| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08713708B1 |
Method and apparatus for controlling the use of data stored on a media sample
Techniques for controlling the use of data stored on a media or integrated circuit sample are provided. A sample identifier is created at the point of sample use. The type of sample could range from storage media, such as a Digital Video Disc, or DVD, on which, for example, data representing a motion picture is recorded, to an integrated circuit in which computer code is stored. The sample identifier is stored at a location that is different from where the data is to be employed, and compared with other sample identifiers. The use of the data is controlled based on the results of the comparison. |
| US08713704B2 |
Behavioral fingerprint based authentication
A computationally-implemented method, for certain example embodiments, may include, but is not limited to: determining that a first user of a computing device is associated with the computing device; and determining a level of authentication associated with the first user via the computing device, the level of authentication at least partially based on a behavioral fingerprint. A level of authentication determination may additionally/alternatively include at least determining a behavioral fingerprint via establishing a statistical predictability of one or more future actions of an authorized user of a computing device. A level of authentication determination may additionally/alternatively include at least determining an authentication level with respect to a computing device at least partially based on a behavioral fingerprint determined from interaction(s) with another device. In addition to the foregoing, other example aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and written description forming a part of the present disclosure. |
| US08713700B2 |
Access control method, information display device using the same, and information display system
When a user carries a mobile terminal with confidential information, such as customer information, stored therein, it is required to maintain information confidentiality and to prevent an unauthorized third party from accessing the confidential information even if the mobile terminal is stolen. According to the disclosed access control method, an encryption key is generated based on a planned route and the information is encrypted. When the user accesses the information, a decryption key is generated based on the actual movement route that is regularly acquired. The encrypted information can be decrypted if the planned route and the movement route match. |
| US08713693B2 |
Secure access to customer log data in a multi-tenant environment
Systems and methods process log data relating to usage of a multi-tenant application server. An input module receives a request from a user that identifies requested log data by a particular user or tenant of the multi-tenant application system. A log query service automatically formats the database query for the requested log data based upon the request received from the user, and stores the formatted database query on the storage device. A batch server subsequently retrieves the database query from the storage device, submits the database query to the data analysis engine, obtains the requested information from the data analysis engine after the query is completed, and notifies the user that the requested information is available for output. |
| US08713690B2 |
Secure data exchange between data processing systems
A data transfer method performed at a proxy server includes intercepting a data request from a client computer that is directed to a target server, encrypting profile information, augmenting the data request by adding the encrypted profile information to the data request, and sending the augmented data request to the target server. A data transfer method that is performed at an information server includes receiving a data request from a proxy server, extracting profile information added to the data request by the proxy server, using the extracted profile information to generate a response, and sending the response to the proxy server. |
| US08713681B2 |
System and method for detecting executable machine instructions in a data stream
Detecting executable machine instructions in a data is accomplished by accessing a plurality of values representing data contained within a memory of a computer system and performing pre-processing on the plurality of values to produce a candidate data subset. The pre-processing may include determining whether the plurality of values meets (a) a randomness condition, (b) a length condition, and/or (c) a string ratio condition. The candidate data subset is inspected for computer instructions, characteristics of the computer instructions are determined, and a predetermined action taken based on the characteristics of the computer instructions. |
| US08713678B1 |
System, method, and computer program product for identifying unwanted data communicated via a session initiation protocol
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for identifying unwanted data communicated via a session initiation protocol. In use, packets associated with an electronic message communicated over a network utilizing a session initiation protocol are identified. Additionally, it is determined whether the packets include unwanted data. Furthermore, a reaction is performed, based on the determination. |
| US08713673B2 |
Qualification screening system and screening method thereof, qualification screening device and device under qualification screening
The present invention provides a qualification screening system which is capable of performing qualification screening on a device under qualification screening using a status of information to be updated that is retained by the device under qualification screening without having to know concrete procedures or methods for updating such information. A qualification screening device estimates the status of information to be updated that is retained by the device under qualification screening from a time at which an information update program that updates the information to be updated, which is independent of update procedures or methods, was activated and update processing was last updated, and compares the information with a time of a scheduled issuance of information to be updated, retained in qualification screening condition information of the qualification screening device itself, to perform qualification screening. A common time at which information exchange was performed between the qualification screening device and the device under qualification screening is used as reference in order to perform an effective comparison using time information among devices that are not synchronized. |
| US08713669B2 |
Multi-domain dynamic group virtual private networks
Systems and/or methods of secure communication of information between multi-domain virtual private networks (VPNs) are presented. A dynamic group VPN (DGVPN) can reside in one domain and a disparate DGVPN can reside in a disparate domain. An administrative security authority (ASA) can be employed in each domain. Each ASA can generate and exchange respective keying material and crypto-policy information to be used for inter-domain communications when routing data from a member in one DGVPN to a member(s) in the disparate DGVPN, such that an ASA in one domain can facilitate encryption of data in accordance with the policy of the other domain before the data is sent to the other domain. Each ASA can establish a key server to generate the keying material and crypto-policy information associated with its local DGVPN, and such material and information can be propagated to intra-domain members. |
| US08713665B2 |
Systems, methods, and media for firewall control via remote system information
A method and system for controlling a firewall for a user computer system. One or more processors of the user computer system receive a control request to control a program of the user computer system by the firewall. The control request includes a condition pertaining to at least one process of a remote computer system. The at least one process is configured to be executed on the remote computer system. The firewall protects the user computer system from external threats. The processors store a remote system condition associated with the program of the user computer system. The remote system condition includes the condition pertaining to the at least one process. The processors ascertain whether the remote system condition is satisfied. The processors direct the firewall to block or allow the transmission of data if it is ascertained that the remote system condition is not satisfied or satisfied, respectively. |
| US08713660B2 |
Authentication platform and related method of operation
An authentication platform comprises an authentication unit configured to authenticate the user based on received input data, and a control unit configured to enable communication between a client device and an authentication host as a consequence of successful authentication of the user by the authentication unit. |
| US08713659B1 |
Method and apparatus for allocating and obtaining IP address
A switch sends an authentication request message to a client at intervals of a preset duration. A response message sent by the client is received. The response message carries authentication information of a user carried on the client. An authentication message is sent to a server according to the response message. An authentication reply message sent by the server is received. The authentication reply message carries information about an authentication domain authorized by the server to the user. It is determined, according to the authentication reply message, whether the authentication domain of the user is changed. If the authentication domain of the user is changed, an authentication domain change message is sent to the client according to the authentication reply message, so that the client obtains an IP address again. |
| US08713648B2 |
Information processing apparatus capable of authentication processing with improved user convenience, control program for information processing apparatus, and recording medium having control program for information processing apparatus recorded thereon
An information processing apparatus determines whether a device accesses a box region of the information processing apparatus. When it is determined that the box region is accessed, a box ID entry screen is displayed on the device. The information processing apparatus determines whether a box ID is entered by a user of the device. If it is determined that a box ID is entered, then device information about the device is obtained. After the device information is obtained, the information processing apparatus determines whether the device possesses a hardware keyboard. If it is determined that the device possesses a hardware keyboard, a password authentication screen is displayed on the device. If it is determined that the device does not possess a hardware keyboard, an image authentication screen is displayed on the device. |
| US08713643B2 |
Method and devices for handling access privileges
A method and apparatus are disclosed for configuring access privileges in a system of networked devices. A plurality of access identities is selected and information of access privileges of each of the selected access identities to accessible functions of networked devices is retrieved. The access privileges of the selected access identities for each one of said accessible function of each one of said networked devices is accumulated. The accumulated access privileges are presented for each one of said accessible function of each one of said networked devices in an interface allowing editing of the accumulated access privileges. Change in accumulated access privileges to a specific function in a specific networked device is indicated, and the specific function of the specific networked device is configured for allowing access by the selected users in accordance with the indicated change of accumulated access privileges. |
| US08713631B1 |
System and method for detecting malicious code executed by virtual machine
Protection against a malicious set of program instructions (e.g., a malicious program) executable by a process virtual machine. The program instructions of process virtual machine are augmented to establish an exception monitoring module within the process virtual machine. When the process virtual machine executes a subject set of program instructions, the exception monitoring module detects a security policy violation exception occurring as a result. In response thereto, the exception monitoring module gathers context information representing circumstances surrounding the occurrence of the exception, and provides the context information for analysis of a presence of malicious code. The exception monitoring module determines, based on a result of the analysis, whether to permit further execution of the subject set of program instructions by the process virtual machine. |
| US08713628B2 |
Method and system for providing cloud based network security services
An approach is provided for performing cloud based computer network security services. Data traffic from a plurality of networks corresponding to a plurality of subscribers are received. Data traffic is routed to a security platform over a communication path to one or more service aggregators to process the data traffic according to one or more security services performed by the security platform. The security services are provided as a managed service by a service provider. The processed data are received from the one or more service aggregators, and routed to the corresponding one of the networks. |
| US08713627B2 |
Scalable security services for multicast in a router having integrated zone-based firewall
A multicast-capable firewall allows firewall security policies to be applied to multicast traffic. The multicast-capable firewall may be integrated within a routing device, thus allowing a single device to provide both routing functionality, including multicast support, as well as firewall services. The routing device provides a user interface by which a user specifies one or more zones to be recognized by the integrated firewall when applying stateful firewall services to multicast packets. The user interface supports a syntax that allows the user to define subsets of the plurality of interfaces associated with the zones, and define a single multicast policy to be applied to multicast sessions associated with a multicast group. The multicast policy identifies common services to be applied pre-replication, and exceptions specifying additional services to be applied post-replication to copies of the multicast packets for the one or more zones. |
| US08713615B2 |
Systems and methods for providing a shared folder via television
An enhanced television service provides a shared folder over a television network, such as a fiber optic network. Users, the service provider, or trusted sources, share use of a program folder via television. A user recommends content, such as a program listing, to other geographically dispersed subscribers, by sending the content to the subscribers' shared folder. Users may create a personal content guide for use instead of a standard program guide that contains identical listings for all subscribers. The shared folder may consist of programs from a variety of channels as well as other content and may be populated by trusted sources in remote locations. Users may search for content that matches search criteria and may delete or edit listings from the shared folder. The contents of the folder may not only include program listings, but also other content such as movies, television shows, web sites, photos, home videos, etc. |
| US08713613B2 |
Data distribution unit for vehicle entertainment system
A data distribution unit for a vehicle includes a wireless receiver configured to receive coded data wirelessly via a cellular network, a signal processor configured to decode the coded data into video data and audio data, and a wireless transmitter configured to transmit the video data wirelessly to a display and transmit the audio data wirelessly to a speaker. |
| US08713609B2 |
Method and apparatus for communicating electronic service guide information in a satellite television system
Aspects of a method and apparatus for communicating electronic service guide information in a satellite television system are provided. A satellite communication system may receive a signal via an interface to a satellite dish, and receive data from a network via a second interface (e.g., an interface to a LAN or a WAN, such as the Internet). The satellite communication system may be operable to channelize the received satellite signal into a plurality of channels, wherein a first channel of the plurality of channels carries electronic service guide (ESG) data. The satellite communication system may select which of the plurality of channels to input to a demodulator based, at least in part, on whether ESG data is available via the second interface. A second channel carrying media data may be input to the demodulator while the ESG data is available via the second interface. |
| US08713601B2 |
System and method for content delivery
Systems and methods of content delivery are provided. A particular content delivery system includes a gateway to deliver content to an end user device. The particular content delivery system also includes a content delivery module to deliver content to the gateway for display on the end user device. The particular content delivery module also includes a management controller. The particular content delivery system also includes an out-of-band signaling controller which receives input from the management controller and provides signaling to control the gateway. |
| US08713599B2 |
Content display system
A portable device includes solid-state memory, an Ethernet and/or wireless network connection, and an HDMI. The portable device receives content guide data from a first server and displays a content guide on a display. In response to a user's selection of a content item, the portable device requests the content item over the Internet from a second server. The portable device receives the content item, stores the content item in solid-state memory, generates display signals that represent the content item, and sends the display signals to a display. The second server may match the content item with relevant advertisements based on keywords associated with the content item and the advertisements. The second server may send selected advertisement URLs to the portable device. Using the URLs, the portable device may obtain the advertisements over the Internet and cause the display to display the advertisements in conjunction with the content item. |
| US08713597B2 |
Authenticating and off-loading IPTV operations from mobile devices to fixed rendering viewing devices
A mobile IPTV system enables authenticating and off-loading of IPTV operations from a mobile device to an external fixed viewing device. The mobile device performs authentication to an IPTV network to receive decryption key(s) for use in decrypting IPTV content and provides the decryption key to the viewing device. The viewing device uses the decryption key to decrypt and render IPTV content thereon. |
| US08713594B2 |
Method and apparatus for distributing promotional materials
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a memory coupled to a processor. The processor can be operable to receive a request for promotional information responsive to a media processor detecting a promotional tag in a media program stream and transmit to the media processor promotional information associated with a promotion responsive to a determination that a promotional offer is available. The processor can also be operable to receive from the media processor a request for redeemable material associated with the promotion and store the redeemable material in a portion of a database associated with a user of the media processor. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08713580B2 |
Information processing device and display control method
To improve operability of screen switching of native APs and virtual machine APs. It is an information processing device capable of executing native APs described in a native code and JavaAPs described in a Java (registered trademark) bytecode. A key event processing unit manages a current mode. It also decides display or non-display of each of images generated by the native APs and images generated by the Java APs according to the current mode which is managed. It further changes the current mode which is managed according to a type of a key event received from a key driver. A graphics driver superimposes and outputs the images decided to be displayed in predetermined order. |
| US08713577B2 |
Storage apparatus and storage apparatus management method performing data I/O processing using a plurality of microprocessors
The storage apparatus includes a plurality of microprocessors; a plurality of storage areas formed in a drive group configured from a plurality of physical drives; and a management unit which manages microprocessors which handle data I/Os to/from one or more storage areas among the plurality of storage areas. The management unit detects variations in the processing loads of the plurality of microprocessors, generates load balancing target information which includes information on the storage areas to which the ownership is migrated, information on the migration-source microprocessor serving as the migration source of the ownership, and information on the migration-destination microprocessor serving as the migration destination of the ownership, and migrates the ownership to the storage areas with timing such that there is no drop in the processing load of the migration-destination microprocessor contained in the load balancing target information. |
| US08713570B2 |
Electronic device, information processing method, and storage medium
An electronic device includes a control information storing unit; a setting unit configured to request a user to specify, for each first program in the electronic device, a reception setting indicating whether to allow reception of a second program to be applied to the first program and to store the reception setting as control information for the first program in the control information storing unit, the second program being configured to insert a process in a process of the first program; a reception determining unit configured to determine whether to allow reception of the second program based on the control information for the first program; and a receiving unit configured to receive or refuse to receive the second program according to the determination result of the reception determining unit. |
| US08713569B2 |
Dynamic association and disassociation of threads to device functions based on requestor identification
A system apparatus and method for supporting one or more functions in an IO virtualization environment. One or more threads are dynamically associated with, and executing on behalf of, one or more functions in a device. |
| US08713560B2 |
Compatibility check
System, method and a computer program product for providing a compatibility check are disclosed. Compatibility check includes selecting a solution for purchase by a user, wherein the selected solution is configured to be desired for operation in a first system, performing a compatibility check to determine whether the selected solution is capable of operating in the first system, generating results of the compatibility check, and determining, based on the generated results, whether to purchase the selected solution. |
| US08713553B2 |
Disk array apparatus and firmware update method therefor
This invention proposes a disk array apparatus capable of improving its reliability. This disk array apparatus includes a first controller, and a second controller configured redundantly with the first controller, wherein the first controller and the second controller respectively include a storage area for storing firmware and are both in an operating state. When update processing of an update portion as a portion to be updated in the firmware of the first controller is unsuccessful, the first controller confirms whether update processing of an update portion of the firmware of the second controller is also unsuccessful, and, in a case where the update processing of the update portion of the firmware of the second controller has ended normally, rewrites firmware data of the update portion of the first controller with the firmware data of the update portion of the second controller. |
| US08713549B2 |
Vectorization of program code
A method for vectorization of a block of code is provided. The method comprises receiving a first block of code as input; and converting the first block of code into at least a second block of code and a third block of code. The first block of code accesses a first set of memory addresses that are potentially misaligned. The second block of code performs conditional leaping address incrementation to selectively access a first subset of the first set of memory addresses. The third block of code accesses a second subset of the first set of memory addresses starting from an aligned memory address, simultaneously accessing multiple memory addresses at a time. No memory address belongs to both the first subset and the second subset of memory addresses. |
| US08713543B2 |
Evaluation compiler method
A method and software system allowing the ability to use an existing Excel model and extract the business intelligence, relationships, computations and model into pure mathematical relationships and codes such that the business intelligence in the original model is completely protected and the model can be run at extremely high speed and advanced simulations of hundreds of thousands to millions of trials can be run. |
| US08713523B2 |
Documentation roadmaps and community networking for developers on large projects
A version control system includes a mechanism for a learning roadmap based on information available from a source repository. More particularly, the mechanism generates an easily understandable timeline of a project and a directory of developers based on information available in the version control system that contains the source content of a project. The timeline for the project may be tied to the directory of developers. Under each date in the timeline, a list of developers and their roles and commits may be listed. |
| US08713505B2 |
Pattern generation method and pattern generation program
In a first process of a pattern generation method, a first segment to be handled which is not on a grid is extracted. In a second process, a second segment opposite to the first segment is extracted. In a third process, whether the second segment is on the grid is determined. In FIG. 1A, the second segment is not on the grid. Therefore, in a fourth process the first segment is shifted onto the grid under a determined condition. In addition, the second segment is shifted onto the grid so that line width between the first segment and the second segment is closest to target line width. |
| US08713502B1 |
Methods and systems to reduce a number of simulations in a timing analysis
Methods and systems for determining timing constraint analysis of an integrated circuit (IC) may include defining a sequence of sample points for timing constraint analysis of an n×n matrix, each sample point corresponding to a timing arc of the IC that includes data and reference slews; initially simulating extreme sample points of the matrix, according to the sequence, by substituting timing constraints from liberty files of the IC type for time values of the data slews and conducting a binary search for optimized timing constraints; and interpolating other sample points, according to the sequence, each of the other sample points having a starting bisection point that results from linear interpolation of the timing constraint analysis from adjoining sample points, which were simulated. |
| US08713493B2 |
System and method for solving connection violations
The present invention provides a method for resolving a circuit connection violation that comprises categorizing a circuit chain with the connection violation into a class, and performing one or more transformation algorithms on the circuit chain from the group consisting of a chain mirror, a cascade mirror, a cascade mirror permute, and a cut chain mirror algorithm based on the class of the circuit chain. |
| US08713492B2 |
Data processing apparatus including reconfigurable logic circuit
There is provided a data processing apparatus (1) including a logic circuit (10) that is reconfigurable in each cycle and a library (2) that stores hardware control information (20). The hardware control information (20) includes a plurality of pieces of cycle-based mapping information (21) for individually mapping a plurality of cycle-based circuits, which each realize a function in each cycle for executing an application, onto the logic circuit (10) and configuration selection information (22) for selecting at least one of the plurality of pieces of cycle-based mapping information according to an execution state of the application. The data processing apparatus (1) includes a control unit (11) that reconfigures at least part of the logic region (10) using at least one of the plurality of pieces of cycle-based mapping information (21) according to a request in each cycle based on the configuration selection information (22). |
| US08713491B2 |
Pre-colored methodology of multiple patterning
Some embodiments relate to a method of pre-coloring word lines and control lines within an SRAM integrated chip design to avoid timing delays that result from processing variations introduced through multiple patterning lithography processes. The method is performed by generating a graphical IC layout file having an SRAM circuit with a plurality of word lines and Y-control lines. The word lines and Y-control lines are assigned a color during decomposition. The word lines and Y-control lines are further pre-colored in a manner that deliberately assigns the pre-colored data to a same mask. Therefore, during mask building, data associated with pre-colored word and Y-control lines is sent to a same mask, regardless of the colors that are assigned to the data. By assigning word and Y-control lines to a same mask through pre-coloring, processing variations between the word and Y-control lines are minimized, thereby mitigating timing variations in an SRAM circuit. |
| US08713490B1 |
Managing aging of silicon in an integrated circuit device
A mechanism is provided for mitigating aging of a set of components in the data processing system. A modeled age of a component in the set of components is identified. A desired aging requirement for the component is identified and a determination is made as to whether the modeled age of the component is greater than the desired age of the component. Responsive to the modeled age of the component being greater than the desired age of the component, a policy is implemented to mitigate the aging of the component. |
| US08713489B2 |
Simulation parameter correction technique
A parameter correction method includes: obtaining, from a variability-aware simulation, a simulation result value of a predetermined product performance for a reference candidate value set concerning statistics of predetermined product characteristics; calculating a likelihood by substituting the reference candidate value set, the obtained simulation result value, statistics of measurement values of the predetermined product characteristics and a measurement value of the predetermined product performance into a likelihood function that is defined from a probability density function for the statistics of the predetermined product characteristics and a probability density function for the predetermined product performance, and is a function to calculate a combined likelihood of the statistics of the predetermined product characteristics and the predetermined product performance; and searching for a reference candidate value set in case where the calculated likelihood becomes maximum, by carrying out the obtaining and the calculating plural times while changing the reference candidate value set. |
| US08713484B2 |
Aware manufacturing of integrated circuits
Some embodiments of the invention provide a manufacturing aware process for designing an integrated circuit (“IC”) layout. The process receives a manufacturing configuration that specifies a set of manufacturing settings for a set of machines to be used to manufacture an IC based on the IC layout. The process defines a set of design rules based on the specified manufacturing configuration. The process uses the set of design rules to design the IC layout. Some embodiments of the invention provide a design aware process for manufacturing an integrated circuit (“IC”). The process receives an IC design with an associated set of design properties. The process specifies a manufacturing configuration that specifies a set of manufacturing settings for a set of machines to be used to manufacture the IC, where the specified set of manufacturing settings are based on the set of design properties. The process manufactures the IC based on the manufacturing settings. |
