Document Document Title
US08590060B2 Virtual removable disk device for removable storage media
A method and apparatus for interfacing a host computer with a hard drive cartridge is disclosed in one embodiment. The virtual device interface is divided between a kernel component in a driver stack of the kernel space and a user component configured to run in user space. The kernel component passes data commands from the operating system to a cartridge dock while separating other commands that are passed to the user component. The user component authenticates the kernel component and/or the hard drive cartridge. Use of the removable hard drive cartridge is also authorized by the user component.
US08590058B2 Advanced audio CAPTCHA
A CAPTCHA challenge tool for determining if a user of a computer is a human or an automated program. The tool presents to the user a set of audio clips. At least a portion of the set of audio clips suggests a chronological sequence when organized correctly. The tool receives a suggested order from the user of the computer. If the suggested order matches the correct order, the tool assumes that the user is a human, if the suggested order does not match the correct order, the tool assumes the user is an automated program.
US08590056B2 Trusted infrastructure support systems, methods and techniques for secure electronic commerce electronic transactions and rights management
An integrated, modular array of administrative and support services are provided for electronic commerce and electronic rights and transaction management. These administrative and support services supply a secure foundation for conducting transaction-related capabilities over electronic networks, and can also be adapted to the specific needs of electronic commerce value chains. In one embodiment a Distributed Commerce Utility having a secure, programmable, distributed architecture provides these administrative and support services. The Distributed Commerce Utility may comprise a number of Commerce Utility Systems. These Commerce Utility Systems provide a web of infrastructure support available to, and reusable by, the entire electronic community and/or many of its participants. Different support functions can be collected together in hierarchical and/or networked relationships to suit various business models or other objectives. Modular support functions can be combined in different arrays to form different Commerce Utility Systems for different design implementations and purposes.
US08590048B2 Analyzing the security of communication protocols and channels for a pass through device
A security analyzer includes a single software application that both sends test messages to a device under analysis (DUA) and receives response messages generated by the DUA in response to the test messages. In this way, synchronization of which response messages correspond to which test messages can be reduced or avoided. The software application further determines whether the DUA operated correctly by analyzing the received response messages.
US08590046B2 Login initiated scanning of computing devices
Embodiments of the invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for login initiated remote scanning of computer devices. The present invention detects login to the network via access management systems. The login data provides information that identifies the device so that the device can be checked against a scan database to determine if and when a previous scan occurred. Based on the findings in the scan database determinations are made as to whether to perform a scan. Additionally, the level of scanning can be determined based on previous scan dates and previous scan results, which may dictate customized scanning. In addition, the priority of the impending scan may be dictated by previous scan dates and results. Further embodiments provide for assessing risk, such as risk scoring or the like, concurrently or in near-real-time with the completion of the scan so that alerts may be communicated.
US08590044B2 Selective virus scanning system and method
A virus scanning system and method. A system is provide that includes: a full scanning system for performing a full scan of each file in a file system; a file inventory system for inventorying each file in the file system and generating a set of inventory records, wherein each inventory record includes a unique key associated with each file in the file system; an inventory compare system for comparing a current set of inventory records with an existing set of inventory records to identify files in the file system that were modified since the existing set of inventory records was generated; and a selective scanning system for selectively scanning only files in the file system that were identified as modified by the inventory compare system.
US08590036B2 Method and system for authenticating an accessory
A method, system, and connector interface for authenticating an accessory, the method includes performing a first authentication operation on the accessory by the media player, where an authentication certificate is validated; and performing a second authentication operation on the accessory by the media player, where an authentication signature is validated. According to the system and method disclosed herein, the media player and accessory may utilize a plurality of commands utilized in a variety of environments such as within a connector interface system environment to control access to the media player.
US08590031B2 Methods, systems, and computer program products for access control services using a transparent firewall in conjunction with an authentication server
Access control methods include receiving an access authorization message from an authentication server computer at a blocking device that connects a first network to a second network, modifying access criteria of a transparent firewall at the blocking device responsive to the received access authorization message and operating the transparent firewall according to the modified access criteria to control transfer of messages between the first and second networks. The invention may also be implemented as apparatus and computer readable media.
US08590024B2 Method for generating digital fingerprint using pseudo random number code
A method for authenticating the identity of a client device that is attempting to establish a communications link with a remotely located system server over a network. The method involves initially generating a unique registration ID code by inputting information pertaining to hardware characteristics of the client device itself, and a network address of the client device, into a cryptographic hash function. The hash function generates the unique registration ID hash code and presents it to the system server. The system server uses this registration ID hash code to authenticate the identity of the client device making the call. The system server then generates a pseudo random number (PRN), and transmits it to the client device. The PRN is used the next time the client device makes a call to the system server to generate a unique, client-side hash code, which is used by the system server to authenticate the identity of the client device.
US08590020B1 Authentication system and method using arrangements of objects
A system and method is presented for authentication, so as to control access to a resource. A set of objects (for example, a set of images) is established in advance between the user and the service for which the user is to be authenticated. During the authentication, the user, instead of inputting an alpha-numeric password, will be sent several sets (e.g., tables) containing the previously specified objects (e.g., images) in some arrangement (e.g., spatial pattern) among other objects (images). In order to authenticate, the user is shown additional tables, and must determine, as to each, whether it contains the same set of specified objects in the same spatial relationship as in the first table shown. After the user has correctly identified which tables reflect the specified objects in the requisite pattern, the user will be considered authenticated, and will then be granted access to the requested resource (for example, a bank account).
US08590019B2 Authentication with credentials in Java messaging service
Authentication with credentials in a Java messaging service (“JMS”), including providing pre-authenticated credentials for a Java security domain for a user application and creating a JMS connection for the user application, including accepting the pre-authenticated credentials in a JMS connection function and authenticating the user application for the JMS in dependence upon the pre-authenticated credentials. Typical embodiments of the present invention also include caching the pre-authenticated credentials in the user application. Many embodiments also include caching the pre-authenticated credentials in a middleware security application.
US08590017B2 Partial authentication for access to incremental data
Embodiments of the invention relate to partial authentication to access incremental information. An aspect of the invention concerns a method of authorizing access to information that comprises providing an initial segment of a password wherein the password includes password segments each associated with an incremental portion of the information. In response to the initial password segment satisfying an expected value, the method may authorize access to the information portion associated with the initial password segment. The method may authorize access to other information portions associated with subsequent segments of the password in response to the subsequent password segments satisfying respectively expected values.
US08590015B2 Method and device to suspend the access to a service
The present invention concerns a device and method for suspending and renewing the authorization to a wireless station to use a service on the device.The device comprises wireless communication means, a memory and at least one service for access by at least one station also comprising wireless communication means, means for authenticating the wireless station, means for authorizing the authenticated station to access one of the at least one service.The device comprises means for suspending the authorized station to access the service; and in response to a user request on the device, renewing the access authorization to the service by the suspended station, without requiring any user interaction on the station.
US08590011B1 Variable domain resource data security for data processing systems
The variable domain data access control system and method described herein use the same variable domain to describe a data security model and a variable domain data model, such as a product configuration model. A variable domain is a set of resource data that can be described using a logical relationship data structure. The variable domain utilizes logical relationship expressions, such as a Boolean logic language, to define resource data in terms of parts, rules and/or attributes, and any other property that can be accessed for viewing, manipulation, or other purposes. The data security model represents an access control list (ACL) that includes security attributes as resource data and uses the same data structure and logical relationship expressions as an associated variable domain data model. An application, such as a configuration engine, can be used to create controlled access to the variable domain data model using the data security model.
US08590009B2 Computer system for port forwarding
A computer system includes multiple computer modules each including at least a calculator and a storing unit. A first computer module of the computer modules includes: a storing unit that stores authentication information for connection with a second computer module of the computer modules; an authenticator that authenticates an information processing device accessing the first computer module, and allows the information processing device to access thereto based on an authentication result; and a relay connector that connects the information processing device allowed to access the first computer module to the second computer module based on the authentication information.
US08590000B2 Wireless digital video recorder
Various embodiments of the invention provide methods and systems for receiving and recording video content on a wireless phone. Merely by way of example, one set of embodiments provides a wireless phone with the capability to receive a broadcast video signal and to decode, digitize and record the broadcast video signal. In other embodiments, the wireless phone has the capability to receive broadcast video signals and/or video signals streamed over a network and to record these signals. In still further embodiments, the wireless phone may receive video content transmitted over a wireless network and may format and/or encode the video content and record the video content. In some embodiments the wireless phone comprises a video player for playing video content.
US08589993B2 Distributing on-demand multimedia content
A disclosed method of distributing multimedia content to end users in a multimedia content distribution network includes segmenting time in a series of intervals referred to herein as limited-chain relay (LCR) intervals. The LCR intervals may have a duration of time T although an LCR interval may be terminated before the duration expires. During any interval, the LCR distribution method includes responding to a first request for a program of multimedia content (PMC) from a first requestor by delivering the PMC from a video server to the customer premises equipment (CPE) of the requestor and storing the PMC on the CPE of the first requestor. The method further includes responding to subsequent requests for the PMC that occur before the time T and before the interval terminates otherwise from subsequent requestors by delivering at least some portion of the PMC to the subsequent requestors from the CPE of at least one previous requestor.
US08589978B2 Interactive television system with newsgroups
An interactive television system is provided that supports newsgroup features. An interactive television application, such as an interactive television program guide, may be used to allow a user to view and post newsgroup messages to one or more newsgroup servers. The newsgroup servers may be located at a television distribution facility. The newsgroup servers may be Usenet servers accessed via the Internet. The user may use the newsgroup feature while watching television programming or while otherwise viewing other content provided by the interactive television application. Cross-referencing may be used to allow the user to access content related to a particular subject matter. Parental control features may be used to limit access to certain newsgroups. Newsgroup messages may contain links to other content made available through the interactive television application.
US08589974B2 Electronic advertising using distributed demographics
In one embodiment, at least one portion of a request for an electronic advertisement is received. The request includes an indicator indicative of one of a plurality of demographic servers. The at least one portion is analyzed. The at least one portion includes data of a user. Demographic information is identified as a function of the user data. A request for a selection of the electronic advertisement as a function of the demographic information is transmitted.
US08589973B2 Peer to peer media distribution system and method
A method is disclosed that includes receiving a multimedia data stream comprising audio data, video data, and text data at a first electronic device of a plurality of electronic devices responsive to a network. A content structure of the multimedia data stream is automatically determined at least partially based on the text data. The portion of multimedia data stream is stored in a local media database and the associated content structure is stored in a local content index. A network index alert is generated to update a centralized content index of available media content via the network.
US08589965B1 Method for stopping spindle motor of optical disc drive
A method for stopping a spindle motor of an optical disc drive includes the following steps. Firstly, in response to the receipt of a disabling command, the spindle motor of the optical disc drive is braked, so that a rotating speed of the spindle motor is reduced to be smaller than or equal to a predetermined rotating speed during a specified time period, wherein the predetermined rotating speed is greater than zero. Then, a preparatory stopping procedure of an optical pickup head is performed during the specified time period. Afterwards, the optical disc drive responds that the disabling command has been executed after the specified time period.
US08589964B2 Cooling arrangement for an optical pick-up
Provided is a reliable optical pick-up which can prevent deterioration of a performance of a component, shortening of a service life or malfunctioning due to heat generation of an laser driver IC, wherein a metallic pattern is provided on a flexible printed board, having an area wider than the external shape of the laser driver IC and having an exposed outer surface, and made of the same material as that of a wiring pattern. It is preferable to bend the flexible printed board in a mounting part for the laser driver IC so that the metallic pattern is faced to and superposed with a surface of the flexible printed board on the side remote from the surface on which the laser driver IC is mounted.
US08589962B2 Apparatus with opening and closing mechanism for propagating a driving force from a driving source to an opening and closing body
An apparatus with opening and closing mechanism includes a control unit for making a foreign object detection time period during which a speed change resulting from a foreign object being caught is detected longer than a play detection time period during which a speed change resulting from a play factor of the driving force transmission system is detected within a predetermined operating range in a vicinity of each of a start point and an end point of an opening or closing operation. Therefore, the apparatus can discriminate between detection of a speed change resulting from a foreign object being caught, and detection of a speed change resulting from a play factor of the driving force transmission system which occurs in the vicinity of either of the start and end points of the opening or closing operation without erroneously detecting any one of them by using a single position sensor.
US08589961B2 Disc changer for diverse recording media
A disc changer includes: a disc cartridge having a case body in which a plurality of disc-shaped recording media are storable by being arrayed in the axial direction of the center axis, and an information input medium to which at least information relating to pitch between disc-shaped recording media and the number of stored disc-shaped recording media is input; a disc holder configured to hold the disc cartridge, a portion of which is moveable in the center axial direction of the disc-shaped recording media; and a movement mechanism including an encoder, configured to determine a stop position in the center axial direction of the disc holder based on information input to the information input medium.
US08589955B2 System and method for building applications, such as customized applications for mobile devices
A system and method for building applications, such as applications that cause a mobile device to perform a task, is described. In some examples, the system provides one or more plugins, a framework for the plugins, and configures the plugins to build a customized application for a mobile device. The plugins may include code configured to perform a task, display one or more pages associated with performance of the task, perform a transaction during performance of the task, and so on.
US08589954B2 Method and program for selective suspension of USB network device
A method implemented in a computer system that includes a host computer having a non-transitory memory for storing a computer software program and a processor for executing the software program, wherein the program includes a program code configured to cause the host computer to execute a process for network devices coupled to the host computer to use a network device selective suspend feature of an operating system (OS) that does not allow a network device selective suspend feature on a specific network device driver, which process includes the steps of providing a first driver stack and a second driver stack in a kernel space of the OS, creating a virtual device for the specific network device driver in the first driver stack to interact with user applications in a user space of the OS, and providing a separate driver for a physical device in the second driver stack to interact with a network device coupled to the host computer, wherein the separate driver is not prohibited by the OS to use the network device selective suspend feature for selective suspension of the network device coupled to the host computer.
US08589953B1 System and method for transparent consistent application-replication of multi-process multi-threaded applications
A system, method, and computer readable medium for consistent and transparent replication of multi process multi threaded applications. The computer readable medium includes computer-executable instructions for execution by a processing system. Primary applications runs on primary hosts and one or more replicated instances of each primary application run on one or more backup hosts. Replica consistency between primary application and its replicas is provided by imposing the execution ordering of the primary on all its replicas. The execution ordering on a primary is captured by intercepting calls to the operating system and libraries, sending replication messages to its replicas, and using interception on the replicas to enforce said captured primary execution order. Replication consistency is provided without requiring modifications to the application, operating system or libraries.
US08589952B2 Dual operating system operation and configuration
A system and a method are disclosed for device having a first and a second operating system communicatively coupled with each other. The first operating system is configured to manage a state of the mobile computing device, resources operable with the mobile computing device, and data management for the mobile computing device. The second operating system is a desktop-type operating system. In one embodiment, in response to coupling a docking station, the mobile computing device is configured to provide the second operating system access to peripherals. In addition, another embodiment the first operating system is configured to include an interface to access and execute applications executable through the second operating system.
US08589949B2 Processing multiple heterogeneous event types in a complex event processing engine
An invention is disclosed for improved computer system management by allowing complex computer-monitored events to be handled in different formats for correlation, analysis and action. Specifically, a method and system are disclosed for processing multiple heterogeneous event types in a complex event processing (CEP) engine.
US08589940B2 On-line replacement and changing of virtualization software
In a virtualized system running one or more virtual machines on a first hypervisor, a second hypervisor is installed and control of the hardware resources of the physical computer supporting the virtualized system is migrated from the first hypervisor to the second hypervisor without interrupting the operation of the first hypervisor and the virtual machines. Initially a minimal set of hardware resources is hot-removed from control by the first hypervisor, and the second hypervisor is launched on the minimal set of hardware resources. Both the remaining hardware resources and the virtual machines are then migrated from the first hypervisor to the second hypervisor until all the virtual machines have been migrated over to the second hypervisor, while the virtual machines and the first hypervisor continue running largely unaffected by the migration process.
US08589939B2 Composite contention aware task scheduling
A mechanism is provided for composite contention aware task scheduling. The mechanism performs task scheduling with shared resources in computer systems. A task is a group of instructions. A compute task is a group of compute instructions. A memory task, also referred to as a communication task, may be a group of load/store operations, for example. The mechanism performs composite contention-aware scheduling that considers the interaction among compute tasks, communication tasks, and application threads that include compute and communication tasks. The mechanism performs a composite of memory task throttling and application thread throttling.
US08589938B2 Composite contention aware task scheduling
A mechanism is provided for composite contention aware task scheduling. The mechanism performs task scheduling with shared resources in computer systems. A task is a group of instructions. A compute task is a group of compute instructions. A memory task, also referred to as a communication task, may be a group of load/store operations, for example. The mechanism performs composite contention-aware scheduling that considers the interaction among compute tasks, communication tasks, and application threads that include compute and communication tasks. The mechanism performs a composite of memory task throttling and application thread throttling.
US08589928B2 Scalable system call stack sampling
An interrupt is generated based on an event. Further, a thread is selected for monitoring. In addition, an interrupt handler captures information for the monitored thread. An affinity of the monitored thread is set such that the monitored thread runs only on a current processor without being able to migrate to a different processor. A sampler thread that runs on the current processor retrieves a call stack associated with a monitored thread after the affinity of the monitored thread has been set to the current processor.
US08589923B2 Preprovisioning virtual machines based on request frequency and current network configuration
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method and technique for preprovisioning virtual machines is disclosed. The method includes analyzing requests for a plurality of different virtual machine (VM) configurations where each VM configuration has a plurality of configuration attributes. The method also includes determining a request frequency corresponding to each requested VM configuration, determining a configuration of each provisioned VM, and responsive to determining the configuration of each provisioned VM, determining a configuration for a preprovisioned VM based on a request frequency of the different VM configurations and the configurations of the provisioned VMs. The method further includes creating the preprovisioned VM.
US08589909B2 Techniques for reducing down time in updating applications with metadata
A method and apparatus for reducing down time in updating applications with metadata is provided. The application contains both code and metadata. A copy of the application is made. A software update is installed on the copy of the application. During installation, the original application continues to run and service users, who may modify the metadata of the original application. Periodically, the metadata of the copy of the application is updated to incorporate changes to the metadata of the original application. When the software update is completed, users are prevented from further modifying the metadata of the original application. The metadata of the copy of the application is updated to incorporate the final changes to the metadata of the original application. Users are redirected from the original application to the copy of the application.
US08589907B2 Method for updating firmware of sensor nodes on a wireless sensor network and firmware updater using for the same method
A firmware updating method for the new node includes (a) a new node searching for neighbor nodes located within a predetermined distance, (b) the new node designating a parent node among the searched neighbor nodes, (c) in the case where the plurality of nodes include a join receiving state for joining the new node to the wireless sensor network, the designated parent node and the new node establishing a communication link by using the join receiving state, (d) the parent node transmitting firmware to the new node through the established communication link and (e) the new node receiving the firmware from the parent node, updating existing firmware with the received firmware, and driving the updated firmware to be jointed to the wireless network.
US08589893B1 Usage-based program slicing
In certain embodiments, execution traces for a program definition of an application are accessed. Probability information for components of the program definition is computed based at least in part upon the execution traces. Program definition slices are determined based at least in part upon the probability information. The program definition slices comprises a baseline slice and at least one supplemental slice. The baseline slice is communicated to a client in response to a request for the application. At least one supplemental slice is communicated to the client to allow the patching of the baseline slice with the at least one supplemental slice to recreate at least a portion of the program definition.
US08589874B2 Visual interface to represent scripted behaviors
Systems and methods for visually representing scripted behaviors are provided. A system is disclosed that includes an authoring program executable on a computing device and configured to display a visual scripting interface. The visual scripting interface may be configured to display a plurality of user-selectable graphical building blocks. Each graphical building block may represent a respective component of a script, and may be spatially arrangable within the visual scripting interface to visually represent a script for a target scripted object. Input selectors may be provided on the graphical building blocks to enable users to input script information, and status indicators and messages may also be displayed on the graphical building blocks to inform users whether script information has been properly inputted. Propagation tools may be provided to enable users to successively add new graphical building blocks to build a tree that represents a script sentence.
US08589867B2 Compiler-generated invocation stubs for data parallel programming model
Described herein are techniques for generating invocation stubs for a data parallel programming model so that a data parallel program written in a statically-compiled high-level programming language may be more declarative, reusable, and portable than traditional approaches. With some of the described techniques, invocation stubs are generated by a compiler and those stubs bridge a logical arrangement of data parallel computations to the actual physical arrangement of a target data parallel hardware for that data parallel computation.
US08589862B2 Application loading
Extensions or additional software programs that are requested by a computer application running on an application platform are handled in an efficient manner by, among other things, regulating and tracking extensions that are downloaded. This allows the size of the application platform upon which the application is running to remain relatively small so as to mitigate strain on resources when the platform is initially deployed over a network (e.g., the Internet), thus making it easier and more likely for a user to install the application platform (and/or updates thereto). Requested extensions are subsequently added to and/or removed from the (already deployed) application platform based on, among other things, download metrics.
US08589853B2 Total power optimization for a logic integrated circuit
A method of reducing total power dissipation for logic cells includes selecting a distribution of logic cells corresponding to at least one path, computing a dynamic to static power ratio for each logic cell in the distribution of logic cells and ranking the dynamic to static power ratio for each logic cell into a lower group, a middle group and an upper group of logic cells. Additionally, the method includes swapping the lower group of logic cells and the upper group of logic cells for a reconfigured middle group of logic cells and verifying path timing for the reconfigured middle group of logic cells. Methods of reducing total power dissipation using Boolean equations and for logic cell sets are also provided.
US08589844B2 Methods for analyzing design rules
Methods and apparatus are provided for analyzing impact of design rules on a layout. One exemplary method involves generating variants of the layout for different values for the rule, determining values of a device metric for each of the layout variants, and identifying the relationship between rule and the device metric based on the values for the device metric corresponding to the different values for the rule. In one embodiment, the layout variants are generated by using the different values for the rule to perform layout compaction on an initial layout generated in accordance with an initial value for the rule.
US08589837B1 Constructing inductive counterexamples in a multi-algorithm verification framework
A computer-implemented method simplifies a netlist, verifies the simplified netlist using induction, and remaps resulting inductive counterexamples via inductive trace lifting within a multi-algorithm verification framework. The method includes: a processor deriving a first unreachable state information that can be utilized to simplify the netlist; performing a simplification of the netlist utilizing the first unreachable state information; determining whether the first unreachable state information can be inductively proved on an original version of the netlist; and in response to the first unreachable state information not being inductively provable on the original netlist: projecting the first unreachable state information to a minimal subset; and adding the projected unreachable state information as an invariant to further constrain a child induction process. Adding the projected state information as an invariant ensures that any resulting induction counterexamples can be mapped to valid induction counterexamples on the original netlist before undergoing the simplification.
US08589829B2 Three-dimensional mask model for photolithography simulation
A three-dimensional mask model of the invention provides a more realistic approximation of the three-dimensional effects of a photolithography mask with sub-wavelength features than a thin-mask model. In one embodiment, the three-dimensional mask model includes a set of filtering kernels in the spatial domain that are configured to be convolved with thin-mask transmission functions to produce a near-field image. In another embodiment, the three-dimensional mask model includes a set of correction factors in the frequency domain that are configured to be multiplied by the Fourier transform of thin-mask transmission functions to produce a near-field image.
US08589828B2 Reduce mask overlay error by removing film deposited on blank of mask
A method for reducing layer overlay errors by synchronizing the density of mask material in the frame area across the masks in a set is disclosed. An exemplary method includes creating a mask design database corresponding to a mask and containing a die area with one or more dies and a frame area outside the die area. Fiducial features within the frame area are identified, and from the fiducial features, an idle frame area is identified. A reference mask design, which corresponds to a reference mask configured to be aligned with the mask, is used to determine a reference density for the idle frame area. The idle frame area of the mask design database is modified to correspond to the reference density. The modified mask design database is then available for further use including manufacturing the mask.
US08589827B2 Photoresist simulation
A processor based method for measuring dimensional properties of a photoresist profile. A number acid generators and quenchers within a photoresist volume is determined. A number of photons absorbed by the photoresist volume is determined. A number of the acid generators converted to acid is determined. A number of acid and quencher reactions within the photoresist volume is determined. A development of the photoresist volume is calculated. The processor is used to produce a three-dimensional simulated scanning electron microscope image of the photoresist profile created by the development of the photoresist volume. The dimensional properties of the photoresist profile are measured.
US08589826B2 Photomask constructions having liners of specified compositions along sidewalls of multi-layered structures
Some embodiments include methods in which a mathematical representation of a photomask construction is defined, with such representation comprising a plurality of pillars that individually contain a plurality of distinct layers. Each of the layers has two or more characteristic parameters which are optimized through an optimization loop. Subsequently, specifications obtained from the optimization loop are utilized to form actual layers over an actual reticle base. Some embodiments include photomask constructions in which a radiation-patterning topography is across a reticle base, with such topography including multiple pillars that individually contain at least seven distinct layers.
US08589823B2 Application user interface with navigation bar showing current and prior application contexts
A graphical user interface for a portable electronic device includes an application display region that displays a current application context of an application and a navigation bar adjacent to the application display region. The navigation bar includes two horizontally adjacent regions, comprising a current context region for displaying an indicator of the current application context and a prior context region for displaying an indicator of an application context preceding the current application context. The application display region simulates shifting of the application display in a first direction upon detecting user selection of the prior context region, and simulates shifting of the application display in a second direction, opposite the first direction, upon detecting user selection of an application context different from the current application context and the prior application context.
US08589820B2 Mobile terminal and method for retrieving phone number therein
A mobile terminal and a method for retrieving a phone number using identification names corresponding to stored phone numbers are provided. The method includes: displaying a first letter of identification names in a phone number retrieval mode, wherein each identification name corresponds to a phone number stored in the mobile terminal; selecting one of the displayed first letters; extracting at least one search keyword having the selected first letter as the first letter of the search keyword; and displaying the identification names corresponding to the search keyword. Retrieval of a phone number is thereby simplified, and the retrieval speed of the phone number is improved.
US08589819B2 Generating a modified queue list in response to presentation and selection of an option
A queuing method and system. The method includes retrieving by a computer processor of a stationary computing system or a computing device, queue data placing an individual onto an initial queue list for receiving a service and ID data identifying the individual. The computer processor presents a status of the individual with respect to the queue list. The computer processor receives a request associated with the service and in response presents options for the individual. The computer processor receives a selection for an option and generates a modified queue list.
US08589814B2 System and method for visual presentation of information in a process control system
Various graphical displays used for visualization of control techniques in a process control system can be provided to an operator. For example, the graphical display could include an image associated with a portion of a process and icons that are associated with corresponding process variables. At least some of the icons include a symbol that represents a change of one value of the associated process variable relative to another value of the process variable. Another graphical display could include a pigeonhole display that includes visual elements associated with corresponding process variables. Selection of a visual element could present the operator with a peephole display that includes information associated with process variables associated with the selected visual element. Each visual element displays layers of information that are associated with its process variable.
US08589812B2 Prioritized user interface
Prioritized user interfaces are disclosed. A user interface may include a menu including a plurality of selectable items displayed in respective menu positions. A menu position of at least one of the plurality of selectable items is assigned based on a prioritization level of the at least one selectable item. The prioritization level is based at least partially on a selection metric for the at least one selectable item. The user interface may also include a menu locator indicating a location of a menu within a multi-level menu structure. The menu locator may include a first indicator of a position within a first level of the multi-level menu structure and a second indicator of a position within a second level of the multi-level menu structure.
US08589810B2 Methods, systems, and products for recording browser navigations
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for recording a navigational sequence. A selection is received to record the navigational sequence to a destination web page. A browser application requests a sequence of uniform resource locators and downloads the destination web page. The browser application records the sequence of uniform resource locators. Another selection is received that stops recording the navigational sequence.
US08589808B1 Suggestions in a social network
Methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed which include gathering future location information of one or more friends of a user, receiving from a computing device, an indication of a second future date, displaying the future locations that are associated with a first future date that matches the second future date, receiving, at the computing device from the user, a selection of one of the future locations displayed, displaying one or more friends of the user associated with the selected future location, determining that a digital connection does not exist between the first friend and the second friend in a social network, providing an indication on the computing device showing that the digital connection does not exist, receiving an indication from the user to initiate contact between the first friend and the second friend, and providing a first notification to the first friend and the second friend.
US08589807B2 Presenting question and answer data in a social networking system
A social networking system includes a question and answer system that displays to a viewing user questions and answers provides by other users of the social networking system. The question and answer system may display answers to a particular question in a way that visually indicates both the global answer set and a subset of the global answer set, such as the viewing user's friends. The social networking system may also display to a viewing user news stories about another user asking or answering a question, where the format of the displayed new stories is based on an affinity that the viewing user has for the user who provided the question or answer mentioned in the news story. The displayed questions and/or answers may be associated with an object in the social networking system, where the user interface provides additional information about those objects.
US08589805B2 Customizable constituent communication method, system, and computer readable medium
Systems and methods are described that facilitate users communicating information. The disclosed subject matter enables users to disseminate information to others, allows the recipients to incorporate significant amounts of custom information with minimal input, and send this personalized information to additional recipients easily via a mobile device. The disclosed subject matter also enables Organizations to target their members more accurately and easily engage in meaningful dialog.
US08589798B2 Information management systems and methods for heterogeneous data sources
Systems and methods integrate disparate backup devices with a unified interface. In certain examples, a management console manages data from various backup devices, while retaining such data in its native format. The management console can display a hierarchical view the client devices and/or their data and can further provide utilities for processing the various data formats. A data structure including fields for storing both metadata common to the client device data and value-added metadata can be used to mine or process the data of the disparate client devices. The unified single platform and interface reduces the need for multiple data management products and/or customized data utilities for each individual client device and provides a single pane of glass view into data management operations. Integrating the various types of storage formats and media allows a user to retain existing storage infrastructures and further facilitates scaling to meet long-term management needs.
US08589797B2 Image forming apparatus, operation-screen changing method, and computer-readable recording medium
In an image forming apparatus, a plurality of sets of flow definition data and screen definition data are stored in associated manner in a storage unit. A client device selects one of the sets of the flow definition data. Screen definition data corresponding to a process defined by the selected flow definition data is acquired from the storage unit and an editing screen is created from this screen definition data. The editing screen is sent to the client device and a predetermined operation with respect to a component of the editing screen is received from the client device. Screen definition data is created based on the changed editing screen in accordance with the predetermined operation, and the new screen definition data is stored in the storage unit so as to be associated with the flow definition data.
US08589795B2 Method and apparatus for sharing viewing information
A method and apparatus for sharing viewing information is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving an designation of a second user from the first user; and transmitting the first user viewing information to the designated second user. The shared viewing information may comprise the identity of a currently viewed media program, a list of scheduled media program viewings, or the media program itself.
US08589783B2 Systems and methods for processing color information in spreadsheets
Methods to facilitate the processing of color information in spreadsheets described using markup languages are presented. In some embodiments, a method for storing color information for objects in a spreadsheet document described in a markup language may comprise obtaining distinct color values from a plurality of spreadsheet color table objects. The color values in the plurality of spreadsheet color table objects are referenced by spreadsheet objects through a plurality of indexes and each index corresponds to a distinct color table object. The distinct color values are stored in a color palette table object and are accessed using a color palette index. Index values in each of the plurality of color tables are mapped to the color palette index, if the index value and the color palette index value point to the same color value. The mapping permits objects to reference color values in the color palette object table.
US08589770B2 Robust control/delineation in serial streams
Control symbols taking the form {k1-k2-k2-k1} are inserted in a serial stream including m bit data words. k1 and k2 are each predefined m bit control words differing from the m bit data words. The Hamming distance between k1 and k2 is at least 2. Such control symbols may be robustly detected in the presence of a one bit error in the symbol, or a data word immediately preceding or following the symbol. The m bit words may be 8B/10B encoded data, or defined control words. The control symbols may be used for data delineation, stream synchronizaiton, transmitter/receiver synchronization or for other control signalling.
US08589767B2 Systems, devices and methods using redundant error correction code bit storage
A device, e.g., a semiconductor memory device, includes a plurality of memory cells, each configured to store at least one data bit and a plurality of error correction code (ECC) cells configured to redundantly store ECC bits for the memory cells. According to some embodiments, the plurality of ECC cells includes a plurality of pairs of ECC cells configured to store an ECC bit and a complement thereof. According to further embodiments, the plurality of ECC cells includes a plurality of groups of at least three ECC cells configured to store identical copies of an ECC bit.
US08589757B2 Method and apparatus for encoding and decoding high speed shared control channel
A method and apparatus for encoding and decoding high speed shared control channel (HS-SCCH) data are disclosed. For part 1 data encoding, a mask may be generated using a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) identity (ID) and a generator matrix with a maximum minimum Hamming distance. For part 2 data encoding, cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bits are generated based on part 1 data and part 2 data. The number of CRC bits is less than the WTRU ID. The CRC bits and/or the part 2 data are masked with a mask. The mask may be a WTRU ID or a punctured WTRU ID of length equal to the CRC bits. The mask may be generated using the WTRU ID and a generator matrix with a maximum minimum Hamming distance. The masking may be performed after encoding or rate matching.
US08589747B2 Position independent testing of circuits
Scan distributor, collector, and controller circuitry connect to the functional inputs and outputs of core circuitry on integrated circuits to provide testing through those functional inputs and outputs. Multiplexer and demultiplexer circuits select between the scan circuitry and the functional inputs and outputs. The core circuitry can also be provided with built-in scan distributor, collector, and controller circuitry to avoid having to add it external of the core circuitry. With appropriately placed built-in scan distributor and collector circuits, connecting together the functional inputs and outputs of the core circuitry also connects together the scan distributor and collector circuitry in each core. This can provide a hierarchy of scan circuitry and reduce the need for separate test interconnects and multiplexers.
US08589744B2 State machine transitioning between idle, capture, shift-I, and shift-2 states
Plural scan test paths (401) are provided to reduce power consumed during testing such as combinational logic (101). A state machine (408) operates according to plural shift states (500) to control each scan path in capturing data from response outputs of the combinational logic and then shifting one bit at a time to reduce the capacitive and constant state power consumed by shifting the scan paths.
