devices
A circuit arrangement includes a programmable logic device. The programmable logic device includes configuration logic circuitry. The programmable logic device also includes configurable interconnects. The circuit arrangement further includes a storage device configured to provide data to the programmable logic device. The storage device communicates with the programmable logic device via a bi-directional interface.
US08190779B2 Information processing apparatus and storing apparatus, information processing method and storing method, and recording medium that promptly and efficiently distributes content
The present invention provides a distribution system in which even in the case where the content distributability varies among content holders, desired content can be promptly and efficiently received by a requester.To index information recorded in a root node or cache node so that it can be referred to from the requester, in addition to content ID and IP address of a content holder, easiness information indicative of easiness of distribution of content from the content holder are added. When the requester determines a content holder as a distribution source, a content holder having high distributability is preferentially selected with reference to the easiness information and content is distributed from the selected content holder.
US08190773B2 System and method for accessing a web server on a device with a dynamic IP-address residing behind a firewall
A system and method for providing access to a web server on an electronic device positioned within a firewall. A gateway device including a gateway server is provided outside of the firewall. The gateway device includes an IP address that corresponds to the same DNS extension that is used in the DNS name of the web server. When a client device attempts to contact the web server through the DNS name, the request is transmitted to the gateway server, which in turn communicates with the web server.
US08190766B2 Across-device communication protocol
A method for communicating data between network devices is disclosed. A transmission signal is sent over a port of one of the network devices, where the port is in communication with other network devices of the network devices. A data frame is also sent over the port. The transmission signal and the data frame are sent for a fixed byte time period and at least one idle pattern is included with the data frame when a time required to send all data present is less than the fixed byte time period.
US08190765B2 Data reception management apparatus, systems, and methods
Computer network apparatus may include a packet-receiving module to receive a packet into an element of a storage array while a low resource state exists, an array truncation module to truncate the array at the element when the array is full or when no more packets are available to be received, and an array indication module to indicate the array after the array truncation module truncates the array. In one embodiment, a system may include a receiving node containing the apparatus. A method may include receiving a packet into an element of an array while a low resource state exists, truncating the array at the element after the array is full or no more packets are available to be received, and indicating the array.
US08190761B2 Seeking and synchronization using global scene time
A method of seeking in a rich media stream provided from a multimedia server to at least one multimedia client, wherein the method may be executed in an encoder of a multimedia server or a decoder or a multimedia client. A seeking instruction is inserted into the media stream at time instance X, comprising an offset time instance Y, in order to be used for seeking at a global time rate. A method for enabling synchronization in a rich media stream wherein the synchronization is based on a global timeline is also provided.
US08190756B2 Method for automatically re-connecting customer premises equipment (CPE) web user interface (UI)
The present invention relates to a method for automatically re-connecting customer premises equipment (CPE) web user interfaces (UIs), capable of continuously sending a login request to a HTTP server to reduce the time for the user to wait, the method comprising: inserting a frame into a web page in a system to be re-connected and logged in; requesting a HTTP server to send a new web page through the frame after a customer premises equipment (CPE) completes software update and receives a response requesting the system to reboot; issuing a re-login request if the new web page is received, indicating the HTTP server has been started up and a new connection is made; and logging in the system.
US08190753B2 System and method for protecting emergency response services in telecommunication networks from attack
The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for protecting emergency response services in telecommunications systems from attack. In one example, a system may include a network, a token generator, and a token validator. The network may be configured to communicate with a client via a network interface. The token generator is coupled to the network and configured to generate at least one token based on information associated with the client. The token contains sufficient information for the network to independently validate the client when an emergency response service request is sent by the client to the network. The token validator is coupled to the network and configured to perform a validation process on the token when the token is sent by the client to the network over the network interface. The network is configured to connect the emergency response service request only if the token is validated.
US08190752B1 Secure delivery of flash content over networks
A method for securing delivery of flash content over a network includes rewriting flash content action code capable of making a network request for flash content to redirect network communication associated with the flash content to a network device.
US08190749B1 Systems and methods for accessing an interaction state between multiple devices
The present application discloses systems and methods for accessing digital content between multiple devices. The systems and methods may be directed to providing access to an interaction with a first application on a head-mounted display (HMD) to a second device. Contextual information relating information of the HMD and information associated with the interaction to describe an interaction state may be stored. A second device may be selected upon which the interaction state may be accessed and a determination of attributes of the second device may be made. The HMD may transfer to the second device the stored contextual information such that the second device may provide via the second application access to the interaction state. Information associated with a user input to the first application may also be transferred. In one example, the contextual information may describe an identified occurrence of digital content accessed via the first application.
US08190746B2 Explicit casualty control in a client/server system
Embodiments of the present invention provide a protocol for ensuring data integrity of requests made by clients of a social network service. In particular, when a client gets a confirmation from an update request, the confirmation is accompanied by a token that provides information about the update. When the client next makes a read request it passes the token along with the read request. The node at the social network service receiving the request then waits until it makes sure that it has received any notifications that precede the state represented by the token before it processes the request and replies to the client. The token might be, among other things, a physical timestamp, a counter reflecting transactions committed on a database server, or a vector timestamp. In addition, the same technique can be used to ensure ordering between read requests.
US08190742B2 Distributed differential store with non-distributed objects and compression-enhancing data-object routing
One embodiment of the present invention provides a distributed, differential electronic-data storage system that includes client computers, component data-storage systems, and a routing component. Client computers direct data objects to component data-storage systems within the distributed, differential electronic-data storage system. Component data-storage systems provide data storage for the distributed, differential electronic-data storage system. The routing component directs data objects, received from the clients computers, through logical bins to component data-storage systems by a compression-enhancing routing method.
US08190730B2 Location system and methods
In one embodiment of the invention, a location system is provided using both RF and IR signals for the determination of an object. Another embodiment of the invention provides a direct network connection for a receiver. The direct connection may be provided for connection to an Ethernet network, a telephone network, a cable TV network, a UTP network, a Universal Serial Bus (USB), a medical telemetry network or the Internet. A web server is optionally provided according to an embodiment of the invention. According to a further embodiment, a fixed location identifier is provided to receive signals from a transmitter and then transmit a signal to a receiver, which may be connected to a network. According to a further embodiment, two identifiers may be transmitted, one identifier corresponding to an object, while a second identifier identifies a group designator of the object.
US08190723B2 Method and system for automatically determining commands for a network element
A method of automatically determining a set of commands that a network device supports comprises the machine-implemented steps of receiving a syntax definition for a command help syntax of a network device; sending a seed command to the network device; receiving and storing a response from the network device; creating and storing information identifying commands that the network device supports, based on the response, in a database of command knowledge; determining and sending to the network device one or more command requests that cause the network device to respond with further information defining supported commands; creating and storing further information identifying additional commands or parameters supported by the network device, based on responses from the network device to the command requests, in the database; and repeating the determining, sending, creating and storing steps until the information in the database represents all commands and parameters that the network device supports.
US08190719B2 Transmitting setting data from a terminal device to target devices
A method of transmitting setting data from a terminal device to target devices on a network is provided. The method includes the steps of preparing new setting data for the target devices, obtaining current setting data to which the target devices are currently set, comparing the new setting data with current setting data, and notifying a user of a result of the comparison.
US08190718B1 Model driven command language translator
An embodiment includes a method that includes identifying a first functional effect that would be produced in an apparatus by executing in the apparatus one or more source commands. The embodiment includes determining whether the first functional effect is producible in the apparatus based on the apparatus executing one or more target commands written in a command language different than the language that the source commands are written in. The embodiment includes, in response to determining that the first functional effect is producible in the apparatus based on the apparatus executing the one or more target commands, producing an output comprising the one or more target commands for execution by the apparatus.
US08190711B1 Method and system for controlling and tracking content distribution
A method, system and computer program for controlling propagation of content throughout the Internet, social and mobile networks. Publisher's content is assigned a unique identifier in a form of a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) or a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). The unique identifier is modified each time the content is accessed by a user. The content parameters in the identifier are modified in order to keep track of number of accesses to the content by users. By changing the parameters assigned to the content, a publisher or an advertiser can determine a number of recipients of the content and keep track of the entire process of content distribution and its propagation throughout a network.
US08190708B1 Gateway device having an XML interface and associated method
A gateway device and associated method are provided that facilitate communications with external devices by utilizing a uniform communications format. The gateway device includes a subscriber interface for adapting to a subscriber computer that is connected to the gateway device. The subscriber interface facilitates communications between the subscriber computer and at least one network or on-line service without requiring the subscriber computer to be reconfigured and without requiring the subscriber computer to support XML commands and responses. The gateway device also includes an XML interface for communicating with an external device via a series of XML commands and responses. The XML commands and responses can relate to a variety of matters, including various subscriber management matters.
US08190705B2 Communication capability coupons
A system and method establishes communications between first and second parties. A request initiated by a first party is generated for establishing a communications channel over a first communications network between the first and second parties. An intermediary server device interrupts the request and attempts to generate the channel. If unsuccessful, the server device translates the request into a data network object, which is passed to the second party via a second communications network. The network object enables the second party to communicate acceptance for establishing communication with the first party over the first communications network. The second party invokes the network object upon receipt thereof or at a future time for creating a communications channel between the first and second parties. Alternately, the first party may establish a coupon for communication directly to a second party without a first prior attempt to create the channel.
US08190697B2 Automated configuration of device communication settings
Automatically configurable master and slave devices in a master/slave multi-drop serial network are disclosed. In one embodiment, the devices and network utilize the Modbus serial communications protocol over a serial multi-drop network, such as an RS-232 or RS-485 (also referred to as EIA-485) based network. Alternatively, the disclosed embodiments may be used with any master/slave serial multi-drop network. In one embodiment, the master and slave devices include pseudo-slave and pseudo-master auto-configuration operating modes, respectively, whereby slave devices which are introduced to the network may send unsolicited identifying messages to the master device which will determine and assign a unique network address thereto, causing the slave device to configure itself to be responsive to messages addressed therewith and then enter its normal slave operating mode to await such messages. The master device, thereafter, maintains a database of the slave devices and their associated network addresses. In one embodiment, legacy slave devices, which do not support the disclosed pseudo-master auto-configuration mode, are supported by the master device which determines when network addresses are in use by such legacy devices, as will be described, and avoids assigning those addresses to newly introduced auto-configurable slave devices.
US08190693B2 Reclaiming lost internet customers
A system and method of reclaiming lost Internet customers may involve detecting an outage condition associated with a host of an electronic commerce (e-commerce) web site. Customer data can be extracted from packets destined for the host, wherein the packets could be associated with transactions between customers and the web site. The extracted customer data may be stored and, upon detecting a resolution of the outage condition, a customer database can be searched based on the extracted customer data in order to identify customer contact information. A customer reclamation message may then be sent to the customer, wherein the message can incentivize the customer to return to the web site and request completion of the transaction.
US08190689B2 Selective attachment delivery
A computer readable medium stores a program for controlling email attachment delivery. The medium includes an attachment recipient field generating code segment, an attachment recipient button generating code segment, an attachment recipient drop down menu generating code segment, an attachment recipient designating code segment, and a display code segment. When the sender attaches the document(s) to an email, the attachment recipient field generating code segment generates an attachment recipient field, and the attachment recipient button generating code segment generates an attachment recipient button. The attachment recipient drop down menu generating code segment generates an attachment recipient drop down menu when the sender selects the button. The attachment recipient designating code segment receives input from the sender. The input designates which class of recipients will receive the attached document(s). The display code segment displays a list of the class of recipients in the attachment recipient field.
US08190680B2 Method and system for synchronization of digital media playback
A system and method for synchronizing digital media playback at multiple digital media playback devices interconnected on a network is provided. A digital media playback device comprising a processor, a synchronization component, a timekeeper component and a digital media source performs synchronization processes to arrange for other players to begin playback at a predetermined position and time in the digital media signal. Synchronization is accomplished by processes which approximate the arrival time of a packet containing audio and/or video digital content across the network and instruct the playback devices as to when playback is to begin, and at what point in the streaming media content signal to begin playback. One method uses a time-stamp packet on the network to synchronize all players. Other methods utilize reiterative processes to narrow approximations of packet arrival time at each playback device.
US08190679B1 Real-time meeting object extensibility
A system and method for sharing and installing customized meeting objects into an ongoing electronic meeting is disclosed. An object module, which defines the customized meeting object is loaded onto a server hosting the ongoing electronic meeting. Client-side portions of the object module are then downloaded to each of the clients that are participating in the electronic meeting. While the meeting is ongoing, the meeting player installs the client-side portions of the object module and displays the customized meeting object, at least, to a meeting presenter. Once displayed to a meeting presenter, the presenter may use the customized meeting object during the meeting and display such object to the meeting participants when desired.
US08190677B2 Methods and systems for scalable video delivery
Methods and systems for delivering scalable media content from a server to a client are provided. A server index is provided to a media server for indexing the layers of scalable content in the form of media data groups. The client transmits at least one media request comprising a scalable media presentation identifier, a requested quality identifier and a requested layer identifier. Based on the at least one request, the server identifies the requested media data groups and transmits the requested media data groups to the client. The client receives the requested media data groups, which may be a subset of all available media data groups, and reorders the media data into decoding order for subsequent decoding and playback.
US08190675B2 Method and system for providing access to remotely hosted services through a normalized application programming interface
A server system having one or more processors and memory receives, from a client, a generic request to access remotely hosted services. The server system identifies a plurality of respective remotely hosted services that are each associated with a respective API. For each respective remotely hosted service, the server system translates the generic request to a respective API-specific request to access the respective remotely hosted service using API-specific parameters and sends the respective API-specific request to the respective remotely hosted service. In response to the requests, the server system receives, from a plurality of the respective remotely hosted services, respective API-specific responses, where a respective API-specific response for a respective remotely hosted service includes respective content. The server system generates a final response that includes content from two or more of the API-specific responses and transmits the final response to the client.
US08190670B2 Web site cobrowsing
Cobrowsing web sites by two or more users is disclosed. For a cobrowsing session between a first client of a first user and a second client of a second user, the cobrowsing session is first initiated. The first user browses a web site on the first client. The first client sends to the second client a synchronization message. The synchronization message indicates one or more commands reflecting the browsing performed by the first user. The second client receives the synchronization message, and cobrowses the web site in accordance with the message and its included commands. Cobrowsing continues until the cobrowsing session is terminated. The commands of the synchronization message allow for fine granularity of cobrowsing.
US08190665B2 Random cache line refill
A microprocessor including random cache line refill ordering to lessen side channel leakage in a cache line and thus thwart cryptanalysis attacks such as timing attacks, power analysis attacks, and probe attacks. A random sequence generator is used to randomize the order in which memory locations are read when filling a cache line.
US08190664B2 Employing a mask field of an instruction to encode a sign of a result of the instruction
A decimal floating point finite number in a decimal floating point format is composed from the number in a different format. A decimal floating point format includes fields to hold information relating to the sign, exponent and significand of the decimal floating point finite number. Other decimal floating point data, including infinities and NaNs (not a number), are also composed. Decimal floating point data are also decomposed from the decimal floating point format to a different format. For composition and decomposition, one or more instructions may be employed, including one or more convert instructions.
US08190662B2 Virtualized data storage vaults on a dispersed data storage network
A slice server includes a network port, a central processing unit, and memory. The central processing unit (CPU) is operable to receive, via the network port, a request to access a virtual digital data storage vault. The CPU then determines whether the slice server supports the virtual digital data storage vault. When the slice server supports the virtual digital data storage vault, the CPU determines whether the request is valid. When the request is valid, the CPU executes the request to generate a response.
US08190661B2 Using virtual repository items for customized display
In one embodiment, a computer system performs a method for providing repository item information from one or more different perspectives using virtual repository items within a customizable presentation scheme. A computer system accesses a user-defined presentation scheme that describes a manner in which repository items are to be presented. The computer system generates virtual repository items for actual repository items based on the user-defined presentation scheme. The virtual repository items are generated for presentation along with their actual repository items. The computer system maps the virtual repository items to different virtualized sets of repository items according to the user-defined presentation scheme. The virtualized sets comprise at least one of actual repository items and virtual repository items. The computer system presents the virtualized sets of repository items in one or more different perspectives within the user-defined presentation scheme.
US08190658B2 Intelligent computing device agent system for automatic recognition of multi user computing environment and information sharing setup
An intelligent computing device agent system for auto recognition of a computing environment of multi-user and optimum information exchange configuration is provided. In the computing device agent system automatically detects the user's computing environment and intelligently makes network access configuration and an information exchange type required between interacting computing devices identical to each other, so that fast, convenient interaction is carried out without complex network configuring or multi-step environment configuring for information exchange.
US08190656B2 Method and apparatus for managing file extensions in a digital processing system
Methods and apparatuses for managing file extensions in a processing system. An exemplary method of managing file extensions in a digital processing system involves a user interface and a plurality of files, each file having a name that comprises a filename and an extension. The method includes associating a file with an indicator which is user selectable for a single file in a plurality of files in said digital processing system and which indicates how to display an extension of the file, and assigning a value to the indicator, and displaying a displayed name of the file in the user interface in a style determined by the indicator.
US08190654B2 Bulk selection electronic tool
A method is provided wherein at least one established group of details with associated policies is created. Profiles with profile macros are selected and a matrix of fields may be derived from the group(s) and populated. A bulk subset of the matrix may be selected according to search criteria and edits applied to a source dataset selected from the bulk subset to generate a destination dataset, wherein the edits are constrained by the set of associated policies. The invention may be performed over a global electronic network (especially the Internet) in a manner that complies with the effective policies at multiple destination sites.
US08190646B2 Associative object model for composite entity information
An associative object model for presenting composite entity information is provided. More particularly, a system and method of linking various data related to an entity from isolated databases in a distributed enterprise is provided. The system and method presents composite information on the entity to different systems within the distributed enterprise. The method includes propagating a change of data of a first entity type to one or more related or associated entity types in an active associative object model (AOM) accessible by a subscribing system and a publishing system in an enterprise.
US08190641B2 System and method for administration of virtual servers
A system and method administers virtual servers executing on one or more physical storage systems. One or more virtual servers are created and associated with a management group. An administrator is then granted permissions to the group. Upon logging into management software, only information relating to the virtual servers associated with the group are displayed to the administrator, thereby limiting access to information related to other virtual servers and/or physical storage systems.
US08190639B2 Ordering content in social networking applications
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for ordering content in social networking applications are described. A plurality of shared content pieces are received, that are viewable and accessible by at least one viewer. The shared content pieces are displayed in an initial order, wherein the displayed shared content pieces are accessed in a viewer order determined by an individual viewer. The viewer order and the identity of the individual viewer are received and stored in a data store, and the initial order is changed based at least in part upon at least one of the viewer order and the identity of the individual viewer, thereby providing an adjusted order.
US08190635B2 Method and system for storing and retrieving information
A method of storing and retrieving a utilization data associated to a sensitive information which requires to be secured in an environment including a plurality of application systems that can use the information, includes: at a given application system of the plurality of application systems: receiving the information, generating from the information an extracted data and a complementary data, generating an encoded information from the information, sending the extracted data and the encoded information to a server system, at the server system: generating an index and assigning it to the encoded information and the extracted data, storing the encoded information, the extracted data, and the index in a database associated to the server system, forwarding the index to the given application system of the plurality of application systems, at the given application system: assigning the index to an application stored data related to the information, storing the index and the application stored data in a database associated to said given application server.
US08190633B2 Enabling provenance management for pre-existing applications
A method of providing provenance management for a pre-existing application is provided. A provenance data selection is received. The provenance data selection indicates provenance data to present to a user. The provenance data is presented to the user as a version tree comprising a plurality of connected nodes. A node selection is received. The node selection indicates a node selected from the version tree. One or more nodes from a root node of the plurality of connected nodes to the node selected from the version tree are identified. One or more action parameters associated with the identified one or more nodes are identified. An action parameter of the one or more action parameters is associated with a previous interaction with a pre-existing application. Presentation of a state of the pre-existing application associated with the node selected from the version tree is triggered.
US08190628B1 Phrase generation
Aspects directed to phrase generation are provided. A method is provided that includes identifying a plurality of phrase candidates from a plurality of text string entries in a corpus. For each phrase candidate: identifying a plurality of left contexts and a plurality of right contexts for the phrase candidate, each left context of the plurality of left contexts being a nearest unique feature to the right of the phrase candidate in a text string entry and each right context of the plurality of right contexts being the nearest unique feature to the right of the phrase candidate, and calculating a left context vector including a score for each left context feature and a right context vector including a score for each right context feature of the phrase candidate. A similarity is determined between pairs of phrase candidates using the respective left and right context vectors for each phrase candidate.
US08190623B2 Image search engine using image analysis and categorization
An Internet infrastructure that supports searching of images by correlating a search image with that of plurality of images hosted in Internet based servers in selected categories, containing an image search server, and a web browser contained in a client device that supports displaying of the images. The image search server supports delivery of search result pages to a client device based upon a search string or search image, and contains images from a plurality of Internet based web hosting servers. The image search server also delivers characteristic analysis of an image to the client device upon request. The selection of images is done within selected categories and is based upon: (i) word match, that is, by selecting images, titles of which correspond to the search string; and (ii) image correlation, that is, by selecting images, image characteristics of which correlates to that of search image. The selection of images in the search result page also occurs on the basis of popularity. The search image server also selects category based upon user's choice.
US08190614B2 Index compression
Systems and methods for compressing an index are described. In one exemplary method, the results of a search are annotated and then encoded into one or more chunks of compressed data in accordance with the annotations of the results. The annotations include an indication of a best encoding method selected from a set of available encoding methods, and an indication of whether to switch to a new chunk during encoding or to continue encoding in the current chunk. Other methods are described and data processing systems and machine readable media are also described.
US08190613B2 System, method and program for creating index for database
A computer implemented method for creating indices for a database having a plurality of documents each being associated with one or more keywords. The method includes the steps of: dividing the database into a plurality of subsets; separating the keywords into a plurality of keyword groups based upon modulo G of the hash value of the keyword for each subset; reading each document of each subset to create a first sub-index and writing same to a storage device of the computer; reading the first sub-indices to merge the first sub-indices into a second sub-index for each keyword group to write same to the storage device; and reading the second sub-indices from the storage device to merge the second sub-indices into an index for the database and write same on the storage device. A program and a system for creating indices are also provided.
US08190610B2 MapReduce for distributed database processing
An input data set is treated as a plurality of grouped sets of key/value pairs, which enhances the utility of the MapReduce programming methodology. By utilizing such a grouping, map processing can be carried out independently on two or more related but possibly heterogeneous datasets (e.g., related by being characterized by a common primary key). The intermediate results of the map processing (key/value pairs) for a particular key can be processed together in a single reduce function by applying a different iterator to intermediate values for each group. Different iterators can be arranged inside reduce functions in ways however desired.
US08190608B1 Systems and methods for using anchor text as parallel corpora for cross-language information retrieval
A system performs cross-language query translations. The system receives a search query that includes terms in a first language and determines possible translations of the terms of the search query into a second language. The system also locates documents for use as parallel corpora to aid in the translation by: (1) locating documents in the first language that contain references that match the terms of the search query and identify documents in the second language; (2) locating documents in the first language that contain references that match the terms of the query and refer to other documents in the first language and identify documents in the second language that contain references to the other documents; or (3) locating documents in the first language that match the terms of the query and identify documents in the second language that contain references to the documents in the first language. The system may use the second language documents as parallel corpora to disambiguate among the possible translations of the terms of the search query and identify one of the possible translations as a likely translation of the search query into the second language.
US08190601B2 Identifying task groups for organizing search results
Computer-readable media and computerized methods for automatically organizing search results according to task groups are provided. The methods involve aggregating a gallery of entities (e.g., search queries that share a common categorization) into a query class and assigning a dictionary (e.g., list of terms that are drawn from various sources) to the query class. The task groups are identified from the list of terms within the dictionary. The process of identification includes analyzing patterns of user search behavior to select terms from the list of terms, which reflect popular user search intents, and ranking the selected terms based on predetermined parameters to produce an ordering. Based on the ordering, a set of the selected terms that are highest ranked are declared the task groups. The task groups are employed to arrange the search results on a UI display and to provide a consistent and intuitive format for refining a search.
US08190595B2 Flexible query hints in a relational database
A flexible query hints system and method for discovering and expressing query hints in a database management system. Embodiments of the flexible query hints system and method include a power hints (Phints) language that enables the specification of constraints to influence a query optimizer. Phints expressions are defined as tree patterns annotated with constraints. Embodiments of the flexible query hints system and method also include techniques to incorporate the power hints language expressions into an extended query optimizer. Theses techniques include computing a directed acyclic graph for Phints expression, deriving candidate matches using the Phints expression and the graph, computing candidate matches, and extracting a revised execution plan having a lowest cost and satisfying constraints of the Phints expression. Embodiments of the flexible query hints system and method include a flexible query hint user interface that allow users to interactively adjust query hints.
US08190594B2 Collecting and scoring online references
One example embodiment includes a method for indexing online references of an entity. The method includes identifying one or more channels of the Internet to be searched for references to an entity and identifying one or more signals to be evaluated within each of the one or more channels. The method also includes crawling the Internet for online references to the entity, wherein crawling the Internet comprises searching the one or more channels of the Internet for references to the entity and evaluating the one or more signals. The method further includes constructing a reverse index of the references, wherein the reverse index is based on each channel in which a reference is found and the one or more signals evaluated for the reference.
US08190580B2 System and method for data backup using log records
To generate backup data based on a log while a power consumption of a standby system is reduced, method for data backup is provided in which a first computer system transmits a data update record, a second storage system of a second computer system receives and then stores the data update record, and a second computer of the second computer system generates a copy of data contained in the first computer system based on the stored data update record. The method for data backup includes monitoring the data update record transmitted by the first computer system, and stopping, when a predetermined first condition is satisfied, the second computer; and starting, when a predetermined second condition is satisfied, the second computer, thereby generating the copy of the data contained in the first computer system based on the stored data update record.
US08190564B2 Temporary session data storage
Systems and methods are provided according to one or more embodiments for a Distributed Temporal Data Storage (DTDS) architecture. In one embodiment, a system includes a load balancer located at one location. The system also includes at least one server coupled to the load balancer, wherein the load balancer is adapted to determine communication channels to reach the at least one server via a network. The system also includes one or more processors and one or more memories adapted to store a plurality of machine-readable instructions which when executed by the one or more processors are adapted to cause the system to store data in the at least one server as time based data in a corresponding time slot of a time based configuration according to an expiration time. The plurality of machine-readable instructions are also adapted to cause the system to allow retrieval of the stored data, wherein if the time based data is accessed within the expiration time, at least one time operation is triggered, and if the time based data is not accessed for a time longer than the expiration time, the time based data is removed from the time slot.
US08190560B2 Workflow execution system, workflow execution apparatus, and control method for them
In a system that realizes a workflow by a plurality of devices (workflow execution apparatuses) while cooperating with one another in serverless environment, the system enables search for a file used in the workflow, even if a file name used in the workflow of each device is changed.
US08190553B2 Methods and systems for quantum search, computation and memory
A system for performing multi-dimensional quantum search, quantum computation, quantum memory, quantum storage, and quantum retrieval includes a structure and method for: enabling components and systems for quantum search, and more particularly to improved local and remote quantum computing and search components and systems; quantum memory component and systems; quantum storage components and systems; quantum retrieval components and systems; quantum logic gates; classical (non-quantum) search components and systems; integrated quantum-classical search components and systems; and integrated quantum-classical cryptosystems.
US08190552B2 Method of estimating salt contamination
A method of estimating a salt contamination is provided. The method includes preparing salt contamination data measured at a plurality of areas, preparing geographical factor data of areas for estimating, preparing rainfall amount data near the areas, setting a correlation expression having the geographical factor and the rainfall amount as variables, and estimating salt contamination of the areas for estimating according to the rainfall amount.
US08190550B2 Split variational inference
A method comprises: partitioning a region of interest into a plurality of soft bin regions that span the region of interest; estimating an integral over each soft bin region of a function defined over the region of interest; and outputting a value equal to or derived from the sum of the estimated integrals over the soft bin regions spanning the region of interest. The method may further comprise: integrating a Bayesian theorem function using the partitioning, estimating, and outputting operations, and classifying an object to be classified using a classifier trained using the Bayesian machine learning. The method may further comprise performing optimal control by iteratively minimizing a controlled system cost function to determine optimized control inputs using the partitioning, estimating, and outputting with the function equal to the controlled system cost function having the selected control inputs, and controlling the controlled system using the optimized control inputs.
US08190541B2 Determining relevant information for domains of interest
Techniques are described for determining and using relevant information related to domains of interest. In at least some situations, the techniques include automatically analyzing documents, terms and other information related to a domain of interest in order to automatically determine information about relevant themes within the domain and/or about which documents have contents that are relevant to such themes. Such automatically determined information related to a domain may then be used in various ways, including to assist users in specifying themes of interest and/or in obtaining documents and/or document fragments with contents that are relevant to specified themes. In addition, information about how the automatically determined information is used by users may be tracked and used as feedback for learning improved determinations of relevant themes and relevant documents within the domain, such as by using automated machine learning techniques.
US08190538B2 Methods and systems for matching records and normalizing names
Methods and systems are provided for normalizing strings and for matching records. In one implementation, a string is tokenized into components. Sequences of tags are generated by assigning tags to the components. A sequence of states is determined based on the sequences of tags. A normalized string is generated by normalizing the sequence of the states. A key record including key fields is extracted from a first data source. A candidate record including candidate fields is extracted from a second data source. A numerical record including numerical fields is computed by comparing the key fields and the candidate fields using comparison functions. Matching functions determined by an additive logistic regression method are applied to the numerical fields. Whether the key record and the candidate record are a match is determined based on a sum of results of the matching functions.
US08190537B1 Feature selection for large scale models
Disclosed are a method and system for receiving a plurality of potential features to be added to a model having existing features. For each of the potential features, an approximate model is learned by holding values of the existing features in the model constant. The approximate model includes the model having existing features and at least the potential feature. A performance metric is computed for evaluating performance of the approximate model. The performance metric is used to rank the potential feature based on a predetermined criterion.