| US08713482B2 |
Gestures for presentation of different views of a system diagram
Presenting different views of a system based on input from a user. A first view of a first portion of the system may be displayed. For example, the first portion may be a device of the system. User input specifying a first gesture may be received. In response to the first gesture, a second view of the first portion of the system may be displayed. For example, the first view may represent a first level of abstraction of the portion of the system and the second view may represent a second level of abstraction of the portion of the system. A second gesture may be used to view a view of a different portion of the system. Additionally, when changing from a first view to a second view, the first view may “morph” into the second view. |
| US08713479B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program
An image processing apparatus for applying image processing to image data by adjusting values of a plurality of adjustment items, comprises an acquisition unit configured to acquire a characteristic of the image data by analyzing the image data, a decision unit configured to decide an order of settings of the values of the plurality of adjustment items based on the acquired characteristic of the image data, and a display unit configured to display value setting fields used to set the values of the adjustment items on a screen in accordance with the decided order. |
| US08713475B2 |
Secure device sharing
A device and method for placing the device in a locked state having an associated set of permitted tasks so as to permit the device owner to share the device with others but maintain security over aspects of the device. A task change request is evaluated to determine whether the requested task is permitted and, if so, the requested task is allowed; if not, then an authorization process is invoked to prompt the user to input authorization data. Upon verification of the authorization data, the device may be unlocked and the requested change implemented. The permitted tasks may designate specific applications, specific operations or functions within applications or at the operating system level, one or more currently open windows, and other levels of granularity. |
| US08713472B2 |
Display apparatus, a method for a display control, and program
An image processing apparatus includes a display control unit configured to scroll a plurality of pieces of content data, a prediction unit configured to predict which content data among the plurality of pieces of content data moves from a hidden area to a display area according to a scroll display control condition controlled by the display control unit, and a decoding unit configured to decode the content data predicted by the prediction unit before the predicted content data moves to the display area. |
| US08713470B2 |
Automated user interface adjustment
An event associated with a viewable area of an encapsulated component that represents at least a portion of content associated with a user interface component is detected. A determination is made that the event will result in at least a portion of the viewable area of the encapsulated component being outside of a viewable area of the user interface component. The content associated with the user interface component is adjusted automatically to display at least the portion of the viewable area of the encapsulated component within the viewable area of the user interface component. |
| US08713464B2 |
System and method for text input with a multi-touch screen
A method of inputting a text word in a computerized system using a virtual keyboard, including, recording two or more strokes; wherein each stroke forms contact with the virtual keyboard and maintains contact forming a trace path as it traverses through multiple keyboard keys, each key representing a letter; identifying the word based on the recording; and wherein every distinct letter in the word is represented by a key in one of the trace paths. |
| US08713459B2 |
Graphical planner
A graphical planner allows a user to create or select, and then display, images that represent tasks and events to be completed by the user, as well as corresponding images that represent tasks and events that the user has already completed. The graphical planner allows a user to plan and schedule events and tasks by indicating an event or task in a non-textual (i.e., graphic or symbolic) manner. Completion of the events and tasks by the user can also be signaled or otherwise indicated in a non-textual (e.g., visual, audible) manner. |
| US08713458B2 |
Visualization of information associated with applications in user interfaces
Methods, computer program products and apparatus are provided that enable a user interface or user interface element (e.g., an icon) to communicate additional contextual information for an associated application or file through attributes of the user interface or user interface element. For example, a simulated shadow of an icon or a simulated image projected on an icon can communicate contextual information for the application or file corresponding to the icon. One exemplary method includes: displaying an icon associated with an application or file; and displaying in association with the icon a simulated shadow having contextual information associated with the application or file. |
| US08713454B2 |
Method and apparatus for sharing virtual workspaces
An approach is provided for sharing the virtual workspaces of a plurality of user devices. One of the plurality of devices is designated as the only active device. The active device submits an update of the virtual workspace of the active device. Then an update of the virtual workspaces of the other devices is initiated that includes the workspace of the active device. A request from one of the other devices to become active is granted and the previously active device is undesignated as active. |
| US08713449B2 |
Transferring data by touch between touch-screen devices
A very intuitive and simple set of touch-screen input steps along with the processing of those input steps allows a user to appear to gather shareable files with his fingers on one touch-screen apparatus, lift the files from the touch-screen and drop the shareable files on a touch screen of a second, co-located touch-screen apparatus. The touch-screen apparatus initiating the transfer of files is preset with sharing parameters to manage the transfer of files to a local or remote server. One or more touch-screen apparatus accepting the transfer of files is preset with acceptance parameters to manage the transfer of files from the server to the accepting touch-screen apparatus. Once the files are at the server, multiple touch-screen apparatus may be used to request shareable files from the server. |
| US08713446B2 |
Personalized dashboard architecture for displaying data display applications
In an embodiment, a method of providing a personalized display of data is presented. In this method, an identity of each of multiple applications for displaying data is transmitted to a user device, such as, for example, a computer or mobile communication device. Selections of more than one of the multiple applications are received from the user device. Configuration data indicating the selected applications are generated and stored. A request for a presentation application is received from the user device. The presentation application is to display the data via execution of the selected applications. In response to the request, the presentation application is generated based on the configuration data, and includes the selected applications. The presentation application is then transmitted to the user device for execution. |
| US08713433B1 |
Feature-based autocorrection
A computing device is described that outputs for display at a presence-sensitive screen, a graphical keyboard having keys. The computing device receives an indication of a selection of one or more of the keys. Based on the selection the computing device determines a character string from which the computing device determines one or more candidate words. Based at least in part on the candidate words and a plurality of features, the computing device determines a spelling probability that the character string represents an incorrect spelling of at least one candidate word. The plurality of features includes a spatial model probability associated with at least one of the candidate words. If the spelling probability satisfies a threshold, the computing device outputs for display the at least one candidate word. |
| US08713431B2 |
Altering a view of a document on a display of a computing device
A document authoring program provides different views of a document opened by a user. In the editing view, the user can view the document contents and edit the contents in using a menu bar. In the semantic zoom view, the user is presented with a heading pane and a thumbnail pane and the menu bar is removed. The user can toggle from the editing view to the semantic zoom view by zooming out past a defined threshold using various user interface controls. Once the threshold is exceeded, the semantic view is presented. The editing view is returned to by selecting a heading or a thumbnail page, which respectively returns the user the page incorporating the selected heading or to the page incorporating the selected heading. This page will be displayed in the editing view at the same zoom level prior to toggling to the semantic zoom view. |
| US08713424B1 |
Asynchronous loading of scripts in web pages
A method of rendering a web page at a client computer identifies a web page selected by a user. The web page references a loadable script that is separate from the web page. The script includes executable code and function definitions. While rendering the web page in a browser or other client resident application, a variable is instantiated to retain information on web page events occurring at the client computer. The script loads asynchronously so that the web page is operable within the client computer system while the script is being loaded. Before the script is fully loaded, one or more command strings representing functions defined in the script are inserted into the variable. After the plurality of function definitions in the script are loaded, one or more functions in the script corresponding to the one or more command strings that were inserted into the variable are executed. |
| US08713423B2 |
Automated dynamic differential data processing
A request for differential data relative to a first data element within a group of data elements is received via a user input device. A first differential data value for each of the group of data elements relative to the first data element is calculated. The first differential data value for each of the group of data elements relative to the first data element are displayed on a display in response to the received request. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract. |
| US08713419B2 |
Electronic product design
Automated electronic document design systems and method for designing and modifying product templates. When a user initiates a product design session, a product template is presented for user editing and a product description identifier is assigned to the product being designed. Document templates are assembled from individual composite elements. The individual identifiers of the component elements that make up the template being viewed by the user are associated with the description identifier. Tools are provided to allow a user to change one or more of the composite elements of the template. When a user changes an element, the identifier of the newly selected element is associated with the description identifier. Component elements of one template can be individually used, as appropriate, to prepare customized templates for another part of the same document or for different documents. |
| US08713413B1 |
Generation of interpolated samples for decision based decoding
A plurality of interpolated samples is generated. Using a plurality of soft-decision detectors, error correction decoding is performed on the plurality of interpolated samples in order to obtain a plurality of decisions. From the plurality of decisions, one is selected by determining which of the plurality of soft-decision detectors are able to come to a decision during error correction decoding. It is determined whether a majority of the detectors that are able to come to a decision come to a same decision. If not, a decision associated with a greatest reliability is selected from the decision detectors that are able to come to a decision. |
| US08713412B2 |
Wireless subscriber managing storage of HARQ packets
Apparatuses of wireless subscribers that manage storage of HARQ packets are disclosed. One embodiment of a wireless subscriber includes receiver circuitry for wirelessly receiving HARQ packets. CRC processing circuitry checks an error status of the received HARQ packets. A HARQ memory controller divides the HARQ packets into HARQ sub-packets for storage in HARQ memory. The HARQ memory controller records storage locations and a storage order of each of the HARQ sub-packets. |
| US08713407B2 |
Semiconductor memory system having ECC circuit and controlling method thereof
A semiconductor memory system includes a memory area and an error-correcting (ECC) circuit. The memory area includes a plurality of cells, and the ECC circuit is configured to determine whether uncorrectable error data exists or not by using a parity according to cell data of the memory area in a read mode and a parity according to an encoding result of corrected data of the cell data. |
| US08713404B2 |
Controller interface providing improved data reliability
In one implementation, a memory device includes non-volatile memory, a memory controller communicatively coupled to the non-volatile memory over a first bus, and a host interface through which the memory controller communicates with a host device over a second bus. The memory device can also include a signal conditioner of the host interface adapted to condition signals to adjust a signal level of signals received over the second bus based on signal level data received from the host device, wherein the signal level data relates to a voltage level of signals generated by the host device to encode data transmitted across the second bus. |
| US08713397B2 |
Apparatus and method for layered decoding in a communication system using low-density parity-check codes
A channel decoding apparatus and method in a communication system using Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) codes are provided in which an encoded signal is received from a transmitter and decoded using a parity-check matrix. At least one of input orders and output orders of the parity-check matrix are determined so that same values are not overlapped in a column direction between the at least one of the input orders and the output orders. |
| US08713391B1 |
System and method for testing an integrated circuit embedded in a system on a chip
A system for testing an integrated circuit, in which the system includes a deserializer, a frame sync module, and a diagnostic module. The deserializer is external to the integrated circuit and is configured to receive messages in a serial data format, wherein the messages include test results associated with the integrated circuit, and deserialize the messages into data frames. The frame sync module is configured to provide control code based on the data frames, wherein the control code includes, in a digital format, status information associated with the messages deserialized into the data frames. The diagnostic module is configured to generate, based on the control code, diagnostic data associated with states of the integrated circuit. |
| US08713379B2 |
System and method of interfacing co-processors and input/output devices via a main memory system
A system for interfacing with a co-processor or input/output device is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the system includes a computer processing unit, a memory module, a memory bus that connects the computer processing unit and the memory module, and a co-processing unit or input/output device, wherein the memory bus also connects the co-processing unit or input/output device to the computer processing unit. |
| US08713377B2 |
System and method to assess serviceability of device
A system and method to assess a serviceability of a machine having a field replaceable unit (FRU) is provided. A controller can perform the steps of tracking performance parameters of the machine; calculating and comparing a performance index; generating requests for service of the FRU of the machine based on the performance index, the requests for service not including replacement of the FRU; detecting completion of a events to service the FRU of the machine; calculating an asset healability index representative of a trend in the performance index over time between each of the events to service the FRU; and generating a request for replacement of the FRU instead of another request to service the FRU based on a comparison of the asset healability index relative to a second predetermined threshold. |
| US08713376B1 |
Escalating data backup protection in response to a failure in a cluster of nodes
A system and method for escalating a level of backup protection for a cluster of nodes are described. A backup software application may be configured to backup application data used by the cluster of nodes according to a first level of backup protection. In response to detecting a failure of a node in the cluster, the backup software application may be reconfigured to backup the application data used by the cluster of nodes according to an escalated level of backup protection. For example, reconfiguring the backup software application to backup the application data according to the escalated level of backup protection may cause the backup software application to increase a frequency at which backup operations for backing up the application data are performed. |
| US08713370B2 |
Non-intrusive processor tracing
A system, apparatus, and method for writing trace data to storage. Trace data is captured from one or more processors, and then the trace data is written to a trace buffer. The trace data includes program counters of instructions executed by the processors and other debug data. A direct memory access (DMA) controller in a non-real-time block of the system reads trace data from the trace buffer and then writes the trace data to memory via a non-real-time port of a memory controller. |
| US08713365B2 |
Re-establishing push notification channels via user identifiers
Embodiments enable recovery of push notification channels via session information associated with user identifiers. A proxy service creates session information describing push notification channels (e.g., subscriptions) for a user and associates the session information with a user identifier. The session information is stored in a cloud service or other storage area separate from the proxy service. After failure of a user computing device or the proxy service, the session information is obtained via the user identifiers and the push notification channels are re-created with the session information. In some embodiments, the proxy service enables delivery of the same notification to multiple computing devices associated with the user identifier. |
| US08713357B1 |
Systems and methods for detailed error reporting in data storage systems
Embodiments of the invention are directed to providing detailed error reporting of data operations performed on a NVM storage device. In one embodiment, a controller interfaces with a NVM storage device including NVM storage coupled with a bridge. In one embodiment, the controller is provided physical, page-level access to the NVM via the bridge, and the bridge provides detailed error reporting of the data operations that the bridge performs on the NVM on behalf of the controller. For example, the bridge may provide page level reporting indicating which page(s) failed during a read operation. Detailed error reporting allows the controller to better understand the failures that occurred in a data access operation in the NVM. It also enables the controller to manage the flash media at the physical page/block level. In one embodiment, detailed error reporting also enables the return of discontinuous ranges of data with the error portions removed. |
| US08713355B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing communication services for user endpoint devices
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an edge device having a controller to receive a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message from a user endpoint device (UE) requesting communication services, forward the SIP message to a network element of a Server Office, receive from the network element a first error message indicating communication services at the Server Office are unavailable, replace the first error message with a second error message, the second error message indicating a temporary unavailability of communication services, and transmit the second error message to the UE. Additional embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08713352B2 |
Method, system and program for securing redundancy in parallel computing system
In a parallel computing system having a plurality of computing node groups including at least one spare computing node group, a plurality of managing nodes for allocating jobs to the computing node groups and an information management server having respective computing node group status information are associated with the computing node groups, and the respective managing nodes update respective in-use computing node group status information by accessing the information management server. Furthermore, when the managing node detects an occurrence of a failure, the managing node having used then the computing node group disabled due to the failure identifies a spare computing node group by accessing the computing node group status information in the information management server. Then, the managing node having used then the disabled computing node group obtains the computing node group information of the identified spare computing node group. Furthermore, since the managing node having used then the disabled computing node group can continue processing by switching the disabled computing node group to the identified spare computing node group as a computing node group to be used, on the basis of the computing node group information of the identified spare computing node group, the redundancy in the parallel computing system can be secured. |
| US08713351B2 |
Message processing method and apparatus based on the SIP protocol and an IP communication system
The present invention provides a message processing method, apparatus based on the SIP Protocol and an IP communication system, wherein the method comprises: a step for processing messages from a core network, for using a SIP proxy server as a uniform access interface for SIP messages from the core network to judge and distribute the received SIP messages to corresponding application servers for processing; a step for processing messages from the application servers, for using the SIP proxy server as a uniform access interface for SIP messages from the application servers to distribute, according to instructions from the application servers, the received SIP messages to corresponding core network device for processing. Thus, with the method and system of the present invention, when the processing capability of one application server is not enough, the processing capability of the application server could be improved by expanding the number of the application servers without any need to perform modification of the configuration by the core network device. |
| US08713344B2 |
Methods and apparatus for clock signal synchronization in a configuration of series connected semiconductor devices
A system includes a system controller and a configuration of series-connected semiconductor devices. Such a device includes an input for receiving a clock signal originating from a previous device, and an output for providing a synchronized clock signal destined for a succeeding device. The device further includes a clock synchronizer for producing the synchronized clock signal by processing the received clock signal and an earlier version of the synchronized clock signal. The device further includes a device controller for adjusting a parameter used by the clock synchronizer in processing the earlier version of the synchronized clock signal. The system controller has an output for providing a first clock signal to a first device, and an input for receiving a second clock signal from a second device. The second clock signal corresponds to a version of the first clock signal that has undergone processing by a clock synchronizer in at least one of the devices. The system controller further includes a detector for processing the first and second clock signals to detect a phase difference therebetween; and a synchronization controller for commanding an adjustment to the clock synchronizer in at least one of the devices based on the phase difference detected by the detector. |
| US08713337B2 |
Power management method for reducing power of host when turning off main monitor and computer system applying the same
A power management method adapted in a computer system is provided. The computer system includes a main monitor and a host. A management method includes the following steps. First, whether the main monitor is turned off or not is determined. When the main monitor is turned off, a power saving program is executed to reduce the power of the host. Furthermore, a computer system applying the above power management method is also provided. |
| US08713335B2 |
Parallel processing computer systems with reduced power consumption and methods for providing the same
A parallel processing computing system includes an ordered set of m memory banks and a processor core. The ordered set of m memory banks includes a first and a last memory bank, wherein m is an integer greater than 1. The processor core implements n virtual processors, a pipeline having p ordered stages, including a memory operation stage, and a virtual processor selector function. |
| US08713330B1 |
Data scrambling in memory devices
A method for data storage includes scrambling data for storage in a memory device using a given scrambling seed. A statistical distribution of the scrambled data is assessed, and a measure of randomness of the statistical distribution is computed. A scrambling configuration of the data is modified responsively to the measure of randomness, and the data having the modified scrambling configuration is stored in the memory device. |
| US08713327B1 |
Circuit for and method of enabling communication of cryptographic data
A circuit for enabling communication of cryptographic data in an integrated circuit is disclosed. The circuit comprises a first interface coupled to receive data having a first security level; a second interface coupled to receive data having a second security level; a cryptographic application; and a routing block coupled between the first and second interfaces and the cryptographic application, the routing block comprising configurable logic, wherein the routing block is configurable to selectively route the data having the first security level by way of the first interface and to route data having the second security level by way of the second interface. A method of enabling communication of cryptographic data in an integrated circuit is also disclosed. |
| US08713325B2 |
Key management using quasi out of band authentication architecture
To provide key management layered on a quasi-out-of-band authentication system, a security server receives a request for activation of a user interface window for a particular user from a network device via a communication channel. It then transmits an activation PIN to an out of band authentication system for forwarding to the user's telephone via a voice or text message. It next receives the previously transmitted PIN from the network device via the communication channel, and authenticates the user based on the received PIN. After authenticating the user, it establishes a secure, independent, encrypted communication channel between the user interface window and the security server on top of the original communication channel. It then generates and transmits to the user interface window and/or receives from the user interface window via the secure communication channel, key material and certificate material for public key and/or symmetric key cryptography based operations. |
| US08713322B2 |
Author signatures for legal purposes
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for establishing trust in an electronic document. An electronic document is received. State dependent content in the electronic document is identified. The state dependent content is content that is renderable to have a several appearances. The electronic document is presented to a user, which includes disclosing the presence of any identified state dependent content in the electronic document. |
| US08713319B2 |
Preserving privacy of digital communication information
Method for verifying that an item of information relating to an issuer has been registered correctly by a receiving entity while preserving the issuer's privacy, which method includes the following steps: a) the information relating to the issuer is coded in an issuing entity and said coding is sent to the receiving entity; b) the receiving entity generates a content test on the basis of the information coded in step a), and the content test is subsequently sent to the issuing entity; and c) the issuer verifies that the content test corresponds to the information which has been coded. |
| US08713318B1 |
Email certificates
Systems and methods for providing an email certificate for an email message. In some aspects, a method includes receiving a request from a user for providing an email certificate for an email message, generating an email certificate by encrypting the email message, and sending the email certificate to the user. |
| US08713317B2 |
Method and system for encrypting data in a wireless communication system
A method and system for encrypting data in a wireless communication system are provided. The system includes a first node for generating a first encryption key using a plurality of encryption key parameters when performing authentication with a second node, for changing a second parameter among the plurality of encryption key parameters to generate a second encryption key being identical to the first encryption key, if a first parameter among the plurality of encryption key parameters is changed during re-authentication between the first node and the second node, for generating the second encryption key using the changed first parameter and the changed second parameter, and for encrypting data to be transmitted to the second node using the second encryption key. |
| US08713304B2 |
Method and system for controlled media sharing in a network
A method for controlling media sharing among a plurality of nodes in a network. The present method is comprised of availing to the network an instance of media content for sharing among the plurality of nodes by a source node communicatively coupled to the network. The present method further includes decrypting the instance of media content from an encryption local to the source node. The present method further includes encrypting the instance of media content into an intermediate encryption. The present method further includes transferring the instance of media content to a node while the instance of media content is in the intermediate encryption. The node is associated with the network. The decrypting and the encrypting and the transferring are in response to receiving a request for the instance of media content from the node. |
| US08713302B1 |
Firewall-tolerant voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) emulating SSL or HTTP sessions embedding voice data in cookies
A voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) client codes audio data as printable ASCII characters, then embeds the ASCII audio data inside a cookie that is sent over the Internet within an HTTP GET message. The GET message is sent to a server acting as a call proxy or external manager that forwards the audio data to a remote client. Return audio data is sent back to the client in the normal data field of an HTTP response message from the server. When the client receives the HTTP response, it sends another GET message without audio data, allowing the server to send another response. This empty GET allows VoIP to pass through strict firewalls that pair each HTTP response with a GET. For secure-sockets layer (SSL), client and server exchange pseudo-keys in hello and finished messages that establish the SSL session. Audio data is streamed in SSL messages instead of encrypted data. |
| US08713299B2 |
System and method for configuring software applications in a motor vehicle