US08589740B2 System, method and computer program product for testing an aspect of a user interface determined from a database dedicated to the testing
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for testing an aspect of a user interface determined from a database dedicated to the testing. These mechanisms and methods for testing an aspect of a user interface determined from a database dedicated to the testing can provide a testing dedicated database of aspects of a user interface. The ability to provide a testing dedicated database of aspects of a user interface can enable testing of the user interface without the limitations otherwise associated with a database of aspects of the user interface that is utilized when publishing the database.
US08589733B2 Saving operational state of open applications when unexpected shutdown events occur
Saving the state of at least one open application on a data processing system when an event forces open applications to close includes monitoring data processing system activities to detect an event indicative of a forthcoming system shutdown action. The system shutdown action includes a command which forces closing of running applications. Responsive to detecting the event, execution of said shutdown action is suspended and the state of the at least one open application is recorded. An indication that a state of the at least one running application has been recorded for reuse is stored and, following the recording and storing steps, execution of said shutdown action is restored.
US08589730B2 Handling errors during device bootup from a non-volatile memory
Systems and methods are provided for handling errors during device bootup from a non-volatile memory (“NVM”). A NVM interface of an electronic device can be configured to detect errors and maintain an error log in volatile memory while the device is being booted up. Once device bootup has completed, a NVM driver of the electronic device can be configured to correct the detected errors using the error log. For example, the electronic device can move data to more reliable blocks and/or retire blocks that are close to failure, thereby improving overall device reliability.
US08589726B2 System and method for uncovering data errors
According to the presently disclosed subject matter there is provided inter alia, a method and system which enable to uncover errors which are correctible by a data integrity mechanism in a computer system. The same data is read with the help of two different types of read commands. The first command is a read command which does not implement an inherent ECC and therefore does not correct corrupted data. The second command is a read command which includes an ECC and is adapted to correct errors which are detected in the data which is being read. The data obtained by each of the two read commands is compared, and in cases where a difference is identified between the two data, it is determined that an error has been detected and corrected by the ECC.
US08589723B2 Method and apparatus to provide a high availability solid state drive
A method and apparatus to use Solid State Drives (SSD) in a high availability enterprise system is provided. Concurrent redundant paths are provided to the SSD to at least two storage controllers via a serial system bus using a non-storage bus protocol.
US08589722B2 Methods and structure for storing errors for error recovery in a hardware controller
Methods and structure for providing methods and structure for recovering errors in a hardware controller after an overwrite event, such as the detection of another error. In this regard, a link layer of the hardware controller is configured with a register that persistently stores errors until a processor can address them. The link layer is adapted to establish a connection between an initiator and a target and detect errors associated with the connection. As each detected error is overwritten by a subsequently detected error, the link layer register persistently stores the detected errors associated with the connection for recovery after the detected error has been overwritten in the link layer at least until the error can be handled.
US08589720B2 Synchronizing timing mismatch by data insertion
The rate at which data is provided by one device and the rate at which that data is processed by another device may differ. For example, a transmitting device may transmit data according to a transmit clock while a receiving device that receives the transmitted data may process the data according to a receive clock. If there is a timing mismatch between the transmit and receive clocks, the receiving device may receive data faster or slower than it processes the data. In such a case, there may be errors relating to the processing of the received data. To address timing mismatches such as this, the receiving device may delete data from or insert data into the received data. In conjunction with these operations, the receiving device may modify the received data at or near the insertion point or the deletion point in a manner that mitigates any adverse effect the insertion or deletion may have on a resulting output signal.
US08589706B2 Data inversion based approaches for reducing memory power consumption
Disclosed herein are approaches to reducing a guardband (margin) used for minimum voltage supply (Vcc) requirements for memory such as cache.
US08589695B2 Methods and systems for entropy collection for server-side key generation
Systems and methods for providing a multiple source entropy feed for a PRNG that is used to generate server-side encryption keys are disclosed. A data recovery manager may collect additional entropy sources that feed into the PRNG between each key generation. The entropy may be collected from a variety of sources, for example, high-resolution timer intervals between input/output interrupts, hard disk access operations, and the like. The number of bits of entropy collected may be configured for each key generation.
US08589691B1 Self-signed certificates for computer application signatures
A computer-implemented method for signing computer applications is disclosed. The method includes generating a compiled version of a first software application, signing the first software application with a digital certificate locally to a developer of the first software application without assistance from a central certification authority, and submitting the signed first software application to an on-line application store.
US08589689B2 Apparatus and method for over-the-air (OTA) provisioning of authentication and key agreement (AKA) credentials between two access systems
A method and apparatus for over-the-air provisioning of authentication credentials at an access device via a first access system, wherein the authentication credentials are for a second access system lacking an over-the-air provisioning procedure. For example, the second access system may be a 3GPP system using AKA authentication methods. The first access system may be CDMA, using an OTASP or IOTA procedure. Provisioning the authentication credentials may include provisioning any of a 3GPP AKA authentication root key (K), AKA authentication related parameters, an AKA authentication algorithm to be used in the 3GPP authentication, or authentication algorithm customization parameters.
US08589685B2 Apparatus and method for dynamic update of software-based IPTV conditional access system
The apparatus for dynamic update of a software-based IPTV conditional access system includes: a server master key manager managing a master key and encrypting a conditional access code ID; a conditional access server manager generating and managing a server list, linking and storing an update policy with the conditional access server IDs included in the server list, and controlling execution of the conditional access server; and a conditional access code download server generating an ID map of set of conditional access codes by combining the plurality of conditional access codes and the plurality of conditional access code IDs that are encrypted, and transmitting the ID map of set of conditional access codes and the conditional access code to a receiver.
US08589679B2 Identifier-based signcryption with two trusted authorities
Identifier-based signcryption methods and apparatus are disclosed both for signing and encrypting data, and for decrypting and verifying data. The signcryption methods use computable bilinear mappings and can be based, for example, on Weil or Tate pairings. A message sender associated with a first trusted authority carries out integrated signing/encryption processes to send a signed, encrypted message to an intended recipient associated with a second trusted authority. The recipient then carries out integrated decryption/verification processes to recover the original message and verify its origin.
US08589678B2 Managing status and access for a variable source content stream
In one embodiment, a method can include: receiving rules in an interoperability server, the rules being related to access control for an endpoint coupled to a variable source content stream via a multicast network; and sending to the endpoint using in-band controls of the variable source content stream via the multicast network: a description of content streams available for selection by the endpoint; a procedure for selecting an available content stream; and permission for accessing the selected content stream, the permission being based on the rules.
US08589673B2 Methods and systems for distributing cryptographic data to authenticated recipients
A method for distributing cryptographic data to authenticated recipients includes receiving, by an access control management system, from a first client device, information associated with an encrypted data object. The method includes receiving, by the access control management system, from a second client device, a request for the information associated with the encrypted data object. The method includes verifying, by the access control management system, that a user of the second client device is identified in the received information associated with the encrypted data object. The method includes authenticating, by the access control management system, with an identity provider, the user of the second client device. The method includes sending, by the access control management system, to the second client device, the received information associated with the encrypted data object.
US08589672B2 Method for securely merging multiple nodes having trusted platform modules
Method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for operating a plurality of computer nodes while maintaining trust. A primary computer node and at least one secondary computer node are connected into a cluster, wherein each of the clustered computer nodes includes a trusted platform module (TPM) that is accessible to software and includes security status information about the respective computer node. Each clustered computer node is then merged into a single node with only the TPM of the primary computer node being accessible to software. The TPM of the primary computer node is updated to include the security status information of each TPM in the cluster. Preferably, the step of merging is controlled by power on self test (POST) basic input output system (BIOS) code associated with a boot processor in the primary node.
US08589670B2 Adjusting system configuration for increased reliability based on margin
A system provides a mechanism for increasing reliability by allowing margins to be evaluated and if one or more margins of a current configuration are too small, system configuration is modified to increase the margin. A computing device determines through training a first operating point of at least one operational characteristic of the system and a first margin associated therewith. The first margin is compared to a predetermined threshold margin and if the first margin is less than the predetermined threshold margin, the configuration of the system is adjusted to provide a configuration with greater margin for the operational characteristic. The system is retrained with the new configuration to determine a second operating point and a second margin associated therewith and compares the second margin to the threshold margin to determine if the second margin is more than the threshold margin, to satisfy reliability requirements.
US08589649B2 Computer system and method of notifying error information of the computer system
There is disclosed a data storage system used in a computer environment where there are plural host computers and plural storage array controllers. When a remote copy is made while assuring the order of writing across plural storage array controllers, one of the host computers gains copy information about all the storage array controllers associated with the remote copy as a representative. The representative one of the storage array controllers collects and stores copy statuses which are individually managed by the storage array controllers for which a remote copy is made. The host computer gains the copy statuses from the representative controller using an instruction to gain the copy statuses.
US08589646B2 Storage apparatus and method for storage apparatus
A storage apparatus includes a storage module, a memory having areas storing data to be copied to the storage device, a saving buffer for temporarily saving the data stored in the areas, a control module for executing receiving a write request including the data to be stored in the storage apparatus, storing the data included in the write request to the storage module and one area, saving the data stored in the one area to the saving buffer when the number of areas which the copying is executed is not less than the threshold value, copying the data stored in the one area to the storage device or writing the saved data stored in the saving buffer to the one area when the number of areas which the copying is executed is less than the threshold value, determining the threshold value in accordance with an amount of the write request.
US08589644B2 Non-transitory medium, access control method, and information processing apparatus
A file server has a conversion table that stores therein, in a corresponding manner, logical addresses specified by a higher-level layer and physical addresses specified by a disk driver that are address information indicative of a storage area in a disk device. The file server accesses the disk device with a storage area indicated by a physical address as an access destination and counts up the number of access requests to each storage area in a given period of time for each of the logical addresses. The file server then updates the conversion table such that the physical addresses are lined up in a descending order of the logical addresses of a higher number of the access requests counted. Thereafter, the file server changes storage areas of data stored in the storage device based on the conversion table updated.
US08589638B2 Terminating barriers in streams of access requests to a data store while maintaining data consistency
A memory controller includes a comparison circuitry configured to compare the barrier context value of each write request to be issued to the memory with the barrier context values of at least some pending read requests, the pending read requests being requests received at the memory controller but not yet issued to the memory and, in response to detecting at least one of the pending read requests with an earlier barrier context value identifying a barrier transaction that has a corresponding barrier transaction in the stream of requests on the write channel that is earlier in the stream of requests than the write request, stalling the write request until the at least one pending read request has been performed; and, in response to detecting no pending read requests with the earlier barrier context value, issuing the write request to the memory.
US08589635B2 Administering thermal distribution among memory modules with call stack frame size management
Administering thermal distribution among memory modules in a computing system that includes temperature sensors, where each temperature sensor measures temperature of a memory module and thermal distribution is effected by: determining, in real-time by a user-level application in dependence upon the temperature measurements of the temperature sensors, whether a memory module is overheated; if a memory module is overheated and if a current call stack frame is stored on the overheated memory module, increasing, by the user-level application, a size of the current call stack frame to fill remaining available memory space on the overheated memory module, ensuring a subsequent call stack frame is stored on a different memory module.
US08589634B2 Processor extensions for accelerating spectral band replication
Enhancements to hardware architectures (e.g., a RISC processor or a DSP processor) to accelerate spectral band replication (SBR) processing are described. In some embodiments, instruction extensions configure a reconfigurable processor to accelerate SBR and other audio processing. In addition to the instruction extensions, execution units (e.g., multiplication and accumulation units (MACs)) may operate in parallel to reduce the number of audio processing cycles. Performance may be further enhanced through the use of source and destination units which are configured to work with the execution units and quickly fetch and store source and destination operands.
US08589632B1 Arbitration method for programmable multiple clock domain bi-directional interface
An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a system including a memory interface logic unit for receiving memory access requests and corresponding information, a processor coupled to the memory interface logic, a plurality of pre-fetch buffers for handling memory accesses coupled to the memory interface logic unit, an arbiter logic unit for pre-fetching data into the plurality of pre-fetch buffers, a memory device for storing data coupled to the arbiter logic unit and the plurality of pre-fetch buffers, and busy detection logic for informing the arbiter logic unit of the current operation of the processor. The arbiter logic unit facilitates memory access via pre-fetch buffers of the processor and the memory in different or independent clock domains. The arbiter logic further allows random access without introducing additional latency.
US08589628B2 Hybrid active memory processor system
In general, the present invention relates to data cache processing. Specifically, the present invention relates to a system that provides reconfigurable dynamic cache which varies the operation strategy of cache memory based on the demand from the applications originating from different external general processor cores, along with functions of a virtualized hybrid core system. The system includes receiving a data request, selecting an operational mode based on the data request and a predefined selection algorithm, and processing the data request based on the selected operational mode. The present invention is further configured to enable processing core and memory utilization by external systems through virtualization.
US08589616B2 Storage system group including scale-out storage system and management method therefor
A management system is coupled to a storage system group including a scale-out storage system (a virtual storage system). The management system has storage management information, which includes information denoting, for each storage system, whether or not a storage system is a component of a virtual storage system. The management system, based on the storage management information, determines whether or not a first storage system is a component of a virtual storage system, and in a case where the result of this determination is affirmative, identifies, based on the storage management information, a second storage system, which is a storage system other than the virtual storage system that includes the first storage system, and allows a user to perform a specific operation only with respect to this second storage system.
US08589613B2 Method and system to improve the operations of an integrated non-transparent bridge device
A method and system to improve the operations of an integrated non-transparent bridge device (NTB) that is coupled to another NTB device or Root Port device. The integrated NTB device has logic to maintain ordering of interrupts to be sent to the remote Root Port or NTB device. The integrated NTB device allocates a contiguous portion of the memory for both the primary Base Address Register 0 associated with the integrated NTB device and the secondary BAR0 associated with the remote NTB device. The integrated NTB device has logic to report the size of the primary BAR0 as the combined size of the primary BAR0 and the size of the secondary BAR0. The integrated NTB device facilitates the dynamic modification of a mapping of each bit of a doorbell register with a respective one of a plurality of interrupt vectors based on a mapping register.
US08589611B2 Asynchronous logic circuit, semiconductor circuit, and path calculation method in asynchronous logic circuit
An asynchronous branching module (102) outputs transfer data received in accordance with a handshake protocol to any of branch destinations. An asynchronous arbitration module (101) merges transfer paths of the transfer data. A congestion detection module (111) receives an arbitration result signal from the asynchronous arbitration module (101) and outputs congestion information indicating presence/absence of congestion to a merge source. A congestion avoiding path calculation module (112) receives the congestion information and exclusively performs a process of storing the congestion information into a congestion information storage memory, and a process of making the asynchronous branching module (102) preferentially select, as a transfer branch destination, a branch destination generating no congestion information indicative of the presence of congestion from branch destinations leading to a destination, on the basis of the congestion information and the destination information of the transfer data.
US08589606B2 Physical layer circuit
Provided is a physical layer circuit. Upon detecting a connection recognition signal from an output of a differential input terminal, a first detection circuit outputs a first control signal for allowing an upper layer to output a power supply control signal for turning on a power supply of each of a receiver circuit and a recovery conversion circuit. Upon detecting “input absent” based on the bit configuration of parallel data, a second detection circuit outputs a second control signal for allowing the upper layer to output the power supply control signal for turning off the power supply of each of the receiver circuit and the recovery conversion circuit. A control circuit turns off a power supply of the first detection circuit when the second detection circuit detects “input present”, and turns on the power supply of the first detection circuit when the second detection circuit detects “input absent”.
US08589605B2 Inbound message rate limit based on maximum queue times
A system for managing inbound messages in a server complex including one or more message consumers. The system includes a server configured to receive the inbound messages from a first peripheral device and to transmit messages to one or more of the plurality of message consumers. The system also includes an inbound message queue coupled to the server, the inbound message queue configured to store inbound message until an age of any message stored on the inbound message queue exceeds a predetermined threshold.
US08589603B2 Delaying acknowledgment of an operation until operation completion confirmed by local adapter read operation
A request to perform an operation, such as a remote direct memory access (RDMA) write operation or a send operation that writes to memory, is sent from a sending input/output (I/O) adapter (e.g., an RDMA-capable adapter) to a receiving I/O adapter. The receiving I/O adapter receives the request and initiates performance of the operation, but delays sending an acknowledgment for the operation. The acknowledgment is delayed until the operation is complete (i.e., until the memory is updated and the data is visible to the remote processor), as determined by a read operation initiated and performed by the receiving I/O adapter transparent to the sending I/O adapter.
US08589594B2 Programmatic management of software resources in a content framework environment
Methods, systems, and computer program products are disclosed for dynamically integrating software resources (such as web services and other back-end software resources) using the services of a content framework (such as a portal platform). A portlet model is leveraged to allow programmatic portlets to serve as proxies for web services, thereby extending portlets beyond their traditional visual role. A deployment interface and a system interface are described for these portlet proxies. The deployment interface is used for composing new web services, and a composition tool is described. The system interface allows for run-time management of the web services by the portal platform. The service provider for a particular function may be bound to the portlet proxy at development time or at run-time.
US08589583B2 Method and apparatus for adaptive bit rate switching
A method and apparatus for adaptively receiving media streams of different bit rates is disclosed. Data describing the variability of the bit rate of different versions of a media program is transmitted to the media player, and used by the media player to select the appropriate version for reception over the communication channel.
US08589582B2 Broadband network access
A method and Access Network Node for handling dissimilar protocols when a Host accesses a Broadband Network. The Access Network Node includes a protocol converter for interworking between the Neighbor Discovery (ND) protocol and the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). When an ND Router Solicitation message is received from a Host that does not support DHCP, the converter converts the ND message to a DHCP Solicit message and forwards it to a Broadband Network Gateway (BNG) together with a port ID. When the Access Network Node receives a DHCP Reply message from the BNG destined for the same Host, the converter converts the DHCP Reply message to an ND Router Advertisement message before sending it to the Host.
US08589573B2 Technique for preventing routing loops by disseminating BGP attribute information in an OSPF-configured network
A novel technique is provided for preventing routing loops by disseminating Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) attribute information in an Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) configured network. Specifically, a new OSPF sub-type-length-value (TLV) is introduced for transporting a conventional BGP autonomous system (AS) path attribute through the OSPF-configured network. Like the BGP AS-path attribute, the new OSPF AS-path sub-TLV is configured to store a set of AS numbers corresponding to the AS path of one or more advertised routes. Thus, when a network device receives an OSPF link-state advertisement (LSA) containing the novel AS-path sub-TLV, the network device determines whether it resides in an autonomous system whose AS number is stored in the sub-TLV. If so, the network device does not install the LSA's advertised routes in its link-state database since the routes, if installed, could result in routing loops.
US08589572B2 Replenishing a user account with more access resources needed for accessing network services
A network access server (NAS) determines the status of availability (e.g., how much more quota is unused) of an access resource, and sends a notification embedded in a point-to-point protocol (PPP) packet. The format of the packet is chosen such that definition/use of higher layers (e.g., HTTP) is not required to communicate the status to a client system. As a result, the user may be notified even if software such as web browser is not being executed on the client system.
US08589571B2 Method and apparatus for screening request to establish SIP session
A method and apparatus for screening a request to establish a SIP session is provided. The method may include a) receiving a request to establish a SIP session at a network node of an internet protocol network and incrementing a counter, b) determining whether the request includes a resource priority parameter with an elevated priority value and, if so, incrementing a counter, c) comparing a ratio of the priority request count to the total request count to a threshold, and d) processing each request that includes the elevated priority value using more comprehensive screening after the ratio exceeds the threshold, allowing processing for each request that includes the elevated priority value to continue in accordance with the elevated priority value after the ratio does not exceed the threshold, and allowing processing for each request that does not include the elevated priority value to continue in accordance with a routine priority.
US08589565B2 Client-server session parallelism
Using client-server session parallelism (CSSP), a client device establishes multiple network communication sessions with different remote servers and requests the same unsegmented data item from each server. Whichever copy of the unsegmented data item is received earliest at the client device is provided to an application. The CSSP software may be part of a network stack, or it may be part of a particular application such as a browser or a media player. The servers are not necessarily CSSP-aware, but when they are, sessions may be load-balanced. CSSP sessions may also be transferred to other CSSP-aware servers in view of server loads, imminent server reboots, or other events. A CSSP client may notify a CSSP server of status information describing session(s) established at the client with other server(s), allowing the server to reallocate bandwidth to other clients when the CSSP client has sufficient alternate data sources.
US08589560B1 Assembling detailed user replica placement views in distributed computing environment
This description describes technologies relating to resource allocation in distributed systems. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that identify an original distribution of replicas for a group of users, the original distribution including at least one view corresponding to an assignment of all a user's replicas a combination of clusters; identify a desired distribution of replicas of the group of users, the desired distribution corresponding to an assignment of one user replica to one cluster; determine detailed user replica views for the group of users based on the original distribution and the desired distribution; and allocate resources according to the detailed user replica views for the group.
US08589551B2 Multiprocessor computer and network computing system processing use and provision of hardware resource via a network
In distributed processing on a network, improvement of resource management and high efficiency of task scheduling are becoming the goals that need to be achieved. In a multiprocessor computer, a sub-processor included in a multiprocessor brings a resource manager into operation, while the resource manager being loaded in local memory, which receives resource information that can be provided from a computer on a network via a network and manages the resource information, and processes provision of the resource being managed when a request for use of the resource is received. Other sub-processors bring a resource scheduler into operation, while the resource scheduler being loaded in the local memory, which receives a request for use of a resource from a computer on a network and manages the request for use of a resource, and allocates a resource provided by the resource manager as a mediator in response to the request for use of the resource.
US08589524B1 Adjusting network service level based on usage
A user of a network service (such as an Ethernet e-line) can specify rules defining changes to the network service under particular usage conditions (for example threshold bandwidth utilization). The network's usage is monitored. When particular usage conditions are detected, the network service is evaluated to determine what switches need to be configured and how to configure them. The switches are configured accordingly. When the usage conditions no longer exist, the switches are re-configured to their original service level.
US08589521B2 Method for testing connectivity of software applications hosted on networked computers
A method for verifying the connectivity of software applications hosted on networked computers. The connectivity of hosted function applications to be loaded into networked computers is verified and validated using quasi-hosted function applications that simulate the communications functions (i.e., connectivity) of those hosted function applications. The quasi-hosted function applications are run on the same hardware that the real hosted function applications will be run on. Furthermore, the connectivity of a real hosted function application loaded into one computer can be verified and validated by simulating communications of that real hosted function application with a multiplicity of quasi-hosted function applications running on the networked computers.
US08589520B2 Network merge testing
A method and system for performing network merge testing are disclosed. In one embodiment, the network merge testing method comprises: (i) gathering configuration information from at least two networks; (ii) comparing the configuration information; and (iii) displaying a report that indicates whether an attempted merge of the at least two networks would succeed. The report preferably identifies conflicts between the network configurations, and the method may further include automatic or guided resolution of the conflicts. The configuration information may include: zone names and memberships; domain and port names; security settings; inter-op modes; and long distance modes. A system for implementing the method is also disclosed herein. The system and method may advantageously prevent or diagnose causes of network segmentation.
US08589519B2 Method and device for uniform resource identifier handling of user device
A user device (110) is connected to a web server (120) via a network (130). An owner (140) communicates with the web server and has a communication channel (141) to the user device. The owner initiates an URI assignment request to the user device and obtains the device credentials via the communication channel (141). The owner provides the credentials to the web server via a communication channel (121). The web server sends the credentials to the user device which compares the credentials with its memory (110a) and replies with the URI status. The web server sends the URI assignment to the user device which accepts and confirms back to the web server which sends a locking message to the user device. The owner can revoke the URI using a password that is verified by the user device, which deletes the URI. An advantage is that the owner can acquire the URI without being the owner of domain.
US08589518B2 Method and system for directly mapping web services interfaces and java interfaces
A method and system for directly mapping web services interfaces and Java interfaces. In one embodiment, a web services mapping is generated from a common mapping descriptor associated with a web services interface; updated mapping information is received, and, based on the web services mapping and the updated mapping information, a customized interface comprising a common web services and web services client interface is generated.
US08589505B2 Method and apparatus for identifying and retrieving media content
The specification discloses a system and related method for retrieving encoded media content, such as retrieving audio tracks from a CD in MP3 format. The system involves attaching indicia to the media, or possibly a case or protective cover of the media, which uniquely identifies the content. An encoding retrieval and playback device has the ability to obtain the unique number identified by the indicia, where obtaining the unique number may be a consumer entering the number, may be by reading a barcode label, may be by reading the number from a radio frequency device and the like. Once the unique number has been obtained, the encoding retrieval and playback device retrieves the encoded media content from a server across a network connection. In this manner, a consumer need only be present to initiate the retrieval process, and the retrieval of the encoded media content may be completed without the presence of the consumer, and without inserting the storage media in the playback device.
US08589498B2 Phase based prioritization of IMS signaling messages for overload throttling
Systems and methods for providing overload protection in a communications system are provided. More particularly, an importance or priority rating of a message received at a communication server is determined. If the communications system is in an overload state, and if the importance rating of the received message is not sufficiently high, overload protection is applied. Overload protection can include denying service to a requested or in process communications system associated with the message.
US08589496B2 Method and arrangement for handling a subscription for client data
A method and arrangement for temporarily withholding notifications with client data of at least one observed client to a watching client when the watching client has an ongoing subscription for receiving the notifications from a client data server. When the watching client receives a subscription suspend trigger, the watching client sends a subscription suspend message to the client data server indicating that client data notifications should be temporarily withheld while retaining the subscription. When the watching client subsequently receives a subscription resume trigger, the watching client sends a subscription resume message to the client data server indicating that the suspended subscription shall be resumed and allowing client data notifications to be delivered again. The watching client then subsequently receives client data notifications according to the subscription.
US08589494B2 Email forwarding tunnel capturing or tagging
An email forward tagging system including means for selecting on a sender's email client a receiver's email address; means for displaying to the sender's email client a tagging function; means for selecting on the sender's email client the tagging function; means for sending, via a common email system protocol, an email from a email-sending server to a first email-receiving server; means for receiving, via the common email system protocol, the email at the first receiver's email server from the email-sending server; means for sending the received email in the form of one of a forward email and a reply email to a second email-receiving server connected to the network; and means for automatically forwarding the one of the forward email and the reply email to the sender's email address when the sender's email address is omitted from the one of said forward email and said reply email.
US08589492B2 Electronic message object drop feature
A user is aided in using an application program. A method may include receiving an input in a computer system upon a user dropping an electronic message object in a graphical user interface of an application program. Upon receiving the input, an information portion is extracted from the electronic message object. An operation is performed in the application program with the extracted information portion as a parameter, wherein the electronic message object is not stored in association with the application program. When the performed operation includes a data repository query, a learning function or an ambiguity-resolving feature may be used.
US08589463B2 Calculation of trigonometric functions in an integrated circuit device
Circuitry for computing a trigonometric function of an input includes circuitry for relating the input to another value to generate an intermediate value, circuitry for selecting one of the input and the intermediate value as a trigonometric input value, circuitry for determining respective initial values of a plurality of trigonometric functions for the trigonometric input value, and circuitry for deriving, based at least in part on a trigonometric identity, a final value of the first trigonometric function from the respective initial values of the plurality of trigonometric functions. The trigonometric function may be any of sine, cosine and tangent and their inverse functions. The trigonometric identities used allow a computation of a trigonometric function to be broken into pieces that either are easier to perform or can be performed more accurately.
US08589456B2 Prompt large object reclamation
The present disclosure describes garbage collection that provides prompt reclamation of large objects. A heap space is divided into Young regions, Old regions, and Humongous regions. A remembered set is created and maintained, during the execution of one or more programs, for each region that specifies where there are references from outside the region to inside the region. A garbage collection list is generated specifying regions to perform garbage collection on. All Young regions and at least one Humongous region are included in the garbage collection list. If it is determined to include Old regions, the Old regions are selected and included in the garbage collection list. Then, a garbage collection is performed on the regions specified in the garbage collection list. During the garbage collection, the indication for each region is utilized to determine reachable objects in the region, ensuring that reachable objects are not deallocated.
US08589453B2 Mass modification of attribute values of objects
Various embodiments of systems and methods for mass modification of attribute values of objects are described. The methods include systematically analyzing attributes assigned to multiple objects, displaying the results to the user, enabling mass modification functionality in the user interface, and providing the user a comprehensive variety of options on how to proceed with mass editing.
US08589439B2 Pattern-based and rule-based data archive manager
The present invention relates to a method or system of data archival using a pattern-based and rule-based data archive manager for a flexible, generic archive solution. The method and system allow for the user to create rules and allow for the system to archive based upon those rules input by the user and to select data to be archived against the facts about the data. The system has a rule based data archive manager having a pattern matcher, a decision scheduler and a rule executor, a fact meta-data storage for storing facts, and a rule library storage for storing user input data about rules.
US08589432B2 Real time searching and reporting
A system arranged to search machine data to generate reports in real time. A search query is provided that includes a plurality of search commands. The search query is parsed to form a main search query and a remote search query. Machine data is collected from remote data sources and evaluated against one of the main and remote search queries to generate a set of search results. The main search query is then evaluated against at least a partial set of the search result to generate at least one report regarding the collected machine data. Initially a search window is pre-populated with historical machine data related to the search query. Over time the historical machine data is replaced with the collected machine data.
US08589428B2 Session-based processing method and system
A log file processing system sorts records from large log files and groups them by session without making a complete copy of the log files by capturing a subset of the log files in a sliding memory window and identifying all records in the window that form a complete user session. Records belonging to a complete session are output for analyzing, and the remaining records are output as raw log data for additional processing. Using a ring buffer to implement the sliding memory window, data structures are used to group records by session, to identify completed sessions, and to index into the ring buffer to retrieve records for completed sessions that are to be directly analyzed. Any records remaining in the ring buffer at the end of slide window processing may be output as raw log file data and are processed as incomplete or malformed session records. An embodiment of the log file processing system provides a significant improvement on the speed of data extraction from log files into analyzable session data.
US08589427B2 Sensing and responding to service discoveries
A system and method of sensing and responding to service discoveries on a consumer's machine and, more particularly, to a system and method of sensing (discovering) service needs on a consumer's machine using a resident Daemon, and responding to the service discoveries using an extension of UDDI. The method comprises receiving a keyword from a local machine, locating a service associated with the keyword, and notifying the local machine about the service that matches the keyword.
US08589422B2 Identity propagation through application layers using contextual mapping and planted values
Mechanisms are provided for propagating source identification information from an application front-end system in an application layer to a data layer inspection system associated with a back-end system. An incoming user request is received, at the data layer inspection system, from a gateway system associated with the application front-end system. One or more outgoing statements targeting a back-end system are received at the data layer inspection system. The data layer inspection system accesses a mapping data structure based on the one or more outgoing statements to thereby correlate the one or more outgoing statements with the incoming user request. The data layer inspection system retrieves source identification information associated with the incoming user request based on the correlation of the one or more outgoing statements with the incoming user request. The data layer inspection system performs a data layer inspection operation based on the source identification information.
US08589421B1 System and method for navigating documents
Embodiments of this invention allow a user to navigate through previously viewed documents. These documents may be associated with a key, e.g. a search or a document. In response to re-entering the search or detecting subsequent interaction with the document, the navigation may be provided. In certain embodiments, the navigation is provided through a button on a toolbar or through a menu listing.
US08589420B2 Medical information system and program for same
In a medical information system, with respect to a plurality of kinds of medical databases, a plurality of search items included in a search query inputted by a user are sorted in accordance with search divisions, and thereby divided into a finding report search query and a specimen test query. By using these queries, the corresponding databases are searched independently, and individual search results obtained therefrom are combined to generate a combined search result. The individual search result is assigned with an individual score in accordance with the matching degree with the search item. In combining the individual search results, a relevancy score is assigned. The search results are ranked and combined in descending order of the scores. This requires only one issuance of a search execution order without the need to perform a search operation a plurality of times, in order to obtain a desired search result.
US08589399B1 Assigning terms of interest to an entity
The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that includes identifying resources relating to an entity, where each resource includes multiple terms and is included in a corpus of resources relating to multiple entities. Candidate terms from the resources for potentially associating with the entity and a category associated with the entity are identified. A relative frequency of the candidate terms in the identified resources is compared to a frequency of the candidate terms associated with other entities. Each of the candidate terms are weighted, for example, based on a source of the candidate term and the relative frequency of the candidate term. A weighted frequency of each candidate term is calculated based on the weights, and candidate terms are selected as representative terms for the entity based on the weighted frequency.
US08589392B2 Indexing and searching dynamically changing search corpora
Tools and techniques for indexing and searching dynamically changing search corpora are provided. These tools may receive requests to upload documents over a network to an online document repository, and present a user interface to facilitate the upload. The user interface may include devices that are responsive to user activation to grant permission to at least one other user to search for content contained within the documents. Through the user interface, these tools may receive selections from the user related to granting the permission, with the documents being associated with share parameters that incorporate the user selections. Finally, the tools may receive identifications of the documents to be uploaded.
US08589385B2 Historical browsing session management
A remote browsing process is directed to the generation and management of a remote browse session at a network computing provider. A client computing device requests a remote browse session instance at a network computing provider. The network computing and storage provider processes the requested content for display, and provides a processed representation of the requested content to the client computing device for display. The network computing provider further provides a historical content representation corresponding to the requested content to a historical browse storage component for storage. The network computing provider may further provide historical content representations to the historical browse storage component for content directly or indirectly referenced by the requested content. The client computing device may subsequently search for content not previously displayed by the client computing device.
US08589384B2 Methods and arrangements for employing descriptors for agent-customer interactions
Methods and arrangements for employing descriptors for agent-customer interactions are disclosed. Filtering the pooled records based on one or more predetermined criteria is done such that analyzing the filtered records and comparing one interaction between an agent and a customer with another interaction between an agent and a customer may occur.
US08589383B2 Media object query submission and response
Methods and systems for submitting media object queries and receiving suggested answers for the media object queries. In one aspect, a method includes receiving from a first user a first media object and a first query relating to content in the first media object, presenting the first media object and the first query to multiple second users, receiving a suggested answer to the first query from each of two or more second users of the multiple second users, where at least two of the suggested answers are distinct, ranking the suggested answers, and presenting one or more of the ranked suggested answers to the first user.
US08589378B2 Topic-oriented diversified item recommendation
A content recommendation system and method are provided in which content semantic topic analysis, user interest identification and per interest recommendations are used to deliver relevant and diversified content recommendations to the user. Semantic topic analysis is used to infer underlying topics in content items; for each content item, a topic distribution vector is derived with components that represent relevance of the content item to specific underlying topics. A user's long term and short term user interests are identified using the user's browsing history. Long term user interest(s) can be obtained by a weighted aggregation of topic distribution vectors of content items the user accessed. Short term interest can be represented by the topic distribution vector corresponding to a current content item. Using identified user's interests, relevant content items are selected for recommendations for the user.