US08190531B2 Method to facilitate engagement and communication between a company and a recruiter including a bounty
The present invention includes a method to facilitate engagement and communication between a company with an available position and a recruiter. The method includes the steps of posting information about the available position for the company, and receiving information about a candidate for the available position of the company from the recruiter, and submitting the information about the candidate for the available position of the company to the company. The method further includes the step of receiving payment from the company and transmitting a portion of the payment to the recruiter upon the selection by the company of a candidate for the available position.
US08190524B2 Internet billing method
Equipment of a provider may be operable to establish a billing arrangement with a purchasing customer to charge a billing account associated with the purchasing customer a first amount, establish a remitting arrangement with a selling vendor to remit between the selling vendor and the provider a second amount by way of an account associated with the selling vendor, establish communications with equipment of the purchasing customer, enable the equipment of the purchasing customer to communicate with equipment of the selling vendor, obtain transactional information relating to a purchase transaction initiated by the purchasing customer, which results in the billing account of the purchasing customer being charged the first amount, and initiate between the selling vendor and the provider a remittance of the second amount by way of the account associated with the selling vendor. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US08190516B2 Equity protection
Systems and methods are illustrated for providing an equity protection product to a borrower of a loan. Aspects of the equity protection product may be implemented using an equity protection agreement. The equity protection product may be used to safeguard a borrower's investment in the event of a housing market downturn. In some examples, once the equity protection is purchased, the borrower's equity can only increase or remain stable (i.e., flat) regardless of market conditions. The payoff amount of the borrower's loan may be reduced to compensate for a change in the market value of the borrower's home. The equity protection product may be provided by a lending institution, bank, or any other comparable entity/person. A trading desk may also be used to hedge against the risk created by the equity protection product. In addition, an appraiser may also be used to evaluate and provide current market values of the relevant property.
US08190512B1 Computer-implemented clustering systems and methods for action determination
Computer-implemented systems and methods for determining one or more actions to be taken with respect to a first entity. A computer-implemented method can be configured to receive data that is related to characteristics of the first entity as well as data that is related to a plurality of segments. Assignments are determined between the first entity and the segments based upon the characteristics of the first entity and the characteristics associated with the segments. A determined assignment includes a membership probability that is indicative of how probable is membership of the first entity with respect to a segment. One or more actions are determined for the first entity based upon the membership probabilities and action information associated with the assigned segments.
US08190511B2 Systems, methods and computer program products for offering consumer loans having customized terms for each customer
Systems, methods and computer program products take into account the amount, term, and type of consumer loan, as well as data relating to a customer's credit score, debt burden, and collateral, if any. The invention then calculates an expected probability of default for a loan to that customer, and calculate loan terms that will deliver a minimum return on equity (e.g., 18%) given the lender's capital structure and funding rates. These loan terms are then offered to the customer. The customized loan terms include annual percentage rate of the loan, or a yearly fee or loan amount.
US08190509B2 System and method for price-based annotations in an electronic trading environment
A system and method for generating and displaying annotations in relation to one or more prices corresponding to trader-related or market related events are described. In one embodiment, a trader may enter an annotation to be displayed in relation to one or more price levels. Alternatively, a trader may configure a dynamic annotation to be dynamically displayed in relation to some price level(s) upon detecting a predetermined event related to one or more tradeable objects. Also, a trader may configure one or more alarms to be displayed or played in combination with the annotations.
US08190505B2 System and method for providing a financial product linked to a specific return
A method for providing a financial contract having a payout amount based on a specific return on an asset for a performance period. The method includes the step of determining the total return, risk-free return and common factor return associated with the asset over the performance period. Next, a specific return on the asset over the performance period based on the total return, risk-free return and common factor return is calculated. Finally, the payout amount is provided if the specific return meets payout criteria.
US08190503B2 Systems and methods for swap contracts management with a discount curve feedback loop
A method, system, apparatus and media are directed to managing trading of financial instruments with a clearinghouse as a counter-party to trades. A plurality of inputs that includes trade data for trades executed using the computer system is received. A discount curve for projected prices of a swap contract over time based on the received plurality of inputs is determined in real-time. A swap contract price is valued based on the determined discount curve. A margin requirement is determined for a user who wishes to trade or hold a position in the swap contract in the user's account based on the swap contract price. Data about a trade of the swap contract that is executed within the computer system is incorporated into the trade data used for determining the discount curve to provide a feedback loop into the real-time determination of the discount curve.
US08190500B2 Runtime environment sales settlement
A system may include an enterprise content settlement server including an extract, transfer and load process configured to receive a first set of usage data and a second set of usage data. The system may further include an enterprise content settlement engine configured to settle the first set of usage data and the second set of usage data according to a contract including at least one settlement rule.
US08190497B2 Handheld scanner device with display location database
A method of managing inventory may include using a handheld scanning device to locate one or more inventory items on a retail display. The method may further include scanning the identification symbols of inventory items on a retail display to determine the type of the scanned item. An associated apparatus may include a communication interface to receive information from a remote database and to send information to a remote server. The received information may include predetermined information about proper locations for individual inventory items on the retail display, thereby reducing the need to manually determine the proper locations of multiple inventory items, which may be, for example, greeting cards on a retail store display.
US08190496B2 Method and system of directed advertising
A method is provided for directed advertising on a shipment tracking status webpage. Advertisements are received and categorized based on preselected criteria. Shipping orders are received and tracking numbers associated with the shipping orders are provided. Tracking status information is received for the shipping orders. A tracking status request for a shipping order is received based on a tracking number. The tracking status information for the shipping order associated with the tracking number is accessed. The tracking information for the shipping order and at least one advertisement, which is selected based on the preselected criteria, is provided for display on the shipment tracking status webpage.
US08190488B2 Methods and systems for evaluating the impact of consolidating print shops on inventory levels
In an embodiment, a system of evaluating an impact of consolidating a plurality of print shops on inventory levels may include a processor and a processor-readable storage medium in communication with the processor. The processor-readable storage medium may include one or more programming instructions for performing a method of evaluating an impact of consolidating a plurality of print shops on inventory levels. The method may include identifying a plurality of print shops to consolidate from an enterprise, identifying an inventory policy, receiving corresponding job demand information and determining a plurality of total inventory requirements for the identified print shops. The total inventory requirements may include a total average inventory level and a total order-up-to level. The method may also include determining, a plurality of consolidated inventory requirements for a consolidated print shop and displaying statistics pertaining to the job demand information, the total inventory requirements and the consolidated inventory requirements.
US08190480B1 System, non-transitory memory with computer program, and associated methods for micro-credit to prepaid cards
A lending institution computer establishes a line of credit coupled to a prepaid card account and makes available draws to the line of credit line in an authorization stream for a proposed purchase using the prepaid card account as payment. When the line of credit is accessed, the prepaid card account is loaded with an additional value of one or more predetermined loan increments so that the prepaid card account then has a new amount totaling a previous amount plus the amount of value of the one or more preselected loan increments and so that the new amount exceeds or equals the value of a proposed purchase. Next, a new value for a line of credit balance available is determined, accounting for value loaded onto the prepaid card account and a predetermined loan advance fee for each loan increment loaded onto the prepaid card account.
US08190478B2 Method and apparatus for collaborative filtering of card member transactions
The disclosed system allows a credit or charge card issuer to provide its card members with a list of merchants, products, services, vacation destinations or other offerings that might be of interest based on the purchases of similar card members. In one instance, this process looks at all card members that made purchases at a merchant and then it identifies all other merchants in the same category where those card members also made purchases. The associated merchants are ranked based on largest number of shared card members and the top results may be shared with card members or merchants in order to enhance promotions, card use and marketing.
US08190476B2 Method, system, and software for geographically focused network advertising
A software based system and method of displaying location based information from an information site on a network by determining location data of a user of the location based information on the network. The location based information is generated based on the determined location data of the user; and generated location based information is provided to the user over the network.
US08190472B2 Multiple use rebate card
Methods for using a rebate card and preventing the retention of rebate value when the product that prompted the rebate is returned are disclosed. Methods for using the rebate card may be limited for use at a particular retailer and/or for a particular manufacturer's goods or services. Methods for preventing the improper retention of rebate value may comprise: determining the amount the customer paid for the product; determining if a rebate value was provided for the product being returned; deducting the amount of the rebate from the amount the customer paid for the product; and providing the remaining amount the customer paid for the product being returned to the customer. In some embodiments of the present invention, the amount of the rebate value that was provided based on the purchase of the product being returned may be deducted from the customer's rebate account. Additionally, rebate cards may be RFID enabled.
US08190470B2 Non pre-approved channel filtering for card acquisition
Information can be shared across a pre-approved (PA) channel and a non pre-approved (NPA) channel to reduce unnecessary offers of a transactional instrument or transactional instrument upgrade to prospects. All prospects listed in the NPA channel that have been evaluated in the PA channel may be removed from a NPA offeree list. This may be done by matching the NPA prospect list with a list of prospects who have been evaluated in the PA channel. The list of prospects evaluated in the PA channel may include, for example, prospects who were pre-approved for an offer as well as prospects who were considered for a pre-approved offer but who were denied the offer. Prospects in the NPA channel that are removed from the NPA offer list may be dropped from further NPA processing, as such prospects are either unprofitable or do not meet a transactional account company's standards for credit.
US08190469B2 Multiple client field device data acquisition and storage
A system is provided for acquiring and storing field information, comprising field devices operable to gather field information and receive updated file information. The field devices may be placed in cradles, which facilitate the transfer of the field and file information. A network is provided for receiving the field information from the field devices and transferring the field information to field devices located in the cradles. The system also provides a server operable to receive the field information from the network, store the field information in data tables assigned to at least one client, and transmit updated field information to the network.
US08190464B2 Method and apparatus for identifying and contacting customers who are due for a visit but have not scheduled an appointment
A management database is queried to determine which customers have failed to respond to recall notices. The resulting list of customers may be sorted or filtered so that some customers are preferentially contacted first, based on expected value or office preferences. The list may also be sorted or filtered to fill specific providers' schedules first. Customer names and contact information are then presented to schedulers so that customers may be contacted. The time and date of each contact is automatically recorded along with the outcome of the contact. A customer name is presented to a scheduler only if the same name is not being simultaneously presented to other schedulers and that customer was not too recently contacted, so that redundant or too frequent contacts are avoided.
US08190463B2 System and method for managing mobile workers
A system manages mobile workers and includes a plurality of clients and a server. A database includes a plurality of target objects that are classified corresponding to facilities assets to be worked on by a mobile worker and attributes of each target object, including any tasks to be performed on target objects. A rule engine maps from a problem space for partitioned jobs and mobile workers to a solution to schedule jobs and mobile workers in selected different regions. The rule engine is operative to control the scheduling algorithm using heuristics comprising at least one of a tabu search, iterated local search, guided local search, and variable neighborhood search to focus a search space to regions for moving the schedules of high utility.
US08190456B2 Agreement method and system to consent to a prorated value of coupon of an interline E-ticket
An enhanced agreement method and system to consent to a prorated value of a coupon of an E-ticket corresponding to a multi-segment transport involving at least two carriers for the transportation.The invention is based on a new system architecture, which comprises on each carrier side synchronous connections between various modules amongst which an E-ticket Server, a proration module arranged for calculating coupon prorated value, the system enabling to exchange coupon prorated values between both carriers from E-ticket issuance and before coupon usage.Further, based on E-ticket information and said exchange of coupon prorated values, the invention is arranged to launch an agreement process before or at a time of providing the transportation service.Another aspect of the invention is that information on coupon prorated value is embodied within industry standard messages that are already exchanged in current processes.
US08190441B2 Playback of compressed media files without quantization gaps
Playback by a decoder of a lossy compressed digital media file without quantization gaps is disclosed. The digital media file can be formed of a number of audio samples grouped into a corresponding number of audio frames. As a method, one embodiment can be carried out by identifying an encoder used to compress the digital media file; obtaining an encoder delay value for the identified encoder; obtaining a decoder delay value for the decoder; determining a audio sample count corresponding to a last valid audio sample; setting a re-synchronization after seek option marker N audio frames from the last valid audio sample; and decoding valid audio samples using the encoder delay value, the decoder delay value, and the sample count corresponding to the last valid audio sample.
US08190435B2 System and methods for recognizing sound and music signals in high noise and distortion
A method for recognizing an audio sample locates an audio file that most closely matches the audio sample from a database indexing a large set of original recordings. Each indexed audio file is represented in the database index by a set of landmark timepoints and associated fingerprints. Landmarks occur at reproducible locations within the file, while fingerprints represent features of the signal at or near the landmark timepoints. To perform recognition, landmarks and fingerprints are computed for the unknown sample and used to retrieve matching fingerprints from the database. For each file containing matching fingerprints, the landmarks are compared with landmarks of the sample at which the same fingerprints were computed. If a large number of corresponding landmarks are linearly related, i.e., if equivalent fingerprints of the sample and retrieved file have the same time evolution, then the file is identified with the sample. The method can be used for any type of sound or music, and is particularly effective for audio signals subject to linear and nonlinear distortion such as background noise, compression artifacts, or transmission dropouts. The sample can be identified in a time proportional to the logarithm of the number of entries in the database; given sufficient computational power, recognition can be performed in nearly real time as the sound is being sampled.
US08190427B2 Compander which uses adaptive pre-emphasis filtering on the basis of linear prediction
A compressor device for a compander system has a level detecting/control device and a pre-emphasis device for carrying out an adaptive pre-emphasis filtering. The invention is also directed to an expander device for a compander system with a level detecting/control device and a de-emphasis device for carrying out an adaptive de-emphasis filtering.
US08190426B2 Spectral refinement system
An audio enhancement refines a short-time spectrum. The refinement may reduce overlap between audio sub-bands. The sub-bands are transformed into sub-band short-time spectra. A portion of the spectra are time-delayed. The sub-band short-time spectrum and the time-delayed portion are filtered to obtain a refined sub-band short-time spectrum. The refined spectrum improves audio processing.
US08190425B2 Complex cross-correlation parameters for multi-channel audio
An audio encoder encodes a combined channel (e.g., a sum channel) for a group of plural physical audio channels. The encoder determines plural parameters for representing individual physical channels of the group as modified versions of the encoded combined channel. The plural parameters comprise ratios of power in each individual channel to power in the combined channel (e.g., a ratio of the power of a right channel to the power of the combined channel, and a ratio of the power of the left channel to the power of the combined channel). The plural parameters can include a complex parameter. The combined channel and the plural parameters facilitate reconstruction at the audio decoder of source channels. An audio decoder performs a forward complex transform on the multi-channel audio data and reconstructs plural channels from the multi-channel audio data. The decoder can maintain second-order statistics for the source channels.
US08190421B2 Handheld electronic device including toggle of a selected data source, and associated method
A method for enabling input into a handheld electronic device having at least three selectable languages available thereon includes detecting a predetermined input a number of times and switching a selected language between one of the three selectable languages and another of the three selectable languages wherein the another language is an immediately preceding selected language.
US08190416B2 Computer network management
According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of identifying components of a computer infrastructure, comprising building a graph-based model of at least a part of the computer infrastructure, determining the presence within the built graph of a predetermined sub-graph, and where it is so determined identifying the sub-graph within the built graph.
US08190399B1 Hardware and software usage and capacity integration in architecture blueprint tool and process
A computer implemented method for creating architectural blueprints is provided. The method includes selecting a project, defining the project requirements, and selecting one or more parameters to be used to analyze the project. The method further includes importing the selected parameters, selecting proposed hardware and software combinations capable of meeting the project requirements, and displaying the ramifications of the selected hardware and software. The method also provides for generating architectural blueprints.
US08190397B2 Failure diagnosis apparatus for exhaust pressure sensor
A failure diagnosis apparatus for an exhaust pressure sensor for detecting the exhaust pressure in an exhaust gas recirculation passage which connects an exhaust passage and an intake passage of an internal combustion engine. A first preliminary determination that the exhaust pressure sensor is normal, is made when the engine is in a predetermined low load operating condition and a difference between the detected exhaust pressure and the atmospheric pressure is equal to or less than a first determination threshold value. A second preliminary determination that the exhaust pressure sensor is normal, is made when the engine is in a predetermined high load operating condition and the difference between the exhaust pressure detected by the exhaust pressure sensor and the atmospheric pressure is equal to or greater than a second determination threshold value. A final determination that the exhaust pressure sensor is normal, is made when both of the first and second preliminary determinations are made.
US08190395B2 Comparible diagnostics for renewable energy power systems
A computer processor implemented method of measuring, monitoring, comparing and diagnosing the power generated of at least two renewable power systems provided to at least two consumers and alerting at least one of consumers in the event of comparative underperformance, the method taking into account at least two diagnostic variables including weather and the renewable power system cover status (such as covered by snow), wherein the at least one data server determines comparative information for a predetermined geographic area based upon at least two diagnostic variables, and at least two normalized performances to provide a comparative value; and informing the consumer of the comparative value in the event of an underperforming comparative value.
US08190391B2 Determining die performance by incorporating neighboring die performance metrics
A method includes receiving a first set of parameters associated with a plurality of die. A first die performance metric associated with a selected die is determined based on the first set of parameters. At least one neighborhood die performance metric associated with a set comprised of a plurality of die that neighbor the selected die is determined based on the first set of parameters. A second die performance metric is determined for the selected die based on the first die performance metric and the neighborhood die performance metric.
US08190379B2 Verifying an accuracy of a state estimation
The present disclosure is concerned with the reduction of an operational security margin of a power system without jeopardizing the safety of the power system or incurring heavy investments. According to the disclosure, a check for basic accuracy or correctness of a conventional State Estimation (SE) procedure allows to increase a level of confidence in the results of the procedure. To this end, an accuracy of the estimated states is verified by comparing the latter with the results (y, y′) of independent phasor measurements performed at selected locations of the power system. Unless a discrepancy is reported by this comparison, the results of the SE can be assumed to be sufficiently accurate, and any conservative or additional security margin intended to compensate for SE uncertainty can be relaxed. Hence, established trustworthiness in the estimated states allows increasing the transmitted power where the estimated states do indicate such a possibility, i.e. in particular in fringe areas and/or transmission corridors between countries, and especially under stressed network conditions.
US08190376B2 System and method for source identification for a chemical release
A system for predicting a source location and release rate of a hazardous substance uses the basic knowledge of meteorological information (wind speed, direction, and stability) and two or more concentration measurements of the chemical released. Horizontal dispersion information obtained from surface meteorological data at sensor locations are used to narrow the search domain for the release location, reducing the computational cost. Each of the possible release locations in the search domain and possible release rates are evaluated in a process that predicts a concentration measurement at a sensor, based on a predicted location and release rate. The location and release rate that results in a least error when compared to an actual concentration measurement at the sensor are chosen as the source of the chemical and the release rate from the source.
US08190375B2 System and method for characterizing a chemical sample
A method for characterizing a sample containing at least one compound is disclosed. Initially, a three-dimensional set of data is generated through sample analysis using time resolved and mass resolved separation techniques. The data comprises at least one signal as a function of a mass variable over a first range of measurement and of a time variable over a second range of measurement. The first range of measurement is divided into at least two mass variable intervals, and for each mass variable interval, an extracted signal is selected which is a function of the time variable. The second range of measurement is divided into at least one time variable interval. A characteristic value is then selected for each time variable interval and each extracted signal to generate a characteristic sample profile, comprising one or more characteristic values as functions of respective time variable intervals and respective mass variable intervals.
US08190374B2 Method and device to detect therapeutic protein immunogenicity
The present invention consists of a time-temperature indicator device that has at least one parameter set to warn when a therapeutic protein drug has had a thermal history associated with increased risk of unwanted immunological activity. The indicator device is designed to remain with the drug as the drug travels throughout different links of the cold chain. In a preferred embodiment, the indicator device remains associated with the therapeutic protein from the time of manufacture up until the final few minutes before the drug is used. In alternate forms of the invention, additional parameters, including motion, light, color and turbidity may also be monitored. Novel methods for determining therapeutic protein time-temperature immunological risk parameters, and programming or adjusting the indicator device, are also disclosed.
US08190367B2 System and method for assessing and reducing air pollution by regulating airflow ventilation
Disclosed are means for monitoring the levels of air pollution in urban areas for the purpose of optimizing the conditions of airflow ventilation of buildings according to air pollution levels in their area. The invention supplies data in real time regarding local air pollution levels or relative levels, i.e. current air pollution levels in relation to previous ones. The disclosed system and method makes use of the fluctuations in air pollution levels in order to achieve optimal reduction of air pollution levels inside buildings. The system defines optimal times for ventilation in order to achieve a significant and persisting improvement of indoor air quality, in a routine manner, by using measurements of nondeterministic, continuous and effective fluctuations in air pollution levels at the surroundings of each building, specifically in locations which don't include monitoring stations.
US08190361B2 Navigation device and method using multi-route
A navigation device is provided. The device includes a driving state tracker for tracking a mobile driving state using a current mobile position and RGI (Route Guidance Information) data including driving information on multi-routes from the current mobile position to a destination, and outputting deviation information and the current mobile position when a mobile object is deviated from a route; and a re-routing unit for searching partial routes from a mobile deviation position to each of the multi-routes using the deviation information, the current mobile position and the driving information on the multi-routes, and re-routing a route to the destination using each of the partial routes.
US08190359B2 Situation-aware personal information management for a mobile device
A technique for providing a mobile device user with a “when to leave” alarm on his or her mobile device. The user has scheduled an appointment at a given time and location in the user's personal information manager (PIM) executing on the mobile device. A representative PIM is a calendar on the mobile device. The “when to leave” alarm is provided to the end user in the form of a display widget (or “countdown alarm”) that automatically activates a given time (e.g., 30 minutes) before a latest departure time for an event in the user's PIM.
US08190349B2 Control device of internal combustion engine
A control device of an internal combustion engine includes: an air-fuel ratio modulator, performing modulation of an air-fuel ratio of an exhaust which flows in an exhaust purifier provided in an exhaust system of the internal combustion engine; a fluctuation detector, detecting a fluctuation of the internal combustion engine due to the modulation of the air-fuel ratio performed by the air-fuel ratio modulator; a feed-back controller, performing feed-back control of a driving control parameter of the internal combustion engine so as to suppress the fluctuation detected by the fluctuation detector; a determiner, determining whether or not a driving state of the internal combustion engine is in an operating area of the feed-back controller; and an operator, setting a fluctuation suppression target value, which is a target value for suppressing the fluctuation of the internal combustion engine, to operate the feed-back controller based on the fluctuation suppression target value, when the determiner determines that the driving state of the internal combustion engine is not in the operating area of the feed-back controller, while the air-fuel modulator performs the modulation of the air-fuel ratio.
US08190335B2 Performance management system for multi-machine worksite
A performance management system for use a plurality of machines operating at a common worksite is disclosed. The performance management system may have at least one data acquisition module configured to monitor performance of the plurality of machines, and a controller in communication with the at least one data acquisition module. The controller may be configured to collect machine performance data from the at least one data acquisition module, and detect a performance irregularity based on the collected machine performance data. The controller may be further configured to analyze the collected machine performance data, and determine which of a machine condition, an operator condition, and a site condition is the predominant cause of the performance irregularity based on the comparison.
US08190326B2 On-vehicle apparatus and content providing method
The present invention is applied to, for example, a multimedia terminal having a function of navigation equipment and a function of playing back video and switches a display from a map display to a source display also with source switching operators 13P, 13R. In addition, menus of upper and lower hierarchies are simultaneously displayed to accept operations through a touch panel and a remote commander. In addition to a press-operable main rotary operator, a press-operable sub rotary operator is provided on a side surface. Among operations accepted through the main rotary operator, only a specific operation relating to content processing is accepted through the sub rotary operator.
US08190323B2 Vehicle information recording system
A vehicle information recording system has an ECU and the like to detect an abnormal event that occurs on the vehicle, a vehicle state determination unit to determine a vehicle state including at least one of a running state and a running environment of the vehicle based on an output value and a threshold of a sensor and a switch provided in various parts of the vehicle, and a memory unit to record a vehicle state when an abnormal event is detected, which is determined by the vehicle state determination unit, and a duration time of the vehicle state determined by the vehicle state determination unit from when the output value exceeds the threshold to when the abnormal event is detected.
US08190321B2 Electronic control unit with permission switching
An electronic control unit installed in a vehicle performs diagnosis of plural diagnosis objects based on sensor signals, and stores diagnosis results that indicate abnormality of the diagnosis objects in a DTC storage area only when the DTC storage area does not store data having an initial value. The data in the DTC storage area is, in other words, rewritten to different values from the initial value for allowing storage of DTCs when the electronic control unit determines that all of the diagnosis objects are in a normal condition with no indication of abnormality after performing diagnosis, thereby making it possible to exclusively prevent useless abnormality information detected during a vehicle manufacturing process from being stored in an rewritable non-volatile memory.
US08190317B2 Mode change control method of hybrid vehicle
The present invention provides a mode change control method of a hybrid vehicle, which can improve driving performance and power performance and provide a more stable vehicle behavior control during a mode change from an EV mode to a HEV mode. For this purpose, a transmission input speed is compared with an engine idle speed. If the transmission input speed is lower than the engine idle speed, the pressure of a clutch is open-loop controlled so that an optimal engine torque of operation point determination circuit can be transferred to the clutch. On the other hand, if the transmission input speed is equal to or higher than the engine idle speed, the clutch pressure is feedback-controlled so that a delta RPM follows a target delta RPM profile.
US08190315B2 System, method and computer readable media for operating a distributed power train
An embodiment of the invention for conducting a distributed power train operation, comprises a controller at the remote unit for issuing commands to control the operation of the remote unit on a track, and responsive to a communication loss between the lead unit and the remote unit. A memory, accessible by the controller, comprises data relative to a track profile including a plurality of geographical coordinates of the track and data relative to one or more throttle positions or braking operations for the remote unit that are associated with the geographical coordinates. The controller receives data relative to geographical coordinates of the remote unit and upon a detection of the communication loss, the controller compares the geographical coordinates of the remote unit to the track profile geographical coordinates and issues one more commands associated with the operation of the remote unit.
US08190309B2 Method and device for detecting a lateral dissymmetry of an aircraft
Disclosed is a method and device for detecting lateral dissymmetry of an aircraft. A control parameter determination unit is used to determine a current value of a control parameter representative of all roll control surfaces of the aircraft, and a control parameter comparison unit is used to compare the determined current value with a predetermined reference value. A current deflection angle of a lateral stick of the aircraft is also determined, and the determined current deflection angle is compared with a predetermined angle value. A visual alarm signal is output, when the current value of the roll control surfaces of the aircraft is greater than a predetermined reference value and the lateral stick is at a deflection angle that is greater than a predetermined angle value.
US08190294B2 Detection of condition changes in an industrial robot system
A method and an apparatus for detecting condition changes in a robot system. The method includes logging a work cycle representative signal at a first and a second occasion, logging, synchronously with the logging of the work cycle representative signal, a reference signal associated with work cycles at the first and second occasions, selecting the reference signal from signals having the following characteristics: a signal influenced by the path performed by the robot, a signal calculated by the robot system, and a signal that is identical at both the occasions if a manipulator of the robot performs a movement along exactly the same path at the first and second occasions, synchronizing the representative signals utilizing the logged reference signals, and comparing the synchronized signals to determine if any condition changes have occurred between the first and second occasions.
US08190291B2 Automated vending of products containing controlled substances
The present invention provides for devices and methods for vending regulated products, particularly controlled substances, including those containing pseudoephedrine. The present invention allows for the identification of consumers through reliable log-in-procedures, allows the consumer to select items, validates whether the purchase request complies with regulations, to facilitate the delivery of the requested product to a consumer. Other embodiments include a vending machine that is placed into a retail environment in which software enforces validation of the purchasers' identities, limits the amount of pseudoephedrine for each purchaser within the regulations of local, state and federal agencies.This invention reduces the resources which must be expended in retail locations to comply with regulatory agencies, to implement effective counter measures against illegal purchases of regulated and controlled substances, and to ensure the effective limitation of these substances within reasonable limits required for normal consumption.
US08190285B2 Feedback for polishing rate correction in chemical mechanical polishing
A substrate having a plurality of zones is polished and spectra are measured. For each zone, a first linear function fits a sequence of index values associated with reference spectra that best match the measured spectra. A projected time at which a reference zone will reach the target index value is determined based on the first linear function, and for at least one adjustable zone, a polishing parameter adjustment is calculated such that the adjustable zone has closer to the target index at the projected time than without such adjustment. The adjustment is calculated based on a feedback error calculated for a previous substrate. The feedback error for a subsequent substrate is calculated based on a second linear function that fits a sequence of index values associated with reference spectra that best match spectra measured after the polishing parameter is adjusted.
US08190282B2 Work management apparatus, picking carriage, work performance collection system, rework measurement system, workability management system, rework measurement measuring method, work performance collection method, workability management method and workability management program
The invention aims at providing a work performance collection system for reliably collecting information of work performance without applying a burden to a worker in assembly of a work object article. This system includes a work specification ID tag into which information for specifying a work content of a work object article is written, a work management box having a throw-in port into which the work specification ID tag is thrown at the time of work, and an ID tag reader provided to a side surface of the work management box, for reading the work specification ID tag and transmitting the information read to a work performance management apparatus. A worker is required to only throw the work specification ID tag into the work management box at the start of work and to only take out the work specification ID tag at the end of work.
US08190281B2 Substrate processing apparatus, method for examining substrate processing conditions, and storage medium
A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate processing unit for performing a process on substrates; a recipe protection unit for prohibiting processing conditions for the process from being changed while the process is being performed on a specific number of substrates; a protection cancellation unit for canceling a prohibition of a change in the process to allow the processing conditions to be changed while the process is being performed on the specific number of substrates; and a modifying unit for modifying the processing conditions. Further, a method for examining substrate processing conditions includes a protection cancellation step of canceling a prohibition of a change in the process to allow the processing conditions to be changed while the process is being performed on the specific number of substrates; and a modifying step of modifying the processing conditions.