A system and method for allowing a user to select and manage software applications in their vehicle from any Internet enabled device and allows the user to remotely configure the content of each specific application from any Internet enabled device. Once the application has been configured via the internet enabled device, the user launches the application from the vehicle. Upon launching, the application dynamically retrieves the user's settings from the server and downloads any information or content necessary. In this manner, the application is personalized to the user's settings, without the user ever having to take any actions from within the vehicle, or to personalize the user's settings while the vehicle is in Park. |
| US08713296B2 |
Apparatus for restoring setting information of a board management controller from a backup memory before loading an OS when a system board is replaced
An information processing device includes: a processing circuit that processes information; a management circuit that is independent of the processing circuit and that performs status management of hardware including the processing circuit; and a memory into which the management circuit stores setting information of the management circuit and from which the management circuit extracts setting information of the management circuit, the memory being physically connectable to and removable from the management circuit. |
| US08713294B2 |
Heap/stack guard pages using a wakeup unit
A method and system for providing a memory access check on a processor including the steps of detecting accesses to a memory device including level-1 cache using a wakeup unit. The method includes invalidating level-1 cache ranges corresponding to a guard page, and configuring a plurality of wakeup address compare (WAC) registers to allow access to selected WAC registers. The method selects one of the plurality of WAC registers, and sets up a WAC register related to the guard page. The method configures the wakeup unit to interrupt on access of the selected WAC register. The method detects access of the memory device using the wakeup unit when a guard page is violated. The method generates an interrupt to the core using the wakeup unit, and determines the source of the interrupt. The method detects the activated WAC registers assigned to the violated guard page, and initiates a response. |
| US08713291B2 |
Cache memory control device, semiconductor integrated circuit, and cache memory control method
A cache memory control device includes cache memories shared by arithmetic processing units, buses shared by the arithmetic processing units to transfer data, an instruction execution unit that accesses the cache memories to execute an access instruction from the arithmetic processing unit, and transfers data from the cache memory to the bus, an instruction feeding unit that feeds the access instruction to the instruction execution unit while inhibiting feeding of a subsequent access instruction for the cache memory accessed in the preceding access instruction in an execution period of the preceding access instruction and inhibiting feeding of a subsequent access instruction using the same bus as the preceding access instruction in a predetermined period, and a timing control unit that, depending on the type of the subsequent access instruction, controls the instruction executing unit to delay the transfer of the data from the cache memory to the bus. |
| US08713290B2 |
Scaleable status tracking of multiple assist hardware threads
A processor includes an initiating hardware thread, which initiates a first assist hardware thread to execute a first code segment. Next, the initiating hardware thread sets an assist thread executing indicator in response to initiating the first assist hardware thread. The set assist thread executing indicator indicates whether assist hardware threads are executing. A second assist hardware thread initiates and begins executing a second code segment. In turn, the initiating hardware thread detects a change in the assist thread executing indicator, which signifies that both the first assist hardware thread and the second assist hardware thread terminated. As such, the initiating hardware thread evaluates assist hardware thread results in response to both of the assist hardware threads terminating. |
| US08713286B2 |
Register files for a digital signal processor operating in an interleaved multi-threaded environment
A processor device is disclosed and includes a memory and a sequencer that is responsive to the memory. The sequencer supports very long instruction word (VLIW) type instructions and at least one VLIW instruction packet uses a number of operands during execution. The processor device further includes a plurality of instruction execution units responsive to the sequencer and a plurality of register files. Each of the plurality of register files includes a plurality of registers and the plurality of register files are coupled to the plurality of instruction execution units. Further, each of the plurality of register files includes a number of data read ports and the number of data read ports of each of the plurality of register files is less than the number of operands used by the at least one VLIW instruction packet. |
| US08713285B2 |
Address generation unit for accessing a multi-dimensional data structure in a desired pattern
An apparatus, system, and method for providing a multi-dimensional data structure and address generation unit configured to calculate real addresses in order to access the multi-dimensional data structure in a desired pattern. The address generation unit may be configured to calculate the real addresses by executing a series of nested loops pre-programmed into the address generation unit prior to accessing the multi-dimensional data structure. The address generation unit may receive as inputs a set of parameters defining characteristics of the nested loops such as a starting offset, number of iterations or step size for loops, data structure dimensions, or loop starting point inheritance. A vector processor may then access the multi-dimensional data structure at the real addresses calculated by the address generation unit. The multi-dimensional data structure may be stored in a buffer in a data memory. |
| US08713281B1 |
Storage device performance alignment notification
Storage device performance alignment notification includes informing a storage device of a starting logical block address (LBA) for each of one or more host containers to be stored on the storage device, and placing the one or more host containers at natural storage boundaries of the storage device based at least in part on the informing. |
| US08713280B2 |
Hard disk drives having different rotational speeds
A system includes a number of hard disk drives and a controller. Each hard disk drive is selected from a number of different hard disk drive types. Each hard disk drive type has a different speed at which the hard disk drives of the hard disk drive type rotate to read and write data. At least one of the hard disk drives is of a different hard disk drive type than at least one other of the hard disk drives. The controller, responsive to a request to write particular data to the hard disk drives, is to select a given hard disk drive of the hard disk drives based on a type of the particular data, and is to write the particular data to the given hard disk drive. |
| US08713278B2 |
System and method for stranded file opens during disk compression utility requests
A technique for handling stranded file opens for DCOM utility requests in a NSK. In one example embodiment, this is achieved by selecting a source file to be compressed in a disk by the DCOM utility. The source file includes one or more non-contiguous disk file extents and each non-contiguous disk file extent includes multiple blocks. A temporary file is then crated to copy the source file. The multiple blocks in a current non-contiguous disk file extent are then copied from the source file by the DCOM utility by transferring data to the disk as a function of a NSK net transfer data limit size. A current file descriptor of the source file is then stored in an offset field of the temporary file and a current value is then set in the offset field of a source file control block of the source file as a function of whether all of the multiple blocks in the current non-contiguous disk file extent were copied to the disk. |
| US08713270B2 |
Efficient file system metadata scanning using scoped snapshots
Volumes of a file system remain online, and thus available for use, while being proactively error scanned for corruptions thereon. A snapshot of each volume being proactively error scanned is maintained for the volume during the proactive error scanner processing of the volume. Proactive error scanner processing only requires access to file system metadata to correctly process a volume for an identification of the corruptions thereon, and thus, a snapshot of the entire volume nerd not be generated nor maintained. The clusters of a volume that store file system metadata are identified and only these clusters are maintained in a scoped snapshot for the volume during proactive error scanning of the volume. |
| US08713268B2 |
Coordinated garbage collection for raid array of solid state disks
An optimized redundant array of solid state devices may include an array of one or more optimized solid-state devices and a controller coupled to the solid-state devices for managing the solid-state devices. The controller may be configured to globally coordinate the garbage collection activities of each of said optimized solid-state devices, for instance, to minimize the degraded performance time and increase the optimal performance time of the entire array of devices. |
| US08713264B2 |
Data processing circuit with arbitration between a plurality of queues
Requests from a plurality of different agents (10) are passed to a request handler via a request concentrator. In front of the request concentrator the requests are queued in a plurality of queues (12). A first one of the agents is configured to issue a priority changing command with a defined position relative to pending requests issued by the first one of the agents (10) to the first one of the queues (12). An arbiter (16), makes successive selections selecting queues (12) from which the request concentrator (14) will pass requests to the request handler (18), based on relative priorities assigned to the queues (12). The arbiter (16) responds to the priority changing command by changing the priority of the first one of the queues (12), selectively for a duration while the pending requests up to the defined position are in the first one of the queues (12). Different queues may be provided for read and write requests from the first one of the agents. In this case, the priority raising request from the agent may be used to raise the priority level of the write queue temporarily to the level of the read queue, until all write requests issued before the priority raising command from the agent have been passed to the request handler. |
| US08713252B1 |
Transactional consistency scheme
A proxy manages write operations between devices that initiate write operations and one or more storage devices that store data for the write operations. A write log buffers the data for the write operations while the proxy waits for acknowledgments back from the storage device. The proxy is configured to copy at least some of the data from the write log into an overflow log when the data from the write operations is about to overflow the write log. The proxy device is further configured to maintain data consistency by delaying or blocking read operations until associated data from previously received write operations is acknowledged by the storage device. |
| US08713249B2 |
Configurable memory controller/memory module communication system
A memory system includes a first memory module and a second memory module. A memory controller is coupled to the first and second memory modules and reads configuration information from the first and second memory modules using a memory channel. The controller also configures a switch coupled between the controller and one of the memory modules to communicate using either a chip select line or a memory address line. |
| US08713242B2 |
Control method and allocation structure for flash memory device
A control method and an allocation structure for a flash memory device are provided herein. The flash memory device has a first memory module and a second memory module. Physical blocks of the first memory module and physical blocks of the second memory module are respectively divided into a plurality of groups, each of which has a plurality of the physical blocks. A first subunit and a second subunit of a first allocation unit are interleavingly written into a first group of the groups of the first memory module and a second group of the groups of the second memory chip respectively. Additionally, a first subunit and a second subunit of a second allocation unit are interleavingly written into a third group of the groups of the first memory module and the second group, respectively. |
| US08713241B2 |
Method and apparatus for an active low power mode of a portable computing device
The present invention discloses a portable computing device (100) including a processor (102), alternate memory (106), and a DRAM memory (108). Under normal operating conditions, providing full functionality of the device, a full code instantiation in the DRAM is executed, providing operating system, user interface and application execution functionality. A reduced code instantiation (114) which duplicates certain elements of the operating system, user interface, and application code is maintained in the low power memory. When a condition occurs that dictates or allows, execution is switched from the full code instantiation to the reduced code instantiation, and the DRAM is shut off. |
| US08713237B2 |
X2 10GBASE-T transceiver with 1 Gigabit side-band support
An apparatus includes a transceiver device mounted on a printed circuit board and configured to selectively transmit and receive signals at a first data rate or signals at a second data rate. An X2 form factor pluggable connector disposed at one end of the printed circuit board includes first and second pins that respectively convey signals at the first and second data rates between the transceiver device and a system device. A port device disposed at an opposite end of the printed circuit board conveys signals between the transceiver device and a network device. A management circuit determines which of the first and second data rates is selected based on transmissions between the system device and the network device and controls the transceiver device to transmit and receive signal at the first data rate via the first pins and at the second data rate via the second pins. |
| US08713233B2 |
Interconnect, bus system with interconnect and bus system operating method
Provided are an interconnect, a bus system with interconnect, and bus system operating method. The bus system includes a master, slaves access by the master, and an interconnect. The interconnect connects the master with the slaves in response to selection bits identified in a master address provided by the master. |
| US08713228B2 |
Shared system to operationally connect logic nodes
A shared system to operationally connect logic nodes may include an inter-nodal circuit to provide communications between any connected logic nodes. The system may also include a fabric bus carried by the inter-nodal circuit, the fabric bus to provide logical connections to a first logic node and any other logic node. The system may further include a clock circuit carried by the inter-nodal circuit that controls both the inter-nodal circuit and the fabric bus. |
| US08713212B1 |
Electronic device, communication control method of electronic device, and information terminal device
An electronic device includes a connection unit that enables a USB connection to a smartphone, a normal communication mode in which communication is performed by using a device class prepared in advance in the smartphone, a request unit that makes a request for switching to a unique communication mode, a search unit that searches for a device class usable in the normal communication mode after the request for switching to the unique communication mode has been made, a determination unit that determines, on the basis of a search result, whether or not a disadvantageous change has occurred in the normal communication mode, and a reset unit that resets the USB connection when it is determined that a disadvantageous change has occurred. |
| US08713211B2 |
Method and apparatus for connecting to external device
A method of connecting an external device to an apparatus including calculating a time during which the external device is located within a reference range from the apparatus when a distance between the apparatus and the external device is within the reference range, and connecting the apparatus to the external device when the calculated time exceeds a critical value. |
| US08713206B2 |
Display apparatus, control method thereof, and program
A display apparatus includes a USB connector used to connect an external device so as to be able to communicate with that device. The display apparatus also includes a CPU which controls to make a display based on data received from the external device with which a communication connection is established via the USB connector. The CPU acquires class information indicating a class of the external device, the communication connection of which is established. When the communication connection with the external device is disconnected, if the acquired class information indicates a predetermined class, the CPU controls to continue the display based on the received data, and if the class information does not indicate the predetermined class, the CPU controls to end the display. |
| US08713202B2 |
Method and system for network configuration for virtual machines
A method for changing network configuration parameters that includes generating a request to change a network configuration parameter, where the request is generated by a virtual machine, sending the request to a virtual network interface card (VNIC) associated with the virtual machine, sending the request to a VNIC configuration database associated with the VNIC, determining whether the virtual machine is allowed to change the network configuration parameter, if the virtual machine is allowed to change the network configuration parameter, updating the VNIC configuration database and VNIC to reflect the change in the network configuration parameter, and notifying the virtual machine that the change in network configuration parameter is allowed, and if the virtual machine is not allowed to change the network configuration parameter, dropping the request. |
| US08713198B2 |
Hierarchical binding and lookup of addresses in inter-process communications systems
Systems/methods of looking up an address of a target server include receiving a first lookup request at a first lookup server that manages a first database that contains data relating to a first plurality of servers. First metadata relating to the target server is retrieved from the first database, and a second lookup request including the first metadata is sent to a second lookup server that manages a second database that contains data relating to a second plurality of servers. The second plurality of servers is a subset of the first plurality of servers and includes the target server. Second metadata relating to the target server is retrieved from the second database, and a response based on the first and second metadata is transmitted to the client. Corresponding systems/methods of binding a server address to a lookup key are also disclosed. |
| US08713197B1 |
Method and apparatus for managing network traffic
A system, apparatus, and method for managing the flow of data on a network. A plurality of processors are used to implement a virtual queue, for controlling a rate of flow of data on the network. Each of the processors has a member queue, the combination of member queues combining to form the virtual queue. Aspects of the invention use messages to communicate among the processors, to properly control the rate of flow. |
| US08713195B2 |
Method and system for streaming digital video content to a client in a digital video network
A technique for streaming digital video content to a client involves providing a new stream of digital video content to the client using forward error correction (FEC) for a limited initial period and then ending the use of FEC after the limited initial period has ended. In an embodiment, during the limited initial period, the digital video content is provided to the client at a rate that is slightly higher than the playout rate in order to allow a client buffer to accumulate digital video content. FEC continues to be used until the client buffer is sufficiently populated such that lost or damaged frames can be retransmitted to the client before the corresponding digital video content is needed for playout. Once the client buffer is sufficiently populated, FEC is ended and retransmission is used to maintain the quality of the streamed digital video content. |
| US08713191B1 |
Method and apparatus for establishing a media clip
A method and apparatus for establishing a media clip for such uses as a ring tone at a client station and a ring-back tone by a cellular wireless network. A client station receives streaming media from a network system. During presentation of the streaming media at the client station, the client station receives user input identifying a first portion of the streaming media as a media clip start point (MCSP) and a second portion of the streaming media as a media clip end point (MCEP). The client station establishes a message indicating the identified MCSP and MCEP and transmits the message to the network system. In response to receiving the message, the network system establishes a media clip defined as a portion of the streaming media extending from the MCSP to the MCEP. The network system may transmit the media clip to the client station and/or the cellular wireless network. |
| US08713186B2 |
Server-side connection resource pooling
A server side connection pool provides pooling of server connections. Thus, client side processes do not create groups of dedicated resources. Clients are provided the capability to communicate to a server side connection broker process to GET a pooled server connection comprising connection state plus a thread of execution for doing some work, whereby requesting the work can bypass the connection broker process and go directly to the assigned pooled connection. Once the client issues a RELEASE to release the pooled connection back to the pool, a completely different client process on potentially a different client middle tier machine can reuse the same pooled connection. The server-side connection pool can be logically partitioned into sub-pools that correspond to connection classes that typically correspond to respective applications. A client process can request a pooled connection having a particular state, where a stored procedure can be executed to generate such state. |
| US08713182B2 |
Selection of a suitable node to host a virtual machine in an environment containing a large number of nodes
An aspect of the present invention facilitates selecting suitable nodes to host virtual machines (VMs) in an environment containing a large number of nodes (such as a grid). In one embodiment, information indicating corresponding resources available in each machine node (a node capable of hosting VMs) in the grid is maintained distributed over a set of management nodes contained in the grid. On receiving an indication that a VM requiring a set of resources is sought to be hosted, a machine node having available the set of resources is identified based on the distributed information. The VM is then provisioned/hosted on the identified machine node. The maintenance of the resource availability information distributed across multiple management nodes enables the solution to be scaled for use in environments having a large number of nodes. |
| US08713173B2 |
System and method for ensuring compliance with organizational policies
A method for ensuring compliance with organizational policies is described herein. The method can include the step of monitoring one or more parameters of a managed computing device for compliance with one or more policies of an organization in which the organizational policies may include limitations on the managed computing device. The method can also include the step of detecting a non-conformance event at the managed computing device with respect to at least one organizational policy. In response to the detection of the non-conformance event, the operation of the managed computing device may be restricted with respect to features or data associated with the organization. |
| US08713170B2 |
Server-side web analytics system and method
There is provided a server-side web analytics computer implemented system and method. In an embodiment the system has at least one computer server for receiving an electronic request from a web enabled source. The computer server has a web application for creating a log message from the electronic request. The computer server further has an automated server-side web analytics system for processing the log message into an action message and for processing the action message into a reporting message. The server-side web analytics computer implemented system generates asynchronously and in near real-time web analytics data from the reporting message. |
| US08713158B2 |
System, method and computer program product for monitoring and controlling network connections from a supervisory operating system
A system, method and computer program product that is designed to support high-availability, rapid fault recovery, out of band condition signaling and/or other quality of service assurances and security in a networked environment. In one aspect, a method of the invention includes the step of providing a processing system with a dual-kernel or multi-kernel software operating system. The operating system includes a supervisory operating system and a secondary operating system that provides network functions to user applications. The method also includes the step of providing a Network Control Software (NCS) in the supervisory operating system. The NCS is configured to transparently monitor and control network operations in the secondary operating system. |
| US08713154B2 |
Monitoring agent programs in a distributed computing platform
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for monitoring information passed from instances of role(s) of a service application installed on a distributed computing platform and for indexing and analyzing the information within a data store are provided. Monitoring involves a monitoring agent that is integrated within an operating system of computing devices that make up the distributed computing platform. In operation, the monitoring agent retrieves information from the role instances and converts the information into parameters that are assembled to documents. Generally, the parameters are assembled to a uniform-structured format in accordance with a schema imposed by the distributed computing platform. Accordingly, each of the documents across the platform have a common format that promotes processing and analysis without a need for reconfiguration. Accordingly, the health of the service application, although dispersed throughout the distributed computing environment, may be observed and evaluated in a consistent manner. |
| US08713144B2 |
Workflow-enabled client
A workflow-enabled client comprises a client and a workflow manager interface unit. The workflow manager interface unit couples the client to a workflow manager to provide the automatic discovering, distributed processing and dynamic user interface generating functionality of the present invention. A communication manager of the workflow-enabled client has a registration unit that registers, and unregisters, the client with the workflow manager such as by providing a name, a data and other commands. A polling module uses a received location from the workflow manager to retrieve data. The process control module performs a plurality of processing functions such a processing polled data, storing it or providing it to other clients. The process control module can also initiate other clients. The present invention also includes a number of novel methods including a method for registering a client, a method for polling data, and a method for initiating other clients. |
| US08713140B2 |
Method and system for modifying satellite radio program subscriptions in a mobile vehicle
A system and method is directed to modifying a satellite radio subscription in a mobile vehicle. The method provides for receiving at least one satellite radio subscription modification request from the vehicle at a service provider, retrieving current satellite radio program subscription status at the service provider, determining at least one adjustment required to implement the at least one modification, and sending the determined adjustments required to implement the at least one modification. The system further provides means for receiving at least one satellite radio subscription modification request from the vehicle at a service provider, means for retrieving current satellite radio program subscription status at the service provider, means for determining at least one adjustment required to implement the at least one modification, and means for sending the determined adjustments required to implement the at least one modification. |
| US08713138B1 |
Extensible framework for client-based active network measurement
A method, system, medium and a lightweight computing framework are provided for active network measurements. A communication network having links that connect a collection of client devices that utilize the computing framework to generate probe streams, receive network data associated with one or more network measurements, and to analyze the network data. The probe streams are generated based on a configuration file. The configuration file implements one or more network measurements and is defined in a scripting language. Additionally, the probe streams collect network data, and the computing framework utilizes the network data to determine link properties along one or more communication paths and to generate additional probe streams when specified conditions are satisfied. |
| US08713128B2 |
Method and system for utilizing native ethernet as a virtual memory interconnect
In various embodiments of a method and system for utilizing native Ethernet as a virtual memory interconnect, a first networking device may be operable to transcode a memory read command and/or a memory write command to memory access information and encapsulate the memory access information within in one or more fields of an Ethernet frame. The memory access information may be communicated over an Ethernet link to a second networking device where it may be utilized to access memory that is associated with the memory read command and/or the memory write command. For example, the memory access information may indicate an address of the memory to be accessed, whether a read operation and/or a write operation is to be performed, whether the frame comprises data to be written to the memory, and/or whether a locally administered address space is utilized. |
| US08713126B2 |
Information-provision control method, information reproduction system, information-provision apparatus, information reproduction apparatus and information-presentation control program
When the information-provision apparatus is providing an audio signal to the specific information reproduction apparatus, the user enters an operation input to the specific information reproduction apparatus to switch processing to reproduce an audio content from the specific information reproduction apparatus to another information reproduction apparatus. In this case, the specific information reproduction apparatus requests the information-provision apparatus to start an operation of providing the audio content to the other information reproduction apparatus specified in the operation input as an apparatus to newly reproduce the audio content. Then, the specific information reproduction apparatus requests the information-provision apparatus to end an operation of providing the audio content to the specific information reproduction apparatus specified in the operation input as an apparatus to terminate an operation of reproducing the audio content. |
| US08713124B1 |
Highly specialized application protocol for email and SMS and message notification handling and display
A method and system for handling and displaying incoming electronic messages in a user device. The method includes receiving a request to view a contact list on the user device, querying a priority table including a plurality of contacts, receiving a request to tag at least one contact in the plurality of contacts, tagging the at least one contact, and persistently displaying a received electronic message from the at least one contact at the top of a display. |
| US08713123B2 |
Method of sending CTI messages in a communication system