US08589377B2 Associative search engine
This invention relates to an advertisement machine which provides advertisements to a user searching for desired information within a data network. The machine receives, from a user, a search request including a search argument corresponding to the desired information and searches, based upon the received search argument, a first database having data network related information to generate search results. It also correlates the received search argument to a particular advertisement in a second database having advertisement related information. The search results together with the particular advertisement are provided by the machine to the user.
US08589375B2 Real time searching and reporting
A system arranged to search machine data to generate reports in real time. A search query is provided that includes a plurality of search commands. The search query is parsed to form a main search query and a remote search query. Machine data is collected from remote data sources and evaluated against one of the main and remote search queries to generate a set of search results. The main search query is then evaluated against at least a partial set of the search result to generate at least one report regarding the collected machine data. Initially a search window is pre-populated with historical machine data related to the search query. Over time the historical machine data is replaced with the collected machine data.
US08589371B2 Learning retrieval functions incorporating query differentiation for information retrieval
The system and method of the present invention allows for the determination of the relevance of a content item to a query through the use of a machine learned relevance function that incorporate query differentiation. A method for selecting a relevance function to determine a relevance of a query-content item pair comprises generating a training set comprising one or more content item-query pairs. Content item-query pairs in the training set are collectively used to determine the relevance function by minimizing a loss function according to a relevance score adjustment function that accounts for query differentiation. The monotocity of relevance score adjustment function allows the trained relevance function to be directly applied to new queries.
US08589367B2 Method of providing content items
A method for providing content items located on a server to a client is disclosed.
US08589365B2 Data access layer
An improved data access layer (DAL) architecture enables database connection pooling or multiplexing across machine boundaries. Drivers installed at web servers communicate with servers in a DAL. The DAL servers present a virtual database to the web servers, and the DAL servers in turn open connections to a set of physical databases. DAL servers are able to recycle connections that are no longer needed, or to move available connections from one DAL server to another, so as to provide improved efficiency in connection management, burst management, and peak load management. Scalability is thereby improved, and more efficient use of system resources is facilitated.
US08589363B2 Systems and methods for managing delta version chains
A system, a method, and a computer program product for managing delta version chains are provided. A version chain having a plurality of versions of data is provided. A first delta-compressed version and a second delta-compressed version corresponding to a first version of data in the version chain and a second version of data in the version chain, respectively, are selected. A third delta-compressed version configured to be independent of at least one of the first delta-compressed version and the second delta-compressed version and further configured to contain at least one third instruction determined based on at least one of the following: the first insert instruction, the second insert instruction, the first copy instruction, and the second copy instruction, is generated.
US08589358B2 Mechanisms to share attributes between objects
Mechanisms for sharing attributes between objects are provided. An object includes a special designation for at least one component, which is identified as a shared attribute. Data associated with the shared attribute is populated and managed from a central location within a processing environment. Multiple instances of a same object or of entirely different objects can reference, declare, and use the data from the central location.
US08589355B2 Data storage in a cloud
Methods and systems for managing storage of data in a cloud by receiving a request, wherein the request includes information to store data within a cloud, environment comprising a plurality of data storages coupled to each other over a network; routing the data to be stored within a specific location of storage within the cloud environment by checking for any regulatory compliance. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US08589353B2 Method for backing up terminal data and system thereof
A method and a system for backing up terminal data are disclosed. The scheme is used for solving technical problems that existing ways for backing up terminal data have a low duplicating efficiency and resources are wasted seriously. The scheme creates a terminal index table to maintain data information in a terminal device; when the terminal device newly creates or modifies data contents, information of the index items in the terminal index table and corresponding data contents are sent to a network server; the network server also creates a server index table corresponding to the terminal index table, and the network server stores or deletes data contents of the terminal device according to information such as types and numbers of index items. The scheme can back up terminal data rapidly and simplifies the check procedure, thereby saving memory resources of the terminal device and improving backup efficiency.
US08589352B2 Federated configuration management database, management data repository, and backup data management system
A federated configuration management database includes a plurality of management data repositories, and a backup destination determination unit that determines backup destination management data repositories for backing up data overlapping among the plurality of management data repositories at specific management data repositories and that notifies each of the management data repositories of the data to be backed up.
US08589347B2 Systems and methods for performing data replication
Preparing source data to be replicated in a continuous data replication environment. Certain systems and methods populate a file name database with entries having a unique file identifier descriptor (FID), short name and a FID of the parent directory of each directory or file on a source storage device. Such information is advantageously gathered during scanning of a live file system without requiring a snapshot of the source storage device. The database can be further used to generate absolute file names associated with data operations to be replayed on a destination storage device. Based on the obtained FIDs, certain embodiments can further combine write operations to be replayed on the destination storage device and/or avoid replicating temporary files to the destination system.
US08589320B2 Area efficient neuromorphic system that connects a FET in a diode configuration, and a variable resistance material to junctions of neuron circuit blocks
A neuromorphic system includes a plurality of synapse blocks electrically connected to a plurality of neuron circuit blocks. The plurality of synapse blocks includes a plurality of neuromorphic circuits. Each neuromorphic circuit includes a field effect transistor in a diode configuration electrically connected to variable resistance material, where the variable resistance material provides a programmable resistance value. Each neuromorphic circuit also includes a first junction electrically connected to the variable resistance material and an output of one or more of the neuron circuit blocks, and a second junction electrically connected to the field effect transistor and an input of one or more of the neuron circuit blocks.
US08589317B2 Human-assisted training of automated classifiers
Many computing scenarios involve the classification of content items within one or more categories. The content item set may be too large for humans to classify, but an automated classifier (e.g., an artificial neural network) may not be able to classify all content items with acceptable accuracy. Instead, the automated classifier may calculate a classification confidence while classifying respective content items. Content items having a low classification confidence may be sent to a human classifier, and may be added, along with the categories identified by the human classifier, to a training set. The automated classifier may then be retrained using the training set, thereby incrementally improving the classification confidence of the automated classifier while conserving the involvement of human classifiers. Additionally, human classifiers may be rewarded for classifying the content items, and the costs of such rewards may be considered while selecting content items for the training set.
US08589312B2 Real-time license metering of a provisioned application in a cloud computing environement
Provided are techniques for the costing of a license based on real-time usage of software on a hardware resource instead of upfront PVU based purchase of licenses. Service provider need not pay for the license charge till the end of life of that application and need not pay for an entire set of N licenses, considering that the service provider expects that the maximum number of application instances could be N.
US08589308B1 Grant management system and method
A web-based grant management application and method is described. Registration information pertaining to a grant requestor is received at a web-based portal. A local, computer readable compliance database is maintained. The compliance database includes an exclusion list of grant requestors that have been excluded from receiving a grant. The grant management application determines an exclusion status for the grant requestor by comparing the registration information to the exclusion list. The grant requestor is informed of its exclusion status via the web-based portal. If the grant requestor's exclusion status is satisfactory, then the web-based portal receives grant information pertaining to a grant sought. Based on the grant information and the registration information, a custom set of business rules is derived to automatically manage the receipt, review, tracking, reconciliation and analysis of the grant sought. The business rules are implemented by a grant management application coupled to the web-based portal.
US08589304B2 System and method for controlling the indexing of volume between network devices
The invention is directed towards enabling data volume and data type based licensing of software in a distributed system of a plurality of remote and/or local nodes. The invention enables measuring and optionally restricting the use of software based on one or more provided licenses that restrict the amount and type of data that may be processed by the software. New and older licenses may be added together for a single, bulk entitlement for a given volume of data processing for one or all types of data. Different users in the same enterprise may combine license entitlements too. Also, a new license can be acquired repeatedly, without requiring the issuance of combined licenses by the issuing authority and/or the revocation of prior licenses.
US08589301B2 System and method for processing checks and check transactions
A method of processing paper checks that divides into two independent paths the processing of a data file representing a check and the digital image of the check. The data files and image files are separated both in time and in space, with the data files being used to promptly initiate the transfer of funds to and from appropriate accounts, while the paper checks, at a remote location and typically lagging in time, are scanned to create digital image files and deposited as an image or substitute check if deemed ACH ineligible. The method provides for the comparison of data files to image files, based on MICR information, to find any unmatching or mismatched items for exception processing and a process to manage ACH-ineligible items as an image or substitute check. A process for translating raw MICR data to a desired format, and for identifying the proper translation to be applied, is described.
US08589289B1 System, method and program product for administering fund movements
A method, system and program product, the method comprising: accessing, one or more electronic databases, comprising: (i) aggregated account information for a plurality of government-backed insured and interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts held in a plurality of recipient depository institutions, with one or more of the recipient depository institutions with an interest-bearing aggregated deposit account having at least one associated aggregated transaction account having an overdraft facility; and (ii) client account information for each of a plurality of the respective client accounts; obtaining client account transaction information; obtaining a respective net transfer amount for the one or more sub-periods of time for each of one or more of the respective source institutions; for at least one or more of the sub periods of time where the net transfer amount requires a first withdrawal/transfer amount selecting at least one of the recipient depository institutions that has at least one aggregated transaction account with an overdraft facility based at least in part on one or more selection rules; generating first transfer data reflecting a wire or other electronic transfer that uses the overdraft facility; generating second transfer data reflecting withdrawal/transfer by the at least one recipient depository institution of at least one second withdrawal/transfer amount in partial of full settlement of the overdraft; allocating amounts of funds from multiple of the client accounts among multiple of the recipient depository institutions to substantially match the transfer of funds; and updating one or more of the electronic databases.
US08589284B2 System and method for flexible election of payment terms
A method is disclosed for offering transaction account consumers with payment term options to pay a minimum amount due early, defer payment into the following payment cycle, and pay a standard amount when due. When generating a periodic billing statement, the invention determines a consumer's eligibility to elect early payment, deferred payment, and regular payment. When a consumer is eligible for early payment, a received payment is compared to a discount rate tier, then a discount amount is calculated and credited to the consumer's account. When the consumer is eligible for deferred payment, the system calculates a new current minimum payment due by multiplying the current non-deferred balance by a predetermined percentage amount and adding the result to the deferred balance. When the consumer is not eligible for deferred payment, the system calculates a new current minimum due by summing the current non-deferred balance with the deferred balance.
US08589280B2 Method and system for providing automatic execution of gray box strategies for electronic trading
A method and system for providing automatic execution of gray box trading strategies for electronic trading. A gray box trading entity is created from two or more real or synthetic trading entities including real or synthetic contracts or financial instruments. The gray box trading entity includes a black box portion (automatic trade execution) and a white box portion (manual trade execution). An electronic trader selects trades for black box and white box trades in the gray box trading entity. The trades can be dynamically changed. Selected trades for gray box trading entity are automatically traded with a black box trading entity on one or more electronic trading exchanges while a trader is prompted to manually execute selected other trades for the gray box trading entity with a white box trading entity.
US08589275B2 System and method for processing tax codes by company group
A system and method for assigning taxability codes to purchases, and processing tax invoices, by company groups. A user, identified to one of a group of companies, inputs a requisition. Tax code and tax location are identified in a front end process applicable to the object of the requisition and converted into a converted tax code and tax jurisdiction and fed to a back end processor. Responsive to converted tax code and the tax jurisdiction for the corresponding company group, the back end prepares a purchase order which is transmitted to a supplier. Responsive to an invoice from the supplier and company group and tax code indicia from the purchase order, the back end processes and selectively pays, short pays, or rejects the invoice.
US08589274B2 System and method for managing healthcare costs
Disclosed is a system and method for creating a financial index related to healthcare costs. A financial derivative instrument can be created from the index. Using the financial derivative instrument, an entity can hedge against unexpected fluctuations of healthcare costs.
US08589269B1 System and method for funding companies
A system and method for funding investment seeking companies (ISCs), e.g., startup companies, by a funding company is disclosed. For each of the ISCs, in exchange for private equity therein, the funding company issues a corresponding publicly tradeable class of its own stock substantially based on the performance of the ISC. The ISCs are categorized according to characteristics important to investors, e.g., type of technology, revenue, and products or services (to be) offered so that ISCs in a same category compete against one another for funding distributions from the funding company. In particular, income returns on the investments of proceeds from public sales of each class of stock are periodically distributed among competing ISCs according to, e.g., the share prices of their corresponding class of funding company stocks.
US08589266B2 Request money social networking applications
In some example embodiments, a system and method is illustrated as including receiving a funds request that contains an identifier to uniquely identify a first member of a social networking community, the funds request including an amount of funds requested. Further, this method may include receiving a funds authorization from a grantor of funds. Additionally, this method may include transmitting a funds transfer instruction based upon the funds authorization. Moreover, this method may include transferring the amount of funds requested from an account held by the grantor of funds to an account held by the first member of a social networking community.
US08589265B2 Token licensing mapping costs to enabled software tool features
A request to activate a software tool can be received, where activation requires a quantity of tokens of a token license model. An entity, project, user-set, user, or combination thereof corresponding to the request can be ascertained. A feature-set to be enabled can be determined by querying preexisting indexed records. The preexisting indexed records can associate different feature-sets to different entities, projects, user-sets, users, or combinations thereof. A token cost can be computed for activating the software tool with the feature-set enabled for the request. Token costs for utilizing the software tool can vary depending upon the enabled feature-set. The computed token cost can be the quantity of tokens required to activate the software tool responsive to the request.
US08589262B1 Technique for computing relevancy between tax information
The disclosed embodiments relate to a computer system that facilitates identifying additional tax information. During operation, the computer system receives tax information. Next, the computer system determines relevance of the additional tax information to the tax information using a metric indicative of a statistical relationship between the tax information and the additional tax information in a tax-information data structure. This metric is based on co-existence of the tax information and the additional tax information at different hierarchical levels in income-tax documents. Moreover, the tax-information data structure includes tax information and associated context information from income-tax documents. Next, the computer system identifies the additional tax information based on the relevance and a threshold, and the computer system provides the additional tax information.
US08589251B2 Method, system, and storage device for managing trading network packages for a plurality of trading networks
A method and system for managing trading in trading networks. At least one trading network package is offered. Each trading network package is based on negotiations occurring prior to receiving purchase requests from customer members of the trading network. Each trading network package is configured to include: (i) a value-add service offering offered by the trading network to the customer members for a fee, (ii) a managed package for which a customer member of the customer members provides a volume commitment and for which actual purchases are tracked; or (iii) both the value-add service offering and the managed package.
US08589246B2 Method and system for promoting user generation of content
Systems and methods for promoting user generation of content are disclosed. More particularly, embodiments of systems and methods to facilitate the generation of content by users are disclosed. Specifically, in one embodiment, in order to drive generation of desired content, the generation of content by a user may be linked to an opportunity to generate additional content (where the two types of content may be the same or different). In particular, in certain embodiments when a user has generated a first type of content the opportunity to generate a second type of content may be presented to that user.
US08589242B2 Retail interface
In one example a retail webpage displays a product collage and social media content. For example, the social media content includes reviews by a user's social contacts and/or an image of the user, a social contact, and/or a product. Some content of the website, for example, is organized to display content in a predefined layout. In another example, a retail website system collects social information from external social networks. For example, a user's social information is identified and content created by the user's social contacts is identified. The social contact-created content is displayed, for example, with a product or group of products. In another example, the layout of a webpage is organized to encourage a user to explore the webpage. The layout, for example, includes elements in two columns with content adjacent to similar content. For example, elements in descending location relate more or less specifically to a user.
US08589241B2 System and method for facilitating imaging services using a service identification number stored in an image capture device
A system and method for obtaining photographic products and/or services comprises bundling image capture and printing technologies into products and/or services that are paid for by a consumer with monthly or yearly subscription fees. The system and method involves selecting a camera and selecting a photographic products/service plan which designates photographic products and/or services which are to be associated with the selected camera. The system and method gives the consumer the option of selecting a specific camera from a menu of cameras, and a specific photographic product/service plan which is to be associated with the selected camera from a product/service menu. As a further option, the consumer can customize his/her product/service plan in accordance with his/her preference. The plan can provide for products and/or services for images captured and/or film exposed by the camera for a predetermined amount of time at a predetermined fee. At the end of the plan, the consumer could have the option of returning the camera, exchanging the camera for a different camera, or keeping the camera at no cost or for a reduced price. The photographic products and/or services provided by the plan could be products and/or services such as film developing, printing, image products, scanning, photo CDs, image storage, etc.
US08589238B2 System and architecture for merchant integration of a biometric payment system
A system and method for performing authentication are disclosed. The system may include a shared central processing server, a plurality of software components each residing in a corresponding point-of-sale (POS) workstation and an identity provider service. The server may reside at a merchant location and communicate with multiple POS workstations at the merchant location. The server may be configured to receive biometric information from each POS workstation. Each software component may communicate with a biometric sensor in communication with the corresponding POS workstation to receive biometric information. The identity provider service may be configured to communicate with the server, store registered biometric information and compare biometric information received from the server with one or more of the stored registered biometric information. One of the biometric sensor, a POS workstation and the server may convert a biometric image into a biometric template for comparison with the stored registered biometric information.
US08589237B2 Online purchase from a mobile device using a default payment method
A method and system for conducting an online payment transaction through a point of sale device. The method includes receiving input from a user selecting an item for purchase through the point of sale device; calculating a total purchase amount for the item in response to a request from the user to purchase the item; and sending payment authorization for the total purchase amount from the point of sale device to a payment entity, in which the payment authorization is sent to the payment entity via a mobile communication device of the user. The method further includes receiving a result of the payment authorization from the payment entity through the mobile communication device; and completing the payment transaction based on the result of the payment authorization.
US08589235B2 Method of answering questions by trusted participants
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for facilitating online conversation. In one aspect, a method includes determining that a user has submitted a question to be viewed by trusted participants of an online conversation, wherein the trusted participants include the user, one or more advertisers and one or more social network friends of the user, obtaining a reply to the question from one of the trusted participants, and providing the reply to the trusted participants.
US08589223B2 Method and system for offering advertising services
A method of offering advertising services to a client for advertising a client website on the Internet comprises the steps of identifying a web host, the web host receiving client information for establishing a client account with said web host for hosting the client website; cooperating with the web host to prompt the client as to whether an advertising account is desired; and, if an advertising account is desired, using the client information received by the web host to establish the advertising account. The invention also covers a related computer system for performing the method.
US08589222B2 User uploaded image within webpage implementation server system
A method, within a computer hardware system, includes the following. An image is received from a first entity. A first website associated with the first entity is generated based upon input provided by the first entity. A second website associated with a second entity is generated based upon input provided by the second entity. A first functional marketing element associated with the second entity is inserted within the first website. A second functional marketing element associated with the first entity is reciprocally inserted within the second website based upon the first functional marketing element being inserted within the first website. The second functional marketing element, within the second website, includes the image and a link to the first website, and the first functional marketing element, within the first website, includes a link to the second website.
US08589218B2 Appraisal and objectives integration
A software program assists in establishing goals and objectives and creating appraisals based on those goals and objectives. The goals for an organization are determined, and individual objectives based on the goals are defined. The software program assigns weights and compensation adjustment guidelines to the individual objectives, and obtains a plurality of appraisals based on the individual objectives. The scores from the appraisals are combined with the compensation adjustment guidelines, and a suggested compensation adjustment is automatically determined. Any of the individual objectives may also have a corresponding qualification component, and an individuals qualifications may be automatically revised based on the appraisal grades and the corresponding qualification component.
US08589217B2 Advertisement tunes and messages
Disclosed herein is a method and system for generating revenue and sharing the generated revenue. The telecom company acquires advertisements from one or more of a plurality of advertisers. The advertisements comprise advertisement tunes, text messages, audio messages, or video messages. The telecom company acquires permission from the subscriber for inserting advertisements in phone calls and messaging service messages of the subscriber. The advertisements may be inserted during one of initiation, active state, engaged state and termination of the phone call. Further, the advertisements are inserted at the beginning or the end of the messaging service messages of the subscriber. The revenue generated from advertising by the telecom company is shared with the subscriber through discounts on call charges or through payments of predetermined amount to the subscriber.
US08589216B2 Intelligent charging system and method for use in a parking lot
The present invention provides an intelligent charging system and method for use in a parking lot. The system comprises a detecting unit, an on-board unit and a corresponding means of payment. The on-board unit is disposed on a vehicle and configured to acquire a parking time parameter, derive a parking fee according to the parking time parameter and a rate parameter stored in the on-board unit, and deduct the parking fee from the means of payment. The detecting unit is configured to, through information interaction with the on-board unit, determine whether the on-board unit operates normally. The present invention can be used to reduce the investment cost and improve the monitoring management of public parking lots.
US08589209B2 System and method for assessing viability and marketability of assets
Systems and methods for assessing viability and marketability of an asset are provided. In exemplary embodiments, an asset assessment system receives disclosure information for the asset. The disclosure information comprises information indicating at least one taxonomy segment associated with the asset. An attribute grade may then determined based on the disclosure information, while a market grade may be determined based on market data for the at least one taxonomy segment. A final grade based on the attribute grade and the market grade is then calculated. This final grade provides an indication of the viability and marketability of the asset. The final grade may then be output.
US08589199B2 Method and system for determining testing maturity of an organization
The invention describes a method, a system, and a computer program product for determining the maturity of a testing organization. The testing organization may be defined as an organization that specializes or involves in testing of software/software applications. The method utilizes a pre-determined model to asses the maturity level of the testing organization. In addition to providing the pre-determined model, the invention facilitates in determining the maturity level across various test dimensions of the testing organization.
US08589198B2 Methods and systems involving power system grid management
A distribution control center includes a processor operative to receive damaged asset data, the damaged asset data including an identification and assessment of at least one damaged asset of a power grid, process the damaged asset data to associate a repair time with the damaged asset, generate a proposed switch plan, process the proposed switch plan to identify the damaged asset in the proposed switch plan and assigning a priority for repairing the damaged asset, generate switch plan modification data, modify the proposed switch plan to define a modified switch plan, and output the modified switch plan.
US08589197B2 Method and computer system for administration of medical applications executing in parallel
A method and a computer system are disclosed for administration of medical applications running in parallel. At least one embodiment of the method includes creation of a number of application components as a result a beginning of a number of user actions; provision of a module for parallel execution and/or for coordination of the previously created application components, provision of a least one communication interface for exchanging messages and/or data between an application component and a command which is of interest to the application component which has been initiated by one of the user actions, and removal of the application component created by a user action after the user action has ended.
US08589195B2 Multi-passenger multi-route travel planning
Techniques for processing a multiple passenger, multiple route query are disclosed. The techniques include a travel planning system that searches for airline tickets in response to queries and a server that sends multiple, individual queries to the travel planning system and combines solutions received from execution of the multiple individual queries by the travel planning system, producing answers for the multiple passenger, multiple route query.
US08589191B1 Home resale price protection plan
A Home Resale Price Protection Plan provides a payment to a homeowner should the homeowner have to sell his or her house at a loss due to a drop in a Real Estate Price Index. In exchange for an upfront fee, the homeowner would receive a payment for the lesser of their actual loss or the loss calculated by multiplying their original purchase price by the proportional drop in an appropriate housing price index. The Home Resale Price Protection Plan is contingent on the death, disability or other hardship faced by the homeowner. The Plan may be insured. The benefits of the Plan may be payable by an insurance company.
US08589188B2 Methods for delivering a drug to a patient while preventing the exposure of a foetus or other contraindicated individual to the drug
Novel methods for delivering a drug to a patient while preventing the exposure of a fetus or other contraindicated individual to the drug. Embodiments are provided in which the involved prescribers, pharmacies and patients are registered in one or more computer databases. Embodiments are also provided in which registered patients receive counseling information concerning the risks attendant to fetal exposure to the drug. Male patients and female patients who are not pregnant may, in certain circumstances, receive the drug.
US08589177B2 Virtual clinic for medical practice
A method is provided for a virtual clinic to establish communications between a user (e.g., a patient) and a specialist (e.g., a physician) in order to facilitate a diagnosis. In various embodiments, a user provides a request for the specialist to a virtual clinic. The request may be a request for medical services identifying medical needs. The user may then receive specialist information from the virtual clinic. The virtual clinic may establish real-time communication between the user and a specialist. The user may receive instructions from the specialist via the virtual clinic to perform a test. The user may then report a test result from the test to the specialist via the virtual clinic. The virtual clinic may receive and store a diagnosis from the specialist.
US08589172B2 Automatic detection, summarization and reporting of business intelligence highlights from automated dialog systems
A method and system for reporting data from a spoken dialog service is disclosed. The method comprises extracting data regarding user dialogs using a dialog logging module in the spoken dialog service, analyzing the data to identify trends and reporting the trends. The data may be presented in a visual form for easier consumption. The method may also relate to identifying data within the control or outside the control of a service provider that is used to adjust the spoken dialog service to maximize customer retention.
US08589171B2 System and method for custom marking a media file for file matching
A file-identifying fingerprint or marker is associated with a media/audio file after waveform values are extracted therefrom via certain data extraction and/or audio analysis routines. The extracted waveform values are statistically manipulated so as to render an array of statistical values for the analyzed media/audio file, which are then compiled to form the custom marker, and embedded with the metadata of the media/audio file thereby marking the media/audio file. The custom marker or fingerprint can be matched against a set of reference fingerprints (e.g., in a database) to determine the identity of the signal or the similarity between two signals. Because of the nature of the fingerprint extraction algorithm, it does not suffer from many of the problems that plague existing solutions, and as compared to such solutions it is fast, efficient, highly accurate, scalable, and robust.
US08589168B2 Method and apparatus for analyzing discussion regarding media programs
A process and system including a device including a controller to detect a plurality of users engaging in a voice conference related to a presentation of a media program, convert speech dialog detected in the voice conference to textual dialog, detect from the textual dialog a behavioral profile of at least one of the plurality of users, and identify at least one of advertisement content and marketable media content for the plurality of users based on the behavioral profile of the at least one user. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08589167B2 Speaker liveness detection
A signal representative of an unpredictable audio stimulus is provided to a putative live speaker within a putative live recording environment. A second signal purportedly emanating from the putative live speaker and/or the environment is received. This second signal is examined for influence of the unpredictable audio stimulus on the putative live speaker and/or the putative live recording environment. The examining includes at least one of audio feedback analysis, Lombard analysis, and evoked otoacoustic response analysis. Based on the examining, a determination is made as to whether the putative live speaker is an actual live speaker and/or whether the putative live recording environment is an actual live recording environment.
US08589164B1 Methods and systems for speech recognition processing using search query information
Methods and systems for speech recognition processing are described. In an example, a computing device may be configured to receive information indicative of a frequency of submission of a search query to a search engine for a search query composed of a sequence of words. Based on the frequency of submission of the search query exceeding a threshold, the computing device may be configured to determine groupings of one or more words of the search query based on an order in which the one or more words occur in the sequence of words of the search query. Further, the computing device may be configured to provide information indicating the groupings to a speech recognition system.
US08589162B2 Method, system and computer program for enhanced speech recognition of digits input strings
The present invention proposes a method, system and computer program for speech recognition. According to one embodiment, a method is provided wherein, for an expected input string divided into a plurality of expected string segments, a speech segment is received for each expected string segment. Speech recognition is then performed separately on each said speech segment via the generation, for each said speech segment, of a segment n-best list comprising n highest confidence score results. A global n-best list is then generated corresponding to the expected input string utilizing the segment n-best lists and a final global speech recognition result corresponding to said expected input string is determined via the pruning of the results of the global n-best list utilizing a pruning criterion.
US08589160B2 Systems and methods for providing an electronic dictation interface
Some embodiments disclosed herein store a target application and a dictation application. The target application may be configured to receive input from a user. The dictation application interface may include a full overlay mode option, where in response to selection of the full overlay mode option, the dictation application interface is automatically sized and positioned over the target application interface to fully cover a text area of the target application interface to appear as if the dictation application interface is part of the target application interface. The dictation application may be further configured to receive an audio dictation from the user, convert the audio dictation into text, provide the text in the dictation application interface and in response to receiving a first user command to complete the dictation, automatically copy the text from the dictation application interface and inserting the text into the target application interface.
US08589152B2 Device, method and program for voice detection and recording medium
To this end, a voice detection device includes a band-based power calculation unit that calculates a total of signal power values (sub-band power) of signals entered from the microphones from one preset frequency width (sub-band) to another. The voice detection device also includes a band-based noise estimation unit that estimates the sub-band based noise power, and a sub-band based SNR calculation unit. The sub-band based SNR calculation unit calculates a sub-band SNR from one sub-band to another to output the largest one of the sub-band SNRs as an SNR for a microphone of interest. The voice detection device further includes a voice/non-voice decision unit that determines the voice/non-voice using the SNR for the microphone of interest.
US08589151B2 Vocoder and associated method that transcodes between mixed excitation linear prediction (MELP) vocoders with different speech frame rates
A vocoder and method transcodes Mixed Excitation Linear Prediction (MELP) encoded data for use at different speech frame rates. Input data is converted into MELP parameters such as used by a first MELP vocoder. These parameters are buffered and a time interpolation is performed on the parameters with quantization to predict spaced points. An encoding function is performed on the interpolated data as a block to produce a reduction in bit-rate as used by a second MELP vocoder at a different speech frame rate than the first MELP vocoder.
US08589145B2 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.
US08589135B2 Systems, computer implemented methods, and computer readable program products to compute approximate well drainage pressure for a reservoir simulator
Systems, computer implemented methods, and program products to determine approximate static well pressures for one or more arbitrary shaped wells by estimating the drainage volume of the one or more wells, are provided. The drainage volume of the one or more wells, for example, can be estimated from the one or more computed fluid flow flux vectors, and the approximate static well pressures for the one or more wells can be subsequently calculated by taking the pore volume average of the dynamic grid block pressures within the drainage volume of the one or more wells. The one or more fluid flow flux vectors can be calculated at each iteration in a numerical reservoir simulator as a part of standard simulator computations, negating a need for additional, extraneous computations to calculate effective drainage volume of the one or more wells.
US08589129B2 Time-domain signal generation
Methods and apparatus disclosed herein operate to receive a plurality of cycles characterized by a set of time-domain aspects, to modify at least one of the time-domain aspects of at least some of the plurality of cycles to produce a plurality of modified cycles, to process at least some of the modified cycles to produce time-domain cycles, and to create a time-domain signal based at least in part on concatenating the time-domain cycles.
US08589121B2 Fracture prediction method, processing device, program product and recording medium
When discretizing an analysis target part into plural elements and performing analysis, sheet thickness reduction rate or maximum principal strain at an equivalent position including a same element is compared by either a manner of combining two adjacent elements after the analysis or a manner of changing an element discretization size with two types and performing the analysis, and the element where the difference is large is extracted as a fracture risk portion. With this structure, a fracture risk portion can be extracted reliably when a fracture is predicted by a finite element method.
US08589118B2 Conveyor diagnostic device and conveyor diagnostic system
According to one embodiment, a conveyor diagnostic device diagnoses an abnormal state of a cyclically moving conveyor. The conveyor diagnostic device includes a first tilt sensor, a second tilt sensor, a table, and a processing unit. The first and second tilt sensors are attached to a predetermined position of the conveyor and detect tilt angles of the conveyor in a vertical direction and horizontal direction, respectively. The table indicates a relationship between a tilt angle which changes in the vertical direction and sections included in one revolution of the conveyor. The processing unit specifies an abnormality occurrence position of the conveyor based on a tilt angle in the vertical direction, the table, and an elapsed time after ingression for a section corresponding to the tilt angle in the vertical direction, when a tilt angle in the horizontal direction exceeds a predetermined management limit value.
US08589117B2 Rotation angle detecting unit
A shaft and rolling bearings are mounted in the housing. A magnetic sensor is fixed to a first end surface of a shaft. A circuit board carrying a magnetic sensor is fixed to a surface of a lid of the housing at the second end. As a calibration voltage feed line, a cable is connected to the circuit board and extends outside through a hole formed through the lid. With the lid fixed in position, thereby applying a preload to rolling bearings, calibration voltage is supplied to the magnetic sensor through the calibration voltage feed line, thereby writing initial calibration parameters into the magnetic sensor from an external calibration device. After writing the parameters, the calibration voltage feed line is connected, at the outside, to a stabilizing output end of a power source input/output board fixed to the surface of the lid at the first end.
US08589107B2 Measurement instrument and method
A measurement instrument having a processor, a first sensor and a second sensor. The processor is adapted to output a measurement signal embodying a measurement of a physical quantity. The first sensor and second sensor are connected to the processor and are operable to generate respectively first and second measurements of the physical quantity. The processor defines a first measurement range within which the measurement signal is dependent on the first measurement and not the second measurement. The processor defines a second measurement range within which the measurement signal is dependent on the second measurement and not the first measurement. The first and second ranges meet at a predetermined transition. The first and second measurements are different at the transition and the measurement embodied in the measurement signal crosses the transition without an abrupt change.
US08589100B2 System and methods for extracting correlation curves for an organic light emitting device
A system and method for determining and applying characterization correlation curves for aging effects on an organic light organic light emitting device (OLED) based pixel is disclosed. A first stress condition is applied to a reference pixel having a drive transistor and an OLED. An output voltage based on a reference current is measured periodically to determine an electrical characteristic of the reference pixel under the first predetermined stress condition. The luminance of the reference pixel is measured periodically to determine an optical characteristic of the reference pixel. A characterization correlation curve corresponding to the first stress condition including the determined electrical and optical characteristic of the reference pixel is stored. The stress condition of an active pixel is determined and a compensation voltage is determined by correlating the stress condition of the active pixel with the curves of the predetermined stress conditions.
US08589099B2 Determining components of an electric service using tolerance ranges
Components of an electric service may be identified by measuring voltage signals relating to the connection of an electrical energy meter connected to the electric service. The voltage signals that may be measured include line to neutral voltages and line to line voltages. The values of the measured line to neutral voltages may be compared to reference information comprising tabulated values that may be tabulated as ratios of nominal service voltages associated with different service types. The values of the measured line to line voltages may be compared to ideal line to line voltages calculated using fixed values from the reference information.
US08589098B2 Method for determining battery capacity
An electrical device is powered by a battery. The device includes transition phase determining circuitry operatively connected to the battery to determine that the battery has entered a transition phase based on the occurrence of a change in direction of current flowing through the battery. Battery capacity determining circuitry is operatively connected to the transition phase determining circuitry and configured to determine, in response the transition phase determining circuitry determining that the battery is in the transition phase, a capacity of the battery based on a transition phase battery capacity model of capacity-vs.-voltage. The transition phase determining circuitry is further configured to determine an end of the transition phase based on the transition phase battery capacity model and a non-transition battery capacity model of capacity-vs.-voltage yielding the same capacity value for a given measured voltage of the battery.