US08190276B2 Method and apparatus for controlling temperature variations in a computer system
Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that controls a temperature variation in a computer system. First, a performance parameter of the computer system is monitored. Next, a future temperature of the computer system is predicted based on the performance parameter. Then, a pitch of one or more blades in a cooling device in the computer system is adjusted based on the future temperature to control the temperature variation in the computer system.
US08190271B2 Minimizing trauma during and after insertion of a cochlear lead
A method for delivering dexamethasone base (DXMb) via an implantable electrode includes coupling DXMb to the implantable electrode and inserting the implantable electrode into animal tissue, the DXMb eluting into the animal tissue. An implantable nerve stimulating device includes an elongated member having a distal end bearing at least one electrode; and DXMb coupled to the elongated member, the DXMb being eluted into tissue surrounding the elongated member.
US08190251B2 Method and apparatus for the treatment of movement disorders
A method, apparatus, and system for treating patients suffering from movement disorders having the ability to determine one or more biomarkers indicative of a disease state. In some embodiments, the biomarker may be used as a closed-loop feedback signal to control the delivery of therapy (such as electrical stimulation or drug therapy), and which may also be used as an indication of therapy effectiveness. One embodiment uses electrodes placed in the brain to measure EEG or local field potential (LFP) signals, from which the one or more biomarkers may be determined.
US08190248B2 Medical devices for the detection, prevention and/or treatment of neurological disorders, and methods related thereto
Disclosed are devices and methods for detecting, preventing, and/or treating neurological disorders. These devices and methods utilize electrical stimulation, and comprise a unique concentric ring electrode component. The disclosed methods involve the positioning of multiple electrodes on the scalp of a mammal; monitoring the mammal's brain electrical patterns to identify the onset of a neurological event; identifying the location of the brain electrical patterns indicative of neurological event; and applying transcutaneous or transcranial electrical stimulation to the location of the neurological event to beneficially modify brain electrical patterns. The disclosed methods may be useful in the detection, prevention, and/or treatment of a variety of indications, such as epilepsy, Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease, depression, bipolar disorder, phobia, schizophrenia, multiple personality disorder, migraine or headache, concussion, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, eating disorder, substance abuse, and anxiety. The disclosed methods may also be used in combination with other peripheral stimulation techniques.
US08190245B2 Optical tomography system using short-pulse laser for early cancer diagnostics
Time-resolved optical tomography systems using a short pulse laser, may be used in detection and treatment of cancer and tumors. Information is conveyed about tissue interior by the temporal variation of the observed scattered, and reflected measured when short-pulse lasers interact with scattering-absorbing media like tissue. Multiple scattering-induced temporal signature that persists for time periods greater than the duration of the source pulse and is a function of the source pulse width, the scattering and absorbing properties of the medium, and the location in the medium where the properties undergo changes. If the detection is carried out on the same short time scale (comparable to the order of the pulse width), the signal continues to be observed even for long durations after the pulse has been off due to the time taken for the photons to migrate to the detector after multiple scattering in the tissue media.
US08190242B2 Portable laser synthesizer for high-speed multi-dimensional spectroscopy
Portable, field-deployable laser synthesizer devices designed for multi-dimensional spectrometry and time-resolved and/or hyperspectral imaging include a coherent light source which simultaneously produces a very broad, energetic, discrete spectrum spanning through or within the ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared wavelengths. The light output is spectrally resolved and each wavelength is delayed with respect to each other. A probe enables light delivery to a target. For multidimensional spectroscopy applications, the probe can collect the resulting emission and deliver this radiation to a time gated spectrometer for temporal and spectral analysis.
US08190233B2 System for delivering conformal radiation therapy while simultaneously imaging soft tissue
A device and a process for performing high temporal- and spatial-resolution MR imaging of the anatomy of a patient during intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to directly measure and control the highly conformal ionizing radiation dose delivered to the patient for the treatment of diseases caused by proliferative tissue disorders. This invention combines the technologies of open MRI, multileaf-collimator or compensating filter-based IMRT delivery, and cobalt teletherapy into a single co-registered and gantry mounted system.
US08190231B2 Lymph node detecting apparatus
A sentinel lymph node detecting apparatus 1 includes: an excitation light source unit 2 that illuminates an excitation light 10 onto a living body observation portion 20 including a sentinel lymph node 21 near a tumor into which a fluorescent dye that emits fluorescence is injected; an optical filter 3 that transmits a fluorescence image 11; an image pickup device 4 that is integral with excitation light source unit 2 and picks up fluorescence image 11 transmitted through optical filter 3; an adjusting device 5 that adjusts the picked-up observation image; and an image displaying device 6 that displays the adjusted observation image. Adjusting device 5 adjusts at least one of a luminance and a contrast of the observation image. A lymph node detecting apparatus that is simple in apparatus arrangement, is easy to handle, and enables good images to be obtained is thereby realized.
US08190218B2 Foldable handheld device
A foldable handheld device is disclosed, which includes a first casing, a second casing, a connecting mechanism for connecting the first casing to the second casing, and an elastic piece disposed on the first casing. The second casing has a support surface and a curved surface connecting to the support surface, wherein the curved surface has a concave portion. An end of the elastic piece has a protrusion disposed thereon, wherein the protrusion is kept touching the second casing when the second casing is rotated related to the first casing along a rotating axle.
US08190203B2 Wireless earphone that transitions between wireless networks
A wireless earphone that comprises a transceiver circuit for receiving streaming audio from a data source over a local ad hoc wireless network. When the data source and the earphone are out of range, they transition automatically to an infrastructure wireless network. If there is no common infrastructure wireless network for both the data source and the speakerphone set, the earphone connects to a host server via an available wireless network.
US08190201B2 Verifying and identifying incoming PBX calls on mobile devices
Aspects relate to provision of enterprise call capabilities to mobile devices. For example, a mobile device can indicate, over a data channel, that a PBX is to make a call on its behalf to a called party. The PBX can call back the mobile device, call the called party, and bridge those call legs to establish the call. The mobile device can employ mechanisms that a particular incoming call is made by the PBX. These mechanisms can include using ANI information, sending, and receiving audible verification codes over the voice channel established after answering the incoming call. The verification codes can be selected based on different behaviors of the mobile devices and the network or networks used by the device(s).
US08190195B2 System and method for data correlation and mobile terminal therefor
The invention relates to a system for data correlation, having: a receiving device 1 having an image acquisition element 10 and a data set generator 12 for generating at least one object data set from at least one acquired first image, which represents a physical object, and an identification label, which uniquely determines an object-related acquisition procedure, and at least one information data set from at least one acquired second image, which represents coded information related to the physical object, and the identification label; a correlation device 2 for the extraction 20 of the coded information from the information data set, for the semantic analysis 22 of the extracted information, and for the generation of at least one combination data sets ε from the results of the semantic analysis, the extracted information, and the at least one object data set with the same identification label as the extracted information data set; and a user device 3 for the storage and further use of the combination data set.
US08190185B2 Method and system for decoding SACCH control channels in GSM-based systems with partial combining
Methods and systems for signal processing are disclosed herein and may include storing bit sequences for a plurality of previously received control channels. A bit sequence for a currently received control channel may be correlated with at least one of the bit sequences for the plurality of previously received control channels. One of the bit sequences for the plurality of previously received control channels may be selected to represent the bit sequence for the currently received control channel, based on the correlating. The selected one of the stored bit sequences for the plurality of previously received control channels may include a maximum correlation. The maximum correlation may be higher than a threshold value. The bit sequence for the currently received control channel may include slow associated control channel information. The bit sequence for the currently received control channel may be decoded using Viterbi decoder and/or fire code decoder.
US08190183B2 System and method for differentiating between incoming and outgoing messages and identifying correspondents in a TTY communication
A method and system are provided that examine incoming and outgoing TTY transmissions to determine an identifier for distinguishing between correspondents in a TTY call. The system may utilize contact information associated with an incoming or outgoing call to provide visual distinctions, and/or flow control, to the text from each party as it is displayed on a TTY device.
US08190179B2 System and method for handling special number calls using text message format with automatic location function
A system for treating special number calls placed from a calling instrument using a text messaging format; the system including: a plurality of message handling units configured in at least one communication network accessible by the calling instrument. At least one selected message handling unit operates to recognize an extant call placed using a special number from the calling instrument in a first the text messaging format. The message handling units cooperate to effect conveying a response communication to the calling instrument when the extant call is detected. The response communication alerts a user of the calling instrument to a return communication conveyed via a return communication channel supporting at least one locating function. The calling instrument employs the locating function to provide a substantially pinpoint geographic location of the calling instrument to at least one receiving message handling unit via the return communication channel.
US08190168B2 Enhanced scheduling techniques for wireless communication networks
An enhanced beamforming with interference nulling method is an improvement over prior art beamforming with interference nulling techniques. The enhanced method includes two scheduling schemes that allow all base stations to schedule their cell edge users independently and determine the information exchange among base stations over the backbone that is needed to support the scheduling activity. The method uses grouping information to perform distributed scheduling among base stations to schedule downlink transmission to cell edge users, while reducing interference to cell edge users served by neighboring base stations. The enhanced method demonstrates the base station-to-base station coordination and information exchange that is needed to enable independent base station scheduling of their cell edge users.
US08190159B2 Mobile terminal, server, and communication system
A mobile terminal is configured to perform a hard handover process to switch a base station to which the mobile terminal is connected from among a plurality of base stations and to perform wireless communication with the base station to which the mobile terminal is connected. A terminal-side counting section is configured to perform a counting process for counting time until a session established for wireless communication with the base station is timed out. A terminal-side application processing section is configured to perform a predetermined application process for the mobile terminal. A start signal transmitting section is configured to transmit a handover start signal indicating the start of the hard handover process. An end signal transmitting section is configured to transmit a handover end signal indicating the end of the hard handover process. A terminal-side counting process controlling section controls the progress of the counting process by the terminal-side counting section such that the timeout does not occur during a period from receiving the handover start signal to receiving the handover end signal. The terminal-side application process controlling section interrupts the application process by the terminal-side application processing section during the period.
US08190151B2 Roaming gateway enabling location based services (LBS) roaming for user plane in CDMA networks without requiring use of a mobile positioning center (MPC)
LBS support to CDMA mobiles while roaming on another network. IS-801 session data is routed by a routing gateway to a correct visited network PDE that contains correct BSA data, which is used to return assistance data to an interrogating mobile device. A standalone exemplary roaming LBS routing gateway (XRG) provides network connectivity between PDE equipment in multiple carrier networks. Conventional LBS roaming support is defined via the use of Mobile Position Centers (MPCs). The invention implements a roaming LBS gateway to enable roaming between CDMA carriers that are only using a PDE (Positioning Determining Entity) for this purpose, since a mobile position center (MPC) is typically an optional network node according to location based services (LBS) specifications.
US08190145B2 Apparatus and method for mobile station-assisted optimization of a wireless network
A radio frequency (RF) coverage server for use in a wireless network comprising base stations that communicate with mobile stations located in a coverage area of the wireless network. The RF coverage server receives from the mobile stations geographic location data indicating positions of the mobile stations when communication links to the wireless network were dropped. The RF coverage server identifies areas of good RF coverage and areas of poor RF coverage in the wireless network. The RF coverage server also identifies a first one of the mobile stations that frequently drops communication links to the wireless network when the first mobile station is disposed in the good RF coverage areas.
US08190134B2 Technique for displaying information ancillary to a location of an entity in a communication network
A technique for displaying information ancillary to an entity's location. A request for information ancillary to the location of a communication unit in a communication network is generated by the communication unit wherein the request contains a location of the communication unit as well as specifies the information ancillary to the communication unit's location that is sought. The request is forwarded to an information server in the communication network which may be a “trusted source” meaning that the communication unit considers the information server a reliable (trustworthy) source of information. The information server receives the request and identifies the requested information using the location information contained in the request. A response (notification) containing the identified information is then generated by the information server and forwarded to the communication unit. The communication unit receives the notification and processes it accordingly, including displaying the identified information in a manner that indicates the requested information is available. If the requested information is not available, the communication unit provides a display indicating the information is not available.
US08190128B1 Covert and non-covert mode communication
A method and system are described for operating a source communication device. The source communication device receives a first request from a user through a user interface requesting a first communication session with a target communication device. The source communication device transfers a first signal to a network requesting the first communication session with the target communication device, wherein the target communication device provides an overt communication alert for the first communication session. The source communication device receives a second request from the user requesting a second communication session requesting that the target communication device provide a covert communication alert for the second communication session. The source communication device transfers a second signal to the network requesting the second communication session with the target communication device and indicating the request for the covert communication alert, wherein the target communication device provides the covert communication alert for the second communication session.
US08190124B2 Authentication in a roaming environment
Methods and systems are provided that authenticate an intended user of a mobile client in a roaming environment. One embodiment of the invention provides a mobile communication network architecture that includes a first base station (e.g., a first base station controller and/or a first transceiver station), a second base station (e.g., a second base station controller and/or a second transceiver station), a mobile client, and a server coupled to the mobile client via either the first base station controller or the second base station. The first base station is coupled to an authentication center that authenticates an intended user so that the user can communicate a message between the mobile client and the server via the first base station. A credential (or status) of the authentication made at the authentication center is then transmitted from the first base station to the second base station when the mobile client moves to utilize the second base station to communicate with the server.
US08190106B2 Base station control apparatus and base station control method
There is provided a base station control apparatus and a base station control method in which a frame is segmented in a situation in which interference may occur. A BS controller divides and controls a base station into three sectors and controls communications with terminal stations (TSs). A control unit determines whether or not the TS is in at least any of a state in which the TS is interfered within a certain sector by any other sector and a state in which the TS is located in a boundary between a plurality of sectors, and segments a communication frame for a TS which is determined as being in at least any of a state in which the TS is interfered within a certain sector by any other sector and a state in which the TS is located in a boundary between a plurality of sectors.
US08190105B2 Modulation mode switching type communication device and modulation mode switching method
To adaptively switch a modulation mode according to an operation form of quality-priority and capacity-priority in a multi-value applicable radio device having an active/standby configuration. The comparison unit 28a compares a reception monitoring signal c1 of an active transmission line with a lower-limit threshold LS and an upper-limit threshold HS, while the comparison unit 28b compares a reception monitoring signal c2 of a standby transmission line with the lower-limit threshold and the upper-limit threshold. Then, they output their respective results to a determination unit 28c. The determination unit 28c has therein a low-level flag and a high-level flag that are set/reset based on comparison results in the comparison units 28a and 28b. Conditions for the set/reset are different depending on the operation form. The determination unit 28c determines a modulation mode based on comparison results in the comparison units 28a and 28b and the states of the low-level flags and high-level flags, and outputs modulation mode switching control information e1 and e2.
US08190102B2 Programmable antenna with configuration control and methods for use therewith
An antenna configuration controller configures a programmable antenna via a configuration procedure. The configuration procedure includes evaluating first candidate antenna configurations, based on quality data corresponding to each configuration. A selected antenna configuration is identified when the quality data corresponding to the selected antenna configuration compares favorably to a quality threshold. A first proper subset of the first candidate antenna configurations is selected when the quality data corresponding to the first candidate antenna configurations compares unfavorably to the quality threshold; and second candidate antenna configurations are generated, based on the first proper subset. The second candidate antenna configurations are evaluated, based on the quality data corresponding to each of the configurations; and a selected antenna configuration is identified from the second candidate antenna configurations, when the quality data corresponding to the selected antenna configuration compares favorably to the quality threshold.
US08190099B2 Switch-less bidirectional amplifier
A bi-directional amplifier, transceiver, integrated circuit, mobile unit, telecommunication infrastructure for amplification of signals received or signals to be transmitted in a communication circuit and a method for bi-directional amplification comprising amplifying signals in a bi-directional amplifier and directing a signal between two or more different paths comprising at least one first biased semiconductor amplification element coupled to a at least one first impedance matching network, at least one second biased semiconductor amplification element coupled to a second impedance matching network, a first device for biasing the at least one first biased semiconductor amplification element and a second device for biasing the at least one second biased semiconductor amplification element where the direction of signal amplification in said bi-directional amplifier is controlled by the first or second device for biasing the at least one first or second biased semiconductor amplification element.
US08190097B2 Systems, methods, and computer program products for determining performance of portable electronic devices
A link performance analysis (LPA) system is provided for multi-path radio frequency (RF) testing. The LPA system includes a shielded chamber and an antenna positioned in the chamber. A rotating turntable is positioned in the chamber and spaced apart from the antenna. A rotating screen is positioned in the chamber between the antenna and the rotating turntable. A plurality of stationary screens are spaced apart from and surrounding the rotating turntable. Related methods and computer program products are also provided.
US08190089B2 Bluetooth unit of mounting type
A mounting type Bluetooth unit is provided, which can lengthen the life span of a battery. The mounting type Bluetooth unit is fixedly installed in the interior of a vehicle and is provided with a casing body that packages a circuit board having a controller with control logic for performing Bluetooth communication with a Bluetooth device of a portable phone. The controller further includes a human body sensor as a control switch of operation logic. Also, the controller further includes a logic for sensing a driver's getting into/out of the vehicle in accordance with existence/nonexistence of a sensing signal of the human body sensor and controlling the operation of the Bluetooth unit in a sleep/awake or power-on/off state to cancel pairing with the Bluetooth device in a non-use state.
US08190088B1 Optimally controlling short-range wireless communication on mobile communication devices
The short-range wireless communication on a mobile communication device is optimized to balance between preserving battery power and processing urgent data without delay. A wireless access schedule identifying time periods during which the mobile communication device is assumed to have access to short-range wireless communication is created or provided. Data to be transmitted or received by the mobile communication device is classified as being urgent or non-urgent. When data is to be transmitted or received by the mobile communication device, the transmission or receipt of the data is managed according to 1) whether or not the data is urgent, and 2) whether the current time is within a time period during which the mobile communication device is assumed to have access to short-range wireless communication.
US08190086B2 Transmission method, interface circuit, semiconductor device, semiconductor package, semiconductor module and memory module
An interface circuit, which uses electromagnetic induction to perform a signal transmission, comprises a transmission coil and a transmission circuit that provides a signal to the transmission coil, thereby causing the transmission coil to output a triangular or roughly triangular magnetic field signal.
US08190082B2 Playing digital content from satellite radio media based on taste profiles
A portable content-playing device which automatically constructs a virtual channel of content consistent with the tastes of the user of the device, where the content originates from one or more satellites. The portable device contains software for computing similarity values between a local taste profile (representative of the songs tastes of the user of the device) by making use of downloaded pattern-matching technology representing each song, and this information is used in choosing the content of the virtual channel.
US08190081B2 Broadcast receiver and method of processing data
A broadcast receiver and a method of processing data are disclosed. The broadcast receiver includes a signal receiving unit, a transmission parameter detector, a block decoder, a storage unit, and a data manager. The signal receiving unit receives a broadcast signal multiplexed mobile broadcast service data including two-way contents and main broadcast service data. The transmission parameter detector detects the transmission parameter. The block decoder symbol-decodes the received broadcast signal included in the mobile broadcast service data in block units, based upon the detected transmission parameter. The storage unit stores the decoded two-way contents. The data manager reads a requested two-way contents from the stored two-way contents with respect to a user's select signal, and provides the requested two-way contents service.
US08190079B2 Image forming apparatus, print control method, and computer product
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a conveyor unit, a printing unit, a data acquiring unit, and a control unit. The image forming unit forms an image based on image data. The conveyor unit conveys a transfer medium onto which the image is to be transferred. The printing unit prints the image onto the transfer medium. The data acquiring unit acquires the image data. The control unit controls the conveyor unit, the printing unit, and the data acquiring unit. The control unit controls the conveyor unit not to feed a transfer medium from a feed tray to the printing unit when a command for printing a second side by double-sided printing is not detected within a predetermined time after detecting a command for printing a first side by double-sided printing.
US08190078B2 Toner conveyance device and image forming apparatus incorporating same
In a toner conveyance device, a first agitator contacts a helical outer circumferential surface of a blade of a conveyance member for conveying toner, and swings in coordination with rotation of the conveyance member to agitate the toner. The first agitator includes a body for bending and swinging in a bending direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the conveyance member, and a protrusion for protruding from the body in a protrusion direction opposite the bending direction of the body. The protrusion includes a basal portion adjacent to the body, a convex portion protruding from the basal portion, and a protrusion front edge surface having a distance from the body changing in a toner conveyance direction, and contacts the helical outer circumferential surface of the helical blade of the conveyance member.
US08190077B2 Cleaning device and image forming apparatus
A cleaning device 20 for removing a toner remaining on an image bearing member 5A after transfer, including: a polarity control member 23 configured to unify polarities of the remaining toner on the image bearing member 5A, a cleaning member 25 configured to remove the remaining toner having a polarity unified by the polarity control member 23, a collecting member 24 configured to collect the remaining toner transferred to the cleaning member 25, a blade 26 configured to remove the remaining toner from the collecting member 24, and a brush roller 21 configured to sweep the remaining toner on the image bearing member 5A and inject charge, disposed upstream of the polarity control member 23 in the traveling direction of the image bearing member 5A.
US08190070B2 Toner cartridge and image forming apparatus including the toner cartridge
A toner cartridge for containing toner is provided with a lever for operating the toner cartridge, and a cover partly surrounding the lever. The cover forms an uncovering area where the lever is not covered, and a user can access the lever through the uncovering area.
US08190066B2 Developing unit
A developing unit includes a developer cartridge having an outside frame and an inside frame that has a first opening. The first opening is movable between a first opening position where the first opening is opened and a first closing position where the first opening is closed by the outside frame. The developing unit further includes a first seal disposed around the first opening on the inside frame, a housing that includes a cartridge holding part for holding the developer cartridge and is capable of holding a developer holding member, and a capturing member which is provided on the cartridge holding part. The capturing member has a developer capturing force greater than that of the first seal, and is slide contactable with the first seal when the inside frame moves from the first opening position to the first closing position.
US08190051B2 Cleaning device for intermediate transferring member and image-forming apparatus equipped with the same
A cleaning device for an intermediate transferring member, comprising: a first cleaning roller that is placed so as to rotate while being made in contact with a surface of the intermediate transferring member; a first bias-applying device that applies a bias voltage to the first cleaning roller; a second cleaning roller that is placed so as to rotate while being made in contact with the surface of the intermediate transferring member on a downstream side from the first cleaning roller in a surface-moving direction of the intermediate transferring member; and a second bias-applying device that applies a bias voltage having a polarity different from that of the bias voltage applied by the first bias-applying device to the second cleaning roller, wherein the first cleaning roller is a brush roller, and the second cleaning roller is a foam roller having a foam layer on a surface thereof, with a cell wall face in the foam layer having an opening ratio in a range of 3% or more to 50% or less, and an image-forming apparatus equipped with said cleaning device for an intermediate transferring member.
US08190048B2 Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of functions including a function of executing an operation involving use of a consumable, a selecting unit that selects one function from the plurality of functions, a detector that detects a remaining level of the consumable and a controller. The controller is operable to switch displayed contents to information corresponding to the one function when the one function is selected, instruct execution of an operation corresponding to the changed displayed information, display a warning indication when the remaining level of the consumable is not more than a predetermined level, determine whether the selected one function is the function of executing the operation involving use of the consumable, and inhibit the switching the displayed contents when one function is selected and is determined to be the function of executing the operation involving use of the consumable while the warning indication is displayed.
US08190047B2 Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus comprises a fixing part for fixing a toner image on a transfer material to the transfer material, a conveying part provided on the downstream side of the fixing part, a correcting member provided in a conveyance path leading from the fixing part to the conveying part, for correcting a curl of the transfer material, and a control part for controlling an upstream-side conveyance speed which is a conveyance speed at which the fixing part provided on the upstream side of the correcting member conveys the transfer material and a downstream-side conveyance speed which is a conveyance speed at which the conveying part provided on the downstream side of the correcting member conveys the transfer material. In printing of a first surface in a double-sided printing mode, the control part sets the downstream-side conveyance speed to be larger than the upstream-side conveyance speed. In printing of a second surface in the double-sided printing mode, the control part sets the upstream-side conveyance speed and the downstream-side conveyance speed so that a difference between the upstream-side conveyance speed and the downstream-side conveyance speed is smaller than a difference between the upstream-side conveyance speed and the downstream-side conveyance speed in printing of the first surface.
US08190046B2 Image forming apparatus employing fixing device and control method therefor
An image forming apparatus includes a controller, a database, an image carrier, a transfer unit, a fixing device including a temperature detector and a first drive device, a speed changer, and an electric-current detector. The controller calculates a toner adhesion amount of a recording medium, identifies a type of the recording medium, detects a temperature of the fixing device, determines a moisture content of the recording medium, calculates a reaction force of the recording medium, calculates a toner adhesion force, compares the reaction force and the toner adhesion force, determines a fixing nip angle, drives the first drive device to set the fixing device to the fixing nip angle, determines a target feed speed of the recording medium, and drives the speed changer to change a feed speed of the recording medium to match the target speed.
US08190045B2 Developing device and image forming apparatus
A developing including a developer replenishing tank for replenishing a replenishment developer to a developer tank; a toner concentration detecting sensor; a discharging mechanism for discharging an excessive amount of the developer-tank-contained developer outside the developer tank when the amount of the developer-tank-contained developer inside the developer tank exceeds a predetermined amount; and control unit having a memory for storing the current toner concentration inside the developer tank, the reference toner concentration inside the developer tank, a corrected reference toner concentration calculated according to the formula of (the current toner concentration —a correction value), a predetermined replenishment amount to the developer tank and an allowable value for the current toner concentration with respect to the reference toner concentration, and a computer for calculating the corrected reference toner concentration and comparing the current toner concentration with the reference toner concentration and the corrected reference toner concentration.
US08190044B2 Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing an electrostatic latent image; a developing device including a developer carrying member for carrying a developer and developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member, and a supplying member for contacting to the developer carrying member to supply the developer to the developer carrying member; and a control device for controlling Vdr and Vrs such that Vrs relative to Vdr increases in a direction of a polarity which is the same as a polarity of the developer with the decrease of an absolute value S, where S is a difference between a peripheral speed Sopc of a surface of the image bearing member and a peripheral speed Sdr of the surface of the developer carrying member, Vrs is a voltage applied to the supplying member, and Vdr is a voltage applied to the developer carrying member.
US08190038B2 Image formation apparatus capable of reducing the number of output signal lines
In the image formation apparatus according to the present invention, a plurality of detection sections outputs binary signals to a detection identification control section, and an image formation control section for control of periphery of the engine of the apparatus outputs a detection section identifying signal and a detection section period signal to the detection identification control section. Also, the detection identification control section outputs a detection result of the detection sections as detection data to a control board. A plurality of driver sections are connected to a driver identification control section via a data line through which driving signals for driving a section to be driven are transmitted. Accordingly, the present invention provides a versatile image formation apparatus with a reduced number of output lines which can deal with a change of image formation system without increasing the number of signal lines.
US08190034B2 Optical receiver applicable to GPON system
An optical receiver is disclosed, in which no additional photodiode to monitor the optical input level and no temperature control unit are necessary. The receiver of the invention provides an avalanche photodiode (APD) to receiver the first optical signal with the first wavelength and a PIN-PD to receive the second optical signal with the second wavelength. The optical input level for the APD is indirectly determined through the photocurrent generated by the PIN-PD and the bias voltage for the APD is so adjusted that the APD shows an optimum multiplication factor for the optical input level.
US08190033B2 Wavelength drift detecting apparatus, wavelength locking system and method
An apparatus for detecting wavelength drift and a system and method for locking wavelengths are disclosed herein so that multiple optical modules can share a wavelength locking apparatus without any wavelength selecting module. The output signals of only one optical module are scrambled at a time, and the identifier information carried in the optical signals output by different optical modules is the same, for example, the same frequency is applied to scrambling of every optical signal. Therefore, the scrambling apparatus is simplified, and the interference between scrambling signals is eliminated. Because no mechanical or electrical apparatus is used for controlling the wavelength switching, the cost is reduced, the locking speed is increased, the accuracy of signal processing is improved, and the precision of wavelength locking is enhanced.
US08190030B2 Single aperture multiple optical waveguide transceiver
A single-aperture, multi-axial transceiver is provided that is particularly useful in a LIDAR system for detecting low velocities at increased ranges. The system is particularly useful in systems that are required to measure very low velocities and very short distances as well as to provide an operating range of hundreds of meters. The transceiver uses closely spaced waveguides placed near the focal point of a single objective 8 to form input and detector apertures. Preferably the input and detector apertures are spaced from each other by less than about 80 μm. In an embodiment using light with a wavelength of 1550 nm, the spacing is preferably about 30 μm.
US08190028B2 Method and apparatus for treating a received signal to present a resulting signal with improved signal accuracy
A signal treating apparatus for presenting an output signal representing an input signal over a signal range includes: (a) an input section receiving the input signal and presenting a first filtered signal limited to a first bandwidth at a first circuit locus; the input section presenting a second filtered signal limited to a second bandwidth at a second circuit locus; (b) an amplifying unit receiving the first filtered signal and presenting an increased gain signal at an amplifier output locus; (c) a detector coupled with the amplifier output locus and presenting third bandwidth-limited signal limited to a third bandwidth less than the first bandwidth at a third circuit locus; and (d) a combining section coupled with the second and third circuit loci and presenting a resulting signal related with the second filtered signal and the third filtered signal; said resultant signal being said output signal.
US08190026B2 Gigabit passive optical network transmission convergence extension for next generation access
An apparatus including a data framer and an optical transmitter. The data framer is used to frame a data stream into a plurality of frames, each of the frames includes a plurality of fields sized to align the frames with a word boundary greater than or equal to four bytes long. The optical transmitter is coupled to the data framer and is used to transmit the frames. Included is an apparatus with at least one component for implementing a method for encapsulating a data stream with at least one Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) Encapsulation Method (GEM) payload aligned with a word boundary of at least four bytes long, encapsulating the GEM payload with a GPON Transmission Convergence (GTC) frame aligned with the word boundary, and transmitting the GTC frame.