There is described a method of sending CTI messages in a communications system. The method comprises assigning to each of a plurality of CTI messages a priority indicator selected from a plurality of different priority indicators, sending the plurality of CTI messages from a queue formed by the CTI messages such that the time interval between two messages sent from the queue depends upon the priority indicator assigned to the first of the two messages to be sent, whereby the time interval between messages being sent from the queue may vary. |
| US08713121B1 |
Inter vehicle communication system
A method and network for transmitting a message from a sender to a recipient wherein the sender has no previous knowledge of the recipient's identity. A method is provided for registering a user with a web-enabled database service by providing correlating data on the user's identity and vehicle license plate number and/or other vehicle identifying information. A sender observing a vehicle can send a message to the recipient by logging onto the service and sending a message including the license plate number of the vehicle or other vehicle identifying information. The service will forward the message to the recipient by looking up the vehicle information, discerning the most appropriate communications method(s), and causing the message to be transmitted to the recipient or stored for later delivery. |
| US08713120B2 |
Changing sound alerts during a messaging session
Controlling the volume of an audible alert associated with an instant messaging communications session includes rendering, on a first instant messaging user system, an instant messaging application user interface for an instant messaging communications session involving at least a first instant messaging user and a second instant messaging user, receiving notification of an event related to the instant messaging communications session, determining a characteristic of the event, accessing an audible alert to be rendered to signal existence of the event, adjusting based upon the determined characteristic of the event a volume of the audible alert corresponding to the event, and rendering the audible alert to signal existence of the event. |
| US08713119B2 |
Electronic devices with voice command and contextual data processing capabilities
An electronic device may capture a voice command from a user. The electronic device may store contextual information about the state of the electronic device when the voice command is received. The electronic device may transmit the voice command and the contextual information to computing equipment such as a desktop computer or a remote server. The computing equipment may perform a speech recognition operation on the voice command and may process the contextual information. The computing equipment may respond to the voice command. The computing equipment may also transmit information to the electronic device that allows the electronic device to respond to the voice command. |
| US08713118B2 |
End to end email monitor
An example method to monitor an email system involves sending a test email to an email server. The email server is to automatically forward the test email to a plurality of email accounts of corresponding domains different from one another and different from the email system. When the test email does not arrive at the plurality of email accounts within a time period, a notification identifying the email server is generated. Other test emails are distinguished from the test email based on checksum values in subject fields of the test email and the other test emails. The other test emails correspond to different ones of a plurality of other email systems being tested for operability. Each checksum uniquely identifies a respective one of the test emails and a respective one of the email systems. |
| US08713113B2 |
Communication terminal device, and recording medium
When a user selects an image, a control unit detects a face image from the selected image and acquires person data corresponding to the face image. Moreover, the control unit specifies address book data of the person and acquires an e-mail address from the address book data. When the user inputs an e-mail address, the control unit also has a function of detecting an image in which a person having the input e-mail address as a destination is an imaged object and creating an e-mail attached with the image. |
| US08713107B2 |
Method and system for remote delivery of email
A system and method for delivering electronic mail to the user at a previously defined remote location which also allows the user to reply to the email from such remote location is disclosed. An application program operates at the user's home electronic mail communication system, typically a desktop PC, forwarding electronic mail messages through the internet to a central system, which contains user profile information and acts as a forwarding server. The system can also be applied to the user's mail server instead of the user's desktop PC. Preferred user profiles stored in the forwarding server determine how the server directs notification of new email to the user in accordance with the user's preferred profile. Information regarding the pending emails are directed to the user's mobile telephone or PDA device, allowing the user to determine whether to respond to the electronic mail presently or defer response, in accordance with the user's preference at the time of receipt. The system provides for translation of email messages from text to speech for delivery to the user and also provides for speech to text transcription in the message response mode at the user's selection. |
| US08713100B1 |
Hybrid asynchronous transmission process
The present invention is a hybrid asynchronous transmission process capable of reducing multiple asynchronous requests and responses to a single asynchronous request or response while reducing the amount of data being transferred. The hybrid transmission process utilizes data store, referred to as a transition state store (TSS), to locally store name/value pairs as strings in the web browser. The TSS stores both the current and future states of the webpage, based on user interaction. The utilization of the API's and data store in the transmission process allow updates to the desktop state without transmitting mass amounts of data between the server and web browser. |
| US08713079B2 |
Method, apparatus and computer program product for providing metadata entry
An apparatus for providing metadata entry includes an output device, an interface element and a tagging element. The output device is capable of rendering an activity such as a media file via an electronic device. The interface element is capable of accepting a user input of a selection of a key of the electronic device. The tagging element is configured to modify a metadata entry of the rendered media file in response to selection of the key. |
| US08713076B2 |
Providing a multi-tenant knowledge network
Business intelligence, decision support and knowledge management network systems and methods provide efficient, robust, and business-friendly services for the rapid analysis of massive amounts of business, electronic, and other disparate data into actionable intelligence. An advantageous element of the multi-party knowledge network allows the aggregation of common data formats in order to analyze a combined dataset consisting of information from multiple parties, thereby providing additional business intelligence than with a single set of data alone. |
| US08713075B1 |
Inter-carrier communications for multimedia-message delivery
A method, system, and medium are provided for causing a first multimedia messaging service center (MMSC) on a home network to communicate a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message to a second MMSC on a foreign network, the MMS message being modified to conform to multimedia-messaging parameters of a recipient mobile device. A query is issued by the first MMSC to the second MMSC to obtain one or more multimedia-messaging parameters of the recipient mobile device. The parameters include characteristics of the recipient mobile device and subscription details as well as parameters set by the foreign network. The first MMSC modifies the MMS message to conform to the parameters and communicates the modified MMS message to the second MMSC. The second MMSC delivers the MMS message to the recipient or provides a failed-delivery notification to the first MMSC. A reason for the failed delivery might also be indicated. |
| US08713074B2 |
Instance management of code in a database
The compiled code of a computer program is stored in multiple pieces within a database. Each piece is optionally stored within a separate data record. Execution of the computer program includes using database queries to retrieve pieces of the compiled code for execution. The database and associated database management logic are used to provide numerous advantages in execution and management of the computer program. For example, in some embodiments, database queries are used to help facilitate program flow logic. In another example, database queries are based on a command line or universal resource locator. These queries may be used to select functionality of a computer program in response to the command line or universal resource locator. |
| US08713054B2 |
System or method to assist and automate an information security classification and marking process for government and non-government organizations for information of an electronic document
A software engine runs in a compatible mode with off-the-shelf word processors, e-mail programs and presentation development software and other document development software. The software engine is used for the security classification of sensitive or national security classified information in electronic and resultant hard copy document formats. The software engine ensures that the individual considers all informational portions of a document, that appropriate document marks are employed, that document marks in their electronic format are persistent and that all necessary information, such as classification guides, standards and security regulations, provided by the organization to classify information is at hand and immediately available. In addition to the document sensitivity or classification determination and marking support, the software engine tracks and controls documents and the electronic media storing documents. It also provides warnings and alarms, ad hoc document security analysis and reporting capability to system security administrators with respect to document or network events or captured information that may be indicative of risk to the information requiring protection. The software also provides the ability for an organization to centrally establish and control a security classification or sensitivity marking hierarchy for automated security classification support. |
| US08713051B2 |
System and method for data preservation and retrieval
A system and method for searching for computer environments, authenticating the computer environments, and copying data from the authenticated computer environments to a memory location. The data is marked or bound to the computer system it was copied from which provides a user with assurance that the data was obtained from a specific, authenticated source. The computer environments and the memory location may be coupled over a network. |
| US08713049B2 |
Support for a parameterized query/view in complex event processing
The present invention includes a method for providing parameterized queries in complex event processing (CEP). The method includes providing a query template which includes one or more bind variables, providing sets of parameters corresponding to the one or more bind variables, and parsing the query template to determine positions of the one or more bind variables. The method further includes scanning the provided sets of parameters to determine which of the sets of parameters are to be bound to the one or more bind variables, binding the one or more bind variables which are determined to be bound to the sets of parameters, and substituting the bound one or more bind variables with the corresponding sets of parameters. The method further includes injecting all incarnations of the parameterized queries into the system, and one template/parameterized query is configured to run them all. |
| US08713040B2 |
Method and apparatus for increasing query traffic to a web site
In one embodiment, a method for increasing query traffic to a web site includes providing initial information pertaining to an initial object for presentation to a user, and providing connection information identifying a logical connection between the initial object and one or more additional objects for presentation to the user. The connection information contains data prompting the user to submit a new query concerning one of the additional objects. The method may further include receiving the new query concerning one of the additional objects, and providing a result of the new query to the user. |
| US08713030B2 |
Video editing apparatus
A video editing apparatus 100 includes a registering unit 91 configured to register a key candidate having a feature vector of a sound signal which is determined to be registered on the basis of a co-occurrence score to a managing unit 51 as a search key, and a cutting out unit 71 configured to obtain an integration score in each of the blocks from the degree of similarity of the registered search key in each of the blocks and cut out a group of blocks exceeding an integration threshold value from among the integration scores as one video scene. |
| US08713020B2 |
System and method for organizing, processing and presenting information
In a method for organizing information in a database, abstractions are separated from expressions of the abstractions to obtain a first set of information corresponding to the abstractions and a second set of information corresponding to at least one set of characteristics relating to the expressions of the abstractions. Each abstraction is arranged within the first set of information hierarchically within the database. Each set of characteristics relating to an expression of an abstraction within the second set of information is associated with an abstraction within the database. |
| US08713018B2 |
System and method for displaying relationships between electronically stored information to provide classification suggestions via inclusion
A system and for providing reference documents as a suggestion for classifying uncoded documents is provided. A set of reference electronically stored information items, each associated with a classification code, is designated. One or more of the reference electronically stored information items is combined with a set of uncoded electronically stored information items. Clusters of the uncoded electronically stored information items and the one or more reference electronically stored information items are generated. Relationships between the uncoded electronically stored information items and the one or more reference electronically stored information items in at least one cluster are visually depicted as suggestions for classifying the uncoded electronically stored information items in that cluster. |
| US08713016B2 |
Method and apparatus for organizing segments of media assets and determining relevance of segments to a query
The invention pertains to methods, systems, and apparatus for identifying media items relevant to a selected subject matter, the method comprising determining the subject matter of a first media item, the first media item comprising at least one of audio content and video content, determining the classification within an ontology of the subject matter of the first media item, analyzing the ontology to identify other subject matter related to the subject matter of the first media item, and performing a search for other media items relevant to the subject matter of the first media item as a function of at least the other related subject matter according to the ontology. |
| US08713013B2 |
Methods, systems, and products for searching interactive menu prompting systems
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for searching a searchable listing of an interactive menu prompting system. A search request is received, and the search request includes a search term. A query is sent to determine whether the search term occurs within in the searchable listing. A search result is received and communicated to a client. |
| US08713011B2 |
Navigation apparatus, search result display method, and graphical user interface
A navigation apparatus includes: a basic frame generating unit for generating a basic frame two-dimensionally configured based on a search item axis and a search result display axis; a three-dimensional (3-D) search result listing image generating unit for generating a 3-D search result listing image in which a plurality of search result cards show as if they are stereoscopically arranged in a domino-like configuration along the search item axis and the search result display axis of the basic frame, the search result cards having titles of search results thereon; and a control unit for outputting the 3-D search result listing image to a predetermined display unit with a predetermined display angle, thereby displaying the 3-D search result listing image at the display angle. |
| US08712997B2 |
Methods and systems for optimizing data accesses
A method for optimizing data types includes the step of generating a data structure providing access to at least one data element, the data structure associated with a first representation of the at least one data element. A user is provided with a plurality of data types for accessing the at least one data element. A request for access to the at least one data element is received, the request including at least one of the plurality of data types. The request is responded to with a second representation of the at least one data element, the second representation generated responsive to the at least one of the plurality of data types. |
| US08712996B2 |
Information repository search system
A system for receiving search criteria from users is disclosed. The search criteria are for application to a common information repository. The search criteria are received from at least two of the users. The system further associates the search criteria with source information that identifies multiple sources via which the search criteria are received. The system further generates a ranked set of search criteria based on the search criteria and presents a user interface including the ranked set of search criteria. |
| US08712992B2 |
Method and apparatus for web crawling
A method and system for retrieving data from a webpage is described herein. A scheduler organizes, or rather orders, a group of webpage identifiers according to some predetermined criteria. Based upon this ordering, a fetcher may be configured to fetch data from webpages identified by the identifiers. To promote efficiency and reduce the latency between when a webpage is updated and when the fetcher retrieves data from the webpage, the scheduler may be configured to reorder the identifiers in such a manner that it causes an identifier that was less relevant, and would not have been sent to the fetcher, to become more relevant. In this way, the method and system may be particularly useful for retrieving data related to webpages that are updated frequently, such as social media webpages, for example. |
| US08712983B2 |
Database management method
The present invention realize a method of managing a database capable of hierarchically building master nodes, and efficiently performing the update of the master nodes. A lower-level master node sends, to a higher-level master node, a write set expanded in its own memory including a shadow copy of its own database and a heaptuple map, and the higher-level master node that received the write set verifies whether the update has already been executed and sends the record of this update to the lower-level master node as a transaction log, whereby the database can be updated efficiently and consistently from the lower-level master node to the higher-level master node, and from the higher-level master node to the lower-level master node under its control. |
| US08712975B2 |
Modification of an object replica
Several different embodiments of a massively scalable object storage system are described. The object storage system is particularly useful for storage in a cloud computing installation whereby shared servers provide resources, software, and data to computers and other devices on demand. In several embodiments, the object storage system includes a ring implementation used to associate object storage commands with particular physical servers such that certain guarantees of consistency, availability, and performance can be met. In other embodiments, the object storage system includes a synchronization protocol used to order operations across a distributed system. In a third set of embodiments, the object storage system includes a metadata management system. In a fourth set of embodiments, the object storage system uses a structured information synchronization system. Features from each set of embodiments can be used to improve the performance and scalability of a cloud computing object storage system. |
| US08712971B2 |
Restore software with aggregated view of content databases
A system and method for restoring multiple content databases of a web application are disclosed. A restoration GUI may indicate one or more available recovery times. User input selecting a particular recovery time may be received. The selected recovery time may correspond to a first time when a first database was backed up. The system may determine that the web application also included one or more other databases in addition to the first database at the first time. Information indicating the first database together with the one or more other databases may be displayed in association with the selected recovery time in the graphical user interface. |
| US08712970B1 |
Recovering a database to any point-in-time in the past with guaranteed data consistency
A data management method wherein a real-time history of a database system is stored as a logical representation and the logical representation is then used for any point-in-time recovery of the database system. More specifically, a method for capturing transaction data, binary data changes, metadata, and events, and for tracking a real-time history of a database system according to the events. The method enables tracking and storing of consistent checkpoint images of the database system, and also enables tracking of transaction activities between checkpoints. The database system may be recovered to any consistent checkpoint or to any point between two checkpoints. |
| US08712967B1 |
Systems and methods for simultaneously configuring multiple independent backups
A method for simultaneously configuring multiple independent backups. The method may include (1) identifying a backup environment managed by a backup system, (2) identifying a request from a user to configure a plurality of backups within the backup environment, wherein each backup within the plurality of backups specifies, independent of any other backup, a backup operation to be performed by the backup system on a computing resource within the backup environment, (3) providing a graphical user interface that allows the user to simultaneously configure each backup within the plurality of backups, (4) receiving a request, from the user via the graphical user interface, to simultaneously configure each backup within the plurality of backups, and (5) in response to the request to simultaneously configure each backup within the plurality of backups, independently configuring each backup within the plurality of backups so as to maintain the independence of each backup. |
| US08712963B1 |
Method and apparatus for content-aware resizing of data chunks for replication
Techniques for replicating data chunks in a storage system are described herein. In one embodiment, in response to a request for replicating data chunks of a source storage system having a first average chunk size to a target storage system having a second average chunk size, a new chunk size is determined based on metadata of the data chunks in view of an average chunk size of the target storage system. The data chunks are resized based on the new chunk size to generate resized data chunks. The resized data chunks are transmitted from the source storage system to the target storage system for replication. |
| US08712956B2 |
Systems and methods to provide report part via a web service
Some aspects include reception of a selection of a part of a report, the selected report part associated with queries of a semantic layer, and creation of a description of a Web Service call to return contents of the selected report part. In some aspects, a Web Service call associated with a part of a report is received, the report part associated with queries of a semantic layer, and a query is determined based on the Web Service call to return contents of the report part. |
| US08712955B2 |
Optimizing federated and ETL'd databases with considerations of specialized data structures within an environment having multidimensional constraint
A method for creating a data warehousing scheme having optimally selected components. A mathematical model of a goal for the data warehousing scheme is input into an optimization engine. At least one constraint on the data warehousing scheme is input into the optimization engine. A mathematical optimization algorithm is performed using the optimization engine, wherein an output of the optimization engine is an optimized data warehousing scheme having optimally selected components. The optimized data warehousing scheme can be stored. |
| US08712941B2 |
Elementary network description for efficient link between neuronal models and neuromorphic systems
A simple format is disclosed and referred to as Elementary Network Description (END). The format can fully describe a large-scale neuronal model and embodiments of software or hardware engines to simulate such a model efficiently. The architecture of such neuromorphic engines is optimal for high-performance parallel processing of spiking networks with spike-timing dependent plasticity. The format is specifically tuned for neural systems and specialized neuromorphic hardware, thereby serving as a bridge between developers of brain models and neuromorphic hardware manufactures. |
| US08712936B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program
An information processing apparatus for generating a similarity determination algorithm determining a similarity between a pair of data. The apparatus includes: a feature-quantity-extraction expression list generation mechanism generating a feature quantity-extraction expression list including a plurality of feature-quantity-extraction expressions including a plurality of operators by updating the feature-quantity extraction expression list of a preceding generation; a calculation mechanism inputting first and second data given as teacher data into each of the feature-quantity-extraction expressions in the feature-quantity-extraction expression list to calculate a feature quantity corresponding to each of the first and the second data; an evaluation-value calculation mechanism calculating the evaluation value of each of the feature-quantity-extraction expressions using the calculated feature quantities and a similarity between the first and the second data; and a similarity-calculation expression estimation mechanism estimating a similarity calculation expression for calculating a similarity between the first and the second data. |
| US08712935B2 |
Evolutionary clustering algorithm
The invention relates to selecting a set of candidate genes from a pool of genes. The method comprising receiving a set of gene data; arranging the set of gene data into a set of clusters with similar profiles by use of a clustering algorithm; and inputting the set of clusters into a genetic algorithm to select a set of candidate genes from the set of clusters. The method thus relates to hybrid between selection by clustering computation and selection by evolutionary computation. This hybrid is also referred to as an evolutionary clustering algorithm (ECA). |
| US08712932B2 |
Computer implemented apparatus for generating and filtering creative proposal
A computer implemented apparatus for automatically generating and filtering creative proposals is disclosed. Particularly, the computer implemented apparatus automatically generates all possible featured component code sets which corresponding to all possible featured components, and compares them to the prior art code sets which corresponding to the prior objects. Thereby, the novel code sets which corresponding to the novel creative proposals are rapidly filtered out. The computer implemented apparatus comprises a standard component database, a permutation and combination module, a featured component code set database, a prior art code set database, a matching module, a sifting module and an output module. |
| US08712927B2 |
Systems and methods for parameter adaptation
A method of parameter adaptation is used to modify the parameters of a model to improve model performance. The model separately estimates the contribution of each model parameter to the prediction error. It achieves this by transforming to the time-scale plane the vectors of output sensitivities with respect to model parameters and then identifying the regions within the time-scale plane at which the dynamic effect of individual model parameters is dominant on the output. The method then attributes the prediction error in these regions to the deviation of a single parameter from its true value as the basis of estimating individual parametric errors. The proposed Parameter Signature Isolation Method (PARSIM) then uses these estimates to adapt individual model parameters independently of the others, implementing, in effect, concurrent adaptation of individual parameters by the Newton-Raphson method in the time-scale plane. |
| US08712914B2 |
Method and system for facilitating micropayments in a financial transaction system
A system for processing accounts includes a database configured to store a plurality of accounts, the accounts including a consumer account associated with a consumer and a plurality of merchant accounts including a transacting merchant account associated with a merchant, wherein at least one account includes an amount of a virtual currency associated with the account. The system further includes a processor configured to process a financial transaction, wherein the transaction includes the consumer and the merchant, is for a specified amount of virtual currency, and processing the transaction includes transferring the specified amount of virtual currency from the consumer account to the transacting merchant account. The processor is further configured to process the at least one account, wherein processing the at least one account includes converting the associated amount of virtual currency to or from a real currency when the at least one account meets a predetermined criteria. |
| US08712906B1 |
Prioritizing data clusters with customizable scoring strategies
Techniques are disclosed for prioritizing a plurality of clusters. Prioritizing clusters may generally include identifying a scoring strategy for prioritizing the plurality of clusters. Each cluster is generated from a seed and stores a collection of data retrieved using the seed. For each cluster, elements of the collection of data stored by the cluster are evaluated according to the scoring strategy and a score is assigned to the cluster based on the evaluation. The clusters may be ranked according to the respective scores assigned to the plurality of clusters. The collection of data stored by each cluster may include financial data evaluated by the scoring strategy for a risk of fraud. The score assigned to each cluster may correspond to an amount at risk. |
| US08712901B1 |
Method or system for investing and/or trading
The present invention relates to a method or system for investing. A representative embodiment comprises providing a collective investment entity that offers shares of stock for sale to investors, and providing a plurality of investors that purchase shares of stock in the collective investment entity. The shares of stock are subject to a qualifying period. Disbursement value is allocated, and a number of eligible investors is determined. The investors are eligible by virtue of owning at least one eligible share of stock. A disbursement event is conducted, wherein the disbursement value is disbursed to at least one eligible investor chosen in a lottery selection process from among the eligible investors. An eligible share of stock comprises a share that has remained under the ownership of a single investor for the duration of the qualifying period. |
| US08712899B2 |
System and method for managing investment funds
Method for establishing an investment mandate and for managing institutional investment funds associated with equity-based investments, bond-based investments and other investments. |
| US08712896B2 |
Target trading system and method