US08589089B2 System and method for detecting and measuring impacts in handheld devices using an acoustic transducer
A system and method is provided for detecting and measuring impacts in a wireless device. The wireless device has a processor coupled to a memory and an acoustic transducer. The method comprises acquiring data from the acoustic transducer, the data acquisition including the processor taking samples of an electrical input signal supplied to an input of the processor by the acoustic transducer; saving the acquired data in the memory; detecting whether an impact has occurred; and halting data acquisition after the impact is detected.
US08589088B2 GIS enabled pipeline upgrading system
Certain embodiments of the invention may include systems and methods for evaluating pipeline using GIS data. According to an example embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for evaluating pipeline using geographical information system (GIS) data. The method can include receiving component information from a GIS database for one or more components in a pipeline; determining a modified maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOPm) for the one or more components; determining an uprating pressure (MAOPm*) that the one or more components can withstand; and outputting a upgrade recommendation or an uprate recommendation based at least in part on the MAOPm and the MAOPm*.
US08589087B2 Systems, methods, and apparatus for monitoring corrosion or corrosive contaminants associated with liquid fuel
Certain embodiments of the invention may include systems, methods, and apparatus for monitoring corrosion or corrosive contaminants associated with liquid fuel. According to an example embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for monitoring and predicting corrosion. The method can include monitoring corrosion or corrosive contaminants associated with liquid fuel in a fuel supply system of a gas turbine, predicting, based at least in part on the monitoring, a cumulative level of corrosion of one or more components associated with a gas turbine, and outputting information associated with the monitoring.
US08589079B2 Method and system for passive electroseismic surveying
A method of passive surveying comprises generating one or more detected signals by passively detecting a signal generated within a subsurface earth formation due to a seismoelectric response or an electroseismic response in at least one porous subsurface earth formation containing at least one fluid, and processing the one or more detected signals to determine at least one property of the subsurface earth formation.
US08589075B1 Method, system, and computer program product for visualizing trip progress
Systems, methods, computer programs, and user interfaces are provided to receive a route request including a start location and an end location, generate a route from the start location to the end location, the route including a number of route segments, determine a route proportion for each of the route segments, generate a progress style based on the route proportion of each of the route segments, and send the route and the progress style to a user device, the user device displaying a segment progress to scale for a current route segment of the route segments based on the progress style.
US08589073B2 Distributed traffic navigation using vehicular communication
A method for distributed traffic navigation in a vehicular network is presented. At each vehicle entering the network, information associated with the vehicular network is acquired and stored, and destination addresses are broadcasted as route requests. At each vehicle in the network, the stored information is updated through vehicle to vehicle communication. At each junction, a header vehicle is selected for listening for broadcasts to determine the presence of a matrix. If the matrix is not present, the matrix is initialized based on the stored information of the header vehicle. The header vehicle further estimates travel time on the road segments based on the matrix, calculates a backlog indicator based on the segment travel time and the route requests. The header vehicle further updates the matrix and generates a route based on the matrix. The matrix is broadcasted from the header vehicle.
US08589071B2 Aircraft vision system including a runway position indicator
A runway indicator is displayed overlying a target runway for providing supplementary guidance to support the pilot's ability to fly a stabilized approach. The highlighted runway position indicator provides cues to verify that the aircraft is continuously in a position to complete a normal landing using normal maneuvering during the instrument segment of an approach and includes a landing threshold, a landing zone on the runway, an approach line leading to the runway, an outline highlighting the sides and ends of the runway, a rectangle larger than and surrounding the runway, and a visual precision path approach indicator.
US08589057B2 Method and apparatus for automatic selection of alternative routing through congested areas using congestion prediction metrics
A scheduling system and method for moving plural objects through a multipath system described as a freight railway scheduling system. The scheduling system utilizes a cost reactive resource scheduler to minimize resource exception while at the same time minimizing the global costs associated with the solution. The achievable movement plan can be used to assist in the control of, or to automatically control, the movement of trains through the system. Alternative routes through congested areas are automatically selected using congestion prediction metrics.
US08589056B2 Stop control system and method for internal combustion engine
To provide a stop control system for an internal combustion engine, which is capable of accurately stopping a piston at a predetermined position while compensating for variation in the stop characteristic of the piston and aging thereof. The stop control system 1 for the engine 3 according the present invention controls a throttle valve 13a toward an open side when an engine speed NE becomes lower than a stop control start rotational speed NEIGOFTH after the engine 3 is stopped (step 42), whereby a final compression stroke rotational speed NEPRSFTGT is controlled to a predetermined reference value NENPFLMTO, to thereby control the stop position of the piston 3d to a predetermined position. Further, the correlation between the stop control start rotational speed NEIGOFTH and the final compression stroke rotational speed NEPRSFTGT is determined (step 5, FIG. 9), and based on the determined correlation, a target stop control start rotational speed NEICOFREFX is calculate and learned (step 11), for use in the stop control.
US08589055B2 Inter-cylinder air/fuel ratio imbalance determination apparatus and inter-cylinder air/fuel ratio imbalance determination method
The invention provides an inter-cylinder air/fuel ratio imbalance determination apparatus and method. The determination apparatus includes a “limiting current type air/fuel ratio sensor”, and acquires a pre-correction index quantity that is greater the greater the degree of non-uniformity of the cylinder-by-cylinder air/fuel ratios, on the basis of a time differential value of the output value of the air/fuel ratio sensor. The determination apparatus obtains as the correction-purpose output value an average value of the output value obtained during a fuel-cut operation. The correction-purpose output value is greater the higher the responsiveness of the air/fuel ratio sensor. The determination apparatus acquires an air/fuel ratio imbalance index value by correcting the pre-correction index quantity so that the pre-correction index quantity is smaller the greater the correction-purpose output value. It is determined that an inter-cylinder air/fuel ratio imbalance state has occurred, when the air/fuel ratio imbalance index value is greater than or equal to an imbalance determination threshold value.
US08589053B2 Method and control device for detecting the direction of rotation of a drive shaft of an internal combustion engine for a motor vehicle
In a method for determining the direction of rotation of a drive shaft (13) of an internal combustion engine (1) without using a sensor specifically provided therefor, an operating variable of the internal combustion engine (1) is measured using a sensor in a gas line (40, 16), which connects a combustion chamber (30) of the internal combustion engine (1) to the surrounding area. The operating variable is calculated using a model. A forward direction of rotation of the drive shaft (13) is detected if the difference between the measured value of the operating variable and the model value of the operating variable lies within a specified tolerance range. Otherwise, a reverse direction of rotation of the drive shaft (13) is detected, which is opposite of the forward direction of rotation.
US08589049B2 GPS-based system and method for controlling vehicle characteristics based on terrain
System and method for controlling vehicle operating characteristics. The method includes receiving, at a vehicle, global positioning system (GPS) data, and, based on the received GPS data, determining the vehicle's location. The method also identifies terrain map information associated with the vehicle's determined location and determines a terrain based on the terrain map information. The method then modifies one or more vehicle operating characteristics based on the determined terrain.
US08589045B2 System and method for determining a safe maximum speed of a vehicle
A system for determining a safe maximum speed of an vehicle has a processor and a global positioning system receiver in communication with the processor. The processor is configured to determine a grade and distance to an end of an upcoming or a current road segment the vehicle is traveling on based on the global positioning system information received from the global positioning system receiver. The processor is further configured to determine the safe maximum speed of the vehicle based on the distance to the end and pitch of the grade of the upcoming or current road segment the vehicle is traveling on and the braking efficiency of the vehicle.
US08589043B2 Fail-to-neutral system and method for toroidal traction drive automatic transmission
A fail-to-neutral diagnostic technique for a transmission that includes a variator may include monitoring a state of a pressure differential valve fluidly coupled to a high side pressure applied to at least one actuator coupled to at least one corresponding roller of the variator and also fluidly coupled to a low side pressure applied to the at least one actuator, determining from the state of the pressure differential valve a variator torque sign corresponding to whether torque transferred by the at least one roller is positive or negative, determining an expected variator torque sign based on current operating conditions of the transmission, and commanding the transmission to a true neutral condition if the determined variator torque sign is different from the expected variator torque sign.
US08589040B2 Vehicle driving-force control device
In a vehicle driving-force control device, if a primary speed is not lower than or equal to a kick-down allowable speed and an accelerator pedal depression amount is larger than or equal to a kick-down allowable depression amount, a shift control device identifies an intention of acceleration from a driver's accelerator operation and kick down a gear stage to a lower stage, even in a manual shift mode having been selected. In this case, the kick-down allowable speed is set to a different value for each of driving force characteristic modes, and a speed range in which a kick-down operation is allowed to be automatically performed on the basis of the primary speed is set narrower for a driving force characteristic mode having higher responsiveness to an accelerator operation.
US08589038B2 Hydraulic drive apparatus for construction equipment
A hydraulic drive system for a working machine provides improved safety during forced regeneration. Upon input of a forced regeneration command signal from a forced regeneration switch, a controller detects non-operated states of all hydraulic actuators such as an arm cylinder arranged on a hydraulic excavator based on a lock detection signal from a gate lock detection switch, and also an attitude of a front working mechanism. The attitude is proper from the standpoint of safety. The detection is based on an arm angle signal from an arm angle sensor, a bucket angle signal from a bucket angle sensor and a boom pressure signal from a boom pressure sensor. Taking the detection of the non-operated states and proper attitude as conditions, the controller outputs control signals to a boosting proportional solenoid valve and flow-rate controlling, proportional solenoid valve to make a forced regenerator conduct forced regeneration.
US08589033B2 Contactless obstacle detection for power doors and the like
Time-of-flight (TOF) three-dimensional sensing systems are deployed on or in a motor vehicle to image contact zones associated with potential contact between an avoidable object and the vehicle or vehicle frame and/or remotely controllable motorized moving door or liftgate. An algorithm processes depth data acquired by each TOF system to determine whether an avoidable object is in the associated contact zone. If present, a control signal issues to halt or reverse the mechanism moving the door. A stored database preferably includes a depth image of the contact zone absent any object, an image of the door, and volume of the door. Database images are compared to newly acquired depth images to identify pixel sensors whose depth values are statistically unlikely to represent background or the door. Pixels within the contact zone so identified are an object, and the control signal is issued.
US08589032B2 Security system
A security system having an inner door handle of a door for a vehicle. The door is brought into a locked and unlocked state with a locking system. The security system includes an actuator triggering an actuation process for opening a lock of the locking system when activated, and an identification element detecting an approach around a zone of the actuator or a contact with the actuator when the identification has been positive. The locking system has an unblocked mode wherein the locking system is in the unlocked state and the actuator is effectively connected to the lock. A control unit is in data communication with the locking system and identification element. The control unit puts the locking system in the unblocked mode once the identification has been positive and the vehicle outputs an unblocking signal such that the actuation process is triggered by activating the actuator.
US08589030B2 Learning controller for the compensation of torque pulsations in a steering assembly
A control device for controlling an electric steering assembly is provided to reduce torque pulsations in the steering assembly. The control device comprises a learning control device for the suppression of periodic disturbances in a steering assembly. The learning control device is referred to as POISON (periodic on-line iterative signal optimum navigation) controller. By iterative learning of a corrected reference signal the POISON controller is able to compensate for control errors which occur in conventional closed loop control systems. The POISON controller is capable of permanent online operation. Therefore it is able to compensate for certain changes in the controlled system. The POISON controller can easily be added to existing power steering control loops.
US08589027B2 Steering assist system and method using autopilot device
A steering assist system for a vehicle includes a turning device, a steering device, a steering sensor and an autopilot device. The steering device is operable to apply a first turning force to the turning device. The steering sensor detects a steering state of the steering device during which the steering device applies the first turning force. The autopilot device automatically navigates the vehicle to a desired heading of the vehicle. The autopilot device includes an actuator and a steering assist control section. The actuator is operable to apply a second turning force to the turning device. The steering assist control section controls the actuator to apply the second turning force to turn the turning device in the same direction that the first turning force is turning the turning device when the steering sensor detects the steering state of the steering device.
US08589020B1 Updating identity information in aircraft network data processing systems
A method and apparatus for updating identity information in an aircraft network data processing system on an aircraft. A data processing device is connected to the aircraft network data processing system. Updated identity information and a digital signature for the updated identity information are received by the aircraft network data processing system from the data processing device. The aircraft network data processing system determines whether the digital signature is correct and whether the updated identity information is newer than current identity information stored in persistent storage in the aircraft network data processing system. Responsive to determinations that the digital signature is correct and that the updated identity information is newer than the current identity information, the updated identity information is stored in the persistent storage in the aircraft network data processing system.
US08589018B2 Vehicle diagnostic tool with copy protection and automatic identification of vehicle ECUs and fault display
A diagnostic tool for a vehicle configured to automatically identify different communication protocols used by Electronic Control Units (ECUs) on-board the vehicle. The diagnostic tool includes a connector connectable to a data port of the vehicle; a data processor and a data storage device configured to store a list of different communication protocols. The data processor automatically initiates communications with the ECUs on-board the vehicle using a first communication protocol and if the data processor receives a response comporting to the first communication protocol, the data processor determines that at least one ECU on-board the vehicle is using the first communication protocol. Additionally, the data processor automatically initiates communications with the ECUs on-board the vehicle using a second communication protocol and if the data processor receives a response comporting to the second communication protocol, the data processor determines that at least one ECU on-board the vehicle is using the second communication protocol.
US08589013B2 Method and system for dynamically positioning a vehicle relative to another vehicle in motion
A computer-implemented method is provided for automatically guiding a first vehicle to maintain a position relative to a second vehicle traveling in a given area. The method includes the steps of: (a) receiving location data on the first and second vehicles; (b) determining a legal travel path in the given area from the first vehicle toward an expected position of the second vehicle; (c) automatically controlling the first vehicle to travel along the legal travel path; and (d) repeating steps (a) through (c) to automatically move the first vehicle to a relative position from the second vehicle and then to automatically maintain the relative position as the first and second vehicles travel through the given area.
US08589011B2 Electric power control system, electric power control method, and control device, data storage medium, and server device for the same
A power control system comprises a power accumulating system including a storage cell charged with electric power supplied from a power generating system and supplying a vehicle with electric power, and a control device controlling a cumulative power amount that is an amount of electric power accumulated in the storage cell. The power control system accepts drive schedule data representing whether or not the vehicle is to be used during a predetermined period. The power control system charges the storage cell till the cumulative power stored in the storage cell reaches a first threshold when the drive schedule data represents the vehicle is to be used during the period, or otherwise, it charges the storage cell till the cumulative power stored in the storage cell reaches a second threshold smaller than the first threshold when the drive schedule data represents the vehicle is not to be used during the period.
US08589007B2 Fuel cell system and control method of same
Provided are a fuel cell system and a control method thereof capable of inhibiting the occurrence of problems caused by surplus electrical power even in cases where the torque able to be generated by the motor is limited due to a low motor drive voltage. A fuel cell system provided with a fuel cell and a motor is further provided with required output torque calculation means for calculating a required output torque based on an output requirement, torque upper limit value calculation means for calculating a torque upper limit value of torque able to be generated by the motor based on a drive voltage of the motor, required motor torque calculation means for calculating a required motor torque based on the required output torque and the torque upper limit value, required motor power calculation means for calculating a required motor power based on the required motor torque, and required generated power calculation means for calculating a required generated power of the fuel cell based on the required motor power.
US08589006B2 Method of controlling oil delivery in a vehicle for deceleration or oil warming
A vehicle is provided with a controller that implements a method of controlling oil delivery to the vehicle. The method includes increasing at least one of rate of flow of oil and pressure of oil flowing from an oil pump to a motor/generator or to a gearing arrangement that is operatively connected to the vehicle wheels, thereby increasing resistance to rotation of a rotor of the motor/generator or of the gearing arrangement and slowing the vehicle wheels as well as increasing the oil temperature to reduce friction losses. The controlled oil delivery is in response to a vehicle operating condition such as a condition indicative of a desired decrease in torque at the vehicle wheels or oil temperature below a predetermined temperature.
US08589005B2 Method for operating a drive train
A method of operating a drive train of a motor vehicle which includes at least an electric machine, as a drive aggregate, and a transmission which is positioned between the drive aggregate and an output, and a starting element positioned between the electric machine and the transmission. For and during the start, an expected drive resistance is calculated and then, if the expected drive resistance is lower than a first threshold value, starting takes place with the starting element engaged via the electric machine from a standstill, and if the expected drive resistance is larger than the first threshold value, starting takes place with the starting element disengaged, the electric machine is operated with a defined machine rotational speed in a rotation speed control mode, and thereafter, the starting element is engaged such that it transfers starting torque which depends on the a driver request.
US08588996B2 Aircraft occupant protection system
An occupant protection system for an aircraft comprising a sensor system for sensing flight condition information and a control system, which includes an impending crash detection system and an impact detection system. The impending crash detection system receives flight information from the sensors determines whether a crash is likely to occur. If an impending crash is detected, the impending crash detection system activates impact modes of a first group of aircraft systems. The impact detection system receives flight information from the sensor system and determines whether an impact has occurred or is occurring. If an impact is detected, the impact detection system activates impact modes of a second group of aircraft systems.
US08588995B2 Vehicle control device
A vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle for performing communication with a mobile device and performing predetermined control in accordance with communication contents with the mobile device, having a locking operation unit that locks or unlocks doors of the vehicle, interior signal transmitting and receiving units that detect a position of the mobile device left in an interior of the vehicle in a case where a locking operation is performed by the locking operation unit, and an interior lamp drive control unit that lights an interior lamp among a plurality of interior lamps provided in the interior of the vehicle, the interior lamp being close to the position of the mobile device based on information of the position detected by the interior signal transmitting and receiving units.
US08588994B2 On-vehicle device
An on-vehicle device with a storage unit that includes a transfer unit that transfers data stored in the storage unit to another on-vehicle device of equal capability that is also equipped with a storage unit. In the on-vehicle device, the transfer unit is configured by a data transfer jack provided to each of the on-vehicle device and the another on-vehicle device, and a data transfer cable for connecting the transfer jacks.
US08588992B2 Hybrid controlling and driving circuit and method thereof
Methods, circuits, apparatus, and systems related to a hybrid driving and controlling circuit are disclosed. In one embodiment, a hybrid driving and controlling circuit in a double power supply system includes first and second power supplies and at least one load, and the circuit can include: (i) a controller coupled to a hybrid switcher that enables energy transfer from the first and second power supplies; (ii) when a determined energy of the first power supply is sufficient, the controller can control the hybrid switcher to transfer energy from the first power supply to the second power supply; and (iii) when the determined energy of the first power supply is insufficient, the controller can control the hybrid switcher to transfer energy from the second power supply to the at least one load.
US08588988B2 Method and apparatus for executing secondary functions on an electrical switchgear device
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for executing secondary functions on an electrical switchgear device. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus which is implemented in the processing electronics of an electrical switchgear device which has a primary trip or protection function and also the capability to execute secondary functions or applications, such as over/undervoltage conditions and near fault warning levels and display. These secondary functions or applications being user configurable and are subject to processing availability and the constraints of the primary protection function.
US08588987B2 Wind farm and method for controlling a wind farm
A wind farm includes a plurality of wind energy installations, a transfer point at which electrical energy produced by the wind energy installations is transferred to a public electricity grid system and for which nominal values are preset, and a measurement sensor configured to measure electrical actual values at the transfer point. The wind farm also includes a master regulator associated with an upper control level and configured to use upper nominal values and upper actual values at the upper control level to determine a preset for a lower control level, and a plurality of submaster regulators associated with the lower control level and configured to use the preset as a lower nominal value and, on the basis of the lower nominal value and a lower actual value, determine presets for the wind energy installations. A high level of control accuracy can thus be achieved even in large wind farms.
US08588975B2 Robot safety monitor device, and robot safety monitor method
It is determined whether the first tool identification information that is output from a robot control device, and that indicates a present tool and the second tool identification information for detecting and identifying a tool attached to the robot are unequal to each other. The position coordinates of the taught reference point in an actual space of the robot occurring at the time when the unequalness therebetween is first detected are set as reference coordinates, and a region that contains the reference coordinates is set as a predetermined region. If the position coordinates of the taught reference point have come to exist outside the predetermined region during a period during which it is determined that the foregoing two pieces of information are unequal, an emergency stop signal for causing the robot to be in a safe state is output.
US08588967B2 Internet-accessible pet treat dispensing apparatus
An Internet-accessible apparatus for dispensing a pet treat using a remote Internet-accessible electronic device includes: (a) a treat dispensing unit including a treat rack, a delivery plate, a base plate, and an actuator or other mechanism for sliding the delivery plate over the base plate; (b) a control circuit electronics portion in communication with the sliding mechanism and with a local computer or router with a built-in Domain Name System client, which is in communication with at least one remote Internet-accessible electronic device; and (c) at least one video camera portion in communication with the local computer or router; wherein the treat dispensing unit includes a dispensing position in which cutouts in the plates are substantially aligned, and a parked position in which the plate cutouts are not aligned. This simplified abstract is not intended to limit, and should not be interpreted as limiting, the scope of the claims.
US08588966B2 Cabinet system
A cabinet system for securely storing items includes a cabinet housing, a controller, and at least one drawer unit. The cabinet housing has a locking mechanism, and the controller is in communication with the cabinet housing and configured to operate the locking mechanism. The drawer unit is designed to be releasably locked at least partially within the cabinet housing by the locking mechanism, and slidable within a portion of the cabinet housing when released by the locking mechanism. The drawer unit includes at least one storage compartment, a cover, memory, and a power source. The storage compartment is configured to store at least one item therein. The cover is movable to an open configuration and a closed configuration. When the cover is in the closed configuration, the cover limits access to the item of the storage compartment. The memory is powered by the power source and is configured to store data associated with a movement of the cover.
US08588962B2 Vacuum processing device and method of transporting process subject member
Transportation control in a vacuum processing device with high transportation efficiency without lowering throughput is provided. A control unit is configured to update in real time and holds device state information showing an action state of each of a process chamber, a transportation mechanism unit, a buffer room, and a holding mechanism unit, the presence of a process subject member, and a process state thereof; select a transport algorithm from among transport algorithm judgment rules that are obtained by simulating in advance a plurality of transport algorithms for controlling transportation of a process subject member for each condition of a combination of the number and arrangement of the process chambers and process time of a process subject member based on the device state information and process time of the process subject member; and compute a transport destination of the process subject member based on the selected transport algorithm.
US08588961B2 Method for controlling the transport of safe bags
A method for controlling the transport of transport bags (20, 22) filled with notes of value, in which in a database of a central control unit (11) data with information of several orders for the transport of transport bags (20, 22) are stored. After a transport case (16) has been removed from the rack (14) of a vehicle (12), data with information about the removed transport case (16) are transmitted to the central control unit (11) which then assigns the transport case (16) to a selected order. After the transport bags (20, 22) were taken from the device (18) for handling notes of value and were inserted into the transport case (16), the device (18) transmits data with information about the inserted transport bags (20, 22) to the central control unit (11) which then assigns the inserted transport bag (20, 22) to the transport case (16) and/or the order.
US08588955B2 Method and apparatus for optimizing, monitoring, or analyzing a process
The invention presents a method and an apparatus for optimizing or monitoring or analyzing process sequences of an automated device, such that a visualization of the data sets is implemented by means of a display means 12a, b, c, with the use of at least one first and one second data set, in such a way that a visual cross-reference 15, 16 is created between data-set segments that are relevant to the process sequence. This allows the machine operator to recognize quickly those points in the process sequence where a need exists for intervention. Manufacturing costs can thereby be lowered, and product quality improved.
US08588941B2 Device and method for modulating nerves using parallel electric fields
A device may include at least one pair of modulation electrodes configured for implantation in the vicinity of a nerve to be modulated such that the electrodes are spaced apart from one another along a longitudinal direction of the nerve to be modulated. The electrodes may be further configured to facilitate an electric field in response to an applied electric signal, the electric field including field lines extending in the longitudinal direction of the nerve to be modulated. The device may further include at least one circuit in electrical communication with the at least one pair of modulation electrodes and being configured to cause application of the electric signal applied at the at least one pair of modulation electrodes.
US08588938B2 MRI compatible co-radially wound electrode circuit
An MRI compatible electrode circuit construct is provided. The construct includes at least two filter components constructed from an electrode wire. One filter component may be a resonant LC filter at or near an electrode/wire interface that resolves the issue of insufficient attenuation by effectively blocking the RF induced current on the wire from exiting the wire through the electrode. The second filter component may include one or more non-resonant filter(s) positioned along the length of the electrode wire that resolve(s) the issue of excessive heating of the resonant LC filter by significantly attenuating the current induced on the wire before it reaches the resonant LC filter. The non-resonant filter(s) may also attenuate the RF current reflected from the resonant LC filter thereby resolving the issue of the strong reflected power from the resonant filter and the associated dielectric heating.
US08588937B2 Electrode array for even neural pressure
An electrode array attached to neural tissue, such as the retina, necessarily has graded pressure exerted on the tissue, with higher pressure near the attachment point. Greater pressure improves contact between the electrodes and neural tissue while too much pressure may damage neural tissue. Hence it is advantageous to obtain equal pressure across the array field. In the present invention a central attachment point in the electrode field applies the most even pressure. Further, multiple and selective attachment points may be additionally provided on an electrode array allowing a surgeon to select the attachment points providing the best electrode tissue contact.
US08588934B2 MRI compatible electrode circuit
An MRI compatible electrode circuit construct is provided. The construct includes at least two filter components constructed from an electrode wire. One filter component may be a resonant LC filter at or near an electrode/wire interface that resolves the issue of insufficient attenuation by effectively blocking the RF induced current on the wire from exiting the wire through the electrode. The second filter component may include one or more non-resonant filter(s) positioned along the length of the electrode wire that resolve(s) the issue of excessive heating of the resonant LC filter by significantly attenuating the current induced on the wire before it reaches the resonant LC filter. The non-resonant filter(s) may also attenuate the RF current reflected from the resonant LC filter thereby resolving the issue of the strong reflected power from the resonant filter and the associated dielectric heating.
US08588933B2 Medical lead termination sleeve for implantable medical devices
A wire and electrode combination suitable for use with implanted medical devices, and a method for coupling the wire and electrode to achieve a robust electrical connection suitable for use with such medical devices are disclosed. The apparatus employs a wire that is optimized for strength, an electrode optimized for biocompatibility, and a termination sleeve with a closed distal end for coupling the wire to the electrode, while eliminating the potential for galvanic corrosion, enhancing weld quality, and facilitating manufacture of the apparatus. The method involves compressing the sleeve to engage the wire at two locations, where contact between the sleeve and wire at the first location seals the interior of the sleeve, and contact between the sleeve and wire at the second location electrically couples the wire to the sleeve. The sleeve, which is easier to manipulate than the wire, is then spot welded to the electrode.
US08588927B2 Implantable pulse generator
An implantable pulse generator for providing at least one of a voltage and a current stimulation to a tissue of a subject through trough at least two electrodes adapted to be in electrical contact with the tissue of the subject, the implantable pulse generator comprising a stimulation circuit coupled to the at least two electrodes, the stimulation circuit including at least one dual-mode voltage and current source, wherein the stimulation circuit can operate alternatively in a voltage stimulation mode and in a current stimulation mode. The implantable pulse generator also comprises a processing unit coupled to the stimulation circuit, the processing unit being so configured as to control the mode of operation of the stimulation circuit. The implantable pulse generator may also comprise a monitoring unit coupled to the stimulation circuit and the processing unit; the monitoring unit being so configured as to provide feedback signals relating to electrical characteristics of the tissue from the stimulation circuit to the processing unit.
US08588926B2 Implantable wireless accoustic stimulators with high energy conversion efficiencies
Receiver-stimulator with folded or rolled up assembly of piezoelectric components, causing the receiver-stimulator to operate with a high degree of isotropy are disclosed. The receiver-stimulator comprises piezoelectric components, rectifier circuitry, and at least two stimulation electrodes. Isotropy allows the receiver-stimulator to be implanted with less concern regarding the orientation relative the transmitted acoustic field from an acoustic energy source.
US08588922B1 Methods and systems for presenting audible cues to assist in fitting a bilateral cochlear implant patient
An exemplary method of fitting a bilateral cochlear implant patient includes a fitting subsystem directing a first cochlear implant associated with a right ear of a bilateral cochlear implant patient to present a first set of one or more stimulation pulses to the patient and a second cochlear implant associated with a left ear of the patient to present a second set of one or more stimulation pulses to the patient, presenting a first audible cue during the presentation of each stimulation pulse included in the first set of one or more stimulation pulses, and presenting a second audible cue having one or more different acoustic properties than the first audible cue during the presentation of each stimulation pulse included in the second set of one or more stimulation pulses. Corresponding methods and systems are also described.
US08588920B2 Apparatus and methods for visual perception using an array of nanoscale waveguides
Nanoscale photovoltaic devices fabricated from nanoscale waveguides that receive, propagate, and convert incident light into electrical neural signals, and methods of using these photovoltaic devices for visual perception are disclosed herein. A visual neuroprosthetic device includes an array of nanoscale waveguides each nanoscale waveguide in the array having a photovoltaic material located between an internal conductor and an external conductor, wherein each nanoscale waveguide receives, propagates, and converts incident light into electrical neural signals.
US08588915B2 Electronic module assembly for filtered feedthroughs
An electronic module assembly (EMA) for an implantable medical device is disclosed. The EMA comprises a non-conductive block having a top side, a bottom side, a front side and a back side. A plurality of conductive strips are coupled to the non-conductive block. Each conductive strip possesses a front side and a back side. The back side of each conductive strip extends from the front side across the top side and over to back side of the non-conductive block.
US08588913B2 Multiple battery configurations in an implantable medical device
Implantable medical device power circuits are disclosed. Multiple batteries may be provided, along with a number of switches, enabling a plurality of battery and power circuit configurations to be defined. Configurations of the power circuit may be changed in response to changes in battery status as the batteries are used and/or near end-of-life. Configurations of the power circuit may also be performed in response to changes in device operation. Methods associated with operating such circuits and implantable medical devices are also disclosed.
US08588909B1 Triggered mode pacing for cardiac resynchronization therapy
A triggered mode pacing system enables dual chamber sensing. The system also determines whether a cardiac event is initially sensed in a first cardiac chamber or a second cardiac chamber. The system then triggers an output to the second cardiac chamber in response to sensing the cardiac event in the first cardiac chamber when the cardiac event was determined to have been initially sensed in the first cardiac chamber.
US08588905B2 Method and system for adjusting a stimulation rate of an implantable medical device
An implantable medical device includes a lead, a pulse generator, a cardiac signal module, a fusion detection module and a rate modification module. The lead includes electrodes that are configured to be positioned within a heart to sense cardiac signals of the heart. The pulse generator delivers stimulus pulses to the heart through at least one of the electrodes. The cardiac signal module monitors the cardiac signals and directs the pulse generator to deliver one or more of the stimulus pulses to the heart at a stimulation rate based on the cardiac signals. The fusion detection module identifies a presence of fusion-based behavior of the heart that is associated with delivery of the one or more of the stimulus pulses. The rate modification module then adjusts the stimulation rate based on the presence of the fusion-based behavior.
US08588904B2 Pacemaker
A system for pacing a heart includes an implantable pulse generator configured to generate electrical impulses for stimulating contraction of cardiac tissue; first, second, third, and fourth leads configured to deliver the electrical impulses to activation sites within the cardiac tissue and to detect electrical activity of the activation sites; and a controller configured to control the delivery of the electrical impulses from each of the first, second, third, and fourth leads.
US08588902B1 Method of treating a patient
There is provided in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention a method of treating diabetic patients comprising measuring a triglyceride level in a diabetic patient and applying a diabetes treatment according to the triglyceride level. Optionally, there is provided a method of screening. Alternatively or additionally, there is provided a method of weight loss. Alternatively or additionally, there is provided a method of relatively reducing HOMA-IR levels. Alternatively or additionally, there is provided a method of relatively reducing blood pressure. An exemplary device to apply the treatment is described.
US08588897B2 Device for detecting heartbeats of a person using cycles and training implements
A device for detecting pulsations or heartbeats of a person using cycles in general and movable and training implements, includes a plurality of detecting electrodes operating to contact the hands of the person and operatively coupled to at least a cardiac frequency meter, the electrodes being arranged on a cycle or training implement steering control element.
US08588890B2 Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus
A magnetization vector is detected for each pixel position in an imaging region including at least part of a subject, the magnetization vector being excited to have a phase difference between a flow portion and a static portion or between a normal portion and an abnormal portion. A pixel value at each pixel position is determined as a value proportional to an absolute value of the amplitude of the magnetization vector detected for each of the pixel positions. On s the basis of a real part or phase of the magnetization vector detected for each of the pixel positions, the determined pixel value is corrected so that the difference of the pixel value increases between (a) the flow portion or the abnormal portion and (b) the static portion or the normal portion.
US08588888B2 CT and MRI synchronous detection positioning needle
Disclosed is a CT and MRI synchronous detection positioning needle. The needle comprises a silicone tube which is internally provided with a guide needle; the two sides of the guide needle are provided with hollow cavities; each hollow cavity is internally provided with membranes dividing the hollow cavity into a plurality of small chambers which are filled with liquid, wherein a CT contrast agent is filled in a plurality of small chambers at one side of the guide needle, and an MRI contrast agent is filled in a plurality of small chambers at the other side of the guide needle. In the invention, specially designed silicone positioning needles are implanted in vivo, and synchronous comparison of different image data and pathological data is implemented by means of multi-plane reconstruction technology, so the CT and MRI synchronous detection positioning needle can be widely applied to experimental study on tumors.
US08588886B2 Basket catheter having multiple electrodes
Embodiments of the present invention provide a catheter that comprises an elongated catheter body (16) and an electrode assembly (10) at the distal end of the catheter body. The electrode assembly comprises a plurality of spines (11), each of the spines having a proximal end connected to the distal end of the catheter and a distal end, the distal ends of the spines being connected at a spine tip junction (13). Each spine includes an elbow (20) having at least one discontinuity in stiffness at an intermediate position between the distal end and the proximal end thereof. The spines include a plurality of electrodes (12). The electrode assembly is collapsible to a collapsed arrangement to fit within a lumen of the elongated catheter body and expandable to an expanded arrangement with the elbows of the spines bending outwardly relative to the proximal and distal ends of the spines.
