Document Document Title
US08656510B1 System, apparatus, and method for simultaneous single molecule atomic force microscopy and fluorescence measurements
An apparatus, system, and method of integrating atomic force microscopy (AFM) and fluorescence microscopy (FM). One particular application is to simultaneous single molecular fluorescence with AFM force spectroscopy. Included is a methodology to align the AFM tip and a molecule or other nanoscale object with high accuracy.
US08656505B1 Compliance validator for restricted network access control
A method, system, and computer program product for detecting and enforcing compliance with access requirements for a computer system in a restricted computer network. A compliance validation configuration file is created for the computer system. A maintenance service utility is configured to launch a compliance validation executable file at a specified time during operation of the computer system. A digital hash is generated for the compliance validation executable file and for the compliance validation configuration file. A determination is made if the computer system or a computer system user is a member of a configured restricted group. If the computer system or the computer system user is a member of a configured restricted group, a determination is made if a directory site code for a subnet of the restricted computer network to which the computer system is connected corresponds to a configured and allowed site. If the directory site code does not correspond to a configured and allowed site, compliance with access requirements are enforced. Enforcement actions can include a forced logoff of the computer system user, and/or a forced shutdown of the computer system.
US08656503B2 Security language translations with logic resolution
Security language constructs may be translated into logic language constructs and vise versa. Logic resolution may be effected using, for example, the logic language constructs. In an example implementation, translation of a security language assertion into at least one logic language rule is described. In another example implementation, translation of a proof graph reflecting a logic language into a proof graph reflecting a security language is described. In yet another example implementation, evaluation of a logic language program using a deterministic algorithm is described.
US08656499B1 Client-side bit-stripping system and method
Bit-stripping methods are described for protecting digital media content against illicit recording and sharing. In one such method, a client device receives the media content and performs bit stripping on the received media content, thereby creating two datasets: stripped data and recombination data. The client device then recombines the datasets to reconstitute the media content, and it plays back the media content. Preferably, the media content on the client device is not available to recording software, and either the stripped data or the recombination data is also unavailable to such software. The client device may store one of these datasets; when future playback is desired, the client device requests the other of the datasets from a server. The bit-stripping may be performed in a client-specific way to discourage sharing of datasets.
US08656496B2 Global variable security analysis
A method includes determining selected global variables in a program for which flow of the selected global variables through the program is to be tracked. The selected global variables are less than all the global variables in the program. The method includes using a static analysis performed on the program, tracking flow through the program for the selected global variables. In response to one or more of the selected global variables being used in security-sensitive operations in the flow, use is analyzed of each one of the selected global variables in a corresponding security-sensitive operation. In response to a determination the use may be a potential security violation, the potential security violation is reported. Apparatus and computer program products are also disclosed.
US08656488B2 Method and apparatus for securing a computer network by multi-layer protocol scanning
In one embodiment, a network security appliance includes a logic circuit, a network processing unit, and a general purpose processor to protect a computer network from malicious codes, unauthorized data packets, and other network security threats. The logic circuit may include one or more programmable logic devices configured to scan incoming data packets at different layers of a multi-layer protocol, such as the OSI-seven layer model. The network processing unit may work in conjunction with the logic circuit to perform protocol parsing, to form higher layer data units from the data packets, and other network communications-related tasks. The general purpose processor may execute software for performing functions not available from the logic circuit or the network processing unit. For example, the general purpose processor may remove malicious code from infected data or perform malicious code scanning on data when the logic circuit is not configured to do so.
US08656482B1 Secure communication using a trusted virtual machine
A client system, such as a computer or a smartphone, securely exchanges sensitive information with a remote service provider computer system such as a bank or an online retailer. The client system executes a commercially available operating system in an untrusted virtual machine (VM), which may be affected by malware. A hypervisor is configured to launch a trusted, malware-free VM from an authenticated image stored on computer-readable media used by the untrusted VM. The trusted VM executes a thin operating system with minimal functionality, to manage a secure communication channel with the remote server system, wherein sensitive communication is encrypted. Data from the trusted VM is forwarded via the hypervisor to a network interface driver of the untrusted VM for transmission to the remote service provider. The service provider may perform a remote attestation of the client system to determine whether it operates a trusted VM.
US08656481B2 System and method for IPSec link configuration
A method for configuring Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) protocol. The method includes configuring IPsec phase 1 Security Associations (SA) lifetimes and soft phase 2 SA lifetimes in a manner enabling efficient Dead Peer Detection recovery of secure communication between client and server in the event of a communication disruption and thereby preventing undesirable sustained periods of non-communication between client and server.
US08656469B2 Methods and apparatus for dynamic user authentication using customizable context-dependent interaction across multiple verification objects
An authentication framework is provided which enables dynamic user authentication that combines multiple authentication objects using a shared context and that permits customizable interaction design to suit varying user preferences and transaction/application requirements. For example, an automated technique for user authentication comprises the following steps/operations. First, user input is obtained. At least a portion of the user input is associated with two or more verification objects. Then, the user is verified based on the two or more verification objects in accordance with at least one verification policy operating on a context shared across the two or more verification objects. The user authentication technique of the invention may preferably be implemented in a flexible, distributed architecture comprising at least one client device coupled to at least one verification server. The client device and the verification server may operate together to perform the user authentication techniques of the invention.
US08656466B2 Data processing with a posteriori or a priori authentication
A method and apparatus are provided for processing data. The method includes a step of receiving, during a first communication session established with said server, a request formulated by a first user defining at least one processing operation to be executed on first data, and a step of executing said processing operation on said first data, during a second communication session established with said server after said first session for a second user. The step of executing is applied on condition that the second user has been authenticated via a strong authentication method during the second session and that a relationship between the first and second users has been verified.
US08656460B1 Intelligent network advertisement for network selection using EAP
In accessing communication networks using access technologies such as wireless LAN, a subset of intermediary network operators is selected in accordance with one or more optimization methods from among a larger set of potential intermediary network operators. The selected subset is advertised to a user's terminal so that authentication information can be passed between an access network and a user's home network.
US08656456B2 Privacy preferences management system
The disclosed invention resides in a system and method for managing and maintaining an internet user's privacy directives without the necessity to rely on one or more cookies to be retained by a user's browser.
US08656452B2 Data assurance
Data assurance capabilities are received that are related to at least one individual persistent object type in a plurality of persistent object types linked to persistent objects stored on the service provider server. In addition, data assurance specifications are received from a customer, the data assurance specifications being based on the data assurance capabilities. Computer-readable data assurance policies for the at least one persistent object type are generated based on the received data assurance specification. The computer-readable data assurance policies then are combined with a corresponding template of data assurance capabilities for the at least one individual persistent object type to generate an enforceable customer-specific data policy.
US08656444B2 System for proactively troubleshooting set top box issues
A system for proactively troubleshooting set top box issues may include a media distribution network with a remote requesting device and a programming guide server. The programming guide server may be configured to identify a guide data retrieval profile of the requesting device, compare the guide data retrieval profile to an expected profile, and flag the requesting device for troubleshooting based on a lack of correspondence between the retrieval profile and the expected profile. Additionally methods for discovering related devices, predicting that the related devices also require troubleshooting, and limiting restorative measures to only those devices that have been confirmed to be affected by a service issue may also be implemented by the system.
US08656442B1 Efficient video delivery
Efficient video delivery is disclosed. In some embodiments, at least a part of a video stream received from a video source is converted to a dividable video format file. The dividable video format file is split into a sequence of small files, and one or more of the sequence of small files is published.
US08656440B2 Method and system of providing a virtual community for participation in a remote event
An approach is provided for establishing a virtual community for remotely participating in an event. A remote camera set is controlled by a user equipment to view an event from a plurality of viewing perspectives. A virtual community is built to share viewing of the event by multiple participants.
US08656439B2 Method and system for region-based monitoring of video assets
A method and system for monitoring video assets provided by a multimedia content distribution network (MCDN) includes an expert test monitoring platform (ETMP) configured to emulate MCDN client systems at a facility of an MCDN service provider. The ETMP may be used to test monitor MCDN performance by acquiring a baseband video signal and performing a test operation including at least one check point condition. The check point condition may be associated with a masked region of the video signal and may also involve a test of an audio channel. A plurality of test operations and/or check point conditions may be defined and executed on the baseband video signal, while the results of the test operation may be logged.
US08656429B2 System and method for displaying and navigating a graphical two-dimensional array of a plurality of available channels
The subject application is directed to a system and method for displaying and navigating a graphical two-dimensional array of a plurality of available channels on an associated display unit. A two-dimensional array of channel boxes is first generated on an associated display. Input signals are then received corresponding to a respective plurality of available channels. At least one of the received input signals is then parsed to acquire channel identification data indicating at least one channel associated with the parsed signal. Image data associated with the indicated channel is then captured. Thereafter, at least one channel box is populated in the array with the acquired identification data and the captured image data.
US08656427B2 Method and apparatus for providing personalized supplemental programming
A method and apparatus for providing personalized supplemental programming is provided. In one embodiment, the invention can include searching text for a keyword, the text associated with primary programming to be provided to an element of an entertainment system, accessing a database upon finding the keyword, retrieving content associated with the keyword from the database, combining the retrieved content with the primary programming to generate combined programming, and providing the combined programming to the element of the entertainment system.
US08656423B2 Video distribution system
The invention relates to video distribution systems and, more particularly, to a system that blanket transmits video/audio content such as digital data (for example, via satellite downlink transmission) to each customer's computer-based recording, storage and playback system. Customers preselect from a list of available digital data or other content in advance using an interactive screen selector, and pay for only the video/audio content that is actually viewed.
US08656422B2 Method and apparatus for managing targeted advertisements for a linear television service
A method and apparatus for managing targeted advertisements for linear television is provided herein. During operation a client device will determine whether or not an advertisement opportunity duration is known, unknown, or variable. Based on this determination, advertisements that best match the advertisement opportunity duration will be chosen via separate algorithms. More particularly, a first algorithm will be used to choose advertisements when the advertisement opportunity duration is known, a second algorithm will be used to choose advertisements when the advertisement opportunity duration is unknown, and a third algorithm will be used to choose advertisements when the advertisement opportunity duration is variable.
US08656412B2 Pipeline across isolated computing environments
Sharing resources in a computer system. An operating system within the computer system, the operating system having a kernel level and a user level, with the kernel level configured with a first container and a second container. The first container is assigned to a first namespace and the second container is assigned to a second namespace. Both the first and second namespaces are isolated from each other and at the same time in communication with at least one shared object. Communication across the containers is created through a socket in the namespace of the shared object of one or both of the containers. In addition, a conduit is formed between the containers by connecting the container absent the created socket to the container with the socket.
US08656396B2 Performance optimization based on threshold performance measure by resuming suspended threads if present or by creating threads within elastic and data parallel operators
A method to optimize performance of an operator on a computer system includes determining whether the system is busy, decreasing a software thread level within the operator if the system is busy, and increasing the software thread level within the operator if the system is not busy and a performance measure of the system at a current software thread level of the operator is greater than a performance measure of the system when the operator has a lower software thread level.
US08656390B2 Implementing shadow objects with relocated resources to form relationships between new and old locations
A method, apparatus and computer program product implement a shadow object when migrating or relocating a resource from one location to a new location. A user selected task on a resource is identified and analyzed to determine whether the task changes a location of the resource. When determined that the task changes a location of the resource, then a shadow object is created. Destination information is captured and stored into the shadow object. A future shadow object is created on a new host to inform administrators that a resource is to be relocated, or virtual server is to be migrated, at a scheduled time.
US08656388B2 Method and apparatus for efficient memory replication for high availability (HA) protection of a virtual machine (VM)
High availability (HA) protection is provided for an executing virtual machine. At a checkpoint in the HA process, the active server suspends the virtual machine; and the active server copies dirty memory pages to a buffer. During the suspension of the virtual machine on the active host server, dirty memory pages are copied to a ring buffer. A copy process copies the dirty pages to a first location in the buffer. At a predetermined benchmark or threshold, a transmission process can begin. The transmission process can read data out of the buffer at a second location to send to the standby host. Both the copy and transmission processes can operate asynchronously on the ring buffer. The ring buffer cannot overflow because the transmission process continues to empty the ring buffer as the copy process continues. This arrangement allows for using smaller buffers and prevents buffer overflows, and thereby, it reduces the VM suspension time and improves the system efficiency.
US08656379B2 Systems and methods for uniquely defining Fortran run time type descriptors for polymorphic entities
Systems and methods disclosed herein uniquely define each type of Fortran type descriptor within an executable file or shared library to allow for a rapid determination of how the dynamic type of one object (e.g., a first polymorphic entity) relates to that of another object (e.g., a second polymorphic entity) while allowing for the lazy loading of shared libraries. In one aspect, type descriptor definitions are instantiated (e.g., during compile-time) in each object file in which polymorphic entities are defined, each type descriptor definition is marked with a singleton attribute, and each group of common type descriptor definitions is associated with a COMDAT group to ensure that only a single copy of each type descriptor is defined in a corresponding executable file at a particular address in memory to which polymorphic entities can reference. Type descriptor addresses can be compared to determine dynamic type relations between polymorphic entities.
US08656374B2 Processing cobol data record schemas having disparate formats
A computer readable medium is configured to receive a description of a COBOL copybook that can be represented in one of a plurality of disparate formats, to parse the COBOL copybook based on the description of the COBOL copybook, and to create a standardized data record schema based on the COBOL copybook. The description of the COBOL copybook includes information about the format of the COBOL copybook.
US08656372B2 System for translating diverse programming languages
A computer language translator that translates all or any portion thereof of source code in an original computer language to source code in a target computer language, which may then be translated back to the original language while still maintaining concept, syntax, form of expression, and formatting of the original source code.
US08656368B1 System, method, and computer program product for abstract software performance profiling
The present disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for abstract software performance profiling. The method may include providing, using a computing device, a virtual run-time stack associated with a software performance profile. The method may further include generating, using the computing device, at least one abstract tag associated with the virtual run-time stack. The method may also include performing, using the computing device, at least one operation on the virtual run-time stack, the at least one operation including, at least in part, the at least one abstract tag.
US08656352B2 System and method for synchronized workflow management
A system may identify a workflow associated with a graphical model and execute the workflow in a number of stages. The system may display a number of components of the graphical model and identify which of the displayed components are associated with or affected by execution of a current one of the stages of the workflow.
US08656347B2 Generation of parallelized program based on program dependence graph
A method of generating a parallelized program includes calculating an execution order of vertices of a degenerate program dependence graph, generating basic blocks by consolidating vertices including neither branching nor merging, generating procedures each corresponding to a respective one of the vertices, and generating a procedure control program by arranging an instruction to execute a first procedure after an instruction to wait for output data transfer from a second procedure for a dependence relation crossing a border between the basic blocks, generating an instruction to register a dependence relation that a third procedure has on output data transfer from a fourth procedure for a dependence relation within one of the basic blocks, and generating an instruction to perform a given data transfer directly from procedure to procedure for each of a data transfer within one of the basic blocks and a data transfer crossing a border between the basic blocks.
US08656342B2 Composing integrated systems using GUI-based applications and web services
A composer of integrated systems solves the technical problem of enabling graphical user interface applications (GAPs) to interoperate (e.g., exchange information) with each other and web services over the Internet, effectively and non-invasively. The system provides a user friendly visualization mechanism that interacts with an accessibility layer to enable organizations to economically and easily define web service driven information exchange between GAPs, by performing point-and-click, drag-and-drop operations on GAPs. The system allows users to rapidly create integrated systems composing GAPs enabled to interoperate with other GAPs and web services, so that organizations extend the life-cycle use of their legacy GAPs in business operations.
US08656340B2 Delay analysis apparatus, computer-readable recording medium having delay analysis program stored thereon, and delay analysis method
If there are a plurality of activation paths on which a signal propagates during a delay test, multiple-input cells receiving two or more activation paths are extracted by an extraction unit. For the extracted multiple-input cells, whether there is a possibility of occurrence of a multiple-input switching in a multiple-input cell is determined by a determination unit, based on an input timing to each signal multiple-input cell in the two or more activation paths. Then, an occurrence situation of a multiple-input switching is analyzed as one delay cause by an analysis unit, based on a determination result by the determination unit and a result of the delay test.
US08656332B2 Automated critical area allocation in a physical synthesized hierarchical design
A method, computer program product, and data processing system for efficiently performing automated placement of timing-critical unit-level cells in a hierarchical integrated circuit design is disclosed. In preparation for global optimization the entire unit at the cell level, macro-level cells are assigned a “placement force” that serves to limit the movement of the macro-level cells from their current position. Movement boundaries for each macro element are also defined, so as to keep the components in a given macro element in relative proximity to each other. Optimization/placement of the unit design is then performed, via a force-directed layout algorithm, on a “flattened” model of the design while respecting the movement boundaries. Following this “flattened” optimization, the placed “unit-level” cells are modeled as blockages and the macro elements are optimized individually, while respecting the location(s) of the blockages. This entire process is repeated until the optimization of the unit layout eventually converges.
US08656327B2 Statistical formal activity analysis with consideration of temporal and spatial correlations
Techniques for statistical formal activity analysis with consideration of temporal and/or spatial correlations are described herein. According to one embodiment, a sequential circuit having a feedback loop is unrolled into multiple unrolled circuits, where the sequential circuit is represented by a finite state machine (FSM). A temporal correlation is introduced to each of the unrolled circuits via a correlation network for an activity analysis of the sequential circuit. The temporal correlation represents a dependency relationship between a current logic state of a signal and a previous logic state of the signal. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US08656323B2 Based device risk assessment
The process for designed based assessment includes the following steps. First, the process defines multiple patterns of interest (POIs) utilizing design data of a device and then generates a design based classification database. Further, the process receives one or more inspection results. Then, the process compares the inspection results to each of the plurality of POIs in order to identify occurrences of the POIs in the inspection results. In turn, the process determines yield impact of each POI utilizing process yield data and monitors a frequency of occurrence of each of the POIs and the criticality of the POIs in order to identify process excursions of the device. Finally, the process determines a device risk level by calculating a normalized polygon frequency for the device utilizing a frequency of occurrence for each of the critical polygons and a criticality for each of the critical polygons.
US08656321B1 Method of eliminating a lithography operation
Methods of semiconductor device fabrication techniques using double patterning are disclosed. According to various embodiments of the invention, methods of semiconductor device fabrication using self-aligned double patterning are provided. Particular embodiments of the invention allow creation of logic circuit patterns using two lithographic operations. One embodiment of the invention employs self-aligned double patterning to define two or more sets of parallel line features with a connection feature between two adjacent sets. In such embodiment, the sets of parallel line features along with the connection features are formed using two lithographic masks, without a need for an additional mask layer to form the connection features. In other embodiments, other features in addition to the connection features can be added in the same mask layer.
US08656320B2 Method for creating a photolithography mask
A method for creating a photolithography mask from a set of initial mask cells arranged to form an initial mask. The set includes first and second initial mask cells having a mask element in common within an initial region of the initial mask. The method includes a creation of a first modified mask cell and of a second modified mask cell including OPC processing operations, a comparison of the position of the mask element in common between the first modified mask cell and the second modified mask cell, and if the result of the comparison is greater than a threshold, a creation of a new mask region including an optical proximity correction processing operation on the initial region, and a creation of the photolithography mask from the new mask region.
US08656307B2 Information storage medium, computer terminal, and change method
A computer terminal changes the non-evaluation property of one of the reference timings to the evaluation property based on a result of the evaluation conducted by comparing one of the reference timings having the evaluation property with the timing of the input performed by the operator.
US08656304B2 Information processing apparatus
Provided is an information processing apparatus that stores a plurality of programs, sequentially activates the programs in response to a user's instruction, and restricts the number of programs exceeding a predetermined number from being activated, in which the information processing apparatus displays the predetermined number of symbol images and displays the same number of symbol images as the number of programs that are already activated in a manner that is different from the other symbol images.
US08656299B2 Electronic display device, electronic display method, electronic display program, and recording medium
An electronic display device capable of displaying content written horizontally and written vertically in an electronic display device having a plurality of display screens. The electronic display device includes a plurality of display screens that are bound and that can be opened like a book, includes a content storage unit storing content to be displayed on the display screens, includes a content reading unit reading the content from the content storage unit, includes an opening direction recognizing unit recognizing a first opening direction or a second opening direction of the content on the display screen, and includes a display control unit arranging and displaying the content based on the first opening direction or second opening direction of the content.
US08656297B2 Enhanced virtualization system
A computing device creates lightweight state files. The state files may include information relating to user processes, user-interface elements, and time points. When loaded, the state files restore the saved state. State files may be transferred to different computing devices thus making a computer state portable. A series of state files viewed as a stream showing changes in the system state over time.
US08656295B2 Selecting and manipulating web content
Systems, apparatus, methods and computer program products are described for automatically resizing or repositioning an area of interest, identifying a portion of a document for display, so that the area of interest aligns with one or more edges of a structural element in the document. A method is provided that includes receiving input to resize (or reposition) an area of interest associated with a clipping of content. The clipping displays a portion of a document corresponding to the area of interest. The document has a plurality of structural elements. A boundary associated with a structural element in the document is determined. The area of interest is automatically resized (or repositioned) based on the boundary.
US08656291B2 System, method and computer program product for displaying data utilizing a selected source and visualization
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for displaying data utilizing a selected source and visualization. These mechanisms and methods for displaying data utilizing a selected source and visualization can enable enhanced data display, improved data display development, increased time savings, etc.
US08656283B2 Interactive storybook system and method
An interactive storybook system and method are provided that allow users with or without the assistance of an operator to make a storybook their own by replacing markers with provisional words and provisional images of their own choosing. The computer-based interactive storybook application may be used by teachers, parents, therapists, and other adults to help them achieve educational and therapeutic advancement.
US08656281B2 Information processing apparatus, information processing method, information processing system, and program
An information processing apparatus including a meta information acquisition section for acquiring meta information of content displayed on a first display device, a specifying section for specifying network location information of information relating to the meta information, a generation section for generating display information of a screen to be displayed on a second display device, based on the network location information, and a communication section for transmitting the display information to the second display device.
US08656277B2 Image processing apparatus, and method for controlling the same
An information processing apparatus fully utilizing contents available on a network by processing content that cannot be displayed on a built-in browser. A web browser displays in a pop-up fashion a dialog window that queries a user about the process to be performed on undisplayable data if the received data is undisplayable. The user can select between “print” and “send” as an alternative process for the undisplayable data.
US08656276B2 Position information management system, image forming apparatus, position information management method and storage medium
A position information management system, an image forming apparatus, a position information management method and a storage medium is provided. The position information management system includes a document acquisition unit that acquires an electronic document to be printed; a layout acquisition unit that acquires layout information for printing the electronic document on a medium in a layout different from a layout for ordinary printing; and an information generation unit that generates correspondent information between a position on the electronic document and a position on the medium in the case where the electronic document is printed on the medium on the basis of the layout information.
US08656275B2 Matching various combinations of XPATH URIs to the same XML node
Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to subscribing and updating nodes within XML documents and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for matching various combinations of XML Path Language (XPATH) Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs). In one embodiment of the invention, a method for matching various combinations of XML Path Language (XPATH) Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) that includes receiving a XPATH expression for a node in an XML document, retrieving the node identified by the XPATH expression, determining if a template exists for the identified node, where the template resides in a database of a document management system, comparing the template expression to the XPATH expression and determining if the expressions match. The method can further include modifying the XPATH expression to account for a dominant attribute required by the template when the XPATH expression does not match the template expression and returning the modified XPATH expression.
US08656273B1 Unified data entry for generating multiple forms
A method for populating forms based on a user interview. The method includes generating, using a computer processor, binary questions according to a first rule, receiving answers to the binary questions from the user, adjusting, using the computer processor, a binary question based on answers according to a second rule during the user interview, and identifying, using the computer processor, forms from a forms library based on the answers according to a third rule. The method also includes presenting based on the answers, data entry fields of forms to the user in a unified format, where related data entry fields are grouped together to form data entry menus in the unified format, receiving data from the user for the data entry fields, populating a portion of the forms to generate populated forms based on the data, and storing the populated forms in a repository on behalf of the user.
US08656271B2 Adapting a spreadsheet for use with a complex object
A method for use with a spreadsheet includes storing a cell object, where the cell object includes a location in the spreadsheet of a cell to which the cell object relates and a process associated with the cell, and performing the process on a complex object to produce a result, where the complex object includes a construct comprised of data and code. A display is generated for the cell that is based on the result.
US08656266B2 Identifying comments to show in connection with a document
A system may identify a comment that includes a number of links, each of the links points to a corresponding document; identify one or more factors associated with each of the links, the one or more factors including at least one of: a click through rate associated with the links, explicit user feedback regarding the links, a length of an address associated with the links, a measure of popularity associated with the document corresponding to the links, or a comparison of a topic associated with the comment and a topic associated with the document corresponding to the links; assign a score to the links based on the one or more factors; select one of the links based on the assigned scores; and provide information regarding the comment to a client device for presentation in connection with presentation of the document corresponding to the selected link.
US08656264B2 Dynamic aggregation and display of contextually relevant content
A web-based system scans content for specific terms, and transforms occurrences of the terms into hypertext links. Each hypertext link provides access to a dynamically generated web page which contains aggregated content related to the respective term. The aggregated content may be gathered through a distributed keyword search of various content sources, including web sites and other sources on a wide area network. The results of the keyword search are aggregated into a single page or document, preferably with filtering to remove page elements not well suited for display on a mobile device. Occurrences of specific terms on this dynamically generated page may similarly be transformed into links, such that the user can browse content from various sources within a confined environment.
US08656260B1 Methods and circuits for processing a data block by frames
Methods and circuits process a data block of first bits. A circuit includes a register and a parallel combiner. The register is configured to store second bits. The second bits are iteratively a partial parity for each of multiple frames of the data block. The parallel combiner is coupled to the register and configured to generate a combination of bits from third bits and the second bits from the register. These third bits are iteratively those of the first bits within each of the frames of the data block. The circuit also includes respective exclusive-or circuits associated with the second bits. These exclusive-or circuits are coupled to the parallel combiner and the register. The respective exclusive-or circuit for each second bit is configured to generate the second bit from the combination of bits.
US08656253B2 Storing portions of data in a dispersed storage network
A method begins by a dispersed storage (DS) processing module generating preliminary dispersed storage network (DSN) storage information for data to be stored in a DSN. The method continues with the DS processing module accessing DSN storage information regarding other data stored in the DSN and comparing the preliminary DSN storage information for the data with the DSN storage information regarding the other data. When at least a portion of the data has compatible preliminary DSN storage information with DSN storage information of at least a portion of the other data, the method continues with the DS processing module generating DSN storage information for remaining portions of the data to produce remaining portions DSN storage information and generating DSN storage information for the data based on the DSN storage information of the at least the portion of the other data and the remaining portions DSN storage information.
US08656236B2 Remote boundary scanning
Techniques related to remotely boundary scanning of an integrated circuit embedded in a target computing system are disclosed herein. In an example, a host computing system includes a first peripheral port and a second peripheral port. A port-to-port boundary scan assembly is to interface boundary scan data between the first and the second peripheral ports. Thereby the boundary scan data can be routed from the second peripheral bus to the target computing system via a network port at the host computing system.
US08656232B2 Apparatus and method for testing semiconductor integrated circuits, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having a semiconductor integrated circuit testing program
An apparatus for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit includes a pattern data generating unit configured to generate test pattern data for testing a write operation in a memory of the semiconductor integrated circuit; and a write unit configured to write the test pattern data into a storage area of the semiconductor integrated circuit.
US08656226B1 System and method for statistical application-agnostic fault detection
A system, method, and computer readable medium for statistical application-agnostic fault detection of multi-process applications. The computer readable medium includes computer-executable instructions for execution by a processing system. A multi-process application runs on a host. Interceptors collect statistical events and sends said events to a statistical fault detector. The statistical fault detector creates one or more distributions and compares recent statistical event data to historical statistical event data and uses deviation from historical norm for fault detection. The present invention detects faults both within the application and within the environment wherein the application executes, if conditions within the environment cause impaired application performance. The invention also teaches consensus fault detection and elimination of cascading fault notifications based on a hierarchy of events and event groups. Interception and fault detection is transparent to the application, operating system, networking stack and libraries.
US08656221B2 System on chip breakpoint methodology
A system-on-chip (SoC) with a debugging methodology. The system-on-chip (SoC) includes a central processing unit (CPU) and multiple computing elements connected to the CPU. The CPU is configured to program the computing elements with task descriptors and the computing elements are configured to receive the task descriptors and to perform a computation based on the task descriptors. The task descriptors include a field which specifies a breakpoint state of the computing element. A system level event status register (ESR) attaches to and is accessible by the CPU and the computing elements. Each of the computing elements has a comparator configured to compare the present state of the computing element to the breakpoint state. The computing element is configured to drive a breakpoint event to the event status register (ESR) if the present state of the computing element is the breakpoint state. Each of the computing elements has a halt logic unit operatively attached thereto, wherein the halt logic unit is configured to halt operation of the computing element. The ESR is configurable to drive a breakpoint event to the halt logic units to halt at least one of the computing elements other than the computing element driving the breakpoint event.
US08656209B2 Recovery of a failed registry
A system, method, and computer-readable medium, is described that enables a registry recovery service to retrieve zone files from a target registry, archive the zone files, publish the zone files to a managed DNS server, reconcile ownership of the zone files, and publish the zone files to a provisioning DNS server. The registry recovery service may also implement a WHOIS server for the zone and ownership information and may also implement zone specific features particular to the target registry's TLD. The registry recovery service may also enable DNSSEC extensions on the recovered registry DNS services.
US08656204B2 Security device meant to be connected to a processing unit for audio/video signal and method using such a device
Example embodiments relate to a security device having two communication interfaces sharing at least one pin, each interface being capable of operating according to either of two predetermined communication protocols. The security device may further include a frequency detector to detect the frequency of a clock signal on the shared pin. Depending on the value of the detected frequency, and to which of a plurality of predetermined frequency ranges the detected frequency pertains, the security device may function according to one of the two predetermined communication protocols, operating at two different frequencies.
US08656197B2 Semiconductor device and control method for semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes: a frequency setting information storage unit that stores sets of frequency information indicating setting of a frequency supplied by an oscillation unit and frequency identification information identifying the frequency information and outputs one of a plurality of pieces of the frequency information to the oscillation unit based on frequency identification information inputted thereinto; a speed setting information storage unit that stores speed identification information indicating a speed of the semiconductor device and frequency identification information corresponding to the speed identification information; a frequency identification information count unit that holds a value of the frequency identification information inputted into the frequency setting information storage unit; and a control unit that causes the frequency identification information count unit to increment or decrement the held value of the frequency identification information to approach a value of the frequency identification information stored in the speed setting information storage unit.
US08656196B2 Hardware automatic performance state transitions in system on processor sleep and wake events
In an embodiment, a power management unit (PMU) may automatically transition (in hardware) the performance states of one or more performance domains in a system. The target performance states to which the performance domains are to transition may be programmable in the PMU by software, and software may signal the PMU that a processor in the system is to enter the sleep state. The PMU may control the transition of the performance domains to the target performance states, and may cause the processor to enter the sleep state. In an embodiment, the PMU may be programmable with a second set of target performance states to which the performance domains are to transition when the processor exits the sleep state. The PMU may control the transition of the performance domains to the second targeted performance states and cause the processor to exit the sleep state.
US08656195B2 Energy efficient ethernet control
A physical layer device includes a pseudo-random number generator, a register, a state machine, and a timer. The pseudo-random value generator is configured to produce a pseudo-random value within a predefined range. The register is configured to receive the pseudo-random value from the pseudo-random value generator and store the pseudo-random value. The state machine is configured to obtain the pseudo-random value from the register and provide the pseudo-random value to a timer within the physical layer device. The timer is configured to control a duration of an Energy Efficient Ethernet time period based on the pseudo-random value.
US08656189B2 Systems and methods for secure multi-tenant data storage
Systems and methods are provided for transmitting data for secure storage. For each of two or more data sets, a plurality of shares are generated containing a distribution of data from an encrypted version of the data set. The shares are then stored in a shared memory device, wherein a data set may be reconstructed from a threshold number of the associated plurality of shares using an associated key. Also provided are systems and methods for providing access to secured data. A plurality of shares containing a distribution of data from an encrypted version of a data set are stored in a memory device. A client is provided with a virtual machine that indicates the plurality of shares, and the capability to reconstruct the data set from the plurality of shares using an associated key.
US08656178B2 Method, system and program product for modifying content usage conditions during content distribution
The present invention provides a method, system and program product for modifying content usage conditions during broadcast content distribution. Specifically, the present invention allows protected (e.g., encrypted, secured, etc.) content to be received along with content usage conditions, an encrypted combination of the content usage conditions and a title key (e.g., a MAC), and a key management block. Using the key management block, a key encrypting key can be determined for decrypting the combination. Once the combination is decrypted, the content usage conditions can be modified (e.g., edited, added to, etc.).
US08656177B2 Identity-based-encryption system
A system is provided that uses identity-based encryption (IBE) to allow a sender to securely convey information in a message to a recipient. A service name such as a universal resource locator based at least partly on the name of an organization may be associated with a local key server at the organization and a public key server external to the organization. Users at the organization may use the service name to access the local key server to obtain IBE public parameter information for performing message encryption and to obtain IBE private keys for message decryption. External to the organization, users may obtain IBE public parameter information and IBE private keys from the public key server using the same service name. The local key generator and the public key generator may maintain identical copies of the same IBE master secret.
US08656176B2 Simple visual authentication of documents exchanged in commerce
Verifying the integrity of a received binary object by calculating a first displayable authenticator derived from an input binary object. The first authenticator is then attached to the input binary object, producing a first composite binary object, which is sent to a remote receiver. A second composite binary object is received back from the remote receiver, wherein the second composite binary object includes a received binary object, a received first displayable authenticator, and a second displayable authenticator. A third displayable authenticator is calculated, derived from the second composite binary object, then a display of the first displayable authenticator is compared to a display of the third displayable authenticator, and verification of the integrity of the received binary object is indicated by an exact match between displays of the first and third displayable authenticators.