A method of reaching one or more target positions in a user-directed trading system includes the steps of: identifying target positions, wherein each target position includes a tradable instrument identifier and a target quantity; for at least one of the target positions, identifying a corresponding initial position including a current quantity associated with the tradable instrument identifier; and triggering the trading system to identify orders required to reach at least one target position from at least one initial position. A user-directed trading system includes: a user interface through which a user identifies target positions, wherein each target position includes a tradable instrument identifier and a target quantity; for at least one of the target positions, identifies a corresponding initial position including a current quantity associated with the tradable instrument identifier; and identifies orders required to reach at least one target position from at least one initial position. |
| US08712895B1 |
System and method for creating, managing and trading hedge portfolios
The present invention discloses apparatuses, systems and methods for providing optimal hedge portfolios that minimize single stock idiosyncratic risk for a given level of transactional costs. This is accomplished by deriving hedge portfolios with the maximum effective n for various levels of transaction costs. In one exemplary embodiment the maximum effective n portfolios are derived by starting with a sample portfolio, such as a capital weighted index, and using a hill climbing algorithm to iteratively modify the sample portfolio to map out the optimal effective n portfolios. |
| US08712893B1 |
Enhanced claims damage estimation using aggregate display
Systems and methods provide for an automated system for analyzing damage to process claims associated with an insured item, such as a vehicle. An enhanced claims processing server may analyze damage associated with the insured item using photos/video transmitted to the server from a user device (e.g., a mobile device). The enhanced claims processing server may submit a signal that locks one or more portions of an application on the mobile device used to submit the photos/videos. The mobile device may receive feedback from the server regarding the acceptability of submitted photos/video. The photos may further be annotated using, for example, a touch screen display. An estimate, such as a cost estimate, may be determined for the damage associated with the insured item based on the photos and/or annotations. |
| US08712889B2 |
Alterable account number
Embodiments of the invention are directed to apparatuses, systems, and methods that allow for personalized data to be embedded in a primary account number associated with a consumer device. In one embodiment, a consumer device comprises a body and personalized data embedded into a primary account number, associated with the body. The primary account number includes a bank identification number and the bank identification number and the personalized data overlap. |
| US08712887B2 |
Electronic multiparty accounts receivable and accounts payable system
The invention concerns a multiparty accounts receivable and accounts payable system that allows business trading partners to use a single, shared system for both accounts receivable and accounts payable management. The system allows participants to use the substantial amount of financial and cash flow information captured by the system to borrow more efficiently by permitting lenders to view this information. Furthermore, the system provides a confirmation process to convert existing debt obligations into a new, independent payment obligation due on a date certain and free of any defenses to the underlying contract. The confirmed debt obligations provide a better source of working capital for the participants, or can be converted into electronic promissory notes. The system provides an electronic exchange for electronic promissory notes, allowing participants to raise working capital in various ways, for example, by selling them. |
| US08712884B2 |
Transaction finance processing system and approach
Transaction management for processing payment-related aspects of transactions is facilitated. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a transaction management approach involves the processing of payments on behalf of a buyer or other owing party. These payments are made, e.g., in connection with accounts payable or other functions implemented by the buyer/owing party. In some applications, the payment processing involves a trade credit approach, wherein payment is made on behalf of the buyer/owing party against a credit-type account. |
| US08712878B2 |
Systems and methods for analyzing telecommunications invoices for payment
A system and method for management and processing a plurality of types of telecommunication invoices at a user's site involving importing the plurality of types of telecommunication invoices to provide comparable telecommunication invoices and auditing the comparable telecommunication invoices by performing an automated reasonability test on the comparable telecommunication invoices. The system and method also provide a means for approving, processing and reporting on the comparable telecommunication invoices. |
| US08712874B2 |
System and method for associating financial transaction data with a user's project data using a portable electronic device
This invention relates to a system for viewing and manipulating a user's financial transaction data and a method for associating financial transaction data with a user's project data using a portable electronic device. |
| US08712870B2 |
Products for animal use including humans having a certificate verifying at least one of efficacy or safety, and methods of providing such certificates
Provided are products for animal use including humans having a certificate verifying at least one of efficacy or safety and methods of providing such certificates. |
| US08712864B2 |
System and method for enhancing buyer and seller interaction during a group-buying sale
A method and system are provided that enable buyers and sellers to communicate with each other and to negotiate the purchase terms of featured merchandise in a group-buying opportunity. Sellers and buyers may use various forms of on-line group-buying mechanisms in conjunction with the negotiation features of the invention. Buyers may send various inquiries to sellers regarding merchandise offered for sale through the online group-buying sale. Sellers may respond to buyer questions and queries, and in some instances, sellers may communicate instructions to the on-line group-buying mechanism to alter the course of an on-line group-buying sale in progress, e.g., a further reduction in price. The method and system further provides a mechanism for calculating a demand curve based on received buyer offers and applying the demand curve to an on-line group-buying sale. |
| US08712863B1 |
Apparatus and methods for inventory, sale, and delivery of digitally transferable goods
A system comprises: (a) storage and distribution means; (b) inventory upload means; (c) product information download means; (d) order upload means; and (e) delivery download means. A method comprises: (a) digitally transferring the goods and pertinent product information from a provider of the goods to a storage and distribution means; (b) storing the goods, pertinent product information, order information, sales information, or marketing information on the storage and distribution means; (c) digitally transferring product information to a shopper; (d) digitally transferring order information from a buyer of goods to the storage and distribution means; and (e) digitally transferring the goods to the buyer. The storage and distribution means may be provided with a network connection for access by providers, shoppers, and buyers. |
| US08712860B2 |
Determination and presentation of package pricing offers in response to customer interest in a product
A system and method for determination and presentation of package offers. A package offer is an offer for sale by a retailer of a package of products at a package price. A retailer may offer products for sale in an on-line retail environment or in a physical retail environment. A determination is made that a primary product is of interest to a customer. This determination may involve detecting and interpreting input signals transmitted from a customer device. In response to detecting that the primary product is of interest to the customer, a package is determined that may comprise the primary product and at least one secondary product. A package may be determined by accessing a database to locate a pre-determined package or to select the secondary products ad hoc. A package price is determined that is less than the sum of the corresponding retail prices of the primary product and secondary products in the package. A package price may be based on a profit margin of the primary product and/or a profit margin of at least one of the secondary products. A package offer for the sale of the package at the package price is then presented to the customer. The customer may indicate an acceptance of the package offer and authorize a financial account to be charged for the amount of the package price. The package products may be shipped to the customer or may be picked up at a retail establishment. |
| US08712851B2 |
Diagnostic data interchange
The present invention provides a bi-directional communication network which provides monitoring, data collection, and control of food service industry operations. The system includes a computer and control logic implemented by the computer which may be configured to perform various tasks. A communication network may be provided linking the computer with equipment and appliances having a microprocessor based controller capable of communicating with the system. In one embodiment, the system automatically verifies the performance of equipment-related manual tasks in food preparation. In another embodiment, the system schedules the maintenance of a plurality of kitchen appliances. In another embodiment, the system provides a hold timer for tracking the hold time of cooked food products and determines when the hold time elapses. In yet another embodiment, the system manages the inventory of cooked food products in a food preparation establishment. |
| US08712850B1 |
Promoting content
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, and including a computer-implemented method for providing a creative. The method comprises identifying, using one or more processors, a creative for processing, the creative including a title portion, a body portion and optionally a reference portion. The method further comprises evaluating the body portion including determining when the body portion includes one or more words that can be added to the title portion. The method further comprises promoting, using the one or more processors, the one or more words into the title portion. The method further comprises providing the creative including the title portion with the promoted one or more words. |
| US08712847B2 |
Systems and methods for advertising on content-screened web pages
Systems and methods are provided for advertising on content-screened web pages. In one implementation, a method is provided that includes receiving an impression request for which an advertising impression is desired, screening HTML content of a web page identified by the impression request, generating a rating based on the HTML content of the web page, and assigning the rating to the impression request. |
| US08712845B2 |
Advertising system and method
An advertising system including at least one consumer database containing a plurality of consumer profiles with consumer preference identifying data, at least one brand database containing details of brand clients, each having one or more branding parameters, at least one content database containing a plurality of pieces of content provided by at least one content provider with each piece of content having one or more content profile identifiers, and a content matching engine which matches the branding parameters of the brand clients with one or more of pieces of content and provides these pieces of content to one or more consumers upon the consumer request, based on the matching of the branding parameters and the consumer preference identifying data at no cost to the consumer whilst charging an advertising fee to the brand client and paying a content provision fee to the content provider. |
| US08712837B2 |
Rewarding independent influencers
A method embodiment includes receiving data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content or a second network-available electronic content. Also, receiving data indicative of an involvement with respect to possible matters of interest between the person and a third-party. The involvement being independent of the person activating a link to a site owned by the third-party that is included in the first network-available electronic content or in the second network available electronic content. Further, assessing a behavioral influence by the first network-available electronic content and/or the second network-available electronic content on the indicated involvement with respect to the possible matters of interest between the person and a third-party. Also, facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first network-available electronic content and/or an owner of the second network-available electronic content in response to the assessed behavioral influence. |
| US08712828B2 |
Churn prediction and management system
A system and method for managing churn among the customers of a business is provided. The system and method provide for an analysis of the causes of customer churn and identifies customers who are most likely to churn in the future. Identifying likely churners allows appropriate steps to be taken to prevent customers who are likely to churn from actually churning. The system included a dedicated data mart, a population architecture, a data manipulation module, a data mining tool and an end user access module for accessing results and preparing preconfigured reports. The method includes adopting an appropriate definition of churn, analyzing historical customer to identify significant trends and variables, preparing data for data mining, training a prediction model, verifying the results, deploying the model, defining retention targets, and identifying the most responsive targets. |
| US08712827B2 |
Normalized contextual performance metric for the assessment of fatigue-related incidents
A normalized contextual performance metric quantifies the susceptibility of fatigue-related risk in a fatigue environment with activities conducted within a fatigue level range of interest. Fatigue incidents are quantified by one of a plurality of values associated with fatigue-incident measurement. Activities are quantified by one of a plurality of values associated with activity measurement. A normalized contextual performance metric is determined by identifying a fatigue level range of interest, summing all values of incidents occurring at the fatigue level range of interest, summing all values for relevant activities occurring at the fatigue level range of interest, and then dividing the first sum by the second. The normalized contextual performance metric thereby allows operational managers to assess risk of fatigue incidents by monitoring activities and fatigue levels within the fatigue environment. |
| US08712823B2 |
System, method and program recording medium for supply capacity estimation
Technology for realizing reductions in time required for production plan by estimating supply capacities of suppliers is provided. A system has a function of registering and displaying transaction information including delivery requests from a buyer including number of required parts and delivery responses from a supplier including number of suppliable parts, a function of managing the series of transaction information as transaction history information on a DB, and an estimating function of estimating supply capacities of parts of the supplier with respect to the delivery responses in reply to delivery requests. The estimating function performs processes of estimating supply capacities by determining numbers of suppliable parts of past delivery responses with respect to numbers of required parts of past delivery requests by using the delivery request history information, the delivery response history information and the process LT information, and outputting a screen including the estimated result information to users. |
| US08712821B2 |
Separate matching models based on type of phone associated with a caller
Systems and methods are disclosed for routing callers to agents in a contact center. Exemplary methods and systems include using one of a plurality of different methods or computer models for matching callers to agents, the method or model selected based on a type of phone or phone number associated with a caller (e.g., residential, business, or mobile). The models may include queue routing, performance based matching, adaptive pattern matching algorithms, or the like. In one example, similar adaptive models may be used for two or more different types of phones, but trained differently, e.g., based on data and outcomes for the particular type of phone. Different models for routing callers to agents may perform differently for different types of phones. Further, training correlation or adaptive pattern matching algorithms based on different types of phones may improve performance compared to a single algorithm for all types of phones. |
| US08712807B2 |
System and method for determining payroll related insurance premiums
A computer-implemented method for determining payroll related insurance premiums includes receiving at a server computer first payroll data relating to a first employer in a first data format from a first source and second payroll data in a second data format from a second source. At least one of the first source and the second source includes an employer payroll computer system at an employer location. The received data is read and extracted by a utility program at the employer location. The method further includes conditioning the received payroll data into uniform format payroll data; filtering by at least one of the utility program and the server computer the payroll data to remove non-premium related data; applying by inclusion and exclusion rules from a rules engine to determine payroll data items to consider in calculating a payroll-based insurance premium; and calculating payroll-based insurance premiums. |
| US08712802B1 |
Transferring a document
Disclosed are systems and methods to transfer a document. The systems and methods provide techniques to provide a secure system coupled to a network, relate a transaction identifier to a transaction, allow a third party access to the secure system to transfer an electronic copy of the document to the secure system and to associate the electronic copy of the document with the transaction identifier, and receive the electronic document file from the third party on the secure system. The transaction may relate to an insurance or financial transaction. |
| US08712799B2 |
Method of providing tailor-made software for hospital departments
To provide tailor-made software for use in a specific department of a hospital, a software package suitable for use by more than one department of the hospital is provided including components implementing general tasks. Then, software is added implementing tasks which may be considered to extend the general tasks. This extension can be tailor-made for the specific department. In at least one embodiment, the software package includes both front end and back end software components, front end components reacting to user inputs and calling up back end software components, and the extension may be both at the front end and at the back end side. |
| US08712797B1 |
Methods and system for providing drug pricing information from multiple pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)
A system according to certain aspects of the disclosure provides drug pricing information from multiple PBMs to users. For example, the system may obtain, calculate, and/or estimate drug prices that are available under contracts or agreements between PBMs and various pharmacies. These prices may be prices of drugs for purchase at the various pharmacies. In response to requests for prices of particular drugs, the system can display relevant prices. For example, the system displays a price for each pharmacy chain and/or displays prices for a particular geographical area. The users can compare the prices for a particular drug and determine which pharmacy they would like to purchase the drug from. The system can provide a discount coupon that allows the users to purchase the drug at the price listed by the system at the selected pharmacy. |
| US08712796B2 |
Systems, computer programs, and methods for controlling costs of a healthcare practice
Systems, computer programs, and methods for controlling ancillary medical costs of a healthcare practice and/or insurance network with a plurality of physicians participating therein, are provided. According to an example method, the steps include identifying one or more a plurality of physicians having ancillary medical costs that exceed a certain level to thereby identify the physician or physicians for behavior modification with respect to ancillary medical costs. The method can also include generating information identifying recommended alternative ancillary medical procedures to modify behavior of a physician or physicians with respect to management of the ancillary medical costs. The method can also determining whether the ancillary medical costs of the physician or physicians have decreased to a preselected/baseline level, and distributing a percentage of a savings attributed to the modified ancillary medical cost management behavior when the ancillary medical costs have decreased to or below the preselected/baseline level. |
| US08712793B2 |
Integrated emergency medical database system
An integrated medical database system for the emergency medical transportation business is disclosed. The system includes a dispatch module, clinical module, administration module and billing module. Each module may communicate data with one or more of the other modules to form a system incorporating data sharing, thus achieving an end-to-end automation of emergency medical care accounting. Internal consistency checks are performed by the system to ensure that proper treatments are performed according to a chosen diagnosis. |
| US08712788B1 |
Method of publicly displaying a person's relationship status
A method of displaying a user's relationship status that includes receiving a user-identifying image at an electronic computing device, selecting from a plurality of pre-defined recognizable personal-status identifiers at least one personal-status identifier indicative of a personal status of the user, at least partially surrounding the user-identifying image with a frame-like image, the frame-like image having a unique visual perception characteristic corresponding to the selected at least one personal-status identifier indicative of a personal status of the user and leaving the user-identifying image substantially unobstructed, and uploading the user-identifying image with the frame-like image to at least two different social networks so that the image is visually accessible to users on the at least two different social networks. |
| US08712783B2 |
Entropy encoding and decoding using direct level and run-length/level context-adaptive arithmetic coding/decoding modes
An encoder performs context-adaptive arithmetic encoding of transform coefficient data. For example, an encoder switches between coding of direct levels of quantized transform coefficient data and run-level coding of run lengths and levels of quantized transform coefficient data. The encoder can determine when to switch between coding modes based on a pre-determined switch point or by counting consecutive coefficients having a predominant value (e.g., zero). A decoder performs corresponding context-adaptive arithmetic decoding. |
| US08712782B2 |
Method and apparatus to determine encoding mode of audio signal and method and apparatus to encode and/or decode audio signal using the encoding mode determination method and apparatus
A method and apparatus to determine an encoding mode of an audio signal, and a method and apparatus to encode an audio signal according to the encoding mode. In the encoding mode determination method, a mode determination threshold for the current frame that is subject to encoding mode determination is adaptively adjusted according to a long-term feature of the audio signal for a frame (the current frame) that is subject to encoding mode determination, thereby improving the hit rate of encoding mode determination and signal classification, suppressing frequent oscillation of an encoding mode in frame units, improving noise tolerance, and improving smoothness of a reconstructed audio signal. |
| US08712781B2 |
System and method for customized prompting
A method for providing an audible prompt to a user within a vehicle. The method includes retrieving one or more data files from a memory device. The data files define certain characteristics of an audio prompt. The method also includes creating the audio prompt from the data files and outputting the audio prompt as an audio signal. |
| US08712780B2 |
Systems and methods for picture based communication
A picture based communication system and mechanisms of implementation thereof allowing for rapid translation of picture based input into words or sentences of a previously chosen output language. Communication systems may be incorporated on PCs, mobile devices or may be a software running on a remote system which allows for language-independent messages to be constructed, which can be de-constructed into any language on the receiver's side. Mechanisms of implementation would also be of assistance in allowing people with language difficulties, dyslexia or illiteracy to communicate effectively. |
| US08712775B1 |
Method and system to generate finite state grammars using sample phrases
A method and system for generating a finite state grammar is provided. The method comprises receiving user input of at least two sample phrases; analyzing the sample phrases to determine common words that occur in each of the sample phrases and optional words that occur in only some of the sample phrases; creating a mathematical expression representing the sample phrases, the expression including each word found in the sample phrases and an indication of whether a word is a common word or an optional word; displaying the mathematical expression to a user; allowing the user to alter the mathematical expression; generating a finite state grammar corresponding to the altered mathematical expression; and displaying the finite state grammar to the user. |
| US08712765B2 |
Parameter decoding apparatus and parameter decoding method
A parameter decoding apparatus includes a prediction residue decoder that finds a quantized prediction residue based on encoded information included in a current frame subject to decoding and a moving-average predictor produces a predicted parameter by multiplying a predictive coefficient with a past quantized prediction residue. An adder decodes a parameter by adding the quantized prediction residue and the predicted parameter, wherein the prediction residue decoder, when the current frame is erased, finds a current-frame quantized prediction residue from a weighted linear sum of a parameter decoded in the past and a future-frame quantized prediction residue. |
| US08712746B2 |
Method of modified facies proportions upon history matching of a geological model
A method of modifying a geological model representative of an underground reservoir is disclosed which respects average proportions of the lithologic facies imposed by a production data calibration process which has application to petroleum reservoir development. A geographical zone Z is defined within the geological model and an average proportion in zone Z allowing the production data to be calibrated is determined for k facies, with an optimization process. The proportions of these facies are modified using a block indicator cokriging method constrained by the average proportions to be respected. A new geological model constrained by the modified facies proportions is simulated and the development of the underground medium is optimized by the simulated model. |
| US08712743B2 |
Intake parameter-calculating device for internal combustion engine and method of calculating intake parameter
To provide an intake parameter-calculating device and intake parameter-calculating method for an internal combustion engine, which are capable of accurately calculating intake parameters in a case where an intake throttle valve is provided. The intake parameter-calculating device 1 includes an ECU 2. The ECU 2 calculates an error KTHERRCOR using an error model equation (8) (step 2), and calculates a correction coefficient KTHCOR as the reciprocal of the sum of the error KTHERRCOR and 1 (step 3). The ECU 2 calculates a passing air amount GAIRTH by correcting a basic passing air amount GAIRTHN calculated by an equation (11) using a correction coefficient KTHCOR (step 6). A model parameter A for the error model equation (8) is calculated using equations (14) to (18) by onboard identifying calculation with uniform weighting (steps 48 to 53). |
| US08712742B2 |
Methods, devices and computer program products providing for establishing a model for emulating a physical quantity which depends on at least one input parameter, and use thereof
The present invention proposes methods, devices and computer program products. To this extent, there is defined a set X including N distinct parameter values x_i for at least one input parameter x, N being an integer greater than or equal to 1, first measured the physical quantity Pm1 for each of the N distinct parameter values x_i of the at least one input parameter x, while keeping all other input parameters fixed, constructed a Vandermonde matrix VM using the set of N parameter values x_i of the at least one input parameter x, and computed the model W for emulating the physical quantity P based on the Vandermonde matrix and the first measured physical quantity according to the equation W=(VMT*VM)−1*VMT*Pm1. The model is iteratively refined so as to obtained a desired emulation precision. The model can later be used to emulate the physical quantity based on input parameters or logs taken from the field and thereby support device design optimization. |
| US08712741B2 |
Power supply architecture system designer
A system may include a database configured to store information including characteristics of a plurality of components. The system may further include a server in communication with the database and configured to: receive design parameters indicative of a plurality of power supply loads to be powered; determine a plurality of power supply architectures that may be used to provide power supply solutions satisfying the plurality of loads, each power supply architecture including at least one position requiring a component configured to satisfy a load requirement; for each one of at least a subset of the plurality of power supply architectures, determine, based on the characteristics of the plurality of components, at least one component configured to satisfy the corresponding load requirement for each position of the one of the power supply architectures; and generate at least one power supply design in accordance with the power supply architectures and the determined components. |
| US08712740B2 |
Signal judgment method, signal judgment apparatus, program, and signal judgment system
Provided is a high-accuracy signal judgment method for noise or vibrations of a living environment. Provided is a signal judgment method associated with noise or vibrations of a living environment. The signal judgment method includes: inputting, into a model equation of a to-be-measured/analyzed target, unknown data; and obtaining an output value as a probability value of whether the unknown data is a to-be-measured/analyzed target. The model equation of the to-be-measured/analyzed target is created with the use of measured already-known data. The model equation is created by prediction model equation calculation means. Incidentally, a logistic regression equation can be used as the prediction model equation. |
| US08712734B2 |
Method for installing industrial components in an environment
A method for installing industrial components in an environment is provided, in which, with the aid of a computer-assisted design model representing the theoretical layout of the industrial components in the environment, various measuring points of the theoretical positioning of the supports of each component are determined, those theoretical measuring points are codified with values, parameterisable model measuring ranges are parameterized by the codified values, and at least one measuring device is controlled with the aid of the codified values by application of the corresponding range in order to compare the actual positioning points in the environment as a function of theoretical positioning points of the supports of each component. The method is applicable to the installation of the components of the loops of the primary circuits of nuclear power stations. |
| US08712731B2 |