US08190025B2 Wavelength selective switch having distinct planes of operation
A wavelength selective switch utilizing aperture-shared optics and functionally distinct planes of operation that enables high fiber port counts, such as 1×41, and multiplicative expansion, such as to 1×83 or 1×145, by utilizing elements optimized for performance in one of the functionally distinct planes of operation without affecting the other plane.
US08190023B2 Optical communication device, optical communication system, optical output control method and program
An input of a command to stop optical output or a command to reduce optical output by a main signal transmitting section is received from the outside. When the input of the optical output stop command or optical output reduction command is received, an inter-device control signal communication section transmits the optical output stop command or optical output reduction command. Based on the input optical output stop command or optical output reduction command, an output of optical signals from the main signal transmitting section is stopped, or else the output level is reduced to less than the output level during normal operation.
US08190018B2 Image capturing device and activation method therefor
An image capturing device includes a first controller operable to control image capturing; an operation section including a switch; a detector operable to detect a change to an image capturing mode and to send a signal representing the change; a second controller operable to monitor and process the sent signal, the second controller having a power consumption less than that of the first controller; and a power supply operable to supply power to the first controller, the second controller, and a functional section of the device. When the second controller receives the signal sent from the detecting section in a power saving state in which power is supplied from the power supply to the second controller, the power saving state is changed to a power supplying state capable of image capturing by supplying power from the power supply to portions of the device including the first controller.
US08189995B2 Record carrier, apparatus and method for storing video having playback control using conditional arithmetic operation
A record carrier (1) of the invention stores at least video-related user data and control data in digital form. The control data enables playback control of the user data, which control data comprises at least play control data which defines user data items which are playable, at least selection control data for enabling the user to select and control reproduction of user data and at least variable control data for operating on user and system variables. The record carrier (1) is characterized in that the variable control data comprises at least one instruction for a conditional arithmetical operation.
US08189994B2 Device and method for giving importance information according to video operation history
A device for giving importance information according to a video operation history includes an interest video searching operation block detection unit provided with a minimum searching operation block detection unit for detecting a minimum searching operation block as a minimum unit which exists in an interest video searching operation block from a preview log as a video operation history of a user, and a searching operation block setting unit for setting the interest video searching operation block through determination with respect to an operation previous and subsequent to the detected minimum searching operation block as a base point based on a feature of the interest video searching operation block.
US08189986B2 Manual playback overshoot correction
A video display function that addresses fast-forward overshoot. Holding down a play key during a fast forward function, for longer than a predetermined amount of time, causes a video presentation to be placed in reverse mode until the play key is released. This allows a user to manually, and easily, control how far to back up a given video presentation after a fast forward operation, without having to separately engage a rewind key.
US08189984B2 Fiber optic enclosure with internal cable spool
A fiber optic enclosure assembly includes a housing having an interior region and a bearing mount disposed in the interior region of the housing. A cable spool is connectedly engaged with the bearing mount such that the cable spool selectively rotates within the housing. A termination module disposed on the cable spool so that the termination module rotates in unison with the cable spool. A method of paying out a fiber optic cable from a fiber optic enclosure includes rotating a cable spool, which has a subscriber cable coiled around a spooling portion of the cable spool, about an axis of a housing of the fiber optic enclosure until a desired length of subscriber cable is paid out. A termination module is disposed on the cable spool.
US08189981B2 Stable lithium niobate waveguides, and methods of making and using same
The invention provides stable lithium niobate waveguides, and systems and methods for making same. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a waveguide includes a lithium niobate substrate having an upper surface; and a soft proton-exchanged layer embedded within the substrate, the soft proton-exchanged layer formed by exposing the lithium niobate substrate to a proton exchange solution including a proton exchange acid and a lithium salt of the proton exchange acid at a temperature of less than an atmospheric boiling point of the solution, followed by annealing the lithium niobate substrate under a vapor pressure of water preselected to inhibit protons in the substrate from forming water and evaporating from the upper surface of the substrate. The preselected water vapor pressure may be between 0.1 atm and about 0.9 atm, for example, between about 0.4 atm and about 0.6 atm, in one embodiment about 0.47 atm.
US08189979B2 Buffered optical fibre and method for improving the lifetime thereof
A buffered optical fiber includes an optical waveguide, at least one exterior coating surrounding the optical waveguide and a buffer coating surrounding the at least one exterior coating, wherein the buffer coating is a tight buffer coating made of a material having a density of at least about 1.2 Kg/dm3, a thermal conductivity of at least about 0.4 W/m·K and includes a polymeric matrix and an inorganic filler.
US08189972B2 Optical mode coupler
An optical coupler includes a first waveguide configured to supply a first optical signal having a wavelength and a second waveguide. The first optical signal having a first mode. The first waveguide has a tapered portion being spaced from the second waveguide by a distance sufficient to facilitate evanescent coupling of the first optical signal from the first waveguide to the second waveguide. A first effective refractive index of the first waveguide at a location in the tapered portion being equal to a second effective refractive index at a location in the second waveguide. The first effective refractive index being associated with the first mode and the second effective refractive index being associated with a second mode of a second optical signal having the wavelength. The second mode having a different order than the first mode, and the second waveguide being configured to supply the second optical signal.
US08189968B2 Multimode interference coupler for use with slot photonic crystal waveguides
The present invention provides an optical apparatus having a multimode interference coupler configured to optically couple a strip waveguide to a slot photonic crystal waveguide. The multimode interference coupler has a coupling efficiency to the slot photonic crystal waveguide greater than or equal to 90%, a width that is approximately equal to a defect width of the slot photonic crystal waveguide, a length that is equal to or less than 1.5 μm, and interfaces with the slot photonic crystal waveguide at an edge of a period that gives a termination parameter of approximately zero. The optical apparatus may also include an insulation gap disposed between the multimode interference coupler and the slot photonic crystal waveguide, wherein the length of the multimode interference coupler is reduced by approximately one half of a width of the insulation gap.
US08189966B2 QKD arrangement
A QKD arrangement with a photon source generating entangled idler and signal photons, with two measuring units, one of which receiving the idler photons and the other one receiving the signal photons, and each including an optical module with photon channels, wherein a photon passes a photon channel as a function of its polarization, and a device for detecting the photons in association to its respective photon channel, as well as a time control for timingly adjusting the detection devices; the photon source is adapted for pulsed emission of photon pairs, and an interrupting unit supplying the signal photons to the optical module in pulsed manner is arranged upstream of the other measuring unit, the photon channels in each optical module including delay units with different delay periods, and only one single-photon detector associates the photons to the photon channels on the basis of a time pattern.
US08189962B2 Image processing apparatus
In an image processing apparatus for processing images, a transformation unit transforms an image on a first coordinate system representing a coordinate system during pickup to an image on a second coordinate system set up on a reference plane, a display unit displays an image transformed by the transformation unit and a reception unit receives setting information a user inputs in accordance with a displayed image on the display unit. For example, in the image processing apparatus, the reception unit receives, as the setting information, information to be used for image processing.
US08189960B2 Image processing apparatus, image processing method, program and recording medium
An image processing apparatus includes: an imaging information calculation unit acquiring a first image and higher-resolution second images, and calculating coordinate positions of the second images to the first image and differences in imaging direction between second cameras and a first camera; an eyepoint conversion unit generating eyepoint conversion images obtained by converting the second images based on the differences in imaging direction so that eyepoints of the second cameras coincide with an eyepoint of the first camera and matching the first image with the eyepoint conversion images to calculate phase deviations of the eyepoint conversion images from the first image; and an image synthesizing unit extracting high-frequency images, having frequency components higher than or equal to a predetermined frequency band, from the second images, and pasting the high-frequency images at the coordinate positions in correspondence with the first image to eliminate the phase deviations to generate a synthesized image.
US08189959B2 Image blending using multi-splines
Multi-spline image blending technique embodiments are presented which generally employ a separate low-resolution offset field for every image region being blended, rather than a single (piecewise smooth) offset field for all the regions to produce a visually consistent blended image. Each of the individual offset fields is smoothly varying, and so is represented using a low-dimensional spline. A resulting linear system can be rapidly solved because it involves many fewer variables than the number of pixels being blended.
US08189956B2 Optical device for correcting geostationary satellite imagery for earth curvature effects
An optical adapter for an imaging system correcting images of spherical or near spherical bodies such as the earth during satellite image collection. An imaging system includes an image collector that collects a two-dimensional image of the body from a distance above the body such as from a satellite in geostationary orbit. The collected image is disk shaped and includes distortion due to earth curvature, primarily in the form of a loss of resolution due to the foreshortening of earth features in a radial direction extending outward from the center of the image disk. The optical adapter receives the collected image, transforms the collected image to correct the distortion, and outputs a corrected image with essentially uniform spatial resolution across the areas for which the correction is applied. An image sensor such as charge-coupled device array senses the corrected image and creates a digital representation of the corrected image.
US08189954B2 System and method for performing optical navigation using enhanced frames of image data
A system and method for performing optical navigation uses a spatial noise pattern estimate of the spatial noise pattern in captured frames of image data caused by contamination on at least one component of the system to substantially remove the spatial noise pattern in the captured frames of image data before the captured frames of image data are used for displacement estimation.
US08189952B2 Image noise reduction method based on local correlation
A method for reducing image noise includes calculating a first pixel amount of pixels that are similar to each other in a first number neighbor of a center pixel in a motion window, determining whether the first pixel amount of pixels that are similar to each other in the first number neighbor is greater than a first predetermined value, and using a mean of those pixels of the first pixel amount of pixels that are similar to each other in the first number neighbor to restore the center pixel of the motion window if the first pixel amount of pixels is greater than the first predetermined value. The method includes determining whether a second pixel amount of pixels that are similar to the center pixel is greater than a second predetermined value if the first pixel amount of pixels is not greater than the first predetermined value.
US08189931B2 Method and apparatus for matching of bracketed patterns in test strings
A method and system are disclosed for matching input character sequences in a set of input patterns. The method comprises the steps of analyzing the set of input patterns, creating a pattern cluster look-up table (PCLT) based on said input patterns, and defining an offset value k. The PCLT is used to find, for each sequence s and offset k, a set of candidate patterns that can possibly match s, the set of candidate patterns is searched for patterns that match s, and all found matching patterns and sequences are reported.
US08189929B2 Method of rearranging a cluster map of voxels in an image
This invention relates to rearranging a cluster map of voxels in an image aiming at the reduction of sub-cluster scatter. The cluster map that includes two or more cluster levels is displayed to the user along with the distribution of the voxels within each respective cluster levels. The aim is to enable the user to evaluate the quality of the cluster map and based on the evaluation to change the distribution of the voxels. Such a change in the distribution will result in an update of the cluster map.
US08189928B2 Content management apparatus, image display apparatus, image pickup apparatus, processing method and program for causing computer to execute processing method
Disclosed herein is a content management apparatus, including: content inputting means for inputting a content with which position information is associated; position information acquisition means for acquiring the position information associated with the content inputted by the content inputting means; tree production means for producing binary tree structure data corresponding to a binary tree having leaves to which contents inputted by the content inputting means correspond based on the position information of the contents acquired by the position information acquisition means; and determination means for extracting a node which satisfies a predetermined condition from among nodes of the binary tree structure data produced by the tree production means and determining those of the contents which belong to the extracted node as one group.
US08189916B2 Image processing method, system, and computer readable medium
Provided is a method of generating a set of cropped images from an image selection comprising: generating a plurality of sets of crops from the image selection; calculating a cropping risk for each set of crops in the plurality of sets of crops by comparing the crops with the image selection, the cropping risk being a measure of lost information for the set of crops from the image selection; calculating a goal measure for each set of crops in the plurality of sets of crops from the emphasis of at least one subject in the image selection; selecting a set of crops as the set of cropped images based on a comparison of the cropping risk and the goal measure for each of the sets of crops.
US08189912B2 Efficient histogram storage
A histogram has ranges, a value for each range, and a time value. A pattern is generated, having a zero value for each range having a zero value, and a one value for each range having a non-zero value. Any non-zero values of the ranges are compressed into a compressed value. The pattern and the time value match or do not match any given entry of a pattern table having a number of entries, each of which has an index value, a time range, and a pattern. Where the pattern and the time value do not match any given entry of the pattern table, a new entry is added to the pattern table, and is considered the given entry. An entry is then added to a histogram table. This entry has the time value, the index value of the given entry of the pattern table, and the compressed value.
US08189901B2 Seed sorter
The present disclosure provides systems and methods for sorting seeds based on identified phenotypes of the seeds. In various embodiments, the system includes an optics and controller station structured and operable to collect image data of a top portion, a bottom portion and a plurality of side portions of each respective seed in a set of seeds, and to analyze the collected image data to determine whether each seed exhibits a desired phenotype. The system further includes a seed loading, transporting and sorting station structured and operable to singulate each seed of the set of seeds from a plurality of seeds in a bulk seed hopper, transport the set of seeds to the optics and controller station, and selectively sort each seed to a respective one of a plurality of seed repositories based on whether each respective seed exhibits the desired phenotype.
US08189898B2 Gene expression image constructing method and gene expression image constructing system
The present invention aims to provide a gene expression image constructing method and a gene expression image constructing system being able to three-dimensionally show expression patterns of a vastly larger number of genes (specifically, about 30,000 genes). In the present invention, a sample is cut, images of sections of the cut sample are picked up and a stereoscopic image of sample, which is a three-dimensional image of the sample, is constructed based on a plurality of picked-up section images, the amount of expression of genes present in the sample is measured based on a plurality of slices prepared when the sample is cut, and a gene expression image in which an expression state of genes present in the sample and a stereoscopic image of sample are associated with each other is constructed based on a predetermined image reconstruction technique from the constructed stereoscopic image of sample and the measured amount of expression.
US08189884B2 Methods for assessing molecular expression of subcellular molecules
The present techniques provide fully automated methods for quantifying the location, strength and percent of expressed target molecules or other biological markers in immunohistochemically stained biological samples. The samples may be automatically segmented, for example into subcellular compartments, from images of compartmental markers. Then, the distribution of a target molecule on each of these compartments is calculated that includes the percentage and strength of expression. This is different than existing intensity or ratio based methods where abundant low expression levels are indistinguishable from scarce high expression levels.
US08189879B2 System and method for animal identification using IRIS images
A system for animal identification includes: an image capture apparatus for obtaining an image of an eye of an animal including a pupil region and an iris region; and a template generation apparatus. The template generation apparatus is for: extracting a set of pixel data from the image, the set of pixel data representing an upper region of interest of the iris region above the pupil region and a lower region of interest of the iris region below the pupil region, the upper region of interest and the lower region of interest have parallel side boundaries that are spaced apart a distance that is substantially independent of a degree of dilation of the pupil region; and transforming the set of pixel data representing the upper region of interest and the lower region of interest into a template of the upper region of interest and the lower region of interest.
US08189878B2 Multifactor multimedia biometric authentication
A device may receive a request to authenticate a user, automatically establish a multimedia session with the user in response to receiving the request, and capture a group of biometric identifiers for the user from the multimedia session. The device may further perform a group of biometric authentication operations using the analyzed or captured biometric identifiers to obtain a group of authentication scores, determine whether the user is properly authenticated based on the group of authentication scores, and transmit a message representing the determination of whether the user is properly authenticated.
US08189873B2 Method of motion detection using motion information of neighboring pixels
A method of motion detection using motion information of neighboring pixels, adaptive for determining whether a plurality of target pixels in a current field are moving pixels, is provided. First, it is determined whether a neighboring pixel in a previous field corresponding to the target pixel in the current field is the moving pixel. If the neighboring pixel in the previous field is the moving pixel, the target pixel is determined as the moving pixel and otherwise it is further determined whether the neighboring pixels around the target pixel in the current field are the moving pixels. If the neighboring pixels in the current field are the moving pixels, then the target pixel is determined as the moving pixel. Accordingly, the mistakenly judged static pixels can be found and modified to moving pixels, such that the accuracy of motion detection can be increased.
US08189872B2 Method for quantifying cell motility and cell migration
A method of quantifying cell migration of a cell population is provided. The method includes the step of patterning the cell population within a channel network in a first body. A first image of the cell population is obtained. Thereafter, a second image of the cell population is obtained after a first predetermined time period. The first and second images are compared in order to calculate a quantitative measure of the average directional migration of the cells population and a quantitative measure of the average motility of the cell population.
US08189850B2 Ultrasonic probe and method of fabrication thereof
The present invention relates to a method of fabricating a convex type of ultrasonic probe in which a plurality of piezoelectric elements are arrayed on a backing material in an arc shape in a long axis thereof, an acoustic adjustment layer is provided on top of the piezoelectric element and resin is molded on two side surfaces along the long-axis direction, and an acoustic lens is attached over the acoustic adjustment layer with a chemical-resistant film therebetween, wherein the acoustic lens is attached after the chemical-resistant film has been affixed to cover the surface of the acoustic adjustment layer and at least two edge surfaces of the acoustic adjustment layer, the piezoelectric elements, and the backing material that are exposed in the long-axis direction.
US08189848B2 Speaker module for a portable terminal
A speaker module for a portable terminal is provided. The speaker module includes an upper case constituting a part of a module housing, a speaker unit, including a magnetic body, a voice coil and a vibration plate, formed in the upper case and a vibration motor, which is installed in the upper case and on one side of the speaker unit. The speaker module as structured above can secure a sufficient sound pressure and a sound volume in a portable terminal having a slim construction, makes it easier to secure space for installation within a portable terminal having a small size and slim construction in such a manner that a vibration motor, etc. are received and integrated in a module housing, and can improve the quality of sound in a portable terminal by achieving improved smoothness of output sound pressure in an audio frequency range.
US08189846B2 Vented in-the-ear headphone
A vented tip for in-the-ear headphones has a core portion to be mounted to a sound output tube of an in-the-ear earphone and a flange portion extending outward from and surrounding the core portion. The vented tip has a) an outer portion formed in the flange portion that is to be in contact with, and thereby form a seal with, a user's ear canal, and b) an inner portion spaced inwards from the outer portion to thereby not form the seal with the user's ear canal. The inner portion has a calibrated perforation or hole formed therein. Other embodiments that may help reduce bone conduction effects are also described and claimed.
US08189844B2 Headwear mounted headphone carrier
A headphone carrying device comprises a thin, flexible strip of material which supports the wires for conventional ear bud style headphones. The strip can be quickly and easily inserted inside a cap or hat, between the body and headband of the hat or cap. The device is fully hidden from view when the hat or cap is worn and maintains the wires adjacent the back of the person's head, without the wires hanging or dangling loosely. Alternatively, the device can be attached to the back of a bike helmet or other headgear using adhesive, Velcro fasteners, or other connectors. The device is lightweight, fits all sizes of hats, caps and headgear, and does not interfere with the normal wearing of the hat, cap or headgear.
US08189838B1 Oral hearing aid device and method of use thereof
An electronic hearing device embedded thereinto a molded denture placed therein a user's mouth and fastened thereto the user's teeth allowing said teeth and related facial bone structure to conduct sounds received by said hearing device thereto the bones of the middle ear and subsequently to the brain for conversion into understandable language and sounds is herein disclosed. The hearing device may be used in conjunction with traditional ear-mounted hearing aids. The hearing device comprises expected electronic components such as an inout transducer, output transducers, a battery, a volume control, wires, and the like components fastened thereto or embedded thereinto a custom molded orthodontic appliance or normal denture plate and fastened to rear upper molars. The invention allows the user to turn the hearing device on and off or to adjust volume using their tongue.
US08189836B2 Ear mold with vent opening through outer ear and corresponding ventilation method
A method and hearing aid mold are provided for a hearing device with a first segment for insertion into the auditory canal of the user, a second segment, which projects into the concha of the user when inserted, and a vent, which runs from the first segment into the second segment. A vent opening, which may be enclosed by a titanium ring, is directed in the second segment toward the outer ear of the user, so that an exchange of air can be achieved between the auditory canal and the rear of the outer ear through an opening in the outer ear. Ventilation of the auditory canal from the rear of the outer ear reduces the risk of feedback.
US08189830B2 Limited use hearing aid
A hearing aid (or other assistive listening device) that is suitable for limited use is disclosed. The hearing aid can be configured to be usable for a predetermined period of time. After the expiration of the predetermined period of time, the hearing aid can cease to operate or operate in a degraded manner. Once the hearing aid has become significantly degraded, it can be either disposed of or reconfigured (or reprogrammed) so as to be usable for an additional period of time.
US08189829B2 Resistance-based identification
For the identification of peripheral devices on a hearing aid, these devices are provided with an identification resistor (R) that can be read out by the configuration of the hearing aid.
US08189826B2 Display device
A display device includes a display, and a pair of sound boxes. The sound boxes are adjustably fixed to the display via at least two fixing members.
US08189824B2 Apparatus and method for controlling a plurality of speakers by means of a graphical user interface
In a reproduction area where there are at least three directional groups, each of which has speakers, triggering of the speakers is achieved in that a source path from a first directional group position to a second directional group position is initially obtained along with movement information for the source path. Subsequently, a source path parameter is calculated for different points in time on the basis of the movement information, the source path parameter indicating a position of an audio source on the source path. In addition, a path modification command is received to define a compensation path to the third directional zone, a value of the source path parameter further being stored at a location where the compensation path deviates from the source path, and being used, along with a compensation parameter, for calculating weighting factors for the speakers of the three directional groups.
US08189815B2 Microphone circuit
A microphone circuit includes a signal generating module, a filtering module, a transmitting module and a switch module. The signal generating module transforms audio signals into electronic signals. The filtering module is connected to the signal generating module to filter the electronic signals sent from the signal generating module. The transmitting module is connected to the filtering module to transmit the signals sent from the filtering module. The switch module is connected to the signal generating module to selectively regulate the microphone circuit to function as a differential microphone circuit or a single-ended microphone circuit.
US08189814B2 Multiplayer participation type gaming system having walls for limiting dialogue voices outputted from gaming machine
A multiplayer participation type gaming system, comprising: a plurality of gaming machines arranged on a predetermined play area; and a sound insulating wall disposed between adjacent gaming machines among the gaming machines, each of the gaming machines carries out the processing of: performing an arithmetic operation, in response to a play of the player, on a value indicative of the game result, and storing after updating the play history data stored in the memory by using the result of the arithmetic operation; comparing the updated play history data with the predetermined threshold value data; generating, when it is determined that the play history data exceeds the threshold value data, sound data based on the play history data by using the plurality of voice generating original data stored in the memory; and outputting a sound from the speaker based on the sound data thus generated.
US08189812B2 Bass boost filtering techniques
Bass frequencies of audio can be boosted using various techniques and tools. The described techniques and tools can be applied separately or in combination. For example, bass frequencies of audio can be boosted using an integer bass boost filter by receiving user-settable parameters, such as “c” and “s” coefficients, and implementing the integer bass boost filter using a coupled form structure implementation and the user-settable parameters. Bass frequencies of audio can also be boosted using an integer bass boost filter that is configured to use any of plural coupled form structure implementations. Bass frequencies of audio can be also be boosted using a linear combination of an input audio signal and output of a high-pass filter.
US08189811B1 System and method for processing audio signals
An audio signal is processed by passing it through a speaker, the cone of which is mechanically connected to a moving sleeve. A coil is wrapped around the sleeve. There is a metal shaft displaced inside of the sleeve. The shaft is connected to a magnet. Thus, movement of the speaker cone causes the coil to move through a magnetic field which creates a voltage across the coil which is subtracted from the original audio signal to produce a processed output.
US08189810B2 System for processing microphone signals to provide an output signal with reduced interference
A system reduces noise or other external signals that may affect communication. A device converts sound from two or more microphones into an operational signal. Based on one or both signals, a beamformer generates an intermediate signal. Reflected or other undesired signals may be estimated or measured by an echo canceller. Interference may be measured or estimated by processing the echo-reduced signal or estimate by a blocking matrix. An interference canceller may reduce the interference that may modify or disrupt a signal based on the output of the blocking matrix and the intermediate signal.
US08189805B2 Allpass array
Allpass arrays of arbitrary order are presented. The transducers in the arrays are configured with weights corresponding to the FIR approximation of an allpass filter such that a nearly uniform array response is provided.
US08189801B2 Ear cup
An ear cup which comprises an inner cup portion for the formation of a noise damping space and an outer cup portion for the formation of a space for accommodating electronics, electrical connections and/or a current source. The outer cup portion is fixable on the inner with the aid of a locking member which is insertable in a guide in the outer cup portion. The inner cup portion has a locking recess and the outer cup portion has an aperture. The locking member is placed in the locking recess and the aperture. The locking member has an outer shank and an inner shank. The outer shank is provided with a bulge which engages with a recess in the outer cup portion. The inner shank is provided with a locking portion which engages with the inner cup portion. The locking portion has projections which prevent withdrawal of the inner shank out of the aperture. In association with the projections, recesses are provided which, together with recesses in the outer cup portion, entail that the locking member can “be wriggled” into position in the aperture. The ear cup is designed in order to realise simple and rational assembly of the components included.
US08189799B2 System for active noise control based on audio system output
An active noise control (ANC) system is configured to generate at least one anti-noise signal configured to drive a speaker to generate sound waves to destructively interfere with an undesired sound present in a target space. The at least one anti-noise signal is adjusted based an output signal of an audio system. The at least one anti-noise signal may be adjusted based on at least one of a volume level of the audio system, a power level of at least one predetermined frequency or frequency range of the output signal of the audio system, frequency content of an output signal of the audio system. The ANC system receives an error signal to adjust generation of the at least one anti-noise signal. The error signal is adjusted to compensate for adjustment of the at least one anti-noise signal based on the output signal of the audio system.
US08189794B2 System and method for effectively performing data restore/migration procedures
A system and method for effectively supporting data transfer procedures includes a source device that registers with an account server to participate in a data backup service. The source device then encrypts and stores user data onto a datacenter. The source device later may request a data transfer task from a vendor. The datacenter responsively transfers the encrypted user data to a vendor server, and an escrow server generates and sends a temporary key to the vendor server. A destination device may then utilize the temporary key to decrypt and securely store the user data onto the destination device.
US08189791B2 Hierarchical deterministic pairwise key predistribution scheme
A security system for a hierarchical network (10) includes L hierarchical levels each corresponding to a security domain level (16), and a plurality of local network nodes (A, B, . . . , Z). A keying material generator (24) generates a set (30) of correlated keying material for each network node. Each set (30) of keying material is composed of L sub-sets (32) of keying material one for each security domain level (16). A set up server (34) distributes the generated sets (30) of keying material to each network node (A, B, . . . , Z) to enable the network nodes (A, B, . . . , Z) to communicate with one another at a security domain of a hierarchical level k by a use of a corresponding sub-set (32) of the security keying material.
US08189784B2 Communication system, and an encoding device and a decoding device thereof
A communication system includes encoding and decoding devices. The encoding device includes an encrypting module adapted for encrypting an original signal into an encrypted signal, and an error correction encoding module coupled to the encrypting module for receiving the encrypted signal therefrom, and generating an output signal by performing error correction encoding on the encrypted signal. The decoding device includes an error correction decoding module for receiving an input signal via a transmission channel, and a decrypting module. The input signal is a result of the output signal combined with noise. The error correction decoding module generates a recovery signal from the input signal by performing error correction decoding on the input signal. The decrypting module is coupled to the error correction decoding module for receiving the recovery signal therefrom, and generates a decrypted signal that corresponds to the original signal by decrypting a portion of the recovery signal.
US08189782B2 Modular broadcast receiver system and method
The construction of a receiving apparatus for receiving a broadcast from a plurality of broadcasting providers is simplified. In a receiving apparatus for receiving a broadcast from a plurality of broadcasting providers, of the function blocks which constitute the receiving apparatus, a block used in common irrespective of the broadcasting provider is formed as a common block, and a block different from one broadcasting provider to another is formed as an independent block. These blocks are connected to each other through an IEEE1394 interface, and the common block is shared among the plurality of blocks which are not used in common, so that a receiving process is performed.
US08189780B2 Content protection system
The digital broadcast receiver comprises: a signal input unit for receiving a received broadcast wave; a demodulation unit for demodulating the broadcast wave; an external module; an external module I/F (Interface) for connecting the receiver to the external module; a decoding unit for extracting necessary information containing a target content from the received signal; an output unit for outputting actual video/audio; a control unit for controlling the entire receiver; and a user I/F for transmitting and receiving information to/from a user. Further, there are provided: a packet processing unit that is located between the demodulation unit and the external module I/F, that monitors all the packets contained in a TS, and that performs a predetermined processing on packets matched with a predetermined condition; and a TS selector that is located between the external module I/F and a bus line and that selects and outputs one designated TS of the two TSs. In this way, non-encrypted contents can be protected with ease when the TS outputted to the external module is accessed in an unauthorized way.
US08189776B2 Method and system for encoding multimedia content based on secure coding schemes using stream cipher
Described herein are various embodiments of a coding technique that utilize a stream cipher for switching between first and second coding conventions for encoding a symbol sequence. The first coding convention specifies a first mapping between a symbol and a first codeword and the second coding convention specified a second mapping between the symbol and a second codeword. According to the invention, a key generated by the stream cipher is used to selected one of the first and second coding convention and the mapping of the selected coding convention is then utilized for encoding the symbol.
US08189763B2 System and method for recording voice and the data entered by a call center agent and retrieval of these communication streams for analysis or correction
Communications systems are provided, a representative one of which incorporates: a recorder operative to record information associated with a communication; and a first computer application operative to provide a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface being configured such that, responsive to a user input designating a portion of the communication via the graphical user interface, information corresponding to that portion of the communication and recorded by the recorder is presented to the user, the first computer application being further operative to construct an integrated data stream comprising at least some of the information recorded.