US08656169B2 Method, system and device for negotiating security capability when terminal moves
A method for negotiating a security capability when a terminal moves is provided. When a user equipment (UE) moves from a second/third generation (2G/3G) network to a long term evolution (LTE) network, the method includes the following steps. A mobility management entity (MME) acquires a non-access signaling (NAS) security algorithm supported by the UE, and an authentication vector-related key or a root key derived according to the authentication vector-related key, selects an NAS security algorithm, derives an NAS protection key according to the authentication vector-related key or the root key, and sends a message carrying the selected NAS security algorithm to the UE. The UE derives an NAS protection key according to an authentication vector-related key thereof. A system for negotiating a security capability when a terminal moves, a UE, and an MME are further provided.
US08656168B2 Information processing apparatus, recovery apparatus, and disk recovery method
An information processing apparatus includes: a disk to store data; a transmitting and receiving unit to exchange information with a recovery apparatus over a network; an authentication processor to, when receiving a first authentication key from the recovery apparatus, perform an authentication process based on the first authentication key and a second authentication key; and a writing controller to write an image file to the disk upon the authentication performed by the authentication processor and issue a completion message to the recovery apparatus on completion of the writing.
US08656163B2 Method for establishing a secured communication without preliminary information share
The invention relates to a method for generating a session key between two communicating electronic devices not requiring any prerecorded information in one of the two devices and enabling the authentication of one of said devices. The method uses a close collaboration between a symmetrical algorithm and an asymmetrical algorithm.
US08656157B2 Method for sending and receiving an encrypted message and a system thereof
The present disclosure is directed to a method for sending and receiving an encrypted message and a system thereof. The method includes steps of encrypting a message, transforming the encrypted message into network address, sending the network address to a receiver, and accessing a server according to the network address by the receiver, and a server decrypting the message, presenting the decrypted message to the receiver, and thereafter preventing the message from being accessed. Advantages include that any mobile phone capable of connection to a wireless network can read an encrypted message without installation of a decryption software on a mobile phone of a receiver.
US08656145B2 Methods and systems for allocating interrupts in a multithreaded processor
A multithreaded processor capable of allocating interrupts is described. In one embodiment, the multithreaded processor includes an interrupt module and threads for executing tasks. The interrupt module can identify a priority for each thread based on a task priority for tasks being executed by the threads and assign an interrupt to a thread based at least on its priority.
US08656139B2 Digital processor for processing long and short pointers and converting each between a common format
A digital processor stores pointers of different sizes in memory. The processor, specifically, executes instructions to store a long or short pointer. Long pointers reference any address in the memory's logical address space, while short pointers merely reference any address in a subset of that space. However, short pointers are smaller in size as stored in memory than long pointers. Long pointers thus support relatively large address range capabilities, while short pointers use less memory. The processor also executes instructions to load a long or short pointer into the register file, and does so in a way that does not require the processor to distinguish between the different pointers when executing other instructions. Specifically, the processor converts long and short pointers into a common format for loading into the register file, and converts pointers in the common format back into long or short pointers for storing in the memory.
US08656138B2 Efficiently accessing an encoded data slice utilizing a memory bin
A method begins by a processing module receiving an encoded data slice to store and determining a slice length of the encoded data slice. The method continues with the processing module comparing the slice length to a plurality of bin widths, wherein each of the plurality of bin widths represents a fixed storage width of a plurality of memory bins within each of a plurality of memory containers, wherein a storage unit includes the plurality of memory containers. The method continues with the processing module selecting one of the plurality of memory containers based on the comparing to produce a selected memory container, identifying an available bin of the plurality of bins of the selected memory container, and storing the encoded data slice in the available bin.
US08656135B2 Optimized memory configuration deployed prior to execution
A configurable memory allocation and management system may generate a configuration file with memory settings that may be deployed prior to runtime. A compiler or other pre-execution system may detect a memory allocation boundary and decorate the code. During execution, the decorated code may be used to look up memory allocation and management settings from a database or to deploy optimized settings that may be embedded in the decorations.
US08656131B2 Method and apparatus for expanding a virtual storage device
The present invention provides for the expansion of a virtual storage device. Expansion of the virtual storage device includes adding one or more additional storage device units to an existing virtual storage device. Blocks or strips included in an added storage device unit are assigned addresses, to allow the added storage capacity to be accessed immediately. In order to reestablish a pattern of data storage addresses from the original storage device units of the pre-expanded virtual storage device across all of the storage device units of the post-expanded virtual storage device, temporary storage is provided. In particular, as a strip of data is relocated to its proper post-expand location, the data occupying that location is placed in a temporary storage buffer. Data in the temporary storage buffer is then written to the proper post-expand location for that data, with displaced data being written to a second temporary storage buffer.
US08656128B2 Aggregate data processing system having multiple overlapping synthetic computers
A first SMP computer has first and second processing units and a first system memory pool, a second SMP computer has third and fourth processing units and a second system memory pool, and a third SMP computer has at least fifth and sixth processing units and third, fourth and fifth system memory pools. The fourth system memory pool is inaccessible to the third, fourth and sixth processing units and accessible to at least the second and fifth processing units, and the fifth system memory pool is inaccessible to the first, second and sixth processing units and accessible to at least the fourth and fifth processing units. A first interconnect couples the second processing unit for load-store coherent, ordered access to the fourth system memory pool, and a second interconnect couples the fourth processing unit for load-store coherent, ordered access to the fifth system memory pool.
US08656109B2 Systems and methods for background destaging storage tracks
A system includes a write cache configured to store a plurality of storage tracks and configured to be coupled to one or more hosts, and a processor coupled to the write cache. The processor includes code that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the method below. One method includes monitoring the write cache for write operations from the host(s) and determining if the host(s) is/are idle based on monitoring the write cache for write operations from the host(s). The storage tracks are destaged from the write cache if the host(s) is/are idle and are not destaged from the write cache if one or more of the hosts is/are not idle. Also provided are physical computer storage mediums including a computer program product for performing the above method.
US08656103B2 Processor and method for executing load operation thereof
A processor and a method for executing load operation and store operation thereof are provided. The processor includes a data cache and a store buffer. When executing a store operation, if the address of the store operation is the same as the address of an existing entry in the store buffer, the data of the store operation is merged into the existing entry. When executing a load operation, if there is a memory dependency between an existing entry in the store buffer and the load operation, and the existing entry includes the complete data required by the load operation, the complete data is provided by the existing entry alone. If the existing entry does not include the complete data, the complete data is generated by assembling the existing entry and a corresponding entry in the data cache.
US08656098B1 System and method for activating a raid disk
A method is provided that includes performing first and second exclusive activation checks separately on first and second storage units, respectively, with a node using a software RAID function and activating a RAID disk with the first storage unit and the second storage unit using the software RAID function in response to the first and the second exclusive activation checks indicating that the first and the second storage units, respectively, can be activated as the RAID disk by the node.
US08656087B2 Page mode access by non-page mode device
A method is provided for accessing a memory device having pages by a memory interface that does not directly support page accesses. A first memory space of the memory interface is configured with a first set of timing parameters and a second memory space of the memory interface is configured with a second set of timing parameters. A page mode access is initiated to a page of the memory device using the first memory space of the memory interface for at least a first data transfer and continued using the second memory space of the memory interface for a plurality of data transfers.
US08656086B2 System and method for autonomous NAND refresh
A background scheduler is provided that utilizes low-level communications (e.g., communications with a generic or controller-specific solid state, non-volatile memory driver) to control locking, reading, rewriting and unlocking of pages of data in the non-volatile memory. Such low-level communications cause data to be rewritten to the non-volatile memory independent of the file system in an effort to avoid data loss prior to an estimated data retention period.
US08656080B2 Wireless charging method for wireless computer peripheral device
A wireless charging method of the present invention is applied to a wireless computer peripheral device. Firstly, the access points that are able to emit wireless radio waves and located near a computer are searched by the computer. After a target access point is selected, the connection information about the target access point is transmitted to the wireless computer peripheral device. According to the connection information, the connection between the wireless computer peripheral device and the target access point is established. Consequently, the charging signal can be acquired by the wireless computer peripheral device, and the wireless charging operation will be performed. By the wireless charging method of the present invention, the wireless charging feasibility and convenience will be enhanced.
US08656077B2 Apparatus, method and system for aggregating computing resources
A system for executing applications designed to run on a single SMP computer on an easily scalable network of computers, while providing each application with computing resources, including processing power, memory and others that exceed the resources available on any single computer. A server agent program, a grid switch apparatus and a grid controller apparatus are included. Methods for creating processes and resources, and for accessing resources transparently across multiple servers are also provided.
US08656068B2 Systems and methods of media management, such as management of media to and from a media storage library, including removable media
A system and method for determining media to be exported out of a media library is described. In some examples, the system determines a media component to be exported, determines the media component is in the media library for a specific process, and exports the media component after the process is completed.
US08656065B1 Method and apparatus for automatically selecting a plurality of modes for programmable interface circuit by coupling field devices to process controllers
A programmable interface circuit includes channel(s) including a digital logic block having terminals for receiving control signals from a process controller block, for providing logic signals, and terminals for receiving processed signal data. An analog logic block includes a current output digital to analog converter (DAC). An output circuit block includes first and second field terminals (S1,S2) and a sense resistor, wherein current from the DAC is coupled to S1 and the sense resistor is coupled to S2. The analog logic block includes a first and a second multi-channel multiplexer (MUX), an operational amplifier, and an analog to digital converter (ADC). The control signals automatically select from signal modes including an analog output (AO) mode, a digital output (DO) mode, an analog input (AI) mode, a digital input (DI) mode, and at least one additional signal mode provided by adding a sub-mode to the AI mode or DI mode.
US08656061B2 Data input/output device, information processing device, and data input/output method
A data input/output device includes a buffer that accumulates data, and a data receiver that receives data input in synchronization with a first clock in accordance with a second clock whose generation source is different from a generation source of the first clock. The data input/output device further includes a data input part that accumulates data received by the data receiver in the buffer, and a data output part that sequentially outputs data accumulated in the buffer at an output interval depending on the amount of data accumulated in the buffer in such a manner that a predetermined data amount is the unit of the output.
US08656060B2 Method and apparatus for managing resources for displays
The disclosed embodiments provide a system for managing multiple sink devices in a computer system. During operation, the system performs a discovery operation to identify one or more sink devices which are coupled to the computer system, wherein the discovery operation determines an interconnection topology between the computer system and the one or more sink devices, and wherein multiple sink devices can be coupled to the computer system through the same connector. Next, the system associates the one or more sink devices with one or more frame buffers which are used to assemble content streams for the one or more sink devices. Finally, the system drives the one or more sink devices through the one or more frame buffers.
US08656057B1 Opportunistic restore
A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for efficiently restoring information are disclosed. In an embodiment, this may comprise transferring space reduced data from a server to an intermediate shared storage at a time determined by the server, transmitting the transferred data from the intermediate shared storage to a first client at a time convenient for the first client, transmitting the transferred data from the intermediate shared storage to a second client at a time convenient for the second client, and reconstituting the space reduced data.
US08656046B2 Automated media delivery system
An automatic graphics delivery system that operates in parallel with an existing Web site infrastructure is provided. The system streamlines the post-production process by automating the production of media through content generation procedures controlled by proprietary tags placed by an author within URLs embedded within Web documents.
US08656045B2 Communication protocol for controlling transfer of temporal data over a bus between devices in synchronization with a periodic reference signal
A communication protocol over the serial bus allows a peripheral device to control the flow of data between a host computer and the peripheral device so as to maintain synchronization to a periodic reference signal. The protocol involves transferring flow control messages between the peripheral device and the host computer, allowing the peripheral device to control how and when the host computer sends the uncompressed audio and video data.
US08656042B2 Synchronization of clients to maximize multicast opportunities
A content monitor includes a processor that at least receives requests from a plurality of clients for content, instructs each client to retry their respective request at a first later time if the request is received before a first time, counts the requests to determine if a number of the requests exceeds a threshold if the request is received before a second time, instructs each client to retry their respective request at a second later time if the counted number of requests does not exceed a first threshold, instructs each client to join a multicast group to receive the content when the number of requests exceeds the first threshold, and counts a number of late clients joining the multicast group after a first portion of the content has been sent to the multicast group.
US08656032B2 Method and system for subscription service in IP multimedia subsystem network
A method for subscription service in an IP multimedia subsystem is disclosed. A Session Border Controller (SBC) establishes IP channels between the SBC and an IMS terminal as well as between the SBC and a Resource List Server (RLS) after receiving a status subscribe request message from the IMS terminal; and the RLS sends the status information and an acknowledgment message to the IMS terminal through the IP channels after finding subscribed status information for the IMS terminal. A system for a subscription service in an IP multimedia subsystem network is further disclosed. The IP channels established in the present disclosure to transmit the subscription information on the RLS not only can transmit a great amount of information, but also has higher efficiency of information transmission, as long as the IMS terminal has a capability of processing IP data packets.
US08656028B2 System, method, and program for communication connection by polling
A communication connection system, a communication connection method, and a communication connection program is capable of establishing push-type communication by a connection request from a server side, rather than a client side, in communication between terminals or a terminal and a server. A polling server 50 periodically conducts polling to a connection server 100 to check if the connection server 100 has received connection request data. The polling server 50 transmits the connection request data 10 to a user terminal 10 when the connection server 100 determines that the connection server 100 has received the connection request data from a support terminal 150. The user terminal 10 connects with the support terminal 150 through the polling server 50 and the connection server 100 by a predetermined communication application regardless of input by a user when the user terminal 10 receives the connection request data.
US08656023B1 Optimization scheduler for deploying applications on a cloud
A system is provided to deploy a computing application on a cloud using optimization criteria. The system comprises a launch request detector to detect a request to launch a computing application within a virtualization service, an application requirement detector to determine application requirement for the computing application, a cloud resource inventory detector to determine cloud resource inventory, an optimization requirement detector, a matching module, and a configuration module. The optimization requirement detector may be configured to determine an optimization requirement. The matching module may be configured to perform matching of the application requirement with the resource inventory based on the optimization requirement. The configuration module may be configured to generate an optimized application deployment configuration based on the result of the matching and cause launching of the computing application within the virtualization service using the optimized application deployment configuration.
US08656012B2 Management computer, storage system management method, and storage system
It is provided a management computer coupled to a plurality of storage apparatuses and a plurality of physical computers, which comprises a memory, a processor and a network interface. The management computer collects performance information on each of at least one resource included in a path based on monitoring priority assigned to the each of the at least one resource; identifies a first path including a first resource based on configuration information in a case where a first event has occurred on the first resource; identifies a second resource included in the first path; determines whether a third resource for which the monitoring priority needs to be changed is included in the second resource based on the first event and the monitoring priority information; and changes the monitoring priority of the third resource in a case where the third resource is determined to be included in the second resource.
US08656007B2 Communication network system and service processing method in communication network
A communication network system includes a resource network element and further includes a resource server adapted to retrieve availability information of the resource network element and to allocate the resource network element according to the retrieved availability information. A service processing method in a communication network at the resource server side includes: receiving a resource query request; and searching for an available resource network element and responding with it being a response result. A service processing method in a communication network at the resource network element side includes: receiving a request for a service; determining whether the service can be processed immediately, and if not, transmitting a resource query request to a resource server; and transmitting the service request to an available resource network element in a response result. A resource server and a resource network element are further disclosed. With a resource server, the invention can monitor dynamically availability information of a resource network element and allocate appropriately an idle resource network element to thereby improve both a utilization ratio of network resource and a service processing capability of network element.
US08656005B2 Method for providing performance characteristics on demand
Disclosed is a method for transmitting on-demand software and/or data from a server (20) to a terminal (10) in a packet network (50). According to said method, a bandwidth test is performed as a prerequisite for transmission, said test verifying whether the currently available bandwidth is sufficient for transmitting the requested software or data. The server (20) does not transmit the requested software or the requested data if the result of the bandwidth test is negative.
US08656003B2 Method for controlling rack system using RMC to determine type of node based on FRU's message when status of chassis is changed
A method for controlling a rack system including a plurality of detachable chassis, where at lease one node is disposed in the chassis and a rack management controller (RMC) is disposed in the rack system. First, at least one detecting unit connected to the RMC and the node of the chassis in the rack system is provided. Next, a status message of the chassis is detected for determining whether the status of the chassis is changed. When the status is changed, the detecting unit determines whether the node corresponding to the chassis exists in the rack system. When the node exists, the detecting unit acquires a message of a field replaceable unit (FRU) of the node. Thereafter, the detecting unit transmits the message of the FRU to the RMC. Then, the RMC determines a type of the node according to the message of the FRU.
US08655997B2 Hierarchical resource management for a computing utility
This invention provides for the hierarchical provisioning and management of a computing infrastructure which is used to provide computing services to the customers of the service provider that operates the infrastructure. Infrastructure resources can include those acquired from other service providers. The invention provides architecture for hierarchical management of computing infrastructures. It allows the dynamic provisioning and assignment of resources to computing environments. Customers can have multiple computing environments within their domain. The service provider shares its resources across multiple customer domains and arbitrates on the use of resources between and within domains. The invention enables resources to be dedicated to a specific customer domain or to a specific computing environment. Customers can specify acquisition and distribution policy which controls their use of resources within their domains.
US08655996B2 Customized behavior of a control layer towards an application server in a packet-based network
System(s) and method(s) are provided for regulating interaction amongst an application layer and a control layer in a packet-based core network. A data structure is provisioned in a centralized repository; the data structure includes (i) at least one procedure for regulating interaction amongst a session control component within the control layer and application server within the application layer, and (ii) an identification (ID) field attribute that uniquely identifies the data structure. To regulate such interaction, the session control component acquires a set of provisioned data structures; acquisition is automatic and can be dictated, in part, by generation of a data structure, or modification of an existing data structure or an ID field attribute. Based at least on an ID field attribute retained in a subscriber service profile, the session control component references a data structure identified by the ID field attribute and implements one or more procedures retained in such data structure. Implementation of the one or more procedure regulates the interaction between the session control component and the application server.
US08655994B2 System for presenting media programs
A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may use, for example, a method for sending a set-top box an identification of the media player, receiving operational instructions from the set-top box according to the emulator executed by the set-top box that emulates a user interface of the media player by presenting a representation of the media player in a graphical user interface, and transmitting media content to the set-top box according to the operational instructions. The emulator can be supplied to the set-top box by way of a multimedia system communicatively coupled to the set-top box. The user interface presented by the set-top box by way of the emulator substantially mimics functions of the media player. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US08655991B2 Automated rapid registration of applications
A method and apparatus for managing distribution and use of software applications. An application manager at an administrator computer may be configured to receive requests for registering an application from a client computer. The application manager may determine whether the request should be approved based on historical responses to similar registration requests. A response to the request may accordingly be sent automatically to the requesting client computer.
US08655988B2 Method and system for configuring network access nodes
In order to put a network access node such as a wireless router or home gateway in a home network in operation, the node needs to be configured with several parameters requiring technical skills that an ordinary user often does not have. The present invention solves this problem by introducing a system and a method to assist the user to configure the router. The system comprises a web based wizard, an inference engine coupled to said wizard and a knowledge base coupled to said inference engine. The wizard guides the user to provide input which together with stored information retrieved from the knowledge base is processed by the inference engine. The inference engine further generates configuration data that is stored in the wireless router or home gateway. The user can without detailed technical knowledge easily configure the router.
US08655981B2 Information communication system, information communication method, and recording medium having information communication program stored thereon
An information communication system for exchanging a plurality of contents between a plurality of node devices, includes a plurality of internal networks connected to an external network. The internal networks include: the plurality of node devices connecting the same internal network; and a support device, which connects the internal networks, and which supports acquisition of contents by the node devices. An overlay network allows for exchanging of contents between the node devices and the support devices. The node devices include a first acquisition unit that acquires contents by selecting a first device group in preference to a second device group. The first device group includes: a support device and a node device connecting the internal network of an access destination that is a contents acquisition destination. The second device group includes a support device and a node device that do not connect the internal network of the access destination.
US08655978B2 Diskless PC network communication agent system
A diskless PC network communication agent system includes a host, a network communication agent, a physical network connecting the network communication agent to the host, and diskless PCs connected to the network communication agent. The network communication agent has network packet filtering and transferring functions so that a virtual private network is established between the network communication agent and the diskless PCs for enabling each diskless PC to use a preboot execution environment communication protocol to catch dynamic host configuration protocol information, to start up network bootstrap, and to request the host for the services of remote installation, boot and access to virtual disk.
US08655966B1 Mobile device data protection
A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for protecting mobile device data is disclosed. In some embodiments, this includes determining mobile device data to be stored on a server, accessing the server with a unique identifier, transmitting the determined mobile device to the server, and storing the transmitted mobile device on the server. Accessing the server with a unique identifier may include providing verification to the server, such as a password. Transmitting the determined mobile device data may include transmitting the determined mobile device data through a wireless connection.
US08655960B2 Location-aware instant messaging
A method includes receiving, at a carrier network provider, a request from a requestor's mobile device to locate an instant messaging (IM) friend from the requestor's IM friends list; authenticating the request for use of location-based services on the carrier network; receiving geographic location coordinates from the requestor's mobile device; adding random error to the geographic location coordinates; sending the request to locate an IM friend and the geographic location coordinates with random error to an IM portal; receiving a list of the requestor's IM friends within a particular region near the geographic location coordinates with random error; and sending to the requestor's mobile device the list of IM friends within the particular region near the geographic location coordinates with random error.
US08655951B2 Method and apparatus for conveying vehicle driving information
Described are methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for conveying vehicle driving information. A hazard index indicating a level of driving safety is generated for a plurality of road segments. The generating comprises determining a hazard value for each of the plurality of road segments based on weather conditions data associated with the road segments, road conditions data associated with the road segments, and physical attributes of the road segments, and assigning the hazard value to the associated road segment. Location data associated with a remote device is received. Hazard information associated with one or more of the plurality of road segments and based on the location data and the hazard index is transmitted.
US08655948B2 User productivity on demand services
The present disclosure involves systems, software, and computer implemented methods for providing user productivity on-demand services. One process includes operations for determining a hosted service for use with an application at a client based on user context data associated with the application. A request for the hosted service and a reference to stored data required for the hosted service is received. The hosted service is executed, and the results are transmitted to the client.
US08655947B1 Context-dependent social notes
A user is provided the ability to determine preconditions for making a note from the user viewable by a target audience designated by the user. The preconditions must be met before the note is viewable by the target audience in a display of a client device associated with the target audience. The user may also determine when the note expires, and whether to make the note viewable to the target audience when the note expires.
US08655944B2 Website compatibility shims
Various embodiments provide compatibility shims that can be utilized by a web browser to dynamically change web browser platform features per domain or website. The compatibility shims can be deployed to the web browser and updated in a manner similar to that of a webpage. In one or more embodiments, the compatibility shims can be utilized to change a browser's behavior and/or the manner in which the browser represents itself per domain or website. Further, the compatibility shims can enable the web browser to dynamically remove or change support for web platform features. In addition, in at least some embodiments, users can apply their own compatibility shims to their own list of websites or webpages.
US08655943B2 Web server providing access to documents having multiple versions
A web server provided according to an aspect of the present invention provides access to different versions of a document. In an embodiment, the web server sends the last version in response to a first request, and a specific requested version in response to a second request (identifying the specific requested version). According to another aspect, the specific requested version is sent when the request includes a corresponding version identifier along with a document identifier, and the last version is sent when the request includes only the document identifier. According to one more aspect, the web server sends a web page indicating all the versions of a document in response to a request for all the versions.
US08655935B2 Processing apparatus and control method performing taylor series operation associated with executing floating point instruction
A processing apparatus comprising a register that stores operand data, a register data reading section that reads operand data stored in the register, a coefficient table set storage section that stores a coefficient table storing Taylor series operation coefficient data, a coefficient data reading section that reads the Taylor series coefficient data from the coefficient table set storage section using the degree information of the Taylor series and the coefficient table identification information and a floating point multiply-adder that executes the Taylor series operation using the coefficient data read by the coefficient data reading section, data read from the register.
US08655924B2 System and method for providing structured data to a structured or unstructured grid
A system and method for converting structured data to unstructured or structured data, the system and method receiving processing options in a flexible format and a reader selection, executing the reader selection to read data, computing a date time group to iterate through observed and/or modeled data, bilinearly interpolating the structured data to create an unstructured or structured finite element mesh, linearly interpolating data in time if necessary, and storing the populated grid on a computer-readable medium in a format compatible with a target numerical model.
US08655917B2 Custom web services data link layer
A data interface efficiently transports, manages, and provides data transfer. The data transfer may happen between a data storage layer and a presentation layer, as examples. The presentation layers may be graphical user interfaces that display or report complex data sets, with the data storage layer providing the source data for the presentation layers. The data interface implements a data link layer that efficiently caches, stores, and locates query results, while simultaneously handling security. The data link layer may include load balancing, efficient cache refresh, and other features.
US08655907B2 Multi-channel conversion path position reporting
Methods, systems, and apparatuses, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable media, for receiving information regarding a plurality of conversion paths. Each conversion path includes one or more user interactions, corresponds to a user, and ends with a conversion interaction. A list of channel groups is received. Each channel group includes a name and one or more group rules that refer to the characteristics of one or more user interactions of the plurality of conversion paths. Each user interaction in the plurality of conversion paths is grouped based upon the list of channel groups. A selection of channels to visualize is received and for each of the selected channels to visualize the user interactions are aggregated based upon the channel group of the user interaction and a position of the user interaction within the conversion path. Information regarding the aggregated user interactions for each of the selected channels is provided.
US08655902B2 Identifying superphrases of text strings
Methods and apparatus are described by which “superphrases” of “seed phrases” representing basic concepts may be identified without having to compare all possible pairs of seed and candidate phrases. According to one class of embodiments, a data structure similar to an inverted index is used for indexing phrases. The elimination of seed and candidate phrase pairs is enabled by building and traversing the index in a particular manner.
US08655895B2 Method and apparatus for generating a new event directly from a document
An event providing apparatus includes a storage device in communicating with a date/time detector module. The detector module detects a condition that at least a portion of information stored on the storage device could be mapped to an event, identifies date and time entries in the information, and generates a hyperlink to open an application for creating an event for each entry, the date and time being provided to the application to generate the event directly from the information. The apparatus also includes a display for displaying the time and date in the form of the hyperlink; and a prompter module communicating with the detector module for automatically providing a prompt related to the event in response to selection of the hyperlink. In response to user interaction with the user prompt, the application is started and the event based on the hyperlinked date and time is created.
US08655887B2 Querying compressed time-series signals
Technologies pertaining to compressing time-series signals are described herein. Groups of time-series signals are generated based upon similarities between time-series signals. Each group of time-series signals includes a respective base time-series signal. Ratio signals that are representative of time-series signals are computed, wherein the ratio signals are based upon the base time-series signal and other respective time-series signals in a group of time-series signals.
US08655884B2 Cross-domain clusterability evaluation for cross-guided data clustering based on alignment between data domains
A computer system for evaluating cross-domain clusterability upon a target domain and a source domain. The cross-domain clusterability is calculated as a linear combination of a target clusterability and a source-target pair matchability, by use of a trade-off parameter that determines relative contribution of the target clusterability and the source-target pair matchability. The target clusterability quantifies how clusterable the target domain is. The source-target pair matchability is calculated as an average of a target-side matchability and a source-side matchability, which quantifies how well target centroids of the target domain are aligned with the source centroids and how well source centroids of the source domain are aligned with the target centroids, respectively.
US08655883B1 Automatic detection of similar business updates by using similarity to past rejected updates
A system and method are provided that detect spam business listing data. In one aspect, a plurality of clusters containing previously captured spam business data is formed. The attributes of new incoming business data may be compared to the attributes of the clustered spam business data. If the incoming business data is associated with any one of the plurality of clusters, the incoming business data may be deemed spam.
US08655869B2 System and method for information retrieval from object collections with complex interrelationships
A data-driven information navigation system and method enable search and analysis of a set of objects or other materials by certain common attributes that characterize the materials, as well as by relationships among the materials. The invention includes several aspects of a data-driven information navigation system that employs this navigation mode. The navigation system of the present invention includes features of a knowledge base, a navigation model that defines and enables computation of a collection of navigation states, a process for computing navigation states that represent incremental refinements relative to a given navigation state, and methods of implementing the preceding features.
US08655867B2 Method and system for optimizing queries in a multi-tenant database environment
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for query optimization in a database system. These mechanisms and methods for query optimization in a database system can enable embodiments to optimize OR expression filters referencing different logical tables. The ability of embodiments to optimize OR expression filters referencing different logical tables can enable optimization that is dynamic and specific to the particular tenant for whom the query is run and improve the performance and efficiency of the database system in response to query requests.
US08655858B1 Digital content reconstruction and distribution
An item providing system may receive digital content that is to be provided to user devices. The digital content may include electronic periodicals (e.g., electronic newspapers, electronic magazines, etc.). The digital content may not be complete. To address this issue, the item providing system may include a content reconstruction tool that is able to identify and download needed portions of digital content. Also, the digital content may not be in a desired format. The item providing system may include a collator tool that is able to organize, arrange and/or format the digital content.
US08655855B2 Post storing correction
Methods and apparatus provide a delay in posting a confirmation of a warehouse activity in a warehouse having decentralized management. The delay enables a process to be performed with respect to the goods associated with the confirmation. For example, the delay can enable a CRM system to route the goods to fulfill an order for goods. In another example, the delay can enable the performance of a correction to the confirmation of the goods.
US08655851B2 Method and system for performing a clean file lock recovery during a network filesystem server migration or failover
A method for file lock recovery in a distributed computer system. The method includes executing a distributed computer system having a plurality of nodes comprising a cluster, and initiating a network file system server migration from one node of the cluster to a different node of the cluster. A migration count is incremented, wherein the migration count is stored at each of the nodes comprising the cluster. File lock services are paused at each of the nodes comprising the cluster. The network file system server migration is completed at the different node of the cluster. The migration count is then decremented in response to the completion. File lock services are then resumed at each of the nodes comprising cluster.
US08655849B2 Method and system for reconciling transportation records
Aspects of the present invention are directed to a system for next day reconciliation of transportation records. The system having a transportation record storage provider (TRSP) that receives and stores storage medium transportation requests; an outside service provider (OSP) inventory manager that receives and maintains records of transported storage mediums scanned at the OSP; and a reconciliation provider that receives a first list from the TRSP and a second list from the OSP inventory manger, for reconciliation. The reconciliation provider includes receivers for receiving the first and second list; a processing engine that reconciles the first list and the second list; and a reporting unit that reports the results of the reconciliation. The processing engine matches inbound and outbound records of the first list and second list, and processes invalid records; and analyzes and accounts for un-matched records.
US08655848B1 Unordered idempotent logical replication operations
A method and apparatus for replicating a data container of a source storage server at the logical level in an unordered stream of individual data units are described. In certain embodiments, the replication operations can be performed without regard to the differences in geometry of physical persistent storage of the source and destination storage servers and without regard to the differences in data container format of the source and destination storage servers. An initial replication operation of the source data container is performed by transferring the data objects within the source data container to a replica data container in the destination storage server as an unordered stream of individual data units while preserving data object identifiers of the source data objects. Afterwards, incremental replication operations can be performed to capture modifications to the source data container over time after the initial replication operation.
US08655847B2 Mirroring data changes in a database system
A method for mirroring one or more data changes from a first database server to one or more second database servers. The method includes intercepting one or more operations that make one or more changes to one or more data on the first database server. After intercepting these operations, the method merges the operations into one or more chunks, adds one or more log records having the chunks into a database log. The database log includes one or more database log blocks. The method then writes the database log blocks.
US08655846B2 System and method for generating and managing quick recovery volumes
The invention relates to computer readable medium storing program code which when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform a method for creating a quick recovery volume of a primary data set used by a first computer in a backup storage system, which includes identifying a snapshot image of the primary data set generated by a snapshot application, creating the quick recovery volume of the primary data set from the snapshot image of the primary data set and controlling transfer of data from the first computer to an archival storage unit. In one embodiment, the invention provides a method for creating a quick recovery volume of a primary data set that includes creating a snapshot image of the primary data set and creating a quick recovery volume of the primary data set from the snapshot image of the primary data set.
US08655841B1 Selection of one of several available incremental modification detection techniques for use in incremental backups
Various systems and methods can select an incremental modification detection technique to apply to a data object during generation of an incremental backup. For example, a method can involve accessing information indicating an access characteristic of a data object and then selecting an incremental modification detection technique (from a set of more than one different incremental modification detection techniques), in response to the information. The incremental modification detection technique is selected to be applied to the data object when generating an incremental backup. The set of incremental modification detection techniques can include change tracking and content differencing techniques.
US08655833B2 Database architecture for supporting group communications among wireless communication devices
A system and method for continually updating a large and substantially continually changing dataset that is accessed by multiple application threads, such as a group identity database of members in communication groups of wireless communication devices. A first server holds the group identity database and, as application threads on the first server access the database to set up group communications, a second server sends new group identity data to update the database, with the new data arriving as discrete, ordered blocks. A first server-resident data-index table is updated with the ordering information of the new data blocks, and a first server-resident checkpointing thread places the ordering information of the new data blocks into a checkpoint cache and checkpoints the ordering information as the new data blocks are updated into the group identity database and verifies the ordering (or version) of the data as against the data-index table.
US08655825B2 Efficient management of data quality for streaming event data
Implementations of the present disclosure include methods for managing data quality for event data. In some implementations, methods include receiving, at one or more computing devices, a plurality of events, each event comprising event data and being generated by an event source in response to a real-world activity, processing, using the one or more computing devices, the plurality of events using one or more complex event processing (CEP) rules to generate a complex event, in response to generating the complex event, annotating the complex event with quality information corresponding to each of the plurality of events to provide a quality-enriched event, and publishing the quality-enriched event.