Simplified algorithm for abnormal situation prevention in load following applications including plugged line diagnostics in a dynamic process
Systems and methods are provided for detecting abnormal conditions and preventing abnormal situations from occurring in controlled processes. Statistical signatures of a monitored variable are modeled as a function of the statistical signatures of a load variable. The statistical signatures of the monitored variable may be modeled according to an extensible regression model or a simplified load following algorithm. The systems and methods may be advantageously applied to detect plugged impulse lines in a differential pressure flow measuring device. |
| US08712729B2 |
Anomalous data detection method
An example data assessment method for a diagnostic system includes receiving a set of initialization data, analyzing the set of initialization data to identify a data outlier in the set of initialization data, and determining whether the set of initialization data is bimodal. The method further includes establishing a set of cleaned data based on the analysis and establishing a baseline operating condition for the device using the set of cleaned data. |
| US08712727B2 |
Field device for determining or monitoring a physical or chemical process variable
A field device is composed of a sensor, which works according to a defined measuring principle, and a control/evaluation unit, for a particular safety-critical application, conditions and evaluates, along at least two equivalent measuring paths, measurement data delivered by the sensor. The control/evaluation unit is implemented on an FPGA, provided with at least a first section and a second section. In each section, a digital measuring path, is dynamically reconfigurable. The sections are isolated from one another by permanently configured spacer regions, wherein the spacer regions are embodied in such a way, that a temperature and/or a voltage change in one of the sections has no influence on the other section or other sections, and, in the case of malfunction, no connection occurs between the sections. The control/evaluation unit, as a function of the particular defined safety-critical application, partially dynamically reconfigures the function modules in the measuring paths in such a manner, that the field device fulfills the required safety standard. |
| US08712719B2 |
Method and system for detecting center pivot collision
A system and method is described that allow for detecting center pivot collision and that provide more accurate and reliable collision indications. The system and method described are suitable for low-cost consumer grade GPS devices and other position sensors. |
| US08712714B2 |
Measurement protocol for a medical technology apparatus
In a method and a computer-readable storage medium to optimize protocol parameters for an MR measurement protocol, the user can configure conditions for selected physical parameters in advance. Moreover, it is possible to configure rules for these parameters and/or for the conditions. In a next step physical values regarding the selected parameters are measured. The measured values are then applied to the configured conditions and/or rules in order to optimize the protocol parameters. |
| US08712706B2 |
Method and apparatus for producing homogeneous magnetic fields
A method for shimming a magnetic field is disclosed. The method uses a single shim current to contribute to suppression of more than one geometrical component of an inhomogeneity in the magnetic field without changing the geometry of the shim path. Apparatuses to implement the method are also disclosed. In embodiments the apparatuses comprise substantially commonly oriented shim paths. |
| US08712705B2 |
Field device configuration system
A system to configure a field device of the type used to calculate a flow of a process fluid. The system includes a flow repository comprising a list of process fluids with which the field device can be used, fluid equation data which provides information related to fluid equations for calculating fluid parameters of the process fluid, a list of primary elements, and primary element equation data which provides information related to primary element equations and fluid equations for calculating flow of the process fluid. The flow application is adapted to retrieve data from the flow repository and to generate information which is used by field device to calculate the flow of the process fluid. |
| US08712697B2 |
Determination of copy number variations using binomial probability calculations
This invention relates to a binomial calculation of copy number of data obtained from a mixed sample having a first source and a second source. |
| US08712696B2 |
Methods of prognosing a rheumatoid arthritis remission phenotype
A method for prognosing a rheumatoid arthritis phenotype using the outcomes of selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and clinical variables. A method for genotyping multiple rheumatoid arthritis associated genetic variations comprising use of a DNA microrarray. A microarray for use in the described methods. |
| US08712691B2 |
Fusion of road geometry model information gathered from disparate sources
A method and system for implementing the fusion of road geometry model information in different forms from different sources in a manner that is comprehensive, efficient, and effective. Such fused road geometry model information for a particular vehicle (i.e., an ego vehicle) provides for improved performance of active safety functionality. Examples of active safety functionalities include, but are not limited to, curve speed warning, selection of target objects that are potential threats to the ego vehicle by helping the ego vehicle's path prediction, and the like. |
| US08712690B1 |
Systems, methods, and apparatus to determine physical location and routing within a field of low power beacons
A non-time of flight or time of arrival position location system for accurate determination of a user's location in an enclosed, indoor, or covered environment can include a number of beacons mounted in an arrangement within the environment. Each of the beacons is mounted in a known location and transmits a broadcast signal containing a unique identifier that identifies the originating beacon. A handheld electronic device including a receiver and a communicably coupled processor can receive broadcast signals from at least some of the number of beacons, iteratively determine a vector quantity corresponding to each of the received signals, and sum the resultant vector quantities to determine an updated position. The iterative process can be repeated until consecutive iterations yield an updated position that falls within a defined threshold. |
| US08712689B2 |
Method for computer-based determination of a position in a map, navigation device and mobile radio telephone
A digitized image of a map is stored in a data memory. At least one point of the image of the map is selected as reference point. Space coordinates of the location which corresponds to the reference point are determined and allocated to the reference point. A supplementary calibration information item which enables the image of the map to be calibrated in space coordinates is determined. A mobile radio telephone has a navigation device which is set up for carrying out the method. |
| US08712686B2 |
System and method for locating, tracking, and/or monitoring the status of personnel and/or assets both indoors and outdoors
A system and method for locating, tracking, and/or monitoring the status of personnel and/or assets (“trackees”), both indoors and outdoors, is provided. Tracking data obtained from various sources utilizing any number of tracking methods may be provided as input to a mapping application. The mapping application generates position estimates for trackees using a suite of mapping tools to make corrections to the tracking data. The mapping application further uses information from building data, when available, to enhance position estimates. Indoor tracking methods including sensor fusion methods, map matching methods, and map building methods may be implemented to take tracking data from one or more trackees and compute a more accurate tracking estimate for each trackee. Outdoor tracking methods may be implemented to enhance outdoor tracking data by combining tracking estimates such as inertial tracks with magnetic data, compass data, and/or with GPS, if and when available. |
| US08712669B2 |
Fuel-based injection control
Systems and methods of operating an engine with a varying fuel composition. In one example, a split injection is performed during engine cranking with at least some fuel injected in the intake stroke and some fuel injected in the compression stroke. Further, a split ratio of the injection is adjusted based on the alcohol content of the injected fuel. |
| US08712666B2 |
Multiple-frequency inversion method and control apparatus for internal combustion engine driven generator
A multiple-frequency inversion method and a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine driven generator includes an inverter unit that employs a multiple-frequency inversion technology, controlling the inverter unit through a low switching frequency f to obtain a 2f modulated frequency, thus resolving the problem that a low frequency switching component generates a high frequency modulated waveform. Four switching devices in the inverter unit have the same working frequency, alleviating the controller load. In addition, a high modulated frequency reduces the device parameters of the filter unit, resulting in a smaller-sized and lighter apparatus, thus giving the generator portability. Reduction of the device parameters of the filter unit means reduction of the output internal resistance of the generator, therefore increasing the non-linear load capability of the generator. |
| US08712660B2 |
Method for maintaining a driver-independent braking intervention after a collision
In a method for maintaining a driver-independent braking intervention in a motor vehicle after a collision accelerator operation by the driver is detected; it is ascertained whether an engine torque influence via the accelerator can in fact be carried out; and when it is ascertained that the engine torque influence cannot be carried out, the driver-independent braking intervention is not broken off. |
| US08712659B2 |
Method and apparatus for eliminating a motor vehicle tip-over risk
The invention relates to a method for preventing tip-over of a motor vehicle in the lateral direction, in which a finite number of predefined driving states is specified; in which a determination is made as to which of the predefined driving states the vehicle is in instantaneously, the predefined driving state thus determined being dependent on sensor signals and on that predefined driving state in which the vehicle was most recently; and as a function of the predefined driving state instantaneously present, at least one braking intervention is carried out in order to prevent the tip-over. |
| US08712654B2 |
Acceleration based mode switch
The present invention provides a method of selecting and implementing a shift schedule for a transmission in a vehicle that includes an output speed sensor and a controller. The method includes measuring output speed with the output speed sensor and comparing the measured output speed to an output speed threshold. The controller receives throttle percentage and compares the throttle percentage to a throttle threshold. The method also includes calculating output acceleration and transmission gear ratio with the controller. The shift schedule is selected based on the measured output speed, calculated output acceleration, calculated transmission gear ratio, and throttle percentage. |
| US08712649B2 |
Continuously variable transmission and control method thereof
A transmission controller permits a 2-1 shift, in which a gear position of a subtransmission mechanism is changed from a second speed to a first speed, when an accelerator pedal has been depressed to or above a predetermined opening. The gear position of the subtransmission mechanism is changed from the second speed to the first speed when an actual through speed ratio passes a mode switch line from a High side to a Low side while the 2-1 shift is permitted in the subtransmission mechanism. |
| US08712641B2 |
Stability control system with body-force-disturbance heading correction
A yaw stability control system for a vehicle detects and eliminates the vehicle yaw angle resulting from a body-force-disturbance and returns the vehicle to a pre disturbance heading. A yaw rate module generates a signal indicative of the vehicle yaw rate error. A yaw angle error module is triggered in response to a body-force-disturbance being detected by a body-force-disturbance detection unit, and performs integrations of the yaw rate signals to calculate a yaw angle error in order to obtain a correction of the vehicle yaw angle resulting from the body-force-disturbance. A yaw control module uses the yaw angle error in combination with the yaw rate error for a limited time period to generate yaw control signals that are sent to the vehicle brakes and/or active steering system for performing vehicle yaw stability control operations a signal to perform a body-force-disturbance yaw stability control operation for. |
| US08712632B2 |
Method and apparatus for complementing an instrument panel by utilizing augmented reality
An approach is provided for complementing various devices and/or instruments by utilizing augmented reality and providing an adaptive user interface to a user at a user device. A user device determines one or more information items associated with at least one instrument panel of at least one vehicle. Then the user device determines one or more representations of the one or more information items and causes, at least in part, a presentation of the one or more information items at the user device, wherein the user device may complement and/or may be substituted for the at least one instrument panel. |
| US08712619B2 |
Vehicle and method for controlling vehicle
A vehicle is equipped with a battery configured so as to be rechargeable, a motor generator configured so as to generate the driving force of the vehicle by use of electric power stored in the battery, a switch configured so as to switch between generation of a command for extending the use period of the battery and stop of generation of the command, and an ECU for controlling the state of charge of the battery. The ECU sets the control range of SOC of the battery. When the switch stops generation of the command, the ECU sets the control range to a first range. Meanwhile, when a command is generated by the switch, the ECU sets the control range to a second range narrower than the first range. |
| US08712613B2 |
Control device
A control device controlling a hybrid vehicle drive apparatus that includes an internal combustion engine, a rotary electric machine drivingly connected to a wheel and a clutch selectively drivingly connecting the internal combustion engine with the rotary electric machine. The control device performs control such that, when a start request of the internal combustion engine is issued in the state in which the clutch is released and combustion of the internal combustion engine is stopped, a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine is raised to a rotational speed of the rotary electric machine by transmitting driving torque of the rotary electric machine to the internal combustion engine by increasing a torque transfer capacity of the clutch, and, after the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine is synchronized with the rotational speed of the rotary electric machine, the combustion of the internal combustion engine is started. |
| US08712603B2 |
Aircraft drive
The present invention describes a drive system for an aircraft involving one or more nose wheel motors. Data regarding the nose wheel rotation is used to control the ground travel of the aircraft, to predict potential problems, to provide more precise control over the aircraft, and to improve aircraft safety. |
| US08712591B2 |
Constant low-flow air source control system and method
A constant low-flow air source control system and method is used to operate a pump to inflate an inflatable support structure used to support a person. |
| US08712588B2 |
Method and/or apparatus for navigating mobile robot using virtual sensor
A method and apparatus of improving the navigation performance of robot are provided. The navigation method using a virtual sensor includes: generating information on positions of obstacles, the information which is estimated to be generated by virtual sensors that are virtually present, based on information on positions of the obstacles, which is generated by physical sensors; and controlling a movement of a robot according to the information on the positions of the obstacles. It is possible to overcome limits in the number and arrangement of previously installed physical sensors. |
| US08712584B2 |
Method and system for electronic assistance in dispensing pharmaceuticals
A system and method for electronic assistance in dispensing pharmaceuticals, utilizing software, hardware and barcode technology to yield error free, clinically correct, adjudicated prescriptions. The system is adaptive to the preferences of an authorized user, by being configurable on the basis of when and what type of warnings are given in particular circumstances, based on entries in a field, and whether the order can proceed. Additionally, the invention allows for automated and electronically assisted refilling of orders. The invention allows for tracking and monitoring of prescription orders through barcode labeling and scanning. |
| US08712575B2 |
Hydrostatic pad pressure modulation in a simultaneous double side wafer grinder
Systems and methods are disclosed for modulating the hydrostatic pressure in a double side wafer grinder having a pair of grinding wheels. The systems and methods use a processor to measure the amount of electrical current drawn by the grinding wheels. Pattern detection software is used to predict a grinding stage based on the measured electrical current. The hydrostatic pressure is changed by flow control valves at each stage to change the clamping pressure applied to the wafer and to thereby improve nanotopology in the processed wafer. |
| US08712559B2 |
Adaptive control for uncertain nonlinear multi-input multi-output systems
Systems and methods of adaptive control for uncertain nonlinear multi-input multi-output systems in the presence of significant unmatched uncertainty with assured performance are provided. The need for gain-scheduling is eliminated through the use of bandwidth-limited (low-pass) filtering in the control channel, which appropriately attenuates the high frequencies typically appearing in fast adaptation situations and preserves the robustness margins in the presence of fast adaptation. |
| US08712553B2 |
Means to securely fixate pacing leads and/or sensors in vessels
According to embodiments of the present invention, a cardiac lead system adapted for fixation to a vessel including an expandable fixation mechanism adapted to engage an inner surface of the vessel and a lead member comprising an anchor structure at distal end, the anchor structure configured to removably engage with fixation mechanism. Such anchor structure may be helical, and may removably engage fixation mechanism upon rotation or an application of torque, and may be extendable and/or retractable. Fixation mechanism may be polymer coated weave and/or mesh to trap anchor structure. Lead member and/or fixation mechanism may include electrodes and/or sensors, and lead member may include L-shape, S-shape, spiral, and/or sinusoidal shape for positioning of electrodes and/or sensors or for facilitated engagement of anchor structure. A guide wire attached to fixation mechanism during deployment may, prior to detachment, serve to guide lead member to a target site at fixation mechanism. |
| US08712547B2 |
Cavernous nerve stimulation via unidirectional propagation of action potentials
An implantable stimulation device includes a device body; at least one set of partitioned electrodes disposed on a portion of the device body and configured and arranged for application of electrical stimulation to adjacent tissue; and insulating material separating the partitioned electrodes from each other. Each set of partitioned electrodes includes a plurality of partitioned electrodes disposed around a circumference of the device body. The implantable stimulation device can be configured and arranged so that each of the partitioned electrodes is independently programmable. |
| US08712544B2 |
Electromagnetic shield for a passive electronic component in an active medical device implantable lead
A shielded component or network for an active medical device (AMD) implantable lead includes (1) an implantable lead having a length extending from a proximal end to a distal end, all external of an AMD housing, (2) a passive component or network disposed somewhere along the length of the implantable lead, the passive component or network including at least one inductive component having a first inductive value, and (3) an electromagnetic shield substantially surrounding the inductive component or the passive network. The first inductive value of the inductive component is adjusted to a account for a shift in its inductance to a second inductive value when shielded. |
| US08712540B2 |
Patient programmer with automated MRI compatibility verification for active implantable medical device
A system may include an active implantable medical device implantable in a body of a patient and a patient programmer for the AIMD. The patient programmer may be configured to obtain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatibility information relating to compatibility of the AIMD with an MRI modality. |
| US08712536B2 |
Eye therapy system
An electrical energy applicator in one embodiment extends from a proximal end to a distal end. The energy conducting applicator includes, at the proximal end, a connection to one or more electrical energy sources. The energy conducting applicator directs electrical energy from the one or more electrical energy sources to the distal end. The energy conducting applicator includes an outer conductor and an inner conductor extending to the distal end. The outer conductor and the inner conductor are separated by a gap. The outer conductor includes a plurality of moveable outer segments and the inner conductor includes a plurality of moveable inner segments. The plurality of outer segments and the plurality of inner segments form a total contact surface at the distal end. The total contact surface is positionable at a surface of an eye. The electrical energy is applied to the eye according to the total contact surface. |
| US08712526B2 |
System for seeking for an optimal configuration of a bi-, tri- or multi-ventricular cardiac resynchronization implanted device
An apparatus and a system for seeking for an optimal configuration of a bi-, tri- or multi-ventricular cardiac resynchronization implantable medical device. This system includes ventricular pacing, a signal representative of an endocardial acceleration (EA) of a patient's heart, and isolating and pre-processing the EA signal to obtain an EA1 component and an EA2 component. The effectiveness of the current pacing configuration is evaluated by one or more composite indexes that combine at least two of the following parameters: peak-to-peak amplitude (PEA1) of the EA1 component; time occurrence (TstEA1) of the beginning of the EA1 component; time interval (LargEA1) between the beginning of the EA1 component and the moment of the energy peak of the EA1 component; and duration of systole (Syst), represented by the time interval between the beginning (TstEA1) of the EA1 component and the beginning (TstEA2) of the EA2 component. |
| US08712520B2 |
Cardiac function management integrating cardiac contractility modulation
An implantable cardiac rhythm/function management system integrates cardiac contractility modulation (CCM) and one or more other therapies, such as to preserve device safety, improve efficacy, enhance sensing and detection, or enhance therapy effectiveness and delivery. Examples of the one or more other therapies can include pacing, defibrillation/cardioversion, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), or neurostimulation. |
| US08712505B2 |
Automated macular pathology diagnosis in three-dimensional (3D) spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) images
Systems and methods of analyzing an optical coherence tomography image of a retina are discussed. A 2-dimensional slice of the image can be aligned to produce an approximately horizontal image of the retina and an edge map based at least in part on the aligned slice. Also, at least one global representation can be determined based on a (multi-scale) spatial division, such as multi-scale spatial pyramid, on the slice and/or edge map. Creating the local features is based on the specified cell structure of the global representation. The local features can be constructed based on local binary pattern (LBP)-based features. Additionally, a slice can be categorized into one or more categories via one or more classifiers (e.g., support vector machines). Each category can be associated with at least one ocular pathology, and classifying can be based on the constructed global descriptors, which can include the LBP-based local descriptors. |
| US08712501B2 |
Method and device for surface scanning of a patient
The invention relates to a method for the surface scanning of a patient, arranged on a patient's couch of a medical diagnostic device, with the following steps: Radiation of a light beam from a positioning light source onto the patient, detection of the light beam on the patient by an image sensor, arranged offset relative to the light beam, with the said light beam running from the positioning light source to the patient, movement of the patient relative to the positioning light source so that the light beam passes over the body of the patient, and determination of the surface of the patient from the detected light beam. A corresponding device is also claimed. |
| US08712500B2 |
Image-monitoring method for electroporation treatment and as associated image-monitoring appliance
An image-monitoring method for an electroporation treatment with an electroporation appliance is provided. The electroporation appliance comprises at least two treatment electrodes and an image-monitoring appliance. At least one image monitoring measurement is performed by the image-monitoring appliance after the administration of a contrast agent and after the electroporation treatment. |
| US08712490B2 |
Conductor for transmitting electrical power
A conductor for transmitting electrical power having a cylindrical core (1) clad with a strip of metallic material (2), possibly comprising a superconductor, placed, in the shape of a tube, longitudinally around said core (I), its longitudinal edges being welded to each other along a weld seam (3). The core (1) has a slot (4, 4′) placed under said weld seam (3). |
| US08712486B2 |
Detachably integrated battery charger for mobile cell phones and like devices
A cell phone charger comprises a main body having embedded therein a charging circuit configured to receive line AC voltage and to convert it to a DC voltage suitable for charging the mobile device. AC prongs fold into the body in a stowed position and a connection structure formed integrally with the main body grasps onto and holds the charger secured to the cell phone device. In a preferred embodiment, the AC prongs pivot independently and lie flat against an outside surface of the main body. |
| US08712477B2 |
Mobile terminal and method for changing page thereof
A mobile terminal for smoothly changing a page between page groups by using an indicator indicating a page group, and a method for changing a page in the mobile terminal are provided. The mobile terminal including: a display unit configured to display an indicator indicating a page group including a plurality of pages; an input unit configured to detect a gesture associated with the indicator; and a controller configured to control the display unit to display a page representing the page group, wherein the indicator discriminately displays the page representing the page group among the plurality of pages. |
| US08712474B2 |
Secure soft SIM credential transfer
The method and apparatus described herein transfers soft SIM credentials from a transferring mobile device to a target mobile device while ensuring that only one mobile device contains active soft SIM credentials at a time. Broadly, a transferring mobile device securely transfers the soft SIM credentials to a target mobile device either directly or via a network server. Before the target mobile device receives or activates the soft SIM credentials, the transferring mobile device deactivates the soft SIM credentials to ensure that only one mobile device contains the active soft SIM credentials. |
| US08712464B2 |
Method and apparatus for communication channel error rate estimation
A wireless communication device or system generates transmit power control feedback for a received power control channel by determining a command error rate (CER), or by identifying a target signal quality for the power control channel according to a defined signal-quality-to-CER mapping function. Generally, the power control channel does not include error-coded data to use for CER estimation. However, in one embodiment, the channel does include known reference bits that are evaluated for CER estimation, with the estimated CER used to set the signal quality target for inner loop power control. In other embodiments, a computed reception error probability is used to identify a CER estimate according to a defined probability-to-CER mapping function. By way of non-limiting example, these embodiments may be used to provide power control feedback for power control commands transmitted on a Fractional Dedicated Physical Channel in WCDMA systems. |
| US08712462B2 |
Downlink scheduling in fractional frequency reuse (FFR) systems
An apparatus and method are disclosed for determining the optimal bandwidth fractions for all the users in each frequency band in a wireless communication system to maximize the net sum of user utilities. User utilities are functions of average rates of users, where different averaging rules can be used for different users. The standard approach of computing an optimal scheduler strategy involves the solution of a convex optimization problem that has a complexity on the order of O(N3) for N flows. This approach is not feasible for online implementation having a large number of flows. The method of the present work employs an efficient computational algorithm that obtains the optimal bandwidth fractions in O(N) time. This feature makes the method suitable for implementation in wideband cellular systems like LTE (Long Term Evolution) and UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband). |
| US08712448B2 |
Efficient paging in a wireless communication system
Methods and apparatus for efficient two-stage paging wireless communications systems are described. Wireless terminals are assigned to paging groups. A few first paging message information bits are modulated (using non-coherent modulation) into a first paging signal and communicated from a base station to wireless terminals. WTs wake-up, receive the first paging signal and quickly ascertain whether its paging group should expect a second paging signal, if so, the WT is operated to receive the second paging signal; otherwise, the WT goes back to sleep conserving power. The base station modulates (using coherent modulation) a number of second message information bits into a second paging signal and transmits the signal to WTs. From the information in first and second paging signals, a WT can determine that it is the paged WT and process the paging instructions. The intended paged WT can transmit an acknowledgement signal on a dedicated uplink resource. |
| US08712437B2 |
Mobile communication device and method for providing positioning information
According to an aspect of this disclosure, a mobile communication device is provided comprising a positioning circuit configured to determine the geographical position of the mobile communication device; a requester configured to generate a request for information about the geographical position of the mobile communication device; a location management circuit configured to receive an indication of the determined geographical position of the mobile communication device from the positioning circuit; receive the request from the requester, process the request and provide information about the geographical position of the mobile communication device based on the result of the processing of the request and based on the indication of the geographical position of the mobile communication device to the requester. |
| US08712433B1 |
Methods and systems for use in tracking targets for direction finding systems
A tracking device is at a tracking device location, and a processing unit is at a home location. The processing unit receives a first signal associated with the target, determines positional data associated with the target, and transmits the positional data to the tracking device. |