US08588884B2 Microneedle electrode
In certain variations, methods, systems and/or devices for enhancing conductivity of an electrical signal through a subject's skin using one or more microneedle electrodes are provided. A microneedle electrode may be applied to the subject's skin by placing the microneedle electrode in direct contact with the subject's skin. The microneedles of the microneedle electrode may be inserted into the skin such that the microneedles pierce stratum corneum of the skin up to or through dermis of the skin. An electrical signal passes or is conducted through or across the microneedle electrode and the subject's skin, where impedance of the microneedle electrode is minimal and greatly reduced compared to existing technologies.
US08588882B2 System and methods for processing analyte sensor data
Systems and methods for processing sensor analyte data, including initiating calibration, updating calibration, evaluating clinical acceptability of reference and sensor analyte data, and evaluating the quality of sensor calibration. During initial calibration, the analyte sensor data is evaluated over a period of time to determine stability of the sensor. The sensor may be calibrated using a calibration set of one or more matched sensor and reference analyte data pairs. The calibration may be updated after evaluating the calibration set for best calibration based on inclusion criteria with newly received reference analyte data. Fail-safe mechanisms are provided based on clinical acceptability of reference and analyte data and quality of sensor calibration. Algorithms provide for optimized prospective and retrospective analysis of estimated blood analyte data from an analyte sensor.
US08588873B2 Method and apparatus with a sliding mechanism
An apparatus including a slider part and a base assembly slidingly movable in relation to each other with the aid of a first guide rail and a second guide rail in the base assembly. The distance between the first guide rail and the second guide rail is adjustable while the apparatus is being assembled. A method is also disclosed.
US08588865B2 Method and apparatus for removing acoustic incident signal
A method of removing a signal from among received signals, the method including: filtering the received signals; detecting a time band of the filtered received signals where an energy value of the filtered received signals exceeds a reference energy value; and applying a gain value to one or more received signals, from among the received signals, in the detected time band.
US08588864B1 Electronic device with an improved acoustic mesh system
An electronic device as provided here includes a primary housing, an acoustic transducer, a lower layer of acoustic mesh material, and an upper layer of acoustic mesh material. An interior volume is defined within the primary housing. The primary housing includes an interior mounting surface, an exterior mounting surface, and an acoustic port. The transducer is located within the interior volume, and the lower layer of mesh material is coupled between the interior mounting surface and the transducer to cover a lower opening of the acoustic port. The upper layer of mesh material covers an upper opening of the acoustic port. Each layer of mesh material provides an amount of acoustic transparency and an amount of visual obscurity such that the transducer is effectively hidden from view without adversely impacting the audio performance characteristics of the transducer.
US08588857B2 Communication terminal, and dial registration method and dial registration program therefor
A communication terminal having one or more one-touch-dial buttons simplifies operations needed for registration of destination data such as phone numbers or mail addresses. A communication terminal (e.g., a cellular phone) having one or more one-touch-dial buttons includes a destination-data registration unit (e.g., a phone-directory database) that allows destination data such as phone numbers or mail addresses to be registered therein, a one-touch-dial registration unit that allows destination data to be registered therein so as to be associated with the one or more one-touch-dial buttons, and a control unit that, in response to an operation of the one or more one-touch-dial buttons, determines whether destination data has been registered in the one-touch-dial registration unit or the destination-data registration unit, and that outputs a result of the determination and a query message regarding registration of the destination data.
US08588849B2 System and method for resuming media
A system and method of resuming media playback on a mobile device can include playing media on a mobile device and outputting audio associated with the playing media to an audio output device. The media can be paused in response to receiving an interrupt request. A play request can be received to resume playing of the media on the mobile device. A determination can be made as to whether the audio output device is communicatively coupled to the mobile device. The media can resume play in response to the audio output device being communicatively coupled to the mobile device. In another implementation, media can resume play if a determination is made that the audio output device outputting the audio associated with the media before the interrupt request is the same audio output device that will output audio associated with the media after the interrupt request.
US08588838B2 Apparatus and method for controlling power in mobile communication system
Provided is an apparatus and method for controlling power in a mobile communication system. The apparatus includes a moving speed measuring unit for measuring a moving speed of the terminal, a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) processing unit for requesting a base station to adjust a CQI report frequency when the moving speed measured by the moving speed measuring unit exceeds a threshold value, and determining a CQI report frequency based on information on the CQI report frequency received from the base station to report CQI, and a power controller for performing a power control in response to a power control signal created by the CQI reported from the base station.
US08588835B2 Base station apparatus and directivity control method in mobile communication system
A disclosed base station apparatus for a mobile communication system includes a collection unit collecting measured data from one or more user equipment terminals with respect to each direction of arrival, the measured data including at least quality information of a downlink signal, a conversion unit converting the measured data into an evaluation value in accordance with a predetermined evaluation function, a deriving unit deriving a weight update amount determining directivity based on an angular distribution of the plural evaluation values, and a transmission unit transmitting a downlink signal weighted based on the weight update amount.
US08588830B2 Wireless autonomous solar-powered outdoor lighting and energy and information management network
An array of outdoor lighting operates mainly in independent mode wherein sensing, communication, and control processes take place between the various lights of the array. Additional communication and control may occur between the array and a control station by means of a master/coordinating node that transmits and receives signals to the control station via call phone and/or satellite. The system may be tied to the internet for dissemination of data and/or data analysis gathered by means of the multiple poles/devices of the array. The independent-array and/or the master-to-station network and communications may be adapted for energy-saving processes; power-receiving from or power-providing to the grid, renewable power production and storage by means of solar panels and/or wind turbines and associated batteries or other storage equipment; and/or to Wi-Fi hot-spots, public safety alarms, information, or advertising to the public or information/data-analysis to customers. Preferred members of the array have solar-panel-powered lights, which may charge batteries and optionally supply energy to an electrical grid. In arrays cooperating with the grid, the grid may optionally charge the batteries of the array during off-peak hours. The preferred lights include LED modules that may be aimed to establish desired light patterns.
US08588824B2 Transferring media context information based on proximity to a mobile device
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for transitioning the playing of content between devices. In some implementations, a method includes receiving a first notification; receiving media context information identifying media content played by a first player device; associating the media context information with a mobile device; receiving a second notification, and in response to receiving the second notification, instructing a second player device to begin playing media content. Capability information indicating types of content that the second player can play can be received. The second player can be instructed to play the media content identified in the media context information beginning at a location specified in the media context information or to play second media content related to the identified media content where the second media content has a type that can be played by the second player device.
US08588808B2 Method and system for estimation of mobile station velocity in a cellular system based on geographical data
A system and method for estimating velocity of a mobile station in a wireless communication system using time-frequency signal processing and a geographical database. The geographical database is used for prediction of ray trajectory and ray power to provide an estimate of propagation delay associated with database points.
US08588807B2 System and method for dynamically managing connections using a coverage database
Techniques to dynamically manage wireless connections using a coverage database are described. For example, a mobile computing device may comprise a connection management module operative to dynamically select a wireless connection technology based on a location of the mobile computing device and information from a coverage database, and to initiate a wireless connection using the selected wireless connection technology. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08588804B2 Communication terminal
A communication terminal of the invention confirms, first, a reception error occurrence rate of received signals when communication connection (channel connection) with a base station has not established. When the reception error occurrence rate is below a predetermined value, requests for communication connection with respect to the base station are repeated, the number of which is counted. Then, when the counted number has exceeded a predetermined value, re-assignment of terminal identification information is requested of the base station.
US08588797B2 Optimizing control channel performance with virtual inter-cell coordination
Channel conditions within each of N contiguous cells is determined. Based on at least the determined N channel conditions, there is determined a set of the N cells which are to utilize joint scheduling, and resources for a control channel are jointly assigning to individual cells of the set of cells. In various embodiments, the channel conditions are SINR and load on the control channel; and the set of cells is decided based on potential for mutual interference and/or potential that the control channel will not be filled. The resource may be jointly assigned based on user priority, so that serially for each highest priority user resources are assigned, the assigned resources are then blocked from compiled lists of radio resources, the highest priority user is removed and a next highest priority user is then the highest priority user to continue in the serial iteration.
US08588793B2 Bandwidth management for a converged gateway in a hybrid network
Systems and methods for integrating bandwidth management (BWM) equipment into a network in order to manage the use of bandwidth over multiple radio access technologies (RATs) relating to communications between a wireless transmit receive unit and a mobile core network (MCN). When integrating itself into the network, a BWM server may be placed between a MCN and an femto access point. In order for WTRUs to communicate with the MCN through the femto access point and a BWM server, a BWM server may need deep packet inspection capabilities.
US08588791B2 Method for providing IMS support for enterprise PBX users
An architecture and procedures by which an NGN can provide the following capabilities to an NGCN user: basic terminating service in the peering model; enhanced terminating services in the peering model; enhanced originating services in the peering model; and roaming service in the subscription and peering models. All capabilities are provided in an easily scalable manner via provisioned subscriber data and small modifications to existing IMS procedures. In the first case, an NGN is configured among the external networks to receive all SIP requests intended for the NGCN users of an NGCN interconnected to the NGN via the peering model (this NGN is the trunking home NGN), and the NGN forwards these requests to the NGCN for handling using request retargeting. In the second case, an NGN is configured among the external networks to receive all SIP requests intended for the NGCN users of an NGCN interconnected to the NGN via the peering model, and the NGN applies a set of agreed services using NGN ASs (application servers) to each request before forwarding to the NGCN for handling. In the third case, the NGCN is configured to forward all originating requests to an NGN (the trunking home NGN) via the peering model, and the NGN applies a set of agreed services using NGN ASs to each request before forwarding to the intended recipient. In the fourth case, an NGN is configured among the external networks as the roaming home NGN to receive a SIP REGISTER request from an NGCN user that has roaming capability, and the NGN forwards that request to the NGCN for handling.
US08588787B2 Neighboring cell processing device, wireless base station device, neighboring cell processing method and data structure
A neighboring cell processing device includes: a measurement information acquisition unit 11 for acquiring measurement information which indicates a result of measurement of radio signals transmitted from a plurality of wireless base station devices other than a target wireless base station device, based on information provided from at least either of wireless terminal devices or wireless base station devices; and a neighboring cell information generation unit 12 for generating, based on the measurement information acquired by the measurement information acquisition unit 11, neighboring cell information which indicates one or a plurality of wireless base station devices located in the neighborhood of the target wireless base station device, among the plurality of wireless base station devices other than the target wireless base station device.
US08588779B2 Wireless communication system, communication device and base station thereof
A wireless communication system delivering neighbor information (NBR-INF) and a base station and a wireless communication device thereof are proposed. The wireless communication system includes at least a mobile station and a base station. The base station decides delivering the NBR-INF triggered by events, determines type of the NBR-INF to be delivered and determines a delivery rule of the NBR-INF to be delivered. The mobile station, wirelessly connected to the at least a base station, receives the NBR-INF delivered from the at least a base station, and decides to completely renew or partially update its own neighbor information contents.
US08588777B2 Method and apparatus for robust handoff in wireless communication systems
A communication system that allows a soft handoff to be completed, even when the communications link between the active base station and the mobile station deteriorates before the mobile station has received the handoff direction message. The mobile station maintains a list of base stations that the mobile station is in communication with, referred to as an “Active Set”. In addition, the mobile station maintains another list of base stations that are proximate to the base stations in the active set. This list is referred to as the “Neighbor Set”. In accordance with the disclosed method and apparatus, the mobile station places a base station in the active set upon including the base station in a pilot strength measurement message (PSMM). The mobile station monitors transmissions from all of the base stations on the active set to receive a handoff direction message (HDM).
US08588775B2 Mobile communication system and related management method
The present invention discloses a mobile communications system, which includes a mobile communication device and a server device. The mobile communication device includes a first reception module for obtaining device information corresponding to the mobile communication device and a transmission module for transmitting the device information via a mobile communication network. The server device includes a second reception module for receiving the device information via the mobile communication network and a connection module for establishing a communication connection between the mobile communication device and a destination end according to the device information when a communication request corresponding to the mobile communication device is received from the destination end.
US08588768B2 RSSI estimation in multi-technology communication terminals
A method used in a receiver includes measuring first Received Signal Strength Indications (RSSIs) in respective first communication channels, which are located in a given frequency band and which each have a first channel bandwidth. Based on the first RSSIs, second RSSIs are computed for respective second communication channels, which are located in the given frequency band and which each have a second channel bandwidth that is larger than the first channel bandwidth. At least one of the first and second communication channels over which to receive signals at the receiver are selected using the first and second RSSIs.
US08588764B1 Wireless network edge guardian
A mobile communication device. The mobile communication device comprises a radio transceiver to communicatively couple the mobile communication device to a radio access network by a wireless communication link, a memory, a processor, and an application stored in the memory. When executed by the processor, the application builds a communication history of the mobile communication device, analyzes the communication history of the mobile communication device to determine a pattern of communication usage of the mobile communication device, monitors recent communication usage of the mobile communication device, compares the recent communication usage of the mobile communication device to the pattern of communication usage of the mobile communication device, and when the recent communication usage of the mobile communication device differs from the pattern of communication usage of the mobile communication device by more than a predefined threshold, blocks at least one attempt to initiate communication by the mobile communication device.
US08588762B2 Method and apparatus for performing channel measurement for cell
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and an apparatus for performing channel measurement for a cell. The method includes: sending information about a location of a to-be-measured reference signal to a user equipment, where the location of the to-be-measured reference signal is a part of a location occupied by a reference signal of the cell; and receiving a channel measurement report of the cell. The channel measurement report is sent by the user equipment and is obtained after the user equipment performs channel measurement for the cell according to the information about the location of the to-be-measured reference signal.
US08588758B2 Interfacing a mobile device with a computer
Systems and methods for interfacing a mobile device and a host computer are described in the present disclosure. In one embodiment, among several, an interfacing system comprises a mobile device, which has a sensor, and a host computer. The sensor of the mobile device detects gestures that are translated to cursor control commands for a display of the host computer.
US08588750B2 Method and apparatus for providing interactive services to users using unicast and broadcast wireless networks
The invention includes a method and apparatus for providing interactive services using unicast wireless networks and broadcast wireless networks. A method includes receiving content interaction information indicative of interactions by a user with content presented at a wireless user terminal, obtaining at least one service parameter, and providing a service using the content interaction information and the at least one service parameter, wherein the service is provided using one of the unicast wireless network or the broadcast wireless network. The content for which content interaction information is received is provided to the wireless user terminal using a broadcast wireless network and the content interaction information is received over a unicast wireless network. The service that is provided may include providing modified content over the broadcast wireless network, providing personalized content over the unicast wireless network, operating a proxy for a network-based service, and the like.
US08588749B1 Data segmentation profiles
A mobile communication device provides a user with the ability to set up one or more profiles on the device. Each profile is configured to segment the user's data and applications and selectively restrict access from an active profile to user data and applications associated with other profiles on the device. The mobile communication device stores profile configuration data including profile selection criteria used to automatically associate items of user data with profiles on the device. When an item of user data is received on the device, the device automatically identifies a profile to associate with the received item based on the profile selection criteria, and the received item is stored in the device so as to be associated with the identified profile. Exemplary profile selection criteria include criteria based on a current time or location, a currently active profile, a data type of the received item, and a source of the received item.
US08588748B2 System and method for mobile identity protection of a user of multiple computer applications, networks or devices
An automated system and method for authenticating entities or individuals engaging in automated or electronic transactions or activities such as financial transactions, accessing computer applications, computer software, data networks or other automated or electronic devices requiring identity verification is provided. A unique Personal Identity Value is computed and stored in an Identity Register for the entity or individual and may be used for a variety of applications including recognizing incidents of identity theft. This Personal Identity Value is based on one or more computer logic resources that incorporate the relationship among a variety of identification information elements and parameters associated with the entity or individual, such as the entity's or individual's wireless device location, the entity's or individual's home location, other associated locations, automated activities engaged in and applications accessed.
US08588744B2 Fraud prevention techniques
System, apparatus, computer program products and methods for preventing fraud attacks (e.g., on a virtual PBX service provider) are disclosed. In some implementations, a set of fraud evaluation processes are performed, an overall fraud evaluation score is incremented as each of the set of fraud evaluation processes are performed and a step result is obtained. A user request (e.g., account activation) can be denied or accepted based on the overall fraud evaluation score. In some implementations, the set of fraud evaluation processes can include one or more of: an internal fraud evaluation process, a process for checking multiple trial accounts associated with a common account parameter, a process for geolocation verification of multiple account parameters, a process for device type verification for a contact phone number, a process for credit card verification, and a process for placing a contact number verification call.
US08588740B2 Mobile terminal and method of controlling a mode screen display therein
A mobile terminal including a memory configured to store at least a first and second operating system including at least first and second modes, respectively; and a controller configured to execute the first operating system and to activate the first mode corresponding to the first operating system, to display a first information screen on a display corresponding to the activated first mode, to receive a switching signal indicating the first mode is to be switched to the second mode, to activate the second mode and deactivate the first mode, and to display a second information screen on the display corresponding to the second mode and that is different than the first information screen. Further, the controller is further configured to selectively transmit information included on the first or second information screen to at least one external terminal based on a prescribed designated level.
US08588739B2 Mobile terminal, lock state control program for mobile terminal, and a method for controlling lock state of mobile terminal
A mobile terminal is disclosed. The mobile terminal includes a touch panel and an input detection part, a display part, a determination part, and an execution part. The input detection part is configured to detect inputs to the touch panel. The display part is configured to display an object corresponding to a lock state in which predetermined processing based on inputs detected by the input detection part is not executed. The determination part is configured to determine whether or not a predetermined input to the object is detected by the input detection part. The execution part is configured to release the lock state and execute predetermined processing if the determination part determines that a predetermined input to the object is detected.
US08588738B2 Mobile access in a diverse access point network
Facilitating user terminal (UT) access to wireless networks having base stations (BSs) of disparate access types is described herein. In some aspects, BS parameterization is provided to facilitate search and/or access to distinct types of network BSs. For instance, parameters can modify a likelihood of identifying or remaining coupled to restricted access (RA) BSs in a home Node B (HNB) deployment. In other aspects of the subject disclosure, a PLMN ID reserved for HNBs is provided comprising multiple region IDs. Where a UT identifies a home region, HNBs can be given preference over macro BSs. Additionally, the UT can keep track of HNBs and HNB regions that reject access to the UT, and implement a delay time to mitigate rapid signaling to foreign HNBs in a dense HNB deployment. Accordingly, the subject disclosure provides for more efficient UT access in heterogeneous access type networks.
US08588728B1 Method and apparatus for enhanced adaptive idle mode and battery efficiency monitoring
A method and apparatus to manage the paging cycle of a communication device are disclosed. The method includes receiving, by an element of a communication system, at least one message comprising an idle mode request, a battery charge level of a battery of the communication device, and a desired paging information from the communication device, from the communication device, determining a paging information for the communication device based on the battery charge level by selecting a first paging cycle when the battery charge level meets a charge level criteria and selecting a second paging cycle when the battery charge levels does not meet the charge level criteria, the second paging cycle being longer than the first paging cycle, and transmitting a response message comprising the determined paging information to the communication device.
US08588727B2 Adaptive linearity communication device
An adaptive linearity communication device and its operation are disclosed. The adaptive linearity communication device may include a component having a linearity dependent upon a bias and a processor configured to change the bias in response to the detection of a connection between the wireless communication device and a high-capacity power source. A method of operating an adaptive linearity communication device having a bias dependent component where the device is configured to operate in a high efficiency mode in the absence of a connection between the device and a high-capacity power source, may include determining whether a high-capacity power source is connected to the wireless communication device, and varying the operation of the bias dependent component based on whether a high-capacity power source is connected to the wireless communication device.
US08588707B2 Reference frequency control in multi-modal devices
The present disclosure relates to methods, systems and devices for shifting a reference frequency from a first value to a second value, the shifting characterized at least in part by a controlled transition of the reference frequency at a predetermined time-rate-of-change.
US08588705B1 System and method of determining Power over Ethernet impairment
A system and method of determining an unbalanced current condition in Power over Ethernet applications are disclosed. In some implementations, a user or network administrator may be notified of potential impairments due to unbalanced current.
US08588703B2 Arbitrary multiband overlay mixer apparatus and method for bandwidth multiplication
An apparatus and method for splitting a wide band input signal and overlaying multiple frequency bands on each path associated with one or more digitizers. All frequencies from the split signal on each path can be fed to a mixer. The local oscillator of each mixer receives a sum of signals, which can each be set to any arbitrary frequency, as long as an associated matrix determinant of coefficients is non-zero. Each oscillator signal is multiplied by a coefficient, which can represent phase and magnitude, prior to summing the oscillator signals together. Each mixer mixes a combined signal with the input, thereby generating a set of multiple overlaid frequency bands. The digitized signals are processed to substantially reconstruct the original input signal. Thus, the wide band input signal is digitized using multiple individual digitizers. In particular, a system can support two wide band signals using four digitizers of narrower bandwidth.
US08588701B2 Noise level communication for high speed uplink packet access
A communication flow for HSUPA is shown that allows a NodeB to measure the thermal plus background noise level (Prx—noise), and at the same time which also allows the RNC, according to its own (centralized) strategy, to overwrite the very same value that is then used in NodeB (de-centralized) scheduling.
US08588688B2 Non-networked messaging
A system for facilitating short-range wireless data exchanges between apparatuses that are not linked by a wireless network connection. For example, an apparatus may initially determine if data suitable for transmission without first establishing a formal network connection is pending. For example, in terms of Bluetooth the data may suitable for transmission to another apparatus without having to first negotiate a Bluetooth piconet including both apparatuses. If it determined that data is pending for transmission, the apparatus may scan for apparatus detection packets transmitted from other apparatuses (e.g., enter an inquiry scanning mode). Upon reception of an apparatus detection packet, the apparatus may transmit one or more messages via wireless communication (e.g., execute an extended inquiry response procedure) comprising at least the data.
US08588683B2 Electronic circuit, semiconductor device, and electronic device
The electronic circuit includes a first comparator and a second comparator in which an induced electromotive force of a coil are compared with each of a first reference potential and a second reference potential and which output a pulse signal in accordance with conditions; the first signal processing circuit which outputs a first receiving rectangular wave signal and a first error signal in accordance with conditions of the pulse signal output from the first comparator and in which data held in accordance with conditions of pulse signal output from the second comparator is reset; and the second signal processing circuit which outputs a second receiving rectangular wave signal and a second error signal in accordance with conditions of the pulse signal output from the second comparator and in which data held in accordance with conditions of pulse signal output from the first comparator is reset.
US08588680B2 System and method to communicate targeted information
A method for targeted advertising is disclosed. The method includes accessing at least one piece of demographic information associated with a user of a portable device, selecting an advertisement to be delivered to the user based at least in part on the demographic information, and initiating communication of a version of the advertisement configured for presentation at the portable device.
US08588677B2 Method and radio beacon for transmitting messages in a road communication system
A method and a radio beacon for transmitting messages between a radio beacon and multiple onboard units passing this with unique identifiers in a road toll system, wherein the messages respectively provided with an identifier of an onboard unit are stored in a buffer memory of the radio beacon for sequential processing or despatch. The method including determining, of each onboard unit entering the transmitting-receiving area of the radio beacon, at least one characteristic of the onboard unit, sorting the messages present in the buffer memory under the identifiers depending on the characteristics determined for these identifiers, and sequentially processing or despatching the messages from the buffer memory in the sequence they were sorted.
US08588676B1 Bayesian truth serum
A method of gathering information from respondents, the method including posing a primary question to the respondents, receiving primary question answers from the respondents, posing a secondary question to at least a sub-portion of the respondents, the secondary question corresponding to the primary question, receiving secondary question answers from the respondents, and scoring a primary question answer received from a selected respondent as a function of i) the primary question answer received from the selected respondent and ii) answers to the primary and secondary questions received from the respondents.
US08588674B2 Image-forming apparatus and method for controlling image-forming apparatus
An image-forming apparatus having an image-forming unit, a fixation unit for fixing a toner image transferred to paper, a double-sided print conveyance path for conveying the paper imprinted on one side toward the image-forming unit, a decurling unit for passing the paper discharged from the fixation unit in a double-roller nip including a hard roller and a soft roller and decurling the paper, a rotation unit for rotating the decurling unit, and a calculation unit for calculating an amount of toner deposited on each of a first side, which is the side printed first, and a second side, which is the side on the reverse of the first side and is the side printed next. The rotation unit rotates the decurling unit on the basis of calculation results from the calculation unit.
US08588669B2 Flow-coatable PFA fuser topcoats
Exemplary embodiments herein provide materials and methods for a fusing apparatus including a fuser member comprising a substrate and a topcoat layer, wherein the topcoat layer comprises a flow-coated fluororesin and has a surface energy of about 25 mN/m or less.
US08588668B2 Fixing device and image forming apparatus incorporating same
A fixing device includes an endless belt-shaped fixing member formed into a loop and rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation, a pressing member contacting an outer circumferential surface of the fixing member, a heater support assembly provided inside the loop formed by the fixing member, and a laminated heater supported by the heater support assembly and provided inside the loop formed by the fixing member. The laminated heater includes an elastic sheet contacting an inner circumferential surface of the fixing member with pressure generated by elasticity of bending of the elastic sheet to heat the fixing member.
US08588664B2 Developing cartridge
A developing cartridge includes: a developing roller that is rotatable about a developing roller axis line, which extends in a predetermined direction; a supply roller, which is rotatable about a supply roller axis line, which extends in the predetermined direction, and which supplies developer to the developing roller; a developing roller driving gear that is connected to the developing roller; a supply roller driving gear that is connected to the supply roller; and a driving force transmission gear, which is rotatable about a gear axis line extending in the predetermined direction, and which includes: a first gear part meshed with the developing roller driving gear; and a second gear part meshed with the supply roller driving gear. The driving force transmission gear transmits driving force to the developing roller driving gear and the supply roller driving gear.
US08588656B2 Developing device with double spiral blade and image forming apparatus
A developer tank of a developing device is partitioned into a first conveyance path, a second conveyance path, a first communicating path and a second communicating path with a partition. A first developer conveying member that conveys a developer in a first developer conveying direction is provided in the first conveyance path. A second developer conveying member that conveys the developer in a second developer conveying direction is provided in the second conveyance path. In the first developer conveying member, a double spiral blade is provided on a downstream side in the first developer conveying direction from a first conveying blade of the first developer conveying member, the double spiral blade including an inner spiral blade that conveys the developer in a first direction and an outer spiral blade that conveys the developer in a second direction.
US08588647B2 Process cartridge and image forming apparatus
A process cartridge comprises a photosensitive drum and a developing roller. A coupling member is provided adjacent to one axial end of the developing roller. The coupling member includes a driven portion, and an intermediary portion configured and positioned to engage with the driven portion. The intermediary portion is also configured to be movable relative to the driven portion in a direction crossing the axis of the developing roller while maintaining engagement with the driven portion. The coupling member further includes a driving portion configured and positioned to receive a driving force for rotating the developing roller. The driving portion is also configured to engage with the intermediary portion, and to be movable relative to the intermediary portion in a direction crossing the axis of the developing roller while maintaining engagement with the intermediary portion.
US08588639B2 Fixing device and image forming apparatus
A fixing device is disclosed, including: a fixing rotative body, a heat source, and a control part. The control part conducts a printing temperature control which varies an ON ratio per unit time of the heat source based on a detection result of the temperature detecting part to maintain a printing target temperature in a printing state, conducts a waiting temperature control which performs an ON/OFF control based on the detection result of the temperature detecting part to maintain a waiting target temperature in a waiting state after a printing operation ends, and conducts a forcible ON control which forcibly turns on the heat source for a predetermined time before starting the ON/OFF control when the detection result of the temperature detecting part after the printing operation ends is lower than the waiting target temperature.
US08588638B2 Fixing device and image forming apparatus incorporating same
A fixing device for fixing a toner image on a recording medium includes a pressing member provided outside a loop formed by a fixing member to press the fixing member against a nip formation member provided inside the loop formed by the fixing member. A heat generator support is provided inside the loop formed by the fixing member to support a heat generator that generates heat to be transmitted to the fixing member. A temperature detector is provided downstream from the heat generator and upstream from the nip formation member in a direction of rotation of the fixing member to detect a temperature of the fixing member. A controller is connected to the temperature detector and the heat generator to control heat generation of the heat generator based on the temperature of the fixing member detected by the temperature detector.
US08588629B2 Thermally-actuated switch, fixing device, and image forming apparatus
A thermally-actuated switch includes a movable member that is provided between a second electrode and a displacement member so as to be movable in a first direction, is pushed at one end by the displacement member in a concave state to push the second electrode at the other end to bring a second contact into contact with a first contact, and is moved in the first direction by an urging force acting on the second electrode due to convex displacement of the displacement member, and a regulating member that regulates movement of the movable member in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction from a transmittable position where a pushing force from the displacement member is capable of being transmitted to the second electrode, and releases the regulation such that the movable member moved in the first direction by the urging force is removed from the transmittable position.
US08588627B2 Image forming apparatus that detects consumable supplies
In the image forming apparatus including a developing device that develops an electrostatic latent image on an image carrying member by using toner, a first toner empty stop condition and a second toner empty stop condition for prohibiting printing because of a lack of the remaining amount in the toner are provided. The first toner empty stop condition and the second toner empty stop condition are switched in response to the state of the device.
US08588621B2 System and method for generating multilevel coded optical signals
A simple and effective all-optical system, producing a multilevel coded optical signal based on the M-ASK technology and by the minimized equipment. The novel all-optical modulation technique for optical M-ASK generation is based on nonlinear interaction between optical signals, say between N 2-ASK modulated pump signals having extinction ratio ER1 and a single 2-ASK modulated optical probe signal having extinction ratio ER2. According to the invention, a 4-ASK optical signal can be obtained using just a single binary modulated pump optical signal and a single binary modulated probe optical signal.
US08588618B2 Data center with free-space optical communications
A data center for executing a data processing application includes processing units, sub-units or servers. Each of the processing units, sub-units or servers can execute a part or all of the data processing application. The processing units, sub-units or servers are electrical disjoint with respect to data communications, but can communicate with each other over free space optical links.
US08588610B2 Span loss monitoring system, supervisory signal sending apparatus and supervisory signal receiving apparatus
A span loss monitoring system includes a supervisory signal sending apparatus with a output level monitoring section, a time stamp generation section, and a supervisory signal generation section that generates a supervisory signal including a pair of the output level measurement hour and the output level. The span loss monitoring system also includes a supervisory signal receiving apparatus with an input level monitoring section, a supervisory signal termination section and a span loss calculation section.
US08588602B2 Auto focus module of image capture device
An auto focus module of an image capture device is provided. The auto focus module comprises at least one gear, a nut, a lead screw and a driver. The gear has at least one first extension and a first through hole. The nut has at least one second extension and a second through hole. The lead screw penetrates the first through hole and the second through hole. The driver drives the lead screw and the gear so that the lead screw and the gear move relatively along the axis of the lead screw. The nut and the gear terminate approaching toward each other after the first extension and the second extension lean against each other.
US08588600B2 Stereoscopic auto-focus based on coordinated lens positions
Methods for automatic focus in a stereographic imaging device that includes two imaging sensor systems are provided. Focus searches are executed on both imaging sensor systems to determine optimal focused lens positions for each. The focus searches may be executed currently or sequentially, and may be at differing lens position granularities. Focal scores and spatial locations, i.e., the locations of focus regions, may be shared between the imaging sensor systems to coordinate the focus searches. Touchscreen coordinates may also be used to coordinate the focus searches.
US08588593B2 Dynamic sauna
Apparatuses, methods, and computer-storage media provide for a sauna that is operable to provide a programmable sauna experience to a user. A sauna may include mechanisms for monitoring biological data associated with a user, mechanisms for generating and updating training programs associated with a user, and mechanisms for communicating with remote devices to send and receive information and updates. A sauna may be provided having adjustable zoned heating and self-diagnostic capabilities.
US08588592B2 Gas heating methods
Method for thermally spraying a heater onto a substrate, comprising providing a metallic material having a core and an insulator therein and thermally spraying the metallic material and the insulator onto a substrate to form a heater. Method of fabricating a thermally sprayed gas heater, comprising providing a gas flow apparatus that propels a gas through a housing; thermally spraying a material to form a resistive heating layer; bonding the resistive heating layer to a surface of the apparatus, the heating layer being positioned to heat the gas flow in the housing. Method of fabricating a heater system of a turbulent gas flow duct, comprising providing a duct having a gas flow channel, the channel having a shaped surface providing a turbulent gas flow therein; thermally spraying a material to form a resistive heating layer; positioning the resistive heating layer to heat the gas flow in the channel.
US08588590B1 Systems and methods for operation of recording devices such as digital video recorders (DVRs)
A system, method, and computer program product are provided according to one embodiment. The system includes logic for receiving a request to record a contiguous television program; a storage medium for storing a representation of a first portion of the television program on a local recording system, the first portion being temporally shorter than a length of the television program; logic for sending a message to a remote system in response to the message, wherein the remote system stores a representation of a second portion of the television program; logic for outputting an indication of the television program on a list of recorded programs; logic for receiving a request to play back the television program via selection of the indication from the list; logic for outputting the first portion of the television program; logic for downloading at least a portion of the representation of the second portion of the television program; and logic for outputting the second portion of the television program after outputting the first portion of the television program.
US08588588B2 Television receiver and program data reception method
Using a remote control, a viewer specifies the channel and the date and time of a program that he/she wants to watch. A reception method selection unit determines, based on the date and time, whether the program is currently being broadcast or was broadcast in the past, and then selects a reception method. An SI information storage unit stores URL information of program distribution servers having past programs. The URL information is contained in the SDT in SI information transmitted together with a program. When the viewer chooses a past program, an IP data reception unit connects to the corresponding program distribution server based on its URL so as to transmit the date and time thereto, and receives the past program that the viewer wants to watch via IP network.
US08588587B2 Navigation interface with ghost region
An implementation is described for navigating media. The implementation includes displaying a portion of the media. The implementation also includes displaying a navigation interface corresponding to the media. The navigation interface includes an active region, a current view region, and a ghost region. The active region corresponds to at least a portion of the media. The current view region corresponds to a portion of the media to be displayed. The current view is at least partially defined by a selector handle. The ghost region is coupled to the active region. The ghost region represents a range of remaining media other than the portion of the media in the active region. The ghost area provides a context for the remaining media relative to the portion of the media corresponding to the active region. The implementation also includes receiving user input to navigate the media according to a visual interaction between the sector handle and the ghost region.