US08189762B2 System and method for interactive voice response enhanced out-calling
A system and method for managing telephone calls is disclosed. The method discloses: calling a contact; presenting the contact with a predetermined out-calling dialog; translating the contact's vocal responses to the dialog into textual words using selected interactive voice response algorithms; connecting the contact to a human operator after a predetermined portion of the out-calling dialog with the contact is completed; and providing the operator with the textual words. In one embodiment, the system discloses all means for implementing the method. In another embodiment, the system discloses: a contact database for storing information on the contact; a dialog database containing a predetermined out-calling dialog; a call manager for calling the contact and presenting the contact with the dialog; and an interactive voice response module for translating the contact's vocal responses to the dialog into textual words and storing the words in the contact database which are accessible to the operator.
US08189755B2 Call urgency screening
In some embodiments, a call urgency screening system may include one or more of the following features: (a) a data storage device comprising, (i) a call urgency screening program that allows a recipient to choose whether to accept a call from a caller or offer to the caller other alternate call handling of the call based on interaction with the caller and a dialog engine, and (b) a processor coupled to the data storage device that executes the call urgency screening program.
US08189752B2 Per-session dynamic charging caps in communication networks
Communication networks and associated methods and systems are disclosed that provide per-session dynamic charging caps. For a session, the communication network includes a network element adapted to serve the session, a charging system, and a subscriber server adapted to store charging criteria defined for a party to the session. In operation, the charging system receives one or more charging request messages from the network element. Responsive to a charging request message, the charging system identifies the charging criteria defined for the party as stored in the subscriber server, and determines a dynamic charging cap for the session based on the charging criteria. A charging cap is a limited or maximum amount of time and/or money that is charged for an individual session. The charging system then limits the charging for the session based on the dynamic charging cap.
US08189750B2 System and method for tracking call activity to a set of advertised businesses
A system and method for tracking call activity of a plurality of businesses is disclosed. A global pool of phone numbers is allocated from which to draw numbers. A business-specific pool of numbers is established for business locations involved in advertisements using the Internet via Web pages. As a consumer begins viewing an advertisement for a business, a number is temporarily allocated from the business's pool of available numbers. As the business's pool of unallocated numbers is exhausted, a metric is used to determine whether or not to grow the pool of numbers, to show an untracked ‘fallback’ number for the business, or to reuse a previously allocated number. When one of the temporarily allocated numbers is called, the online consumer it was associated with is credited for making the call and the business is credited and charged for receiving the call. This method of allocating and presenting numbers with all numbers ultimately being tied to the same business ensures that even if a consumer calls a number much later after it has been re-allocated, that the number will still ring to the correct business.
US08189748B2 Method and system for sending short voice message
Provided is a system and method for sending a “voice message” to a recipient without any intervention of a network. A user initiates a Short Voice Message (SVM) service (or short voice messaging) function and records a voice message within a device. The user sends the recorded voice message through a normal voice call. During a call setup, the recipient decodes a received call setup message and recognizes the call as a voice message. The recipient sets parameters for recording the voice message. Upon completion of the call setup, the user sends the recorded voice message directly to the recipient. The recipient records the voice message and stores the voice message in an inbox. Thus, the user can be provided with an option for directly sending a voice message without text typing or a text-to-voice conversion technique.
US08189738B2 Methods and systems for guiding clinical radiotherapy setups
Radiation beam parameters are determined by manipulating a tool about a patient in order to determine a desired beam entry point and/or beam angle. In certain embodiments, a visual representation of the beam may be displayed along with images of internal and external anatomical features of the patient, and used to determine couch and/or gantry manipulation parameters to move the patient into a desired position with respect to a treatment delivery device.
US08189737B2 Process and apparatus for microCT imaging of ex vivo specimens
Processes for producing a microCT image for virtual histology using x-ray microscopic computed tomography are described along with processes for rapid and inexpensive high-throughput methods of high resolution imaging for screening an ex vivo embryo for phenotype using computed tomography imaging. Staining of particular components of specimens with one or more staining agents is described which contributes to high quality image generation and identification of anatomical structures as well as localization of molecular targets. Inventive animal and specimen holders are detailed which allow for reduced post-imaging processing of generated images. In particular, animal and specimen holders are provided which include a highly transparent bed or liner which separates the animal or specimen from a less transparent structure. A further animal holder is provided for placing and/or maintaining the animal in a desired position during an imaging procedure or multiple imaging procedures including a bed conforming to the animal's body.
US08189731B2 Machinery system allowing replacement of old reactor with a new reactor in nuclear power electric generating station
The machinery system and its application herewith, intended to create an opening in the roof of a Reactor Primary Containment of Generation II and III Nuclear Power Electric Generating Station. This opening is necessary to replace an aging nuclear reactor with a new, safer and more efficient reactor. Generation II and III Nuclear Power Electric Generating Stations include General Electric (GE) Boiling Water Reactor BWR/2, 3, 4, 5 and BWR/6 located in Mark II, and Mark III wet containments and Pressurized Water Reactors manufactured by Westinghouse, Combustion Engineering and Babcock and Wilcox located in dry containments. Until this time, existing reactor replacement was not possible due to Reactor Primary Containment structural enclosure configuration. The Dual Head Vertical Milling Machine System will remove a Reactor Primary Containment Dome Segment thus providing an opening, allowing reactor replacement and the electric generating station to remain operational for an other 40 years and beyond. Original containment integrity will be reinstated by closure of the opening.
US08189728B1 Jitter measurement
A specialized structure measures clock-to-data jitter in an optical memory interface by averaging the result of two second-order estimates of zero crossing using measured signal values on either side of the zero crossing. In one embodiment, a first estimate uses two sample points before the zero crossing and one sample point after while the second estimate uses one sample point before the zero crossing and sample two points after.
US08189724B1 Closed loop power normalized timing recovery for 8 VSB modulated signals
A timing recovery loop includes a sampler, a narrow band filter, an RMS normalizer, a timing error detector, and a sample controller. The sampler samples a received signal. The narrow band filter filters the sampled received signal so as to pass an upper band edge of the received signal and not a lower band edge of the received signal. The RMS normalizer sets an average power level of an output of the filter to a substantially constant value. The timing error detector detects a timing error with respect to an output of the RMS normalizer. The sample controller controls the sampler in response to the detected timing error.
US08189719B2 Detection of time-domain sequences sent on a shared control channel
Techniques for sending and receiving signaling messages in a control segment are described. The control segment may be sent with CDM in multiple OFDM symbols. At a receiver, a received sequence is obtained for the control segment. A time-domain signaling sequence is generated based on a signaling message hypothesized to have been sent in the control segment. A correlating sequence is generated based on the signaling sequence. In one design, the signaling sequence is partitioned into multiple sub-sequences, one sub-sequence for each symbol period in which the control segment was sent. Each sub-sequence is cyclically shifted by an amount determined by a channel tap delay. The correlating sequence is then formed by concatenating all of the cyclically shifted sub-sequences. The correlating sequence may also be generated in other manners. The received sequence is correlated with the correlating sequence to determine whether the signaling message was sent in the control segment.
US08189714B2 Wireless feedback system and method
A codebook C is provided in a MIMO transmitter as well as a MIMO receiver. The codebook C will include M codewords ci, where i is a unique codeword index for each codeword ci. Each codeword defines weighting factors to apply to the MIMO signals, and may correspond to channel matrices or vectors to apply to the MIMO signals prior to transmission from the respective antennas of the MIMO transmitter. The present invention creates codeword subsets Si for each codeword ci of the codebook C. Each codeword subset Si defines L codewords cj, which are selected from all the codewords ci in the codebook C. The codewords cj in a codeword subset Si are the L codewords in the entire codebook that best correlate with the corresponding codeword ci.
US08189711B2 Transmission controlling method in wireless communications system and receiver for use in the same system
The present invention relates to a transmission controlling method in a wireless communications system and a receiver for use in the same system. The invention aims at realizing power control (or transmit rate control) more effective than previous techniques by means of utilizing a certain relationship between an error rate and an evaluation amount relating to the estimation amount. Thus, a certain relationship is defined between the evaluation amount relating to a reception condition and an error rate on the receiver, and on the basis of this certain relationship, transmit power of the transmitter is controlled.
US08189702B1 Scattering-parameter estimation method and transceiver using the same
The present invention discloses a scattering-parameter estimation method for a transceiver of a half-duplex multicarrier communication system. The scattering-parameter estimation method includes steps of converting a first frequency-domain transmit signal to generate at least one symbol period of the first time-domain transmit signal; transmitting the first time-domain signal in a first specific time period; receiving and storing at least one symbol period of the first echoed signal of the first time-domain transmit signal in the first specific time period; converting at least one symbol period of the first echoed signal into a first frequency-domain echoed signal after a first transmission period; and estimating the S11 parameters corresponding to carriers respectively according to the first transmit signal and the first echoed signal.
US08189696B2 Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communication system, multi-hop system, relay station, and spatially layered transmission mode
An apparatus and method for data transmission in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) communication system are provided. An OFDM system includes a reference Relay Station (RS) and a cooperative relay station respectively for performing an Spatially Layered transmission Mode (SLM) process by modulating a phase and magnitude of a signal by using a predetermined modulation order suitable for the reference relay station to obtain a spatially-layered signal and for delivering the spatially-layered signal to a target Mobile Station (MS); a Base Station (BS) for selecting the reference relay station and the cooperative relay station among a plurality of relay stations; and an mobile station for detecting data through Maximum Likelihood (ML) detection in which a signal having the largest ML is detected by comparing the received spatially-layered signal with a signal which is converted through the SLM upon receiving the spatially-layered signal from the reference relay station and the cooperative relay station.
US08189689B2 Receiver for reducing PCR jitter
A receiver receiving a transport stream to demodulate the transport stream into a final output stream, wherein the transport stream comprises a plurality of symbols at least one of which carrying at least one program clock reference (PCR) value, and the final output stream comprises a plurality of demodulated symbols each comprising a plurality of packets, is disclosed. The receiver can comprise a Reed-Solomon decoder configured to decode the transport stream to generate a MPEG (Motion Pictures Expert Group) packet, a MPEG memory configured to store the MPEG packet, and a descrambler configured to read the MPEG packet from the MPEG memory with a throughput rate and descramble the MPEG packet into one of the packets of the demodulated symbols of the final transport stream. The throughput rate is decreased to reduce bursts of the packets of the demodulated symbols of the final output stream.
US08189687B2 Data embedding apparatus, data extracting apparatus, data embedding method, and data extracting method
A data embedding apparatus including: a selecting unit for selecting, based upon the second data, a prediction system of calculating a prediction value with respect to data to be processed within the first data; a predicting unit for calculating the prediction value of the data to be processed by the prediction system selected by the selecting unit; a difference calculating unit for calculating a prediction error of the data to be processed by employing the prediction value; and a prediction error calculating unit for outputting the coded data, in which the predicting unit includes: a 0-embedding time predicting unit for performing prediction when a bit value of the second data is “0”; a 1-embedding time predicting unit for performing prediction when the bit value of the second data is “1”; and an embedding end time predicting unit for performing prediction when embedding of the second data is accomplished.
US08189685B1 Ranking video articles
An information retrieval system is provided for processing queries for video content. A server receives a query for video content and returns video articles, as received from broadcast systems or other content providers. Queries are formulated using text, video images, and/or visual content associated with a video article. Various video-oriented characteristics associated with the results of the queries are determined and a rank score is calculated for each. The ranked video articles are displayed in a representation to the user, from which the user can play the video article either within the representation or independent of it.
US08189684B2 Video data communication method and apparatus for improving transmission efficiency
A video data communication method and apparatus for a data communication that enable improving video quality, at a recipient device, and transmission efficiency by transmitting video data using both contention free transmission mechanism and priority-based transmission mechanism are provided. A video data transmission method ion includes dividing video data into different types of slices; assigning different transport priorities to slice types in accordance with importance for recovering, at a recipient device, the video data; and transmitting the slices on the basis of the transport priorities.
US08189676B2 Advance macro-block entropy coding for advanced video standards
A method and a computer-readable medium containing computer program for encoding a frame of video data are presented. The frame of video data has a plurality of macro-blocks. Each of the macro-blocks includes a macro-block header having multiple elements and macro-block residue data. An element of the macro-block header is encoded based on the value of the same element of a previous macro-block header so as to reduce overall bits in the macro-block header. The element of the macro-block header is encoded by grouping the elements of the plurality of the macro-blocks.
US08189652B2 Method and apparatus for detecting high-mobility state of mobile terminal and related device
The invention provides a method of detecting high-mobility state of mobile terminal, comprising steps of: estimating a channel impulse response (CIR) based on received signal samples; performing channel equalization based on said received signal samples and the estimated channel impulse response; computing at least one characteristic value for a particular region of a relevant time slot based on the equalized signal samples; and deciding if said at least one characteristic value satisfies a predetermined condition that mobile terminal is in high-mobility state. The invention also provides a corresponding apparatus comprising: a channel estimator; a channel equalizer; computing means for computing at least one characteristic value for a particular region of a relevant time slot based on the equalized signal samples; and deciding means for deciding if said at least one characteristic value satisfies a predetermined condition of mobile terminal being in high-mobility state.
US08189650B2 Startup protocol for high throughput communications systems
A startup protocol is provided for use in a communications system having a communications line with a master transceiver at a first end and a slave transceiver at a second end, each transceiver having a noise reduction system, a timing recovery system and at least one equalizer all converging at startup of the system. The operation of the startup protocol is partitioned into stages. The first stage includes the step of converging the equalizer and the timing recovery system of the slave while converging the noise reduction system of the master. Upon completion of the first stage the protocol enters a second stage which includes the step of converging the equalizer and the timing recovery system of the master, converging the noise reduction system of the slave, freezing the timing recovery system of the slave, and resetting the noise reduction system of the master. Upon completion of the second stage, the protocol enters a third stage which includes the step of reconverging the noise reduction system of the master. The protocol then enters a fourth stage in which the master transceiver and the slave transceiver are ready to communicate with each other.
US08189648B2 Scaling using gain factors for use in data detection
Data is estimated from a received vector comprising a plurality of communications. A received wireless signal is converted to a baseband signal, which is sampled to produce a received vector. Channel responses are estimated for the received communications. The noise variance is estimated. The noise variance is scaled by a scaling factor. Samples are processed using the estimated channel responses and the scaled noise variance to produce a spread data vector. The spread data vector is despread to recover the data of the received wireless signal.
US08189647B2 Systems and methods for generating a codebook to encode embedded information
A method for generating a codebook to encode embedded information is described. A distribution pattern of symbols is determined. A first number of codewords associated with the distribution pattern of symbols is determined. A subset of codewords from the first number of codewords is selected. The subset of codewords is included in the codebook if the subset of codewords satisfies predetermined performance criteria.
US08189644B2 High-efficiency Ho:YAG laser
A laser assembly and method of operating the assembly are described in which a pump beam is directed through an end-pumped solid-state laser gain medium four or more times. The pump beam is directed at a slight angle through a first end of the medium, reflects off the inner surface of the second, opposite end (to form a “V”), and then reflected by an external or integrated mirror back through the first end and off the inner surface of the opposite end again (back through the “V”).
US08189642B1 VCSEL semiconductor device
A vertical surface emitting laser having a mesa structure formed with sloping side walls. A passivation layer including at least two sublayers at least partially covers the mesa structure. The at least two sublayers have differing stress components arranged to at least partially counter each other. By making the mesa structure with sloping side walls, the deposition of the passivation layer in such a way as to minimize the net stress of the passivation layer is facilitated. In addition, the mesa structure has a first stack of mirror layers comprising a semiconductor material doped with a first dopant and having first peripheral oxidized portions extending a first distance into said first stack, and a second stack of mirror layers comprising a semiconductor material doped with a second dopant and having second peripheral oxidized portions extending a second distance into said second stack, wherein the first distance is different from the second distance. By controlling the first distance and the second distance appropriately, the internal stress in the mesa structure can be reduced.
US08189638B2 Laser diode device
A laser diode device comprises an n-type cladding layer containing aluminum (Al); an active layer containing indium (In), gallium (Ga) and nitrogen (N); and a codoped layer that is provided between the substrate and the n-type cladding layer. The codoped layer is also containing gallium (Ga) and nitrogen (N), and is codoped with one of silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge) as impurity working as a donor and one of magnesium (Mg) and zinc (Zn) as impurity working as an acceptor.
US08189629B2 Mobile communication system and communication method thereof
A communication method in a mobile communication system that transmits different data to which transmission sequence numbers have been attached, over each of a plurality of paths from a mobile station to a radio network controller via a plurality of base stations; where the radio network controller monitors the communication state of each path, determines to transmit the data over all of a plurality of paths, transmit the data over two or more specified paths, or transmit the data over only one specified path, based on the communication state of each path, and notifies the mobile station of the determined path/paths; and where the mobile station transmits different data to which different transmission sequence numbers have been attached, over said notified path/paths, and the radio network controller rearranges the data received from each path by reference to the transmission sequence numbers and transmits the rearranged data to a core network.
US08189622B2 Method for transmitting pilot allocation information to user equipment in a multi-user multiple input multiple output system
A method for transmitting pilot allocation information from a base station for reception by at least one of a plurality of mobile stations participating in a Multi-User Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) communication, the method including the steps of generating pilot allocation information for the one mobile station, and transmitting the pilot allocation information for reception by the one mobile station, wherein the pilot allocation information includes at least one of a total number K of pilot streams allocated to the plurality of mobile stations, an index k representing a first pilot stream of one or more pilot streams allocated to the one mobile station among a plurality of pilot streams defined for a pilot pattern selected for the MU-MIMO communication, a number M of the pilot streams allocated to the one mobile station, and bitmap information indicating the pilot streams allocated to the one mobile station among the plurality of pilot streams defined for the pilot pattern.
US08189609B2 Inter-carrier management of messaging groups
A system and method to enable the efficient distribution of group messages sent from a mobile device that receives service from one telecommunications carrier, to groups of mobile devices that receive service from one or more other telecommunications carriers. A mobile device user or system operator generates a group distribution list for messages that are to be sent to two or more other users. The group distribution list is provided to a message distribution system that is comprised of distribution agents that are associated with each telecommunications carrier. Each distribution agent is responsible for routing a group message to those mobile devices that receive service from the associated telecommunications carrier.
US08189601B2 Communication apparatus and method for terminating a maintenance message
A communication apparatus is disclosed for receiving one or more frames from a network. The communication apparatus includes a first determining part configured to search a first table by using a VLAN identifier included in one of the frames, a second determining part configured to search a second table by referring to a search result of the first determining part and using an OAM identifier included in the one of the frames, a selecting part configured to determine whether the one of the frames is an OAM frame according to the search result of the second determining part, and a terminating part configured to terminate the one of the frames determined as the OAM frame by the selecting part.
US08189599B2 Omni-protocol engine for reconfigurable bit-stream processing in high-speed networks
A reconfigurable, protocol indifferent bit stream-processing engine, and related systems and data communication methodologies, are adapted to achieve the goal of providing inter-fabric interoperability among high-speed networks operating a speeds of at least 10 gigabits per second. The bit-stream processing engine operates as an omni-protocol, multi-stage processor that can be configured with appropriate switches and related network elements to create a seamless network fabric that permits interoperability not only among existing communication protocols, but also with the ability to accommodate future communication protocols. The method and systems of the present invention are applicable to networks that include storage networks, communication networks and processor networks.
US08189598B2 Operations method in an ethernet passive optical network that includes a network unit with multiple entities
A method for registration of multiple entities belonging to a specific optical networks unit (ONU). In one embodiment, the multiple entity registration method comprises checking by an optical line terminal (OLT) if a registration request message (400) received from the specific ONU belongs to a certain grant (402), and based on the check result, registering an entity as either a first (408) or as an additional entity (404) of the specific ONU. In another embodiment, the method comprises checking by an OLT of a reserved value of a flags field (502) inside a registration request message (500), and based on the check result, registering an entity as either a first (508) or as an additional entity (504) of the specific ONU. The knowledge by an OLT that multiple entities belong to a specific ONU is used for grant optimization and packet data flow optimization.
US08189592B2 Delay reduction method for telephony systems with multiple packet generators
A telephony system and method is provided that reduces delay and provides better utilization of upstream bandwidth in delivering packet telephony services to a plurality of subscriber lines via a cable modem system. An exemplary system includes a plurality of voice processing modules, a host processor, and a buffer. Each voice processing module receives digital voice signals from a separate set of subscriber lines, compresses the digital voice signals to generate a voice packet, and transfers the voice packet to the buffer. The host processor then assembles a packet by concatenating the voice packets and transmits the assembled packet for delivery over a data network. Because the plurality of voice processing modules process the voice packets in parallel, delay is reduced in the assembly and transmission of the assembled packet.
US08189586B2 Plural telecommunications functions having sharing transaction(s)
A node of a telecommunications network comprises a first function configured to perform a first operation on a first portion of a packet handled by the node and a second function configured to perform a second operation on a second portion of the packet. The first function and the second function are configured to employ a shared transaction for operating on the packet whereby, by virtue of the shared transaction, after performance of the first operation and the second operation, the packet has less overhead attributable to the first function and the second function than if the shared transaction had not been employed in performance of the first operation and the second operation.
US08189575B2 Modular scalable switch architecture
A scalable Ethernet switch includes modules which can be interconnected to provide a single, virtual switch. The modules may be of uniform physical size and shape relative to a standard telecommunications rack. When greater capacity is required, an additional module is mounted in a rack and interconnected with the other modules, e.g., in a bi-directional ring. Enhanced port density is provided by interconnecting the modules with 12 GbE links which operate on standard 10 GbE wiring and connectors. Consequently, throughput between modules in increased relative to standard 10 GbE links without increasing form factor. Further, transmission power control can be implemented such that modules of the virtual switch may be physically adjacent or separated by distances of several meters.
US08189574B2 Method and device for providing communication services
Technology for providing subscribers with communication services in accordance with their agreements with a service provider, that comprises: a) determining a plurality of subscribers to be connected to the service provider via a distribution unit located in an access network; b) selecting a default advanced broadband technology (DABT) for the distribution unit; c) in the distribution unit, providing a plurality of communication devices to reserve for each of the plurality of subscribers, irrespective of their agreements reached with the service provider, an individual communication link for supplying broadband communication services based on the selected DABT; while d) enabling each of the plurality of subscribers to receive services in accordance with their respective agreements with the service provider.
US08189573B2 Method and apparatus for configuring at least one port in a switch to be an upstream port or a downstream port
A method and apparatus are described herein for configuring at least one port in a switch to be an upstream port or a downstream port based, at least in part, on a control signal. If a component includes both a switch and an endpoint, the method and apparatus support configuration of the endpoint to either couple to an upstream port or to a downstream port. In one embodiment, this method and apparatus are used with PCI Express interconnects.
US08189571B2 System apparatus and method for interconnecting TDM and frame/packet communication networks
An interconnection between fully synchronous networks and next-generation frame communications networks is disclosed. A means of bidirectional frame format conversion between a synchronous multiplexing system and a logical multiplexing system is provided, along with a method of transmitting data between different networks on a path as if it were being transmitted in the same network. Further, when converting network control information in an STM network into data suitable for a packet network, even across the boundary of a synchronous multiplexing system and a logical multiplexing system, a unified communication management means is provided over the whole path.
US08189566B2 Software based trading turret
A communications system including a turret switching system constructed to communicate to a Web server, a turret device, and to a remote communications device via a first communications network, the Web server being constructed to communicate to a client device via a second communications network, and the client device constructed to control switching across a plurality of lines.
US08189565B2 Method and apparatus for accessing communication data relevant to a target entity identified by a number string
Service resource items for use in call setup in a telephone system are held on servers that are connected to a computer network which is logically distinct from the telephone system infrastructure; this computer network may, for example, make use of the Internet. Each service item is locatable on the network at a corresponding URI and is associated with a particular telephone number. A mapping is provided between telephone numbers and the URIs of associated service resource items. When it is desired to access a service resource item associated with a particular telephone number, this mapping is used to retrieve the corresponding URI which is then used to access the desired service resource item.
US08189564B2 System and method for facilitating VoIP communications
A method for facilitating VoIP communication between VoIP providers. First and second VoIP service providers are registered with a VoIP communication system, which generates a table of registered VoIP subscribers from the first and second VoIP service providers. The information from the table is applied to a call generated from a subscriber on the first VoIP service provider, such that if the desired party is a subscriber to the second VoIP service provider as noted in the table, the call generated from the subscriber on the first VoIP service provider is sent to the desired party as a packet switched call.
US08189546B2 Data transmission/reception method for multicast and broadcast service in broadband wireless access system
Disclosed is a data transmission method for an MBS in a broadband wireless access system. The method includes the steps of constructing a Wibro frame by adding an FEC zone to a downlink portion of the Wibro frame by a radio access station, the FEC zone containing an FEC packet for performing a packet-based FEC scheme; and transmitting data to a plurality of mobile stations by the radio access station, the Wibro frame constructing the data.
US08189544B2 Method of creating security associations in mobile IP networks
A key distribution scheme is provided, which is useful for establishing, distributing, and maintaining security associations in a Mobile IP network. An authentication server performs an initial validation of a new session and generates a root key which it delivers to the initial access gateway and to the home agent. The initial access gateway and the home agent each independently compute a derivative key available only to themselves. The initial access gateway, acting as proxy for the mobile station, uses the derivative key to sign the Mobile IP registration or binding update transactions, and sends the signed registration or binding update to the home agent for validation. Once the session is established between the mobile station and the home agent, the access gateways act as proxies on behalf of the mobile station to maintain the session mobility. In handoff, the new access gateway acquires the root key as part of the transferred session context. The new access gateway, acting as proxy for the mobile station, computes a new derivative key from the root key and uses it to sign a binding update.
US08189537B2 Method for reconfiguring radio link in wireless communication system
There is provided a method for enabling a user equipment to reconfigure a radio link in a wireless communication system. The method includes receiving a radio link reconfiguration message by a higher layer, requesting a lower layer to respond to the radio link reconfiguration message, configuring a response message for the radio link reconfiguration message, the response message decodable by the lower layer and transmitting the response message.
US08189536B2 Delivery of data packets via aggregated spatial distribution overlay on a mesh network
A plurality of interactive modules are disposed at spaced locations to form an adaptive wireless network. Each module is capable of receiving transmissions of messages or data packets from other modules, and of transmitting messages or data packets to other modules for forming selected transmission paths via one or more modules toward a base station. Upon failure of a transmission path, a module not capable of transmitting a message along a transmission path toward the base station, transmits a message to other of the plurality of modules to form a new transmission path via such other module.
US08189533B2 Calculation of a destination time alignment value to be used by a user equipment in a destination cell after a handover
The invention relates to a method and arrangement for managing a calculation of a destination time alignment value TA2 to be used by a user equipment in a destination cell after a handover in a radio access network. The radio access network comprises a source cell, the destination cell and a user equipment which is adapted to switch to communicate with a destination base station comprised in the destination cell after the handover. The source cell is adapted to transmit a first reference signal and the destination cell is adapted to transmit a second reference signal. The method comprises the step of obtaining a first information comprising the time difference A between a point of time when the second reference signal is transmitted and a point of time when the destination cell receives the user equipment transmission, obtaining a second information comprising the time difference C between the point of time when second reference signal is received and a point of time when the user equipment transmission is transmitted, and calculating the destination time alignment TA2, by means of the formula [TA2=C−A].
US08189532B2 Mobile node, a method or handover and a computer program
A mobile node comprising a handover engine configured to control the handover of the mobile node from one access node to another access node, said handover engine being arranged to provide TCP window size information to a TCP endpoint node, to which the mobile node is connected via a connection, before said handover engine initiates registration of a new location address for said connection.
US08189531B2 Wireless communication system, wireless base station, and wireless communication control method
A wireless communication system is disclosed that includes plural wireless base stations that act as an origin wireless base station and a destination wireless base station, and a wireless mobile station. The origin wireless base station starts a handover process in response to movement of the wireless mobile station, attaches a header including transfer order information to transmission packet data addressed to the wireless mobile station, and transfers the transmission packet data with the header to the destination wireless base station. The destination wireless base station receives the transmission packet data with the header, determines whether a transfer order of the transmission packet data is correct based on the transfer order information included in the header, deletes the header from the transmission packet data upon determining that the transfer order is correct, and transmits the transmission packet data without the header to the wireless mobile station upon completion of the handover process.
US08189527B2 Apparatus and method for allocating resources in an orthogonal frequency division multiple access mobile communication system
A method for receiving resources allocated from a base station by a terminal in an OFDMA mobile communication system. The method includes receiving, for a data channel, a number of first components, which indicates an amount of resources used with a first resource allocation scheme, and a number of second components, which indicates an amount of resources used with a second resource allocation scheme, from the base station over a common control channel; determining first and second identifier lengths of channel elements for the first and second resource allocation schemes according to the number of first components and the number of second components; receiving resource allocation information including an identifier indicating at least one channel element allocated to the terminal, over a data control channel using one of the identifier lengths; and transmitting and receiving data over a resource of a channel element indicated by the received identifier.
US08189525B2 Solution for INE/HO LB bottle neck
A system and method for reducing an initial network entry and/or handover (INE/HO) Link Budget (LB) Bottleneck in a communications network, for example, a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) network described in the IEEE 802.16 specification, is arranged such that a Base Station (BS) may allocate bandwidth with repetition across at least two frames on Initial Network Entry/Handover (INE/HO) by a Mobile Station. By doing so, the BS may achieve increased system gain on INE, while reducing the number of subchannels conventionally associated with repetition, thereby reducing the system noise floor during INE/HO.
US08189515B2 Method and apparatus for improving radio spectrum usage and decreasing user data delay when providing packet PSI status
A method provides for operating a wireless communication system having packet data capabilities, and includes steps of: (a) sending a message from a mobile station to a network on a same physical channel that is used to transmit packet data, the message specifying individual ones of packet system information (PSI) messages that are required for reception by the mobile station; and (b) in response to receiving the message, transmitting only the specified individual ones of the PSI messages from the network to the mobile station over the same physical channel used to transmit the packet data.