| US08712427B2 |
Method for determining the local position of at least one mobile radio communication device based on predetermined local positions of adjacent radio communication devices, associated radio communication device and radio communication system
A method determines the local position of at least one mobile radio communication device which is to be locates, in at least one radio cell of a radio communication system. At least one remote mobile radio communication device is located in the same radio cell or in another radio cell as the radio communication device which is to be located, and the current local position thereof is predetermined to said device or to the radio network of the radio communication system and transmits positional information by one or several radio information signals via a direct radio connection or via an indirect radio communication device with the aid of the radio network to the radio communication device which is to be located. |
| US08712419B2 |
Local call local switching at handover
Described is a method for managing locally switched call connections in a wireless communication network comprising receiving, at a core network node, a first message indicating that a first user equipment connected via the locally switched call connection has been detected in a target radio access node and transmitting, triggered by the first message, a second message requesting a status change of the locally switched call connection to a second user equipment, such that a user plane data path from the first user equipment to the second user equipment is switched to a core network path. Moreover, the method is implemented in a network node, while the method steps can be executed by means of a computer program product comprising instruction sets performing each method step. |
| US08712418B2 |
Communication apparatus, communication method, and communication system
A wireless communication system, method and apparatus cooperate to use a wireless coordination signal from a control station in a first frequency band to establish direct links in a second frequency band between different terminals. Once established, the direct links in the second frequency band operate without further needing intervention by the control station. The first frequency band is 1 GHz or higher, and the second frequency band is at a higher frequency than the first frequency band. |
| US08712415B2 |
Timing and cell specific system information handling for handover in evolved UTRA
A method and apparatus for reducing handover time includes a wireless transmit receive unit receiving cell specific information in a downlink signal. The downlink signal is one of a set of signals included in a handover process. |
| US08712408B2 |
Remotely provisioned wireless proxy
A remotely provisioned proxy within a wireless/mobile phone that proxies a wireless communication path between a disconnected piconet (e.g., BLUETOOTH™) device and a network resource such as a universal resource locator (URL) via a mating mobile phone. Thus, an application proxy module embodied within the mobile phone provides managed access of a piconet device connected to the mating mobile phone to remote services. A disconnected piconet device uses the full data bandwidth available to a wireless phone, without the need for the disconnected piconet device to include its own separate wireless front end, or to require use of a modem within the mobile phone. Thus, using a mobile phone with application proxy, the user need not pay for the luxury of a tethered data plan. |
| US08712406B2 |
Communication apparatus and communication system
There is disclosed a communication apparatus including a first communication portion, a second communication portion, a speech detecting portion, and a communication control portion. The first communication portion wirelessly sends and receives audio data to and from a first other communication apparatus. The second communication portion wirelessly sends and receives general data to and from a second other communication apparatus. The speech detecting portion detects that a user at the first other communication apparatus is speaking. The communication control portion interrupts the wireless communication implemented by the second communication portion when the user at the first other communication apparatus is speaking. |
| US08712402B2 |
Enabling improvement in cellular network coverage
A method that has cellphones report to the cellular network signal strength and location information when the signal strength falls below a chosen threshold. Each cellphone maintains a log file of entries, each of which specifies a location and a signal strength (that is below the chosen threshold) and on a regular basis sends the information in the log file to the cellular network's provider. The provider uses the information sent by the cellphones to identify geographic regions where signal conditions are poor, and that enables the provider to upgrade its network. |
| US08712400B2 |
Range extension techniques for a wireless local area network
Techniques for extending transmission range in a WLAN are described. In an aspect, a receiving station determines the frequency error between a transmitting station and the receiving station based on one or more initial packet transmissions and corrects this frequency error for subsequent packet transmissions received from the transmitting station. The residual frequency error is small after correcting for the frequency error and allows the receiving station to perform coherent accumulation/integration over a longer time interval to detect for a packet transmission. The longer coherent accumulation interval improves detection performance, especially at low SNRs for extended transmission range. The techniques may be used whenever the receiving station knows the identity of the transmitting station, e.g., if the subsequent packet transmissions are scheduled. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described. |
| US08712393B2 |
Selecting input/output components of a mobile terminal
A device includes a first microphone at a first position on the device, a second microphone at a second position on the device, a first speaker at a third position on the device, and a second speaker at a fourth position on the device. The first, second, third, and fourth positions of the device are different positions. The device also includes a controller configured to determine a physical characteristic of the device. The controller is further configured to select, based on the determined physical characteristic, among the first microphone at the first position on the device and the second microphone at the second position on the device. The controller is additionally configured to select, based on the determined physical characteristic, among the first speaker at the third position on the device and the second speaker at the fourth position on the device. |
| US08712391B2 |
Client-managed group communication sessions within a wireless communications system
In an embodiment, a user equipment (UE) participating in a server-mediated communication session maintains an identifier of the session and a list of UEs that are currently participating in the session. The UE determines to suppress its participation level in the session, and configures a member update message to include the identifier and to indicate the suppressed participation level of the UE. The UE transmits the configured member update message to each other UE currently participating in the session. In another embodiment, the UE receives a request to modify one or more of a given set of control parameters associated with the session. The UE determines whether the UE belongs to a subset of UEs that are currently participating in the session and to which permission to modify the given set of parameters is restricted. The UE selectively grants the received request based on the determination. |
| US08712390B2 |
Enhanced telephony services
Techniques for providing a smart dial controller for enhancing a telephone voice call using a data connection. In an exemplary embodiment, a dial controller may be provided in a calling device for calling another user, and/or a called device for receiving a call from another user. Techniques are provided for both the calling device and the called device to access a content server storing profiles of the calling user and/or the called user, subject to user-determined privacy settings. Such profiles may include, e.g., multi-media information on the status, location, or preferences of the users. In an exemplary embodiment, the dial controller may delay the establishment of a voice connection pending user review and approval of the other user's profile. According to an advantage of the present disclosure, no modifications are required on the network side to implement the techniques described herein. |
| US08712387B2 |
Systems and methods to provide communication history for communication devices
According to some embodiments, a remote server may receive, from a first communication device associated with a first user, information about a first communication event between the first user and another party. The remote server may store the information about the first communication event. The remote server may also receive, from a second communication device associated with a second user, a request associated with the other party. Responsive to the request, the remote server may retrieve and transmit information about the first communication event to the second communication device. |
| US08712383B1 |
Tactile output device for computing device notifications
In general, this disclosure describes techniques for providing a user with an alert device that provides alert options indicatives of events associated with applications or actions of a computing device. The provided alert options may be such that they do not create additional distractions, and eliminate the need for the user to have to constantly check for upcoming appointments or events. Specifically, a user can utilize a device to receive alerts from an associated computing device. The alerts may be associated with applications and actions running on the computing device. |
| US08712376B2 |
Subscribing to content
A method includes (a) receiving periodic subscription fees from subscribers of a content subscription service, (b) updating an electronically maintained account of the subscriber to reflect an additional amount of scrip corresponding to each subscription fee, and (c) enabling the subscriber to obtain items of content in amounts and at times determined arbitrarily by the subscriber in exchange for amounts of scrip in the subscriber's account. |
| US08712372B2 |
Pre and post-paid real time billing convergence system
A telecommunications service provider architecture integrates multiple architectures which include prepaid and post-paid processing systems. The convergent enhanced architecture provides performance, scalability, and efficiency consistent with a prepaid architecture and flexibility and configurability consistent with a post-paid system. The convergent architecture provides messaging interfaces between a telecommunications support architecture and a prepaid architecture or a combined rating and billing architecture. The messaging interfaces support message transfer between the processing systems in the architectures to provide information exchange including billing exchanges, rating exchanges, and customer management exchanges. |
| US08712370B2 |
Performance metrics processing for anticipating unavailability
A system and method for processing performance metrics of wireless devices are described. Usage data of wireless devices is obtained and processed. Based on the processed usage data, a data model associating a set of defined wireless device user activities to wireless performance metrics is created. Data obtained from the wireless devices is compared to the data model created. Based on the comparison, the data model is then maintained or updated, and a result based on the comparison is generated and transmitted. |
| US08712369B2 |
Emergency call notification for network services
Enhanced services, such as call restriction, call forwarding, anonymous call rejection, and proprietary services, may interfere with an emergency callback potentially preventing the callback from reaching the intended destination. Systems and methods for processing emergency calls to eliminate emergency callback failure in response to an emergency call being disconnected are provided herein. |
| US08712367B2 |
Method and system for placing an emergency call
An emergency call device for a vehicle is specified in which, on occurrence of a certain event, a data record is generated which thereupon is transmitted during the emergency call. The event can be an external request by an operator or a trigger signal inside a vehicle. In this way, the operator can obtain the most recent information at any time during the emergency call. |
| US08712366B2 |
System and method for distributing emergency data messages to public safety answering points in a balanced manner
A system and method for routing emergency data messages to public safety answering points may include identifying PSAPs local to the user and configured to receive emergency data messages. A determination of distribution of previous emergency data messages to the identified PSAPs may be performed. Based on the distribution of previous emergency data messages to the identified PSAPs, one of the identified PSAPs may be selected and the emergency data message may be routed thereto. |
| US08712365B2 |
System for the secure management of digitally controlled locks, operating by means of crypto acoustic credentials
The invention relates to a system that makes use of a mobile telephone (22) to which a user authorized to open a lock (28) has access. According to the invention, a remote management site (10) includes a database (12) of authorized users identified by the mobile telephone number thereof, as well as a data credential generator (14). The credentials are crypto acoustic credentials (CAC) in the form of single-use audio signals and are generated from digital data credentials (DDC) that are normally employed by the lock when the latter is used with a badge or a card. The system includes means (16, 18, 20) for securely transmitting the acoustic credentials to the user's telephone. The lock (22) picks up the acoustic credentials reproduced by the telephone pre-positioned near the lock and extracts the digital data credentials from the picked-up crypto acoustic credentials and, subsequently, the lock applies the thus-extracted digital data credentials to the analysis, authentication and control means of the lock. |
| US08712360B2 |
System and transceiver clocking to minimize required number of reference sources in multi-function cellular applications including GPS
A system includes a first clock module, a global positioning system (GPS) module, a phase-locked loop (PLL) module, a cellular transceiver, and a baseband module. The first clock module generates a first clock reference. The GPS module operates in response to the first clock reference. The WLAN module operates in response to the first clock reference. The PLL module generates a second clock reference by performing automatic frequency correction (AFC) on the first clock reference in response to an AFC signal. The cellular transceiver receives radio frequency signals from a wireless medium and generates baseband signals in response to the received radio frequency signals. The baseband module receives the baseband signals, operates in response to a selected one of the first clock reference and the second clock reference, and generates the AFC signal in response to the baseband signals. |
| US08712359B2 |
Communication device and method for detecting a radio signal
For example, a communication device may be provided comprising an oscillator configured to generate a reference signal; an accuracy determiner configured to determine information about an accuracy of a frequency of the reference signal; a signal detector configured to detect the presence of a radio signal; and a controller configured to control the signal detector based on the information. |
| US08712355B2 |
Antenna tuning on an impedance trajectory
A method, transceiver integrated circuit (IC), and communications device for generating antenna tuning states derived from a pre-established trajectory of tuning states to adjust a detected signal level towards a preset, given value. A tuning state generation (TSG) controller determines whether a detected signal level matches a given value. If the detected signal level does not match the given value, the TSG controller selects an initial preset tuning state from a pre-established trajectory corresponding to a pre-identified operating condition that best matches a current operating condition. The TSG logic forwards the initial preset tuning state to the antenna tuner to trigger impedance transformation. Following generation of the initial preset tuning state, the controller receives an updated detected signal level. If the updated detected signal level fails to match the given value, the controller generates an incremental tuning state that is interpolated between the initial and a final preset tuning states. |
| US08712349B2 |
Selecting a converter operating mode of a PA envelope power supply
A power amplifier (PA) envelope power supply and a process to select a converter operating mode of the PA envelope power supply are disclosed. The PA envelope power supply operates in one of a first converter operating mode and a second converter operating mode. The process for selecting the converter operating mode is based on a selected communications mode of a radio frequency (RF) communications system, a target output power from RF PA circuitry of the RF communications system, and a direct current (DC) power supply voltage. |
| US08712344B2 |
Transmitter having a programmable amplifier operating class
A transmitter is adapted to be programmed to select an amplifier operating class for the transmitter out of a plurality of amplifier operating classes. The transmitter is also adapted to operate according to the selected amplifier operating class to communicate a signal to an antenna. |
| US08712343B2 |
Topology arrangement for achieving reliable communication in wireless automotive networks
A wireless network arrangement includes a space having a hindrance to wireless communication. The hindrance includes a fixed barrier and/or a three-dimensional area for accommodating a moveable barrier. At least three wireless electronic nodes are wirelessly and communicatively coupled to each other. A broadcast range of the nodes is greater than a largest dimension of the enclosure. The hindrance is disposed between a first one of the nodes and a second one of the nodes. The at least three nodes are positioned within the enclosure such that a wireless signal communication path wirelessly and communicatively couples the first one of the nodes to the second one of the nodes. The communication path is non-intersecting with the hindrance. The communication path passes through at least a third one of the nodes. The communication path is formed exclusively of a plurality of joined linear segments. Opposite ends of each linear segment are disposed at corresponding ones of the nodes. |
| US08712342B2 |
Integrated transmit/receive switch
An apparatus comprises a transmit network to transmit an input from a first amplifier to an antenna, a receive network to provide an input from an antenna to a second amplifier, a first switch to selectively decouple the transmit network from the antenna, and a second switch to selectively decouple the receive network from the antenna. Other embodiments may be described. |
| US08712337B2 |
Real-time RSL monitoring in a web-based application
A system and method for monitoring an attribute of a received signal in a wireless network having plural radios wherein one of the radios includes a monitoring module operatively connected to a second network. An attribute of one radio is monitored substantially continuously at the monitoring module. A display device is operatively connected to the second network. A value representative of the current state of the attribute is transmitted via the second network to the display device upon a change in the state of the attribute from a previous state of the attribute, and the value is displayed on the display device. |
| US08712336B2 |
Data unit receiver and sender control method
A method is described for controlling a data unit receiver or a data unit sender. The data unit receiver or sender comprise a gap response procedure for responding to gaps in the sequence of data units received at the receiver. A reordering detection procedure S12 is provided for detecting a reordering indication indicative of a potential re-ordering of data units in the course of a transmission from sender to receiver, and the gap response procedure is adapted in response to detecting a re-ordering indication. |
| US08712332B2 |
Capacity and coverage self-optimization method and device in a mobile network
The present invention discloses an adaptive cell coverage and capacity optimization method and device in a mobile communication network, aiming to improve adaptive optimization performance of cell capacity and coverage. The technical solutions includes: calculating spectral efficiency of a cell; if the spectral efficiency of the cell is less than a first threshold, starting vertical sectorization processing of the cell to divide the cell into an inner sector and an outer sector, and configuring relevant parameters of the inner sector and the outer sector to improve the spectral efficiency of the cell; calculating spectral efficiency of the outer sector; and if the spectral efficiency of the outer sector is less than a second threshold, starting inter-cell interference coordination to improve the spectral efficiency of the outer sector, and reconfiguring the relevant parameters of the inner sector and the outer sector to improve the spectral efficiency of the cell. |
| US08712329B2 |
Method and system for remotely testing a wireless device
A method and system for testing a wireless device, the system comprising: a remote user interface for interacting with the data device from a remote location; and a wireless network for communication with the wireless data device from a remote location, wherein a tester can send information to and receive information from the wireless device over said wireless network and can monitor said wireless device and send inputs to the wireless device over the remote user interface thereby forming a closed loop communications path. |
| US08712327B2 |
Remote device pairing setup
A communication device having a display and instructions for displaying a short range wireless function. The instructions can cause the display of a Toolkit homepage in response to a Toolkit application being selected in a homepage of the communication device. In response to the short range wireless function being selected in the Toolkit homepage, status of the short range wireless function on the communication device can be displayed. In response to the short range wireless function being turned on, a short range wireless function menu can be displayed. In response to a pairing option being selected from the displayed short range wireless function menu, menu options for pairing a short range wireless device with the communication device can be displayed. |
| US08712325B2 |
Device, system, and method for logging near field communications tag interactions
An apparatus, method and system for categorizing, parsing, grouping and displaying Near Field Communication (NFC) tags for presentation on a user device, including storing in a computer readable medium of a log of ones of the tags read by or written by the user device, assessing at least one category for each of the logged tags, and displaying, in conjunction with at least one indicator indicative of the respective at least one category, of each of the logged tags on the user device. |
| US08712323B2 |
Inductive antenna coupling
This invention pertains to the connection between a radio frequency circuit and its antenna. Miniaturization of radio frequency integrated circuits has made attaching these circuits to their antennas increasingly difficult and costly. This invention uses magnetic coupling, as performed in transformers, between circuits and antennas as a practical solution to reduce cost and effort in attaching the two sides as well as to protect the circuit against electrostatic discharge. Furthermore a simple pre-assembly testing methodology is accounted for as an additional benefit of the method. |
| US08712322B2 |
Satellite communication network
Methods and apparatus are disclosed to enable a fixed or a mobile ground based slave stations (VSAT: Very Small Aperture Terminal) in a communication network to receive TDM transmissions from and transmit TDMA burst transmissions to one or more ground-based gateway stations in a networking system that employs one or more geosynchronous satellites. Each gateway station transmits on one or more forward TDM channels to the slave stations; however, one primary gateway acts as the master station at any given time which transmits the network control messages to the slave stations (VSATs) that control their TDMA transmission behavior on the network. |
| US08712319B2 |
System and apparatus for control of published content
A system is provided that allows a user using her/his own mobile communication device to control content on a content publishing device. The mobile communication device uses information received from a data tag on the content publishing device to communicate with a content server providing the content to be published on a content publishing device and run a program on the content server allowing the mobile communication device to at least temporarily control the data published on the content publishing device. |
| US08712310B2 |
Image forming apparatus and control method therefor
An image forming apparatus includes a dual purpose tray that accommodates a document and a transfer sheet, a document transport mechanism to transport the document from the dual purpose tray to an image reading position, an image reading mechanism disposed beneath the document transport mechanism, an image forming mechanism disposed beneath the image reading mechanism, a transfer sheet transport mechanism to transport the transfer sheet from a bifurcation point through the image reading mechanism, a sheet feeding path that bifurcates into a first transport path through which the document is transported to the image reading position and a second transport path through which the transfer sheet is transported through the image reading mechanism to an image forming position by switching a switching member in accordance with one of a type of a recording medium set on the dual purpose tray and an operation mode of the image forming apparatus. |
| US08712309B2 |
Cleaning device, and image forming apparatus, process cartridge, and intermediate transfer unit each including the cleaning device
A cleaning device includes a laminated blade member including multiple layers made of materials different in permanent set value and a holding member to hold the blade member. The multiple layers include an edge layer formed of a material higher in permanent set value among the materials and a backing layer disposed against a distal surface of the edge layer. The laminated blade member includes a leading edge where an edge portion of the edge layer contacting a cleaning target is located and a trailing edge where the holding member supports the blade member. A ratio of a thickness of the edge layer to a thickness of the backing layer at the trailing end of the blade member is smaller than a ratio thereof at the leading edge of the blade member. |
| US08712298B2 |
Release layer
At least a portion of an intermediate transfer member includes a release layer facing outwardly from and supported by a supportive portion. The release layer includes an inner layer and an outer layer over and in contact with the inner layer, The inner layer has a thickness of between about 1 μm and about 8 μm and a bulk swelling of between 120% and 350%. The outer layer has a thickness of less than about 5 μm and a bulk swelling of less than 120%. |
| US08712297B2 |
Transfer device and image forming apparatus including regulation member
A transfer device includes an endless member caused to circulate by a driving unit, plural transfer members coming in contact with a rear surface of the endless member and transferring toner images on image holding members to the endless member, a support member movably supporting a specific transfer member of the transfer members located at a position which is more upstream in a circulation direction of the endless member than a contact position where a recording medium comes in contact with the endless member and which is closest to the contact position, a regulation member regulating the movement of the specific transfer member in a state where the specific transfer member is disposed at a position where the toner image formed on the corresponding image holding member is transferred to the endless member, and a first impelling member impelling the support member to the regulation member. |
| US08712295B2 |
Developing device
A developing device includes: a developing unit; a toner cartridge; a shutter drive member; and a second gear. The toner cartridge is mountable on or detachable from the developing unit and includes a casing defining an internal space for accommodating a developing agent and formed with a communication hole for supplying the developing agent to the developing unit, and a shutter movable between an open position in which the communication hole is open and a closed position in which the communication hole is closed. The shutter drive member includes a first gear that extends in the moving direction of the shutter. The shutter drive member is engageable with the shutter to be movable together with the shutter when the toner cartridge is mounted on the developing unit. The second gear is meshingly engageable with the first gear to transmit a drive force to the first gear. The first gear is disengaged from the second gear when the shutter is in at least one of the open position and the closed position. |
| US08712292B2 |
Color image forming apparatus with contact control of process units
The color image forming apparatus performs registration control and is operable in first and second image forming modes. Contact control in the first image forming mode is different from that in the second image forming mode. The control section causes an alignment correction amount to vary between registration control corresponding to image forming for a second or subsequent sheet in the first image forming mode and registration control corresponding to image forming for a second or subsequent sheet in the second image forming mode. An engine control section causes a color deviation correction amount for contact control of a process unit when shifting from image forming for a first sheet to image forming for a second sheet to vary between the first and second image forming modes. |
| US08712289B2 |
Light irradiation element, image forming structure, and image forming apparatus
A light irradiation element includes a cavity through which light passes and a translucent light conduit bordering the cavity, allowing light to pass therethrough and transmitting the light passed through the cavity, the light irradiation element being disposed along a longitudinal direction of an image bearing body on which an electrostatic latent image is formed and directing the light passed through the light conduit to irradiate the image bearing body. |
| US08712285B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes plural cartridges and a cartridge holder which integrally supports cartridges and is movable in an alignment direction of the cartridges between an outer position and an inner position relative to the apparatus main body. Each cartridge includes a developer carrier, a handle member which is displaceable between a protrusion position of protruding upward and a retreat position below the protrusion position, and a cover member which is displaceable between a close position of covering an upper part of the developer carrier and an open position of opening the upper part of the developer carrier. At least the cartridges are provided with an interlocking mechanism which is configured to displace each of the handle members and the cover members in conjunction with moving the cartridge holder with respect to the apparatus main body. |
| US08712282B2 |
Image forming device
A retaining unit retains a plurality of photosensitive drums and includes a first conveying member. A main casing has a first conveying path and a second conveying path. The first conveying path extends from a first supplying unit to a first position where a second transfer unit opposes a downstream end portion of a first transfer unit. A first transferred medium is conveyed along the first conveying path in a conveying direction. A second transferred medium extends from a second supplying unit to a second position located upstream of the first position in the conveying direction. The second transferred medium is conveyed to the first conveying path through the second conveying path. The first conveying member is configured to convey the second transferred medium supplied from the second supplying unit in the second conveying path. |