US08655822B2 Probabilistic decision making system and methods of use
Embodiments of this invention comprise modeling a subject's state and the influence of training scenarios, or actions, on that state to create a training policy. Both state and effects of actions are modeled as probabilistic using Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP) techniques. The POMDP is well suited to decision-theoretic planning under uncertainty. Utilizing this model and the resulting training policy with real world subjects creates a surprisingly effective decision aid for instructors to improve learning relative to a traditional scenario selection strategy. POMDP provides a more valid representation of trainee state and training effects, thus it is capable of producing more valid recommendations concerning how to structure training to subjects.
US08655805B2 Method for classification of objects in a graph data stream
A method for classifying objects in a graph data stream, including receiving a training stream of graph data, the training stream including a plurality of objects along with class labels that are associated with each of the objects, first determining discriminating sets of edges in the training stream for the class labels, wherein a discriminating set of edges is one that is indicative of the object that contains these edges having a given class label, receiving an incoming data stream of the graph data, wherein class labels have not yet been assigned to objects in the incoming data stream, second determining, based on the discriminating sets of edges, class labels that are associated with the objects in the incoming data stream; and outputting to an information repository object class label pairs based on the second determining.
US08655804B2 System and method for determining a characteristic of an individual
A system and method for determining a characteristic of an individual is provided. The method includes determining at least one nonconscious element of an interaction by the individual and correlating the at least one nonconscious element with at least one identifiable demographic characteristic of the individual. The system includes a computerized medium having a human interface system situated to facilitate interaction with the individual and produce a quantity of data corresponding to the interaction. A programmable device is in communication with the computerized medium and is situated to use at least a portion of the quantity of data corresponding to the interaction with the individual to determine at least one nonconscious element of the interaction with the individual. A correlation system is situated to correlate the at least one nonconscious element with at least one identifiable demographic characteristic and output a quantity of resulting information.
US08655781B2 Dynamic currency conversion system and method
A system for dynamic currency conversion is provided. The system includes a bank identifier system determining whether currency conversion is available for a card-issuing bank of a presented card, such as by comparing a bank identifier from the card with a list or table of participating banks. An exchange rate system determines whether an exchange rate has expired, such as an exchange rate associated with the foreign currency of the card-issuing bank. The card holder is presented with an option for selecting a foreign currency transaction after it is determined that currency conversion is available for the card-issuing bank and that the exchange rate has not expired, such that the card holder does not need to see such information unless foreign currency processing is available.
US08655773B1 Geo-location based underwriting
A method for processing financial requests, including: identifying an approval criterion and a predefined proximity for approving financial requests; receiving, from a mobile device of a merchant, a financial request including merchant-provided data, where the merchant-provided data includes an address of the merchant; receiving a location coordinate from the mobile device; determining, by a computer processor, that the location coordinate is within the predefined proximity of the address of the merchant; identifying, by the computer processor, at least a portion of the merchant-provided data required to evaluate the approval criterion; evaluating, by the computer processor, the approval criterion using the portion of the merchant-provided data; determining, based on evaluating the approval criterion, that the approval criterion is satisfied; and approving the financial request in response to determining that the location coordinate is within the predefined proximity and determining that the approval criterion is satisfied.
US08655767B2 Embedded hardware based system which provides real-time pre-trade risk assessments for multiple parties and method thereof
A risk assessment system and method are provided that may be implemented as an embedded hardware based system and method that provide real-time pre-trade risk assessments for multiple parties, in addition to real-time market data and trading connectivity to a variety of liquidity venues. The liquidity venues may include regulated exchanges, ECNs and other financial institutions listing securities, options, futures, commodities, foreign exchange and other financial instruments.
US08655766B2 System and method for facilitating trading of multiple tradeable objects in an electronic trading environment
A system and method are provided for trading multiple tradeable objects. One example method includes displaying at least one combined quantity indicator representing a combined quantity associated with at least two tradeable objects, detecting an input associated with an order for a predetermined order quantity in relation to one of the combined quantity indicators, and allocating the order quantity between the at least two tradeable objects using at least one quantity allocation rule. In one example embodiment, a plurality of quantity allocation rules can be user-configurable, and different rules can be defined and applied in relation to different order types.
US08655764B2 High speed processing of financial information using FPGA devices
A high speed apparatus and method for processing a plurality of financial market data messages are disclosed. With respect to an exemplary embodiment, a reconfigurable logic device is employed to map the symbols present in the financial market data messages to another symbology.
US08655751B2 System and method for control of commodities inventory for animal feed rations
A data processing system and method are provided in the form of a livestock management system for specifically managing feeding tasks for a group of animals within a designated location. The system and method incorporate a data processing function wherein comprehensive data is gathered and maintained on individual feed rations which are selectively used to feed a selected group of animals. Functionality of the management system and method include the ability to track amounts of ingredients used for each type of feed ration and any excess or surplus ingredients which may have been withdrawn from storage locations. The management system and method results in improved commodity inventory control to prevent waste of ingredients and to prevent potential cross contamination between different types of feed ration.
US08655750B2 Identifying the most relevant computer system state information
Operations to manage statements relating to a computer system state include obtaining, in a computer system and from any of several sources, statements that relate to a current state of the computer system. Each statement comprises several elements. The operations comprise assigning focus values to the elements of each statement, each focus value indicating a relevance of the element to the current state of the computer system. The operations comprise identifying a subset of the statements based on the focus values. The operations comprise making a first output to a user, the first output being selected from several predefined outputs using the subset of the statements. The output may represent the current state to the user or it may present at least one of several predefined goals to the user for selection, the at least one goal being identified as being possible to accomplish based on the current state.
US08655743B1 System and method for online management of restaurant orders
A system and method for online management of restaurant orders may comprise of a server computer for storing data related to a plurality of vendors; a client computer for sending a request for vendor product to the server computer; and a vendor point of sale system, at a specific location, for interfacing with the server computer and for processing the request.
US08655733B2 Payment workflow extensibility for point-of-sale applications
Architecture that employs a software development kit and an add-in model to collect payment data and communicate with payment processors in a point-of-sale (POS) application to meet new requirements in new markets. Data gathered from an add-in and from the POS application can be combined and then communicated to the payment processor. The payment method can be determined and payment processing routed to different payment processors based on data and schema of data collected is also described. An add-in can also programmatically obtain information from the POS application information about a transaction and authorize a payment. A payment collecting/processing API is the interface between the POS application tender logic and payment collecting/processing logic and defines how a payment collecting/processing add-in interacts with the POS application.
US08655732B1 Liquid dispensation
A liquid dispensation framework is described for dispensing liquid. A serving station may include one or more liquid containing devices, one or more taps, a data processor, a payment module, a monitoring module, and a cabinet with a lock. The serving station may be configured to determine an identity of a user and whether the user is authorized to withdraw liquid. If the serving station determines that the user is authorized to withdraw liquid, the amount or volume of liquid dispensed may be controlled, and an account associated with the user (or another) may be charged based on the amount or volume of liquid dispensed.
US08655727B2 Method and system for generating and placing keyword-targeted advertisements
A method and system for identifying advertisement and search term combinations for placing advertisements along with search results. The advertisement system includes multiple advertisement generators that automatically create advertisement sets that each contain one or more advertisements, one or more search terms, and a link to an advertised item. The advertisement system also includes an advertisement manager that receives the advertisement sets from the advertisement generators, identifies a fee to be associated with each advertisement set, and selects which advertisement sets are to be submitted to various search engine services. The advertisement system may also include a fee calculator that generates a fee amount or bid for each advertisement set.
US08655725B2 User-controlled file interaction
User-controlled file interaction is described, including detecting an interaction with a file presented on a client, the interaction indicating a preference associated with the file, selecting other files for presentation based on the preference, the other files being similar to the element, and presenting the other files on the client.
US08655722B1 Anonymous rewards club program
A method and system for rewarding anonymous patrons of an anonymous loyalty program is disclosed herein. The anonymous loyalty program only uses an identification generated on a mobile communication device for all transactions by the member. The member does not need to disclose his or her phone number to participate in the anonymous loyalty program although the member's mobile communication device is used for all of the transactions.
US08655717B2 System and method for rewarding users for changes in health behaviors
A system and method for generating and sending reward messages to users accomplishing goals related to a personalized health behavior plan. Rewards may be issued for reasons such as achieving an ultimate goal, reaching an intermediate goal, or completing a suggested activity such as eating a suggested meal or performing a suggested physical activity. A reward may be a coupon for use at an establishment such as a restaurant, a clothing store, or a fitness center. Rewards may also be checks sent through postal mail or coupons for printing on a personal printer. Reward messages are generated by an expert system based on a user's personalized diet, exercise, or other health plan, goals associated with the plan, and specified preferences. Reward messages are sent to user's portable devices. Current location information may be used to send a user a reward for use at a nearby establishment.
US08655705B2 Systems, methods and apparatus for implementing hybrid meta-heuristic inventory optimization based on production schedule and asset routing
The disclosure relates generally to methods and apparatus to optimize a supply plan through a hybrid meta-heuristic approach based on genetic algorithms to optimize inventory and generate a supply plan. The apparatuses include a supply chain planner that interacts with the processes of a supply chain network. To provide a complete optimization for the type of platform being deployed in theater a heuristic algorithm is devised to decompose the supply plan problem into a production center schedule and an asset routing problem, which will be tackled one after the other. The decomposed supply plan problem is solved with different heuristic algorithms. Namely, genetic algorithms are used to optimize the supply plans based on ever changing set of operational demands from in theater and the priority of those demands to the assigned depots, while efficient constructive heuristics are used to deal with footprint and timing constraints.
US08655702B2 System and method for optimizing end-to-end response times distribution across components in a performance engineering process
The disclosed embodiment relates to a method for optimizing end-to-end response times distribution across a plurality of components in a performance engineering process. The method preferably comprises determining first, second, and third end-to-end response times for a plurality of components in the process, and determining an optimal end-to-end response time for the components in the process, wherein the optimal end-to-end response time distribution is based on an average of the first end-to-end response time, the second end-to-end response time, and the third end-to-end response time for each component. The disclosed embodiment also relates to a system and computer-readable code that can be used to implement the exemplary methods.
US08655695B1 Systems and methods for generating expanded user segments
Systems and methods are disclosed for generating an expanded user segment based on a target segment of users associated with a specified target feature. In one implementation, a method is provided that includes receiving information about online activity by a set of users, the information including a unique user ID associated with each of the set of users; extracting from the received information, data about the set of users who are associated with the specified target feature; specifying one or more independent features relevant to a user association with the specified target feature; building a model that represents the probability of any user being associated with the specified target feature, based on the extracted data and the independent features; and using the model to score a network population of users relative to the specified feature, based on information received about online activity by the network population of users.
US08655693B2 System and method for automating travel related features
Embodiments of the disclosed invention include an apparatus, method, and computer program product for automating travel related features based on location information of a mobile device associated with a user. For example, in one embodiment, a computer executed method is disclosed for configuring an out of office auto-reply email message. The method comprises receiving an out of area message from a mobile device associated with a user; identifying a user associated with the mobile device; accessing an email account associated with the user; and configuring an out of office auto-reply email message based on configurations prespecified by the user.
US08655681B2 Cohort driven selection of medical diagnostic tests
A computer implemented method, system, and/or computer program product creates a suggested diagnostic test selection. A description of a current patient includes a current medical complaint, medical history, and physical examination result for the current patient. A cohort for the current patient is made up of persons who have a substantially similar medical complaint, medical history, and physical examination result as the current patient. Past diagnostic test sets used to make correct medical diagnoses for persons in the cohort are identified and stored in a cohort diagnostic test database. The past diagnostic test sets are sorted based on increasing levels of detrimental effects posed by each of the past diagnostic test sets. The sorted diagnostic test sets are then presented to a health care provider for the current patient.
US08655678B2 Mobile healthcare data
An apparatus which configures a mobile healthcare network for monitoring a being includes a sender for sending the composition of the mobile healthcare network to a home healthcare network for monitoring the being and a receiver for receiving a configuration recommendation. The configuration recommendation corresponds to the composition of the mobile healthcare monitoring network and a medical history database of the home healthcare monitoring network An arranger arranges parameters of the mobile healthcare network according to the configuration recommendation.
US08655671B2 Internet based release tracking system
An Internet based real estate transaction and release tracking system that insures deeds of trust, liens and other encumbrances are released in a timely manner after the lien holder has received payment for the underlying obligation. Based on information provided by an agent, such as an escrow agent or a settlement agent, the system creates a unique electronic record for each real estate transaction entered by the agent. The system receives update information, either automatically from other computers or via manual input from searchers, and uses this update information to track each real estate transaction. The system monitors the records and indicates when a lien holder has failed to release their lien after a statutory time period that begins after the passing of the settlement date. When the statutory time period has passed, the system generates a number of forms, including a demand letter. The demand letter is sent to the lien holder demanding them to release the lien. If the lien is not thereafter released, further legal documents can be generated and sent to a law firm for legal action to be taken against the delinquent lien holder.
US08655670B2 Audio encoder, audio decoder and related methods for processing multi-channel audio signals using complex prediction
An encoder, based on a combination of two audio channels, obtains a first combination signal as a mid-signal and a residual signal derivable using a predicted side signal derived from the mid signal. The first combination signal and the prediction residual signal are encoded and written into a data stream together with the prediction information. A decoder generates decoded first and second channel signals using the prediction residual signal, the first combination signal and the prediction information. A real-to-imaginary transform may be applied for estimating the imaginary part of the spectrum of the first combination signal. For calculating the prediction signal used in the derivation of the prediction residual signal, the real-valued first combination signal is multiplied by a real portion of the complex prediction information and the estimated imaginary part of the first combination signal is multiplied by an imaginary portion of the complex prediction information.
US08655662B2 System and method for answering a communication notification
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer readable-media for answering a communication notification. The method for answering a communication notification comprises receiving a notification of communication from a user, converting information related to the notification to speech, outputting the information as speech to the user, and receiving from the user an instruction to accept or ignore the incoming communication associated with the notification. In one embodiment, information related to the notification comprises one or more of a telephone number, an area code, a geographic origin of the request, caller id, a voice message, address book information, a text message, an email, a subject line, an importance level, a photograph, a video clip, metadata, an IP address, or a domain name. Another embodiment involves notification assigned an importance level and repeat attempts at notification if it is of high importance.
US08655652B2 Apparatus and method for encoding an information signal
An apparatus for encoding an information signal having discrete values includes a quantizer having a quantizer border, wherein the quantizer is adapted so that a discrete value above the quantization border is quantized to a quantization index, which is different from a quantization index obtained by quantizing a discrete value below the quantization border, a controller for modifying the quantization border, wherein the quantizer having a first quantization border setting is adapted to generate a first set of quantization indices for the discrete values, and wherein the quantizer having a second modified quantization border setting is adapted to generate a second set of quantization indices, and an output interface for outputting an encoded information signal which is either based on the first set of quantization indices or the second set of quantization indices dependent on a decision function.
US08655651B2 Method, computer, computer program and computer program product for speech quality estimation
The invention relates to a method, computer, computer program and computer program product for speech quality estimation. The method comprises the steps of: determining a coding distortion parameter (QCOD), a bandwidth related distortion parameter (BW) and a presentation level distortion parameter (PL) of a speech signal; extracting a first coefficient (ωl) and a second coefficient (ω2), the first coefficient and the second coefficient being dependent on the coding distortion parameter; and calculating a signal quality measure (Q), where the signal quality measure is QCOD+ω1BW+ω2PL using the signal quality measure in a quality estimation of the speech signal.
US08655646B2 Apparatus and method for detecting named entity
An apparatus and method for detecting a named-entity. The apparatus includes a candidate-named-entity extraction module that detects a candidate-named-entity based on an initial learning example and feature information regarding morphemes constituting an inputted sentence, the candidate-named-entity extraction module providing a tagged sentence including the detected candidate-named-entity; a storage module that stores information regarding a named-entity dictionary and a rule; and a learning-example-regeneration module for finally determining whether the candidate-named-entity included in the provided sentence is a valid named-entity, based on the named-entity dictionary and the rule, the learning-example-regeneration module providing the sentence as a learning example, based on a determination result, so that a probability of candidate-named-entity detection is gradually updated.
US08655644B2 Language translation in an environment associated with a virtual application
Methods and apparatus for language translation in a computing environment associated with a virtual application are presented. For example, a method for providing language translation includes determining languages of a user and a correspondent; determining one or more sequences of translators; determining a selected sequence of selected translators from the one or more sequences of the translators; requesting a change in virtual locations, within the computing environment associated with the virtual application, of one or more selected translator virtual representations of the selected translators to a virtual meeting location within the computing environment associated with the virtual application; and changing virtual locations of the one or more selected translator virtual representations to the virtual meeting location. One or more of determining languages, determining one or more sequences, determining a selected sequence, requesting a change in virtual locations, and changing virtual locations occur on a processor device.
US08655643B2 Method and system for adaptive transliteration
A system and method for transliteration between two different character-based languages is provided. In some embodiments, the system and method provide transliteration from the Arabic language into Roman-based languages such as English. In some embodiments this system and method allows a user to more easily produce Arabic text on English or Roman-based computer hardware and software.
US08655642B2 Method of e-mail address search and e-mail address transliteration and associated device
An improved method of transliterating non-Latin input within an e-mail address field to the Latin equivalent. A routine in a handheld device is structured to detect a triggering event that indicates an e-mail address is being input into an e-mail address field. Following the triggering event, both prior and subsequent input is transliterated to Latin characters as these characters are required by Internet protocols. The transliteration routine may also be utilized to search an email address book wherein names are recorded using both Latin and non-Latin characters.
US08655639B2 General digital semantic database for mechanical language translation
A general digital semantic database for mechanical language translation is provided. The database has vocabulary decomposed to part of speech characteristics and semantic characteristics to form inseparable basic semantic points. The vocabulary is regularly ordered according to classes of the semantic characteristic, part of speech characteristic, background and grammatical relation. Two or more languages are configured on the basic semantic points according to a synonymies relation. The languages are discretionarily interchanged based on the basic semantic points by a machine. The languages semantemes and syntax relation formula are configured in the semantic database to realize an automatic paginal translation.
US08655636B2 Semantic translation of time-driven simulink diagrams using input/output extended finite automata
A method of semantic translation of a class of diagrams to input/output-extended finite automata is provided. The method includes receiving a data representation of a diagram, said diagram comprising a plurality of blocks and said diagram being associated with a graphical modeling environment which defines semantics for executing the diagram, and processing, using a computing device, the data representation of the diagram to translate the diagram to an input/output-extended finite automata model.
US08655632B2 Gridless geological modeling
Systems and methods perform gridless geological modeling. A system provides an interactive visual model that performs fast modeling of subsurface geological properties without spending processor resources calculating a three-dimensional grid. The system receives structural data, selects points for modeling a property of a subsurface earth volume, and propagates values for the property directly to the points in gridless three-dimensional space. The system then displays the propagated values in an interactive visualization of a structural framework model. The system creates fast interpolation functions and can apply a callback function for acceleration. One technique offloads calculations to a graphics processor or other auxiliary processor for speed. The system provides a myriad of fully interactive volume and dimensional slice probes, with mappable color-coding and a user-selection of rendering styles. Points are quality checked and optimized propagation parameters are stored for accelerated rendering when unavoidable grid production is needed for simulation.
US08655627B2 Determining a distribution of multiple layers of a composite material within a structural volume
Apparatus and methods for designing multilayer structures are described. The multilayer structures may be of simple or complex shapes having a volume to be filled by multiple layers of composite material. The composite material may include fiber/polymer composites. The methods facilitate distribution and reordering of layers within the multilayer structure during the design phase. Dimensional data for each layer within the structure may be provided as output data and used to cut “flat” patterns for each layer. The methods and apparatus can accelerate design and development of high-strength, composite multilayer structures.
US08655623B2 Diagnostic system and method
Disclosed are system and method embodiments for determining the root-causes of a performance objective violation, such as an end-to-end service level objection (SLO) violation, in a large-scale system with multi-tiered applications. This determination is made using a hybrid of component-level snapshots of the state of the system during a period in which an abnormal event occurred (i.e., black box mapping) and of known events and their causes (i.e., white-box mapping). Specifically, in response to a query about a violation (e.g., why did the response time for application a1 increase from r1 to r2), a processor will access and correlate the black-box and white-box mappings to determine a short-list of probable causes for the violation.
US08655620B2 Method and module for measuring rotation and portable apparatus comprising the module
The invention discloses a method and a module for measuring rotation and a portable apparatus comprising said module. The module of the present invention is adapted for measuring rotation of a target, and the module includes a first sensor, a second sensor and a processor. The first sensor is disposed at a first location of the target, for sensing a first centripetal acceleration and a first tangential acceleration when the target is rotated. The second sensor is disposed at a second location of the target, for sensing a second centripetal acceleration and a second tangential acceleration when the target is rotated. The processor is coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor, for receiving the first centripetal acceleration and the first tangential acceleration from the first sensor, receiving the second centripetal acceleration and the second tangential acceleration from the second sensor, and calculating the rotation angle of the target accordingly.
US08655618B2 Accelerometer and method for controlling an accelerometer
A method for obtaining physiological muscle values of a user by a programmable accelerometer. In a first step, a user selects the type of test to be carried out. In a second step, a sequence of acceleration data is measured by the portable accelerometer during the test. In a third step, the end of the test is determined by the accelerometer by verifying a condition dependent on the type of test selected, and a sound signal is emitted. Finally, a value calculated on the basis of said successive measurements of the acceleration and dependent on the type of test selected is displayed.
US08655617B1 Method and system for validating video waveforms and other electrical signals
Method for validating a single waveform or series of waveforms that are intended for evaluating signals within an automated testing environment. Test signal data is supplied by an external source. The method creates a golden template from a known, good instance of the waveform under test and algorithmically applies it to other waveforms under test to determine compliance. In the application to video waveforms, timing parameters, deflection parameters and image content parameters are simultaneously tested resulting in efficient concrete and tangible results. Instead of providing the known, good instance of the waveform under test to a processor that implements the method, descriptive parameters of the known, good instance of the waveform may be provided to the processor that calculates data points of the expected video waveforms and then determines rules for the waveform based on the calculated data points.
US08655616B2 System for testing illuminating elements and method for testing illuminating elements
The present invention discloses a system for testing illuminating elements and a method for testing illuminating elements, wherein the method includes the following steps. Firstly, an illuminating element and an unilluminated area on a circuit board are covered respectively. A reference voltage is obtained according to a brightness of the unilluminated area and a testing voltage is obtained according to a brightness of the illuminating element being driven. Afterwards, whether the illuminating element passes a testing process or not is judged from the reference voltage and the testing voltage.
US08655613B2 System and method of battery capacity estimation
A method includes measuring an operating parameter of a battery of a mobile device. The measured operating parameter is translated into an equivalent series resistance (ESR) value. The ESR value is adjusted by a correction factor to generate a corrected ESR value. The capacity of the battery is determined based on the corrected ESR value. The correction factor is automatically calibrated based on the measured operating parameter.
US08655607B2 Sensing device, sensing method, and computer-readable storage medium
A sensing device includes: a magnetic field generating coil that generates an alternating magnetic field in a sensing-target region; a signal inducing coil in which is induced an electric signal corresponding to the alternating magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating coil; an amplifier that amplifies a third electric signal obtained from the difference between a first electric signal induced in the signal inducing coil in a state where a sensing-target magnetic body is present in the sensing-target region and a second electric signal induced in the signal inducing coil in a state where the magnetic body is not present in the sensing-target region; and a sensing unit that senses, on the basis of the third electric signal amplified by the amplifier, the magnetic body passing through the sensing-target region by sensing a change in the magnetic field resulting from magnetization reversal of the magnetic body.
US08655604B2 Multivariable process fluid flow device with fast response flow calculation
A process fluid flow device includes process communication circuitry, a processor, and measurement circuitry. The process communication circuitry is configured to communicate with at least one additional process device. The processor is coupled to the process communication circuitry and is configured to execute instructions to provide a plurality of cycles, wherein each cycle includes a number of flow-related calculations. Measurement circuitry is operably coupleable to a plurality of process variable sensors to obtain an indication of differential pressure during each cycle, and to obtain static pressure, and process fluid temperature. The processor is configured to compute a process fluid flow value using a current differential pressure sensor indication and at least one flow-related value calculated during a previous cycle. The process communication circuitry communicates the computed process fluid flow value to the at least one additional process device.
US08655603B2 Methods for monitoring and managing delivery of syrup in bag-in-box systems
The present invention includes systems, methods and apparatus for detecting whether an acceptable mixture of fluid and water has been delivered by a vending machine. Embodiments of the invention utilize one or more second flow meters located downstream of a mix manifold. The additional flow meter allows the controller of the delivery system or vending machine to monitor and compare the volume of water to the volume of the final mix in order to determine whether an appropriate volume of syrup has or has not been mixed in the dispensed beverage.
US08655590B2 Map database having vectors for determining destinations, and vector determination method
A method, database, memory computer readable medium and navigation device are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the method includes projecting a plurality of known address points onto an address segment vector of a source map database, to create projection points; interpolating locations for addresses of the address points, to create corresponding interpolation points; and segmenting the address segment vector into a plurality of address sub-segment vectors, upon a distance between a projection point and a corresponding interpolation point exceeding a threshold distance. Embodiments include a memory including a digital map application database storing the address sub-segment vectors of the method, at least one of in place of and in addition to corresponding address segment vectors, upon an address segment vector being segmented; a navigation device including the memory; a digital map application database including a plurality of address segment vectors and a plurality of address sub-segment vectors and a computer readable medium including the digital map application database.
US08655582B2 Method and system for route based search including stopping point addition
A route may be created and provided to a client. A stopping point along the route is received, and a search is performed for at least one point of interest according to the stopping point. Further, a route is created and provided to a client, and at least one stopping point associated with the route is identified based on at least one of a distance along the route, an indication of a place on a map, a category search, and a key word search.
US08655580B2 Method for transmitting information on position on digital map and device used for the same
A method of transmitting position information of a digital map capable of transmitting a position on a digital map efficiently and accurately in which a transmitting side transmits position information including coordinate series information for specifying a vector shape on a digital map and a receiving side execute map matching by the coordinate series information to thereby identify the vector shape on the digital map, the coordinate series information is transmitted by adding azimuth information of a coordinate point included in the coordinate series information thereto. By transmitting shape data by adding the azimuth information thereto, accuracy of matching can be promoted and necessary time for matching can be shortened.
US08655577B2 Device and method for automatically adjusting the horizontal ride level of a utility vehicle
A device and a method for improved automatic ride level control of a utility vehicle on an inclined underlying surface use a lateral acceleration sensor to sense the inclination of the utility vehicle in the stationary state or with a reduced speed in conjunction with a chassis of adjustable height.
US08655568B2 Method, system and control device for controlling a compressed air controlled brake system
For a compressed-air-controlled vehicle brake system having at least one brake, a control process includes using a monitoring sensor to determine whether at least one component of the vehicle is not secured or is not properly positioned, and automatically activating the vehicle brakes in response to a determination that the at least one component is not secured and/or is improperly positioned.
US08655566B2 Brake device and braking method for a motor vehicle
A brake device for a motor vehicle has a brake pedal device (12) that can be operated by a driver with a variable force/travel pedal characteristic curve (V-PKL), a brake apparatus (20) for braking the motor vehicle with a braking effect corresponding to a degree of activation of the brake pedal device (12) and corresponding to the varible force/travel pedal characteristic curve (V-PKL), a memory device (16) with a stored characteristic diagram (KFL) of possible force/travel pedal characteristic curves and with a control device (14) for selecting the variable force/travel pedal characteristic curve (V-PKL) from the characteristic diagram (KFL) of the possible force/travel pedal characteristic curves.
US08655565B2 Three-wheel vehicle electronic stability system and control strategy therefor
A method for enhancing stability of a three wheel vehicle having a pair of front wheels and a single rear wheel, each of the wheels having a tire with a tire grip threshold. The method including deploying an electronic stability system (ESS) on the vehicle, providing the ESS with input from various vehicle sensors related to the longitudinal and lateral acceleration of the vehicle, causing the ESS to determine whether (i) a precursory condition indicative of a wheel lift exists and (ii) the tire grip threshold of any of the tires has been exceeded; and when a precursory condition indicative of a wheel lift exists and the tire grip threshold of none of the tires has been exceeded, causing the ESS to reduce the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle by a first amount less than that which would cause the tire grip threshold of any of the tires to be exceeded.
US08655558B2 Control system for hybrid construction machine
A controller is connected to a pressure sensor. The controller controls a regulator of a sub-pump in accordance with a pressure signal from the pressure sensor, detects an output of a main pump, and controls an output of an electric motor according to the output of the main pump based on a table stored beforehand.
US08655556B2 Blade control system and construction machine
A blade control system of the present invention includes a determining part which is configured to determine whether or not a distance between a designed surface and a cutting edge of a blade is less than or equal to a threshold to be determined based on a speed, and a lift cylinder controlling part which is configured to supply hydraulic oil to a lift cylinder for starting elevation of the blade when the determining part determines that the distance is less than or equal to the threshold.
US08655554B2 Autonomous seat system of automotive vehicle and performing method thereof
An autonomous seat system of an automotive vehicle and a performing method thereof are disclosed. The system and method are aimed to reduce discomfort of a passenger due to centrifugal forces resulted from vehicle's turning motion. The system includes a lane prediction unit, a control unit, and a seat adjusting unit. The lane prediction unit is utilized for obtaining lane information in front of the automotive vehicle. According to the lane information the control unit calculates the centrifugal force which the passenger experiences while sitting in a seat of the automotive vehicle, and a seat tilt angle which is required for the seat to compensate the centrifugal force after a predetermined time interval. The seat adjusting unit adjusts the seat to the seat tilt angle after the predetermined time interval so as to reduce or eliminate the ill-effect on the passenger resulted from the centrifugal force.
US08655549B2 Vehicle driving control apparatus and vehicle driving control method
A vehicle driving control apparatus is provided with a lane detecting device, a future position estimating device and a vehicle control device. The lane detecting device detects a lane marker of a lane. The future position estimating device estimates a future transverse position of a host vehicle after a prescribed amount of time. The vehicle control device executes a vehicle control such that a yaw moment is imparted to the host vehicle toward a middle of the lane. The yaw moment is imparted upon determining that the future transverse position is positioned laterally farther toward an outside of the lane from the middle of the lane than a prescribed widthwise lane position that is determined in advance using the lane marker as a reference. The vehicle control device suppresses an impartation of the yaw moment device when a recognition degree of the lane marker is lower than a prescribed value.
US08655548B2 Bicycle component control apparatus
A bicycle component control apparatus is basically provided with a controller and a detecting member. The controller is configured to control an operation of an electrical bicycle component by selectively outputting a control parameter. The detecting member detects an electrical connecting state between the controller and a manually operated input member for changing a setting of the electrical bicycle component. The controller outputs a predetermined control parameter based on the electrical connecting state.
US08655547B1 Motion-activated response system
One embodiment is a safety device for children and pets who is about to be left alone in a vehicle with engine off and doors close. With a control box (80) that transmit a signal from the temperature sensor (81) and motion sensors (82), (82a). This control box (80) is made with a mother board not seen and a reserve power backup unit (96) which is always charged by the automobile's (70) electrical system. In addition it has a voice box (85) that will say EMERGENCY, EMERGENCY through the speakers (86). It's all power by the car's 12-volt batter (89a). Other embodiment are described and shown.
US08655542B2 Fuel filter diagnostic system and filter cartridge
An electronic tag is attached to a filter cartridge, which includes a filter. The electronic tag stores individual product information of the filter and wirelessly transmits the individual product information. A wireless receiver device is installed to a predetermined location of a vehicle, which is other than the filter cartridge and receives the individual product information transmitted from the electronic tag. A diagnostic device diagnoses whether the individual product information is received by the wireless receiver device or whether the filter cartridge installed in the vehicle has a desired filtering performance based on contents of the individual product information received by the wireless receiver device.
US08655535B2 Electric vehicle and method for controlling same
The present invention relates to an electric vehicle and a method for controlling same, which involve monitoring the state of PRA which switches power supply so as to stably supply power or cut off the supply of power during the operation of the electric vehicle, and controlling of a plurality of switches for supplying power from a battery or cutting off the result of the switching, thus enabling the accurate control of switching and preventing an erroneous operation.
US08655526B2 Method and apparatus for controlling operation of a hybrid powertrain during a key-on crank start event
A method for starting an internal combustion engine in a hybrid powertrain having an electric torque machine mechanically coupled to the internal combustion engine includes monitoring a temperature state of the hybrid powertrain, determining a maximum discharging power limit of the high-voltage battery corresponding to the temperature state of the hybrid powertrain, estimating an engine drag torque associated with the temperature state of the hybrid powertrain, selecting a preferred engine cranking speed associated with the estimated engine drag torque and achievable at less than the maximum discharging power limit of the high-voltage battery, and controlling the electric torque machine to generate a magnitude of motor torque output sufficient to crank the internal combustion engine at the preferred engine cranking speed.
US08655524B2 Power supply system, vehicle provided with the same and control method of power supply system
A power supply system includes power storage units formed of battery assemblies, respectively, converters corresponding to the power storage units, respectively, and a charger receiving an electric power from an external power supply for externally charging the power storage units. An ECU estimates an SOC of each power storage unit based on the SOC of a battery block of the smallest SOC in the power storage unit. When the power storage unit attains a state allowing charging by the external power supply, the ECU controls the corresponding converter to charge the power storage unit with the charge current supplied from the charger, and derives, for each power storage unit, a charge-allowed power based on the SOC of the battery block of the largest SOC. When a total value of the derived charge-allowed powers of the respective power storage units is equal to or smaller than an actual value of the supply power supplied from the external power supply, the ECU ends the external charging of the power storage units.