US08588585B2 Method and apparatus for synchronizing data streams containing audio, video and/or other data
Several data streams contain video, audio and/or other data. Some of the data streams are pre-recorded in a multiplex on a storage medium while other data streams are located out of the data stream multiplex on the storage medium. The data streams are synchronized using a navigation file (List_of_PlayItems), which comprises descriptors (PlayItems, SubPlayItems) pointing to parts of said data streams, wherein said descriptors define the arrangement in time for said data streams by means of data sub stream paths.
US08588582B2 System and method for on-demand storage of randomly selected data
A data storage system allows a subscriber to store data at the time the subscriber experiences the date with an indication, such as a press of a button or a voice command. The indication causes a request to obtain and store the data to be issued. For example, the subscriber can store music while listening to it, store movies while viewing them, or store movie soundtracks while viewing movies. The entire music file can be stored, for example, in a vehicle in which the subscriber is traveling. For some environments, such as storage in a cellular telephone, a portion of the music is stored in a format compatible for that environment, such as cellular telephone ring tone format. When the indication is received, a determination is made as to which music is required, generally by determining the time of the indication. The music heard by the listener is then downloaded for storage in accordance with the subscriber's request.
US08588576B2 Content reproduction device, television receiver, content reproduction method, content reproduction program, and recording medium
A television (100) is a content reproduction device for reproducing a video or a sound of content, and includes (i) a content analyzing section (107) for extracting a prescribed feature from the content, and (ii) an optical device controlling section (118) for controlling, in accordance with the feature extracted by the content analyzing section (107), luminance of light to be emitted by an illumination section (119) incorporated in the television (100).
US08588572B2 Electromagnetic interference (EMI) waveguide device for use in a parallel optical communications module, and a method
A parallel optical communications module is equipped with an EMI waveguide (WG) device having a tube-like structure that surrounds portions of one or more optical fiber ribbon cables that pass through the tube-like structure and connect to the module. The EMI WG device attenuates EMI to acceptable levels to provide the module with effective EMI shielding capability.
US08588570B2 Two-photon-absorption-based silicon waveguide photo-power monitor
Instead of monitoring the optical power coming out of a waveguide, a direct method of monitoring the optical power inside the waveguide without affecting device or system performance is provided. A waveguide comprises a p-i-n structure which induces a TPA-generated current and may be enhanced with reverse biasing the diode. The TPA current may be measured directly by probing metal contacts provided on the top surface of the waveguide, and may enable wafer-level testing. The p-i-n structures may be implemented at desired points throughout an integrated network, and thus allows probing of different devices for in-situ power monitor and failure analysis.
US08588568B2 Bend loss resistant multi-mode fiber
A graded index multimode optical fiber comprising: (a) a silica core doped with germania, and at least one co-dopant, comprising one of P2O5 or F or B2O3, the core extending to outermost core radius, r1 and having a dual alpha, α1; (b) a low index inner cladding surrounding the core and off-set from said core; (c) an outer cladding surrounding and in contact with the inner cladding, such that at least the region of the inner cladding off-set from said core has a lower refractive index than the outer cladding. The center germania concentration at the centerline, CGe1, is greater than or equal to 0, and an outermost germania concentration in the core CGe2, at r1 is greater than or equal to 0. The core has a center co-dopant concentration at the centerline, Cc-d1, greater than or equal to 0, and an outermost co-dopant concentration Cc-d2, at r1, wherein Cc-d2 is greater than or equal to 0.
US08588563B2 Projected artificial magnetic mirror waveguide
A projected artificial magnetic mirror (PAMM) waveguide includes a substrate, metal patches, a metal backing, multiple dielectric materials, and a waveguide area. The metal patches are on a first layer of a substrate and the metal backing is on a second layer of the substrate. The first dielectric material is between the first and second layers of the substrate. The metal patches are electrically coupled to the metal backing to form an inductive-capacitive network that substantially reduces surface waves along a surface of the substrate within a given frequency band. The second dielectric material juxtaposed to the metal patches, where the waveguide area is between the second and third dielectric materials and includes the surface of the substrate. The inductive-capacitive network, the second dielectric material, and/or the third dielectric material facilitate confining an electromagnetic signal within the waveguide area.
US08588556B1 Advanced modulation formats using optical modulators
An apparatus, comprising a substrate with a planar surface an optical power splitter on the surface, and an optical power combiner on the surface. The apparatus also comprises pairs of optical waveguides located on the planar surface, each waveguide of the pairs connecting a corresponding output of the optical power splitter to a corresponding input of the optical power combiner. The apparatus also comprises a plurality of optical resonators located on the surface, each of the resonators of the plurality being evanescently coupled to a corresponding one of the waveguides. For each particular one of the pairs, resonant frequencies of the optical resonators coupled to the waveguides of the particular one of the pairs are about the same. Resonant frequencies of each pair of the optical resonators coupled to two of the waveguides in different ones of the pairs are different.
US08588549B2 Image forming apparatus and de-skew method thereof
A de-skew method of an image forming apparatus is provided which includes reading an image on a print medium fed through an automatic document feeder (ADF); detecting a leading edge of the print medium and calculating a skew angle of the read image; comparing the calculated skew angle to a first threshold and determining whether to perform a de-skew operation; and setting skew compensation levels based on the calculated skew angle and performing different de-skew operations according to the set skew compensation levels to output a de-skewed image when the absolute value of the calculated skew angle is equal to or greater than the first threshold.
US08588547B2 Cut-line steering methods for forming a mosaic image of a geographical area
A method for determining preferred routes for steering mosaic cut line to form an output mosaic image included the steps of generating a ground confidence map of a geographic area by analyzing overlapping portions of digital source images of the geographic area with such digital source images captured from different vantage points with respect to the geographic area, certain pixels of the ground confidence map indicating a statistical probability that a same geographic area in at least two of the overlapping source images represent the ground; indentifying contiguous pixels in the ground confidence map indicating that the same geographic area in at least two of the overlapping source images represent the ground; and determining preferred routes for steering mosaic cut lines utilizing the identified contiguous pixels in the ground confidence map.
US08588546B2 Apparatus and program for producing a panoramic image
A panoramic image producing apparatus provides an intensity image production unit which produces intensity images from an input source image captured by an imaging device, a reference image data storage unit for storing a reference image which is used to compute the motion data of the intensity image and its absolute motion data, an absolute motion data calculation unit which uses the intensity image of the target image by first computing its relative motion data with respect to the reference image and using its result to compute the absolute motion data with respect to the target image, an image stitching unit to produce a panoramic image by using the absolute motion data computed above to stitch together the input source images, and a reference image setting unit which sets the target image as the new reference image under certain conditions.
US08588544B2 Method and system for reducing ringing artifacts of image deconvolution
The present invention relates to a method for reducing ringing artifacts of image deconvolution. A deconvolution is applied to the original blurred image and edges are detected within the deconvolved image. Then edge tapering on the original blurred image is performed based on the detected edges.The present invention further relates to a system and a computer program product for reducing ringing artifacts of image deconvolution.
US08588534B2 Staged element classification
Various examples are disclosed herein that relate to staged element classification. For example, one disclosed example provides a method of classifying elements by forming elements for classification into a plurality of first-level sets in a first stage, generating primary groups within the first-level sets based on element similarity, forming a plurality of second-level sets from the first-level sets in a second stage, generating secondary groups within the second-level sets based on element similarity, and merging a plurality of the primary and/or secondary groups based on element similarity.
US08588533B2 Semantic parsing of objects in video
Techniques, systems, and computer program products for parsing objects in a video are provided herein. A method includes producing and storing a plurality of versions of an image of an object derived from a video input, wherein each version of said image has a different resolution of said image; computing an appearance score at each of a plurality of regions on the lowest resolution version of said image for a plurality of semantic attributes with associated parts for said object, said appearance score denoting a probability of each semantic attribute appearing in the region; analyzing increasingly higher resolution versions than the lowest resolution version to compute a resolution context score for each region in the lowest resolution version; and ascertaining an optimized configuration of body parts and associated semantic attributes in the lowest resolution version, said ascertaining utilizing the appearance scores and the resolution context scores.
US08588521B2 Image processing apparatus and control method therefor
This invention discloses an image processing apparatus that can obtain, from an image, the amount of correction for chromatic aberration of magnification, that can appropriately correct a color shift while suppressing a change in color on the edge portion of the image before and after the correction. In obtaining the amount of color shift between one color plane and another color plane, the color differences before and after the color shift is corrected are calculated for each pair of pixels included in regions of interest. It is determined whether the amount of change in color difference before and after correction falls within a predetermined range. The amount of color shift is obtained in the range in which it is determined that the amount of change in color difference before and after correction falls within a predetermined range.
US08588512B2 Localization method for a moving robot
A localization method of a moving robot is disclosed in which the moving robot includes: capturing a first omni-directional image by the moving robot; confirming at least one node at which a second omni-directional image having a high correlation with the first omni-directional image is captured; and determining that the moving robot is located at the first node when the moving robot reaches a first node, at which a second omni-directional image having a highest correlation with the first omni-directional image is captured, from among the at least one node.
US08588511B2 Method and apparatus for automatic measurement of pad geometry and inspection thereof
An image of a semiconductor interconnection pad is analyzed to determine a geometric description of the zone regions of a multiple zone semiconductor interconnection pad. Edge detection machine vision tools are used to extract features in the image. The extracted features are analyzed to derive geometric descriptions of the zone regions of the pad, that are applied in semiconductor device inspection, fabrication, and assembly operations.
US08588501B2 Automatic pose initialization for accurate 2-D/3-D registration applied to abdominal aortic aneurysm endovascular repair
A method for automatically initializing pose for registration of 2D fluoroscopic abdominal aortic images with a 3D model of an abdominal aorta includes detecting a 2D iliac bifurcation and a 2D renal artery bifurcation from a sequence of 2D fluoroscopic abdominal aortic images, detecting a spinal centerline in a 2D fluoroscopic spine image, providing a 3D iliac bifurcation and a 3D renal artery bifurcation from a 3D image volume of the patient's abdomen, and a 3D spinal centerline from the 3D image volume of the patient's abdomen, and determining pose parameters {x, y, z, θ}, where (x, y) denotes the translation on a table plane, z denotes a depth of the table, and θ is a rotation about the z axis, by minimizing a cost function of the 2D and 3D iliac bifurcations, the 2D and 3D renal artery bifurcation, and the 2D and 3D spinal centerlines.
US08588495B2 Systems and methods for computer aided diagnosis and decision support in whole-body imaging
A system for providing automatic diagnosis and decision support includes: a medical image database; generative learning and modeling modules that build distributional appearance models and spatial relational models of organs or structures using images from the medical image database; a statistical whole-body atlas that includes one or more distributional appearance models and spatial relational models of organs or structure, in one or more whole-body imaging modalities, built by the generative learning and modeling modules; and discriminative learning and modeling modules that build two-class or multi-class classifiers for performing at least one of organ, structure or disease detection or segmentation.
US08588493B2 CT image reconstruction for improving temporal resolution in cardio CT
A method is disclosed for reconstructing image data of a moving examination object from measurement data, wherein the measurement data was captured in the course of a relative rotational movement between a radiation source of a computed tomography system and the examination object. In at least one embodiment of the method, a first image of the examination object is calculated from a complete measurement data record of the measurement data for an image reconstruction and a second image of the examination object is calculated from an incomplete measurement data record of the measurement data for an image reconstruction. Frequency splitting of the first and second images takes place respectively in at least one low-frequency and one higher-frequency component and the image data of the second image is supplemented in the low-frequency component with image data of the low-frequency component of the first image. In a further processing step the second image thus supplemented is improved using the first image, in that errors due to the incompleteness of the measurement data record of the second image are reduced.
US08588482B1 Inferring the gender of a face in an image
The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a computer-implemented method that includes receiving a plurality of images having human faces. The method further includes generating a data structure having representations of the faces and associations that link the representations based on similarities in appearance between the faces. The method further includes outputting a first gender value for a first representation of a first face that indicates a gender of the first face based on one or more other gender values of one or more other representations of one or more other faces that are linked to the first representation.
US08588480B2 Method for generating a density image of an observation zone
A method for generating a density image of an observation zone over a given time interval, in which method a plurality of images of the observation zone is acquired, for each image acquired the following steps are carried out: a) detection of zones of pixels standing out from the fixed background of the image, b) detection of individuals, c) for each individual detected, determination of the elementary surface areas occupied by this individual, and d) incrementation of a level of intensity of the elementary surface areas thus determined in the density image.
US08588477B2 Method for identifying soiling and/or colour fading in the region of colour transitions on documents of value, and means for carrying out the method
A method for detecting color transitions in at least one portion of a document of value by determining for each image elements whether color coordinate values in the color space that are allocated to the image element correspond to a reference color distribution, which is given by at least one predetermined, closed reference surface in the color space, that is given by at least one linear segment predetermined for the document of value and a predetermined distance of the points of the reference surface from the at least one linear segment. The method further has the steps comparing the positions of the image elements whose color coordinate values are disposed inside or outside of the reference surface to predetermined reference positions on the document of value and detecting in dependence on the result of the comparison a presence or an absence of a color transition caused by soiling or color wear.
US08588476B1 Systems for determining animal metrics and related devices and methods
In some aspects, an animal positioning system can include a first positioning member; and a second positioning member positioned relative to the first positioning member configured to limit an available spacing along a floor surface between the first positioning member and the second positioning member. The second positioning member is typically arranged at an angular bias away from the first positioning member relative to a floor surface and is configured to permit unobstructed viewing of a body of an animal positioned in the available spacing.
US08588467B2 Apparatus and method for detecting hands of subject in real time
An apparatus and method can effectively detect both hands and hand shape of a user from images input through cameras. A skin image detecting skin regions from one of the input images and a stereoscopic distance image are used. For hand detection, background and noise are eliminated from a combined image of the skin image and the distance image and regions corresponding to actual both hands are detected from effective images having a high probability of hands. For hand shape detection, a non-skin region is eliminated from the skin image based on the stereoscopic distance information, hand shape candidate regions are detected from the remaining region after elimination, and finally a hand shape is determined.
US08588460B2 Electronic watermark embedding device, electronic watermark detecting device, and programs therefor
An electronic watermark embedding device that embeds a graphic pattern representing information in image data includes a signaling feature period changing unit configured to change a period of signaling feature of a graphic pattern, a graphic pattern embedding unit configured to embed the graphic pattern in the image data as a period of the signaling feature changed by the signaling feature period changing unit, and an embedment region detecting unit configured to detect an embedding position where the graphic pattern is embedded from a region of the image data other than a background, whereby the signaling feature period changing unit changes the period of the signaling feature while maintaining the signaling feature when the image data undergo image enlargement or reduction processing, and the graphic pattern embedding unit embeds the graphic pattern in the embedding position on the region of the image data other than the background.
US08588458B2 Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program
An image processing apparatus includes: a pixel selecting unit that selects pixel values which are provided at each of pixel positions in input images that are arranged in chronological sequence, each of the pixel values being included in a corresponding one of the input images, on the basis of an input image to be processed which is set in the middle of the sequence; a moving-object detecting unit that detects a moving object using the selected pixel values, and that produces information items concerning the moving object as moving-object information items; and an output-image generating unit that generates pixel values of an output image, each of the pixel values being generated for a corresponding one of the pixel positions by using, in accordance with a corresponding one of the moving-object information items, a corresponding one of pixel values of the input image to be processed.
US08588456B2 Acoustic conversion device
An acoustic conversion device includes: a driving unit including a pair of magnets disposed so as to face each other, a yoke to which the pair of magnets are attached, a coil to which driving current is supplied, a vibrating portion which vibrates when driving current is supplied to the coil, and an armature disposed between the pair of magnets with the vibrating portion passed through the coil; and a diaphragm unit including a holding frame having an opening, a resin film adhered to the holding frame in a state covering the opening of the holding frame, a diaphragm held on the inner side of the holding frame in a state adhered to the resin film, and a beam portion of which the tip portion formed integrally with the diaphragm is combined with the vibrating portion of the armature, for propagating the vibration of the vibrating portion to the diaphragm.
US08588454B2 Module for containing an earpiece for an audio device
A module for containing an earpiece for an audio device, the earpiece having at least one protruding electrical contact. The module comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion and the second portion being opposable and forming a cavity sized to accommodate an earpiece. The module further comprises at least one electrical contact within the cavity, on one of the first portion and the second portion. The electrical contact is positioned to engage a protruding electrical contact of the earpiece positioned within the cavity.
US08588453B1 Reverse-direction co-axial earphone
A reverse-direction co-axial earphone is assembled by the following steps. (a) First, a donut-shaped frame (7) is connected with a T-shaped iron portion (10), a magnet (17) and a permeable U-shaped iron portion (12). Then, a high-frequency connective portion (13) is attached with the U-shaped iron portion (12). Now, a double-magnetic-route element is formed. (b) Next, a low-frequency diaphragm (8) is attached to a low-frequency conductive ring (9), which is then attached to the sound generating unit (7), which is then soldered with a low-frequency connective portion (11). Now, a reverse-direction co-axial sound generating unit with a single magnet and a double-magnetic-route element is assembled. Then, a front cover (3) and a rear cover (4) are fitted to form an air pathway (20), air pathways (21) and air pathways (19).
US08588452B2 Microphone cap and microphone
A cap body 3 is provided for covering a housing of a microphone body 2. The cap body 3 has an insertion hole 32 into which the housing is inserted, sound collecting holes 31a and 31b through which the exterior of the cap body 3 is in communication with the insertion hole 32. While the housing is inserted into the insertion hole 32, a sound collector 21 lies in the insertion hole 32, and the axis line direction of the sound collecting holes 31a and 31b are different from the directive axis of the microphone body 2 of which the housing is inserted in the insertion hole 32.
US08588451B2 Electret condenser microphone
An electret condenser microphone includes a microphone capsule having a diaphragm, a fixed electrode and an extraction electrode. The extraction electrode includes a closed-bottomed cylinder composed of a conductive material. The fixed electrode has holes extending from an air chamber between the diaphragm and the fixed electrode to an air chamber within the extraction electrode, and is fixed to a shoulder of the extraction electrode to form the air chamber that serves as acoustic capacitor within the extraction electrode.
US08588444B2 Method and hearing device for feedback recognition and suppression with a directional microphone
A method operates a hearing device having at least two omnidirectional microphones emitting microphone signals and a detection unit for defining acoustic feedback. The method includes connecting a first electrical connection of the microphones to one another in order to form a first signal with directional effect, an adjustment of the directional effect of the first signal such that the acoustic feedback in the first signal is maximized, and an analysis of the first signal by the detection unit for defining the acoustic feedback. It is advantageous that the feedback can be detected by a signal with an improved signal-to-noise ratio. Feedbacks are therefore recognized more reliably and more rapidly.
US08588437B2 Generic electromagnetically-countering processes
Various electromagnetically-countered systems are provided and include at least one wave source irradiating harmful electromagnetic waves and at least one counter unit emitting counter electromagnetic waves for countering the harmful waves. Various generic counter units of such systems and various mechanisms are provided to counter the harmful waves by the counter units by matching configurations of the counter units with those of the wave sources, matching shapes of such counter waves with shapes of the harmful waves, etc. Various methods are provided for countering the harmful waves with the counter waves by such source or wave matching. Various methods are also provided for the counter units as well as counter waves. Various processes are provided for providing such systems and counter units. Various electric and/or magnetic shields may be used alone or in conjunction with such counter units to minimize irradiation of the harmful waves from the system.
US08588433B2 Electret microphone circuit
There is disclosed a microphone, a circuit, and a method. A microphone capsule may include an electret microphone and a field effect transistor (FET). A floating DC voltage source may have a first end connected to a drain terminal of the electret microphone capsule and a second end. A load resistor may be connected between the second end of the floating DC voltage source and a source terminal of the electret microphone capsule. A voltage follower may have an output connected to the source terminal of the electret microphone capsule and the first end of the floating DC voltage source. A coupling capacitor may couple an audio signal from the source terminal of the electret microphone capsule to an input of the voltage follower.
US08588430B2 Controlling an adaptation of a behavior of an audio device to a current acoustic environmental condition
It is described a method for controlling an adaptation of a behavior of an audio device (100) to a current acoustic environmental condition. The method comprises (a) monitoring an audio output signal (x(t), x′(t)) being provided to an acoustic output device (110) of the audio device (100) for outputting an acoustic output signal, (b) measuring an audio input signal (z(t)) being provided by an acoustic input device (120) of the audio device (100), wherein the audio input signal (z(t)) is indicative for a feedback portion of the acoustic output signal and for the current acoustic environmental condition, (c) determining a relation between the audio output signal (x′(t)) and the audio input signal (z(t)) and (d) adapting the behavior of the audio device (100) based on the determined relation. Further, it is described a data processor, a computer-readable medium and an audio device, which are adapted to control and/or to carry out the above mentioned method for controlling an adaptation of the behavior of an audio device (100) to a current acoustic environmental condition.
US08588429B2 Sound device and sound control device
The sound device includes an audio-information output unit, an analysis unit, an audio-division-spectrum output unit, a noise-division-spectrum output unit and a correction unit. The analysis unit receives audio information from the audio-information output unit, and then outputs sound spectrum information. The noise-division-spectrum output unit outputs sound-volume information for each critical band width of a noise, and the audio-division-spectrum output unit outputs the sound-volume information for each critical band width of the sound-spectrum information. The correction unit corrects the information from the audio-division-spectrum output unit based on the information from the noise-division-spectrum output unit. The audio-signal properties can be well corrected corresponding to the auditory-sense properties of the human, and thus the audio sound, in which an uncomfortable feeling to the auditory sense of the human has been adequately controlled, can be transmitted to a user.
US08588416B2 System and method for secure communication
A system and methods for secure communication are disclosed. A network packet comprising encrypted network address comprising an unencrypted network address encrypted by a first GPS time and a first pseudo random number is received. The encrypted network address is decrypted using the first GPS time and the first pseudo random number to provide the unencrypted network address. The network packet is transmitted based on the unencrypted network address.
US08588414B2 Image encryption and image decryption apparatus and method
Input data is converted into an image, and in the input image, an encryption region that is a region in which the image is to be encrypted. Meanwhile, on the basis of an encryption key, encryption key-related information that is information related to the encryption key is generated, and the encryption key-related information is embedded into the image in the encryption region, to generate a first intermediate image. Next, the first intermediate image is converted on the basis of the encryption key, to generate a second intermediate image. Then, the pixel values of the second intermediate image are converted so that the position of the encryption region can be specified. As a result of the conversion, an encrypted image in which the part corresponding to the encryption region in the input image is generated.
US08588411B2 Method for secure communication in a network, a communication device, a network and a computer program therefor
The present invention relates to a method for secure communications and communication networks having communication devices, using secure means like encryption system for securing communications. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for secure communications from a first node (N1) to a second node (N2) in a network, the first node comprising a first node keying material (KM(ID1)), the second node comprising a second node keying material (KM(ID2)), wherein the keying materials of the first node and of the second node comprise each a plurality of keying root shares formed by keying root share segments. The method using key segmentation for pre-distributing keying material according to a variable distribution for increasing the resiliency of existing methods.
US08588401B2 Method for automated handling of outbound contacts requiring assured connection to a live agent
A system for assuring agent connection for outbound calls placed in an automated outbound calling campaign includes an outbound dialing server, a digital data repository coupled to the outbound dialing server, the data repository storing outbound dialing records for automated outbound dialing, and software executing on the outbound dialing server from a non-transitory physical medium, the software providing a first function for determining for a specific outbound dialing record if the connection to a live agent must be an assured connection, a second function for dialing and engaging an agent via an internal call for reservation of the agent, and a third function for bridging the call connections forged between the system and the agent and the system and the outbound party upon answer of the outbound call.
US08588400B2 Category based organization and monitoring of customer service help sessions
A method and computer readable medium are provided for monitoring customer support sessions based on at least one category associated with the customer support sessions. A request from an administrator for information associated with unresolved support sessions is received. A set of support categories is presented to the administrator. A selection of at least one support category is received from the administrator. A set of first level customer support agent identifiers associated with at least one support session queued under the at least one support category which has been selected is presented to the administrator.
US08588393B2 Calling party name provisioning
A system may receive a telephone call request for a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) user. The telephone call request omits a name of a calling party. The system may further determine if the VoIP user has a calling party name feature enabled and obtaining, when the VoIP user has a calling party name feature enabled, the name of the calling party from a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) based repository of calling party names.
US08588388B2 Telephone system and server apparatus and control method used in telephone system
According to one embodiment, a telephone system includes a plurality of telephone terminals, a first server apparatus and a second server apparatus. The first server apparatus includes a license authentication module and a transmission controller. The license authentication module performs license authentication by comparing a terminal ID included in a registration request with a terminal ID stored in the license memory. The transmission controller reads from the license memory a license authentication code corresponding to a telephone terminal, and transmits to the telephone terminal a license authentication code added check information.
US08588368B2 Machine for intraoperative radiation therapy
Machine for intraoperative radiation therapy or IORT (Intra Operative Radio Therapy), comprising a body, a radiating head (23) connected to the body, and a shield for X rays. The shield comprises a mobile stand (29) supporting an absorbing mass (13), which is coupled, through connecting means (32), to means (33) for detecting the position of the absorbing mass (13), apt to give to a processor at least a signal indicating the position of the absorbing mass (13) with respect to the body of the machine. The processor determines, on the basis of the position and/or the orientation of the radiating head (23), the position of the absorbing mass (13) with respect to the electron beam axis.
US08588366B2 X-ray imaging apparatus and X-ray imaging method
An X-ray imaging apparatus for obtaining information on a phase shift of an X-ray caused by an object comprises: an splitting element for splitting spatially an X-ray emitted from an X-ray generator unit into X-ray beams; an attenuator unit having an arrangement of attenuating elements for receiving the X-ray beams split by the splitting element; and an intensity detector unit for detecting intensities of X-ray beams attenuated by the attenuator unit; and the attenuating element changing continuously the transmission amount of the X-ray depending on the X-ray incident position on the element.
US08588362B1 Apparatus and method for dynamic spectral filtration
A CT imaging system includes a multi-position x-ray filter having a filter element configured to spectrally filter a beam of x-rays and a magnet structure configured to selectively generate a magnetic field to cause the filter element to move between filter and non-filter positions. A CT imaging system computer causes an x-ray source to emit x-rays at each of a first kVp and a second kVp and control the multi-position x-ray filter to position the filter element in the non-filter position during emission of the x-rays at the first kVp and in the filter position during emission of the x-rays at the second kVp. The computer causes current to be provided to the magnet structure so as to generate a magnetic field configured to move the filter element to the filter and non-filter positions at high frequency, into and out of a path of the beam of x-rays.
US08588360B2 Evacuated containment vessel for a nuclear reactor
A system includes a containment vessel configured to prohibit a release of a coolant, and a reactor vessel mounted inside the containment vessel. An outer surface of the reactor vessel is exposed to below atmospheric pressure, wherein substantially all gases are evacuated from within the containment vessel.
US08588356B2 Method and device for detecting a phase error of a signal
A method for receiving a signal having a succession of symbols, transmitted by a digital modulation, each symbol transmitted having a phase and an amplitude belonging to a set of values in finite number, the method includes evaluating a phase error (PHE) on a received symbol (S), resulting from a signal transmission noise, correcting the phase of the received symbol according to the phase error evaluated, demodulating the symbol corrected in phase, and modeling the transmission noise by a Gaussian component not correlated with the signal received and defined by a power and an interference component defined by an amplitude and which phase is substantially uniformly distributed, the phase error of the received symbol evaluated on the basis of the power of Gaussian component and the amplitude of the interference component.
US08588345B1 Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing receiver
Provided is an OFDM receiver which extracts a time sync signal from a prefix having a symmetric structure. The OFDM receiver, according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, generates the sync signal (e.g., start point) of a symbol by using only the MSB (e.g., sign bit) of the cyclic prefix of an OFDM symbol, reducing the overhead of a logic circuit for generating the sync signal of the symbol.
US08588344B2 Detecting the modulation type and/or constellation order of a PSK/QAM-modulated signal
A system and method for determining the modulation type and constellation order of an input signal given that the modulation type and constellation order are known to belong to set of possible types/orders. A computer operates on samples of the input signal to compute signal features. The computer classifies the modulation type and the constellation order by comparing each feature to one or more corresponding threshold values. The results of the comparisons are used to determine the modulation type and constellation order of the input signal from the set of possible types/orders. The classification may be performed based on a decision tree, each leaf node of the decision tree corresponding to a type/order combination, and each non-leaf node corresponding to one or more of the comparisons. The set of possible types/order may include PSK with a number of different constellation orders and QAM with a number of different constellation orders.
US08588340B2 Receiving device
To optimize an adaptive equalizer with a simple controlling circuit, the receiving device includes a number counting part counting, in a range of detection having a predetermined width, a sampling result corresponding to the input signal being shaped by an equalizer circuit at a determination timing indicated by a clock signal obtained in a CDR circuit, a zone scanning part scanning the range of detection in a scanning zone including a variation range of the input signal; a coefficient altering part altering an equalizer coefficient set to the equalizer circuit; a peak detecting part detecting a peak value of a number of appearances of the sampling result according to alteration of the equalizer coefficient and scanning of the range of detection; and a coefficient specifying part specifying the equalizer coefficient being used when detecting the peak value in the peak detecting part as a first coefficient.
US08588337B2 Vector modulator
Disclosed is a vector modulator. The vector modulator can control the amplitude and phase of an input signal, by not using amplitude variable attenuators but using phase shifters. Further, the vector modulator has a simple configuration and enables an input signal to be exactly modulated. Furthermore, the vector modulator can modulate the phase of an input signal throughout all areas in the polar coordinate system.
US08588335B2 Radio communication device, radio communication method, and communication system using PADM transmission diversity
A radio communication device which when transmitting both a first information sequence, on which π/4-shift differential phase shift modulation is performed, as a delayed wave and a second information sequence, on which a differential phase shift modulation is performed, as an advance wave by using a PADM (Per transmit Antenna Differential Mapping) method, interchanges signal points respectively belonging to quadrants which are one of a first quadrant and a third quadrant, a second quadrant and a fourth quadrant, the first quadrant and the second quadrant, the first quadrant and the fourth quadrant, the second quadrant and the third quadrant, and the third quadrant and the fourth quadrant, the signal points being included in signal points mapped onto a complex plane which consists of a real number axis and an imaginary number axis, to change the arrangement of the information sequence.
US08588333B2 RF transmitter and method of operation
A linear RF transmitter (100) includes a forward path including a baseband signal combiner (109) and an RF (radio frequency) power amplifier (123), and a linearizing control loop from an output (127) of the RF power amplifier to an input of the combiner (109). A feedback control path (105, 107) of the loop delivers a baseband error control signal to the combiner. The transmitter further includes a test signal generator (102) to apply to the combiner in a closed loop level training mode a test signal comprising a voltage Vin which increases with time in a non-linear manner approaching an asymptotic limit such that in response an output signal produced by the combiner is a voltage Ve which is substantially constant over a period of time.
US08588325B2 Communication system, transmission device, reception device, and communication method
A communication system capable of achieving a high usage efficiency of frequencies without the need for cooperation of multiplexed users is disclosed. The communication system communicates over frequency channels set by dividing a frequency bandwidth assigned to the system and allows interference between channels by overlapping the adjacent frequency channels with each other in the frequency domain. A transmitting and receiving device, which transmits and receives a signal by allowing the interference between symbols at a waveform level for each channel to decrease the occupied bandwidth, is provided. The receiving device is provided with an Inter-Channel Interference (ICI) removal and Inter-Symbol Interference (ISI) compensation filter serving as either an ICI removal filter for removing the interference between channels or an ISI compensation filter for compensating the interference between symbols.
US08588305B2 Two-dimensional interpolation architecture for motion compensation in multiple video standards
The present invention provides an apparatus for interpolation which is able to process input data with multiple video standards without sacrificing chip area. The interpolation unit comprises: a first interpolation unit for interpolating input data; a second interpolation unit for interpolating input data; a filter indicator for providing information to the first interpolation unit and the second interpolation unit; and an output unit for multiplexing and averaging output from the first interpolation unit and the second interpolation unit. The present invention also provides a motion compensation unit and a decoder for processing multiple video standards.
US08588302B2 Packet loss analysis
A test sequence (1) comprises multiple pictures (20, 22, 24, 26) comprising at least one respective intra pixel block (30, 32, 34, 36) at a respective dedicated pixel position in the pictures (20, 22, 24, 26). Such a position in a first picture (20) is different from the position of the intra block (32) in a second picture (22) of the sequence. The sequence (1) is transmitted to a user terminal (200) where it is employed for testing the quality of the data communication. By rendering the pictures (20, 22, 24, 26) packet losses are identifiable as missing pixel blocks (30, 332, 34, 36) in the media presentation (60).
US08588298B2 Harmonic quantizer scale
A digital media encoder/decoder performs quantization/dequantization based on quantization parameters taken from a harmonic quantizer scale. The harmonic quantizer scale can include a normal portion consisting of quantization parameter values harmonically-related as simple fractions of each other, and a denormal portion of quantizers having a linear or other relation. The encoder/decoder further supports a scaled quantizer mode where quantization is performed based on the quantization parameter as scaled by a fractional value. A compressed domain contrast adjustment is effected by adjusting the quantization parameters in the compressed bitstream, without having to adjust and recode the digital media data in the compressed bitstream.
US08588285B2 Method and apparatus for operating a digital subscriber line arrangement
A digital subscriber line arrangement includes a downstream modem, an upstream modem and a copper pair connection between the modems. Each modem includes electrical length estimation function code means which causes the respective modem to measure the attenuation of signals transmitted by the other modem at a plurality of different frequencies, and to combine these measurements, or functions thereof, together to form a combined attenuation measure and to use this combined measure to form an electrical length estimation, KL0bis. The downstream modem is operable to transmit its electrical length estimation to the upstream modem, and the upstream modem is operable to generate a definitive electrical length estimation in dependence upon both the received estimation from the downstream modem and the estimation made by the upstream modem. Having generated a definitive electrical length estimation, the upstream modem is operable to transmit this to the downstream modem. Finally, the downstream modem includes Upstream Power Back Off mask generation function code means which causes the downstream modem to use the received definitive electrical length estimation to generate an upstream power back off mask for use in controlling the amount of power used when transmitting upstream signals over the copper pair connection to the upstream modem in one or more upstream transmission bands.