US08189514B2 Method and apparatus for allocating bandwidth in a wireless communication system
A method and apparatus for requesting and allocating bandwidth in a broadband wireless communication system. The inventive method and apparatus includes a combination of techniques that allow a plurality of CPEs to communicate their bandwidth request messages to respective base stations. One technique includes a “polling” method whereby a base station polls CPEs individually or in groups and allocates bandwidth specifically for the purpose of allowing the CPEs to respond with bandwidth requests. The polling of the CPEs by the base station may be in response to a CPE setting a “poll-me bit” or, alternatively, it may be periodic. Another technique comprises “piggybacking” bandwidth requests on bandwidth already allocated to a CPE. In accordance with this technique, currently active CPEs request bandwidth using previously unused portions of uplink bandwidth that is already allocated to the CPE. The CPE is responsible for distributing the allocated uplink bandwidth in a manner that accommodates the services provided by the CPE. By using a combination of bandwidth allocation techniques, the present invention advantageously makes use of the efficiency benefits associated with each technique.
US08189513B2 Radio base station apparatus and base station controller
The invention provides a radio base station apparatus forming a wireless zone in a mobile communication system and to a base station controller performing channel control over a terminal visiting a wireless zone. The radio base station apparatus has an identifying section identifying a particular radio base station that is to maintain a radio channel between the radio base station apparatus and a terminal during a process of diversity handover, a network interface section delivering a signal to a network if a local station is not the particular radio base station, and an inter-office interface section delivering to the network a composite wave of the signal and a signal having arrived and forwarded from the terminal via the radio channel at a radio base station forming a wireless zone adjacent to a wireless zone formed by the local station if the local station is the particular radio base station.
US08189507B2 Input/output end point control for integrated telecommunications-network systems (VoIP)
Disclosed are systems and methods that enable expanded functionality for call control monitoring and control of external electrical/electromechanical devices using a telecommunication system.
US08189506B2 Deep sleep mode for mesh points
Disclosed herein is an apparatus, method and computer program embodied in a computer-readable memory medium. The method includes transmitting a beacon or a directed transmission from a first device to inform at least one second device in a wireless communication network that the first device will be active only during an active time interval that comprises a beacon transmission period and an additional period near to the beacon transmission period and, at the completion of the active time interval, operating in a lower power mode of operation until a next active time interval. The wireless communication network may be embodied as a mesh network that includes a plurality of mesh points, and the first device and the at least one second device may each be a mesh point.
US08189502B2 Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving control channels by restricting a set of the control channels in a wireless communication system
A method and apparatus for transmitting a control channel in a base station for a wireless communication system. The base station transmits information including a number of channel elements constituting control channels, to a terminal; establishes a set of control channels that the terminal can receive, within the number of channel elements using an identifier (ID) of the terminal; and transmits control information to the terminal through a selected control channel among the control channels. The terminal is restricted to monitor only a proper number of control channels established without the need to monitor all control channels, thereby reducing reception complexity and avoiding unnecessary battery consumption.
US08189501B2 Multiple MAC domains
A satellite system for broadband communication with a plurality of remote locations is described. The system includes a satellite and a plurality of service spot beams from the satellite. A plurality of forward channels are transported on carriers in the service spot beams. A plurality of sub-channels pass on the plurality of forward channels. The system further includes a plurality of independently managed domains, wherein the plurality of sub-channels are divided among the plurality of domains. The system may further include a plurality of satellite modems addressed by a plurality of service identifiers. Each of the plurality of service identifiers may be exclusively addressable within one of the plurality of domains.
US08189499B2 Cross-layer optimization method for controlling bit rate of video codec in transmission of video data in WiBro system
A cross-layer optimization method for controlling a bit rate of a video coder/decoder (codec) in video data transmission for wireless devices such as a wireless broadband (WiBro) system terminal that adapts to changing transmission/reception characteristics and usage. The method typically includes checking, by a sender, radio channel state information of a sender side and a receiver side; determining, by the sender, a transmission bit rate of a video codec by using the radio channel state information of the sender side; and adjusting, by the sender, the transmission bit rate of the video codec by using the radio channel state information of the receiver side when a communication network used by a receiver typically based on the type of a communication network being used by the sender.
US08189497B2 Error detection and suppression in a TDMA-based network node
A network node (1) with a communication unit (2), which is provided for the implementation of a communication protocol for the purpose of communication with other network nodes via a communication medium (5), and with a bus monitor (3), which, mutually independently, each implement an access time schedule contained in a configuration data record, and which each make available, in accordance with the access time schedule, a release signal for a bus driver (4) provided in the network node (1), which evaluates these two signals and, in the event that the two release signals do not coincide, blocks the access of the network node (1) to the communication medium (5).
US08189494B2 System and method for merging clusters of wireless nodes in a wireless network
A system includes a first cluster having multiple first wireless nodes. One first node is configured to act as a first cluster master, and other first nodes are configured to receive time synchronization information provided by the first cluster master. The system also includes a second cluster having one or more second wireless nodes. One second node is configured to act as a second cluster master, and any other second nodes configured to receive time synchronization information provided by the second cluster master. The system further includes a manager configured to merge the clusters into a combined cluster. One of the nodes is configured to act as a single cluster master for the combined cluster, and the other nodes are configured to receive time synchronization information provided by the single cluster master.
US08189454B2 Multi-band OFDM communications system
A method for providing communication in a wireless network comprising one or more simultaneously operating pico networks includes dividing UWB spectrum into a plurality of frequency bands. These bands are formed into band groups. At least one band group is assigned to each one of the pico networks. At least pne time frequency code is assigned to symbols associated with each one of the pico networks on a transmission-by-transmission basis. A system for channelization of the spectrum includes a frequency-synthesized oscillator and a time frequency code generator configured to assign time-frequency codes to successive transmissions of a pico network such that the successive transmissions are transmitted in all frequency bands of a band group assigned to the pico network.
US08189448B2 Optical information recording/reproducing apparatus and objective optical system for the same
An objective optical system for an optical information recording/reproducing apparatus for recording/reproducing for first, second and third optical discs by selectively using three types of substantially collimated light beams including first, second and third light beams respectively having first, second and third wavelengths, wherein at least one of optical surfaces of the objective optical system comprises a diffraction surface having a diffraction structure, the diffraction surface includes a first region defined by first and second optical path difference functions, a second region defined by at least one type of optical path difference function, and a third region defined by at least one type of optical path difference function, the first region satisfies a condition: −0.15
US08189444B2 Optical information recording medium and optical information processing apparatus
This invention allows super-resolution reproduction with which a better bER value is attainable, when information is recorded by a random pattern including a mark length not longer than a resolution limit, by use of a highly versatile signal decoding method.Information is recorded as marks and spaces coded by RLL(1, 7) modulation, which each of the marks and spaces have one of a plurality of lengths, and 2T marks and 2T spaces of the marks and spaces being formed are shorter than 0.12 μm. An information recording layer (20) includes a reproduction film (21) and a reflective film (22) which are provided in this order from a side from which reproducing light is incident, which reproduction film is made of (i) zinc oxide, (ii) strontium titanate, (iii) titanium oxide, (iv) cerium oxide, or (v) a material including at least one of the (i) through (iv), and which reflective film is made of tantalum or titanium.
US08189435B2 Spherical aberration detecting device and an optical pickup device including same
A photoreceiver includes: a first light-receiving section divided into two regions by a border extending in a radial direction, and is disposed in a portion where it can receive a +1st order diffraction ray of the main beam from the polarization hologram, so as to detect a spherical aberration; a second light-receiving section is divided into two regions by a border extending in the radial direction, and is disposed in a portion where it can receive a +1st order diffraction ray of the first sub-beam from the polarization hologram, so as to detect a spherical aberration; and a third light-receiving section is divided into two regions by a border extending in the radial direction, and is disposed in a portion where it can receive a +1st order diffraction ray of the second sub-beam from the polarization hologram, so as to detect a spherical aberration. The second and third light-receiving sections are laid out such that an end of the second light-receiving section along the tangential direction and an opposite end of the third light-receiving section along the tangential direction are aligned on a straight line extending in the tangential direction across the first light-receiving section.
US08189428B2 Methods and systems to detect changes in multiple-frequency band sonar data
Methods and systems to detect changes in a region of space relative to baseline measurements, including to process data to detect potential objects, or contacts against a natural background environment, to characterize and geo-register the contacts, to compare and correlate the contacts with a database of known objects, and to report uncorrelated contacts as new objects in the space. Features disclosed herein may be implemented to process image data from a line-by-line image-generation system including, for example, side-looking sonar. Methods and system may be implemented with respect to multi-frequency band sonar data.
US08189424B2 Semiconductor memory device having plurality of types of memories integrated on one chip
A semiconductor memory device configured to perform a clock synchronous burst read operation includes a plurality of buffer memories having different bank structures, and first and second data latch circuits storing read data read from the plurality of buffer memories. The semiconductor memory device further includes a control circuit that controls a timing of starting counting up addresses and a timing of storing read data in the first data latch circuit at the time of the clock synchronous burst read operation in accordance with the bank structure of the buffer memory as a read operation target.
US08189418B2 Refresh signal generating circuit
A refresh signal generating circuit of a semiconductor memory device includes a flag signal generator which generates a flag signal in response to a refresh signal and a precharge signal, a clock enable signal buffer which generates first and second buffer enable signals based on an external clock enable signal in response to the flag signal, and a chip select signal buffer which generates an internal chip select signal based on an external chip select signal in response to the flag signal.
US08189417B2 Semiconductor memory device
A semiconductor memory device uses a magnetic tunnel junction device (MTJ) and includes a memory cell connected between a first driving line and a second driving line and configured to store data having a data state that is determined based on a direction of a current flowing through the first and the second driving lines, and a current controlling block configured to control a supply current provided to the first and second driving lines in response to temperature information in a writing operation.
US08189414B2 Maintenance of amplified signals using high-voltage-threshold transistors
Systems, apparatus, memory devices, sense amplifiers and methods are provided, such as a system that includes an input node, a first transistor having a gate that couples to the input node, and a second transistor having another gate that couples to the input node. In one or more embodiments, the second transistor has a greater activation voltage threshold than does the first transistor and the first transistor amplifies a signal that is present on the input node. In one such embodiment, after the first transistor amplifies the signal, the second transistor maintains the amplified signal on the input node while the first transistor is deactivated.
US08189413B2 Semiconductor memory device, test method thereof and semiconductor device
A semiconductor memory device comprises a memory cell array having memory cells including a plurality of memory cells, and also comprises a first bit line, a first sense amplifier circuit and a control circuit. A signal is read out from a selected memory cell of the memory cell array through the first bit line. The first sense amplifier circuit has a single-ended configuration and includes an amplifying element amplifying a signal voltage of the first bit line so as to convert the signal voltage into an output current. The control circuit controls a test operation to measure a current flowing in the first sense amplifier circuit independently of currents flowing in other circuit portions.
US08189412B2 Storage device and method for controlling storage device
A storage device includes: a printed circuit board; a semiconductor memory package mounted on the printed circuit board via solder joints, the semiconductor memory package incorporating semiconductor memories; a sensor configured to measure a physical quantity relating to a state of the storage device; a database including a damage estimation model base to be used for estimating damage of the solder joints from the physical quantity measured by the sensor; a damage estimating module configured to calculate a damage estimation value of the solder joints from the physical quantity using the damage estimation model base; and a controller configured to control writing, reading, and erasure of electronic data to or from the semiconductor memories based on the damage estimation values calculated by the damage estimating module.
US08189409B2 Readout circuit for rewritable memories and readout method for same
In one embodiment, a readout circuit for rewritable memories comprises a control logic unit with an input for supplying a start signal and with several outputs for providing a respective control signal as a function of start signal, a first terminal for switchable connection to a first memory cell by means of a first switch, and a second terminal for switchable connection by means of a second switch to a second memory cell, and a readout unit coupled to the control logic unit, as well as to the first and second terminals, with an output for providing an output signal as a function of a state of the first and/or the second memory cell and as a function of the control signals, wherein the readout circuit is designed for self-terminating operation in a reading mode and in a test mode. A readout method for rewritable memories is additionally provided.
US08189407B2 Apparatus, system, and method for biasing data in a solid-state storage device
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for improving performance in a non-volatile solid-state storage device. Non-volatile solid-state storage media includes a plurality of storage cells. The plurality of storage cells is configured such that storage cells in an empty state store initial binary values that satisfy a bias. An input module receives source data for storage in the plurality of storage cells of the non-volatile solid-state storage media. Bits of the source data have a source bias that is different from the bias of the plurality of storage cells. A bit biasing module biases the bits of the source data toward the bias of the plurality of storage cells. A write module writes the biased source data to the plurality of storage cells of the non-volatile solid-state storage media.
US08189405B2 Data readout circuit and semiconductor memory device
A data readout circuit including a 1st PMOS transistor operating in saturation and including a source connected to a power supply, a drain connected to an input terminal a memory cell, and a gate connected to a 1st bias voltage; a 2nd PMOS transistor including a source connected to the drain of the 1st PMOS transistor, a drain connected to an output terminal, and a gate connected to a 2nd bias voltage; a 1st NMOS transistor including a drain connected to the drain of the 2nd PMOS transistor, a source grounded, and a gate connected to a 3rd bias voltage; and a bias voltage section causing the 2nd PMOS transistor to operate in saturation, and supplying the 2nd bias voltage adjusted so as to keep a reference voltage of the input terminal at a junction point between the drain and the source of the 1st and 2nd PMOS transistors respectively.
US08189388B2 Fuse circuit and flash memory device having the same
A flash memory device includes a main cell array configured to have main memory cells for storing data and a redundancy cell array configured to have redundancy memory cells for repairing a failed memory cell of the main cell array. A page buffer circuit is configured to perform a program operation, a verifying operation and a read operation on the main cell array and the redundancy cell array. A repair circuit includes fuse circuits having fuse memory cells each of which is programmed in response to address information. The repair circuit is operated in response to a program state of the fuse memory cells and output a repair signal. A data input/output controller is configured to control input/output of data to/from the main memory cell or the redundancy memory cell in accordance with the repair signal outputted by the repair circuit.
US08189387B2 Flash memory with multi-bit read
A memory device is described that comprises determining which read data state of more than 2X read data states a memory cell is in after the memory cell has been programmed to one of 2X program data states, wherein the determined read data state corresponds to X digits of read data and at least one digit of error data, and wherein X is a positive integer.
US08189385B2 Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, method for manufacturing the same, and nonvolatile memory array
A floating gate made of polysilicon is provided on a semiconductor substrate through the medium of a gate insulator. A side-wall insulating film is provided on each side wall of the floating gate. A first impurity diffusion layer, which occupies a space within the semiconductor substrate, is provided separately apart from the floating gate by a predetermined distance. A second impurity diffusion layer, which occupies a space within the semiconductor substrate, overlaps with the floating gate. Electrons are injected into the floating gate by applying a high voltage to the second impurity diffusion layer in capacitive coupling with the floating gate.
US08189383B2 Page buffer of non-volatile memory device and programming method of non-volatile memory device
Multi-level cell programming methods are provided. A method includes providing a page buffer including first and second registers connected to first and second memory cell blocks, respectively. A least significant bit (LSB) program of each memory cell is completed. Most significant bit (MSB) data is set in a first node of the first register. An MSB program is performed. When the MSB program is performed at a first verify voltage, first data at a first voltage level is set in the first node. When the MSB program is performed at a second verify voltage, second data at a second voltage level, opposite to the first voltage level, is set in the first node. When the MSB program is performed at a third verify voltage, the first data is set in the first node. The MSB program is repeated according to the first node data.
US08189367B1 Single event upset hardened static random access memory cell
A single event upset (SEU) hardened memory cell to be utilized in static random access memories is disclosed. The SEU hardened memory cell includes a first transistor, a second transistor and a first resistor connected between a source of the first transistor and a drain of the second transistor. The SEU hardened memory cell also includes a third transistor, a fourth transistor and a second resistor connected between a source of the third transistor and a drain of the fourth transistor. The first resistor is also connected between a gate of the third transistor and the drain of the second transistor. The second resistor is also connected between a gate of the first transistor and the drain of the fourth transistor.
US08189361B2 Multi-chip assembly with optically coupled die
Disclosed are embodiments of a multi-chip assembly including optically coupled die. The multi-chip assembly may include two opposing substrates, and a number of die are mounted on each of the substrates. At least one die on one of the substrates is in optical communication with at least one opposing die on the other substrate. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08189359B2 Nonvolatile memory device having different types of metal lines
Provided is a nonvolatile memory device, including a memory cell array region, a decoder and an interface region. The memory cell array region includes multiple word lines. The decoder supplies multiple voltages to the word lines through multiple first type metal lines formed of a first metal and multiple second type metal lines formed of a second metal. The interface region connects the first type metal lines to first word lines in a first group, and connects the second type metal lines to second word lines in a second group. The first type metal lines are sequentially disposed to correspond with a positioning order of the first word lines in the first group, and the second type metal lines are sequentially disposed to correspond with a positioning order of the second word lines in the second group.
US08189353B2 Method for the operation and use of a converter
A method for the operation of a converter of a power-generating generator system that can be connected to an electrical AC network, and the use of the converter is provided.The converter is operated by a regulation device regulating the converter as an active audio frequency block. At least one audio frequency current of at least one specified audio frequency is detected. An AC current progression that is to be transmitted to the converter in the regulation device is determined, where at least one audio frequency current is at least partially impressed on the AC current progression. The AC current progression in the converter is generated. The AC current progression generated by the converter is then supplied to the AC network.
US08189349B2 Handheld electronic device with large spreading area
A handheld electronic device including a first body, a second body, a sliding module, and a shielding member is provided. The sliding module drives the first body and the second body transforming between a retracting state and a spreading state. The sliding module includes a sliding member, a fixing member and a driving member. The sliding member has an opening and when the first body and the second body configure in the spreading state, a part of the opening is exposed. The shielding member is coupled to the driving member. When the first body and the second body are transformed from the retracting state to the spreading state, the driving member drives the shielding member sliding with respect to the sliding member to shield the part of the opening.
US08189348B2 Aligning bracket
In one embodiment, the present disclosure refers to an apparatus comprising a bracket having a base configured to receive and hold a first electronic element. The bracket comprises at least one flange extending from the base and at least one guide acting to align the bracket and first electronic element with a second electronic element. The bracket also comprises at least one fastener aligned with the at least one guide and acting to engage and hold the second electronic element.
US08189346B2 Securing device, and assembly of an electronic device and the securing device
In an assembly of an electronic device having one side provided with at least one securing hole, and a securing device including a body, an abutting and retaining member, and a guiding unit, the body includes a base for placement of the electronic device thereon, and a lateral plate extending upwardly from one side of the base and having an inner side formed with at least one protrusion for engaging the securing hole. The abutting and retaining member is movably and slidably disposed on the base opposite to the lateral plate. The guiding unit is connected to the abutting and retaining member and the base for guiding displacement of the abutting and retaining member so that the latter is rotatable relative to the base to abut against the other side of the electronic device when being displaced from a release position to a securing position.
US08189335B2 Heat transport assembly
Heat transport assemblies are provided with a first part plastic part and a second part. The heat transport assemblies have a first surface area on the first part in heat conductive contact with a second surface area on the second part, wherein the first surface area and the second surface area consist of a surface material having a heat conductivity of at least 50 W/m·K.
US08189333B2 Connector assemblies incorporating ceramic inserts having conductive pathways and interfaces
Ceramic inserts and hermetically sealed or sealable connectors incorporating a ceramic insert providing conductive pathways between opposing faces and/or side-walls and fabricated using multi-layer ceramic fabrication techniques are described. Conductive pads provided as metalized surfaces on the ceramic insert facilitate conductive communication between the conductive pathways transiting the ceramic inserts and conductive structures contacting the conductive pads, such as sockets, pins, wires, and the like.
US08189328B2 Methods and apparatus of dual inline memory modules for flash memory
In one embodiment of the invention, a flash memory dual inline memory module (FMDIMM) is disclosed. The FMDIMM includes a printed circuit board (PCB) with an edge connector; a first plurality of multi-chip packaged flash memory/support application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) parts mounted to the printed circuit board and electrically coupled to the edge connector; and a first address device mounted to the PCB and electrically coupled to the edge connector and the first plurality of multi-chip packaged flash memory/support ASIC parts. Each of the first plurality of multi-chip packaged flash memory/support ASIC parts includes one or more randomly accessible flash memory die to periodically store data in a non-volatile manner.
US08189327B2 Electronic device and retreating apparatus thereof
An electronic device and a retreating apparatus are disclosed. The retreating apparatus comprises at least one moving element, at least one first elastic element, an operating element, and at least one linking element. When the electronic device connects to an external device via connecting interfaces, the retreating apparatus disposed in the electronic device is capable of detaching the external device successfully from the electronic device by different working types.
US08189323B2 Gas-insulated switchgear apparatus
A gas-insulated switchgear apparatus includes a center conductor 2, a current transformer 4 surrounding the center conductor 2, an electric field shield 5, and a metallic vessel 1. The electric field shield 5 is located between the center conductor 2 and the current transformer 4 and surrounds the center conductor 2. The current transformer 4 and the electric field shield 5 constitute a tubular part that outputs a signal representing an electric physical quantity. The metallic vessel 1 is filled with an insulating gas 19. The tubular part has an opening 6 formed therein. In a posture in which the center axis of the tubular part about which the tubular part surrounds the center conductor 2 is substantially horizontal, the opening 6 is located in a surface of the tubular part, which surface is included in a lower portion of the tubular part and faces the center conductor 2.
US08189321B2 Multilayer capacitor
A first inner electrode is integrally provided with a first terminal connection part connected to a first terminal electrode and a first linking connection part connected to a first linking electrode. A second inner electrode is integrally provided with a second terminal connection part connected to a second terminal electrode and a second linking connection part connected to a second linking electrode. A third inner electrode is integrally provided with a third linking connection part connected to the first linking electrode. A fourth inner electrode is integrally provided with a fourth linking connection part connected to the second linking electrode. The third inner electrode is adjacent to the first and fourth inner electrodes in a laminating direction of the plurality of dielectric layers. The first and fourth inner electrodes overlap the third inner electrode as seen in the laminating direction of the plurality of dielectric layers.
US08189314B2 Current in-rush limiting circuit using switchable current limiting arrangement
An apparatus includes first and second input terminals, a conversion circuit, a current limiting resistive device, a triac and a second winding. The first and second input terminals are configured to be connected to a source of input power. The conversion circuit is operably connected to the first and second terminals, and includes a first inductive winding coupled between the first terminal and a switching device. The conversion circuit also includes a rectifier coupled between the first inductive winding and a first output, and a capacitor coupled between the first output and circuit ground.
US08189307B2 Composite type electric circuit breaker and method thereof
A composite electric circuit breaker, and method thereof, is configured to detect signals regarding arc faults, overcurrent, and earth leakage. Arcs and electric currents are detected by a current transformer and earth leakage is detected by a zero phase current transformer. A variation of electric current, the number of arcs which are generated per a unit time, a present electric current value, and electric current earth leakage are combined to judge whether arc faults occur to then interrupt an electric power supply. Temperature is measured on a printed circuit board, and if temperature rise occurs, the electric power supply is interrupted, and an interruption cause is displayed. Electric accidents and occurrence of fires are prevented simultaneously and more accurately. The interruption causes can be confirmed, analyzed and externally monitored through a network, to thus maximize efficiency of electric management.
US08189299B2 Magnetic head suspension
The present invention provides a magnetic head suspension including a flexure part including a magnetic head mounting region for supporting a magnetic head slider; a load bending part for generating a load to press the magnetic head slider towards a recording medium; a load beam part for transmitting the load generated by the load bending part to the magnetic head mounting region; and a base part connected to a proximal end side of the load bending part. The base part has a thin thickness region extending from a distal end towards a proximal end side by a predetermined distance and having a thin thickness compared to an other region.
US08189298B1 Disk drive actuator having a C-shaped bobbin with wings adjacent longitudinal coil legs
A C-shaped bobbin includes a bobbin base member adjacent and attached to a first lateral leg of an actuator coil. A bobbin recess, adjacent the bobbin base member, separates first and second bobbin wings. The first and second bobbin wings define first and second wing lengths measured parallel to first and second longitudinal legs of the coil, respectively, and also define first and second wing widths measured normal to the first and second longitudinal legs, respectively. The bobbin recess defines a recess depth measured normal to the first lateral leg, and defines a recess width measured parallel to the first lateral leg. Each of the first and second wing lengths is less than the length of the longitudinal legs. The recess depth is at least half a base member width. The recess width is at least twice the first wing width and/or the second wing width.
US08189292B2 Method for manufacturing a magnetic write head having a write pole with a trailing edge taper using a Rieable hard mask
A method for manufacturing a magnetic write head having a write pole with a tapered, stepped trailing edge. The method includes depositing a magnetic write pole material over a substrate, and then forming a magnetic step structure over the magnetic write pole material. A mask structure is then formed, which includes a multilayer hard mask formed over the magnetic write pole material and the magnetic step structure. An ion milling process is then performed to remove a portion of the write pole material to define a write pole. A non-magnetic material can be deposited and ion milling performed to form non-magnetic side gap layer at the sides of the write pole. A multi-step reactive ion milling process can then be performed to remove the remaining hard mask from over the write pole.
US08189289B2 Electrically conductive spacer and disk drive including the electrically conductive spacer
A disk drive. The disk drive includes a motor, a hub coupled to a spindle shaft of the motor, at least two disks each having a center hole and being coupled to the hub, and a spacer having a center hole. The spacer is disposed around the hub such that the hub is disposed within the center hole of the spacer; and, the spacer is sandwiched between and in contact with the two disks to define spacing between the disks. The spacer includes at least two conductive rings and the conductive rings are secured between the two disks. The spacer also includes a damping sheet configured to absorb vibration between the conductive rings, and a conductive ring-shaped spring having a spring characteristic in a radial direction of the disks to make a diameter variable. Moreover, the conductive ring-shaped spring is in contact with both of the two conductive rings.
US08189287B2 Equalization and minimization of multi-head stack assembly's motion during self servo writing and HDD operation
A disk hard disk drive that includes a spindle motor and an actuator arm coupled to a base plate. A plurality of disks are coupled to the spindle motor and a plurality of heads are coupled to the actuator arm and the disks. The drive also includes a cover attached to the base plate. The cover and base plate enclose a hard disk area that has a horizontal center line. The hard disk area includes a volume of air above the horizontal center line that is equal to a volume of air below the horizontal center line. The air space within the hard disk area is equal and symmetrical in a vertical direction. Such an arrangement reduces track mis-registration when servo is copied from a disk surface to the other surfaces of the disks in the drive.
US08189284B2 Quiet retraction system
A quiet retraction method for regulating constant velocity while parking an arm within a disk drive is described. The method comprises the steps of: driving a motor for the arm using a first drive current for a first period; floating the motor; sampling a back electromotive force (bemf) for a first sampled voltage, while floating the motor; driving the motor with a second drive current during a second period in response to sampling the bemf; determining whether the second drive current exceeds a current limit; estimating the bemf using the first sampled voltage when the second drive current exceeds the current limit; driving the motor with a third current during a third period in response to estimating the bemf; wherein driving the motor with the first, second, and third currents quietly parks the arm, while regulating the constant velocity.
US08189281B2 Magnetic recording disk drive with write driver to write head transmission line having non-uniform sections for optimal write current pulse overshoot
An interconnect between the write driver and the write head in a magnetic recording disk drive enables an inherent write current overshoot. The interconnect includes an integrated lead suspension (ILS) and a short flex cable that connects the write driver circuitry to the ILS. The interconnect is a two-segment transmission line, with the first segment connected to the write driver having multiple sub-segments or sections with non-uniform impedance levels. The section of the first segment that connects to the write driver is the short flex cable and has an impedance substantially higher than the source impedance ZWD of the write driver. The multiple sections of the first segment have non-uniform impedance values that have an effective impedance Z01-eff that substantially matches ZWD. The second segment of the transmission line has an effective impedance Z02-eff that is substantially less than Z01-eff. The write lines for the +W and −W signals are preferably interleaved on the transmission line sections.
US08189271B2 Imaging lens and imaging apparatus
An imaging lens includes a first-lens having negative power, and which is a meniscus lens the image-side surface of which has concave shape; a second-lens, the object-side surface and the image-side surface of which are aspheric, and which has double-concave shape in the vicinity of an optical axis; a third-lens, the object-side surface and the image-side surface of which are aspheric, and which has double-convex shape in the vicinity of the optical axis; a stop; and a fourth-lens, the object-side surface and the image-side surface of which are aspheric, and which has double-convex shape in the vicinity of the optical axis, which are arranged from the object side in the order mentioned above. Further, formula (1) is satisfied: 0.0
US08189268B2 Lens unit
A lens unit is equipped with a lens, through which light from an object enters, and a lens barrel for holding the lens. An optical extending member is employed when observing a focal image of the lens with a microscope. A receiving portion having a receiving surface, for receiving a front end facet of the optical path extending member within the lens barrel that faces toward the lens, is formed at a portion of the lens barrel. A mounting portion positioned further rearward from a rear end facet of the optical path extending member, having a guide insertion aperture that extends in a direction perpendicular to the receiving surface and a mounting surface that extends in a direction parallel to the receiving surface is formed at the periphery of the guide insertion aperture is formed at a portion of the lens barrel.
US08189262B2 Optical sheet, and mounting method and optical module using the optical sheet
A three-dimensional optical sheet is arranged between optical elements and a substrate for optically connecting the optical elements and the substrate and includes a sheet section, convex lens sections, and reflecting sections. The sheet section has first and second main surfaces. The convex lens sections are provided on the first main surface for collecting light. The reflecting sections are provided on the second main surface and change the direction of light traveling along the second main surface such that the light enters the convex lens sections.