US08655522B2 Watercraft propulsion device
A watercraft propulsion device includes an engine, a drive shaft, a propeller shaft, a rotational speed detector, and a controller. The drive shaft transmits power from the engine. The propeller shaft is rotationally driven by power transmitted from the drive shaft. The rotational speed detector detects an engine rotational speed. The controller executes a suppression control to suppress the engine rotational speed when a change rate of the engine rotational speed is equal to or larger than a prescribed value.
US08655515B2 Communication system for a rail vehicle consist and method for communicating with a rail vehicle consist
A communication system for a rail vehicle consist includes antenna modules, routing modules, and an arbitration module. The antenna modules are disposed at spaced apart locations along the consist and receive network data from an off-board device. The routing modules are communicatively coupled with the antenna modules and receive the network data from the antenna modules. The routing modules are communicatively coupled with a network connection extending along the rail vehicle consist. The arbitration module is communicatively coupled with the network connection. The arbitration module forms a message represented by the network data. One or more of the routing modules transmits the network data received from the off-board device to the arbitration module over the network connection. The arbitration module receives the network data to form the message and transmits the message to one or more powered units of the rail vehicle consist through the network connection.
US08655510B2 Method of regulating the propulsive speed of a hybrid helicopter
A method of regulating the propulsion speed of a hybrid helicopter. In application of a correction process for protecting the hybrid helicopter, piloting orders generated by a manual control member relate to an airspeed setpoint and they are corrected by control means in accordance with at least one correction mode in which the piloting orders are corrected in application of a rule that takes account of a setpoint consumed power corresponding to the airspeed setpoint derived from the piloting order.
US08655509B2 Flight control system of aircraft
A flight control system of an aircraft and a flight control method of the aircraft are provided in which the overrunning an operation limitation on a flight condition can be prevented even when a pilot operates a flight control device fast. The flight control system of the aircraft includes a flight control device; a sensor configured to detect a first parameter changed based on a flight condition of the aircraft; a limitation flight control position calculating section configured to calculate a limitation flight control position of the flight control device when the first parameter reaches a limitation value, based on the first parameter; a reaction force generating actuator configured to change a reaction force which the pilot receives when carrying out a flight control input to the flight control device, in response to a reaction force generating command generated based on the flight control position of the flight control device and the limitation flight control position; an inner loop command calculating section configured to generate an inner loop command based on the flight control position; and a control surface actuator configured to drive a control surface of the aircraft based on the flight control position and the inner loop command.
US08655507B2 Method and system for dynamically managing a flight procedure of an aircraft flight plan
A method of managing a flight procedure of an aircraft flight plan, which has at least one segment, includes a step in which an additional attribute of the segment representative of a compulsory or optional nature of the flight of said segment is dynamically selected.
US08655492B2 Air-conditioning apparatus control device and refrigerating apparatus control device
A control device that controls a plurality of air conditioners includes a data memory section for storing performance model data representing the relationship between air conditioning capability and power consumption for each of the plurality of air conditioners. An overall air conditioning load calculating section calculates an overall load that is the sum of air conditioning loads of the plurality of air-conditioning apparatuses. An air conditioning capability allocation calculating section an air conditioning capability for each of the plurality of air conditioners on the basis of the performance model data and the overall load so that the sum of the air conditioning capability of the plurality of air conditioners is the overall load and the sum of the power consumption of the plurality of air conditioners is minimum. A control signal section sends a control signal related to the air conditioning capability to each of the plurality of air conditioners.
US08655482B2 Enclosed operating area for storage device testing systems
A storage device testing system includes one or more test racks, and one or more test slots housed by the one or more test racks, each test slot being configured to receive a storage device for testing. The storage device testing system also includes a transfer station for supplying storage devices to be tested. The one or more test racks and the transfer station at least partially define an operating area. The storage device testing system can also include automated machinery that is disposed within the operating area and is configured to transfer storage devices between the transfer station and the one or more test slots, and a cover at least partially enclosing the operating area, thereby at least partially inhibiting air exchange between the operating area and an environment surrounding the test racks.
US08655477B2 Method and device for cutting of raw glass slabs
Methods for cutting of raw glass slabs into a number of glass cuttings include determining the supply of uncut or partially cut raw glass slabs, continuously detecting incoming cutting orders and processing of the cutting orders, continuously determining an optimized processing order and optimized cutting patterns of raw glass slabs based on determined values, processing cutting orders according to the determined optimized processing order and optimized cutting patterns, and storing the glass cuttings in assigned compartments of an intermediate storage. An increased productivity with minimized waste of material can be achieved by the continuous optimizing method in regards to the temporal sequence and cutting patterns of the glass cuttings.
US08655473B2 Automated pattern generation processes
An automated system for generating large numbers of digitally-defined patterns suitable for printing on textiles wherein each pattern is individually different but shares one or more unifying design motifs with all other patterns. In the general case, each pattern is comprised of at least two components in the form of separately configurable pattern layers that are digitally superimposed to form a composite pattern that is unique but visually related to all other unique patterns that use pattern layers taken from the same pattern sources.
US08655465B2 Method and electronic device
The invention relates to a method and an electronic device especially for car audio entertainment including a car audio equipment (2) and an other electronic device (4) like a handheld including at least one data connection (5) and at least one control connection (3) between the car audio equipment and the other electronic device, whereby the car audio equipment is able to send data to the other electronic device which is able to respond to the data send by the car audio equipment by sending a data answer, wherein the car audio equipment is able to compare the data send and the data received and generates a control signal to allow the control of the other electronic device like the handheld by the car audio equipment.
US08655460B2 Method for operating a drive control device and drive control device operating according to the method
A drive control device having an inverter with semiconductor switches controlled by control signals is operated by calculating with a control logic a control signal time instant for each control signal, transmitting during operation the control signal time instants with the control logic during switching pauses of the semiconductor switches from a low-voltage side of the drive control device to a high-voltage side of the drive control device having the inverter, and generating the control signals for controlling the semiconductor switches on the high-voltage side based on the transmitted control signal time instants.
US08655455B2 Neural stimulator with percutaneous connectivity
An implantable neurostimulation system includes both implantable and external components. Electrical connectivity between the external and implanted components is achieved through a plurality of feedthrough pins located within an insulative wall of a percutaneous port embedded in the skin. The percutaneous port has the general shape and appearance of a small thimble, embedded in the skin with its open end facing outwardly from the skin surface, and with its closed end located below the skin surface, thereby forming a cavity or dimple in the skin. Various plugs or cartridges can be removably inserted into the cavity of the percutaneous port, in various orientations, to facilitate appropriate connectivity between the external and implanted components of the system through selected ones of the feedthrough pins. A mesh edging secured around the periphery wall of the port promotes tissue ingrowth and vascularization, thereby forming a percutaneous seal around the port that prevents infection.
US08655453B2 Connecting electrical sources to electrode nodes in a medical device
This disclosure describes electrical stimulators that include some electrical sources (e.g., current sources, voltage sources) that are directly connected to a plurality of electrode nodes, and other electrical sources that may be selectively connected to selected ones of the plurality of electrode nodes via a switching unit, such as a multiplexer. One example stimulator comprises a processor, a plurality of electrode nodes, and a stimulation generator that is coupled to the processor and to the plurality of electrode nodes. The stimulation generator comprises a plurality of negative electrical sources, a switching unit, and at least one positive electrical source. The negative electrical sources are each directly connected to a different one of the plurality of electrode nodes. The switching unit is connected to each of the plurality of electrode nodes. The at least one positive electrical source is connected to the switching unit. The switching unit is configured to connect the at least one positive electrical source to a selected one or more of the plurality of electrode nodes.
US08655446B2 Cardiac pacing controlled via respiration therapy device
Methods and systems involve adjusting cardiac pacing based on information acquired via a respiratory therapy device. A medical system includes a respiratory therapy device having one or more sensors and a therapy delivery unit. The one or more sensors are configured to sense respiration cycles. The therapy delivery unit is configured to deliver an external respiratory therapy to the patient. The medical system also includes a pulse generator configured to deliver cardiac pacing pulses to the patient. A controller is coupled to the one or more sensors and the pulse generator. The control unit configured to adjust a cardiac pacing rate based on the patient's respiration cycles.
US08655442B2 Method and apparatus for measuring and treating shivering during therapeutic temperature control
Methods and apparatus for the prevention and treatment of shivering encountered during therapeutic temperature regulation are disclosed that utilize an active system of counterwarming such that the timing and intensity of warmth provided to selected body areas is regulated dynamically in response to such factors as the extent of cooling applied to the core, the degree of shivering encountered, and patient temperature. Additionally, methods and apparatus are disclosed for the measurement and quantification of shivering for use in this and other applications.
US08655429B2 Robotic arm for a radiation treatment system
A robotic treatment delivery system including a linear accelerator (LINAC), and a robotic arm coupled to the LINAC. The robotic arm is configured to move the LINAC along at least four rotational degrees of freedom and one substantially linear degree of freedom.
US08655426B2 Device for measuring concentration of constituent in blood and measuring method
A device for measuring concentration of a constituent in blood includes: an irradiation unit for irradiating light toward a living body, the light having a wavelength disposed in a light absorption band of the constituent in the blood; a light receiving unit for receiving light, which is reflected in the living body or transmitted through the living body; and a concentration measurement unit for measuring the concentration of the constituent in the blood based on variation of light intensity of light received by the light receiving unit, the variation attributed to a pulse wave of the living body.
US08655425B2 Optical sensor biosignal measurement apparatus and method of controlling optical sensor of the apparatus
An optical sensor biosignal measurement apparatus including an optical sensor having a luminous element to emit light towards the skin of a user and a photo detector to detect light from the skin of the user; a light quantity adjustment member to adjust an optical transmission area of the photo detector; and a light quantity controller to detect the quantity of light detected by the photo detector, and control the light quantity adjustment member to adjust the optical transmission area of the photo detector according to the quantity of light is provided.
US08655424B2 Superconductive electric cable
A superconductive electric cable is provided at least one superconductive conductor having strips or wires, which are wound in at least one layer around a carrier constructed as a pipe. The pipe is elastically deformable in a radial direction with changeable diameters and has a gap extending in a straight line along a circumferential line of the pipe over its entire length.
US08655400B2 Reduced transmit power for wireless radio coexistence
In user equipments (UEs) with multiple radios, interference between those radios may be reduced by monitoring radio performance and adjusting aggressor transmit power levels to ensure victim and aggressor performance stay within desired operational levels. Various factors may determine when a reduced power approach is desired. Such factors may include aggressor transmit power, received signal strength indicator, victim error rate, throughput loss, coverage impact, etc. Various methods of reducing transmit power may be used. For example, for Long Term Evolution communications, a power headroom report may be altered to adjust a modulation coding scheme and bandwidth allocated for a particular UE. For Bluetooth communications a power control mechanism may be overridden to ensure a device stays within a desired transmit power. A power reduction loop may be employed to monitor a device's transmit power.
US08655399B2 Determining a maximum SIR target for power control in a cellular network
It is presented a power controller which is adapted to be coupled to a fixed node of a cellular network, wherein at least one user equipment is adapted to be associated with the fixed node. The power controller comprises: a signal to interference ratio, SIR, determiner arranged to determine a maximum SIR target for each of the at least one user equipment, which maximum SIR target is arranged to limit maximum transmission power of the at least one user equipment; wherein the determiner determines a maximum SIR target for each of the at least one user equipment directly or indirectly based on the number of user equipments in the cell of each respective user equipment. A corresponding method, computer program and computer program product are also presented.
US08655395B2 Systems, methods and apparatus for facilitating discontinuous reception
Systems, methods and apparatus for facilitating discontinuous reception are provided. An example of a first method can include providing one or more discontinuous reception cycles respectively corresponding to one or more inactivity periods. During respective awake periods of the one or more discontinuous reception cycles, data can be received on respective ones of one or more frequency carriers. The number and type of the one or more frequency carriers on which data is received can be determined based on the one or more inactivity periods. Further, in some embodiments, in addition to providing discontinuous reception on selected frequency carriers, data can be received according to continuous reception on other frequency carriers, such as the anchor carrier.
US08655391B2 Method for paging in wireless access system
A method for paging in a wireless access system is disclosed. A method for paging a mobile station of an idle mode comprises allocating large paging group identifier and small paging group identifier of a paging group to which the mobile station belongs to a header; allocating a large paging group flag and a small paging group flag to the header, the large paging group flag and the small paging group flag indicating the presence of a paging message for the mobile station; and transmitting the header to the mobile station of the idle mode.
US08655388B2 System, method and devices related to radio communication equipment
A system in radio communication comprising a controller, a first device, and a second device is provided. The first device is associated with a first particular sector of a radio communication cell and the second device is associated with a second particular sector of the radio communication cell. The first device comprises a first sector indicating hardware and the second device comprises a second sector indicating hardware. The first and second sector indicating hardware each comprises a first visual sector information relating to the first particular sector such that the first visual sector information is visible to a human, and a first electronically readable sector information relating to the first particular sector. Each device comprises a first reading arrangement for reading the electronically readable sector information.
US08655387B2 Method and apparatus of location measurement using the location of neighbor UE
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of allowing a mobile terminal to measure its own location. The measurement method may include receiving a temporary identifier from a neighbor terminal using near field wireless communication; transmitting a location information request to a base station using the temporary identifier when location information is required; and receiving location information from the base station. The location information may be measured by the neighbor terminal.
US08655373B2 Method and apparatus for wireless location measurement
A method for wireless location measurement of a receiver is provided. The method includes: estimating radio channels of a plurality of frequency domains respectively corresponding to a plurality of transmitters by using received signals from the plurality of transmitters; extracting a plurality of propagation delay tab profiles based on the radio channels of the plurality of frequency domains; calculating the distance between each of the transmitters corresponding to the respective propagation delay tab profiles and the receiver by using the propagation delay tab profiles; and estimating the location of the receiver by using the distance between each transmitter and the receiver.
US08655372B2 Determining positions in a wireless radio system
A method is described for expanding the radio-map of a WiFi system. A hotspot (HS4) of which the position is unknown and to be estimated is “seen” in a number of fingerprints (FP1, FP2, FP3), each taken at a different position. Several hotspots with a known position (HS1, HS2 and HS3) are also “seen” in the fingerprints (FP1, FP2, FP3). The geo-positions of the measurement locations, where the fingerprints (FP1, FP2, FP3) were taken, are estimated based on the signals from the hotspots (HS1, HS2, HS3) with known geo-position seen in the fingerprints and the known geo-positions of those hotspots. The position of the hotspot (HS4) is determined based on the signals from that hotspot (HS4) seen in the fingerprints and the geo-positions of the measurement locations where the fingerprints were taken, estimated in the previous step.
US08655370B2 Geographical location information sharing among wireless devices
A system and method for sharing geographical location information among a set of wireless telecommunication devices, such as mobile telephones. A first wireless telecommunication device generates geographical location information of that wireless telecommunication device, either through a resident device such as a GPS device, or has another computer device on the network provide the geographic location information, and then shares the geographical location information through sending the location information to one or more servers for relay to a predesignated target set of wireless telecommunication devices. The server stores the identity of member devices of the target set and controls communication between the first wireless telecommunications device and the member devices of the target set. A second server can be used to modify the geographical information, such as providing a map showing the location of the first wireless telecommunication device and other member devices of the target set.
US08655369B2 Cognitive radio system using care-of-address for packet routing in a mobile IP network
A co-existing multi-radio system and a method of establishing the same are provided. The co-existing multi-radio system includes a base station system and at least one first mobile device. The first mobile device and the base station system operate in a same communication environment. The first mobile device is capable of sensing a set of information associated to the communication environment, followed by analyzing the set of information and self-reconfiguring so as to communicate with another first mobile device and/or the base station system.
US08655360B2 Method and system of allocating network temporary identities
The present invention discloses a method and system for allocating Network Temporary Identities. The method comprises: obtaining capability information of a Home NodeB; allocating information for performing identity allocation to the Home NodeB, according to the capability information; sending the allocated information for performing identity allocation to the Home NodeB, so that the Home NodeB implements network temporary identity allocation according to the information for performing identity allocation; wherein the different information for performing identity allocation corresponds to different Home NodeBs to implement the network temporary identity allocation. The technical solution disclosed by the present invention can reduce the implementation complexity of Home NodeB Gateway and the time delay.
US08655349B2 Radio access technology configuration in femto-cell base stations
A method and apparatus for operating a femto-cell base station are disclosed. The femto-cell base station is configured to provide coverage to a User Equipment by connecting it to a core telecommunications network using a first frequency belonging to a first radio access technology. The method includes detecting that a fixed network connection of a femto-cell base station is not operative, and, in response to such failure, scanning frequencies in a second radio access technology available to a wireless network interface of the femto-cell base station, said second radio access technology being different than the first radio access technology. If there is any frequency available in said second radio access technology, said frequency in said second radio access technology is established as the operational frequency of a cellular wireless network connection established by the wireless network interface.
US08655348B2 System and method for acquiring network data
Systems and methods for acquiring wireless network performance data comprising a user equipment accessible via a wireless network, the user equipment comprising; a receiver, a transmitter, a first processor configured with software executable instructions to cause the user equipment to perform operations comprising; receiving a data acquisition signal via the receiver, sampling a wireless network signal received at the user equipment in response to receiving the data acquisition signal, generating acquired network data, and transmitting the acquired network data via the transmitter, a server accessible via the wireless network, the server comprising, a second processor configured with software executable instructions to cause the server to perform operations comprising; transmitting the data acquisition signal, receiving the acquired network data; and generating network performance data using the acquired network data.
US08655338B2 Method for operating portable terminal to reduce power during support of communication service and portable terminal supporting the same
A method for operating a portable terminal so as to reduce power consumption during the support of a communication service and a portable terminal supporting the same is provided. The method includes activating a Radio Frequency (RF) communication unit, downloading a part of data of predetermined contents through the RF communication unit, buffering the downloaded part of the data in a buffer so as to output the buffered downloaded part of the data, and executing an idle time for terminating or reducing a power supply of the RF communication unit when the downloading of the part of the data of the predetermined contents is completed.
US08655336B1 Remote issue logging and reporting of mobile station issues and diagnostic information to manufacturer
A user of a mobile station can report a mobile station issue by transmitting a report including a description of the mobile station issue and other information for rapid troubleshooting and resolution by a manufacturer, through a wireless mobile communication network, to the manufacturer of the mobile station or mobile software, via a life cycle management tool program at a network. The report sent by the user of the mobile station may include information relating to the description of the mobile station issue, mobile station device information, device operation information, diagnostic logs, or captured screenshots. The life cycle management tool program stores the report including the information and sends an electronic notification to a technical center of a carrier and/or the manufacturer of the mobile station or mobile software for review and resolution of the reported mobile station issue in real time.
US08655328B2 Cellular telephone coupled to a data center by a dedicated communication link
A cellular telephone system that includes a wireless handset that connects to a stationary (or mobile) data center, data station or home station remote from the wireless handset. The wireless handset and stationary data center communicate bidirectionally over an exclusive communication link such that commands entered by a user to the wireless handset are relayed to the stationary data center via the exclusive data communication link, and results from executing the commands are relayed from the home station to the wireless handset also via the exclusive data communication link and displayed on said screen. The processor at the data center or home station accesses the Internet and sends screens back to the handset for display. The handset appears smart to the user, but according to the present invention, most of the actual processing and Internet access is performed at the home station.
US08655326B2 Wireless handset connectivity time optimization
A system includes a user device configured to communicate with an application server over a network. A plurality of network elements are in communication with one another over the network, and each of the plurality of network elements have at least one parameter representative of network behavior. An adaptive server is in communication with the user device, the application server, and at least one of the network elements. The adaptive server is configured to estimate a connectivity time with the application server based on the parameter.
US08655323B2 Mobile-originated voicemail messages with location metadata
A voicemail message system may process voicemail messages sent by mobile communication devices. A network interface may receive the voicemail messages over a network communication system. Each voicemail message may include metadata relating to the voicemail message containing location information indicative of the location of the mobile communication device at approximately the time the message is sent by the mobile communication device. A voicemail message processing system may cause each message which is received by the network interface to be stored in a message storage system, along with its location information. Related mobile communication devices, telephone switches, and recipient phone call devices are also described.
US08655320B2 Method and system for providing low-complexity voice messaging
A voice messaging system includes a transceiver, an indicator, a microphone, and a speaker. The transceiver is operable to receive a message from the Internet, and the indicator is operable to announce that the message has been received. The microphone is operable to receive a verbal request to play the message, and the speaker is operable to play the recorded message in response to receiving the verbal request.
US08655319B2 Email SMS notification system providing selective server message retrieval features and related methods
A communications system may include at least one wireless communications device and a plurality of electronic mail (email) servers for storing email messages for the at least one wireless communications device. The system may further include an email relay server for detecting a new email message on a given one of the email servers and, based thereon, sending a short message service (SMS) notification with a unique server identifier (ID) of the given email server to the at least one wireless communications device. The at least one wireless communications device may detect the SMS notification and send an email retrieval request to the email relay server instructing the email relay server to retrieve email messages from the given server based upon the unique server ID.
US08655315B2 SMS authentication method
The present invention provides a SMS authentication method. The SMS authentication method includes transferring the authentication message into different types of authentication codes and/or review codes, sending the authentication codes and/or review codes to the authentication request end and the user via different types, providing the authentication codes input by the user and the authentication codes from the authentication service supply end to the authentication service supply end by the authentication request end, and making the user determine according to the review codes whether the authentication procedure is correct. Hence, the SMS authentication method of the present invention prevents the authentication information from being illegally recorded or stole during the transmission of the authentication message and prevents the phone number from being stole or forged.
US08655307B1 System and method for developing, updating, and using user device behavioral context models to modify user, device, and application state, settings and behavior for enhanced user security
Security is enhanced for a user of a mobile device by monitoring and controlling resource usage. Usage information associated with a mobile device is collected. The collected information is used to build a usage model for a user of the mobile device that describes a set of contexts in which the mobile device is used. User activity on the device is monitored and the model is consulted to determine a first time after which it will be acceptable for a battery of the mobile device to fall below a threshold charge level. Based on the monitored activity, a prediction of a second time is made for when the battery will fall below the threshold charge level. If the second time is before or a predetermined amount of time before the first time, usage of the battery is reduced, else, usage of the battery is not reduced.
US08655303B2 Entertainment system with sourceless selection including playlists
An entertainment system comprising a base unit with a transceiver for interacting, at times, with a control unit via a communications link, and a control unit for controlling the base unit, the control unit being dockable with the base unit to establish direct electrical connection between them, and including a transceiver for interacting with the control unit via said link when undocked. The control unit is a separate aspect of the invention or system. The base unit may contain a tuner, preferably with bandless tuning capability, and may be designed to receive into a universal docking arrangement a digitally controllable auxiliary audio source such as a portable MP3 player or other device. The base unit may further provide alarm clock functionality with numerous features including a “fail-safe’ volume control system and fail-safe alarm time setting capability.
US08655302B2 Demodulator of a frequency-modulated electrical signal
A demodulator of an FM signal modulated about a carrier frequency with a modulation frequency has an RF oscillator configured to be synchronized, under identical conditions of operation, with oscillations at first and second frequencies used in the FM signal to encode respective pieces of information. The oscillator has a magnetoresistive device; and a low-pass filter connected to an output electrode of the magnetoresistive device to filter an oscillating signal, generated by the oscillator and to a rendering terminal to provide, as a demodulated electrical signal, the filtered signal, the cut-off frequency fc at −3 dB of this filter being strictly lower than the frequency and higher than the modulation frequency.
US08655300B2 Detecting interference in wireless receiver
A wireless receiver (110) for UWB or other format, receives a useful signal in a particular band of frequencies in site spite of interference components inside and outside the particular band of frequencies. An interference detector (130, 535, 555) detects the in band interference component in a first range of frequencies to include the particular band of frequencies. The same receiver circuitry (120, 300, 310, 505) is adapted to receive a second range of frequencies to include frequencies adjacent to the particular band, to detect the out of band interference component. The position of a second interfering signal in the second range is used to detect artifacts caused by spectral folding so that the required frequency of a band reject filter can be found.
US08655287B2 Switch control circuit, semiconductor device, and radio communication device
A switch control circuit has level shifters connected to a switch circuit to convert voltage levels of control signals, a negative potential generating circuit connected to the level shifter, to generate a negative potential, a negative potential output line supplying the negative potential to the level shifter, and a negative potential output line control circuit configured to control the potential of the negative potential output line. The negative potential output line control circuit has a power-supply setting circuit, an inverter inverting the output signal from the power-supply setting circuit, a first capacitor connected between an output terminal of the inverter and the negative potential output line, and a negative potential initialization circuit.
US08655283B2 Cluster-based cooperative spectrum sensing in cognitive radio systems
Cluster-based cooperative spectrum sensing is provided for cognitive radio systems. For each cluster of cognitive users, a cluster head is determined. Each cluster head collects energies of a reporting channel measured by the cognitive users within the cluster and decides whether a primary user is absent from a given spectrum. A common receiver then aggregates the cluster-level decisions made by the cluster heads, and makes a decision across multiple, or all of, the clusters whether the primary user is absent based on a fusion function of the cluster-level decisions. If the primary (licensed) user is absent, then secondary (unlicensed) users may utilize the spectrum.
US08655280B2 Method and system for role management for complex bluetooth® devices
Methods and systems for controlling a plurality of personal area network access devices are disclosed herein. In a personal area network device, a new connection is received from another personal area network device in a personal area network. The new connection is associated with a first application having a first role preference. It is determined whether the first role preference conflicts with a current role. It is determined whether the first role preference conflicts with a second role preference associated with a second application using the current role. The current role is switched to a role specified in the first role preference in response to determining that the first role preference conflicts with the current role and that the first role preference does not conflict with the second role preference.
US08655278B2 Band steering
A method for band steering includes, with a wireless access point, refraining from responding to a probe request from a client device on a first frequency band until a first period of time has elapsed if said client device is capable of communication on a second frequency band. The method further includes, with the wireless access point, responding immediately to a probe request from said client device on said second frequency band.
US08655274B2 Communications device including radio frequency (RF) signal blocking layer for near-field communication (NFC) device and related methods
A communications device may include a near-field communication (NFC) circuit device, and a radio frequency (RF) signal blocking member adhesively coupled with the NFC device. The RF signal blocking member may be configured to block RF signal communication by the NFC device while coupled therewith. The RF signal blocking member may comprise an electrical conductor. In accordance with an example, the RF signal blocking member may comprise a frangible layer. In another example, a pressure sensitive adhesive layer may be included for adhesively securing the RF signal blocking member with the NFC device.
US08655273B2 NFC communicator and method of data communication
An NFC communicator has a coupler operable to couple with a coupler of a near field RF communicator in near field range to enable communication of data between the communicators by modulation of a magnetic field, a demodulator to extract modulation from a modulated signal coupled to the coupler, and a modulator to modulate an RF signal in accordance with data to be communicated by the NFC communicator. The NFC communicator communicates with a data source and is arranged to at least one of provide timing data to the data source and receive timing data from the data source.
US08655266B2 System and method for using mobile media players in a peer-to-peer network
In one embodiment, a system comprises a first mobile media player and a second mobile media player. The first mobile media player stores first media files, and the second mobile media player stores second media files. The first mobile media player and second mobile media player communicate with one another in a peer-to-peer network to generate a playlist and to play media files from the playlist.
US08655262B2 Method and apparatus for providing an audio signal for an event
A method and apparatus for providing an audio signal for an event at a venue are disclosed. For example, the method authorizes a customer endpoint device, wherein the authorizing enables the customer endpoint device to decode the audio signal for the event. The method transmits the audio signal for the event at the venue.
US08655261B2 RF redirection module and system incorporating the RF redirection module
An RF redirection module incorporated into an RF system already having a receive antenna and a first transmit antenna allows the RF system to be coupled to a second transmit antenna and to provide a transmit signal to the second transmit antenna.
US08655258B2 PC connectable electronic learning aid device with replaceable activity worksheets
An embodiment includes an electronic learning aid apparatus including a base unit. The base unit includes a surface for accepting a printed activity worksheet, a sensor positioned beneath the worksheet surface, a microprocessor, a code-reading device, a memory for storing digital speech data and digital control data, a speech synthesizer and speaker, an input device, and a communication port capable of permitting the electronic learning aid apparatus to communicate with a personal computer. The apparatus further includes at least one printed activity worksheet having a code thereon that is readable by the code-reading device and serves to identify activity worksheets and associated digital speech data and digital control data. The digital speech data and digital control data serve to generate an output to the user in response to the user's manipulation of the input device as detected by the sensor when the child touches the stylus to the activity worksheet.
US08655255B2 Sheet conveyer device and image forming apparatus
A sheet conveyer device is provided. The sheet conveyer device includes a sheet tray, a feeder roller, a separator roller, a roller holder to rotatably support the feeder roller and to be coupled with the separator roller, spreading from a separator roller side toward a feeder roller side, to be movable between a first position and a second position, a manipulation arm configured to be coupled to the roller holder and to manipulate the roller holder to move between the first position and the second position, and a driving unit to drive the manipulation arm to move the roller holder. The manipulation arm is coupled to the roller holder at a coupled section, which is in a position between the feeder roller and the separator roller and in a position between two tangent planes which are common to the feed roller and the separator roller.
US08655252B2 Image control device
An image control device for controlling an image forming portion which includes a clear toner image forming portion for forming a clear image on a color toner image fixed on a recording material and includes a fixing device for fixing the formed clear toner image on the recording material, includes a converting portion for converting an image data for designating a toner amount per unit area of the clear toner image at each pixel into an output data, wherein the image data is capable of providing a value which monotonically increases to a maximum from a minimum designating that the toner amount per unit area is zero and the output data is capable of providing a value which monotonically increases to a maximum from a minimum designating that the toner amount per unit area is larger than zero; and includes a controller for controlling, in accordance with the output data, formation of the clear toner image by the clear toner image forming means, by which a clear toner is placed even where the image data is zero.
US08655251B2 Image processing apparatus including a gloss applying device
An image forming apparatus includes a gloss applying mode for applying gloss to an image on a sheet and a non-gloss-applying mode. The image forming apparatus includes a fixing device including a fixing member and a pressurizing member that is pressed into contact with the fixing member to form a fixing nip portion in which toner is fixed to the sheet; and a gloss applying device including a first roller including a heating unit and a second roller that is pressed into contact with the first roller to form a gloss applying nip portion in which gloss is applied to the toner. The fixing device and the gloss applying device are provided on a sheet conveying path line. When the sheet is conveyed in the non-gloss-applying mode, nip pressure of the gloss applying nip portion in the gloss applying device is lower than that in the gloss applying mode.
US08655238B2 Developing member
Provided is a developing roller including elastic layer and resin layer adhered to each other and having an appropriately resistance, thereby suppressing fogging. The developing member comprises a mandrel; an elastic layer; and a resin layer, wherein: the resin layer comprises polyurethane resin obtained by isocyanate and polyol; and the elastic layer includes cured silicone rubber composition comprising (a)-(d): (a) organopolysiloxane having two or more alkenyl groups bonded to silicon atom and having methyl group as a group other than the alkenyl bonded to the silicon; (b) organopolysiloxane having three or more hydrogen atoms bonded to silicon atom and having methyl group as a group bonded to the silicon; (c) carbon black; (d) organopolysiloxane represented by formula (1) and having Mw of 18,000-110,000 and Mw/Mn of 1.0-2.0 (R1 represents alkenyl group, R2 represents functional group reacting with isocyanate, and n represents an integer of 1 or more).
US08655234B2 Toner supply assembly and image forming apparatus incorporating same
A toner supply assembly includes a toner container mount and a toner container including a container body, a cap having a toner outlet, and a shutter for the toner outlet, to move horizontally. The cap includes a shutter guide rail, a contact portion, and a pressed rail provided on a lateral side. The shutter includes a shutter body to engage the shutter guide rail and a deformable portion deformable vertically and including a stopper to contact the contact portion of the cap for inhibiting the shutter from opening the toner outlet, and a stopper release projection pressed by a bottom projection on a bottom surface of the toner container mount in conjunction with installation of the toner container. A pressing member provided in a side portion of the toner container mount engages the pressed rail of the cap, inhibiting the cap from moving upward.
US08655229B2 Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus is provided, which includes a controller configured to switch a circumferential velocity of a development roller from a second circumferential velocity to a first circumferential velocity no later than when development of a photoconductive drum is started and to switch the circumferential velocity of the development roller from the first circumferential velocity to the second circumferential velocity after the development of the photoconductive drum is completed.
US08655226B2 Opening and closing apparatus
The opening and closing apparatus includes a lower unit case, an upper unit case, a hinge, a lower guide member, an upper guide member and an opening/closing linking unit. The upper unit case is configured to open and close with respect to the lower unit case. The lower guide member is disposed in the lower unit case, and the upper guide member is disposed in the upper unit case. The opening/closing linking unit includes a first rotating member, a second rotating member and a linking portion. As the upper unit case is closed, the opening/closing linking unit moves from the base end side toward the distal end side along the upper guide member and the lower guide member.
US08655225B2 Processing assembly, fixing device and image forming apparatus with fixing device
A processing assembly includes: a processing housing configured to support a processor for executing a given process; an immobilizing mechanism configured to immobilize the processing housing and including an operation portion configured to release the immobilized processing housing; a cover mounted on the processing housing so as to be rotatable between a first position where the operation portion is covered by the cover and a second position where the operation portion is exposed to be visible; and a knob rotatably mounted on the processing housing and configured to rotate integrally with the cover.