US08588283B2 Method and system for frame formats for MIMO channel measurement exchange
A method and system for frame formats for MIMO channel measurement exchange is provided. Aspects of a method for communicating information in a communication system may comprise transmitting data via a plurality of radio frequency (RF) channels utilizing a plurality of transmitting antenna, receiving feedback information via at least one of a plurality of RF channels, and modifying a transmission mode based on the feedback information. Aspects of a method for communicating information in a communication system may also comprise receiving data via a plurality of receiving antenna, transmitting feedback information via at least one of the plurality of RF channels, and requesting modification of a transmission mode for the received data in transmitted response messages comprising the feedback information.
US08588266B2 Wavelength tunable semiconductor laser having two difractive grating areas
A semiconductor laser has a first diffractive grating area. The first diffractive grating area has a plurality of segments. Each segment has a first area including a diffractive grating and a second area that is space area combined to the first area. Optical lengths of at least two of the second areas are different from each other. A refractive-index of each of the segments are changeable.
US08588261B2 Method and system for suppression of stimulated Raman scattering in laser materials
A composition of matter is provided having the general chemical formula K(H,D)2P(16Ox,18Oy)4, where x<0.998 or y>0.002, and x+y≈1. Additionally, a method of fabricating an optical material by growth from solution is provided. The method includes providing a solution including a predetermined percentage of (H,D)216O and a predetermined percentage of (H,D)218O, providing a seed crystal, and supporting the seed crystal on a platform. The method also includes immersing the seed crystal in the solution and forming the optical material. The optical material has the general chemical formula K(H,D)2P(16Ox,18Oy)4, where x<0.998 or y>0.002, and x+y≈1.
US08588260B2 Optimization of laser bar orientation for nonpolar and semipolar (Ga,Al,In,B)N diode lasers
Optical gain of a nonpolar or semipolar Group-III nitride diode laser is controlled by orienting an axis of light propagation in relation to an optical polarization direction or crystallographic orientation of the diode laser. The axis of light propagation is substantially perpendicular to the mirror facets of the diode laser, and the optical polarization direction is determined by the crystallographic orientation of the diode laser. To maximize optical gain, the axis of light propagation is oriented substantially perpendicular to the optical polarization direction or crystallographic orientation.
US08588259B2 Multiplexing large payloads of control information from user equipments
Disclosed is multiplexing transmissions of Uplink Control Information (UCI) signals having variable payloads from User Equipments (UEs). The UCI transmission uses a first format type if its size is less than or equal to a predetermined values and it uses a second format type if its size is greater than a predetermined value. When the first format type is used the UE multiplexing is through a first method while when the second format type is used the UE multiplexing is through a second method which is different than the first method. The structure of the second format type is the same as the structure used for the transmission of data information by UEs. The UEs can also be grouped and UCI transmission can be triggered through the reception of control signaling addressing a group of UEs and indicating UCI transmission by a sub-group of UEs in the group of UEs.
US08588228B1 Nonvolatile memory controller with host controller interface for retrieving and dispatching nonvolatile memory commands in a distributed manner
A nonvolatile memory controller includes a host controller interface, processors, a message networks and a data network. The host controller interface includes a command fetch module, command assembly buffers, and a command dispatch module. The command fetch module retrieves nonvolatile memory commands from a host processing unit. The command assembly buffers store the nonvolatile memory commands retrieved from the host processing unit. The command dispatch module generates request message packets including the nonvolatile memory commands. The message network routes the request message packets to the processors. The processors process the nonvolatile memory commands in the request message packets for controlling operation of the nonvolatile memory controller.
US08588226B2 Integrated security switch
An integrated security switch and related method for managing connectivity and security among networks. The integrated security switch includes a security function connectable with a first network and at least one switching function connectable with a second network. A common management interface driven by both command line interface and graphic user interface protocols manages the switching function via a management path dedicated between the security function and the switching function. The common management interface enables secure switching of traffic to flow via a traffic path dedicated between the switching function and the security function. Typically, the traffic is a flow of data between the Internet and a group of networked users such as a wide area network.
US08588218B2 Considering mobile station capability in negotiating quality of service for packet switched services
Mobile station capabilities are made available to a radio access network node. The radio access network node determines whether the requested quality of service can be supported by the mobile station in its current cell. These capabilities are taken into account in negotiating a quality of service for a packet flow involving the mobile station.
US08588214B2 Enhanced calling features
Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products are provided for scheduling and initiating calls. For example, a request for a prospective call between a caller and a callee can be received via a server. The prospective call can be electronically added to call lists associated respectively with the caller and the callee. In response to a determination that both the caller and the callee are available, a call between a caller device and a callee device can be automatically initiated.
US08588205B2 Uplink power control message indexing in wireless OFDMA systems
A method of power control message indexing is provided in a wireless Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) network. A base station configures fast feedback channels (FFBCHs) and mobile stations report downlink channel information via the configured FFBCHs. Based on the received channel information, the base station estimates uplink channel quality and detects any channel variation. In response to uplink channel variation, the base station delivers power offsets to adjust the transmit power levels of the mobile stations. In one advantageous aspect, the power control commands for mobile stations are aggregated and the indexing scheme of the power control commands is implicitly based on the configured FFBCHs. For example, if a FFBCH is located at a first location in an uplink frame, then a following power control command in response to the FFBCH is located at a second location in a downlink frame, the second location is located after the first location with a predefined fixed delay time.
US08588197B2 Wireless resource allocation control system, road-side unit, wireless resource allocation control method and storage medium storing program thereof
A wireless resource allocation control system for allocating and releasing wireless resource used for communication between vehicles in a predetermined area is provided. The control system includes a unit mounted on a vehicle, and the unit includes a transmitter for transmitting first information associated with the vehicle. A station receives information from the unit and sends information to the unit. The station calculates a priority level for each of the units on the basis of the first information transmitted from each of the units, ranks the units in the order of the priority level, allocates wireless resources to the units in descending of the priority levels, and releases the wireless resource previously allocated to the unit in the case of the unit unworthy of current allocation of the wireless resource.
US08588193B1 Enhanced wireless data rates using multiple beams
Enhanced wireless speeds are obtained using multiple transmission beams. In one example a transmitter sends data packets through an antenna array using multiple spatial beams and a plurality of analog converters. A receiver receives feedback from a remote station, the feedback including a quality measure of data packets received from the transmitter. A processor to controls transmission parameters of the transmitter using the feedback, the processor having a plurality of states, in a first channel analysis state, the processor determining a beam-forming vector for the antenna array, in a second beam search and training state, the processor determining pre-coding coefficients for the data packets, and in a third high rate transmission state, the processor providing pre-coded data packets to the transmitter for transmission, wherein the processor transitions from the third state to the first state upon receiving a reduced quality measure from the remote station.
US08588192B2 System and method for forming application dependent dynamic data packet in wireless sensor networks
A system and method for forming application dependent dynamic data packet format in a wireless sensor network is provided. The system comprises one or more sensor nodes, wherein each sensor node comprises one or more sensors for sensing physical events. Each sensor is defined as an active or an inactive sensor based upon the application requirement. The system also comprises one or more processing units for converting the physical events sensed by the active sensors to corresponding sensed data in digital format and forming dynamic length data packets comprising the sensed data and a sensor identifier field for conveying the identities of the active sensors.
US08588189B2 Wireless internet terminal and packet transmission method for improving quality of service
Disclosed are a terminal of an OFDMA-TDMA wireless Internet system capable of reducing transmission delay time while securing QoS for uplink data and a packet transmission method. A MAC layer of the terminal is divided into a MAC software part and a MAC hardware part to control priorities of data packets at a high level and low level. The high level priority controller carries out various fine control operations according to a QoS policy and the low level priority controller performs mechanical control operations based on a predetermined simple fixed priority policy.
US08588182B2 Method, system and device for controlling handover of user terminal device
Embodiments of the invention provide a method and system for controlling handover of a user terminal device.
US08588178B2 Adaptive association and joint association and resource partitioning in a wireless communication network
Techniques for supporting communication in a wireless network are described. In an aspect, association and resource partitioning may be performed jointly to select serving base stations for user equipments (UEs) and to allocate available resources to base stations. In another aspect, adaptive association may be performed to select serving base stations for UEs. In one design, a base station computes local metrics for different possible actions related to association and resource partitioning (or only association). The base station receives local metrics for the possible actions from at least one neighbor base station and determines overall metrics for the possible actions based on the computed and received local metrics. The base station determines serving base stations for a set of UEs and resources allocated to the set of base stations (or just serving base stations for the set of UEs) based on the overall metrics for the possible actions.
US08588172B2 Methods and network nodes that simultaneously assign temporary block flows for uplink and downlink communication channels to a mobile station
A method of accessing a communications channel, the method comprising: assigning a time transmission interval (TTI) and at least one temporary block flow (TBF) during an Access Grant Channel (AGCH) assignment; allocating an additional field in an Immediate Assignment message sent on the AGCH; using the additional field to simultaneously assign to a mobile station (MS) at least one temporary block flow on an uplink of the communications channel and at least one temporary block flow on a downlink of the communications channel.
US08588167B2 Method for QoS guarantees in a multilayer structure
A method in which a user equipment processes data in a wireless mobile communication system is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving a first data block from an upper layer, transferring a second data block including the first data block to a lower layer at a particular protocol layer, discarding the first and second data blocks present in the particular protocol layer if a certain period of time has passed, and transferring information associated with the discard of the second data block to the lower layer.
US08588166B2 Method and apparatus for transmitting control information in a wireless communication system
A method for transmitting a signal via physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) in a wireless communication system and an apparatus for performing the method are provided. Control information bits are modulated to generate N1 modulation symbols, wherein N1 is twice a number of subcarriers in one resource block (RB). The modulation symbols are spread by using various orthogonal codes to generate a plurality of sequences and the generated plurality of sequences are transmitted using different slots of a subframe through different antenna ports, each sequence of the plurality of sequences being mapped on a corresponding single carrier frequency division multiple access symbol in a corresponding slot.
US08588159B2 Radio communication apparatus including the use of non-transmission information
A radio communication apparatus includes a receiving section that receives a quality indication signal from a communicating station of a communicating party, a transmitting section that transmits transmission data corresponding to the quality indication signal to the communicating station, and a non-transmission information notifying section that notifies the communicating station of the communicating party of non-transmission information indicative of not transmitting the transmission data when the apparatus does not transmit the transmission data corresponding to the quality indication signal or the apparatus cannot transmit the transmission data to the communicating station. When the communicating terminal apparatus receives the non-transmission information indicative of not transmitting the transmission data, resources are saved in that the apparatus stops awaiting the data.
US08588150B2 RNTI-dependent scrambling sequence initialization
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate initializing scrambling sequence generation in a wireless communication environment. Scrambling sequence generation can be initialized (e.g., at a start of each subframe, . . . ) at least in part as a function of a type of Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI). Further, the type of RNTI utilized for initialization of scrambling sequence generation can correspond to a transmission type (e.g., whether the transmission is related to system information, paging, random access response, scheduled transmission or contention resolution message of a random access procedure, SPS traffic, regular unicast traffic, . . . ). Moreover, the scrambling sequence can be leveraged to scramble data for transmission over a data channel (e.g., Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), . . . ). Further, a receiving wireless communication apparatus can utilize a descrambling sequence similarly yielded based upon the type of RNTI corresponding to the transmission type.
US08588147B2 Method and system for subcarrier division duplexing
A wireless communication network comprising a plurality of base stations capable of wireless communication with a plurality of subscriber stations within a coverage area of the network, wherein at least one base station of the plurality of base stations is capable of assigning available subcarriers in a bandwidth to one of a set of transition guard sub-carriers and a set of communication subcarriers, wherein the set of transition guard sub-carriers are non-identical to and overlap a set of transition guard subcarriers of a neighboring base station.
US08588146B2 Method and apparatus for channel selection in a wireless communication system
A node in a wireless communication system announces a channel switch operation to facilitate a smooth transition to other channel. The node detects a requirement to discontinue communications at a first channel and sends a message to a plurality of neighboring nodes in response to detecting the requirement. Generally, the message comprises at least a reason for discontinuation of communications at the first channel and a duration for the channel switch operation after which the node is available for communications at the first channel or an alternate channel. Each of the plurality of neighboring nodes can determine based on the message and the neighborhood conditions a requirement to scan alternate channels to initiate communications with other nodes.
US08588145B2 Method for allocating and accessing radio resources in OFDMA system
Disclosed is a method for allocating and accessing downlink resources in the OFDMA communication system. In the resource allocation method, bursts having the same modulation and channel encoding level are arranged in a predetermined temporal order on a physical layer. Information on the allocated unit resources is included in a common control block and is transmitted to a subscriber station, and the subscriber station then detects a number of the allocated unit resources to thus check the range of bursts to be received by the subscriber station. Therefore, power consumption by the subscriber station is reduced and signaling overheads of the common control information and unneeded residual resources are decreased.
US08588141B2 Network controllers, communication systems, and bearer type determination method
Terminal management means stores information with respect to a terminal that joins a delivery service provided in each cell in a context that serves to manage the information with respect to the terminal. Terminal counting means counts the number of terminals that joins the delivery service in the each cell on the basis of each service using the context stored in the terminal management means. Bearer determination means determines whether to use a point-to-point bearer or a point-to-multipoint bearer for the delivery service in the each cell based on the number of terminals counted by the terminal counting means.
US08588136B2 System and method for SSS detection under carrier frequency offset in an orthogonal frequency-division multiple access downlink channel
A system and method for SSS detection under carrier frequency offset in an orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) downlink channel. A processor receives a signal sample that includes a transmission on a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a transmission on a one secondary synchronization signal (SSS). The processor determines a correlation “P” of a first symbol transmitted in the PSS of the signal sample to a first known symbol at each time “t” of time increments k of the signal sample and a correlation “S” of a second symbol transmitted in the a SSS to a second known symbol at each time t-.5/7 msecs. The processor receives a candidate phase rotation of θi from a set of “i” candidates and determines a correlation “Cmax” over the time increments k representing a maximum amplitude of a combined correlation of S and P, with P rotated by θi. The processor determines the cell identifier from the first and second known symbols that produced S and P of C max and an estimation of the frequency offset between a transmitter of the signal sample and a receiver of the signal sample.
US08588133B2 Mobile communication system, signal transmission method thereof, and transmitting node
A mobile communication system includes a base station control apparatus, and first and second type base stations having a receiving unit that receives a predetermined signal transmitted from the base station control apparatus. The base station control apparatus includes a type determining unit that determines whether a type of the base station is the second type base station, a transmission period setting unit that sets a transmission period of the predetermined signal for the base station determined to be the second type base stations by the type determining unit, to be longer than a transmission period of the predetermined signal for the base station not determined to be the second type base station, and a transmitting unit that periodically transmits the predetermined signal to the base stations, based on a transmission period set for each of the base stations by the transmission period setting unit.
US08588132B1 Enhancing wireless telecommunications services on-site
Methods and media are provided for offering telecommunications features to wireless devices through the use of a wireless exchange unit. The wireless exchange unit serves as an access point onto a larger wireless telecommunications network through use of a high-speed internet connection. The wireless exchange unit includes an access point base transceiver station (BTS) and an integrated application server. The integrated application server includes a session proxy, a home application server, and a voice application server. The wireless devices can access features such as, among other things, reduced-digit dialing, call rollover, and alternate message notification. For connections between devices local to the wireless exchange unit, the larger telecommunications network resources need not be utilized, therefore reducing congestion and improving performance. If used in conjunction with a network application server on the larger telecommunications network, the enhanced features can be offered to associated wireless devices when the devices are not local to the wireless exchange unit through access at another point of the telecommunications network.
US08588127B2 Apparatus and method for allocation of subframes on a mixed carrier
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for allocating subframes of a mixed carrier. In one aspect, there is provided a method. The method may include allocating subframes within radio frames transmitted to a user element. Moreover, the method may include transmitting, to the user element, a message comprising an indication of the allocation. The indication may be representative of the allocation within the subframes of consecutive radio frames, without the indication identifying the radio frames including the allocated subframes. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.
US08588126B2 Methods and apparatus for network communication via barrage relay onto an independent medium allocation
Systems and methods are presented for conducting a relayed communication involving a source node, a plurality of intermediate nodes, and at least one destination node, involving at the source node transmitting a signal associated with the relayed communication on a first medium allocation, at each one of the plurality of intermediate nodes relaying the signal onto a next medium allocation in response to receiving the signal as transmitted on at least one medium allocation up to a current medium allocation, and at the at least one destination node receiving the signal as transmitted on at least one medium allocation up to a last medium allocation, wherein at least one node among the plurality of intermediate nodes and the at least one destination node receives signals associated with the relayed communication from multiple intermediate nodes as transmitted on at least one medium allocation.
US08588121B2 Method for improving power efficiency of subscriber stations
Disclosed is a method for improving power efficiency of subscriber stations in a communication network. A subscriber station is uniquely identified by a base station using a connection Identifier (CID). The method includes splitting CIDs of subscriber stations to form a plurality of first parts and a plurality of second parts. The method includes generating an index including a plurality of entries and transmitting the index to a plurality of subscriber stations by the base station. One or more subscriber stations switch to a power-saving mode on absence of a match between each entry of the plurality of entries with an equivalent part of CIDs associated with the one or more subscriber stations, thereby conserving power and improving power efficiency of the subscriber station. Further, at least one information element in a sub-MAP message may be compressed to reduce overhead.
US08588120B2 Power conservation in wireless client terminals using proxy device
A novel power conservation scheme is provided for conserving power in client terminals by using a proxy server. The client terminal may have a secondary communication interface for short range communications and a primary communication interface for long range communications with an access point for a wireless network. To conserve power, the client terminal may power down its primary communication interface without informing the access point. The access point assumes the primary communication interface is still active. Prior to shutting off its primary communication interface, the client terminal may assign an external proxy device to act as a proxy and monitor its data channel with the access point. The proxy device monitors the data channel(s) for the client terminal via a primary communication interface. If the proxy device detects a data message for the client terminal, it forwards the data message to the client terminal via a secondary communication interface.
US08588114B2 Differential power amplifier architectures
In one embodiment, a differential power amplifier structure includes a transceiver module supporting multiple frequency band signals, a plurality of power amplifiers coupled to the transceiver module, each of the plurality of power amplifiers having at least two outputs having 180° phase offset therebetween, and a plurality of filters coupled to the plurality of power amplifiers.
US08588108B2 Method and apparatus to trigger DAG reoptimization in a sensor network
In one embodiment, a probing technique allows a root node to determine whether to trigger reoptimization of a computer network represented by a directed acyclic graph (DAG) without injecting unnecessary traffic into the network. The root node may store and maintain information indicative of an ideal shape or topology of the DAG. During a normal DAG maintenance operation, the root node may transmit a DAG discovery request (probe request) that is configured to probe each node within the DAG for information used to determine a current topology of the DAG. In response, each node may record the information, e.g., routing and non-routing metrics, in a DAG discovery reply (probe reply) that is propagated to the root node. Upon receiving one or more replies, the root node may analyze the metrics to determine whether the current topology of the DAG deviates from the ideal DAG topology. The root node may thus determine DAG topology deviation upon probing at minimal cost. A number of algorithms may then be used to determine whether reoptimization, i.e., global repair, of the DAG is is required and, if so, the root node may dynamically trigger the global repair.
US08588105B2 Method for updating information regarding network nodes serving a tracking area
The present invention relates to a method in a radio base station (15) and a radio base station for updating information on communication network nodes (A-H) serving a tracking area (28) in which said radio base station (15) is located. The updating information is requested by sending an identity of said tracking area (28) to a communication network server (25), where after said information on said serving communication network nodes (A-H) is received from said communication network server (25).
US08588100B2 Method and apparatus for data retransmission in an enhanced multimedia broadcast and multicast service
The present invention discloses a method and an apparatus for data retransmission in an enhanced multimedia broadcast and multicast service; and the method includes: dividing all user terminals into different user groups according to service priorities of the user terminals, and setting retransmission parameters for the different user groups; and in a particular time period, if the number of times of data retransmission requests received from user terminals in one user group by a base station is not less than a preset value of the set retransmission parameter, performing data retransmission for the user terminals in the user group and retiming; otherwise, when the particular time period expires, performing the data retransmission for the user terminals in the user group and retiming. The present invention improves the data retransmission efficiency of the enhanced multimedia broadcast and multicast service on the premise of ensuring a certain level of impartiality.
US08588095B2 Data conversion device and data conversion method
A data conversion device includes a receiving unit that receives first data and second data, transmitting after a start of the first data, transmitted from the first device to the second device, a transmitting unit that transmits the received first data and second data to a third device, and a control unit that controls a time point of transmitting the second data from the transmitting unit to lengthen a time interval between transmission of the first data and second data from the transmitting unit than a first time interval between transmission of the first data from the transmitting unit and reception of response data to the first data by the receiving unit when the first time interval is longer than a time interval between the transmission of the first data and second data from the first device to the second device.
US08588087B2 Method for positioning mobile devices and apparatus for positioning mobile devices
The present invention relates to a mobile communication field. The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for WiMAX positioning by downlink preamble fast detection DPFD. The method comprises steps of: Mobile user station MSS detects downlink preambles from BSs, all of which are synchronized by in TDD mode mobile WiMAX; the TDoA of different BSs' preamble is get through preamble-based synchronization detection; and the exact location is calculated through classical TDoA algorithms. The embodiment of the present invention describes a novel concept for measuring the position of the mobile user equipment by the uplink ranging assistant downlink preamble detection. With the mobile WiMAX is accepted as a 3G standard by ITU and widely populated, the position based on WiMAX will be a market-potential service.
US08588082B2 Network testing using control plane and data plane convergence
There is disclosed a system and method for implementing a control plane/data plane test to evaluate the performance of a device under test upon the occurrence of a critical event. The method may be performed by a network testing system.
US08588073B2 Voice and data exchange over a packet based network
A voice queue includes a primary queue and a secondary queue. The secondary queue is operable to store voice packets and generate timestamps for the voice packets. The primary queue is operable to receive the voice packets from the secondary queue, store the timestamps for the voice packets, and store sequence numbers for the voice packets.
US08588069B2 System and method for analyzing the performance of multiple transportation streams of streaming media in packet-based networks
A packetized streaming media delivery network carries many “streams” of differing media content. They often are from multiple sources and of different media types. The invention consists of a scalable hardware and/or software computing element resolving the network traffic into its individual streams for focused, simultaneous, and continuous real-time monitoring and analysis. The monitoring and analysis consists of delay factor and media loss rate which measure the cumulative jitter of the streaming media within the delivery network and the condition of the media payload. These measurements form a powerful picture of network problem awareness and resolution. The delay factor objectively indicates the contribution of the network devices in the streams' path, allowing for both problem prediction and indication. In one example, tapping a packetized network at various locations allows for correlation of the same-stream performance at various network points to pinpoint the source(s) of the impairment(s).
US08588066B2 Systems and methods for link load balancing on a multi-core device
Systems and methods are described for link load balancing, by a multi-core intermediary device, a plurality of Internet links. The method may include load balancing, by a multi-core device intermediary to a plurality of devices and a plurality of Internet links, network traffic across the plurality of Internet links. The multi-core device providing persistence of network traffic to a selected Internet link based on a persistence type. A first core of the multi-core device receives, a packet to be transmitted via an Internet link to be selected from the plurality of Internet links. The first core sends to a second core of the multi-core device a request for persistence information responsive to identifying that the second core is an owner core of a session for persistence based on the persistence type. The first core receives the persistence information from the second core and determines to transmit the packet to the Internet link previously selected based on the persistence information received from the second core.
US08588060B2 E-spring (G.8032) interworking to provide access protection
A method of enabling a resilient interface between a first node and a G.8032 Ethernet ring. A Link Aggregation Group (LAG) comprising respective links is provided between the first node and at least two ring nodes of the Ethernet ring. An aggregation function is instantiated at the first node, for distributing subscriber traffic to the links of the LAG in a conventional manner. A first one of the ring nodes is designated as Active, and each of the other ones of the ring nodes are designated as Inactive. At each Inactive ring node, a logical block is imposed on its respective link of the LAG, such that subscriber traffic between the first node and the Ethernet ring is routed by the aggregation function only through the respective link between the first node and the Active ring node.
US08588044B2 CD/DVD mode selection control using laser diode voltage
Circuitry for controlling mode selection of a CD/DVD reader is described. In one embodiment, the CD/DVD reader has a first device having at least one analog output, a second device having at least one digital input and at least one analog input, and an interface circuit coupling the analog output of the first device to the digital input and the analog input in the second device. The interface circuit includes a circuitry to use a single control signal from the analog output of the first device to control the digital input and the analog input in the second device. Other embodiments are also described.
US08588040B1 Thermally assisted magnetic head slider, head gimbal assembly, and hard disk drive with the same, and manufacturing method thereof
A thermally assisted magnetic head slider includes an air bearing surface facing to a magnetic recording medium, a read portion, and a write portion including a write element, a waveguide for guiding light generated by the light source module, and a plasmon unit provided around the write portion and the waveguide. A first coat layer with a first thickness which has a first light absorption index is covered on an opposed-to-medium surface of the read portion, and a second coat layer with a second thickness which has a second light absorption index is covered on an opposed-to medium surface of the write portion, wherein the second thickness is larger than the first thickness, and the second light absorption index is smaller than the first light absorption index. The slider can protect the write portion and improve the reading performance of the read portion.
US08588037B2 Magnetic disk device, magnetic disk evaluation apparatus, and magnetic head
A magnetic disk device of an embodiment includes a magnetic disk, a magnetic head, a laser-beam-intensity control unit, a reproduced-signal detecting unit, and a magnetic-disk evaluating unit. The magnetic head reads a signal recorded in the magnetic disk, or performs magnetic recording while irradiating a laser beam onto the magnetic disk. The laser-beam-intensity control unit controls the intensity of the laser beam. The reproduced-signal detecting unit detects the signal read by the magnetic head. The magnetic-disk evaluating unit evaluates the signal read from the magnetic head, on the basis of a relation between a noise level detected from the signal read by the magnetic head, and the intensity of the laser beam.
US08588036B1 Optical device including interlayer
A device including a waveguide, the waveguide having a first portion where energy having a wavelength, λ, enters and a second portion where the energy exits, the waveguide including a core layer with an index of refraction, n1; at least one cladding layer formed adjacent the core layer, the cladding layer having an index of refraction, n2; a reflective layer, the reflective layer positioned adjacent the first portion of the waveguide; and an interlayer, the interlayer positioned between the first portion of the waveguide and the reflective layer, the interlayer having an index of refraction, n3; wherein n3 is greater than n2.
US08588025B2 Method and apparatus for acquiring wide-azimuth marine data using simultaneous shooting
A technique for acquiring wide azimuth seismic data using simultaneous shooting is presented in which a plurality of seismic sources are positioned to achieve a desired crossline sampling as a function of the number of passes. This is accomplished by “interleaving” sources as deployed in the spread, as positioned in multiple passes, or some combination of these things, to achieve an effective shotline interval during acquisition or an effective crossline sampling less than their crossline source separation.
US08588023B2 Semiconductor memory device having selective activation circuit for selectively activating circuit areas
A semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of memory banks each including a plurality of circuit areas selected based on an address signal, any one of which is selected by a corresponding bank selective signal (source transistor control signals), and a selective activation circuit that, from among circuit areas included in a memory bank that is selected based on the bank selective signal, activates any one of the circuit areas based on the address signal, and deactivates at least one of rest of the circuit areas. According to the present invention, the power consumption can be reduced in an active state by a dynamic power control in response to an address signal, not by entire power control by an external command.
US08588022B2 Memory refresh methods, memory section control circuits, and apparatuses
Apparatuses, memory section control circuits, and methods of refreshing memory are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a plurality of memory sections and a plurality of memory section control circuits. Each memory section control circuit is coupled to a respective one of the plurality of memory sections and includes a plurality of access line drivers, each of which includes a plurality of transistors having common coupled gates. During an operation of the apparatus a first voltage is provided to the commonly coupled gates of the transistors of at least some of the access line drivers of the memory section control circuit coupled to an active memory section and a second voltage is provided to the commonly coupled gates of the transistors of the access line drivers of the memory section control circuit coupled to an inactive memory section control circuit, wherein the first voltage is greater than the second voltage.
US08588021B2 Sense amplifier apparatus and methods
Some embodiments include apparatus and methods having a sense amplifier unit, a supply node to receive a supply voltage, and a line coupled to a memory cell of a device. The sense amplifier unit includes a circuit path coupled between the supply node and the line to carry a current having a value based on a value of information stored in the memory cell. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US08588002B2 Nonvolatile memory devices and programming methods thereof in which a program inhibit voltage is changed during programming
Provided are nonvolatile memory devices and programming methods thereof. A non-volatile memory device is programmed by performing a plurality of programming loops on memory cells in a memory cell array and changing a program inhibit voltage applied to bit lines of the memory cells that have completed programming while performing the plurality of programming loops.
US08587991B2 Recycling charges
A circuit includes a first node; a second node; a first PMOS transistor having a source coupled to the first node, a drain coupled to a first control transistor, and a gate driven by a first voltage; and a first NMOS transistor having a source coupled to the second node, a drain coupled to the first control transistor, and a gate driven by a second voltage. The first PMOS transistor is configured to automatically turn off based on the first voltage and a first node voltage at the first node. The first NMOS transistor is configured to automatically turn off based on the second voltage and a second node voltage at the second node. When the first PMOS transistor, the control transistor, and the first NMOS transistor are on, the first node voltage is lowered while the second voltage is raised.
US08587979B2 System and method for reducing power consumption in a content-addressable memory
According to one disclosed embodiment, a content-addressable memory (CAM) system configured for reduced power consumption includes a sensing circuit utilized to apply a sense voltage to a matchline of the CAM system, a valid bit cell coupled to the matchline, and a power cut-off circuit configured to isolate the sense voltage from the matchline when an invalid validity state is stored in the valid bit cell, thereby reducing power consumption by the CAM system. In one embodiment, the power cut-off circuit isolates the sense voltage from the matchline by decoupling the sensing circuit from a control signal when an invalid validity state is stored in the valid bit cell.
US08587970B2 Isolated switching power supply apparatus including primary-side and secondary-side digital control circuits
A switching power supply apparatus includes a PFC converter, a DC-DC converter, and primary-side and secondary-side digital control circuits that control the PFC converter and the DC-DC converter. On the basis of a voltage detected by an output voltage detection circuit, the primary-side digital control circuit transmits data about the on-time of a switching element of the DC-DC converter to the primary-side digital control circuit. On the basis of this data, the primary-side digital control circuit controls the on-time of the switching element.
US08587963B2 Resonant converter equipped with multiple output circuits to provide multiple power outlets
A resonant converter equipped with a phase shifting output circuit includes a resonant circuit to receive input power and regulate to become at least one resonant power, a switch unit to switch an ON period for the input power to pass through the resonant circuit and a power transformation circuit to regulate the resonant power and output a transformed power. The resonant converter further has a primary output circuit and at least one secondary output circuit. The primary output circuit regulates the transformed power to become a primary output power. A resonant control unit captures a feedback signal from the primary output circuit and generates a resonant control signal. A phase shifting control unit receives the resonant control signal and regulate to become a phase shifting driving signal. The secondary output circuit is controlled by the phase shifting driving signal and provides a secondary output power.
US08587957B2 Mounting apparatus for data storage device
A mounting apparatus for mounting a data storage device includes a bracket and a locking member. The bracket includes a first clamping arm and a second clamping arm pivotable relative to the first clamping arm. A number of mounting pins extend from each of the first and second clamping arms. The second clamping arm includes a first hook. The locking member is pivotably mounted to the first clamping arm and includes a second hook. When the second clamping arm is pivoted towards the first clamping arm, the first hook of the second clamping arm drives the locking member to rotate, until the second hook engages with the first hook and the mounting pins engage in opposite sidewalls of the data storage device.
US08587955B2 Electronic device with a ceramic component
An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device may include a component made of a ceramic material. The electronic device may also include circuitry configured to transmit signals. The signals may pertain to input received through the component.
US08587953B2 Flexible data cable
A multi-layered cable consisting of three or more conductive layers separated by layers of dielectric and/or adhesive material. The bottom layer and the top layer may act as return path for the transmitted signals and as a shield to prevent interference between these and external electrical signals. Located between the bottom layer and the top layer, the middle layer may transmit desired signals through the flexible cable. The material selection and specifics of each of the layers should be selected so as to achieve a balance in which the desired electrical impedance and mechanical flexibility requirements are met. The cable may also include one or more vias connecting the bottom layer to the top layer, providing shielding all the way around the flex cable. An additional conductive sock may be used to improve shielding effectiveness of the top and bottom layer and to connect to I/O connector shells and the system Faraday cage.
US08587951B2 Portable computer structures
Portable computer structures are provided. The portable computer structures may include connector structures. The portable computer may have a case. A portion of the connector structure may be formed by the case of the portable computer. The portable computer may have a circuit board with grounding spring-loaded pins which electrically ground the circuit board to the case of the portable computer. The portable computer may have an optical disk drive that is form fitted to mount to the portable computer case.
US08587934B2 Waterproof structure for electronic device
A waterproof structure for an electronic device is provided that includes a speaker, a housing, and a cover. The housing holds the speaker and includes at least one through-hole to transmit sound produced by the speaker. The cover includes a first sheet and a second sheet laminated to the first sheet. The stiffness of the second sheet is greater than the stiffness of the first sheet, and the cover is fixed to the housing to seal the at least one through-hole.
US08587921B2 Method of adjustment on manufacturing of a circuit having a resonant element
A method of adjustment in the manufacture of a capacitance of a capacitor supported by a substrate, the method including the steps of: a) forming a first electrode parallel to the surface of the substrate and covering it with a dielectric layer; b) forming, on a first portion of the dielectric layer, a second electrode; c) measuring the capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode, and deducing therefrom the capacitance to be added to obtain the desired capacitance; d) thinning down a second portion of the dielectric layer, which is not covered by the second electrode, so that the thickness of this second portion is adapted to the forming of the deduced capacitance; and e) forming a third electrode on the thinned-down portion and connecting it to the second electrode.
US08587918B2 Systems and methods for electrodes for insulative electronic weaponry
An electronic weapon with an installed deployment unit, from which at least one tethered electrode is launched, provides a stimulus current through a target to inhibit locomotion by the target. The wire tether, also called a filament, conducts the stimulus current. The one or more electrodes, according to various aspects of the present invention, perform one or more of the following functions in any combination: binding the filament to the electrode, deploying the filament from the deployment unit, coupling the electrode to the target, and distributing a current density with respect to a region of target tissue and/or a volume of target tissue. For an electrode that includes a body and a spear, the spear may be implemented with conductive rings or with materials that include integrated conductive and insulative substances (e.g., conductive fibers in insulative composite material). Relatively high electric field flux density at a tip of the spear may be reduced or avoided by practice of the invention.