US08189252B2 Light deflecting device and hologram device
A light deflecting device is a light deflecting device for deflecting an incident light beam and has: a coarse motion light deflecting device which has an optical system having at least two conjugate points on an optical axis and deflects the light beam which has passed through one conjugate point and has entered the optical system as an output light beam which passes through the other conjugate point and has a deflection angle with respect to the optical axis while changing its transmitting direction; and a fine motion light deflecting device which is arranged in the optical system, applies a deflection to the incident light beam, and changes the deflection angle of the output light beam to a second deflection angle different from the deflection angle for a predetermined time.
US08189243B1 Color calibration for digital imaging devices
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to color calibration for digital imaging devices. Color correction may be performed for digital imaging devices. A response of a device to known colors may be obtained. The response may be obtained at least in part through an image that may include one or more color patches. One or more linearization curves may be determined by fitting values from one or more color patches within the image to reference data. In addition, a color correction matrix may be determined by estimating local minimum values utilizing one or more pairs of high-chroma color patches within the image.
US08189232B2 Density calculating apparatus, density setting apparatus, density calculating program storage medium, and density setting program storage medium
A density calculating apparatus includes: an image data acquisition section that acquires print image data representing a print image; a place designating section that designates a place on the print image; and a target color acquisition section that acquires a target color of a color of the place. The apparatus further includes: a color guess section that guesses a print color of the place to be printed by a printing system, by using a patch image produced based on a predetermined criterion; and a density calculation section that calculates the print densities of the ink materials having the plurality of colors by using the color guess section so that the target color is achieved at the place by the printing system based on the print image data.
US08189230B2 Shifting print areas for cover and body in book binding
An image forming apparatus including: a data input section to input document image data including cover sheet image data and body text image data; an image forming section to form an image on a recording medium based on the document image data; an input section to input a shift instruction for shifting a print area of the document image data; and a control section to control the image forming section so that images are formed by shifting only a body text image corresponding to the body text image data of the document image data on the recording medium while not shifting a cover sheet image corresponding to the cover sheet image data of the document image data, based on the shift instruction inputted from the input section.
US08189222B2 Device system, source device, and transmission method
A system includes a transmitting unit configured to transmit an application and data related to the application from a source device to a destination device and a notifying unit configured to notify the source device of the number of times the application has been used in the destination device.
US08189217B2 Image processing system configured to set a user authority level
An information processing apparatus transmits a job, share user information indicating users who are permitted to access a shared folder, and access permission information defining the users' user authority level to use data stored in the shared folder, which is set for the shared folder, collectively to an image processing apparatus. Receiving these information pieces, the image processing apparatus generates job access authority information defining the users' authority level to use the received job, based on the access permission information, and records the job, the share user information and the generated job access authority information in a memory, with their connections.
US08189216B2 Printing system and printer
A printing system includes a printer in which particular information is set to designate the printer is a qualified printer, and a host device for transmitting print information created by a particular application to the printer. The particular application has an information adding unit that adds information to the print information. The printer has a decision unit that decides whether the information added to the print information matches the particular information stored in the printer, and a print processing unit that prints the print information only if this is the case. This arrangement enables qualified electronic form data to be printed only by a qualified printer, and a qualified printer to print only qualified electronic form data, without requiring significant modifications of existing printer programs or electronic form data specifications.
US08189215B2 Image reading device and associated method for job execution
An image reading device and associated method for job execution are provided. An interrupted job storage unit of the image reading device is configured to interrupt a first job and to store an interrupted job information that relates to the first job in the storage unit when a job setting initiation sheet that indicates an initiation of a second job is received while the first job is being executed. An interruption job confirmation unit is configured to set the second job as an in-execution job when the job setting initiation sheet is received. An interrupted job reading unit is configured to read the interrupted job information that relates to the first job from the storage unit and to set the first job as the in-execution job when a job setting termination sheet that indicates a termination of the second job is received.
US08189201B2 Microscopy system, microscopy method, and a method of treating an aneurysm
A microscopy system and method allow observing a fluorescent substance accumulated in a tissue. The tissue can be observed at a same time both with visible light and with fluorescent light. It is possible to observe a series of previously recorded fluorescent light images in superposition with the visible light images. An end of the series of images may be automatically determined. A thermal protective filter may be inserted into a beam path of an illuminating system at such automatically determined end of the series. Further, the fluorescent light image may be analyzed for identifying a coherent fluorescent portion thereof. A representation of a periphery line of the coherent portion may be generated, and depths profile data may be obtained only from the coherent portion. An illuminating light beam for exciting the fluorescence may be modulated for improving a contrast of fluorescent images.
US08189198B2 Active viewport detection assembly for substrate detection in a vapor detection system
An active viewport assembly for use in detecting substrates conveyed through a vapor deposition system includes a casing configured for mounting to a wall of a vapor deposition module. The casing further includes an enclosed chamber, an exterior side port, and an interior side port. A lens assembly is disposed within the chamber and extends through the interior side port. A heater element is configured on the lens assembly within the chamber. One of an active transmitter or an active signal receiver is configured with the exterior side port external of the chamber and is axially aligned with and spaced from the lens assembly.
US08189195B2 Inspection method and apparatus, lithographic apparatus, lithographic processing cell and device manufacturing method
A method of measuring a property of a substrate includes generating a patterned mask configured to cause a radiation beam passing through the mask to acquire the pattern, simulating radiating the substrate with a patterned radiation beam that has been patterned using the mask to obtain a simulated pattern, determining at least one location of the simulated pattern that is prone to patterning errors, and irradiating the substrate with the patterned radiation beam using a lithographic process. The method also includes measuring an accuracy of at least one property of the at least one location of the pattern on the substrate that has been determined as being prone to patterning errors, and adjusting the lithographic process according to the measuring.
US08189194B2 Direct illumination machine vision technique for processing semiconductor wafers
A vision system is provided to determine a positional relationship between a semiconductor wafer on a platen and an element on a processing machine, such as a printing screen, on a remote side of the semiconductor wafer from the platen. A source directs ultraviolet light through an aperture in the platen to illuminate the semiconductor wafer and cast a shadow onto the element adjacent an edge of the semiconductor wafer. A video camera produces an image using light received from the platen aperture, wherein some of that received light was reflected by the wafer. The edge of the semiconductor wafer in the image is well defined by a dark/light transition.
US08189192B2 Volume phase grating spectrometers and related methods and systems
A Spectrometer is provided including a camera and an axial symmetric camera mount configured to receive the camera and to rotate. The spectrometer furthers include an input for providing optical radiation to a spectrometer system; a diffraction grating for dispersing the optical radiation along a prescribed plane; at least one lens for focusing wavelength-dispersed light onto at least one array of a detector of optical radiation, wherein the camera has at least one linear array of elements for detecting optical radiation; a mechanical housing, wherein the axial symmetric camera mount is configured to couple the camera to the mechanical housing; and a means for rotating the camera coupled to the mechanical housing about an axis. Related systems and methods are also provided.
US08189191B2 Spectroscopic imaging microscopy
Disclosed herein are systems that include: (a) an objective lens system configured to collect light from a sample; (b) a first aperture positioned to allow a portion of the collected light received from the objective lens system to pass as input light; (c) a first lens positioned to transmit the input light received from the first aperture; (d) a dispersive element configured to spatially disperse the input light received from the first lens in a first plane; (e) a second lens positioned to transmit the spatially dispersed light; (f) a second aperture positioned to allow a portion of the spatially dispersed light received from the second lens to pass as detection light; and (g) a detector positioned to receive the detection light and configured to form at least one image of the sample.
US08189188B2 Methods for determining enantiomeric purity with varying chiral analyte concentration
A new strategy for the quantitative determination of enantiomeric purity that combines guest-host complexation, spectroscopy, and chemometric modeling. Spectral data for samples of known enantiomeric composition is subjected to a type of multivariate regression modeling known as partial least squares (“PLS-1”) regression. The PLS-1 regression produces a mathematical model that can be used to predict the enantiomeric composition of a set of samples of unknown enantiomeric purity. In this strategy, the concentration of the chiral compound does not have to be fixed or known.
US08189177B2 Sample preparation apparatus and sample preparation method, and cell analyzer and cell analysis method
A sample preparation apparatus comprising: a detector for detecting a predetermined cell included in a biological sample; a sample preparation section for preparing a measurement sample from the biological sample and a predetermined reagent; and a controller configured to generate, based on a detection result by the detector, concentration information reflecting a concentration of the predetermined cell in the biological sample and to control, based on the concentration information, the amount of the biological sample supplied to the sample preparation section.
US08189172B2 Lithographic apparatus and method
Systems and methods are provided for measuring aberration in a lithographic apparatus. A radiation beam is modulated using an array of individually controllable elements, and the modulated beam is projected using a projection system. A pattern is provided on the array of individually controllable elements to modulate the radiation beam, and the pattern comprises a repeating structure that is formed from a plurality of features that are dimensioned such that first order diffraction of the radiation beam substantially fills the pupil of the projection system. A sensor detects the projected radiation and measures interference in the radiation projected by the projection system. Aberration in the detected radiation beam is then measured.
US08189167B2 Mask holder for irradiating UV-rays
A mask holder for irradiating UV-rays is disclosed in the present invention. The mask holder includes a lower part having a frame and a mask supporting member supporting a mask, wherein the mask supporting member is in the frame and has a plurality of first connecting portions, and an upper part having a plurality of second connecting portions to be aligned with the first connecting portions.
US08189159B2 Liquid crystal display device and method for manufacturing the same
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display, in which dim block caused by overlays is prevented at blue pixels having upside down inverted structures with respect to one another in a Z-type driving in which a signal is applied to data lines in zigzag.
US08189156B2 Display panel comprising at least one scribe mark formed of thinnest conductive member
A liquid crystal display panel includes an active matrix substrate, a counter substrate, a liquid crystal layer, and a sealant. The counter electrode is opposed to the active matrix substrate. The liquid crystal layer is provided between the active matrix substrate and the counter substrate. The sealant, which surrounds the liquid crystal layer between the active matrix substrate and the counter substrate, joins the active matrix substrate and the counter substrate and seals the liquid crystal layer. A portion of the surface on the liquid crystal layer side of the active matrix substrate which is located at the periphery of the liquid crystal display panel is flat.
US08189152B2 Production method of liquid crystal display device and liquid crystal display device
The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device and a production method of a liquid crystal display device, capable of improving display qualities in a display region close to a frame region without causing any defects. The present invention is a production method of a liquid crystal display device, the liquid crystal display device including: a pair of substrates facing each other; a liquid crystal layer arranged between the pair of substrates; an alignment film arranged on a liquid crystal layer-side surface of at least one of the pair of substrates; and a pixel including two or more domains, the production method including an exposure step of exposing the alignment film using a photomask having a first mask part and a second mask part, the first mask part having a plurality of transmissive parts formed within a light-shielding region, the second mask part having a plurality of transmissive parts formed within the light-shielding region in a form different from a form of the plurality of transmissive parts in the first mask part, wherein the alignment film in a display region is exposed through the first mask part, and the alignment film in a frame region is exposed through the second mask part.
US08189145B2 Display device and method of manufacturing the same
A display device formed by plural pixels that have reflective regions and transmissive regions is disclosed. The display device includes, in each of the pixels: an element layer formed on a substrate; a planarizing layer formed on the substrate to cover the element layer; and a gap adjusting layer formed on the planarizing layer on the element layer. In the display device, the reflective region is formed by an area including the element layer, the planarizing layer, the gap adjusting layer, and a reflection electrode formed on the gap adjusting layer, and the transmissive region is formed by an area including the planarizing layer formed on the substrate excluding an area in which the gap adjusting layer is formed.
US08189142B2 Electro-optical device, color filter substrate and electronic apparatus
Provided is an electro-optical device including: a pair of substrates; an electro-optical material sandwiched between the pair of substrates; a seal material disposed in a seal region located at the periphery of a region in which the electro-optical material is provided on the pair of substrates so as to bond the pair of substrate to each other, between the pair of substrates; and a coloring layer provided in a concave portion formed in the region in which the electro-optical material is provided on one substrate, wherein a upper surface of a coloring layer facing the electro-optical material is formed nearer to the other substrate than a seal region surface overlapping with the seal material on one substrate.
US08189140B2 Liquid crystal display device having common electrode being formed on color filter patterns
An LCD device and a method for fabricating the same is described, in which each of light-shielding patterns has the uniform thickness to prevent the step coverage from being generated in color filter patterns by the light-shielding patterns. The LCD device includes a substrate with pixel and light shielding regions definede, a transparent material layer formed on the substrate corresponding to the pixel regions, a light-shielding layer formed on the substrate corresponding to the light shielding regions, and a color filter layer on the transparent material layer.
US08189139B2 Display device with stacked polarizers
An object of the present invention is to provide a display device having a high contrast ratio by a simple and easy method. Another object of the present invention is to manufacture such a display device having a high contrast ratio at low cost. The present invention relates to a display device including a first substrate; a second substrate; a layer including a display element, wherein the layer including the display element is interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; and stacked polarizers on the outer side of the first substrate or the second substrate. The stacked polarizers are arranged to be in a parallel Nicols state and the wavelength distributions of the extinction coefficients of the stacked polarizers are different from each other.
US08189132B2 Liquid crystal display and substrate thereof
A liquid crystal display having a repair circuit structure and an array substrate of the liquid crystal display are provided. Each of the repair lines of the repair circuit comprises a front repair line portion arranged to cross with a front data line portion in a substantially perpendicular manner, an end repair line portion arranged to cross with an end data line portion in a substantially perpendicular manner, and an intermediate repair line portion connecting the front and end repair line portions. At least two repair lines in the end repair line portion are positioned in different layers so that a parasitic capacitance between respective repair lines in the repair circuit structure can be reduced and signal transmission quality can be ensured.
US08189126B2 Display device
A display device including a control module, a plastic rear cover, a display panel, a buffer element and a plastic front cover is provided. The plastic rear cover includes a plurality of supporting ribs protruded from an inner surface of the plastic rear cover. An outer surface of the plastic rear cover has a receiving portion, in which the control module is received. The display panel includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and the first surface is disposed in accordance with the inner surface of the plastic rear cover. The buffer element is leant against the second surface. The plastic front cover has a display opening used for exposing a part of the second surface, and is leant against the buffer element.
US08189125B2 Apparatus for audio, video and/or data recording and/or reproducing
An apparatus for audio, video and/or data recording and/or reproducing includes a cabinet. The cabinet is provided with a front and a side. In order to get the impression of a slim device the side is provided with an optically reflecting surface.
US08189123B2 Projection apparatus
A projection apparatus is specified, comprising a light modulator having a light receiving region with a cross-sectional area to be illuminated of the size AM and a maximum acceptance angle α for incident light, and at least one light source by means of which, during its operation, a light cone is produced for illuminating said cross-sectional area of said light receiving region and which comprises a number N of LED chips having a maximum radiation angle β. At least one of the LED chips has a radiation decoupling area of the size AD. The relation 0.7·(AM·sin2(α))/(AD·sin2(β)·n2)≦N≦1.3·(AM·sin2(α))/(AD·sin2(β)·n2) applies, where n is equal to 1 or to the refractive index of a coupling medium with which the LED chips are provided.
US08189118B2 Communication apparatus and control method
A communication apparatus includes a display unit, a communication unit, and a control unit. The display unit displays video data. The communication unit communicates with an external apparatus. The control unit controls the communication apparatus in accordance with a command received by the communication unit. If the display unit is in a mute state and the communication unit is sending the external apparatus the data for placing the external apparatus in a mute state, the control unit determines not to control the communication apparatus in accordance with the command.
US08189114B2 Automated method for temporal segmentation of a video into scenes with taking different types of transitions between frame sequences into account
The automated detection of scene boundaries supports the user in browsing a video. Establishing the similarity between two respective frame sequences is made by choosing and comparing respective key-frames from each frame sequence, which are temporally as far apart from each other as possible but lie outside gradual transitions. Additionally or alternatively, film grammar- and probability-based taking into account of all types of transitions with respect to their separating and/or merging effect on the frame sequences surrounding the transitions and a differently weighted incorporation of the effects of the different types of transitions into uniting frame sequences k into scenes is provided. Thus, all types of transitions are incorporated in determining frame sequence boundaries as scene boundaries with a corresponding weighting, both their separating and merging effect is taken into account, and this knowledge is introduced on a probability basis into the decision in existing scene detection methods.
US08189113B2 Image processing apparatus, video reception apparatus, and image processing method
According to one embodiment, a video display apparatus having a smoothing processing unit inputs luminance signals of pixels which form an image, acquires histogram data by counting the numbers of pixels for respective levels of the input luminance signals, sets a correction amount for a change amount of the levels of luminance signals based on the acquired histogram data, corrects the change amount of the levels of luminance signals near a pixel to be processed based on the correction amount, and corrects the level of the input luminance signal for the pixel to be processed using the corrected change amount of the levels of luminance signals.
US08189111B2 Apparatus and method for image processing in spatial light modulated display systems
Embodiments of the invention provide a circuit for peaking video signals to be provided to a dynamic range limiter for displaying images on a display device. The circuit comprises a peaking filter including a filter input configured to receive a video signal. A first filter output provides a peaking signal for the video signal. A second filter output provides a peaked video signal based upon the peaking signal. The circuit further comprises a throttle circuit including a throttle input coupled to the second filter output. A throttle output provides a throttle signal based upon the peaked video signal. A scaler is coupled between the first filter output and the dynamic range limiter. The scaler is further coupled to the throttle output. The scaler adjusts the peaking signal based upon the throttle signal. Accordingly, peaking is adaptively applied to the video signal based upon the dynamic range limits of the dynamic range limiter, as well as variations in brightness of the input signal over portions of the displayed image.
US08189102B2 Image processing apparatus using interpolation direction
According to the present invention, in converting an interlaced signal in 4:2:0 format into an interlaced signal in 4:2:2 format, diagonal correlation is detected using a luminance signal and color-difference signals are also interpolated diagonally based on a result of the detection. As a result, the quality of the image represented by the color-difference signals can be improved and the signal can be converted into the 4:2:2 format with the block noise of the color-difference signals, which could be produced in an MPEG decoded image in the 4:2:0 format, reduced.
US08189100B2 Mobile device with dual digital camera sensors and methods of using the same
A mobile device comprising a first image sensor, a second image sensor configured to change position with respect to the first image sensor, a controller configured to control the position of the second image sensor, and an image processing module configured to process and combine images captured by the first and second image sensors.
US08189099B2 Vibrating device and image equipment having the same
A vibrating device includes a dust-screening member shaped like a plate as a whole, a vibrating member arranged outside the dust-screening member and configured to produce, at the dust-screening member, vibration having a vibrational amplitude perpendicular to a surface of the dust-screening member, a counter member spaced apart from that surface of the dust-screening member, on which the vibrating member is arranged, a pushing member configured to push the dust-screening member onto the counter member, and a first support member arranged between the counter member and the dust-screening member, surrounding a center of the dust-screening member, and configured to support the dust-screening member when pushed by the pushing member. The first support member is pushed with a pressure of 2 N or less when the pushing member pushes the first support member.
US08189090B2 Image pick-up apparatus and control method therefor
An image pick-up apparatus capable of displaying a detected subject region in a field of view of an optical finder intelligibly, and shortening a time until achieving a focus on a subject so as to decrease a release time lag. A focus detection unit detects data concerning a focus adjustment of a subject. An indication unit indicates a focusing point selected as a target of the focus adjustment among focusing points arranged at positions in a field of view of an optical finder according to the data detected by the focus detection unit. A subject detection unit detects a region of the subject using a signal that is different from the signal used for the detection in the focus detection unit. A control unit controls the indication unit based on the detection result of the subject detection unit so as to indicate the focusing points surrounding the region of the subject.
US08189080B2 Orientation-based approach for forming a demosaiced image, and for color correcting and zooming the demosaiced image
A method and apparatus for forming a demosaiced image from a color-filter-array (“CFA”) image is provided. The CFA image comprises a first set of pixels colored according to a first (e.g., a green) color channel, a second set of pixels colored according to a second (e.g., a red) color channel and a third set of pixels colored according to a third (e.g., blue) color channel. The method may include obtaining an orientation map, which includes, for each pixel of the color-filter-array image, an indicator of orientation of an edge bounding such pixel. The method may further include interpolating the first color channel at the second and third sets of pixels as a function of the orientation map so as to form a fourth set of pixels. The method may also include interpolating the second color channel at the first and third sets of pixels as a function of the orientation map and the fourth set of pixels; and interpolating the third color channel at the first and second sets of pixels as a function of the orientation map and the fourth set of pixels.
US08189079B2 Imaging apparatus and method
In recent years, the performance of CMOS and CCD image sensors has dramatically improved, and to utilize the improved performance of these sensors, processing circuitry is provided here. This processing circuitry employs a adjustable gain that varies depending on the intensity of the signal from the image sensor so as to reduce noise, reduce area used, and reduce power consumption.
US08189070B1 Image capturing devices using Sunny f/16 rule to override metered exposure settings
Several methods and apparatuses for implementing automatic exposure mechanisms for image capturing devices are described. In one embodiment, an automatic exposure mechanism can use data from a light meter of an image capturing device to determine a metered exposure value associated with incident light. The automatic exposure mechanism can determine a rule based exposure value based on a predetermined rule and exposure settings (e.g., a predetermined light sensitivity of a capture media and a predetermined f-number of the image capturing device). The automatic exposure mechanisms can select either the metered exposure value or the rule based exposure value to set an exposure setting for the image capturing device.
US08189066B2 Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer-readable medium
An image processing apparatus includes an evaluation value calculation unit configured to acquire an evaluation value from image data, a reduction coefficient calculation unit configured to calculate a reduction coefficient based on the evaluation value, a reduction unit configured to subject the image data to image processing to reduce color bleeding in a target area in the image data based on the reduction coefficient, and a size change unit configured to change the size of the image data. The reduction coefficient calculation unit calculates the reduction coefficient to reduce the color bleeding in a target area in the image data when the evaluation value exceeds a threshold. The threshold is set so that the range of the evaluation value where the reduction coefficient is not calculated when the size change unit sets the size of the image data to a second value larger than a first value is made wider than the range of the evaluation value where the reduction coefficient is not calculated when the size change unit sets the size of the image data to the first value.
US08189064B2 Imaging apparatus
An imaging device includes a color filter having a predetermined color array and converts an optical image into image data of an electrical signal. A coordinate transforming unit transforms a first coordinate value of the imaging device into a second coordinate value in a state of the color array according to a color of the color filter corresponding to the first coordinate value. The imaging device reads out a pixel value of a pixel at the second coordinate value as a pixel value of a pixel at the first coordinate value by setting the first coordinate value as a coordinate transform destination and the second coordinate value as a coordinate transform source.
US08189049B2 Intrusion alarm video-processing device
Binarization is performed using a threshold image obtained by multiplying a variation in each pixel value of an input image with a coefficient. Although the variation is time-averaged based on an update coefficient for each pixel, the update coefficient is switched depending on whether or not a relevant pixel belongs to the object. Subsequently, from the binary image, an initial detection zone is formed and a spatial filtering process is performed thereto. The spatial filtering process includes at least one of skeleton analysis processing, object mask processing, morphology processing, and section analysis processing. For a tracking zone, the temporal positional change thereof is tracked, and the noise is reduced. Some of the tracking zones are removed, and the remaining zones are integrated into a cluster, and furthermore the cluster selection is performed based on the dimensions in real space.
US08189035B2 Method and apparatus for rendering virtual see-through scenes on single or tiled displays
A system for displaying an image on a display includes a display for displaying an image thereon. A three dimensional representation of an image is obtained. The three dimensional representation is rendered as a two dimensional representation on the display. An imaging device is associated with the display. The location of a viewer is determined with respect to the display. The rendering on the display is based upon the determining the location of the viewer with respect to the display.
US08189031B2 Method and apparatus for providing panoramic view with high speed image matching and mild mixed color blending
An apparatus and method of providing a panoramic image, the method including: preparing images of a plurality of levels, which are made by scaling each of two source images at several rates; computing a Sum of Square Difference (SSD) between two corresponding images in each of the plurality of levels of the two source images to form an image stitched together; and when stitching the two images, the overlapping area is divided into a plurality of parts and each part is assigned a weight which is linearly applied respectively to the divided part of each source image for blending color. The apparatus includes stitching units to stitch source images together at the plurality of levels and blending units to color blend the source images in the overlapped area.
US08189030B2 Permission-based content filtering for video recordings
Computer-readable media having corresponding apparatus and methods embodies instructions executable by a computer to perform a method comprising: receiving a request to stream a video recording; selecting one of a plurality of user types based on the request; selecting one of a plurality of content filters for the video recording based on the selected user type, wherein at least one of the content filters identifies one or more portions of the video recording to be omitted; and streaming the video recording, except for the one or more portions of the video recording to be omitted.
US08189027B2 Exposure unit, image forming apparatus and image forming method
An exposure unit which exposes photoconductive drums having rotary axes thereof arranged parallel to each other on a single plane by light beams, includes one or more polygon mirrors each having a plurality of reflection surfaces, where the one or more polygon mirrors rotate about a common rotary axis. Each light beam is deflected by the one or more polygon mirrors and scans the surface of a corresponding photoconductive drum. The common rotary axis is separated from the rotary axes of the photoconductive drums by identical distances along respective normals which are perpendicular to both the common rotary axis and the rotary axes of the photoconductive drums.
US08189025B2 Thermal printer
A thermal printer includes a thermal head, a platen roller configured to press the thermal head, an engaging part configured to engage the platen roller provided at a side part of a main part where the thermal head is provided, and a spring part provided at a part of the side part so as to engage the platen roller with the engaging part. The spring part forms a part of a side surface of the engaging part. The spring part is made of a material the same as a material of the side part.
US08189021B2 Thermal head manufacturing method, thermal head, and printer
A thermal head manufacturing method comprises a concave portion forming step of forming a concave portion on one surface of a supporting substrate, a bonding step of bonding a thin plate glass to the one surface of the supporting substrate where the concave portion has been formed in a manner that hermetically seals the concave portion and forms a hollow portion, a heating step of heating the supporting substrate and the thin plate glass which have been bonded together in the bonding step to thereby soften the thin plate glass and expand gas trapped inside the hollow portion, and a heating resistor forming step of forming a heating resistor on the thin plate glass so as to be opposed to the hollow portion. During the heating step, the thin glass plate undergoes plastic deformation, due to expansion of the gas inside the hollow portion, and rises toward an opposite side from the hollow portion, and a leveling step is carried out to level the outer surface of the plastically deformed thin glass plate.
US08189020B2 Thermal head, thermal printer, and manufacturing method for thermal head
To improve heat generating efficiency and printing quality, a plurality of heating resistors (14) are arranged with spaces therebetween on a heat storage layer (13) laminated on a surface of a supporting substrate (11) via an adhesive layer (12) made of an elastic material. A cavity section (19) is formed at a region between the supporting substrate (11) and the heat storage layer (13), the region being opposed to a heat generating portion of each of the plurality of heating resistors (14). The cavity section (19) includes a concave portion (20) formed in the surface of the supporting substrate (11) and the heat storage layer (13) in which the concave portion (20) is closed and the surface thereof is exposed to the cavity section (19).
US08189010B2 Systems and methods for color gamut mapping
Systems and methods are provided for an efficient computational scheme that permits the mapping of a color to a device gamut. In some embodiments, the device gamut may be represented in a device independent color space, which may be a perceptually uniform color space. In some embodiments, a set of non-overlapping contiguous tetrahedra may be used to partition entire device gamut. In some embodiments, the disclosed methods permit the identification of a destination color equivalent to the input color in the device independent space by intelligently narrowing the search space for tetrahedra enclosing the input color in the device gamut and permitting the identification of a color equivalent in the destination gamut in the input color space even when the input color lies outside the searched tetrahedra.
US08189003B2 System and method for rendering computer graphics utilizing a shadow illuminator
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to rendering computer graphics using an augmented direct light model which approximates the effect of indirect light in shadows. More specifically, a shadow illuminator light source is provided for. The shadow illuminator light source is associated with an ordinary, or primary light source and is used to provide illumination in areas which are in shadows with respect to the primary light source. The shadow illuminator provides illumination only to areas which are considered to be in the shadows with respect to the light source the shadow illuminator is associated with. Thus, the shadow illuminator may be used to approximate the effects of indirect light.
US08189001B2 Method and apparatus for parallel ray-tracing employing modular space division
Novel method and system for distributed database ray-tracing is presented, based on modular mapping of scene-data among processors. Its inherent properties include scattering data among processors for improved load balancing, and matching between geographical proximity in the scene with communication proximity between processors. High utilization is enabled by unique mechanism of cache sharing. The resulting improved performance enables deep level of ray tracing for real time applications.
US08189000B2 Method and system for a computer-rendered three-dimensional mannequin
A computerized method and system for displaying garments on a computer-rendered three-dimensional rotatable model in an interactive virtual reality software product, comprising: storing information related to a computer-rendered three-dimensional model; storing information related to a plurality of computer-rendered three-dimensional garments; accepting a selection of a three-dimensional garment from the user; accessing the information related to a plurality of computer-rendered three-dimensional garments in order to transform information related to the selection of a three-dimensional garment into a display of the selection of the three-dimensional garment on the computer-rendered three-dimensional model; accepting a rotation command on a rotational control, the rotational control being in a vertical axis to simulate a person turning left and/or right; accepting a camera command allowing the display of the selection of the three-dimensional garment to be shown from a variety of camera distances.
US08188985B2 Method and apparatus continuing action of user gestures performed upon a touch sensitive interactive display in simulation of inertia
A method and apparatus for operating a multi-user interactive display system including a display having a touch-sensitive display surface. A position is detected of each contact site at which the display surface experiences external physical contact. Each contact site's position history is utilized to compute velocity data for the respective contact site. At least one of the following is utilized to identify occurrence of one or more user gestures from a predetermined set of user gestures: the position history, the velocity data. Each user gesture corresponds to at least one predetermined action for updating imagery presented by the display as a whole. Action is commenced corresponding to the identified gesture. Responsive to a user gesture terminating with a nonzero velocity across the display surface, action is corresponding to the gesture is continued so as to simulate inertia imparted by said gesture.