US08655223B2 Developer cartridge with counting mechanism
The invention provides a developer cartridge with a counting mechanism. The developer cartridge comprises a developer and the counting mechanism, wherein the counting mechanism is provided with protrusions which come in contact with a contact lever on an electronic photographing device so as to count the developer cartridge; and each protrusion has a first position and a second position in the direction perpendicular to a side wall of the developer cartridge, and is, in the first position, in contact with the contact lever, but is not, in the second position, in contact with the contact lever. The working principle of the developer cartridge adopting the counting mechanism is greatly different from the prior art. Therefore, the structure of the counting mechanism of the developer cartridge is simpler and more convenient and reliable; the production precision and the production cost are reduced; and the market competitiveness of the developer cartridge is improved.
US08655207B2 Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a developing roller which carries developer and contacts the photosensitive member, and a control device which is configured to apply, to the developing roller, a developing bias having a direct current component and an alternating current component overlapped with each other so as to supply developer from the developing roller to the photosensitive member. The control device is configured to execute either one of a first mode in which an amplitude of the alternating current component of the developing bias is set with a first set value and a second mode in which the amplitude of the alternating current component of the developing bias is set with a second set value larger than the first set value, based on whether or not a temperature of the developing roller is a first predetermined value or larger.
US08655204B2 Induction heating device, induction heating fixing device, and image forming apparatus
An induction heating device includes a resonance circuit including an exciting coil and a resonance capacitor; a switching unit that turns on and off a high-frequency current flowing through the switching unit; a temperature detector that detects a temperature of the heated body; a power amount detector that detects a power amount sent to the exciting coil; a turned-on time setting unit that sets a turned-on time of the switching unit; a timing generation unit that generates a signal indicating a timing when a voltage between both ends of the switching unit is zero; and a timing setting unit that sets a turned-on timing of the switching unit based on the signal generated by the timing generation unit.
US08655189B2 Optical modulation utilizing structures including metamaterials
An optical modulation system includes a metamaterial structure configured to receive and process an input optical signal at at least one operational wavelength, where the metamaterial structure changes between a transmissive state and a non-transmissive state with respect to the optical signal(s) at the operational wavelength(s) in response to an external stimulus applied to the metamaterial structure. An external stimulus source is coupled with the metamaterial structure and is configured to change the metamaterial structure between its transmissive and non-transmissive states by applying selected stimulus pulses to the metamaterial structure. The optical modulation system processes the input optical signal to output a modulated optical signal that modulates in correspondence with the selected pulses applied to the metamaterial structure.
US08655187B2 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.
US08655185B2 Optical node, optical network system, and method for measuring polarization mode dispersion
An optical node disposed along a transmission line that uses optical fiber. The optical node includes a first signal generator and a monitor. The first signal generator generates a first measurement signal for measuring polarization mode dispersion values and transmits the first measurement signal along the transmission line. The monitor detects a second measurement signal from the transmission line and measures polarization mode dispersion values by performing signal processing with respect to the second measurement signal.
US08655177B2 Optical transmitter
A method of generating an information-bearing optical signal (614) from input digital information (602) includes generating (604, 606) an information-bearing electrical signal comprising an in-phase (I) component and a quadrature (Q) component. Each of the components has a predetermined baseband bandwidth requirement (B). The I and Q signal components are combined (610) with corresponding I and Q components of a radio frequency (RF) carrier (608). The carrier has a central frequency greater than the signal bandwidth requirement (B). An optical source is modulated (612) with the combined I and Q signal and carrier components, in order to produce a modulated optical signal (614) which comprises an optical carrier corresponding with the RF carrier, and substantially only a single information-bearing optical sideband in an optical frequency domain, corresponding with the information-bearing electrical signals. Transmitters implementing the method are also disclosed.
US08655160B2 CFC radiant heater
An IR radiant heater has at least one planar carbon heating element (1) arranged in a housing, which is transparent or at least partially transparent to IR radiation. At least one carbon heating element (1) is a carbon fiber-reinforced carbon (CFC) web arranged in a plane and arranged between two plates (2, 3), of which at least one is transparent or partially transparent.
US08655159B2 Heating and cooling apparatus
As exemplified, a portable air blowing appliance includes a housing retaining an airflow-producing electric motor-driven blower. The blower is adapted when energized for operation in either a first or a different mode. An electric heating element is adapted when energized to expel heat. An electric switch enables energizing of the blower and the heating element to either cause operation of the blower in the first mode or to cause, simultaneously, operation of the blower in the different mode and heat expulsion by the heating element. The blower is adapted for higher airflow-producing efficacy during the first mode. The heating element is disposed to warm airflow from the blower during the different mode.
US08655157B2 Content reproduction apparatus and content reproduction system
Disclosed herein is a content reproduction apparatus including: a reproduction block configured to reproduce video content; a display block configured to display the reproduced video content; a communication block configured to transmit the video content to a portable reproduction apparatus by wireless communication; a speaker block having at least one first speaker located in proximity and at least one second speaker located in the proximity of the portable reproduction apparatus; and an audio output control block configured to control a reproduction state of the speaker block. In a state where the video content is displayed on the display block, each of the first speaker and the second speaker reproduces audio content related with the video content. In a content non-share state, the audio output control block controls audio output such that the second speaker does not reproduce audio content related with the video content.
US08655131B2 Multi-core optical fiber
The present invention relates to a multi-core optical fiber having a structure to effectively reduce crosstalk between adjacent core regions among a plurality of core regions. The multi-core optical fiber (1) has a leakage reduction portion (50), at least a portion of which is arranged at a position on a straight line connecting adjacent core regions together among a plurality of core regions (10). The leakage reduction portion (50) reduces leakage light in the multi-core optical fiber (1) from each of the core regions (10), thereby effectively reducing crosstalk between adjacent core regions.
US08655129B2 Optical fiber with suppressed stimulated brillouin scattering
The present invention relates to optical fibers useful for the transmission of electromagnetic energy at such high levels of power that stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) may be of importance. One aspect of the present invention is an optical fiber for the propagation of optical radiation having an optical wavelength, the optical fiber and optical wavelength having an SBS acoustic wavelength associated therewith, the optical fiber comprising a core having a geometrical center and an outer perimeter; and a cladding surrounding the core; wherein the core is rare earth doped and substantially free of germanium, the optical fiber has a refractive index profile such that the core is guiding for optical radiation having the optical wavelength, and the optical fiber has an acoustic index profile such that the core is antiguiding for an acoustic wave having the SBS acoustic wavelength.
US08655126B2 Method of manufacturing optical waveguide having mirror face, and optoelectronic composite wiring board
In order to provide a method of manufacturing an optical waveguide, which enables the formation of a smooth mirror face, the following method of manufacturing an optical waveguide having a mirror face is used. The method includes: a photocurable resin sheet laminating step of laminating an uncured photocurable resin sheet for forming a core on a surface of a first cladding layer that has been formed on a substrate; a mirror face forming step of forming a mirror face for guiding light to the core by pressing a die provided with a blade having, in a cross-section, a 45° inclined plane into the photocurable resin sheet; a core forming step of forming a core having the mirror face positioned at an end thereof by selectively exposing to light, and developing, the photocurable resin sheet; and a cladding layer forming step of forming a second cladding layer so as to bury the core.
US08655113B2 Method and system for determining validity of a printed document
A method and system to determine validity of a printed document is provided. An example system comprises a validation module and an alert module. The validation module may be configured to detect, using a scanning device, a document identification associated with a printed document and determine, based on the document identification, a state of the electronic document The alert module may be configured to trigger an alert, based on the determined state of the electronic document.
US08655104B2 Cyclic noise removal in borehole imaging
A method for removing cyclic noise from a borehole image includes transforming the image into the frequency domain using a two-dimensional (2-D) Fourier Transform, removing cyclic noise components from the transformed image, and inverse transforming the image back into the spatial domain using an inverse 2-D Fourier Transform. The cyclic noise component may also be isolated by subtracting the corrected image from the original image or by removing all non-cyclic noise components from the transformed image prior to inverse transforming. Removal of the cyclic noise from a borehole image tends to enable the identification of borehole features and provide for improved accuracy in formation parameter evaluation. Evaluation of the cyclic noise component may also enable the source of the noise to be identified and mitigated.
US08655099B2 Relationship maintenance in an image process
In a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an automated, computerized method is provided for processing an image. According to a feature of the present invention, the method comprises the steps of providing an image file depicting an image, in a computer memory, generating intrinsic images corresponding to the image, and performing a relationship maintenance process to correct artifacts in the intrinsic images.
US08655098B2 Image signal processing apparatus and computer-readable recording medium recording image signal processing program
An image signal processing apparatus including a first tone correcting section for generating a first image signal by performing a space-variant tone conversion process for a digitalized image signal from a CCD and an A/D converting section, a second tone correcting section for generating a second image signal by performing a space-invariant tone correction process for the digitalized image signal from the CCD and the A/D converting section, and a synthesizing section for setting a synthesis rate R1 of the first image signal and a synthesis rate R2 of the second image signal, and synthesizing the first image signal and the second image signal based on the set synthesis rates R1 and R2.
US08655095B2 Image correction apparatus and image correction method
An image correction apparatus includes a smoothing unit, a blurred area detection unit, a correction amount calculation unit, and a correction unit. The smoothing unit smoothes an input image. The blurred area detection unit detects, for each pixel of a smoothed image obtained by the smoothing unit, whether or not each of the pixels is included in a blurred area. The correction amount calculation unit calculates an amount of a correction for a pixel that belongs to the blurred area based on the smoothed image. The correction unit corrects the input image by using the amount of a correction calculated by the correction amount calculation unit.
US08655092B2 Wavelet coefficient quantization method using human visual model in image compression
A wavelet coefficient quantization method using a human visual model in an image compression process is provided, which is particularly suitable for remote sensing image compression. A wavelet-domain visual quantization model is obtained through experiments based on human visual characteristics, so as to reflect the relation between distortion of wavelet coefficient blocks and human visual characteristics. The model includes a luminance component, a masking component and a frequency component, where the luminance component is calculated by low frequency coefficients after the kth level wavelet transform, the masking component is calculated by high frequency coefficients of the second and third levels, and the frequency component is calculated by a statistical method. The method may be used in combination with any mainstream wavelet compression method such as EZW, SPIHT or EBCOT.
US08655090B2 Image quality control techniques
A technique for controlling the quality of one or more compressed images. The technique allows, for example, the selection of a target quality metric(s) and the compression of the image(s) such the compressed image(s) meets the metric(s). Alternatively, a target quality metric can be specified, and the image(s) compressed using parameters estimated to achieve the target quality. Optionally, the quality metric can also be made available to, for example, a user on an image processing system. The quality metrics can be, for example, for one or more layers, one or more images and/or one or more image sequences.
US08655088B2 Image encoder, image decoder and method for encoding original image data
According to one embodiment an image encoder encodes original image data using reference image data stored in a frame memory. The image encoder includes a controller, a memory, a motion controller, and a motion compensation module. The controller generates control information including a starting point coordinate and an ending point coordinate of a necessary area in the reference image data stored in the frame memory. The memory includes a storage area in which at least part of the reference image data is stored. The motion controller determines whether the necessary area is a transfer-necessary area or a transfer-unnecessary area based on the control information, and transfers the reference image data of the transfer-necessary area from the frame memory to the storage area. The motion compensation module generates prediction image data using the reference image data stored in the storage area.
US08655084B2 Hand-based gender classification
For each of at least one digitally-imaged hand part, where each of the at least one digitally-imaged hand part corresponds to one of a plurality of hand parts, a set of feature parameters representing a geometry of the digitally-imaged hand part is computed. The set(s) of feature parameters for a set of one or more of the digitally-imaged hand parts is/are used to compute distances of the set of digitally-imaged hand parts from each of i) a first eigenspace corresponding to a male class, and ii) a second eigenspace corresponding to a female class. The computed distances are used to classify the gender of a hand as belonging to the male class or the female class.
US08655078B2 Situation determining apparatus, situation determining method, situation determining program, abnormality determining apparatus, abnormality determining method, abnormality determining program, and congestion estimating apparatus
A congestion estimating apparatus includes an area dividing unit that divides a moving image into partial areas. A movement information determining unit determines whether there is movement, and a person information determining unit determines whether there is a person, in each partial area. A staying determining unit determines a state for each partial area. The staying determining unit determines the state as a movement area in which there is a movement of person when there is movement and there is a person; and determines the state as a noise area when there is movement and there is no person; and determines the state as a staying area in which there is a person who is staying when there is no movement and there is a person; and determines the state as a background area in which there is no person when there is no movement and there no person.
US08655064B2 Image compression circuit for compressing pieces of image data of four adjacent pixels, image compression method, semiconductor device, and smartphone
An image compression circuit 1 of the invention includes an image calculator 11, a compression-system decision unit 12, and a compression processor 13. Compression-system decision unit 12 determines a variation of pieces of image data of four adjacent pixels based on a variation in luminance Y of the pixels or variations in luminance Y and saturation S of the pixels, compresses the image data into image data of one or two pixels (RGB 888 and RGB 787) expressed by an RGB color space having a small quantization error in the case of the small variation of the pieces of image data, and compresses the image data into data including the luminances of the four adjacent pixels and pieces of image data of two pixels (YCbCr 422) expressed by a YCbCr color space having a large quantization error in the case of the large variation of the pieces of image data.
US08655063B2 Decoding system and method operable on encoded texture element blocks
A decoding system comprises N different decoders each having a unique circuitry that is different from the circuitries of the other N−1 decoders. The decoders each generate at least one texel value based on an input encoded texel block. A value selector is configured to selectively output at least N texel values from at least one of the decoders based on the position of the at least N texels relative a boundary of a texel block comprising at least one of the at least N texels. A pixel calculator calculates a pixel value of a decoded pixel based on the at least N selected texel values from the value selector.
US08655048B2 Apparatus and method for measuring size distribution of granular matter
A method and apparatus for measuring size distribution of bulk matter consisted of randomly orientated granules, such as wood chips, make use of scanning the exposed surface of the granular matter to generate three-dimensional profile image data defined with respect to a three-coordinate reference system, The image data is segmented to reveal regions associated with distinct granules, and values of the size-related parameter for the revealed regions are estimated. Then, a geometric correction to each ones of estimated size-related parameter values is applied, to compensate for the random orientation of corresponding distinct granules. Finally, the size distribution of bulk matter is statistically estimated from the corrected size-related parameter values.
US08655047B1 Electronic check and stub separation
Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for automating the separation of a check and a stub attached to the check in a payment receiving and processing system. For example, one embodiment of the invention involves a computerized apparatus configured to receive a document image, locate a Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) line in the document image, and capture a check image by capturing a portion of the document image based at least partially on the location of the MICR line.
US08655046B1 Apparatus and system for imaging currency bills and financial documents and method for using the same
A batch of bills is received, transported, and imaged to produce image data. The image data is reproducible as a visually readable image of at least a portion of each of the plurality of currency bills. Each currency bill includes a respective serial number. The serial numbers are extracted from the image data for each of the currency bills. Each extracted serial number is compared with a plurality of serial numbers in a currency bill database to determine if a currency bill associated with an extracted serial number is a suspect currency bill. One of the plurality of currency bills is determined to be a suspect currency bill based on the comparing. In response to determining the suspect currency bill, at least a portion of the produced image data is displayed as a visually readable image of the suspect currency bill on a display unit of the document processing system.
US08655038B2 Method and assembly for correcting a relaxation map for medical imaging applications
A method for correcting a relaxation map of an object scanned with a magnetic resonance imaging modality the object having a plurality of structure and/or tissue types. The method includes deriving a first relaxation map of a scanned object from at least two three-dimensional scans of the object acquired using a sequence of ultrashort echo time pulses adapted for distinguishing between the various types of a plurality of structure and/or tissue types of the object. Information is obtained on the type of structure and/or tissue type present in voxels in the first relaxation map and binarizing the obtained information. A corrected relaxation map is generated by combining the binarized information with the first relaxation map.
US08655030B2 Video processing system with face detection and methods for use therewith
A system for processing a video signal into a processed video signal includes a pattern recognition module for detecting a face in the image sequence, based on coding feedback data, and generating pattern recognition data in response thereto, wherein the pattern recognition data indicates the pattern of interest. A video codec generates the processed video signal and generates the coding feedback data in conjunction with the processing of the image sequence.
US08655028B2 Photo sharing system with face recognition function
A photo sharing system with a face recognition function is provided. The photo sharing system includes a photo browser and a photo sharing platform. The photo browser has a photo classification module for classifying plural photos according to face image contained in the plural photos, thereby generating a photo classification message. The photo classification message contains the photos having the face image of the same person. Moreover, the photo classification message may be transmitted to the photo sharing platform at the same time to be shared to the receiver corresponding to face image. By the photo sharing system, the efficacy of sharing photos will be enhanced.
US08655026B2 Robust biometric feature extraction with and without reference point
A basic idea of the present invention is to selectively employ one of at least two different feature extraction processes when generating a biometric template of an individual. An individual offers a physiological property, such as a fingerprint, an iris, an ear, a face, etc., from which biometric data can be derived, to a sensor of an enrollment authority. In the following, the property to be discussed will be fingerprints, even though any suitable biometric property may be used. From the fingerprint, a positional reference point of the biometric data is derived. The derivation of the positional reference point may be accomplished using any appropriate method out of a number of known methods. Such a reference point could be the location of a core, a delta, a weighted average of minutiae coordinates, or alike. Typically, the reference point includes a core of a fingerprint expressed as a three-dimensional coordinate denoted by means of xr, yr, and angle αr. A contribution indicator is calculated for the derived positional reference point, and it is determined whether the derived positional reference point can be considered reliable. Depending on the reliability of the derived reference point, one of the two different feature extraction processes is selected; either the first feature set is extracted using a method which is invariant of the derived reference point, or a method is used taking into account the derived reference point. The better the estimation of the reference point is, the more reliable the reference point-dependent extraction method is. Finally, the biometric template is generated using the extracted first feature set.
US08655021B2 Systems and methods for tracking human hands by performing parts based template matching using images from multiple viewpoints
Systems and methods for tracking human hands by performing parts based template matching using images captured from multiple viewpoints are described. One embodiment includes a processor, a reference camera, an alternate view camera, and memory containing: a hand tracking application; and a plurality of edge feature templates that are rotated and scaled versions of a finger template that includes an edge features template. In addition, the hand tracking application configures the processor to: detect at least one candidate finger in a reference frame, where each candidate finger is a grouping of pixels identified by searching the reference frame for a grouping of pixels that have image gradient orientations that match one of the plurality of edge feature templates; and verify the correct detection of a candidate finger in the reference frame by locating a grouping of pixels in an alternate view frame that correspond to the candidate finger.
US08655019B2 Driving support display device
Disclosed is a driving support display device that composites and displays images acquired from a plurality of cameras, whereby images which are easy for the user to understand and which are accurate in the areas near the borders of partial images are provided. An image composition unit (41) formulates a bird's eye perspective image on the basis of a mapping table reference unit (45) using images of the area around the vehicle acquired from a plurality of cameras (31). An obstacle detection unit (42) detects obstacles in the images acquired by the plurality of cameras (31). On the basis of the obstacle information detected by the obstacle detection unit (42), an obstacle trajectory prediction unit (43) predicts the trajectory of the obstacle and determines the borders so that the borders of the obstacle and the composite image from the plurality of cameras (31) do not overlap. The image composition unit (41) acquires necessary information from the mapping table reference unit (45) and creates a bird's eye perspective image in which the borders of the obstacle and the images from the plurality of cameras do not overlap.
US08655016B2 Example-based object retrieval for video surveillance
Methods and apparatus are provided for example-based object retrieval that can retrieve objects from video images in real-time. An object of interest is identified in a sequence of images by obtaining an identification from a user of an example object having at least one attribute of interest; generating a query object based on the identified example object, wherein the query object has a substantially similar viewpoint as objects in the sequence of images and wherein the query object comprises a plurality of attributes that are substantially similar as the example object; and processing the sequence of images to identify the object of interest based on a similarity metric to the query object.
US08655015B2 Image generation system, image generation method, and information storage medium
An image generation system includes an image information acquisition section that acquires image information from an image sensor, a skeleton information acquisition section that acquires skeleton information based on the image information from the image sensor, the skeleton information specifying a motion of an operator viewed from the image sensor, a correction section that performs a correction process on position information about a bone of a skeleton indicated by the skeleton information, and an image generation section that generates an image based on a result of the correction process.
US08655010B2 Video-based system and method for fire detection
A video recognition system detects the presence of fire based on video data provided by one or more video detectors, but suppresses the triggering of an alarm in situations based on the selection of acceptable regions and application of rules associated with each acceptable region. A user defines acceptable regions within the field of view of the video detector and associates with each acceptable region a rule. During processing of video data associated with the field of view, video metrics are calculated and analyzed to detect the presence of fire (e.g., flame or smoke). Prior to triggering an alarm, regions identified as indicative of fire are compared with the user-defined acceptable regions. If there is overlap between the two regions, the rule associated with the acceptable region is applied to determine whether the alarm should be suppressed or triggered.
US08655007B2 Audio jack for a portable electronic device
A portable electronic device having an audio jack is provided. The device comprises: a processor; a jack for receiving a plug of an audio accessory; electrical connectors provided in the jack for enabling communication between the audio accessory and the processor and for contacting corresponding electrical connectors of the plug; and a switching circuit in communication with the processor and two of the electrical connectors. The switching circuit routes audio signals between the corresponding electrical connectors and the processor; after insertion of the plug into the jack, conducts a test on the electrical connectors to determine if a first one of the corresponding electrical connectors is electrically grounded. A method for routing the signals is also provided.
US08655003B2 Earphone arrangement and method of operation therefor
An earphone arrangement comprises a microphone (109) which generates a microphone signal and a sound transducer (101) which radiates a first sound component to a user's ear (103) in response to a drive signal. An acoustic channel (111) is further provided for channeling external sound so as to provide a second sound component to the user's ear (103). An acoustic valve (117) allows the attenuation of the acoustic channel (111) to be controlled in response to a valve control signal. A control circuit (105) generates the valve control signal in response to the microphone signal to provide a variable attenuation resulting in a mixed sound of the first sound component and the second sound component reaching the user's ear (103). The combined use of acoustic and e.g. electric signal paths allows improved performance and in particular allows a dynamic trade-off between open and closed earphone design characteristics with respect to external sounds.
US08655002B2 Piercing conducted bone conduction device
A bone conduction device for enhancing the hearing of a recipient comprising a sound input element configured to receive an acoustic sound signal; an electronics module configured generate an electrical signal representing the acoustic sound signal; a transducer configured to generate mechanical forces representing the electrical signal for delivery to the recipient's skull; one or more extensions mechanically coupled at a first portion to the transducer and further mechanically coupled at a second portion of the one or more extensions to the recipient's bone, wherein the one or more extensions are configured to transfer the mechanical forces from the transducer to the recipient's bone.
US08655000B1 Method and apparatus for a finger sensor for a hearing assistance device
A hearing assistance device including a conductive member used for a touch or touch-less sensor for changing a setting, mode, or function of the hearing assistance device. In various applications, the conductive member is also used as an antenna for a wireless communication system.
US08654994B2 Method and an apparatus for processing an audio signal
A method of processing an audio signal is disclosed. The present invention includes receiving a downmix signal including at least one object signal, and object information extracted when the downmix signal is generated, receiving mix information including mode selection information, the mix information for controlling the object signal, and generating a stereo output signal using the downmix signal or extracting a background object and at least one independent object from the downmix signal, based on the mode selection information, wherein the downmix signal corresponds to a mono signal, wherein the stereo output signal corresponds to a time-domain signal including a signal generated from decorrelating the downmix signal, and wherein the mode selection information includes information indicating which one of modes including a normal mode, a mode for controlling the background object, and a mode for controlling the at least one independent object.
US08654972B2 Keystream encryption device, method, and program
A stream encryption device generates a first pseudo random number sequence from key information, generates a second pseudo random number sequence according to clock control performed according to the first pseudo random number sequence, and subjects it to a nonlinear function calculation, thereby generating a key stream. The stream encryption device performs XOR operation with a plain text so as to create an encrypted text.
US08654969B2 Cipher independent interface for cryptographic hardware service
Disclosed is a cipher independent cryptographic hardware service. Cipher independent transactions are received into input slots (202). The input slots contain FIFOs to hold the transactions. The transactions are converted from cipher independent form to cipher dependent form (206) and timing as they are removed from the FIFOs. After cryptographic processing by cipher specific hardware, the results are sent to output FIFOs (212). Multiple FIFOs and cryptographic hardware may be used so that multiple cryptographic functions may be performed in parallel and simultaneously.
US08654968B2 Speaker module and electronic apparatus thereof
A speaker module for installing on an electronic device is disclosed. The speaker module includes a containing casing, a speaker device, an antenna, at least one audio signal transmitting member, and at least one antenna signal transmitting member. The containing casing has at least one hole formed thereon. The speaker device is disposed in the containing casing and outputs sound via the hole. The antenna is formed integrally with the containing casing along the contour of the containing casing. The audio signal transmitting member is electrically connected to the speaker device for electrically connecting to the electronic device, so as to establish audio signal transmission between the speaker device and the electronic device. The antenna signal transmitting member is electrically connected to the antenna for electrically connecting to the electronic device, so as to establish antenna signal transmission between the antenna and the electronic device.
US08654962B2 System and method of delivering ringback audio content
A system and method of delivering ringback audio content are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a connection request at an originating serving call session control function (S-CSCF) network element. The connection request indicates that a caller device has placed a call to a destination device associated with a ringback audio content service subscriber. The method also includes receiving a plurality of naming authority pointer (NAPTR) records at the originating S-CSCF network element from a telephone number mapping (ENUM) server. The NAPTR records include a plurality of ringback audio uniform resource indicators (URIs) associated with the destination device. The method also includes modifying the connection request to include the plurality of ringback audio URIs.
US08654949B2 Methods, systems and computer program products for providing access to personal profiles in communications systems
Methods of switching personas associated with an asserted identity by determining a selected persona based on at least one of a sequence of digits entered during initiation of a call are provided. The at least one of the sequence of digits indicates a request for a persona associated with an asserted identity. It is indicated that an original persona associated with the asserted identity should be switched to the selected persona associated with the asserted identity if it is determined that the original persona and the selected persona are different. Related systems and computer program products are provided.
US08654945B2 Blocking a channel in a communication system
Embodiments relate to a communication system comprising a call handler arranged to process channel signalling received from a communication network; a workload controller comprising means to determine the workload of at least one processing resource of the communication system; wherein the call handler comprises means to block establishment of at least one channel in response to the workload of the at least one processing resource.
US08654941B2 Using a touch interface to control a videoconference
Initiating a conference in a conferencing system (e.g., a videoconferencing or audioconferencing system). Input may be received to the conferencing system from a mobile communication device. The input may specify one or more participants in the videoconference, e.g., by selecting from contact information stored on the mobile communication device. Accordingly, the conferencing system may initiate the conference based on the received input. The videoconference may include the one or more participants selected from the contact information stored on the mobile communication device.
US08654933B2 Mass-scale, user-independent, device-independent, voice messaging system
A mass-scale, user-independent, device-independent, voice messaging system that converts unstructured voice messages into text for display on a screen is disclosed. The system comprises (i) computer implemented sub-systems and also (ii) a network connection to human operators providing transcription and quality control; the system being adapted to optimize the effectiveness of the human operators by further comprising 3 core sub-systems, namely (i) a pre-processing front end that determines an appropriate conversion strategy; (ii) one or more conversion resources; and (iii) a quality control sub-system.
US08654930B2 Methods and apparatus to trigger maintenance and upgrades of access networks
Example methods and apparatus to trigger maintenance and upgrades of access networks are disclosed. An example method comprises obtaining a first value representing a number of unassigned ports associated with a first digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM), obtaining a second value representing a projected number of ports associated with the first DSLAM needed to satisfy at least one of anticipated, projected or pending service requests, and determining whether to automatically submit a preventative maintenance trouble ticket for the first DSLAM based on the first and second values.
US08654926B2 Radiation detecting apparatus, radiographic image capturing system, and radiographic image capturing method
An electronic cassette in a radiographic image capturing system includes a radiation detector for detecting radiation applied from an image capturing apparatus and transmitted through a patient, a contactless power receiver for receiving electric power supplied contactlessly from a power feeder and supplying the electric power to a battery, an A/D converter for performing an A/D conversion to convert analog radiographic image information generated based on the radiation applied to the radiation detector into digital radiographic image information, an end-of-A/D-conversion determining unit for determining whether the A/D conversion is finished or not, and a charging controller for stopping the power feeder from supplying electric power contactlessly after the image capturing apparatus has started capturing images until the end-of-A/D-conversion determining unit judges that the A/D conversion is finished.
US08654921B2 X-ray imaging apparatus and method for controlling the same
The X-ray imaging apparatus includes an X-ray generator to generate X-rays having at least two different energy levels and irradiate the X-rays onto a subject, a detector to detect the X-rays irradiated by the X-ray generator and transmitted through the subject, and a device to obtain images from the X-rays detected by the detector, to obtain bone image information and soft tissue image information of the subject, based on the obtained X-ray images, and to produce one image including the bone image information and the soft tissue image information.
US08654918B2 Method to select a value of a voltage to be set at an x-ray tube, computer tomography apparatus and data medium
A method is provided to select a value of a voltage to be set at an x-ray tube of a computer tomography for scanning a patient before an acquisition of x-ray projections of a body region of the patient so as to reduce the dose of x-ray radiation to be applied to the patient in the course of the scan. According to the method, the selection of the value of the voltage takes place under consideration of at least one item of information that can be learned from a topogram of the patient and at least one item of information about the patient that can be learned from a patient file of the patient. The invention also encompasses a computer tomography apparatus with a computer for the execution of the method, as well as a data medium on which is stored a computer program that can be executed on a computer device to perform the method.
US08654916B2 Method for regulation of operational parameters of the core of a pressurised water nuclear reactor
The invention relates to a method for regulation of operational parameters of the core of a pressurised water nuclear reactor comprising: a step of acquisition of values (FH, FB, TBC, TBF, Q) which are representative of the conditions of operating of the core of the reactor; a step of evaluation of the actual values (Tmoye, AOe, {circumflex over (P)} maxe) of the operational parameters at least according to the values acquired (FH, FB, TBC, TBF, Q); a step of selection of a control law for the concentration of a neutron-absorbent component ([B]) and for the positions of insertion (Z1 to Z5) of the groups (P1 to P5) of rods selected from at least the first and second control laws which are different from one another; and a step of regulation of the operational parameters by means of the control law selected, according to set points (Tmoyc, AOc, {circumflex over (P)} maxc) relative to the said parameters and to the actual values (Tmoye, AOe, {circumflex over (P)} maxe) evaluated.
US08654915B2 Control signal receiver and communication device having the same
A control signal receiver includes a converting circuit and a synchronization detection circuit. The converting circuit generates a complex control symbol stream including transmission configurations by converting an input signal. The synchronization detection circuit generates a first bit stream by applying a first determination criterion to the complex control symbol stream and generates a first synchronization signal by comparing the first bit stream with a reference synchronization word. The synchronization detection circuit generates a second bit stream by applying the first determination criterion and a second determination criterion to the complex control symbol stream in that order and generates a second synchronization signal by comparing the second bit stream with the reference synchronization word. The synchronization detection circuit outputs one of the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal as asynchronization enable signal. The control signal receiver effectively establishes frame synchronization.
US08654912B2 MIMO transmitter with pooled adaptive digital filtering
MIMO transmitter with a reconfigurable pooled digital filter is disclosed. A processor uses the output of an envelope detector to set parameters of the filter to minimize the number of instructions per second and the amount of power required by the filter to perform. The processor uses an algorithm or a lookup table stored in memory to select the combination of filter parameters. The parameters may be selected from at least one of: a number of taps, a filter length, a word length, a coefficient quantization, a sampling rate, bits per sample, a sampling bit, a tap delay and a coefficient length. After selecting a combination of filter parameters, the processor sends a control signal to the adaptive filter. The pooled adaptive filter reconfigures itself in accordance with the selected filter parameters.
US08654909B2 Semiconductor integrated circuit
According to an embodiment, a semiconductor integrated circuit includes an amplifier, an interference wave suppression unit, a coupler and a filter control circuit. The interference wave suppression unit includes a filter being controlled to be on or off. The filter is configured to suppress an interference wave component of an amplified signal to output the signal as an output signal when the filter is on. The coupler is configured to detect an input signal or the output signal. The filter control circuit controls the filter to be on when a signal level of a detection input signal or a detection output signal detected by the coupler is greater than or equal to a reference value, and controls the filter to be off when the signal level is smaller than the reference value, at arbitrary determination timing in a period of time between a transmission and a reception.
US08654903B2 Using error vector magnitude to estimate sample clock frequency offset
A low complexity system and method for operating a receiver in order to estimate an offset between the actual sample clock rate 1/TS′ of a receiver and an intended sample clock rate 1/TS. The receiver captures samples of a received baseband signal at the rate 1/TS′, operates on the captured samples to generate an estimate for the clock rate offset, and fractionally resamples the captured samples using the clock rate offset. The resampled data represents an estimate of baseband symbols transmitted by the transmitter. The action of operating on the captured samples involves computing an error vector signal and then estimating the clock rate offset using the error vector signal. The error vector signal may be computed in different ways depending on whether or not carrier frequency offset and carrier phase offset are assumed to be present in the received baseband signal.
US08654902B2 BICM decoding in the presence of co-channel interference
Systems and methods are provided for computing soft information for digital information based on a received signal, where the received signal suffers from noise and interference. A receiver that decodes the received signal may estimate channel information, such as the channel gain, associated with the interfering source. The receiver may also obtain modulation information through a backbone network or by decoding control information transmitted by the interfering source. Using the modulation information and the channel information, the receiver may estimate the effect that interference has on the received signal, and may compute soft information (e.g., a log-likelihood ratio) for the digital information.
US08654900B2 Wireless communication device and quantization method
Provided is a wireless communication device which can improve the notification accuracy of the channel state information (CSI) without straining the feedback circuit. In this device, a channel estimator (105) uses a pilot signal input from a wireless receiver (102) to estimate the channel and obtain a plurality of path gains in each of a plurality of delay periods. Then, the channel estimator (105) outputs the plurality of path gains to a quantizer (107). The quantizer (107) quantizes the plurality of path gains in the number of notification bits corresponding to each of the plurality of delay periods based on the correspondence of the delay period and the number of notification bits input from a setting unit (106).