US08587917B2 Static eliminator and static elimination control method
Provided is a static eliminator capable of holding ion balance uniform regardless of a distance from the static eliminator. The static eliminator includes: an electrode driving device that alternately and repeatedly applies, to a discharge electrode, a positive drive voltage and a negative drive voltage as drive voltages for corona discharge; decreases a ratio of the application time of the positive drive voltage while relatively increasing the voltage value of the positive drive voltage in a case of increasing positive ions, and increases the ratio of the application time of the positive drive voltage while relatively decreasing the voltage value of the positive drive voltage in a case of increasing negative ions.
US08587914B2 Fault circuit interrupter device
In one embodiment, there is a fault interrupter device comprising at least one sensor comprising at least one first transformer having at least one outer region forming an outer periphery and at least one inner hollow region. There is also at least one second transformer that is disposed in the inner hollow region of the at least one first transformer. The transformers can be substantially circular in configuration, and more particularly, ring shaped. In another embodiment there is a rotatable latch which is used to selectively connect and disconnect a set of separable contacts to selectively disconnect power from the line side to the load side. The rotatable latch is in one embodiment coupled to a reset button. In at least one embodiment there is a slider which is configured to selectively prevent the manual tripping of the device.
US08587912B2 Electric circuit protection system and method for protecting an electric circuit
An electric circuit protection system includes a control module and a circuit sensor communicatively coupled with the control module. The control module is communicatively coupled with a switch that is joined with a circuit having a power source and a fuse. The control module is configured to monitor a degradation factor related to an energy threshold value of the fuse and direct the switch to open the circuit to prevent the power source from supplying current through the fuse. The circuit sensor is configured to measure an energy parameter of the current supplied by the power source through the circuit or that is demanded by a load from the power source. The control module is configured to direct the switch to open the circuit based on the energy threshold value and the energy parameter.
US08587910B2 Function module and coupling module for a switch device control and system for switch device control
A functional module for a switch device control is disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the functional module includes—a communication unit having a communication interface for communicating with at least one further functional module and/or at least one coupling module,—a control unit connected to the communication unit and designed to receive signals transmitted from the at least one further functional module and/or the at least one coupling module to the communication unit and to transmit switch commands via the communication unit to the at least one further functional module and/or the at least one coupling module,—a first control current interface for the electric connection to a first switch device or an external energy supply unit, and—a second control current interface for supplying control current to the at least one further functional module and/or the at least one coupling module.
US08587906B2 Photovotaic system including hybrid bi-directional DC contactors and method of detection and isolation of faults therein
A photovoltaic (PV) power system is disclosed that includes hybrid DC contactors corresponding to each of a plurality of PV strings, with each hybrid DC contactor having main contacts, a solid state switching unit positioned in parallel with the main contacts, and sensors configured to measure a voltage and current on respective PV strings. A controller is provided in the PV power system that is configured to receive voltage and current data on the PV strings, detect a fault condition on a respective PV string based on the voltage and current data, cause the main contacts of a respective hybrid DC contactor to remain closed on each PV string for which a fault condition is detected, and cause the main contacts of a respective hybrid DC contactor to open on each PV string for which no fault condition is detected, so as to clear the fault condition.
US08587893B2 Base structure for device having a base body and base reinforcing plate and hard disk drive having the base structure
There are provided a base structure for a device such as a hard disk drive and a hard disk drive having the same. The base structure includes: a base body including components mounted thereon and made of a non-aluminum material; and a base reinforcing part attached to the base body as an additional piece. More specifically, the base body is provided by press-molding a steel sheet and the base reinforcing part is provided by press-molding a steel sheet or is provided as a reinforcing plate separately attached to an outer surface of the base body, and the base structure further includes a reinforcing part processing member additionally provided in the reinforcing plate. The base structure for a device such as a hard disk drive and the like, in which the rigidity thereof is secured or the weight thereof is reduced by using various base reinforcing parts and reinforcing part processing members while the manufacturing costs of the base structure are reduced.
US08587890B2 Tape drive provided write format for overwrite erasure of magnetic tape data recorded in tracks
A magnetic tape drive has a drive system to move a magnetic tape longitudinally; servo head(s) for reading servo band information from a magnetic tape as the magnetic tape is moved longitudinally; a magnetic tape read write head configured to read and to write the magnetic tape, having a data write width (w) greater than a normal shingled track pitch width (p) of the magnetic tape; an actuator system for positioning the read write head laterally; and a control. The magnetic tape drive stores an overwrite erase format of non-shingled track pitch longitudinal pattern(s) whose pitch is greater than the normal shingled track pitch width (p); and, the control, in response to activation of overwrite erasure of the tape drive, operates the actuator system and the magnetic tape read write head to write non-data to magnetic tape in the stored overwrite erase format.
US08587876B2 Zoom lens having optical path bending member and image pickup apparatus equipped with same
A zoom lens includes, in order from the object side to the image side, a first lens unit having a negative refractive power, a second lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a third lens unit including a lens. The distance between the first lens unit and the second lens unit is smaller at the telephoto end than at the wide angle end, and the distance between the second lens unit and the third lens unit changes during zooming from the wide angle end to the telephoto end. The first lens unit consists, in order from the object side, of a front sub lens unit having a negative refractive power, an optical path bending member, and a rear sub lens unit having a positive refractive power. The front sub lens unit includes a biconcave single lens, and the rear sub lens unit includes one or two single lenses.
US08587867B1 Beam combiner apparatus and method
A beam combining method (and concomitant apparatus) comprising, with a plurality of cascaded partially reflective surfaces, receiving images from a plurality of fields of view and combining the images into a single output optical path, and employing compressive sensing with an optical sensor receiving the combined images.
US08587851B2 Target color recipes
An apparatus for generating target color recipes includes a controller (202) using test chart data (100) including first and second sets of test patches to generate a flexible color model (214) for accurately predicting color response throughout the printer colorant space. The first set of test patches includes mostly patches distributed throughout colorant space. The second set of patches includes mostly patches in selected colorant space areas and with limitations on the number of chromatic colorants with non-zero tints. The controller generates recipes for target colors using the model generated after one measurement iteration.
US08587841B2 Compact configuration for a scan bar assembly
A scan bar assembly includes an illuminating unit including a first length; a photosensor array including a second length; and a first spacer member and a second spacer member, each of the first and second spacer members including: an inner side that is proximate the photosensor array; and an outer side that is distal to the photosensor array, wherein a distance between the inner side of the first spacer member and the inner side of the second spacer member is greater than the second length and less than the first length.
US08587837B2 Image processing apparatus embedding additional information in document data
In an image processing apparatus, an input part inputs additional information to be embedded when printing a document. A developing part develops a character contained in the document, into which character the additional information is to be embedded, using a form deformed according to the additional information.
US08587823B2 Device for searching print target image adapted for printable area
The present invention provides an image searching device that searches a print target image adapted for a printable area only by setting a template for the printable area and a search condition necessary to search the print target image. The image searching device inputs shape information on the printable area. Then, the image searching device sets the image search condition. Then, the image searching device searches the print target image from a plurality of images on the basis of the shape information on the printable area, and the image search condition. According to the image searching device, upon printing of an image in a specially-shaped printable area, a print target image adapted for the printable area can be automatically searched only by setting a shape of the printable area, and an image search condition, resulting in improvement of searching efficiency.
US08587819B2 Page layout control device, image processing apparatus, page layout control method, and computer readable medium
A page layout control device having a receiving unit that receives booklet designation information for printing two pages on each of both sides of a recording sheet and saddle-stitching as printing information for printing on a single recording sheet; a booklet page layout processing unit that carries out page layout processing in which two pages are laid out on each of both sides of each recording sheet such that pages are collated after a booklet is created, and a trial page layout processing unit that, when printing side information for designating a printing side of the recording sheet in the booklet designation information received by the receiving unit indicates single-sided printing, carries out page layout processing.
US08587817B2 Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer readable medium storing program
An image processing apparatus includes a header acquiring part, a table connection determining part, and a table connecting part. The header acquiring part acquires a header from a table, having rows and columns, included in each of plural pieces of image data arranged in a predetermined order. The table connection determining part determines whether the headers acquired from the tables match one another and determines, as a set of tables to be connected, adjacent tables having the matching headers. The table connecting part deletes the header from each of one or more second tables and connects a first table and the one or more second tables to each other in accordance with the predetermined order. The first table is included in a first piece of pieces of image data of the determined set of tables in the predetermined order.
US08587816B2 Method and apparatus for storing increment values without using an increment counter
Electronic systems, such as printing systems, often use components that have integral memory. The integral memory can be used to store information about the component. In some printing systems this memory includes a portion that stores a value indicative of an amount of a consumable that has been used. Some printing systems do this by using a counter to count the amount of the consumable used and then sending a count command to the memory. The increment count command is processed to increment the value stored within the memory. Disclosed is a method and system for allowing the memory to be updated by a count command without having to increment the value stored. This method allows print cartridges to be used in printing systems that utilize counters without having to increment the counter each time an increment command is received.
US08587802B2 Selecting print jobs based on detected user presence and wait time
There is provided a print system, comprising: a user ID obtaining unit configured to obtain a user ID from a memory device through wireless communication; a waiting time obtaining unit configured to obtain time information concerning a waiting time for which a user corresponding to the obtained user ID waits for execution of a print job, based on operations to obtain a user ID by the user ID obtaining unit; and a print control unit configured to select a print job in accordance with the obtained time information, from among a plurality of print jobs, and to execute the selected print job.
US08587789B2 Chromatic point sensor compensation including workpiece material effects
A method of error compensation in a chromatic point sensor (CPS) reduces errors associated with varying workpiece spectral reflectivity. The errors are associated with a distance-independent profile component of the CPS measurement signals. Workpiece spectral reflectivity may be characterized using known spectral reflectivity for a workpiece material, or by measuring the workpiece spectral reflectivity using the CPS system. CPS spectral reflectivity measurement may comprise scanning the CPS optical pen to a plurality of distances relative to a workpiece surface and determining a distance-independent composite spectral profile from a plurality of resulting wavelength peaks. By comparing the distance-independent composite spectral profile obtained from a workpiece with that corresponding to the CPS distance calibration procedure, the contribution of the reflectivity characteristics of the workpiece will be indicated in the differences between the profiles, and potential CPS position errors due to varying workpiece reflectivity characteristics may be calculated and/or compensated.
US08587783B2 Spectral estimation parameter generation device, method of generating spectral estimation parameter, and spectral estimation device
A device measures a spectral distribution with respect to each of a plurality of color charts, sets default values to band specification data, and computes a camera output signal based on spectral sensitivity of the multiband camera and spectral feature of light from each of the plurality of charts. The device computes a candidate value of a spectral estimation parameter from the measured spectral distribution of each color chart and the computed camera output signal. The device successively varies the band specification data from the default values to make an evaluation function approach a target value, determines a spectral estimation parameter corresponding to the band specification data when the evaluation function reaches the target value. The evaluation function is defined to correlate the measured spectral distribution of each color chart to a spectral estimation value computed from the candidate value of the spectral estimation parameter and the camera output signal.
US08587781B2 View-finder in ellipsometer or the like systems
A system for and method of allowing visual observation of a sample being subject to investigation by an electromagnetic beam, to identify where thereupon a beam of sample investigating electromagnetic radiation is caused to impinge, in combination with a data detector of the beam of sample investigating electromagnetic radiation after it interacts with the sample.
US08587779B2 Spectrometer
A spectrometer 1A is provided with an integrating sphere 20 for observing measured light emitted from a sample S of a measurement target, and a Dewar vessel 50 which retains a medium R for regulating temperature of the sample S, so as to cover the sample S and a second container portion 50b of which is located so as to face the interior of the integrating sphere 20. The sample S can be easily regulated at a desired temperature with the use of the Dewar vessel 50 retaining the medium R so as to cover the sample S. As the second container portion 50b is located so as to face the interior of the integrating sphere 20, the temperature of the sample S is regulated by the medium R, while inhibiting an external ambience around the integrating sphere from affecting the sample S. Therefore, the sample S can be efficiently regulated at a desired temperature.
US08587769B2 Stage apparatus and lithographic apparatus comprising such stage apparatus
A stage apparatus to position an object, the stage apparatus including a table configured to hold the object, a support structure configured to support the table, the table being displaceable relative to the support structure, the support structure including one of a first data clock and a second data clock and the table including the other one of the first data clock and the second data clock; and a circuit configured to synchronize the first and second data clocks, the circuit including a transmitter and receiver, the transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit clock signal data from the first data clock to the second data clock, and a synchronization circuit configured to synchronize the second data clock with the first data clock from the wirelessly transmitted clock signal data received by the receiver.
US08587764B2 Optical integrator system, illumination optical apparatus, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method
An optical integrator system comprises a first optical integrator including a plurality of first wavefront dividing elements two-dimensionally juxtaposed, and a second optical integrator including a plurality of second wavefront dividing elements two-dimensionally juxtaposed. Each of the first wavefront dividing elements is so constructed that rays obliquely incident to a center on an optical axis of an entrance surface are emitted in parallel with the optical axis. Each of the second wavefront dividing elements is also so constructed that rays obliquely incident to a center on an optical axis of an entrance surface are emitted in parallel with the optical axis. The system satisfies the condition of P2/(2×tan θ)
US08587763B2 Substrate processing method, substrate processing system, and computer-readable recording medium recording program thereon
In the present invention, the position of a substrate on a thermal plate is detected when baking after exposure is performed in a first round of patterning. In a second round of patterning, the setting position of the substrate is adjusted based on a detection result of the position before the substrate is mounted on the thermal plate in the baking after exposure. In the baking after exposure in the second round of patterning, the substrate is mounted at the same position with respect to the thermal plate as that in the baking after exposure in the first round of patterning. In performing a plurality of rounds of patterning on a film to be processed, a pattern with a desired dimension is finally formed above the substrate, and the uniformity of the pattern dimension within the substrate is ensured.
US08587747B2 Backlight assembly with a reflective member covering interface between substrate units
A backlight assembly capable of reducing light loss is presented. The backlight assembly includes a plurality of substrate units and a plurality of reflective members on the substrate units arranged to form an adjacent area where two reflective members are closest to each other. The adjacent area is on one of the substrate units. A display device incorporating the backlight assembly is also presented.
US08587741B2 Liquid crystal display device
Disclination of an active matrix liquid crystal display device is reduced. Portions of pixel electrodes are formed so as to mutually overlap with a convex portion. If the height of the convex portion is too tall, the amount of light leakage increases due to liquid crystals orienting diagonally with respect to a substrate surface. (See FIG. 1C.) If the height of the convex portion is low, the disclination reduction effect is low. The optimal convex portion height is thus determined.
US08587736B2 Stereoscopic image display device and driving method thereof
A stereoscopic image display device includes a display panel provided with a pixel array, a rendering processing unit that performs rendering for odd left image data and even right image data during an n-th frame period, and performs rendering for odd right image data and even left image data during a (n+1)-th frame period, a patterned retarder including a first retarder that transmits light so as to be modulated into first circularly polarized light and a second retarder that transmits light so as to be modulated into second circularly polarized light, active retarder glasses including a first active retarder that transmits one of the first circularly polarized light and the second circularly polarized light, and a second active retarder that transmits the remaining one of the first circularly polarized light and the second circularly polarized light, and a control unit that generates a switchable control signal.
US08587733B2 Display device
A display device includes a common substrate having a first surface and an opposite second surface, a first transparent conductive layer, at least one first electrode, and at least one second electrode. The first transparent conductive layer is positioned on the first surface. The at least one first electrode and the at least one second electrode are on the first surface and electrically connected to the first transparent conductive layer. The display device further includes a second transparent conductive layer, a first alignment layer, a liquid crystal layer, a second alignment layer, a thin film transistor panel, and a polarizer all stacked on each other in sequence along a direction from the first surface to the second surface of the common substrate. The second transparent conductive layer is positioned on the second surface of the common substrate.
US08587730B2 Projector, control method and computer program product
A projector includes a storage portion that stores set identification name data describing a name of an adjustment value set including an adjustment value for projecting images, predetermined character string data describing plural kinds of predetermined character strings usable as the set identification name, and menu image data. A projecting portion projects an identification name setting image showing the plural kinds of predetermined character strings as selectable on a basis of the predetermined character string data and the menu image data. An input portion inputs identification name setting information describing a character string selected on the identification name setting image. An update portion that updates the set identification name data on a basis of the identification name setting information.
US08587729B2 Receiver
The present invention relates to a receiver capable of reducing influence of disturbance waves and capable of receiving analog and digital broadcast signals without interference with a single front end module, without leading to complexity of the configuration.A receiver 10 includes, on a module board 11, a first terrestrial wave tuner 16 and second terrestrial wave tuner 17 which receive broadcast signals of a first frequency band, and a first satellite wave tuner 14 which receives broadcast signals of a second frequency band different from the first frequency band, with the first satellite wave tuner 14 being situated between the first terrestrial wave tuner 16 and the second terrestrial wave tuner 17. The present invention can be applied to receivers receiving broadcast signals of different frequency bands, for example.
US08587726B2 System and process for image rescaling using adaptive interpolation kernel with sharpness and overshoot control
Provided are a digital video rescaling system, a method of rescaling video images, and a chip comprising a computer executable medium embedded therein computer executable instructions for rescaling video images.
US08587724B2 Display apparatus and control method thereof
Disclosed are a display apparatus and a control method thereof, the display apparatus including: a signal receiver which receives a video signal; an image processor which processes the video signal received by the signal receiver; a display unit which displays an image on the basis of the video signal processed by the image processor; a function selector which senses a user's operation for selecting a plurality of functions provided by the display apparatus; and a controller which displays an on screen display (OSD) menu for selecting the plurality of functions on the display unit in accordance with a user's first operation entering within a predetermined distance from the function selector, and operates one selected among the plurality of functions in accordance with a user's second operation. With this, it is possible to provide an intuitive, convenient and reliable user interface for selecting a plurality of functions even under spatial limitations.
US08587722B1 System and method for automatically controlling the phase of a clock signal for sampling an HDTV signal
The present invention provides a system and method for automatically controlling the phase of the clock signal for sampling an HDTV signal, which implements a new and improved method for phase detection. The system and method utilize the standard format of an HDTV signal to consistently ensure accurate phase detection. Particularly, the system and method detect the target phase for the sampling clock using a tri-level sync pattern that exists at the beginning of each display line. This tri-level sync pattern or “sync pulse” is well suited for phase detection since it includes several static areas separated by substantial transitions. Furthermore, by using the sync pulse of the HDTV signal, the system and method provide consistent and accurate results, since the sync pulse will not change regardless of the whether the video data is static or in motion.
US08587719B2 Ear-hanging miniature video camera
The present invention relates to the field of video camera and provides an ear-hanging miniature video camera. The ear-hanging miniature video camera comprises a video camera head, a control unit for controlling the operation of the video camera head, a storage unit for storing the information obtained by the video camera head and a shell for accommodating the video camera head, the control unit and the storage unit. The video camera whose main body consists of the video camera head, the control unit, the storage unit and the shell also comprises an ear-hook detachably connected with the shell and adapted to the shape of a human ear for fixing the main body of the video camera to a human ear, and a Bluetooth communication unit connected with the control unit and used in conjunction with the mobile terminal, said Bluetooth communication unit comprising a earpiece module and a microphone module so as to receive the audio signals transferred from the outside to the mobile terminal and output the audio signals at the user side through the mobile terminal. The ear-hanging miniature video camera of the invention can achieve the communication with the outside, so it's much more convenient for the users to use this ear-hanging miniature video camera.
US08587707B2 DA converter and solid-state imaging device that provides reduced power consumption
A DA converter includes: a reference current generating circuit that generates a reference current; current sources that supply currents according to the reference current; a voltage output circuit that outputs a voltage according to a current to be supplied thereto; switch circuits provided for the current sources respectively to each switch a connection of each of the current sources to the voltage output circuit or a predetermined load; a control section that controls the switch circuits based on an input digital signal to select that of the current sources which is to be connected to the voltage output circuit, and outputs a voltage according to the digital signal from the voltage output circuit; and a switch that stops an operation of at least one of the current sources based on a control signal from the control section, without stopping an operation of the reference current generating circuit.
US08587703B2 Systems and methods for image restoration
Systems and methods are provided for focus recovery of multi-channel images. Control circuitry of an imaging system can restore an image by removing image blurring introduced by the lens, sensor noise introduced by the sensor, and a signal offset between multiple channels of the image. In some embodiments, the control circuitry can calculate one or more estimates of a signal offset of multiple observed signals. Using statistics generated from offset-removed signals, the control circuitry can generate one or more recovery kernels which can be applied to offset-removed signals to generate recovered signals. In other embodiments, instead of explicitly removing a signal offset from each observed signal, the control circuitry can implicitly remove the signal offset when calculating the first and second order statistics of one or more observed signals.
US08587702B2 Image processing apparatus, image pickup apparatus, image processing method, and program
An image processing apparatus includes: an image pickup device with image creating pixels for creating images and pairs of phase difference detection pixels of two types for creating pixel values for in-focus state judgment; a detection unit detecting the edge of a first figure formed by the pixel values of the image creating pixels and the edge of a second figure formed by the pixel values of the pairs of phase difference detection image pixels; and a compensation unit that, if a defective pixel is included in phase difference detection pixels of one type, calculates a distance between the second figure regarding phase difference detection pixels of the other type and the first figure on the basis of the detected edges, and compensates for the pixel value of the defective pixel on the basis of the calculated distance and the pixel values of phase difference detection pixels of another type.
US08587697B2 Method and apparatus for compensating pixel values in an imaging system
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for configuring an imaging system to compensate for fixed pattern noise, variations in pixel values captured from an image sensor that vary according to a fixed pattern. In a method for configuring an imaging system for compensating an additive term component of fixed pattern noise, a pixel array is exposed to a scene of known radiance and an average white value is determined for each pixel of an array. Each average white value is compared to a predetermined reference value to determine a correction value for each pixel. In a method for configuring an imaging system for compensating both an additive and multiplicative component of fixed pattern noise, a pixel array is exposed to a first scene having a first known radiance, and frames of the scene are captured, and then the array is exposed to a second scene having a second known radiance and frames of the second scene are captured. After first and second average white values are determined for each pixel additive and multiplicative term correction values for each pixel are then determined by solving for a system of equations relating the first and second average white values and first and second scene radiances. Correction values can be utilized to correct pixel values of a frame of image data, and a decoding algorithm for attempting to decode a frame of image data including corrected pixel values can be activated.
US08587691B2 Photographing apparatus and method for dynamic range adjustment and stereography
A photographing apparatus and method for dynamic range adjustment and stereography. The photographing apparatus includes a first imaging device for converting a light of a subject received through a first optical system into an electric signal; a second imaging device for converting a light of the subject received through a second optical system into an electric signal; a first image signal processor for generating an image signal for live view based on the electric signal output from the first imaging device before a photographing operation of a still image; an exposure controller for controlling an exposure so as to perform a step exposure in the second imaging device before the photographing of the still image; and an exposure calculator for calculating an exposure amount in the photographing operation of the still image based on the electric signal converted in the second imaging device obtained through the step exposure.
US08587690B2 Apparatus and method for processing image by using characteristic of light source
An apparatus and method for processing an image of an image signal projected through a digital camera lens are provided. The apparatus includes an image sensor module for transforming an optical signal into an electric signal, to generate and output an image signal, and a light receiving module for detecting a light source. The apparatus also includes a light source characteristic detector for detecting a frequency of the light source, a white balance controller for controlling a white balance, a color corrector for removing interferences of red, green, and blue channels, and a gamma corrector for performing a gamma correction. The apparatus further includes an auto color adjustment controller for identifying a kind of light source based on the frequency of the light source, and controlling a white balance gain of the image signal based on the kind of the light source.
US08587683B2 Imaging apparatus having improved usability when moving images and still images are recorded
An imaging apparatus includes a signal processing unit that generates moving image data and still image data using image data output from an imaging unit, a moving image coding unit that encodes the moving image data, a still image coding unit that encodes the still image data, a recording unit that records the coded moving and still image data on a recording medium, a setting unit that sets a data rate of the coded moving image data, and a control unit that controls the moving and still image coding units. The control unit controls the moving image coding unit based on the set data rate to adjust the data rate of the moving image data and the still image coding unit based on the set data rate and a recording data rate of the recording medium to adjust an amount of the still image data.
US08587681B2 Extended depth of field for image sensor
A method for forming an image, implemented at least in part by a data processing apparatus, by obtaining a first image of a scene from a first subset of pixels in an image sensor array at a first f/# setting, adjusting the imaging optics that obtain light from the scene at a second f/# setting, obtaining a second image of the scene from a second subset of pixels in the image sensor array, and forming a composite image by combining image data from at least the first and second images.
US08587679B2 Video framing control in which operator framing of narrow view image controls automatic framing of wide view image
In the creation of video program material, picture composition decisions—especially framing parameters—taken by an operator for small-display presentation of a scene are used the automatic generation of picture composition decisions for a larger display. Framing parameters such as pan, are temporally filtered before being applied to the wider field of view provided for the larger display.
US08587678B2 Head-separated camera device with switchable clocking
According to one embodiment, a head-separated camera device includes an imaging unit, a control unit configured to control the imaging unit and a connection unit configured to connect the imaging unit and the control unit. The imaging unit includes a sensor configured to capture an image to provide a video signal, a superimposition module configured to superimpose, on serial data, the video signal, the synchronization signal, and the clock signal, the serial data serving to reproduce the image captured by the sensor, and a transmitter configured to transmit the serial data to the control unit. The control unit includes a receiver configured to receive the serial data and a separation module configured to separate the serial data received by the receiver, into the video signal, the synchronization signal, and the clock signal.
US08587661B2 Scalable system for wide area surveillance
According to one embodiment, a controller for a surveillance system includes ports for coupling a camera, synchronization logic blocks coupled to the ports, an information aggregation logic block coupled to the camera ports, and an output port coupled to the information aggregation logic block. According to another embodiment, a method of scaling a surveillance system includes synchronizing a plurality of cameras, capturing images from the synchronized cameras, aggregating at least two processed synchronized images, and processing the aggregated synchronized images.
US08587660B2 Image recording assemblies and coupling mechanisms for stator vane inspection
A system is disclosed that includes an image recording assembly for recording images of a stator vane of a compressor and a mechanism configured to magnetically couple the image recording assembly to a rotor blade of a compressor. Additional systems are provided that include image recording assemblies. Methods implementing the disclosed systems are also provided.
US08587655B2 Directed attention digital video recordation
Some embodiments include incorporating detailed snapshots of targeted areas of interest into a video or digitized recording of an overall scene. In some embodiments, a single fixed high-resolution scene camera or a fixed standard resolution scene camera of analog or IP connected type is used. The scene camera can be co-located with at least one pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera or used in a mode where less than full resolution of the scene camera is used for video but full resolution snapshots of areas are captured by the same camera. The area of interest is selected by the object-tracking feature of an intelligent video system, operated without human intervention, by electronically-implemented identification of the existence of area-specific subjects or targets of interest in the scene image field.
US08587646B2 Multi-lens monitoring system for bed elevation around a pier
The present invention relates to a multi-lens monitoring system for bed elevation around a pier according to the present invention comprises a container, a holder, a plurality of photographing units, and a processing module. The container is disposed on the pier; the holder is disposed inside the container; and the plurality of photographing units are disposed on the holder for photographing the bed under water and producing a monitoring image. The processing module is used for activating one of the plurality of photographing units for photographing the bed under water. The processing module also analyzes the monitoring image, gives the elevation variation of the bed, and transmits the elevation variation of the bed to a remote monitoring unit for real-timely monitoring and recording. During the monitoring process, the processing module will change activating one of the plurality of photographing units according to the monitoring image, and hence the electrical power can be saved.
US08587641B2 Autostereoscopic display system
An autostereoscopic display system comprised of an array of vertically oriented narrow light sources and a spatial light modulator, (SLM), disposed between the lights and viewers, whereby light rays originating from selected lights pass through the SLM in direct lines to viewers eyes The lights are sequentially flashed, sending light through the SLM where selected full height narrow vertical picture lines, VPL's, are made briefly transmissive while the remainder of the SLM remains dark, projecting vertically oriented sheets of light through selected VPL's toward selected eyes. The light sheets are sufficiently narrow as to enter a left or right eye but not both, The process rapidly repeats for all VPL's and all array lights, alternating between right/left SLM scenes each projected into appropriately selected eyes resulting in a 3D image.
US08587638B2 Supporting a 3D presentation
For reducing the effect of reverse half-occlusion in a 3D presentation on a screen, a virtual window is created in front of the screen. The screen is to be used for combining a left image and a right image for the 3D presentation. The virtual window is created by removing image data at a left edge of the left image and at a right edge of the right image before combining the left image and the right image on the screen.
US08587634B1 System and method for intelligent mode switching in a communications environment
A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving data associated with a plurality of endpoints that are engaged in a video conference, and evaluating whether a first endpoint and a second endpoint of the plurality have entered into a conversation such that a conversation mode is triggered. Once the conversation mode is entered, the first and second endpoints of the conversation are rendered on two different screens of a video display. In more specific embodiments, the method includes analyzing active speaker patterns of some of the endpoints to determine whether to enter into the conversation mode. In still other embodiments, the method includes determining whether the rendering on the two different screens is temporary or made permanent for a duration of the video conference.
US08587632B2 Electronic device and communication method thereof
An electronic device receives a first subscriber identity module (SIM) card and a second SIM card. The first SIM card and the second SIM card are compatible with a first protocol network and a second network. The electronic device can transmit voice data to a second electronic device via the first protocol network, and upload video data of the electronic device to a server via the second protocol network. The electronic device further downloads video data of the second electronic device from the server via the second protocol network.
US08587630B1 Assessing performance and quality of a mobile communication service
A video quality monitoring system allows the operator of a user device to report on received video quality. The video quality monitoring system allows the device user to establish or accept a communication that includes video displayed on the user device via a communications network. The video quality monitoring system may provide a manual or automated user-feedback process for the user to specify information about the received video quality as perceived by the user. User feedback may be correlated with time, location, video server performance, call data records, network performance, road traffic and weather data to produce an association of network events and conditions that correspond to user quality ratings.
US08587626B2 Light source control circuit, image forming apparatus, and light source control method
A light source control circuit of an optical writing device, admitting connection of light sources and forming an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive element by controlling a connected light source, includes: a skew correction unit that corrects a skew of a main scanning line of an electrostatic latent image formed by the light source relative to the photosensitive element; a pattern generating unit that outputs image data for forming a predetermined pattern in an electrostatic latent image; a local deviation correction unit that corrects a local deviation of an electrostatic latent image formed by the light source on the main scanning line by acquiring image data processed to form the pattern and by performing a predetermined process; a light source control unit that causes the light source to emit light based on image data in which the local deviation has been corrected; and a setting value input unit.
US08587624B2 Recording head and recording device comprising same
There are provided a recording head capable of reduction of variations in heat-generating temperature among heat-generating elements constituting a heat-generating-element array, and a recording device including the recording head. A recording head includes a heat radiator; a head base body having a substrate placed on or above the heat radiator and a heat-generating-element array composed of a plurality of heat-generating elements arranged on or above the substrate; a bonding layer that is interposed between the heat radiator and the substrate and bonds the heat radiator with the substrate; and a plurality of spacer particles arranged within the bonding layer so as to abut on both of the heat radiator and the substrate. The bonding layer includes a first region situated immediately below the heat-generating-element array and a second region extending in parallel with the first region. The spacer particles are arranged in the second region.
US08587619B2 Display apparatus and method of driving the same
A display apparatus includes a first display plate, a first electrode and a second electrode disposed on the first display plate, a second display plate, a third electrode disposed on the second display plate, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first display plate and the second display plate. The liquid crystal layer includes liquid crystal molecules oriented substantially perpendicular to the first display plate and the second display plate in a state where no voltage is applied to the first to third electrodes. When a display state is to change from a first grayscale in a first grayscale region to a second grayscale in a second grayscale region, a return voltage, which is larger than the sum of the common voltage and a threshold voltage of the liquid crystal molecules, is applied to the first electrode and the second electrode for at least a specified period before the first drive voltage and the second drive voltage, which correspond to the second grayscale, are applied to the first electrode and the second electrode.
US08587618B2 Method, medium, and system implementing wide angle viewing
A method, medium, and system implementing wide angle viewing compensation for a digital display device. The system includes a display unit to display an input image, a sensor unit to sense a change in the slope of the display unit with respect to a ground surface, and an image processor to compensate for a luminance value of a pixel included in the input image by referring to a viewing angle determined by the sensed slope and prestored viewing angle characteristic data.
US08587605B2 Image processing device, control method for image processing device, control program for image processing device, and recording medium in which control program is recorded
The present invention provides an image processing device capable of realizing appropriate color expression without requiring a large increase in data amount of image data for displaying a composite screen. A television broadcast receiver (1) includes a synthesis processing section (40) and an OSD processing section (24) for creating an OSD plane C as a composite screen in index color expression by combining an OSD plane U and OSD plane L, which are display screens in the index color expression. By the processing section (40) and the OSD processing section (24), the OSD plane C for attaining a display effect in which the OSD plane U and OSD plane L are superimposed is created.
US08587604B1 Interactive color palettes for color-aware search
Effective color-aware search of a collection of content associated with one or more images is enabled. Content and/or its associated images may be automatically associated with representative palette colors in a suite of color palettes. Color palettes may be of a variety of types and have a hierarchical structure in which lower levels enable increasingly subtle distinctions between shades of color. Color palette hierarchies may be effectively presented, and appropriate portions emphasized based on associated search result sets. Search result sets may be refined and/or reordered in accordance with color palette selections and/or representative confidences of color palette selections for items at least referenced therein.
US08587600B1 System and method for cache-based compressed display data storage
Systems and methods for cache-based compressed display data storage are provided. One system includes memory operable to store compressed display data, a processor comprising a processing core and a cache, a cache storage module operably coupled to the memory and the processor, wherein the cache storage module is to initiate a storage of at least a portion of the compressed display data in the cache in response to an indication that the processing core is in an inactive mode. One method comprises, in response to an indication that a processor is in an inactive mode, transferring compressed display data from a frame buffer in memory to a cache associated with the processor, obtaining a first compressed display data from the cache, and decompressing the first compressed display data to generate a first uncompressed display data.