US08188979B2 Display device and voltage adjusting method therefor
A display device includes: a plurality of sensing data lines; a plurality of sensing units that output sensing signals through the plurality of sensing data lines; a signal selector that selects one sensing signal among the plurality of sensing signals; an automatic voltage adjusting unit that, when one sensing signal is selected by the signal selector, performs a controlling operation so as to allow a magnitude of the selected sensing signal to be in a predetermined range; and a voltage generator that adjusts the magnitude of the voltage applied to the sensing data lines based on a control signal output from the automatic voltage adjusting unit. According to the voltage adjusting operation, the sensing signal output through the sensing data line is always in an appropriate range. As a result, the touch determining operation on the sensing units can be accurately performed, so that it is possible to improve reliability of the sensing units.
US08188978B2 Handheld electronic device providing a learning function to facilitate correction of erroneous text entry and associated method
A handheld electronic device includes a reduced QWERTY keyboard and is enabled with disambiguation software that is operable to disambiguate text input. In addition to identifying and outputting representations of language objects that are stored in the memory and that correspond with a text input, the device provides a learning function which facilitates providing proposed corrected output by the device in certain circumstances of erroneous input.
US08188973B2 Apparatus and method for tracking a light pointer
A light pointer apparatus has a light source module for projecting a light beam onto a surface. The light pointer apparatus also has an image sensor module and a transmitter module. The image sensor module detects a position in the surface of a visible light spot generated by the projected light beam striking the surface. The transmitter module transmits the position of the visible light spot to a remote device for remote control of a device.
US08188969B2 Dual pointer management method using cooperating input sources and efficient dynamic coordinate remapping
The pointer management technology establishes a protocol and method for dual pointer management in both absolute input mode and relative input mode. The method defines a set of properties/constraints for contextual dynamic remapping between input sensor coordinates and target screen coordinates. The remapping of the left pointer (respectively the right pointer) depends on the position of the right pointer (respectively the left pointer) in the target screen space. This inter-dependence enables a more flexible and more powerful interaction as it exploits the contextual layout to re-estimate the remapping transformations at each instant.
US08188962B2 Liquid crystal display having logic converter for controlling pixel units to discharge
An exemplary liquid crystal display (200) includes a liquid crystal panel (240) having pixel units (248), a scanning circuit (210) configured to activate the pixel units, and a power supply circuit (230) having a control unit (231) and a logic converter (232). The control unit generates a control signal when an external command is applied to the power supply circuit. The logic converter carries out a predetermined logic calculation between the control signal and the external command. The scanning circuit activates all the pixel units to discharge in response to a result of the logic calculation, such that an image displayed by the liquid crystal panel is removed.
US08188953B2 Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device receives differential input signals, performs predetermined signal processing, and outputs differential output signals. Plural rear surface electrodes, disposed in an m-row, n-column (m and n being integers) matrix form, on a rear surface of the semiconductor device, are formed. The rear surface electrodes for the differential input signals or differential output signals are disposed in rows, 1, 2, m−1, and m, or in columns, 1, 2, n−1, and n, of a matrix. Furthermore, a pair of rear surface electrodes for differential input signals that for a pair, and a pair of rear surface electrodes PAD for differential output signals that form a pair, are respectively disposed so as to be adjacent.
US08188949B2 Display driver circuits for organic light emitting diode displays with skipping of blank lines, method of reducing power consumption of a display, processor control code to implement the method, and carrier for the control code
Display driver circuits are described for driving organic light emitting diode displays, particularly passive matrix displays with greater efficiency. Display driver control circuitry (506) comprises a frame memory interface (505) for reading data from a frame memory (504) for presentation on a passive matrix OLED display. A blank line identifier (507) identifies one or more substantially blank rows of pixels defined by the data in the frame memory and the control circuitry (506) skips past these rows when the passive matrix display is addressed. When blank lines are skipped the apparent brightness of the remaining lines increases and thus preferably the control circuitry includes a power controller (505) for reducing a power supply to the display in proportion to the number of skipped lines. The invention is particularly suited to a display driver providing a controlled current drive.
US08188948B2 Organic light emitting diode display and method for manufacturing the same
An organic light emitting device according to one or more embodiments includes a gate line, a data line intersecting the gate line, a switching thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line, a driving thin film transistor connected to the switching thin film transistor, and a light emitting diode (LED) connected to the driving thin film transistor. The switching thin film transistor includes a control electrode connected to the gate line, a crystalline semiconductor overlapping the control electrode, and an input electrode and an output electrode are spaced apart from each other on the crystalline semiconductor, wherein the control electrode and the gate line are respectively disposed under and on the crystalline semiconductor and include different materials.
US08188936B2 Context aware auxiliary display platform and applications
Described is a mechanism by which application programs (or plug-ins) and an auxiliary service adjust the output and/or data available for output on an auxiliary device based on changes detected in the current context of the auxiliary display. Context sensors detect and report changes in context, whereby some action is taken with respect to what information is displayed or can be displayed on the auxiliary display device. Examples of context data that can change include the physical location of the display, detected movement or motion data, presence of a particular user or others, power state, network connectivity status, privacy status and so forth. The auxiliary device can have context as to its position relative to the main display. Information sensitivity levels may be used to specify whether an application program's data can be displayed, based on the perceived sensitivity of the information and the user's current context.
US08188933B2 Antenna unit and mobile terminal therewith
An antenna unit includes an antenna formed on a magnetic sheet. A transmission circuit includes an inductor, a matching capacitor, and the antenna connected in series, and a reception circuit includes the antenna, the matching capacitor, a resistor, and a capacitor connected in series. The antenna is formed as one turn, and the size of the antenna and the resistor involves a predetermined relationship.
US08188922B2 Position information acquisition device, computer readable storage medium storing position information acquisition program and position information acquisition system
A position information acquisition device includes, a first communication unit to communicate with at least another position information acquisition device; a detection unit to detect whether a number of other position information acquisition devices that are not communicable with the first communication unit reaches a threshold or higher based on history information that records position information of the other position information acquisition devices that were previously communicable with the first communication unit and information of the other position information acquisition devices that are currently communicable with the first communication unit; a position measuring unit to measure a position of the position information acquisition device when the detection unit performs a detection; and a second communication unit to transmit position information measured by the position information measuring unit to a server that manages position information of the position information acquisition device and the other position information acquisition devices.
US08188915B2 System and/or method for reducing ambiguities in received SPS Signals
Systems, apparatuses, and/or methods are provided for resolving ambiguities associated with signals received from space vehicles (SVs) in a satellite navigation system. For example, certain methods include receiving a first SV signal from a first satellite positioning system (SPS), and reducing a bit edge ambiguity of a data signal modulating a second SV signal received from a second SPS based, at least in part, on information in the received first SV signal.
US08188909B2 Observation signal processing apparatus
An observation signal processing apparatus transmits pulse signals as search signals per each search, generates observation values based on reflected signals against a target and delay modulation pulse signals, and performs coherent integration on the observation values to output an integration value. The apparatus includes a section for storing a coherent integration count, a section for transmitting pulse signals equivalent to the coherent integration count, a section for calculating a phase correction amount based on an estimated relative speed, and a section for performing phase-weighted coherent integration on the observation values based on the phase correction amount.
US08188907B2 Aircraft collision avoidance alarm
The present invention provides an aircraft collision alarm system and method. The method includes the steps of collecting aircraft position information for aircraft in a given area and digitally encoding this aircraft position information. This aircraft position information is then transmitted on an audio sub-carrier over the voice communications channel of a VOR to the aircraft. The aircraft receives and processes the digitally encoded information and alerts the pilot if a collision alarm situation is present.
US08188904B2 RF circuit with improved antenna matching
In one embodiment, RF front-end circuit includes a tunable matching network having an input coupled to an RF interface port, a directional coupler with a first connection coupled to an RF input of a mixer, a second connection coupled to an RF signal generation port, and a third connection coupled to an output of the tunable matching network. The directional coupler is configured to direct a signal from the RF signal generation port to the tunable matching network and to direct a signal from the tunable matching network port to the RF port of the mixer. The RF front-end circuit also has a tunable matching network control unit coupled to the tunable matching network. The control unit is configured to optimize an impedance match between the RF interface port and the output of the tunable matching network.
US08188902B2 Ternary search SAR ADC
Traditionally, successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) using binary search algorithms have consumed power by performing unnecessary switching of a capacitive digital-to-analog converter (CDAC) when a CDAC voltage is relatively close to a sampling analog input signal. Here, a SAR ADC is provided that reduces the number of switching events. To accomplish this, a multi-stage comparator is provided that generates multiple output signals for SAR logic. Based on these outputs, the SAR logic can more efficiently switch its CDAC using a ternary search algorithm to reduce power consumption and improve efficiency.
US08188901B1 Superconductor analog to digital converter
Superconductor analog-to-digital converters (ADC) offer high sensitivity and large dynamic range. One approach to increasing the dynamic range further is with a subranging architecture, whereby the output of a coarse ADC is converted back to analog and subtracted from the input signal, and the residue signal fed to a fine ADC for generation of additional significant bits. This also requires a high-gain broadband linear amplifier, which is not generally available within superconductor technology. In a preferred embodiment, a distributed digital fluxon amplifier is presented, which also integrates the functions of integration, filtering, and flux subtraction. A subranging ADC design provides two ADCs connected with the fluxon amplifier and subtractor circuitry that would provide a dynamic range extension by about 30-35 dB.
US08188900B2 Analog-digital converter
In a system based on an analog-digital converter (ADC) having an analog input signal and at least one quantization threshold, the analog-digital converter (ADC) includes an arrangement for varying the at least one quantization threshold.
US08188893B2 Onboard vehicle information notifying apparatus
An onboard vehicle information notifying apparatus has a moving body position acquiring section that acquires a moving body position for at least one moving body existing in a vicinity of a host vehicle and that acquires map information of the vicinity of the host vehicle. The map information is divided into a plurality of unit regions, with each of the unit regions being a notification necessary region when the moving body exists in the unit region. An information acquiring section acquires an advancement speed and an advancement direction of the host vehicle, and a prescribed movement speed of the moving body. An information providing zone setting section sets an information providing zone within which existence of the moving body should be reported. The information notifying section reports the existence of the moving body when the information providing zone overlaps with the notification necessary region.
US08188889B2 Method and system for display of traffic information in the flight deck
Context-Sensitive Reference (CSR) for situational awareness, and associated methods and systems are disclosed. A system in accordance to one embodiment includes an aircraft display system having a traffic application with traffic symbols representing traffic aircraft and a CSR associated with traffic aircraft displayed proximate to the respective traffic symbol. The CSR improves situational awareness of the traffic scenario by further refining the depiction of actual traffic on a traffic display relative to own-ship suitable to the traffic situational awareness need at hand. Such depiction may be in time or distance relative to own-ship or to fixed structure, and engaged in an automatic or manual mode.
US08188887B2 System and method for alerting drivers to road conditions
System and method for warning drivers of changing road conditions is disclosed. In one embodiment road condition information is obtained for at least a portion of a route. The road condition information is analyzed to identify one or more significant features on the portion of the route. The driver is alerted to the one or more significant features.
US08188883B2 Utility meter with communication system displays
A utility meter comprises a measurement circuit configured to measure commodity consumption and provide consumption data. A memory in the meter is configured to store meter data including the consumption data. The memory includes a plurality of memory segments, each of the plurality of memory segments protected by a different password. The meter further comprises a receiver configured to receive a memory request and an associated password from a source external to the utility meter. A controller in the meter is configured to grant or deny the memory request depending upon the associated password received from the source external to the utility meter.
US08188876B1 Integrated battery level indicator, method and circuit for a trolling motor controller
The integrated batter level indicator method and circuit of the present application provides an LED bar graph display proportional to a range of variable throttle control that provides range of speed indication, direction indication, as well as a battery level indicator. The bar graph display is configured to switch between speed or battery mode, preferably switching to battery mode when a user turns the throttle to an off position, while indicating direction of the motor at all times when the motor is in use. The integrated battery level indicator and circuit displays an amount of battery power remaining in the battery by comparing the input signal to a high and low reference level such that as the input varies between the high and low reference levels, the battery voltage is displayed on the indicator. The indicator and circuit of the present application further includes the bar graph display being integrated into the controller head cover of the controller head assembly such that a user can easily view the indicator and even be reminded of the battery level charge without having to think about it or search for it.
US08188874B2 Air sampling system having inline flow control switch
A sampling system for quantifying the amount of contaminants in a controlled environment within a facility. The system has an air sampling devices each associated with a respective flow switch module, both within the controlled environment, and a first and second controller located outside the controlled environment. The first controller is in flow communication with the air sampling devices. The first controller is also in flow communication with the flow switch modules and controls a vacuum source to draw a predetermined volume of air through the at least one air sampling device via the at least one flow switch module at a desired flow rate. The flow switch module detects when the actual flow rate falls below or above a predetermined value, and generates an alarm.
US08188863B2 Detecting loading and unloading of material
An apparatus and techniques for detecting the loading and unloading of materials on a mobile structure are disclosed. The techniques can be used to detect when material is on a support structure of the mobile structure and to detect when the material is off the support structure of the mobile structure.
US08188859B1 Navigation assistance for a passenger on a public conveyance
In some embodiments, techniques comprise receiving route data at a portable device, wherein the portable device is personal to a passenger on a public conveyance, wherein the route data is associated with a public transit route, wherein the public conveyance is following the public transit route, and wherein the route data includes information relating to a stop; determining a destination, wherein the destination is related to the stop; determining a current location of the portable device; displaying the current location in conjunction with a route map, wherein the route map includes a representation of the route data, and wherein the current location is indicated on the route map; determining, based at least in part on the current location, that the portable device has nearly reached the destination; and responsive to determining that the portable device has nearly reached the destination, providing an alert at the portable device.
US08188850B2 System for enhancing perception of a motor vehicle's mark emblem
A system is provided for causing audible sounds, and/or visible actions, and/or motion to occur by a vehicle's mark emblem. The system may cause such actions to be initiated manually or automatically as a result of vehicle operation or operator action. Controls are provided to prevent the audible sound, visible action, or motion to occur if the vehicle speed is above a legal speed limit. Such may be controls set by the vehicle operator. In addition, when operated from a position remote from the vehicle, the audible sound associated with the mark emblem will be limited to a volume that will prevent persons from becoming startled when they are in proximity to the vehicle.
US08188840B2 Authenticating method and identification system
An authenticating method includes enabling a transponder to receive a read request that contains an authentication code, enabling the transponder to extract the authentication code from the read request, enabling the transponder to generate and wirelessly transmit a reply signal that contains the authentication code, and enabling a reader to authenticate the transponder based on the authentication code contained in the reply signal. An identification system, which includes the transponder and the reader is also disclosed.
US08188829B2 Coil substrate structure, substrate holding structure, and switching power supply
A coil substrate structure which enhances heat dissipation and fully secures a mounting area is provided. A coil substrate structure 100 comprises a first coil substrate 110 having a primary transformer coil part 41; a second coil substrate 120, disposed on the first coil substrate 110, having a secondary transformer coil part 42; and a transformer core 130 for magnetically connecting the transformer coil parts 41, 42 to each other. The coil substrates 110, 120 are disposed on each other while being shifted from each other such that the transformer coil parts 41, 42 overlap each other as seen in the substrate thickness direction. This can increase the heat dissipation area of the coil substrates 110, 120. The transformer coil parts 41, 42 have a width in a transmission direction A narrower than a width in a direction B intersecting the transmission direction A as seen in the substrate thickness direction. This can reduce the multilayer area of the coil substrates 110, 120 in the transmission direction A.
US08188828B2 Multilayer electronic component and electronic component module including the same
A multilayer electronic component that can suppress the formation of projections and depressions on a surface, and an electronic component unit including the multilayer electronic component, are provided. In the multilayer electronic component, coil electrodes (8) having a shape of ring-shaped wiring with a part removed therefrom are electrically connected to each other to constitute a coil (L). Magnetic layers (4) are stacked together with the plurality of coil electrodes (8). The coil electrodes (8a, 8c, 8e) having a radius r1 and the coil electrodes (8b, 8d) having a radius r2 that is smaller than the radius r1 may be alternately arranged in a stacking direction.
US08188814B2 High voltage isolation dual capacitor communication system
According to one embodiment, there is provided a high voltage isolation dual capacitor communication system comprising communication drive and sense electrodes and corresponding first and second capacitors that are formed in two separate devices. The two devices are electrically connected in series to provide a single galvanically-isolated communication system that exhibits high breakdown voltage performance in combination with good signal coupling. The system effects communications between drive and receive circuits through the first and second capacitors, and in a preferred embodiment is capable of effecting relatively high-speed digital communications. The system may be formed in a small package using, by way of example, CMOS or other semiconductor fabrication and packaging processes.
US08188809B2 Output selection of multi-output filter
Described is a filtering arrangement in which a first filter is configured to exhibit a first frequency response FR and has a first node and a second node; a second filter is configured to exhibit a second FR and has a first node and a second node; and a third filter is configured to exhibit a third FR and has a first node and a second node. A first common node interfaces the second node of the first filter with the second node of the second filter; and a second common node interfaces the first node of the second filter with the first node of the third filter. The second FR exhibited by the second filter isolates a first signal on a first signal path between the first node of the first filter and the first common node from a second signal on a second signal path between the second common node and the second node of the third filter.
US08188805B2 Triplate line-to-waveguide transducer having spacer dimensions which are larger than waveguide dimensions
A ground conductor (1) has a through hole provided through an area thereof for connection with a waveguide (6), with dimensions substantially equal to cavity dimensions of the waveguide (6), and a metallic spacer (7a) is provided as a holding element for a film substrate (4), with an even thickness to a dielectric substrate (2a), the metallic spacer (7a) having dimensions E1 and E2 of cavity walls thereof changed in accordance with a desirable frequency, and cooperating with another metallic spacer (7b) having substantially equal dimensions to the metallic spacer (7a), to sandwich the film substrate (4) in between, and in addition, an upper ground conductor (5) is arranged on the other metallic spacer (7b), and a quadrate resonant patch pattern (8) is formed at an end of the strip line conductor (3) formed to the film subs ate (4), on an area corresponding to a transducer end of the waveguide (6), while a combination of the quadrate resonant patch pattern (8) and the waveguide (6) is arranged such that the quadrate resonant patch pattern (8) has a center position thereof coincident with a center position of the cavity dimensions of the waveguide (6).
US08188804B2 System and method of shaping a power spectrum in PWM amplifiers
In a particular embodiment, a circuit device is disclosed that includes a data generator adapted to output a random pulse sequence having a particular spectral shape. The circuit device further includes a pulse edge control circuit to selectively apply a carrier suppression operation to at least one pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal in response to the random pulse sequence to produce at least one modulated PWM output signal. The spectral energy associated with a PWM carrier of the modulated PWM output signal at a carrier frequency and associated harmonics is changed such that the modulated PWM output signal has a spectral shape defined by the particular spectral shape.
US08188801B2 Delay circuit for low power ring oscillator
Disclosed herein is a delay circuit for a low power ring oscillator. The delay circuit includes: a pair of N type transistors that receive first differential input signals Vin1+ and Vin1−; a pair of P type transistors that receive second differential input signals Vin2+ and Vin2−; a differential output terminal that outputs differential output signals Vout+ and Vout− generated from the pair of N type transistors and the pair of P type transistors; an N type detector that supplies a body voltage to the pair of N type transistors; and a P type detector that supplies a body voltage to the pair of P type transistors.
US08188799B2 Microelectromechanical system device and method of manufacturing the microelectromechanical system device
Provided is a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) that includes a first structure and second structure. The first structure and second structure may each include a first substrate and a second substrate. The first substrate of each structure may have first and second surfaces that face each other. The first substrate may include a via etching hole pattern penetrating the first surface and the second surface and a first non-via etching hole pattern penetrating the first surface. The second substrate of each structure may have third and fourth surfaces that face each other. The second substrate may include a second non-via etching hole pattern penetrating the third surface in a position corresponding to the via etching hole pattern of the first substrate. In the microelectromechanical system (MEMS) the second surface of the first substrate and the third surface of the second substrate may be bonded together.
US08188798B1 Programmable electro-magnetic-interference (EMI) reduction with enhanced noise immunity and process tolerance
A frequency dithering circuit reduces emissions that cause Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI) by spreading the spectrum of a clock. The clock sequences a counter that drives a digital count value to a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The DAC outputs a sawtooth wave with a wide voltage swing. A subtractor scales down the voltage swing to produce a reduced-swing sawtooth wave which is used as an upper limit voltage. Comparators trigger a set-reset latch to toggle the clock when current pumps charge and discharge a capacitor beyond voltage limits. Since the upper limit voltage is the reduced sawtooth wave from the subtractor, the amount of time to charge the capacitor varies, dithering the period of the clock. The degree of dithering can be adjusted by programming the feedback resistance in the subtractor. The subtractor reduces the sensitivity of dithering to errors in the DAC, allowing for an inexpensive, less precise DAC.
US08188795B2 Phase comparator and reproduction signal processor using the same
In a synchronous reproduction signal processor, when a phase error between reproduction data and a clock is repeatedly detected such that a clock synchronized with a reproduction signal is generated based on the phase error, a filtering process unit (34) performs a filtering process which performs a weighed addition with respect to a phase error series prior to the current time from a phase error calculation unit (33) using, e.g., a FIR filter with a plurality of taps so as to generate a reference value under reduced influence of noise mixed in the phase error series by feedback correction. A cross detection unit (32) detects the timing with which the sampled reproduction data crosses the reference value generated by the filtering process unit (34). This allows effective use of the dynamic range of the feedbacked reference value without limiting it, and simultaneously achieves the enhancement of noise immunity.
US08188781B1 Memory interface phase-shift circuitry to support multiple frequency ranges
The present invention provides a phase shift circuit that supports multiple frequency ranges. The phase shift circuit receives a plurality of control bits and causes a phase shift in a received signal, the phase shift corresponding to a number of time steps, the number depending on the control bits, and the time step is selected from a plurality of different time steps based on a frequency range associated with the received signal.
US08188775B2 Circuit arrangement for operating voltage detection
A circuit arrangement for operating voltage detection has a detection block (1) and a control block (2). Detection block (1) has a first transistor (P1) that is connected between a first supply voltage terminal (VDD) and a first node (K1) and has a first control terminal (S1), a first resistor element (R1) that is connected between first node (K1) and second supply voltage terminal (VSS), a second transistor (P2) that is connected between first supply voltage terminal (VDD) and a second node (K2) and has a second control terminal (S2), a second resistor element (R2) that is connected between second node (K2) and second supply voltage terminal (VSS), a first switch (N1) that connects first node (K1) to second control terminal (S2), and a third resistor element (R3) that is connected between second control terminal (S2) and first supply voltage terminal (VDD). Control block (K2) is set up to derive a first switching signal as a function of a voltage at second node (K2), as well as a second switching signal by inverting the first switching signal. The first switching signal is supplied to first switch (N1), and the second switching signal to first control terminal (S1).
US08188771B2 Pulse width modulation frequency conversion
A pulse width modulation (PWM) frequency converter converts an input PWM signal to an output PWM signal having a different frequency while maintaining a substantially equal duty ratio. The PWM frequency converter samples the input PWM signal for a PWM cycle using a sampling clock. A filter module filters the resulting set of one or more PWM parameters to compensate for noise introduced by potential clock mismatch, clock jitter, ambient variations, and other non-deterministic issues, thereby generating filtered PWM parameters. The sampling employed by the filter module compares a difference between the one or more current PWM parameters and previous (or historical) PWM parameters from an earlier sampled PWM cycle to a predetermined change threshold in determining a filtered set of one or more PWM parameters. The filtered set of one or more PWM parameters then is used to generate one or more corresponding PWM cycles of the output signal.
US08188765B2 Circuit and method for asynchronous pipeline processing with variable request signal delay
Disclosed are embodiments of an asynchronous pipeline circuit. In each stage of the circuit, a variable delay line is incorporated into the request signal path. A tap encoder monitors data entering the stage to detect any state changes occurring in specific data bits. Based on the results of this monitoring (i.e., based on which of the specific data bits, if any, exhibit state changes), the tap encoder enables a specific tap in the variable delay line and, thereby, automatically adjusts the delay of a request signal transmitted along the request signal path. Using a variable request signal delay allows data from a transmitting stage to be captured by a receiving stage prior to the expiration of the maximum possible processing time associated with the transmitting stage, thereby minimizing overall processing time. Also disclosed are embodiments of methods for asynchronous pipeline processing with variable request signal delay and for incorporating variable request signal delay into an asynchronous pipeline circuit design.
US08188764B2 Efficient electrical hibernate entry and recovery
Systems and methods for operating of one or more devices before, during, and/or after a power-save mode are provided. The system may include a transmitter device that configures the differential signal lines to low-impedance and a predetermined low-voltage during the power-save mode (such as connecting the differential signal lines to ground). The system may also include a receiver device that senses a wake-up signal, determines the type of wake-up signal, and wakes-up according to the type of wake-up signal.
US08188761B2 Soft error detection for latches
A system and method for soft error detection in digital ICs is disclosed. The system includes an observing circuit coupled to a latch, which circuit is capable of a response upon a state change of the latch. The system further includes synchronized clocking provided to the latch and to the observing circuit. For the latch, the clocking defines a window in time during which the latch is prevented from receiving data, and in a synchronized manner the clocking is enabling a response in the observing circuit. The clocking is synchronized in such a manner that the circuit is enabled for its response only inside the window when the latch is prevented from receiving data. The system may also have additional circuits that are respectively coupled to latches, with each the additional circuit and its respective latch receiving the synchronized clocking Responses of a plurality of circuits may be coupled in a configuration corresponding to a logical OR.
US08188757B2 Method of controlling a shape memory alloy actuator utilizing resistance change
A method of controlling a shape memory alloy actuator utilizing the change in resistance exhibited by the actuator over an actuation cycle, or a derivative thereof, to identify at least one event, such as, for example, a peak, valley, change in slope without reaching a valley, or a jump in resistance within the signal plot that corresponds to the start of actuation, end of actuation, an overload case, and the introduction of a resistive element respectively, and generating a response based upon the event.
US08188749B2 Removing effects of near surface geology from surface-to-borehole electromagnetic data
A method that involves developing an electromagnetic property model of a near surface area and using this electromagnetic property model and electromagnetic data acquired using one or more electromagnetic transmitters located above the near surface area and one or more electromagnetic receivers located within a wellbore to determine one or more electromagnetic properties of a subsurface area. Also an electromagnetic data acquisition system that includes one or more electromagnetic transmitters capable of being operated on the earth's surface, one or more first electromagnetic receivers capable of being operated within a wellbore and capable of receiving signals from the one or more electromagnetic transmitters, and one or more second electromagnetic receivers capable of being located on the earth's surface near the one or more electromagnetic transmitters and capable of receiving signals from the one or more electromagnetic transmitters. Related embodiments are also described.
US08188747B2 Method for timestamping boring tool locations
A boring tool is moved through the ground within a given region along a particular path. The boring tool is moved in cooperation with moving a portable locator to establish a series of boring tool locations of the boring tool on the particular path. As at least one location of the series of locations is established, the location and a time stamp are electronically recorded to designate at least a time at which the location was recorded.
US08188736B2 PET/MR scanners for simultaneous PET and MR imaging
In a combined system, a magnetic resonance (MR) scanner includes a magnet (10, 110) configured to generate a static magnetic field (B0) at least in a MR examination region (12) from which MR data are acquired. Radiation detectors (40, 41, 140) are configured to detect gamma rays generated by positron-electron annihilation events in a positron emission tomography (PET) examination region (70). The radiation 5 detectors include electron multiplier elements (60, 160) having a direction of electron acceleration (ae) arranged substantially parallel or anti-parallel with the static magnetic field (B0). In some embodiments, the magnet is an open magnet having first and second spaced apart magnet pole pieces (14, 15) disposed on opposite sides of a magnetic 10 resonance examination region, and the radiation detectors include first and second arrays (40, 41) of radiation detectors disposed with the first and second spaced apart magnet pole pieces.
US08188734B1 555 timer-based phase-to-voltage converter
The 555 timer-based phase-to-voltage converter is a circuit that can be used for phase-to-voltage conversion for phase angles in the range between 0 and 2π. A first input signal triggers the 555 timer. A second input signal resets the 555 timer, and thus an output signal having a pulse width proportional to the phase difference between the first and second input signals is formed at the output of the 555 timer. A low pass filter may be placed at the output to pass a DC voltage having a magnitude proportional to the phase difference between the first and second input signals for phase angles between 0 and 2π.
US08188733B2 Arrangement and method for recognizing and classifying preferably hidden objects in object and/or human traffic
An arrangement and method recognizes and classifies preferably hidden objects in object and/or human traffic. Objects relevant to security are recognized, located and tracked through the surroundings thereof in moving object and human traffic isolated in real time. Use is made of a combination of a field generator, the field of which is modified by at least one corresponding object within the scanned space, first sensors which repeatedly record the changes in the field and provide corresponding signals, second sensors which record defined surroundings of the object in real-time with relation to the first sensors and provide corresponding signals and analytical means which correlate and collate the signals from the sensors with each other and which give from the same the shape, spatial position and/or spatial orientation of the object.
US08188721B2 Active pulse positioning modulator
An adaptive pulse positioning modulator including a sense circuit which provides a compensation signal indicative of output voltage error, a filter circuit having an input receiving the compensation signal and an output providing an adjust signal, a leading ramp circuit which provides a repetitive first leading edge ramp signal having a slope which is adjusted by the adjust signal, a comparator circuit which provides a first start trigger signal when the first leading edge ramp signal reaches the compensation signal and a first end trigger signal when a first trailing edge ramp signal reaches the compensation signal, a trailing ramp circuit which initiates ramping of the first trailing edge ramp signal when the first start trigger signal is provided, and a pulse control logic which asserts pulses on a PWM signal based on the trigger signals.