US08654880B2 Data transmission using low density parity check coding and constellation mapping
Modern coding and modulation techniques have greatly improved the transmission of signals. A method is described including receiving a stream of data bits, demultiplexing the stream into a first and second substream, encoding the first and second substream using a low density parity check coding process, and mapping the first substream to a first region of a symbol constellation map and the second substream to a second region. Also, an apparatus is described including a demultiplexer that produces a first and second bitstream, a first encoder that encodes the first substream using a low density parity check coding process at a first encoding rate, a second encoder that encodes the second substream at a second rate, and a symbol mapper that maps bits from the first substream to a first region of a symbol constellation map and maps bits from the second substream to a second region.
US08654878B2 Codebook for eight transmit antennas and multiple input multiple output communication system using the codebook
A transmitter and a receiver of a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication system may use two codebooks to share channel information. When the transmitter uses eight transmit antennas, two codebooks may be defined. When the receiver generates two precoding matrix indicators from two codebooks, a combination of the two precoding matrix indicators may indicate a single precoding matrix. Precoding matrix candidates may also be defined.
US08654875B2 Method and apparatus for multi-stream received signal processing in a communication receiver
The teachings herein provide a method and apparatus for partitioning sets of MIMO streams, for joint processing. In particular, there is an optimum or otherwise best partitioning of a set of MIMO streams into a first subset to be jointly processed and a second subset to be suppressed as interference with respect to that joint processing. Of course, more than one partitioning may be used, e.g., across different joint processing stages and/or at different times, such that all streams of interest are processed. Correspondingly, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for selecting an optimum or otherwise relative “best” subset of MIMO streams for processing together in a joint process, from among a larger set of MIMO streams. The method and apparatus may, for example, be employed in a multi-stage joint processing receiver, where subset selections are performed on a per-stage basis.
US08654857B2 Method and apparatus for variable accuracy inter-picture timing specification for digital video encoding
A method and apparatus for variable accuracy inter-picture timing specification for digital video encoding is disclosed. Specifically, the present invention discloses a system that allows the relative timing of nearby video pictures to be encoded in a very efficient manner. In one embodiment, the display time difference between a current video picture and a nearby video picture is determined. The display time difference is then encoded into a digital representation of the video picture. In a preferred embodiment, the nearby video picture is the most recently transmitted stored picture. For coding efficiency, the display time difference may be encoded using a variable length coding system or arithmetic coding. In an alternate embodiment, the display time difference is encoded as a power of two to reduce the number of bits transmitted.
US08654856B2 Motion vector encoding device and decoding device
A prediction error generating unit generates a predictive vector from the motion vectors of a plurality of adjacent blocks, and obtains a difference from a target vector. A plurality of variable-length coding units respectively encode the output of the prediction error generating unit with different encoding methods. A determining unit estimates the accuracy of the predictive vector generated by the prediction error generating unit based on the degrees of non-uniformity of the motion vectors of the plurality of adjacent blocks. A selecting unit selects one of the encoding results obtained by the plurality of variable-length coding units.
US08654847B2 Video decoding device, video decoding method, video decoding program, and video decoding integrated circuit
With use of a simplified program or calculating device for motion compensation, a video decoding device decodes video data compressed by motion detection operations on macroblock units, as in the MPEG-4AVC standard. The video decoding device splits compressed data blocks of the prescribed size, 16×16 pixels for instance, to generate sub-blocks, which are smaller than the blocks and on which the video decoding device is able to execute motion compensation operations. The video decoding device duplicates a motion vector assigned to a given block to generate as many motion vectors as there are sub-blocks in the given block, and executes motion compensation on each sub-block using the corresponding duplicate motion vector. Data resulting from the motion compensation operation on each sub-block is combined to obtain a target block corresponding to the given block.
US08654845B2 Method and device for video predictive encoding
The invention provides a method and device for video predictive encoding.
US08654844B1 Intra frame beating effect reduction
A system (and a method) are disclosed for reducing intra frame beating effect at frame level and macroblock (MB) level within a video processing system. The frame-level system includes a pre-encoding unit, a reconstruction unit, an intra-beat frame evaluation unit, an intra-beat frame selection unit and an entropy encoding unit. The pre-encoding unit identifies an intra-beat frame of current group of pictures (GOP) and its corresponding intra-beat reference frame, and predicts the intra-beat frame by its intra-beat reference frame. The intra-beat frame evaluation unit calculates an intra-beat frame score. The intra-beat frame selection unit selects an intra-beat frame for re-encoding. The macroblock-level system includes corresponding processing units as frame-level system, but configured to efficiently process MBs. The macroblock-level system allows each MB of an intra-beat frame to be selectively pre-filtered using its intra-beat reference frame.
US08654842B2 Accelerated video encoding
A video encoding acceleration service to increase one or more of the speed and quality of video encoding is described. The service acts as an intermediary between an arbitrary video encoder computer program application and arbitrary video acceleration hardware. The service receives one or more queries from the video encoder to identify implementation specifics of the video acceleration hardware. The service interfaces with the video acceleration hardware to obtain the implementation specifics. The service communicates the implementation specifics to the video encoder. The implementation specifics enable the video encoder to: (a) determine whether one or more of speed and quality of software encoding operations associated with the video encoder can be increased with implementation of a pipeline of one or more supported encoding pipeline configurations and capabilities, and (b) implement the pipeline by interfacing with the service.
US08654839B2 Video signal coding apparatus and video signal coding method
Video signal coding apparatus includes a quantization unit which quantizes a luminance signal of each of a first picture and a second picture coded after the first picture, and quantizes a chrominance signal of each of the first picture and the second picture. A code amount obtainment unit obtains a luminance code amount and a chrominance code amount of each of the first picture and the second picture; and a rate calculation unit calculates a rate of the chrominance code amount with respect to the luminance code amount for each of the first picture and the second picture. A rate control unit changes a coefficient value of at least one of the first matrix and the second matrix used in quantizing the second picture, before the quantization unit quantizes the second picture, so that the rate for the second picture becomes smaller than the rate for the first picture.
US08654831B2 Signal detection apparatus
A signal detection apparatus detects the frequency of an input signal without using a PLL. The detection apparatus includes a first and a second orthogonalizer, a phase difference calculator and an integrator, to control the variable coefficient a1 of a band-pass filter. Information e[k]=M·sin(φ) representing the phase difference φ between the input data x[k] and the output data y[k] is calculated with the first and second orthogonalizers and the phase difference calculator. The sign of e[k] is inverted and a predetermined integral calculation is performed with the integrator, and the calculated integral value is set as the coefficient a1 of the band-pass filter. Every time input data x[k] is input, the coefficient a1 is changed by reducing it when e[k]>0 and increasing it when e[k]<0. Thus, the frequency of the output signal of the band-pass filter is matched to the input signal.
US08654828B2 Mechanism for the measurement of DC properties of a signal path
Systems and methods for measuring transmitter and/or receiver I/Q impairments are disclosed, including iterative methods for measuring transmitter I/Q impairments using shared local oscillators, iterative methods for measuring transmitter I/Q impairments using intentionally-offset local oscillators, and methods for measuring receiver I/Q impairments. Also disclosed are methods for computing I/Q impairments from a sampled complex signal, methods for computing DC properties of a signal path between the transmitter and receiver, and methods for transforming I/Q impairments through a linear system.
US08654826B2 Multi-stage phase estimation method and apparatus
The embodiments provide a multi-stage phase estimation method and apparatus. The apparatus is a multi-stage phase estimation configuration. Each stage of the phase estimation configuration includes metric computation modules. Each of the metric computation modules computing a distance metric and search phase angles according to an input signal and an initial search phase angle or a search phase angle of the former stage phase estimation configuration. The number of the metric computation modules is equal to that of the search phase angles of this stage. A selection module selects the search phase angle corresponding to the minimal distance metric as the phase estimation result output of this stage according to the computation results of all metric computation modules. The average time window length of the former stage phase estimation configuration is larger than that of the subsequent stage phase estimation configuration.
US08654821B2 Method and circuit for fractional rate pulse shaping
A fractional rate converting filter in a wireless transceiver comprising a delay line, multiplier circuit, adder circuit, and selector. The delay line receives a digital input signal at a first sample rate and has delay blocks each providing an output and receiving samples gated at a plurality of clock cycles of an integer sub-multiple frequency of a clock. The outputs are multiplied by corresponding filter tap coefficients. Each filter tap coefficient is spaced by a first integer Y. The adder circuit receives and sums the tap outputs to provide an output signal. The selector iteratively shifts the coefficients by a second integer Z. The output of each delay block is multiplied by corresponding shifted filter tap coefficients. The delay blocks are inhibited from receiving another input sample during the plurality of clock cycles. The output signal has a second sample rate at the integer sub-multiple frequency of the clock.
US08654812B2 Q-switched grating vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser system and method for fabricating the same
A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) system and method of fabrication are included. The VCSEL system includes a gain region to amplify an optical signal in response to a data signal and a first mirror arranged as a partially-reflective high-contrast grating (HCG) mirror at an optical output of the VCSEL system. The VCSEL system also includes a second mirror. The first and second mirrors can be arranged as a laser cavity to resonate the optical signal. The VCSEL system further includes a doped semiconductor region to generate a current through the first mirror in response to a voltage signal to substantially alter the reflectivity of the first mirror to provide Q-switching capability of the VCSEL system.
US08654809B2 Quantum cascade laser
A quantum cascade laser is configured to include a semiconductor substrate and an active layer which is provided on the substrate and has a cascade structure formed by multistage-laminating unit laminate structures 16 each including an emission layer 17 and an injection layer 18. The unit laminate structure 16 has, in its subband level structure, a first emission upper level Lup1, a second emission upper level Lup2 of an energy higher than the first emission upper level, an emission lower level Llow, and a relaxation level Lr of an energy lower than the emission lower level, light is generated by intersubband transitions of electrons from the first and second upper levels to the lower level, and electrons after the intersubband transitions are relaxed from the lower level to the relaxation level and injected from the injection layer 18 into an emission layer 17b of a subsequent stage via the relaxation level. Accordingly, a quantum cascade laser capable of preferably obtaining emission in a broad wavelength range is realized.
US08654804B2 Optical transmitter with stable output wavelength
An optical transmitter is disclosed, where the optical transmitter shows an emission wavelength kept stable in one of grid wavelengths of the WDM system during the boot of the transmitter. The optical transmitter includes an LD, a TEC to control a temperature of the LD, and a controller. Detecting the flag to enable the optical output, the controller increases the driving current of the LD concurrently with the decrease of the temperature of the TEC to compensate the self-heating of the LD due to the driving current.
US08654803B2 Light emitting device and method of controlling light emitting device
A light emitting device includes a semiconductor laser, which oscillates in a single longitudinal mode, formed above a semiconductor substrate, a first heater, which controls a temperature of the semiconductor laser, provided near the semiconductor laser, a gain unit, which amplifies a beam outputted from the semiconductor laser and outputs an amplified beam, formed above the semiconductor substrate, a second heater, which controls a temperature of the gain unit, provided near the gain unit, and a second harmonic generation element, which converts the amplified beam outputted from the gain unit to a second harmonic light and outputs the second harmonic light.
US08654795B2 Packet data transmitting method and system for packet service domain
A packet data transmitting method for packet service domain is disclosed. After receiving a Service Data Unit (SDU), a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) entity determines how to handle the SDU in a cache queue and process a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) record in a Serial Number (SN) window based on whether or not the cache queue includes any SDU and the SN window is full, respectively. When both the cache queue and the SN window are full, the PDCP entity processes PDU records in the SN window according to their respective weight values and processes an SDU in the cache queue into a new PDU accordingly. A packet data transmitting system for packet service domain is also disclosed, which can prolong the time window for confirming a PDU record in the SN window.
US08654793B2 Network device for sharing multimedia data with other network devices existing on network and method therefor
Network devices and methods are provided for sharing multimedia data with other network devices existing on a network, in which a network device shares and uses multimedia data with other network devices, collects information about multimedia data contained in the other network devices and requests the transmission of multimedia data from a network device containing the multimedia data based on the collected information at the request of a user. The network device may include a network device management unit for collecting information about multimedia data; a multimedia data management unit for preparing a multimedia data list; a packet generation/processing unit for generating a packet requesting multimedia data; and a transmission unit for transmitting the generated packet to a specific network device.
US08654788B2 Method and apparatus for dynamically adjusting broadband access bandwidth
A method and apparatus for providing a method to enable subscribers of broadband access services, such as Digital Subscriber Loop based or Cable based broadband access services, to dynamically reconfigure their access arrangements as a function of the bandwidth usage of subscribers are disclosed. The present invention provides a method for broadband service providers to dynamically adjust access bandwidth allocation for subscribers by monitoring access bandwidth usage by subscribers and dynamically adjust the needed access bandwidth for the subscribers accordingly.
US08654769B2 Convergence of multicast traffic in response to a topology change
A method for convergence of multicast traffic in response to a topology change. The method includes, in response to a change in a multicast topology, redirecting multicast traffic through a network device of a plurality of network devices in the multicast topology and determining a querier status of the network device. The method also includes flooding the multicast traffic through an interface to the network device to facilitate convergence of the multicast traffic. The interface is a connecting point between the network device and another network device of the plurality of network devices.
US08654762B2 Resource pooling in a blade cluster switching center server
The present invention relates to a switching center server comprising: —a blade cluster with a plurality of blades (110), —a plurality of pooled resources accessible by said plurality of blades (110) for handling a call, and —a master (112) provided on one of the blades centrally coordinating the usage of the pooled resources, the master as a central instance being responsible for allocation, de-allocation and maintenance of the pooled resources. At outage of one or more blades, the invention provides mechanisms to keep impacts on ongoing calls to a minimum and to keep pooled resources available to the remaining blades.
US08654758B2 Synchronization within wireless devices
Synchronizing a wireless sensor includes receiving a first command at the wireless sensor, noting a first timestamp value indicating when the first reply is sent, responding to the first command with a first reply, receiving a second command at the wireless sensor that contains a second timestamp value indicating when the first reply was received and a third timestamp value indicating when the second command was sent to the wireless sensor, noting a fourth timestamp value indicating when the second command was received by the wireless sensor, and determining an offset at the wireless sensor using the first, second, third, and fourth timestamp values. The presence of the first timestamp value may be interpreted as a request to provide timestamp information for synchronization. An access point may communicate with the wireless sensor.
US08654753B2 Multichannel TDMA mechanism
An apparatus and method for communications are disclosed. The apparatus may include a transceiver, and a processing system configured to dynamically allocate a plurality of channels to one or more nodes prior to a data transmission from the transceiver to the one or more nodes.
US08654740B2 Polar cap reset method for differential codebook for wireless communications
Techniques for periodically resetting the polar cap for a differential codebook precoding scheme for wireless communications are described. An apparatus may comprise a fixed device for a mobile broadband communications system utilizing an orthogonal frequency-division multiple access technique, the fixed device having a precoding module operative to generate a precoding matrix using a received first codeword of a first base codebook, subsequently reconstruct the precoding matrix using a received polar-cap codeword of a polar-cap codebook, and periodically reset the precoding matrix to clear accumulated error at the fixed device using a received second codeword of a second base codebook. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08654738B2 Method for supporting flow mobility
A method of supporting flow mobility of an MN is provided in an LMA. The LMA updates a BCE when a flow of the MN moves from a first MAG to a second MAG. The LMA sends a message for requesting binding registration of the flow to the second MAG, and sends a message for requesting binding de-registration of the flow to the first MAG.
US08654735B2 IP mobility multihoming
The present application relates to a method for arranging IP mobility multihoming. A plurality of IP mobility configuration parameter sets is accessed, each of the sets being associated with a destination network. One of the IP mobility configuration parameter sets is selected for an IP data connection, the selected IP mobility configuration parameter set being associated with a destination network of the IP data connection. An IP mobility protocol instance associated with the destination network is activated on the basis of the selected IP mobility configuration parameter set.
US08654732B2 System and method for advertising the same service set identifier for different basic service sets
According to one embodiment of the invention, a method comprises advertising services. The services are provided by different basic service sets, each basic service set having the same service set identifier (SSID). Thereafter, one of the basic service sets is selected.
US08654723B2 Method and device for re-using IPSec tunnel in customer premises equipment
A method for re-using an existing IPSec tunnel for multiple services. The IPSec tunnel is established from customer premises equipment to the core network to support licensed frequency communications, such as a femtocell. UMA communication using unlicensed frequencies may be carried out by re-using the IPSec tunnel to securely route UMA communications from a UMA device to a UNC within the core network via the customer premises equipment. The network determines whether to redirect UMA communications through an existing IPSec tunnel by determining whether a newly established second IPSec tunnel for UMA communications originates from an access point collocated with a femtocell that has an existing IPSec tunnel.
US08654717B2 Base station apparatus and communication control method
A base station apparatus to be used for a mobile communication system capable of providing communications using plural frequency carriers is disclosed. The base station apparatus includes a frequency carrier selection unit selecting one of a first frequency carrier and a second frequency carrier as a frequency carrier to be used for the communications based on at least one of a service type of the communications and a congestion degree of the communications, the first frequency carrier being used for communications based on allocation in which radio resources are dynamically allocated, the second frequency carrier being used for communications based on allocation in which the radio resources are allocated at every predetermined period.
US08654715B2 Systems and methods providing mobile transmit diversity
A method for use by a remote unit in an Evolution Data Optimized (EVDO) network includes sending transmissions to a base station, each of the transmissions corresponding to a respective one of multiple hypotheses of multiple antenna usage. The method also includes receiving feedback from the base station in response to the transmissions, the feedback being uninformed of multiple antenna usage and using the feedback to select at least one of the hypotheses. The method further includes transmitting data using a multiple-antenna scheme associated with the selected hypotheses.
US08654713B2 Radio communication system, device and method for radio communication, and computer program
A radio communication device which manages a network defines a predetermined transmission frame cycle, allocates in the frame specific access slots as timing with which the individual radio communication devices in the network concerned receive a transmission, puts the information of the allocation in a beacon signal, and transmits the signal. Each radio communication device performs receiving operation at access slots specific to the device itself defined by the beacon signal. When information transmission is made between arbitrary communication devices in the network, access slots for the device which is to receive the information are used.
US08654707B2 Method and system of implementing a radio network in unlicensed spectrum
Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for wireless communication over unlicensed spectrum using a femto cell. In an implementation of the system, a dualmode mobile device adapted to communicate over a licensed frequency spectrum and over an unlicensed frequency spectrum is provided. The dual-mode mobile device detects the presence of a femto cell communicating over an unlicensed spectrum and in response, initiates a communication connection with the unlicensed spectrum femto cell. Subsequently, the connection over a license spectrum may be disconnected upon successful establishment of the connection over the unlicensed spectrum. In yet another implementation, a femto cell communicating over an unlicensed spectrum may be adapted to communicate with a mobile switching center and/or with a voice over IP switch.
US08654706B2 Systems, methods and computer program products for intelligent APN management in wireless communications networks
Systems, methods, and computer program products are for managing APNs in a wireless communications network during a PDP context activation sequence. An exemplary method includes a radio network controller (RNC) generating an APN assignment request in response to a PDP context activation request being received from a device and sending the APN assignment request to an intelligent APN management system (iAPNMS). The method also includes determining, at the iAPNMS based upon an assignment factor, an APN to assign to the PDP context activation request and assigning the APN to the PDP context activation request. The method also includes one of the RNC and the iAPNMS modifying the PDP context activation request to include the APN, and the RNC forwarding the PDP context activation request including the APN to a serving general packet radio service (GPRS) gateway support node (SGSN) to continue the PDP context activation sequence.
US08654704B2 System and method for distributed control of spectrum power in a multi-cell communication system
A system and method for distributed control of spectrum power in a multi-cell communication system are provided. A plurality of cells included in a multi-cell communication system may be grouped into a plurality of groups. Cells included in a first group may iteratively calculate spectrum powers to perform dynamic spectrum management (DSM) scheme in calculation sub-frames. The cells included in the first group may also perform a user scheduling. Spectrum powers determined by cells included in a second group and user scheduling results of the cells in the second group may be held static.
US08654698B2 Wireless network operation on license-exempt band
An apparatus receives from a first device a first broadcast message/beacon which comprises an identifier for an enabling station, then uses the identifier to associate with the enabling station to obtain from it a list of at least one license-exempt channel (e.g., TV whitespaces). In one embodiment the apparatus can then join an ad hoc network (IBSS) with the first device and transmit a second beacon which comprises the identifier for the enabling station. If the apparatus hears multiple beacons advertising different IBSSs, it can select to join the first device's ad hoc network over the other(s) based on a service offered or the first device's network being trusted. Various examples are detailed for where in the beacon frame the identifier (e.g., SSID) might be placed. In one example the apparatus and first device are Mode I devices and the enabling station is a Mode II device under (draft) IEEE802.11af.
US08654695B2 Link adaptation of a broadcast system
A method and apparatus of link adaptation of a broadcast system is disclosed. The method includes a base station adaptively determining a signal quality threshold. The base station broadcasts a signal, wherein the signal includes the signal quality threshold. A plurality of subscribers receives the signal, and measure a signal quality. Each of a subset of the plurality of subscribers transmits back to the base station an indicator of whether the received signal has a measured signal quality that is either above or below the signal quality threshold. A percentage of subscribers that receive the signal having a received signal quality above the signal quality threshold is estimated. A transmission modulation format and coding is selected based on the estimated percentage.
US08654688B2 Apparatus and method for performing communication using H-FDD frame structure in mobile communication system
Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for performing communication using a half-frequency division duplex (H-FDD) frame structure in a mobile communication system. A user equipment for performing communication using an H-FDD frame structure according to the present invention comprises an RF unit in which each user equipment group receives and transmits signals using the H-FDD frame structure wherein the order of the downlink zone and uplink zone are reversely allocated to each of the groups. The downlink zone and uplink zone, which are allocated to each of the user equipment groups in the H-FDD frame structure, include a sub-frame wherein one or more symbols are allocated to idle time slots or are punctured. Each of the user equipment groups can receive and transmit signals using symbols that are not allocated to the idle time slots or are not punctured in the sub-frame.
US08654682B2 Method and apparatus for enabling services and media in a communication network
A method and apparatus in a group manager of a central service node, for enabling services or media in a communication network. A monitoring unit detects and monitors activities and conditions of communication entities in the network. A context collecting unit collects individual context data relating to a plurality of monitored entities in order to survey the current situation of each respective entity. A group defining unit then defines a group of correlated entities that are found to be correlated or similar with respect to at least some feature or characteristics based on the collected individual context data, by selecting context parameters of relevance to the group and using one or more membership conditions determined for the group. If the monitored entities have changed their status in a predetermined way that affects the group, the group defining unit will update the group.
US08654679B2 Communication apparatus, control method thereof, and computer program
A communication apparatus for performing a communication parameter configuration process as one of a communication parameter providing apparatus and a communication parameter receiving apparatus, comprises: a first reception unit adapted to receive a communication parameter from another communication apparatus; and an enabling unit adapted to enable a communication parameter providing function for providing a communication parameter to another communication apparatus, after the communication parameter is received.
US08654676B2 Modelling apparatus and method
A method of processing a model of a telecommunications system including a plurality of access nodes through which communications terminals can communicate data is described. The method includes dividing the communications terminals, the access nodes and the core network into different groups, for a first of the groups loading the computer program code representing the communications terminals, the access nodes or the core network of the first group into the computer memory and performing the representing with the processor within a first time period, determining an amount of the data communicated between the first group and one or more of the other groups during the first time period, and for a subsequent time period representing the first group by an amount of data corresponding to the amount of the data communicated between the first group and a second of the groups, while loading the computer program code into the computer memory and performing the representing of the second group within the subsequent time period. The results produced by the modeling can be used to configure the telecommunications system itself.
US08654671B2 System and method for QoS support in ubiquitous sensor
The present invention relates to a system and to a method for QoS (Quality of Service) support in a ubiquitous sensor network. The system for QoS support in a ubiquitous sensor network includes a mesh coordinator and nodes. The mesh coordinator organizes a super frame containing a dedicated QoS data transmission period, and synchronizes each of the nodes constituted into one network with the abovementioned super frame. The nodes create a beacon frame containing information on whether or not to set QoS, to broadcast the beacon frame in a dedicated beacon period of the super frame if QoS data transmission is needed, to create a QoS data frame with a set priority, and to transmit the QoS data frame to the dedicated QoS data transmission period of the super frame in the case of transmitting QoS data. The present invention divides QoS data from general data to improve the quality of data transmission and ensure stability, and prioritizes QoS data to transmit the most important data among QoS data in a quick and stable manner.
US08654667B2 Method for demodulating data and demodulating apparatus based on a downlink transmit diversity mode in a LTE system
A demodulating method and a demodulating apparatus at a receiver based on a downlink transmit diversity mode in a LTE system are provided by the present invention. The method includes: dividing received data from sub-carriers of each receiving antenna based on a transmit diversity mode into multiple groups of received data according to numbers of antennas of a transmitter and a receiver; performing an independent demodulation on each group of the multiple groups of received data separately according to a demodulation algorithm of two-port transmitting and single-port receiving, so as to obtain a corresponding group of demodulated data; and for multiple groups of demodulated data corresponding to same transmitted data, performing a maximum ratio combination on the multiple groups of demodulated data according to a channel condition corresponding to each group of the multiple groups of demodulated data, so as to obtain a corresponding final demodulated data value. The demodulating method and the demodulating apparatus of the present invention can ensure the performance of the system adopting the diversity algorithm in situations of various kinds of antenna configurations, reduce cost and the complexity of devices in a practical application, and is very easy for project implementation.
US08654662B2 Carrier detection
There is disclosed a method of determining one or more candidate frequencies for a carrier signal in a received signal, which method comprises: generating a narrowband spectrum of the received signal; detecting one or more peaks in the narrowband spectrum; generating a candidate frequency list, each frequency at which a peak occurs being included in the candidate frequency list. The method further comprises: removing the detected one or more peaks from the narrowband spectrum to generate a modified narrowband spectrum; detecting one or more further peaks in the modified narrowband spectrum; and modifying the candidate frequency list in dependence on the one or more further peaks.
US08654656B2 Communication device, method, integrated circuit, system, and program
A communication device includes a transmission path state determination unit; a communication unit and a topology determination unit configured to classify a destination device into a first group when a detected transmission path characteristic satisfies a criteria, and to classify a destination device into a second group when the detected transmission path characteristic does not satisfy the criteria. Additionally, a frequency band control unit is configured to select a first frequency band and a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band based on whether the destination device is classified into the first group, or into the second group, the first and second frequency bands being obtained by dividing an entire frequency band.
US08654655B2 Detecting and classifying anomalies in communication networks
The invention relates to a method of detecting an anomaly in traffic containing a plurality of flows. Each flow has a plurality of flow features. The method including the steps of: (i) dividing the traffic into a plurality of sets, on the basis a first flow feature, such that the flows in at least one of the sets have a common value for the first flow feature (ii) determining that the anomaly is present in one of the sets and, (iii) dividing the set in which the anomaly is present on the basis of a second flow feature, such that the flows in at least one of the resulting sets have a common value for the second flow feature.
US08654650B1 System and method for determining node staleness in a distributed system
A method and system are disclosed for implementing a distributed lock manager comprising a plurality of nodes that coordinate with one another to maintain a shared state by agreeing to transitions using a distributed consensus protocol and applying those agreed to transitions. A given node of the system periodically propagates a local time from a local clock of the given node to the other nodes. When agreeing to a transition, the system associates the transition with the propagated local clock time. The given node later calculates a maximum staleness of the transition based at least on the current time of the node's local clock and the propagated local time associated with the transition.
US08654646B2 Method and apparatus for managing flow information in a communication system
A method for managing flow information of a mobile station by a target base station in a communication system is provided. The method includes receiving a ranging request message, which includes a flow identifier for each of flows between a serving base station and the mobile station and a change count indicating the number of times of an addition/change/deletion operation of a corresponding flow for each of flow identifiers, from the mobile station; and transmitting a ranging response message, which includes a validity indicator indicating whether the change count of each of the flow identifiers is valid or not, to the mobile station, wherein, when the validity indicator indicates that at least one change count among change counts for each of the flow identifiers is not valid, the ranging response message includes a list including the at least one change count that is not valid.
US08654642B2 Wireless packet transmission apparatus and packet priority control scheduling method
A wireless packet transmission apparatus of this invention includes a packet priority controller that controls the order of transmitting packets with different priorities, and an adaptive modulation controller that changes the modulation scheme of the packets. The packet priority controller includes: a schedule selector that, when a modulation scheme is changed, with respect to packets with a priority of a predetermined value or more, provisionally sets a strict priority control scheme; and a comparison section that compares the transmission rate of the packets for which the strict priority control scheme is provisionally set and the transmission rate of the wireless packet transmission apparatus that is determined by the modulation scheme that has been changed by the adaptive modulation controller. Based on the comparison result, the schedule selector determines whether or not to set the strict priority control scheme for the packets for which the strict priority control scheme is provisionally set.
US08654641B2 Transmitting apparatus, transmitting method, and program
A transmitting apparatus includes a rate adjusting unit, a changing unit, a buffer control unit, and a transmitting unit. The rate adjusting unit adjusts a transmission rate of transmitting data. The changing unit changes a size of a buffer for temporarily storing the data, on the basis of the transmission rate. The buffer control unit configured to cause the buffer to temporarily store the data, which is smaller than or equal to an addable size that is smaller than the size of the buffer, and to output the data to the transmitting unit. The transmitting unit transmits the data output from the buffer.
US08654638B2 Dynamically adjusting bandwidth usage among subscriber streams
Systems and methods are disclosed for adjusting bandwidth of streams carried on a subscriber loop. One exemplary method comprises the steps of: determining bandwidth in use on a subscriber loop; selecting, for adjustment, at least one of a plurality of TCP streams carried on the subscriber loop; and adjusting at least one flow control parameter of the selected TCP stream based on the bandwidth in use. An exemplary multimedia terminal adapter (MTA) comprises memory and a processor. The memory stores program code, and the code programs the processor to enable the MTA to: determine bandwidth in use on a subscriber loop; select, for adjustment, at least one of a plurality of TCP streams carried on the subscriber loop; and adjust at least one flow control parameter of the selected TCP stream based on the bandwidth in use.
US08654634B2 Dynamically reassigning virtual lane resources
A system and method for dynamically reassigning buffer space during to maximize IO performance of virtual lanes is set forth. More specifically, the system and method for dynamically reassigning buffer space takes buffer space from unused virtual lanes and reassigns the unused buffer space to used virtual lanes, e.g., when changes occur to an IO configuration. For example, in an embodiment that supports four virtual lanes where only two virtual lanes are in use, the system and method reassign the buffer space from the other two unused virtual lanes for use by the two virtual lanes in use.
US08654631B2 Method and apparatus for providing an intelligent back-up internet protocol (IP) connection
A method, computer readable medium and apparatus for providing a back-up internet protocol (IP) connection are disclosed. For example, the method monitors a primary IP connection to a subscriber premises, detects a failure or a degradation of the primary IP connection to the subscriber premises and activates a back-up IP connection to the subscriber premises.
US08654619B1 Method and apparatus for operating a disk drive
A disk drive is disclosed including a rotatable disk having a user area including a first sector, and a spare area including a second sector, and configured to store a relocation list. The disk drive also includes a controller configured to receive a write command to write first data to the first sector, determine that the first data includes an amount of data less than a storage capacity of the first sector, read second data in the first sector, determine that there is a read error when reading the second data in the first sector, temporarily relocate the first sector to the second sector, maintain the second data in the first sector, and perform a test on the first sector to determine whether to copy the first data to the first sector, or permanently relocate the first sector to the second sector.
US08654615B2 Timer movement with a display for world time zones
The present invention relates to a timer movement with a display for world time zones. While operating, by aligning the landmark of local time zone with a fixed point for calibrating the local time, then turning a time zone adjustable ring to the landmark of another time zone to be aligned with the fixed point, an inner gear ring of the time zone adjustable ring can drive a planetary idle gear, a planetary driven gear and a planetary base gear to rotate, and each elastic positioning ball is sequentially buckled and positioned along each positioning hole, and a first front hour wheel is enabled to perform planetary motion about a first minute wheel set on the planetary base gear, so as to rotate the first hour wheel meshed therewith for displacing a first hour hand to display the time of first location at the landmark of another time zone.
US08654614B2 Capacitive electromechanical transducer
Provided is a transducer in which electrodes in a movable region are less likely to affect the mechanical characteristics of the movable region and in which nonuniform electrical potential distribution of the surface of the electrodes in the movable region is suppressed. The transducer includes first electrodes and second electrodes opposing the first electrodes with gaps interposed between therebetween. The resistance per unit area of the first electrodes differs in a movable region relative to the second electrodes and an unmovable region relative to the second electrodes. The first electrodes in the movable region and the first electrodes in the unmovable region have different thicknesses.
US08654609B2 Target detection device, target detection control program, and target detection method
A target detection device includes: a sound source which projects a sound pulse; a transducer array disposed in a region for receiving a forward scattered wave from an object in the propagation environment; an addition processing unit which extracts only a signal of the forward scattered wave by applying vector addition processing on a reference signal in a reference sound field received when an obstacle exists in the propagation environment and a mixed signal in a mixed sound field received when the target exists with the obstacle; a phase conjugation determination unit which checks whether a phase conjugacy is established by receiving the signal of the extracted forward scattered wave and employing a passive phase conjugation for determining the reference sound field; and a time reversal processing unit which generates a time reversal signal on condition that the phase conjugation determination unit judges that the phase conjugacy is established.
US08654608B2 Positioning apparatus for excavating and similar equipment
In the use of a backhoe digger an indication of the precise depth of the bucket is required. This may be done by measuring the angles and extensions of the elements of the backhoe and calculating the result. This is commonly done by means of angle resolvers and linear encoders. Retro-fitting and calibration of such equipment is very difficult, and according to the invention the same data may be obtained by means of an inclinometer and length measuring devices based on pulsed ultrasound.
US08654596B2 Nonvolatile semiconductor storage device equipped with a comparison buffer for reducing power consumption during write
A semiconductor storage device includes plural bit lines and plural word lines. The memory cell array has plural memory cells that are connected with the bit lines and word lines, and can store data. Plural sense amplifiers detect the data stored in the memory cells. Plural write drivers write data in the memory cells. A comparison buffer temporarily stores the write data to be written in the memory cells by the write driver. In a series of write sequences, the comparison buffer stores the read data from the memory cells selected as the write object and the write data to be written in the selected memory cells. After a series of write sequences, when the pre-charge command for resetting the voltage of the bit lines is received, the write execution command is executed so that the comparison buffer executes write in the selected memory cells.
US08654595B2 Nonvolatile memory device with a clamping voltage generation circuit for compensating the variations in memory cell parameters
A nonvolatile memory device comprises a nonvolatile cell array comprising a memory cell and a reference cell, a clamping circuit electrically connected to the memory cell and configured to clamp a voltage applied to a data sensing line during a read operation, and a clamping voltage generation unit configured to generate a clamping voltage responsive to a first voltage having a level based on the reference cell, and to feed back the clamping voltage to the clamping circuit.
US08654585B2 NAND flash memory device and method of making same
An integrated circuit includes a NAND string including a string selection transistor SST and a ground selection transistor GST disposed at either end of series-connected memory storage cells MC. Each of the memory storage cells is a memory transistor having a floating gate, and at least one of the string selection transistor SST and the ground selection transistor GST is a memory transistor having a floating gate. The threshold voltage Vth of programmable string selection transistors SST and the ground selection transistor GST is variable and user controllable and need not be established by implantation during manufacture. Each of the programmable string selection transistors SST and the ground selection transistors GST in a memory block may be used to store random data, thus increasing the memory storage capacity of the flash memory device.
US08654583B2 Memory cells, memory cell arrays, methods of using and methods of making
A semiconductor memory cell and arrays of memory cells are provided In at least one embodiment, a memory cell includes a substrate having a top surface, the substrate having a first conductivity type selected from a p-type conductivity type and an n-type conductivity type; a first region having a second conductivity type selected from the p-type and n-type conductivity types, the second conductivity type being different from the first conductivity type, the first region being formed in the substrate and exposed at the top surface; a second region having the second conductivity type, the second region being formed in the substrate, spaced apart from the first region and exposed at the top surface; a buried layer in the substrate below the first and second regions, spaced apart from the first and second regions and having the second conductivity type; a body region formed between the first and second regions and the buried layer, the body region having the first conductivity type; a gate positioned between the first and second regions and above the top surface; and a nonvolatile memory configured to store data upon transfer from the body region.
US08654582B2 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device equipped with an oxide semiconductor writing transistor having a small off-state current
An object is to provide a semiconductor device in which stored data can be retained even when power is not supplied, and there is no limitation on the number of write cycles. The semiconductor device includes a source line, a bit line, a first signal line, a second signal line, a word line, a memory cell connected between the source line and the bit line, a first driver circuit electrically connected to the bit line, a second driver circuit electrically connected to the first signal line, a third driver circuit electrically connected to the second signal line, and a fourth driver circuit electrically connected to the word line and the source line. The first transistor is formed using a semiconductor material other than an oxide semiconductor. The second transistor is formed using an oxide semiconductor material.
US08654572B2 10T SRAM cell with near dual port functionality
An integrated circuit including an array of SRAM cells containing a write port with a write word line and two read buffers with read word lines. The write port includes passgate transistors connected to each data node of the SRAM cell. A process of operating the integrated circuit in which source nodes of read buffer driver transistors are biased during a read operation. A process of operating the integrated circuit in which source nodes of read buffer driver transistors are floated during a read operation. A process of operating the integrated circuit in which the write port and the read ports share data lines and the source nodes of read buffer driver transistors are floated during a write operation.
US08654568B2 10T SRAM cell with near dual port functionality
An integrated circuit including a ram array with SRAM cells containing a write port with a write word line and two read buffers with read word lines. The write port includes passgate transistors connected to each data node of the SRAM cell. A process of operating the integrated circuit in which source nodes of read buffer driver transistors are biased during a read operation. A process of operating the integrated circuit in which source nodes of read buffer driver transistors are floated during a read operation. A process of operating the integrated circuit in which the write port and the read ports share data lines and the source nodes of read buffer driver transistors are floated during a write operation.
US08654555B2 ROIC control signal generator
A control signal generator to generate control signals for a readout integrated circuit (ROIC) includes a content addressable memory (CAM) and a random access memory (RAM). The CAM may have data stored within it that is indicative of times at which control signal switching events are to occur during generation of the control signals. The RAM may have data stored within it that is indicative of particular control signals that are to be toggled at the times indicated within the CAM.
US08654551B2 Supply device, and LED lighting equipment using the same
A power supply device includes two buck converters, having a coupling inductor Lo composed of two mutually-coupled inductors L1, L2, and a output capacitor Co, wherein of the two buck converters, a first buck converter is operated during a positive half-cycle period of an AC input voltage, and a second buck converter is operated during a negative half-cycle period of the AC input voltage, to obtain a DC output voltage at both ends of the output capacitor Co from the AC input voltage, is provided. Herewith, is provided the power-supply device using the buck converter, which can be reduced in the number of components and produced in a low cost without a diode bridge.
US08654548B2 Flyback primary side output voltage sensing system and method
A method and apparatus of primary side output voltage sensing for a flyback power converter preserves secondary-side tranformer isolation without the use of opto-isolators and does not require multiple high-speed sample and hold circuits. A timing circuit measures the duration of the diode conduction interval during a first PWM control cycle and applies this measurement to set the voltage sampling time of the feedback loop during the next PWM cycle. The voltage sampling time for the next PWM cycle is configurable and may be set to occur near the middle of the diode conduction interval or near the end of the diode conduction interval. The cycle-to-cycle PWM duty cycle adjustment step size may be limited to ensure that the diode conduction interval does not vary substantially from cycle to cycle.
US08654546B2 Method and apparatus for controlling resonant power converter
A control circuit of a resonant power converter is disclosed. The control circuit comprises a first transistor and a second transistor for switching a transformer and a resonant tank comprising a capacitor and an inductor. A controller is configured to receive a feedback signal correlated to the output of the power converter for generating a first switching signal and a second switching signal to drive the first transistor and the second transistor, respectively. A diode coupled to the first transistor and the resonant tank for detecting the state of the first transistor and generating a detection signal for the controller. The detection signal indicates if the transistors are in a zero voltage switching (ZVS) state. If the transistors are not in the ZVS state, the switching frequency of the transistors will be increased.
US08654540B2 Method for assembling at least one chip with a wire element, electronic chip with a deformable link element, fabrication method of a plurality of chips, and assembly of at least one chip with a wire element
A first step of the method for assembling a wire element with an electronic chip comprises arranging the wire element in a groove of the chip delineated by a first element and a second element, joined by a link element comprising a plastically deformable material, and a second step then comprises clamping the first and second elements to deform the link element until the wire element is secured in the groove.
US08654532B2 Server cabinet coolant distribution system
A cooling coolant pipe of a server cabinet includes multiple tube bodies interconnected in series and at least one adjustable valve. In each of the tube bodies a first chamber and a second chamber that are adjacent to and separated from each other, the second chambers of the two adjacent tube bodies are in communication with each other, and a wall surface of each of the tube bodies has at least one connection port in communication with the first chamber. The adjustable valve is disposed in one of the tube bodies. The first chamber in each of the tube bodies is in communication with the second chamber in the tube body through the adjustable valve. In this way, the adjustable valve adjusts the flow rate of a cooling fluid flowing from the second chamber to the first chamber.
US08654529B2 Liquid submersion cooled network electronics
A liquid submersion cooling system that is suitable for cooling a number of electronic devices in parallel using a plurality of cases connected to a rack system. The system cools heat-generating components in server computers and other devices that use electronic, heat-generating components and are connected in parallel systems. The system includes a housing having an interior space, a dielectric cooling liquid in the interior space, a heat-generating electronic component disposed within the space and submerged in the dielectric cooling liquid. The rack system contains a manifold system to engage and allow liquid transfer for multiple cases and IO connectors to engage electrically with multiple cases/electronic devices. The rack system can be connected to a pump system for pumping the liquid into and out of the rack, to and from external heat exchangers, heat pumps, or other thermal dissipation/recovery devices.
US08654523B2 Ruggedized computer capable of operating in high temperature environments
Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are directed to a computer that has a housing with walls that form a substantially sealed interior cavity from an exterior environment. The computer includes a plurality of computer components within the interior cavity. The computer also includes at least one heat sink for dissipating thermal energy into the exterior environment. A cooling element is thermally coupled to the heat sink and at least one of the computer components to transfer thermal energy from the computer component into the heat sink and the exterior environment.
US08654520B2 Supporting apparatus and electronic apparatus with supporting apparatus
A supporting apparatus is used in an electronic apparatus that has a display device, a support base, and a transmission component. The display device is supported by the supporting apparatus and an angle is formed between the display device and the support base. The supporting apparatus includes a first support element, a second support element, a plurality of second axial levers, a first connecting element, and a second connecting element. The first support element is pivotally connected to the display device. The second support element is pivotally connected to the support base. Two ends of the first connecting element are respectively pivotally connected to the first support element and the second support element. Two ends of the second connecting element are respectively pivotally connected to the first support element and the second support element.
US08654510B2 Solid electrolytic capacitor and method of manufacturing solid electrolytic capacitor
A solid electrolytic capacitor includes a solid electrolytic capacitor element having an anode element having a dielectric film formed on a surface thereof and a conductive polymer layer formed on the anode element, an ionic liquid composed of an anion component and a cation component is present in the conductive polymer layer, and the cation component contains a cation having two or more ether linkages.
US08654508B2 Electrochemical capacitor and electrode used therein
Disclosed is an electrochemical capacitor which comprises an element, an electrolyte, and an outer case that houses the element and the electrolyte. The element comprises: a negative electrode that is obtained by forming a negative electrode layer on the surface of a collector, the negative electrode layer containing a carbon material in which lithium ions are absorbed; a positive electrode that is obtained by forming a positive electrode layer on the surface of a collector, the positive electrode layer absorbing ions; and a separator that is interposed between the negative electrode and the positive electrode. The electrolyte contains lithium ions. A coating film that contains lithium carbonate is formed on the surface of the carbon material that is contained in the negative electrode layer.
US08654499B2 Pipe connector
A pipe connector is disclosed, comprising two connector elements, arranged for interconnection of two pipes, wherein one or both of the connector elements is formed from electrically resistive material so as to provide electrical resistance between the connected pipes.
US08654493B2 Protection circuit and input/output circuit
A first voltage dividing circuit is connected between a power feeding line to feed power from an external power supply to an internal circuit, and a fixed potential to divide a voltage of the power feeding line. A first comparator compares a divided voltage, which has been divided by the first voltage dividing circuit, with a reference voltage, and outputs a signal to turn off a power switch inserted into the power feeding line when the divided voltage exceeds the reference voltage. A first transistor is connected between a first node where the divided voltage, which has been divided by the first voltage dividing circuit, is generated, and the fixed potential, and is turned on when the voltage of the first node exceeds a set voltage.
US08654468B2 Multi-rate oversampling of analog signals in storage devices
Multi-rate oversampling of analog signals in storage devices is described. A method of processing an analog signal derived from a storage medium in a storage device includes: filtering the analog signal with an anti-alias filter having a fixed cut-off frequency related to a target sampling rate; sampling the analog signal using an over-sampling rate of a plurality of over-sampling rates provided by a variable-rate analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to produce an over-sampled digital signal; and filtering the over-sampled digital signal using a decimation filter of a plurality of decimation filters provided by a digital signal processor (DSP) to produce a digital signal having the target sampling rate.
US08654467B1 Disk drive increasing bandwidth of cutoff filter while reading servo sector preamble
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk including a plurality of servo tracks defined by servo sectors, wherein each servo sector comprises a servo preamble. A head is actuated over the disk, wherein the head is operable to generate a read signal. The disk drive further comprises control circuitry including an analog cutoff filter operable to filter the read signal to generate a filtered read signal. The filtered read signal is sampled to generate read samples. During a normal operating mode, the analog cutoff filter is configured to have a first bandwidth. During a measurement mode, the analog cutoff filter is configured to have a second bandwidth greater than the first bandwidth, and the read samples representing at least part of the servo preamble are processed to measure a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and/or a fly height of the head.
US08654464B2 Implementing magnetic defect classification using phase modulation
A method, apparatus, and system are provided for implementing magnetic defect classification using phase modulation for hard disk drives. A magnetic media readback signal of a hard disk drive is processed to identify predefined phase modulation (PM) characteristics to implement magnetic defect classification of magnetic media bump and pit defects.
US08654462B2 Piezoelectric actuator and lens barrel
A piezoelectric actuator includes: a plurality of first piezoelectric elements; a first member that is interposed between opposing faces of the plurality of the first piezoelectric elements and that is driven in a first direction by the plurality of the first piezoelectric elements; a second piezoelectric element that is disposed in the first member; a second member that is disposed in contact with the second piezoelectric element and that is driven in a second direction intersecting the first direction by the second piezoelectric element; and a third member that comes in contact with the second member and that is moved relative to the first member by driving the second member.
US08654459B2 Resin molded lens
In a resin molded lens 20 of an interior illumination lamp which includes inserting openings inserting seesaw type switch knobs, gates G and G1 for a resin molding are formed so as to be installed at inner side surfaces of the inserting openings when the resin molding is performed by molds D1 and D2, and protrusions 20T having heights higher than heights of gate traces G2 generated by the gates G and G1 are formed in the vicinity of gate traces G2.
US08654458B2 Wide-angle imaging lens assembly
The present invention provides a wide-angle imaging lens assembly comprising, in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens element with negative refractive power having a convex object-side surface and a concave image-side surface; a second lens element with negative refractive power having a convex object-side surface and a concave image-side surface; a third lens element with positive refractive power; a fourth lens element with negative refractive power having a concave image-side surface; and a fifth lens element with positive refractive power; wherein the two lens elements with refractive power closest to the object side are the first lens element and the second lens element; and wherein the number of lens elements with refractive power does not exceed six.
US08654454B2 Thin optical lens assembly
This invention discloses a thin optical lens assembly, comprising two lens elements with refractive power arranged from an object side to an image side along an optical axis, a bi-convex first lens element with a positive refractive power, a second lens element with a negative refractive power having a concave object-side surface and a convex image-side surface, and an image sensor on an image plane. Each of the two lens elements has two aspheric optical surfaces, and preferably is made of plastic. Additionally, the thin optical lens assembly satisfies the conditions of the present invention in order to reduce the total length and the sensitivity for its use in compact cameras and mobile phones with photographing functions.
US08654453B2 Image pickup apparatus
An image pickup apparatus which makes it possible to form a multi-stage retractable lens barrel permitting the amount of extension of the lens barrel to be set as desired. A first intermediate rotary barrel fitted, for rotation, on a first intermediate rectilinear motion barrel restrained from rotation about an optical axis. A second intermediate rectilinear motion barrel is rectilinearly guided by the first intermediate rectilinear motion barrel. A second intermediate rotary barrel is fitted on the second intermediate rectilinear motion barrel and engaged with the first intermediate rotary barrel, rotation. The first intermediate rectilinear motion barrel has a cam groove formed on an inner peripheral surface thereof, for engagement with the second intermediate rotary barrel to cause the same to move along the optical axis.
US08654448B2 Inner focus lens system and image pickup apparatus using the same
An inner focus lens system includes from the object side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, an aperture stop, a second lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a third lens unit. The first lens unit includes a plurality of negative lenses and at least one positive lens, the lens located closest to the object side is a negative lens. The second lens unit includes at least one negative lens and at least one positive lens, and moves toward the object side for focusing from an infinite object distance to a close object distance such that the distance between the second lens unit and the aperture stop decreases and that the distance between the second lens unit and the third lens unit increases. The lens system satisfies the following conditions: 1
US08654446B2 Optical imaging element and module for an optical semiconductor component, method for processing an optical imaging element and image capture apparatus
An optical element or module is designed to be placed in front of an optical sensor of a semiconductor component. At least one optically useful part of the element or module is provided through which the image to be captured is designed to pass. A method for obtaining such an optical element or module includes forming at least one through passage between a front and rear faces of the element or module. The front and rear faces are covered with a mask. Ion doping is introduced through the passage. As a result, the element or module has a refractive index that varies starting from a wall of the through passage and into the optically useful part. An image capture apparatus includes an optical imaging module having at least one such element or module.
US08654441B2 Differential interference contrast serial time encoded amplified microscopy
We describe methods and apparatus for high-speed high-contrast imaging one-, two- and three-dimensional imaging enabled by differential interference contrast time encoded amplified microscopy of transparent media without the need for chemical staining, that are suitable for a broad range of applications from semiconductor process monitoring to blood screening. Our methods and apparatus build on a unique combination of serial time-encoded amplified microscopy (STEAM) and differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy. These methods and apparatus are ideally suited for identification of rare diseased cells in a large population of healthy cells and have the potential to revolutionize blood analysis and pathology including identification of cancer cells, such as Circulating Tumor Cells (CTC) in early stage disease.
US08654440B2 Optical amplification module and optical switch device
An optical amplification module has a semiconductor optical amplifier, a package accommodating the semiconductor optical amplifier, and a first connector and a second connector holding respective collimator lenses and arranged in parallel on the package. A sum of bend radii of the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber is greater than a space between the first connector and the second connector.
US08654439B2 Look-up table and digital transmitter based architecture for fiber nonlinearity compensation
Systems and methods are disclosed to process an optical signal using a pre-processor to populate a non-linearity compensation data structure based on a set of predetermined rules in a non-real-time off-line mode; and an amplifier applying said predetermined rules in real-time to one or more channel input data using the data structure to determine a non-linearity compensation output.
US08654437B2 Appearance-modifying device, and method for manufacturing such a device
An appearance-modifying device (10; 30), for modifying the visual appearance of a surface covered thereby, comprising: first (11) and second (12) oppositely arranged optically transparent substrates; a spacer structure (13; 32) spacing apart the first (11) and second (12) substrates in such a way that a space between the first (11) and second (12) substrates is divided into a plurality of cells (15, 16; 31a-c). The appearance-modifying device further has, in each cell (15, 16; 31a-c), an optically transparent fluid (19) having a plurality of particles (20) dispersed therein, the particles being moveable in the fluid (19) through application of an electric field; and first (17a, 18a; 33) and second (17b, 18b; 32) electrodes arranged to simultaneously, by application of a voltage across the electrodes, control a distribution of the particles (20) within each of a plurality of the cells (15, 16; 31a-c) from a first, dispersed state in which an appearance of the surface covered by the appearance-modifying device is determined by optical properties of the particles (20), to a second state in which the particles (20) are concentrated adjacent to at least one of the first (17a, 18a; 33) and second (17b, 18b; 32) electrodes in such a way that the appearance-modifying device (10; 30) becomes optically transparent.
US08654428B2 Electrowetting display unit and electrowetting display device
The disclosed technology provides an electrowetting display unit and an electrowetting display device. The electrowetting display unit comprises a polar fluid, a non-polar fluid that is colored, and separation walls for surrounding the polar fluid and the non-polar fluid; a medium layer located below the fluid chamber and in contact with the non-polar fluid or polar fluid in the fluid chamber; and an electrode located below the medium layer. Spaces are provided on the separation walls, have openings toward the medium layer, and function to completely or partially store the non-polar fluid when a voltage is applied between the polar fluid and the electrode. The electrowetting display device comprises the electrowetting display unit.
US08654417B2 Image reading apparatus and program
An image reading apparatus includes: a transport unit; a first reading unit which reads one surface of a document transported by the transport unit and generates first read data of a front end portion or a rear end portion of the one surface of the document; a second reading unit which reads the other surface of the document transported by the transport unit and generates second read data of a front end portion or a rear end portion of the other surface of the document; an edge detection unit which performs edge detection processing on each of the first read data and the second read data; and a determination unit which determines that there is double feeding of documents by the transport unit when the edge detection unit detects a plurality of edges from at least either the first read data or the second read data.
US08654412B2 Component imaging method, component imaging device, and component mounting device having component imaging device
A component imaging method includes: an imaging preparation step of obtaining, for each of the plurality of components, an optimum lighting intensity; a component imaging step of using a line sensor and a lighting device, to integrally move the components relative to this line sensor, with the components being aligned in a main scanning direction of the line sensor, and to acquire images of the components while switching a lighting intensity of the lighting device sequentially to the optimum lighting intensity of each of the components for each imaging line; and an image processing step of compensating a line image, which is imaged at a lighting intensity other than the optimum lighting intensities, on the basis of a ratio of the lighting intensity at which the line image is obtained and the optimum lighting intensity of each of the components of the obtained component images, for the component image.
US08654411B2 Image scanning device, image scanning method, image display controlling device, image display controlling method, image processing system, and computer program
An image scanning device accepts an instruction to scan a double-sided document and scans a plurality of double-sided documents with respect to each page to produce image data. Image data is eliminated when a page is determined as being solid colored from the image data produced by the scanning section. Image data other than the eliminated image data is transmitted to the outside. When an instruction to scan a double-sided document is received from the outside and accepted, elimination of image data is prohibited.
US08654409B2 Image scanning apparatus and method for correcting scanned image
An image scanning apparatus includes: an image scanning unit that includes plural light emitting elements and a light receiving portion receiving light emitted from the light emitting elements and reflected on a document and scans an image on the document; a light quantity information acquiring unit that acquires light quantity information on the quantity of light received by the light receiving portion while causing the light emitting elements to irradiate a reference member with light; a correction unit that corrects the scanned image, based on the light quantity information; and an abnormality detecting unit that detects abnormality of the light emitting elements. If the abnormality detecting unit detects the abnormality, the light quantity information acquiring unit acquires new light quantity information while causing the light emitting elements to irradiate the reference member with light and the correction unit corrects the scanned image, based on the new light quantity information.
US08654404B2 Image processing apparatus, image processing method and memory medium
An object of the present invention is to solve dissatisfaction of the user who can not take out the source data in a case where a code image in the original can not be decoded. In order to accomplish the above object, the invention provides an image processing apparatus comprising code image detection unit that determines whether or not an code image is included in the original image data, code image decoding unit that decodes the code image to extract source data if it is determined that the code image is included by the code image detection unit, and synthesizing unit that encodes information obtained by decoding a partial area of the code image and overlaying encoded information on the area where the code image is included, if the code image decoding unit is successful in decoding only the partial area of the code image.
US08654387B2 Print system
A print system is capable of processing a print order of image data through a network. The print system includes an information device operable to store image data, and an order reception server connected to the information device through the network. The information device sends print information specifying print content including image data to be printed to the order reception server with which a communication is established prior to a formal placing of a print order. The order reception server, when completing a reception of the print information, recognizes that the print order is completed, provides an order number for identifying the print order, and sends the order number to the information device.
US08654385B2 System and method for dynamic deployment of cloud-based printing services
A method of scheduling a print job may include determining a first set of deployments that includes one or more deployments. Each deployment in the first set may include an indication of a logical device in a cloud environment and an indication of a production center. The method may include for one or more deployments in the first set of deployments, determining a total compliance value associated with the deployment, identifying a subset of deployments based on, at least in part, the associated total compliance values, generating a new set of deployments based on, at least in part, the identified subset of deployments, and in response to the first set of deployments being an improvement over the new set of deployments, incrementing a count variable, and repeating the determining a total compliance value, identifying, and generating operations until the count variable equals an exit condition value.
US08654383B2 Information processing system, apparatus, method and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium for generating a display screen based on local error display information and remote style sheet information
An information processing apparatus can communicate with a server in which an application program is installed so as to be executable. The information processing apparatus includes a browsing portion to display a screen received from the server. If receiving from the server a setting screen for setting an execution condition for executing the application program, the browsing portion allows the server to execute the application program in accordance with the execution condition set in the setting screen. The information processing apparatus further includes a style sheet reception portion to receive a style sheet corresponding to the application program from the server, a process execution portion to execute a prescribed process, a display control portion, if the process execution portion produces display information to notify a user as a result of executing the prescribed process, to display a first display screen including the display information, and a screen generation portion to generate a second display screen based on the display information and the style sheet, if the display information is produced. While the screen received from the server is being displayed by the browsing portion, the display control portion displays the second display screen in place of the first display screen.
US08654379B2 Data processing apparatus and recording medium
A data processing apparatus includes a virtual printer driver unit configured to receive job data of a job from an application executing unit, generate image data based on the job data, and generate print setting data by describing a print setting extracted from the job data; an output condition control unit configured to rewrite the image data and the print setting data generated by the virtual printer driver unit and determine an output destination from which the image data is to be printed out, in accordance with a rule including conditions for selecting the output destination and making a change in output contents of the job; and a transmission unit configured to select a printer driver corresponding to the determined output destination and transmit, to the selected printer driver, a print command relevant to a changed job corresponding to the image data and the print setting data that have been rewritten.
US08654377B2 Data communication device, communication control method, and program
A data communication device includes: a communication execution unit that executes serial communication of an asynchronous type; a bit variance detection block that detects a variance between bits in communication data which the communication execution unit receives from a remote communicating party; a timer that measures a low-level pulse width which is a low-level pulse duration and which is determined with the position of the variance between bits detected by the bit variance detection block; and a control unit that performs transmission speed recognizing processing on the communication data according to the low-level pulse width measured by the timer, wherein based on the confirmation that the low-level pulse width is a low-level pulse width equivalent to a bit width compatible with low-speed communication data, the control unit recognizes the transmission speed for the communication data as a low speed.
US08654368B2 File control apparatus, print system, and program for controlling them
Print setting information including information indicating an order of entries of files is created, and a print job is created by appending the print setting information. A sequence of created print jobs to be transmitted is arranged based on the information which is included in the print setting information and indicates the order of entries of files, and process restriction information associated with the print job is acquired from a print device. When it is determined that restriction by the process restriction information is exceeded upon continuously receiving a plurality of print jobs, a succeeding print job is changed so that the process restriction information is not exceeded even when the succeeding print job is transmitted.
US08654356B2 Printer cover opening/closing mechanism, and printer
Characterized by having a printer cover that is attached to a main unit and opens and closes; a contact member that contacts or separates from an installation surface according to the state of the printer relative to an installation surface on which the printer is placed; and a preventing member that does not prevent the opening or closing operation of the printer cover when the contact member contacts the installation surface, and prevents the opening or closing operation of the printer cover when the contact member separates from the installation surface.
US08654354B2 Method and apparatus for using gestures to control a laser tracker
A method for optically communicating, from a user to a laser tracker, a command to control tracker operation includes providing a rule of correspondence between commands and temporal patterns, and selecting by the user a first command. Also, projecting a first light from the tracker to the retroreflector, reflecting a second light from the retroreflector, the second light being a portion of the first light, obtaining first sensed data by sensing a third light which is a portion of the second light, creating by the user, between first and second times, a first temporal pattern which includes a decrease in the third optical power followed by an increase in the third optical power, the first temporal pattern corresponding to the first command, determining the first command based on processing the first sensed data per the rule of correspondence and executing the first command with the tracker.
US08654352B1 Chromatic confocal scanning apparatus
A chromatic confocal scanning apparatus comprises a light source for producing light rays comprising a plurality of wavelengths, a first screen having an open elongated slit which allows a strip of light rays produced from the light source to pass through the slit and a cylindrical objective lens both to converge the light rays onto an object surface that is to be measured, and to image light rays reflected from the object surface. An intermediate cylindrical lens set converges a strip of light rays imaged from the cylindrical objective lens to pass through an open elongated slit comprised in a second screen, and a color sensor receives light rays which have passed through the slit of the second screen for determining a plurality of wavelengths of the said strip of light rays, to thereby construct a height profile of at least a portion of the object surface.
US08654346B2 Optical scattering disk, use thereof, and wavefront measuring apparatus
Immersion objective arrangement including an objective, an immersion medium and an optical scattering disk, and associated method. The optical scattering disk includes a transparent substrate (1) and a light scattering layer (2) adjoining a surface of the substrate and having light-scattering-active particles (3). The light scattering layer has an embedding medium (4) which is optically denser than air and directly adjoins the facing surface of the substrate without intervening air gaps and by which the light-scattering-active particles are surrounded. Such optical scattering disks may be used, e.g., in apparatuses for wavefront measurement of high-aperture microlithography projection objectives employing lateral shearing interferometry.
US08654341B2 Interferometric distance measuring method with spectrally separable double chirp and device
In a distance-measuring method, chirped laser radiation with two separable radiation components is emitted to at least one target to be surveyed and via a local oscillator path, the radiation components having an opposite chirp as a time dependency of the modulated wavelengths (λ1, λ2). After reception of the laser radiation scattered back from the target and passed via the local oscillator path, the laser radiation received is converted into signals and the distance to the at least one target is determined from the signals on the basis of interferometric mixing, separation of the radiation components being effected on the basis of their spectral characteristic.
US08654338B2 Optics sensor structure for detecting water or oil leakage inside a conservator having a bladder or membrane
Optical sensor structure senses the presence of liquid in a sealed conservator tank. The sensor structure includes a sensor head having a body with first and second opposing ends, a plurality of perforations through the body and spaced between the first and second ends, and a mirror disposed at the second end. The perforations are constructed and arranged to receive and hold fluid therein. The sensor head is constructed and arranged to rest on a surface of a bladder. The sensor structure includes a light source, a first fiber optic cable between the light source and the first end of the body, a light detector, and a second fiber optic cable between the light detector and the first end of the body. The amount of light received by the light detector is reduced when liquid, instead of air, is in at least some of the perforations in the body.
US08654332B2 Chip-scale optics module for optical interrogators
A method is disclosed for manufacturing a chip-scale optics module for an optical interrogator. The method includes aligning a polarization axis of a linear polarizer to an angle of 45 degrees from a fast axis of a quarter wave plate to enable circular polarization of a beam, when a beam is introduced to the linear polarizer, coupling the linear polarizer to the quarter wave plate after the aligning to form a circular polarizing filter sheet and then dicing the circular polarizing filter sheet to obtain a plurality of chip-scale circular polarizing filters. Each of the chip-scale circular polarizing filters is diced to have an edge that defines a polarization location index for the linear polarizer. A linear polarizer plate face of one of the chip-scale circular polarizing filters is then positioned so that the linear polarizer plate face is aligned with and parallel to an output face of a laser, whereby the polarization axis of the linear polarizer is not orthogonal to a polarization axis of the laser. The chip-scale circular polarizing filter is coupled to a frame after the positioning step.
US08654329B2 Parallel multisensor optical particle sensors for flowing fluid systems
An optical fluid monitoring system for imaging debris and other particles in a flowing fluid. The system can have multiple sensors (camera and viewing port) connected to a single, remotely located, laser and computer. The system can also include multiple lasers, viewing ports and cameras to be located at different locations in a flow, with each sensor being configured to image a different particle size range. The system can simultaneously image fluid flows on different pieces of equipment. Optical sensors can be arranged on parallel flow conduits, with each sensor configured to image a different particle size range.
US08654328B2 Image mapping spectrometers
Devices and methods for hyperspectral and multispectral imaging are discussed. In particular, Image Mapping Spectrometer systems, methods of use, and methods of manufacture are presented. Generally, an image mapping spectrometer comprises an image mapping field unit, a spectral separation unit, and a selective imager. Image mapping spectrometers may be used in spectral imaging of optical samples. In some embodiments, the image mapping field unit of an image mapping spectrometer may be manufactured with surface shaped diamond tools.
US08654327B2 Spectrometer comprising solid body sensors and secondary electron multipliers
The invention relates to a spectrometer for analyzing the optical emission of a sample by means of pulsed excitation of an optical spectral emission, having an excitation source, a gap arrangement, at least one dispersive element and having detectors for the emitted spectrum, in which two beam paths are provided with two dispersive elements, the first dispersive element of which images the spectrum of the emission onto a number of spatially resolving detectors and the second dispersive element of which images the spectrum of the emission onto a number of time-resolving detectors.
US08654326B2 Compact, low cost raman monitor for single substances
Apparatus for performing Raman spectroscopy may include a first laser source having a first emission wavelength and a second laser source having a second emission wavelength. A separation between the first and second emission wavelengths may correspond to a width of a Raman band of a substance of interest. A switch may provide switching between the first and second laser sources. An ensemble of individually addressable laser emitters may be provided. A Bragg grating element may receive laser light from the ensemble. An optical system may direct light from the Bragg grating element into an optical fiber. A combined beam through the optical fiber may contain light from each of the emitters.
US08654317B2 Optical fiber sensor, pressure sensor, end effector and stress detecting method using the same
In an FBG (Fiber Bragg Grating) sensor, a stress direction converter includes a flat portion to which stresses are applied from the exterior, and stress transmitting sections that are bridged from the flat portion to an optical fiber cable. An inclined portion of the optical fiber cable, through which reflected light reflected by gratings is transmitted, is disposed along an inclined section that makes up one of the stress transmitting sections.
US08654304B2 Flat panel display and manufacturing method thereof
A method of manufacturing a flat panel display is disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes preparing first and second mother substrates, forming a plurality of display cells on at least one of the mother substrates, forming a plurality of sealant lines enclosing the respective cells on either one of the mother substrates and assembling and sealing the two mother substrates with the sealant lines interposed therebetween. The method also includes mounting the two mother substrates on a stage, irradiating a laser beam to a defined light irradiation region of the mother substrates and cutting the mother substrates while moving the light irradiation region along an imaginary cut line where the mother substrates are to be cut. The light irradiation region includes a linear region and a curved region.
US08654299B2 Active matrix substrate manufacturing method and liquid crystal display device manufacturing method
Provided is an active matrix substrate manufacturing method, including the steps of: selectively forming a laminated structure pattern, by forming the laminated structure on a glass substrate (2), by forming a first photosensitive resin pattern (PR) on the laminated structure, and by selectively forming the laminated structure pattern using the first photosensitive resin pattern (PR), the laminated structure including a metal layer (a scanning signal line (11) material), a gate insulative layer (30), and a semiconductor layer (31, 33) (transistor material); fluorinating a surface of the first photosensitive resin pattern (PR) by dry-etching with fluorine gas; applying a coating-type transparent insulative resin (60) onto the glass substrate (2) to fill a space in the laminated structure pattern; and removing the fluorinated first photosensitive resin pattern (PR). This enables to form, in an active matrix substrate manufacturing process, a scanning signal line and a semiconductor layer with a single mask process.
US08654283B2 Electro-optical device and electronic device
An electro-optical device includes a pair of substrates bonded together via a seal member disposed in a seal region, and a plurality of light-shielding layers formed so as to overlap with each other on one of the substrates, and one of the plurality of light-shielding layers is larger in outer shape than another light-shielding layer formed at a level higher than the one of the light-shielding layer, in plan view from above the one of the substrates.
US08654277B2 Liquid crystal display module, backlight module and back plate thereof
The present invention discloses a liquid crystal display module, a backlight module and a back plate thereof. The back plate has a back-plate mainbody disposed on a bottom of the backlight module, and two bent structures integrally and symmetrically arranged on two opposite sides of the back-plate mainbody for supporting an optical film assembly of the backlight module. The present invention is applied to a LCD module with a separate-type backlight module design for saving the used number of housing strips, simplifying the structure of the backlight module, and enhancing the stability thereof.
US08654263B2 Broadcast receiving apparatus to minimize standby power and method thereof
A broadcast receiving apparatus to minimize standby power and a method thereof. The broadcast receiving apparatus includes a sensor to detect variation in an inputted alternating current (AC) voltage and outputting a direct current (DC) voltage corresponding to the detection result, and a controller to detect variation in currents based on a digital voltage corresponding to the DC voltage and to determine the on/off state of an external apparatus, connected to the broadcast receiving apparatus, according to the detection result of the controller. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether the external apparatus is switched on or off according to a variation in power supplied to the external apparatus, to cut off a power supplied to the external apparatus based on the determination result, and to selectively control a power supplied to components of the broadcast receiving apparatus based on power saving data.
US08654255B2 Advertisement insertion points detection for online video advertising
Systems and methods for determining insertion points in a first video stream are described. The insertions points being configured for inserting at least one second video into the first video. In accordance with one embodiment, a method for determining the insertion points includes parsing the first video into a plurality of shots. The plurality of shots includes one or more shot boundaries. The method then determines one or more insertion points by balancing a discontinuity metric and an attractiveness metric of each shot boundary.
US08654244B2 Image-pickup apparatus, and image-pickup system for use with an interchangeable lens
An image-pickup system is disclosed which is capable of performing highly accurate back focus adjustment for each combination of an image-pickup apparatus and a lens apparatus. The system includes a first memory provided in the image-pickup apparatus and stores first identification information unique to a combination of the image-pickup apparatus and a certain lens apparatus, a second memory provided in the lens apparatus and stores second identification information unique to a combination of the lens apparatus and a certain image-pickup apparatus. A comparator compares the first identification information with the second identification information. The generator generates, when the comparison results that the first identification information does not match the second identification information, identification information unique to the combination of the image-pickup apparatus and the lens apparatus. The controller causes the first memory and the second memory to store the identification information generated by the generator.
US08654242B2 Single-focus optical system, image pickup device, and digital apparatus
Provided is a single-focus optical system which is configured, in order from the object side to the image side, of a first to third lens groups and in which the first lens group and the third lens group are fixed with respect to a predetermined imaging surface, and the second lens group is moved in the optical axis direction to focus, wherein the first lens group comprises at least one positive lens and at least one negative lens, the second lens group comprises at least one positive lens, the third lens group comprises at least one lens having at least one aspheric surface and having a positive optical power at a peripheral portion thereof and 5<|Δv1|<70 is satisfied where Δv1 is a maximum value of the Abbe number difference between the positive lens and the negative lens in the first lens group.
US08654240B2 Optical chromatic aberration correction and calibration in digital cameras
Methods and the corresponding device are presented for the correction of lateral chromatic aberration within a digital camera or other imaging device, using calibration approaches that do not require previously acquired lens data to effect the correction. An in-camera auto-calibration procedure is performed on the attached lens, such as when a lens is exchanged, and extracts parameters required for chromatic aberration correction, respecting zoom and focus, from one or more captured images. Based on image data extracted as a plurality of channels of a chromatic decomposition of the image, the chromatic aberration information for the lens is extracted. From the chromatic aberration information, the correction factors for the lens are determined.
US08654237B2 Digital photographing apparatus, method for controlling the same, and recording medium storing program to execute the method
A method of controlling a digital photographing apparatus including a touch screen to which a touch input is applied by a user, the method includes: recognizing the touch input by the user in a photographing mode; setting a photographing condition by the recognized touch input; and performing a photographing, wherein the setting a photographing condition includes performing a plurality of auto focuses with time intervals, by which a focus change due to shaking occurring in the touch type photographing may be addressed.
US08654236B2 Imaging apparatus including a control unit configured to change a correction value for correcting an output of an orientation detection unit
An imaging apparatus selects and extracts a longest straight line from a captured image, and superimposes the straight line on the captured image to display it by a display device. An orientation detection unit including an acceleration sensor detects a roll angle. An X axis indicating a roll angle 0° and a Y axis indicating a roll angle 90° of the acceleration sensor are superimposed on the captured image, and an original point of the X and Y axes is matched with a center value of the extracted straight line to be displayed by the display device. A user rotates, by a predetermined operation, the image until the X and Y axes match the gradient of the extracted straight line. Thus, a system control unit corrects a roll angle output value of the orientation detection unit by an amount equal to a corrected rotational angle.
US08654211B2 Data recording/reproducing device, data recording/reproducing program and data reproducing device that protect private data from reproduction by unauthorized persons
A data recording/reproducing device includes: a position detection unit that detects information (hereafter referred to as position information) indicating a position at which data are acquired and reproduced; a determining unit that determines which specific set of geographical information, among a plurality of sets of geographical information defined in advance, the position information detected by the position detection unit at the time of data acquisition and data reproduction corresponds to; a recording control unit that records the acquired data into a recording medium based upon determining results provided by the determining unit; a selection unit that selects reproduction-permitted data from the recording medium based upon the geographical information determined by the determining unit at the time of data reproduction; and a reproducing unit that outputs and reproduces at least one set of data among the reproduction-permitted data having been selected.
US08654208B2 Imaging device and imaging method
An imaging device is provided which includes a hue value setting portion that sets at least one hue value from among a plurality of hue values, a color component region detection portion that detects a region having a color component that includes the set hue value, from image data of a photographic subject, and a color component region display portion that, based on the image data of the photographic subject, converts, of the photographic subject, the detected region having the color component to a first color, converts regions other than the detected region having the color component to a second color different from the first color, and displays the photographic subject on a display portion.
US08654207B2 Imaging pickup apparatus, image pickup method, image processing apparatus, image processing method, and image processing program
An image pickup apparatus includes a color component acquiring unit that acquires picked-up-image color-component signals representing color components of a picked-up image, a face detecting unit that detects a face, a skin-color-region color-component acquiring unit that, when the picked-up image includes a face, acquires skin-color-region color-component signals based on a face detection result, a skin-color-eliminated-component-signal-information creating unit that creates skin-color-eliminated component-signal information obtained by eliminating the skin-color-region color-component signals, obtained by the skin-color-region color-component acquiring unit, from the picked-up-image color-component signals obtained by the color component acquiring unit, a white-balance-gain setting unit that sets a white balance gain by using the skin-color-eliminated component-signal information, and a white balance control unit that performs white balance adjustment of the color components of the picked-up image by using the white balance gain.
US08654206B2 Apparatus and method for generating high dynamic range image
The present invention discloses an image pickup device, an image preview system and an image preview method thereof. The image pickup device comprises an image pickup module, an image processing module and a display module. The image pickup module is arranged for capturing a plurality of images. The image processing module is arranged for scaling down pixels of each image to generate a plurality of adjusted images, and combining the plurality of adjusted images to generate a preview image. The display module is arranged for displaying the preview image. Wherein, the image processing module is arranged for rendering a high dynamic range image according to the plurality of images while the plurality of adjusted images is blended.
US08654177B2 Flexible image photographing apparatus with a plurality of image forming units and method for manufacturing the same
A flexible image photographing apparatus includes a plurality of image photographing units to photograph a photographing object. A flexible body receives the plurality of image photographing units and may be transformed when a force is applied. A control portion is disposed at the flexible body to control each of the plurality of image photographing units to photograph the photographing object. The control portion stores images of the photographing object and performs various kinds of photography.
US08654174B2 Image forming apparatus and method of the same
According to one embodiment, if it is designated by operation of a control panel that a printed halftone image for test is defective, a number of revolutions of a polygon mirror is finely adjusted by a predetermined rate and a frequency of a serial data signal is finely adjusted by the rate.
US08654171B2 Exposure device and image forming device
There is provided an exposure device including: a light-emitting element array at which a plurality of light-emitting elements, that emit light that passes through an optical path of diffused light, are arrayed one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally on a substrate; and a hologram element array at which a plurality of hologram elements are formed at positions, that respectively correspond to the plurality of light-emitting elements, of a hologram recording layer disposed on the substrate, so as to diffract and collect, at an outer side of illumination regions of all of the plurality of light-emitting elements, respective lights that are emitted from the plurality of light-emitting elements respectively.
US08654168B2 Optical scanning device, image forming apparatus, and optical scanning device designing method
An optical scanning device including a light source having multiple light emitters; an optical element to reflect and transmit the emitted light beams; a photodetector to receive the reflected light beams; an aperture having an opening to shape the transmitted light beams; a light deflector to deflect the transmitted light beams; and a scanning optics to guide the deflected light beams to a scanning surface. The quantity of each of the light beams received by the photodetector is not less than 0.01 mW, and the size of a light receiving surface of the photodetector is determined such that even when the full width at half maximum of the emitted light beams changes, the rate of change of the ratio of the quantity of the light beams detected by the photodetector to the quantity of the light beams passing through the opening of the aperture is not greater than 4%.
US08654163B2 Print head, printer, and control method of printer
In connection with a printer, a platen roller is configured to transport a recording medium. A print head has a head body portion having a printing portion which performs printing on a recording medium and facing the platen roller. A supporting mechanism supports the head body portion, presses the head body portion against the platen roller and moves the head body portion by rotation of the platen roller. When the platen roller rotates in a second direction opposite the first direction, a contact position of the head body portion with respect to the platen roller is shifted while maintaining the head body portion pressed against the platen roller.
US08654161B2 Head element operation check mechanism, head element operation check method, and head element number check method
A head element operation check mechanism in a printer which is provided with a head including a plurality of head elements is provided. A controller controls a selector to selectively and electrically connect a resistor element provided in each of the head elements to a test resistor element in series. A test power source applies a test voltage to a serial circuit of the test resistor element and the resistor element. A divided voltage measuring unit measures a divided voltage of the serial circuit of the test resister element and the resistor element in response to control of the controller.
US08654157B2 Image display device and image display method
Disclosed is an image display device including an image signal input section (2), an overshoot operation section (3) that, when an image signal is inputted from outside one frame at a time, corrects the gradation level of the inputted image signal for a frame, a frame memory (4) that stores the corrected image signal of the frame, and a sub-frame division processing section (5) that time-divides the corrected and stored image signal of the frame into a plurality of sub-frame periods. The overshoot operation section (3) corrects the gradation level of an image signal of a frame according to a relation between the corrected gradation level of the image signal of a frame immediately preceding the frame, which is stored of the frame memory (4), and the gradation level of the image signal of the frame. Thus, the costs can be reduced, the device can be made compact, and the power consumption can be suppressed.
US08654150B2 External fixator deformity correction systems and methods
Systems and methods for planning and optimizing bone deformity correction treatments using external fixators. A computer system generates a display of a tiltable ellipse superimposed on digital medical image(s) (radiograph), the ellipse representing a ring of an external fixator attachable to the patient's bone. Based on axial and azimuthal ring rotation user input, the system calculates a 3D position of the resulting graphical representation of the ring. User input controls translation of ring(s). Strut position user input identifies 3D positions for the external fixator struts. Based on graphical input defining 3D biological rate-limiting points for treatment, the system calculates a 3D bone correction speed and/or a number of treatment days, and generates a graphical simulation of this treatment. Further, the system generates a correction plan specifying for each strut a daily sequence of strut lengths and preferred strut sizes, to minimize strut replacements.
US08654149B2 System and method for displaying enhanced vision and synthetic images
A vehicle display system displays enhanced vision images augmented with selected features of synthetic vision images that correspond to features of the enhanced vision images. The selection of the features may be predetermined, made by the pilot, or based on the operational status of the aircraft.
US08654147B2 Apparatus for generating raster images, raster image generating method, and storage medium
An apparatus segments an image region of raster image data. The apparatus converts an image region where same-colored data continues in a range of equal to or greater than a threshold value into solid-colored data. The apparatus switches between compositing processing procedures for each image region.
US08654144B2 3D/2D multiprimary color image device and method for controlling the same
A 3D /2D multiprimary color image device is provided with an optical unit to direct one image to the left eye and another image to the right eye. Each color dot of the multiprimary color image device comprises at least two color sections controlled independently. To display a 3D image, one section of a color dot is for displaying a left eye image while another section of the same color dot is for displaying a right eye image. To display a 2D image, both sections of a color dot for the left eye and for the right eye displaying the same image independently.
US08654143B2 System and method for non-uniform loading of digital paint brushes
Systems, methods, and apparatus for simulating natural media painting in a digital painting application (or painting simulation module) may provide user interface elements and methods that allow a user to load a brush with non-uniform paint colors by directly sampling the digital canvas. For example, a user may hover the brush over an area on the canvas having a non-uniform color distribution, and the application (or module) may sample the colors of the pixels under the brush, and load the brush with a collection of paint values reflecting the non-uniform distribution of colors in the sample. The application may support two non-uniform paint loading modes, e.g., one that fills the brush with a distribution of paint matching a single sample, and one that fills the brush with paint continuously as it is swept over the canvas. Non-uniform paint loading may be applied to stamp-based brush models and/or bristle brush models.
US08654132B2 System, method and computer program product for adjusting a refresh rate of a display
A display refresh system, method and computer program product are provided. In use, at least one aspect of a display of content is identified by monitoring commands. Based on such identified aspect(s), a refresh rate of a display utilized for the display of the content may be adjusted.
US08654130B2 Computer readable medium for modifying an animation wire frame
An animation wireframe is modified with three-dimensional (3D) range and color data having a corresponding shape surface. The animation wireframe is vertically scaled based on distances between consecutive features within the 3D range and color data and corresponding distances within the generic animation wireframe. For each animation wireframe point, the location of the animation wireframe point is adjusted to coincide with a point on the shape surface. The shape surface point lies along a scaling line connecting the animation wireframe point, the shape surface point and an origin point. The scaling line is within a horizontal point.
US08654127B2 Method, device arrangement and computer program product for producing identity graphs for analyzing communication network
A method, a device arrangement and a computer program product for examining and analyzing the functioning of a communication network. In one or more taps of the examined communication network there is a network probe which examines communication packets flowing in the communication network via a tap and searches for identities and their relations from their header information. Identities and relations between them are used to create an identity flow which is used to create an identity graph for describing the operation of the communication network. A network probe(s) sends all or a part of the data of the traffic of the communication network it has collected or analyzed to a supervisor unit. The data is sent according to previously given instructions or by a request sent by the supervisor unit. The identities and relations between them to be included in the identity graph are chosen according to predetermined modifiers.
US08654126B2 Methods, systems, and products for graphing data to reduce overlap
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for graphing data. A layout is retrieved that comprises locations for vertices. A proximity graph is generated using triangulation. Nodal overlaps are removed.
US08654118B2 Color-information processing method, and program
In order to perform pseudo-three-dimensional display for analyzing color distribution, there are provided a color-distribution-information input step of inputting color-distribution information indicating color coordinate values that sample points in a first color system can have in a second color system, a user's-instruction input step of inputting an instruction of a user relating to an operation of generating object-surface information, and a generation step of generating three-dimensional-object-surface information in accordance with the instruction of the user, based on the color-distribution information.
US08654114B2 Thin film transistor circuit, light emitting display apparatus, and driving method thereof
In order to suppress an influence of an electrical stress on a TFT characteristic in use of a TFT, a light emitting display apparatus according to the present invention comprises organic EL devices and driving circuits for driving the organic EL devices. The driving circuit includes plural pixels each having a thin film transistor of which a threshold voltage reversibly changes due to the electrical stress applied between a gate terminal and a source terminal, and a voltage applying unit which sets gate potential of the thin film transistor higher than source potential. The voltage applying unit applies the electrical stress between the gate terminal and the source terminal at a time when the thin film transistor is not driven, so as to drive the thin film transistor in a region that the threshold voltage is saturated to the electrical stress.
US08654108B2 Liquid crystal display device
In a liquid crystal display device provided with a monolithic gate driver, a panel frame area is to be reduced as compared with a conventional configuration so that the device size can be reduced. In a region on an array substrate located outside of a display region, a third metal (503) is formed as a metal film in addition to a source metal (501) and a gate metal (502). The source metal (501) forms a wiring pattern that includes source electrodes of thin film transistors disposed in a pixel circuit and a gate driver, and the gate metal (502) forms a wiring pattern that includes gate electrodes of the thin film transistors. The third metal (503) is electrically connected to at least one of the source metal (501) and the gate metal (502) through a contact.
US08654106B2 Stylus based haptic peripheral for touch screen and tablet devices
A system, method, and computer program product for automatically providing a haptic stylus based interface for enhanced user interaction with touch screen devices are disclosed. The stylus communicates with the touch screen device to report stylus operating information from onboard sensors, and to receive application program instructions defining feedback and friction forces to be applied by onboard actuators. The applied feedback and friction forces may be independently controlled. Friction forces are provided via a rolling contact ball gripping mechanism that mimics varying physical engagement between the contact ball and a touch screen display surface by controlling the relative rotational freedom of the contact ball. Embodiments of the invention enable a haptic stylus to mimic three-dimensional interactions for gaming, object manipulation and sculpting, and non-contact proximity-based stylus operation scenarios.
US08654103B2 Interactive display
An interactive display device (100) presents to a user (113) a visible image on an image layer (102) through a touching surface (101). The display device (100) has an illumination unit (107) that transmits infrared light and captures through the touching surface sets of infrared images of objects that are in the proximity of the touching surface. The display device (100) detects from the infrared images contact areas where a pointing object (112) is located with respect to the image layer (102) and casts in the infrared image a corresponding shadow. The illumination unit (107) alternates the infrared illumination so that each infrared image set has images taken with differing infrared illumination. Resulting variance in the shadows is used by the interactive display device (100) to detect whether the pointing object (112) contacts the touching surface (101) or not.
US08654099B2 Control of data processing based on inter-image motion detection
A data processing apparatus is arranged to receive successive images from a video camera. The apparatus includes means for detecting inter-image motion for selected points in an image region associated with a control function of the apparatus. The apparatus also includes means for executing the control function if inter-image motion is detected in the image region. The detecting means is configured to select points in an image region of a current image that are validated by selecting test points in a currently received image based upon their correspondence with points in a preceding received image. The points in the preceding received image themselves corresponding with the points originally selected in the currently received image. The detecting means is also configured to deselect points in the current image whose corresponding test points do not substantially coincide therewith.
US08654096B2 Touch sensor device and electronic apparatus having the same
To provide a touch sensor device and the like, which can improve the detecting accuracy of a surface-capacitive type touch sensor. A touch sensor device of the present invention includes: a touch panel which forms a capacitance between a human body and itself when the human body makes a contact or approaches thereto; a power supply part which has a battery or the like which outputs a DC voltage, converts the DC voltage to an AC voltage, and outputs the AC voltage from the touch panel; a reference potential part to be a reference potential of the AC voltage; a wrist strap and a cable which are electrically connected to the reference potential part and to which the human body makes a contact; and a current detecting part which detects electric currents flown from the power supply part to the human body.
US08654095B1 Foldable display device providing adaptive touch sensitive area and method for controlling the same
A method for controlling a foldable display device includes detecting a state of a foldable display unit, the foldable display unit being in a folded state when the foldable display device is folded and being in an unfolded state when the foldable display device is unfolded, and the foldable display unit being divided into a first area which is a border area, a second area which is a folding area and a third area located between the first area and the second area, deactivating touch sensor units of the first area and the second area and activating a touch sensor unit of the third area, if the foldable display unit is in the folded state, and deactivating the touch sensor unit of the first area and activating the touch sensor units of the second area and the third area, if the foldable display unit is in the unfolded state.
US08654077B2 Apparatus and method for detecting tap
Provided is an apparatus and method for detecting a tap. The apparatus includes a sensor configured to detect a motion and output a signal corresponding to the motion, a gradient calculating unit connected to the sensor to calculate a gradient of the output signal from the sensor, a similarity determining unit connected to the gradient calculating unit to determine a similarity between a rising gradient and a falling gradient of a curve of the output signal, a tap determining unit connected to the similarity determining unit to determine detection of a tap according to the determination result of the similarity determining unit, and an output unit configured to output the determination result of the tap determining unit.
US08654074B1 Remote control systems and methods for providing page commands to digital electronic display devices
A remote control system, set forth by way of example and not limitation, includes a remote control device including one or more controls operative to develop at button control signals in response to activation by a user. An interface device is responsive to the button control signals and is operative to provide device control signals via a wired connection to an electronic display device. The device control signals are operative to control an application running on an electronic display device.
US08654072B2 Interactive game method and system with sports injury protection
The present invention discloses an interactive game method with sports injury protection, comprising: providing a remote pointing device for a user to swing; and triggering a safety mechanism in one or more of the following conditions: (1) when a user swings the remote pointing device drastically; (2) when a count of swings exceeds a first threshold; and (3) when a count of swings in a predetermined time period exceeds a second threshold.
US08654060B2 Processing device and processing method of high dynamic contrast for liquid crystal display apparatus
This invention relates to a processing device and processing method of high dynamic contrast for liquid crystal display apparatus, the processing device comprises a receiver, an inverter, and a source driving IC connected with a central processing module. The processing method includes: performing a histogram statistical process on received low voltage Differential Signaling data; obtaining a backlight source dimming coefficient and a Gamma reference voltage parameter of the same frame of picture according to the result of the histogram statistical process. controlling the brightness of the backlight source according to said backlight source dimming coefficient; controlling the voltage of the pixel capacitor on the liquid crystal panel according to said Gamma reference voltage parameter. This invention respectively adjusts the brightness of the backlight source and the voltage of the pixel capacitor of the liquid crystal panel simultaneously, and hence the dynamic contrast of the picture is increased, the problems of lower contrast and flicker of TFT liquid crystal display apparatus are ameliorated, and the power consumption of the backlight source is saved.
US08654058B2 Apparatus and method for enhancing image contrast
An apparatus for enhancing image contrast includes a micro-processor which presets a plurality of thresholds, such as a black threshold and a white threshold. When determining the brightness of an image is lower than the black threshold, the micro-processor decreases the illumination level of a light source. When determining the brightness of an image is higher than the white threshold, the micro-processor increases the illumination level of the light source. A method for enhancing image contrast includes the steps of receiving an image data; determining whether the brightness of an image is lower than the black threshold; if yes, decreasing the illumination level of the light source; determining whether the brightness of the image is higher than the white threshold; and if yes, increasing the illumination level of the light source.
US08654042B2 Display apparatus and display driving method
A display apparatus includes: a pixel array in which pixel circuits each having a light emitting device, a drive transistor, a sampling transistor, and a retention capacity; a signal selector that supplies threshold correction reference voltages and a video signal voltages as to signal lines arranged in columns on the pixel array; a drive control scanner that provides power supply pulses to power supply control lines arranged in rows on the pixel array and applies drive voltages to the drive transistors; and a write scanner that provides scan pulses to write control lines arranged in rows on the pixel array to control the sampling transistors and executes input of the threshold correction reference voltages and the video signal voltages to the pixel circuits, and brings the sampling transistors into conduction by the scan pulses at plural times when the signal line voltages are the threshold correction reference voltages in order to execute plural threshold corrections in non-emission periods of one light emission cycles of the pixels circuits.
US08654041B2 Organic light emitting display device having more uniform luminance and method of driving the same
An organic light emitting display device includes a scan driver for sequentially supplying a scan signal through scan lines; a data driver for supplying an initial power through data lines during a first period of a time period when the scan signal is supplied through a corresponding scan line of the scan lines, and for supplying data signals to the data lines during a second period of the time period when the scan signal is supplied through the corresponding scan line, the second period following the first period; and pixels at crossing regions of the scan lines and the data lines.
US08654040B2 Electro-optical device, matrix substrate, and electronic equipment
The invention provides power-supply wiring preferable for large displays. An electro-optical device according to the present invention includes a pixel area including electro-optical elements driven by power supplied from power-supply circuits. The electro-optical device includes basic power-supply lines, which receive a power-supply voltage output from the power-supply circuits and which are formed on the upper portion of a substrate, and includes main power-supply lines which intersect the basic power-supply lines and which are formed on the upper portion of the substrate. The power-supply voltage is supplied to the electro-optical elements via the main power-supply lines.
US08654039B2 Face panel for color image display apparatus, panel for color image display apparatus, and color image display apparatus
A display panel includes a face plate having a transparent substrate, a plurality of phosphor layers disposed on the transparent substrate for emitting different color lights, and a plurality of transmittance adjustment layers interposed between the transparent substrate and the plurality of phosphor layers. Each transmittance adjustment layer corresponds to each phosphor layer for adjusting the transmittances of the lights emitted from the plurality of phosphor layers, and the transmittance adjustment layers have a filtering function with an approximately constant transmittance in the visible light wavelength region. In addition, a rear plate has a plurality of display elements each corresponding to each phosphor layer, wherein the face plate and the rear plate are disposed so that the phosphor layers formed on the face plate are opposite to the display elements formed on the rear plate.
US08654036B2 Data processing apparatus which transmits data for display to external display device, data output method, and data output program
In order to easily display data on a display device, an MFP connected to a plurality of television conference terminal devices each displaying data stores device information in an HDD for a respective one of the television conference terminal devices, to store a format in which the corresponding terminal device inputs data. The MFP includes a data acquiring portion to acquire data, an output destination accepting portion to accept an output destination of data, a conversion portion, when one of the television conference terminal devices is accepted as an output destination device which is the output destination of data, to convert a format of the acquired data to the format stored corresponding to the output destination device in the device information, and a communication control portion to output the data converted by the conversion portion to the output destination device.
US08654032B2 Apparatus for multiple antennas in wireless communication system
An apparatus for multiple antennas having a low coupling coefficient in a wide frequency bandwidth in a wireless communication system is provided. To obtain the low coupling coefficient in the wide frequency bandwidth by minimizing interference between antennas which are close to each other, without an additional device, in the wireless communication system, the apparatus includes a transceiver and a line for decreasing a coupling coefficient. The transmitter includes a first antenna and a second antenna for transmitting and receiving signals over a radio channel and the line is indirectly connected the first antenna and the second antenna using a physically disconnected line.
US08654030B1 Antenna placement
Antenna placement techniques are described. In one or more embodiments, a computing device includes an antenna suite having multiple different kinds of antennas. An antenna zone for the antenna suite may be established along a particular edge of the computing device. Non-interfering materials (e.g., RF transparent material) may be used within the antenna zone and other materials (e.g., metal) may be employed for other regions of the device. The multiple different kinds of antennas in the antenna suite may then be disposed within the established antenna zone. The antennas may be placed to minimize interference between antennas and/or achieve performance objective for the suite of antennas. In one approach, a suite of five antennas may be placed along a top edge of a computing device in a landscape orientation.
US08654028B2 Electromagnetic wave filter apparatus without degrading radiation pattern of antenna
An electromagnetic wave filter apparatus includes: a shield conductor; a shield aperture provided in the shield conductor; a plurality of strip conductors, each of which is connected to the shield conductor at both ends thereof, and which divide the shield conductor into a plurality of apertures; and a plurality of stub conductors provided at intervals on each of the strip conductors. Each of the stub conductors prevents a current with a predetermined frequency from flowing through a corresponding strip conductor due to an electromagnetic wave with the predetermined frequency passing through the electromagnetic wave filter apparatus. Thus, the electromagnetic wave filter apparatus passes the electromagnetic wave with the predetermined frequency without exerting a substantial influence on radiation of the electromagnetic wave with the predetermined frequency.
US08654017B1 Antenna tile device and cold plate
A method, system, and device relating to a broad-band fragmented aperture tile and antenna system are disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, an aperture tile comprises a plurality of unit cells. The plurality of unit cells individually comprise a driven radiating element layer, a module layer having a printed circuit board, wherein the module layer comprises one or more of a time delay module, a radio frequency distribution module, a radio frequency module, or a digital signal processor. Furthermore the aperture tile is coupled to a cold plate configured for heat transfer.
US08654008B2 Multi-stage GLONASS/GPS automatic frequency control
A method of providing automatic frequency control pull-in for efficient receipt of GLONASS bits is described. This method can include first determining whether a channel noise (CNo) is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. When the CNo is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, the pull-in can be performed using a first series of predetection integration periods (PDIs) with activated decision-directed flips (DDFs) until a 20 ms boundary of a GLONASS data bit is found. When the CNo is less than the predetermined value, the pull-in can be performed using a second series of PDIs with always deactivated DDFs. A similar method of providing automatic frequency control pull-in for efficient receipt of GPS bits is also described.
US08653997B2 Modulator
A modulator that quantizes a first signal into a quantized signal having a plurality of bits includes an integrator performing sampling on the first signal in a first period, and to integrate a difference between the first signal and a reference signal in a second period; and a quantizer receiving a second signal which is an output of the integrator and operating in synchronization with a first clock having a cycle shorter than the first period, the quantizer generating the quantized signal on the basis of the second signal in the first period and outputting the reference signal on the basis of the quantized signal to the integrator.
US08653989B1 External adaptive control systems and methods
An external adaptive control system and method control a traffic signal controller assembly. The external adaptive control system determines a non-linear schedule with one or more states corresponding to one or more individual phases with each state having a start time and a duration. The external adaptive control system generates presence data for reception by the controller assembly for each state and its associated duration.
US08653986B2 Traffic information system
A method of evaluating the driving behavior in a vehicle. The method includes determining values of a plurality of parameters of the operation of a first vehicle in a first road segment, determining values of the plurality of parameters for one or more second vehicles in a second road segment having similar properties to those of the first road segment, comparing the determined values of the first vehicle and the one or more second vehicles and providing an evaluation of the driving behavior of the first vehicle, responsive to the comparison.
US08653982B2 Door monitoring system
A door assembly includes a first door skin and a second door skin spaced apart from the first door skin. The assembly also includes an energy sensor generating an energy signature signal and a memory storing a door component operating signature. A controller is coupled to the accelerometer and forms a comparison of the energy signature signal to the door component operating signature and generates a door component operation status signal in response to the comparison.
US08653970B2 System and method for boarding area security
A security method that includes defining rules specifying permitted movements of passengers in a transportation terminal. Passengers entering the terminal may be issued a boarding pass having a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag attached thereto. The location of the RFID tag may be measured and responsive to the measured location of the RFID tag, a violation of at least one of the rules by the passenger may be detected. An action with respect to the detected violation may be taken. The rules may define a region that is forbidden for access, a region in which the passengers are expected to be in motion, a region in which the passengers are expected not to be stationary for more than a given time period, etc.
US08653969B2 Home security system
A security device comprising interfacing means incorporating a speaker (50) and a microphone (49) for interfacing with a person; a mobile network transmitter; an internet communication means; a controller which automatically responds to interaction with said interfacing means and firstly employs said mobile network transmitter to dial one or more predetermined phone numbers through a mobile network for directly establishing a two way communication across the mobile network; wherein said controller secondly employs said internet communication means for transmission through the internet of data captured by said interfacing means.
US08653965B1 Human health monitoring systems and methods
A monitoring system of the present disclosure has at least one monitor that collects personal health data, stores the personal health data in memory, and transmits at least one data packet comprising the personal health data and at least one identifier for identifying the monitor and a gateway computing device communicatively coupled to the at least one monitor and communicatively coupled to a network, the gateway computing device receives from the monitor the at least one data packet and transmits the at least one data packet over the network. In addition, the monitoring system has a server computing device communicatively coupled to the network, the server computing device receives from the gateway computing device the data packet and stores the data packet in memory associated with a user identifier.
US08653964B2 Anticipatory responses to commands
Responsive to intercepting an outbound command, a command interceptor may, upon determining that the command is associated with a particular category of commands, transmit an anticipatory response to the source of the command, for example, to prematurely indicate that the command has met with success. Accordingly, a given application whose further execution is dependent upon the successful completion of the command may further execute earlier than would be the case if the given application was to await the transmission of the command, the generation of a response indicating success and the receipt of the response indicating success.
US08653961B2 Vehicle display device and display method
In a vehicle display device in the invention, because the display position of a displayed image is adjusted by a display position calculation portion (14) and a drive control portion (15) when a predetermined vehicle travel condition is detected by a travel condition detection portion (12), the display position is adjusted while the driver is looking at the displayed image. In addition, adjustment of the display position may be avoided when the driver is not looking at the displayed image. Therefore, the display device avoids annoying the driver, and avoids needless adjustment of the display position. The display position of the image is adjusted based on the detected eyeball position.