| US08712272B2 |
Image heating apparatus
An apparatus includes a coil generating magnetic flux, a rotatable heater generating heat by the flux generated from the coil, for heating an image on a recording material, magnetic cores provided outside the heater and arranged in a rotational axis direction of the heater, a first mover moving at least a part of the cores from a first position to a second position spaced form the coils, an adjuster, movable between the cores and the heater, for reducing the flux directed from the cores toward the heater, and a second mover moving, when a first core in a non-sheet-passing area of the recording material is moved to the second position by the first mover and a second core adjacent to the first core in the non-sheet-passing area is disposed at the first position to heat the image, the adjuster to a position corresponding to the second core. |
| US08712270B2 |
Fixing apparatus and image forming apparatus that switches fixing operation
A fixing apparatus capable of reducing deterioration in productivity while preventing a fixing roller from being heated to a high temperature. The fixing roller has a heating unit incorporated therein, and a rotatable pressurization roller abuts on the fixing roller. A thermistor detects a surface temperature of the fixing roller. A fixing operation is controlled by selectively switching between a first mode and a second mode in which the number of sheets subjected to fixing per unit time is smaller than in the first mode. One of the first and second modes is selected based on a first temperature detected by the thermistor at a first time, a second temperature detected by the thermistor at a second time, and a minimum temperature of the fixing roller at which the toner image can be fixed. |
| US08712267B2 |
Image forming apparatus and image forming method
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier to carry a toner image, a transfer member to form a transfer nip by contacting the image carrier surface, and a power supply to output a voltage to the recording material captured in the transfer nip so as to transfer the toner image formed on the image carrier surface. The voltage is switching alternately between a voltage in the transfer direction and a voltage opposite to the voltage in the transfer direction, and a time average value (Vave) of the voltage is set to have a polarity of the transfer direction, and is set to a value in the transfer voltage side, and a change mode to change a cycle of the voltage output from the power supply can be changed based on the toner deterioration information which determines the deterioration status of the toner. |
| US08712263B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for carrying an electrostatic latent image; a developing device, containing a developer including a toner and a carrier, for developing the electrostatic latent image carried on the image bearing member into a toner image with the developer; a supplying device for supplying the toner to the developing device; a first detecting portion for detecting information on a temperature of the developing device; a second detecting portion for detecting information on a temperature of the supplying device; and a correcting portion for correcting, when detection results of the first and second detecting portions are different from each other, an image forming condition with increase of a supply amount of the supplying device. |
| US08712258B2 |
Image processing apparatus capable of using replacement component, image forming apparatus capable of using replacement component, and method of administrating replacement component
An image processing apparatus is capable of using a replacement component. The image processing apparatus includes a storage unit for storing self apparatus identification information; an obtaining unit for obtaining component apparatus identification information registered in a data carrier disposed in the replacement component; and a control unit. The control unit includes a first comparing unit for comparing the self apparatus identification information stored in the storage unit with the component apparatus identification information obtained with the obtaining unit; a determining unit for determining that the replacement component is allowed to use when the self apparatus identification information matches the component apparatus identification information. |
| US08712254B2 |
Electronic dispersion compensation within optical communications using reconstruction
Electronic dispersion compensation within optical communications using reconstruction. Within a communication system that includes any optical network portion, segment, or communication link, etc., that optical component/portion of the communication system is emulated within the electronic domain. For example, in a communication device having receiver functionality, deficiencies that may be incurred by the at least one optical portion of the communication system are compensated in the electronic domain of the communication device having the receiver functionality by employing reconstruction logic and/or circuitry therein. Multiple decision feedback equalizers (DFE) circuitries, implemented in the electronic domain, may be employed to provide feedback from different portions of the receiver functionality in accordance with performing compensation of optical incurred deficiencies (e.g., dispersion, non-linearity, inter-symbol interference (ISI), etc.). Within a communication device's receiver portion, equalization and compensation is performed in the electronic domain as adapted for high speed applications and higher order modulation schemes. |
| US08712252B2 |
Optical signal output apparatus, electrical signal output apparatus, and test apparatus
To efficiently apply jitter to an optical signal using a simple configuration, provided is an optical signal output apparatus that outputs an optical pulse pattern signal including jitter, the optical signal generating apparatus comprising a light source section that outputs an optical signal having an optical frequency corresponding to a frequency control signal; an optical modulation section that modulates the optical signal output by the light source section, according to a designated pulse pattern; and an optical jitter generating section that delays an optical signal passed by the optical modulation section according to the optical frequency, to apply jitter to the optical signal. |
| US08712243B2 |
Methods and apparatus for achieving multiple bit rates in passive optical networks
Systems and techniques for multiple bit rate optical data transmission. A passive optical network includes an optical line termination unit (OLT) connected to one or more optical network units (ONUs) by optical elements. The OLT is capable of performing downstream transmission to the ONUs at each of a variety of different bit rates, and each ONU performs upstream transmission at one or more bit rates. The OLT can sense a bit rate of a received transmission and change its operation so as to receive and process the transmission exhibiting the sensed bit rate. Each of the ONUs receives and processes downstream transmissions at one or more bit rates, but each ONU is capable of maintaining a phase and frequency lock to downstream transmissions at all bit rates supported by the OLT. One or more of the ONUs may also receive and process downstream transmissions exhibiting different or changed bit rates. |
| US08712242B2 |
Ranging method and apparatus in passive optical network
The present invention discloses a method for ranging in a passive optical network, and the method includes: obtaining a Round Trip Delay (RTD) between an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) and an Optical Network Unit (ONU); and opening a quiet window used for the ranging for the ONU according to the RTD to perform the ranging on this ONU. The present invention further discloses an apparatus for ranging in a passive optical network, and the apparatus includes: an obtainment module which is configured to: obtain a RTD between an OLT and an ONU; and a ranging module configured to: open a quiet window used for ranging for the ONU to perform ranging on the ONU according to the RTD. The present invention shortens the open time of the quiet window used for the ranging and improves the efficiency of the upstream transmission, and the implementation method is simple and convenient. |
| US08712232B1 |
Real-image zoom viewfinder and imaging apparatus
A zoom viewfinder substantially consists of, in order from the object side: a variable-magnification objective lens system substantially consisting of a first lens group that includes a negative first-group first lens and a reflective member arranged in this order from the object side, a positive second lens group that is moved during magnification change, and a positive third lens group that is moved during magnification change; an erect optical system having a reflective surface for converting an inverted image into an erect image; and a positive eyepiece lens system, wherein conditional expressions (1), (2A) and (3) below are satisfied: 1.5 |
| US08712223B2 |
Authoring method, authoring device and program
There is provided an authoring method including the steps of generating a first materialization file not including material data itself and referencing a recording position of the material data to mount a first real image having a stream data structure of a first file system, the first file system including time-division multiplexed material data, generating a second materialization file not including material data itself and referencing a recording position of the material data to mount a second real image having a stream data structure of a second file system, the second file system being different from the first file system including time-division multiplexed material data, and arranging the first materialization file and the second materialization file under a directory of a first virtual image to generate the first virtual image. |
| US08712217B1 |
Methods and systems for time-shifting content
Methods and systems for providing data such as content are disclosed. A method can comprise receiving content, randomly shifting the received content, and providing the randomly shifted received content to a computing device. |
| US08712216B1 |
Selection of hash lookup keys for efficient retrieval
Videos are received and indexed based on fingerprints generated for the videos, using lookup keys which correspond to sub portions of the reference fingerprints. Specifically, a set of lookup keys is selected such that the number of reference fingerprints such that the clumping associated with the associated each of the lookup keys is minimized. Clumping occurs when a number of reference identifiers associated with a lookup key exceeds a maximum value. |
| US08712215B2 |
Recording medium, playback device, integrated circuit
A base-view video stream and a dependent-view video stream are recorded on a BD-ROM. The base-view video stream includes picture data constituting a base view of a stereoscopic image. The dependent-view video stream includes offset metadata and picture data constituting a dependent view of the stereoscopic image. The offset metadata includes an offset sequence that defines an offset control of a plane memory when a graphics to be overlaid with the picture data is played back in a one-plane offset mode. |
| US08712209B2 |
Playback device, playback method, and computer program
There is provided a playback device including a content playback unit configured to playback content, a playlist acquisition unit configured to acquire, while the playback unit is playing back the content on the basis of a playlist, at least one external playlist from outside, the external playlist having at least two pieces of content that are common to content in the playlist and having a matching playback order of at least the two consecutive pieces of content, and a playlist display unit configured to display the playlist and the external playlist acquired by the playlist acquisition unit such that the playlists are linked at positions of the consecutive matching pieces of content. |
| US08712206B2 |
High-density fiber optic modules and module housings and related equipment
High-density fiber optic modules and fiber optic module housings and related equipment are disclosed. In certain embodiments, a front opening of a fiber optic module and/or fiber optic module housing is configured to receive fiber optic components. The width and/or height of the front opening can be provided according to a designed relationship to a width and/or height, respectively, of a front side of a main body of the fiber optic module and/or fiber optic module housing. In this manner, a high density of fiber optic components and/or connections for a given space of the front side of the fiber optic module can be supported by the fiber optic module and/or fiber optic module housing. The fiber optic modules and fiber optic module housings disclosed herein can be disposed in fiber optic equipment including but not limited to a fiber optic chassis and a fiber optic equipment drawer. |
| US08712205B2 |
Cable exit trough with insert
A cable exit trough defining an insert aperture for receiving a modular cable management inserts. The modular insert providing an additional cable management device such as a curved guidewall. The cable management device may alternatively be fixed to the cable exit trough. Removable snap-mounted flanges may also be included in the exit trough. The exit trough may also include an exit cover having a cover plate and a pivot plate hingedly mounted thereto for easy access to the trough. |
| US08712204B2 |
Optical modulation element
An optical modulation device 1 includes a supporting body 2 including a pair of grooves 2b, 2c and a protrusion 2d between the grooves, a ridge par 6 including a channel type optical waveguide capable of multi mode propagation, a first side plate part 3A formed in a first side of the ridge part 6, a second side plate part 3B formed in a second side of the ridge part, a first adhesive layer 4A adhering the first side plate part 3A and the supporting body 2, a second adhesive layer 4B adhering the second side plate part 3B and the supporting body 2, and a third adhesive layer 4C adhering the ridge part 6 and the protrusion 2d. The device 1 further includes a first electrode 7A provided on a side face 6b of the ridge part on the first groove side, and a side face 3b and an upper face 3c of the first side plate part, and a second electrode 7B provided on a side face 6c of the ridge part 6 in the second groove side, the second groove 2c and a side face 3b and an upper face 3c of the second side plate part 3B. The first electrode 7A and the second electrode 7B apply a modulation voltage modulating light propagating in the channel type optical waveguide. |
| US08712193B2 |
Image capture and identification system and process
A digital image of the object is captured and the object is recognized from plurality of objects in a database. An information address corresponding to the object is then used to access information and initiate communication pertinent to the object. |
| US08712189B2 |
Methods, systems, and media for swapping faces in images
Methods, systems, and media for swapping faces in images are provided. In some embodiments, a detected face and face data corresponding to an input image is received. A pose bin associated with the detected face is then identified based on the face data. Next, the detected face is aligned to a generic face associated with the pose bin. At least a portion of a candidate face associated with the pose bin is selected. The at least a portion of the candidate face is then copied to a copy of the input image that is aligned with the generic image to form a swapped-face image. The swapped-face image is next aligned to the input image to form an output image, and then the output image is outputted to a display. |
| US08712185B2 |
High-accuracy centered fractional fourier transform matrix for optical imaging and other applications
Methods for numerically generating a centered discrete fractional Fourier transform matrix on a computer, the centered discrete fractional Fourier transform matrix of size N by N where N is an odd integer. Centering is obtained by simple barrel roll operations on eigenvectors. High-accuracy is obtained by numerically calculating the eigenvectors of the discrete fractional Fourier transform matrix from a closed-form mathematical formula and then iteratively performing a Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization procedure until a resulting set of improved-orthogonal eigenvectors is produced that is sufficiently orthogonal. |
| US08712170B2 |
Image-processing method and program, and image-processing apparatus
An image-processing method for compressing image data, includes: (a) obtaining a block composed of part of or all of the image data; (b) determining whether the obtained block is color or monochrome; and (c) performing, in the case where the obtained block is determined to be color, compression processing in parallel for a predetermined number of elements of a predetermined color system, and performing, in the case where the obtained block is determined to be monochrome, the compression processing in parallel for individual areas obtained by dividing a division block containing the obtained block into a predetermined number of pieces for a single component of the predetermined color system. |
| US08712166B2 |
Difference detecting apparatus, difference output apparatus, and medium
A difference detecting apparatus include: an image receiving unit that receives at least one or more first images and at least one or more second images; and an exception region acquiring unit that acquires (i) first exception regions that include non-background-color pixels of a first common image, (ii) second exception regions that include non-background-color pixels of a second common image, or (iii) both of the first exception regions and the second exception regions. The difference detecting apparatus includes a first difference detecting unit that detects differences between a first image of attention which is at least one of the first images and a second image of attention which is one of the second images corresponding to the first image of attention except for the first exception regions, the second exception regions, or a union or product of sets of the first exception regions and the second exception regions. |
| US08712156B2 |
Comparison of visual information
A method determines similarity of objects depicted in images when the images pertain to different modalities. The method includes obtaining images that depict the objects and that pertain to the different modalities. An embedding function is applied to each of the images. The embedding function is selected from a set of two or more embedding functions, each of the embedding functions corresponding to a modality of the different modalities, the selected embedding function corresponding to the modality of the image to which it is applied. Application of the embedding function maps that image to a representation in a representation space such that when the images are mapped to the representation space, a distance between the representations of the images is indicative of a similarity of their depicted objects. The similarity of the depicted objects is determined based on the location of the corresponding representations in the representation space. |
| US08712154B2 |
Image processing system and method
A method dividing an image into plural superpixels of plural pixels of the image. The method calculates an initial set of weights from a measure of similarity between pairs of pixels, from which a resultant set of weights is calculated for pairs of pixels that are less that a threshold distance apart on the image. The calculation calculates a weight for a pair of pixels as the sum over a set of third pixels of the product of initial weight of the first pixel of the pair of pixel with the third pixel and the weight of the third pixel with the second pixel. Each weight is then subjected to a power coefficient operation. The resultant set of weights and the initial set of weights are then compared to check for convergence. If the weights converge, the converged set of weights is used to divide the image into superpixels. |
| US08712146B2 |
Method of creating animatable digital clone from multi-view images
The present invention relates to a method of creating an animatable digital clone includes receiving input multi-view images of an actor captured by at least two cameras and reconstructing a three-dimensional appearance therefrom, accepting shape information selectively based on a probability of photo-consistency in the input multi-view images obtained from the reconstruction and transferring a mesh topology of a reference human body model onto a shape of the actor obtained from the reconstruction. The method further includes generating an initial human body model of the actor via transfer of the mesh topology utilizing sectional shape information of the actor's joints, and generating a genuine human body model of the actor from learning genuine behavioral characteristics of the actor by applying the initial human body model to multi-view posture learning images where performance of a predefined motion by the actor is recorded. |
| US08712137B2 |
Methods and system for displaying segmented images
A method for displaying a segmented two-dimensional (2D) image includes obtaining a three-dimensional (3D) volume dataset corresponding to an imaged volume along a viewing plane, segmenting an object of interest within 3D volume to generate a plurality of segmented two-dimensional (2D) images along the viewing plane, selecting a reference image for viewing from the plurality of segmented 2D images, and displaying the reference image, the reference image having a first segmentation boundary drawn around the object of interest and a second segmentation boundary drawn around the object of interest, the first segmentation boundary being derived from the segmentation performed on the reference image and the second segmentation boundary being derived from the segmentation performed on at least one non-reference image of the plurality of segmented 2D images. |
| US08712136B2 |
Image reconstruction iterative method
An image reconstruction method is described as follows. A structural image of an object is obtained. An actual optical detected result of the object is obtained. An inhomogeneous initial state is determined based on the structural image. At least one solution converged with the actual optical detected result is determined by iteratively calculating a physical model from the inhomogeneous initial state. The image of the object is reconstructed based on the solution. |
| US08712133B2 |
Cardiac chamber volume computation from contours and base plane in cardiac MR Cine images
A system receives cardiac cine MR images consists of multiple slices of the heart over time. A series of short axis images slices are received. Long axis images are also received by the system, wherein a base plane defined by landmark points is detected. An intersection of the base plane with a contour of a heart chamber is determined for a plurality of slices in the short axis image. A volume for each of the contour slices covering the heart chamber, including for contours that are limited by base plane intersections, is evaluated. All slice volumes are summed to determine a total volume of the chamber. In one embodiment the chamber is a left ventricle and the landmark is a mitral valve. An ejection factor is determined. |
| US08712128B2 |
Methods for non-linear image blending, adjustment and display
A method for generating and adjusting an image obtained based on computed tomography data using a non-linear blending function is provided. In one embodiment of the method, first image data is obtained using a first X-ray energy, and second image data is obtained using a second X-ray image energy. An image is generated by blending the first and second image data using the non-linear function. The first X-ray energy and the second X-ray energy are different. |
| US08712120B1 |
Rules-based approach to transferring and/or viewing medical images
Systems and methods that allow transfer criteria to be defined based on one or more of several attributes, such as a particular user, site, or device, as well as whether individual images and/or image series are classified as thin slices, and applied to medical images in order to determine which images are downloaded, viewed, stored, and/or any number of other actions that might be performed with respect to particular images. |
| US08712114B2 |
Elegant solutions for fingerprint image enhancement
This invention includes image processing techniques directed to achieve feature enhancement and background-foreground enhancement in fingerprint images. The image is divided into plural segments depending on the ridge-valley directions. Each segment is separately filtered with a directional filter generally perpendicular to the corresponding ridge-valley direction. Background-foreground detection employs edge detection to identify edge pixels. These edge pixels are averaged to determine a threshold. The threshold is applied to the original image to determine background and foreground pixels. The background and foreground pixels are filtered via a watershed fill filter with separate connectivity for background and foreground pixels. |
| US08712113B2 |
Method to trace video content processed by a decoder
A method traces the origin of a (illegally) distributed video material. It fingerprints a data object A having a nominal stream format F to provide a fingerprinted data object B including a pre-fingerprinting forensic luring process. |
| US08712095B2 |
Digital processing method and system for determination of optical flow
A method and system for determining an optical flow field between a pair of images is disclosed. Each of the pair of images is decomposed into image pyramids using a non-octave pyramid factor. The pair of decomposed images is transformed at a first pyramid scale to second derivative representations under an assumption that a brightness gradient of pixels in the pair of decomposed images is constant. Discrete-time derivatives of the second derivative image representations are estimated. An optical flow estimation process is applied to the discrete-time derivatives to produce a raw optical flow field. The raw optical flow field is scaled by the non-octave pyramid factor. The above-cited steps are repeated for the pair of images at another pyramid scale until all pyramid scales have been visited to produce a final optical flow field, wherein spatiotemporal gradient estimations are warped by a previous raw optical flow estimation. |
| US08712090B2 |
Headset, terminal, and method capable of switching headset mode
A headset includes a Bluetooth headset body, a microphone, and at least one speaker. The Bluetooth headset body includes a Bluetooth headset main-board and a battery. Interfaces provided by the Bluetooth headset main-board include the interfaces for the microphone and the speaker. Anodes of the microphone and the at least one speaker are connected to the corresponding interfaces of the Bluetooth headset main-board, respectively, and their cathodes are connected to a ground cable, respectively. The headset further includes: a headset plug, where interfaces of the headset plug are correspondingly and electrically connected to the anode of the at least one speaker, the ground cable, and the anode of the microphone, respectively; and connections between the anode of the microphone and of the at least one speaker and the corresponding interfaces of the Bluetooth headset main-board are disconnected after the headset plug is plugged in the external headset jack. |
| US08712076B2 |
Post-processing including median filtering of noise suppression gains
A method of post-processing raw banded gains for applying to an audio signal, an apparatus to generate banded post-processed gains, and a tangible computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed carry out the method. The raw banded gains are determined by input processing one or more input audio signals. The method includes applying post-processing to the raw banded gains to generate banded post-processed gains, generating a particular post-processed gain for a particular frequency band, including median filtering using raw gain values for frequency bands adjacent to the particular frequency band. One or more properties of the post-processing depend on classification of the one or more input audio signals. |
| US08712062B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding and decoding noise signal
Provided is a method and apparatus for encoding/decoding an audio signal. Sections which are not used to output noise components near important spectral components and sub-bands which are not used to output noise components, are determined to be encoded or decoded, so that the efficiency of encoding and decoding an audio signal increases, and sound quality can be improved using less bits. |
| US08712044B2 |
Key management system
Embodiments are directed towards enabling cryptographic key management without disrupting cryptographic operations. Embodiments may be employed to generate cryptographic keys based on at least one key parameter that may be provided by an administrator. The administrator may generate key managers and key request users that may be linked to particular cryptographic keys. The cryptographic keys may be stored on key exchange servers separate from the key management server. Responsive to a request for a cryptographic key, the key exchange servers may authenticate the key request user associated with the request. The key request may be validated based on at least one key parameter and a portion of the key request. The key exchange server may generate the requested cryptographic keys providing them to the key request user over the network. |
| US08712034B1 |
Adaptive analog echo/next cancellation
An adaptive analog echo/near-end crosstalk (NEXT) cancellation system includes a processor configured to receive a first digital signal corresponding to a first signal received by the system, receive a second digital signal corresponding to a second signal transmitted by the system, and generate a first error control signal based on each of the first digital signal and the second digital signal. A cancellation device is configured to generate a second error control signal based on a first analog signal corresponding to the first signal. The cancellation device selectively outputs the second error control signal or the first error control signal based on whether the system is operating in a first mode or a second mode, respectively. The cancellation device selectively outputs a cancellation signal according to one of the second error control signal and the first error control signal, and a second analog signal corresponding to the second signal. |
| US08712028B2 |
Telephone relaying apparatus, telephone relaying method, and program
A real number and a published number are allocated to a call origination telephone terminal 100. The real number is a telephone number used in the case of directly connecting to the telephone terminal, and the published number is a number published for a third party as a telephone number of the telephone terminal. The telephone relaying apparatus 200 stores the real number and the published number in correlation with each other for each of a plurality of telephone terminals. When receiving a first call in which the real number of the call origination telephone terminal 100 is a calling number, the telephone relaying apparatus 200 reads out the published number corresponding to the real number of the call origination telephone terminal 100. The telephone relaying apparatus 200 makes a second call in which the published number of the call destination telephone terminal 300 is a calling number, and performs a relaying process between the call origination telephone terminal 100 and the call destination telephone terminal 300. |
| US08712022B2 |
Selective facsimile denial
A method includes determining whether an incoming call to a first destination is authorized at a switch of a communication network. The method includes, in response to determining that the incoming call is not authorized, determining whether the incoming call is a facsimile call, routing the incoming call to the first destination when the incoming call is not the facsimile call, and routing the incoming call to the first destination when the incoming call is the facsimile call. |
| US08712017B2 |
Network fault detection
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of detecting faults within a telecommunications network, said telecommunications network comprising a plurality of entities. The method comprises grouping said entities into one or more groups based on the call traffic handled by said entities or on the call traffic said entities are configured to handle, for at least one of said groups, monitoring the call length pattern of a plurality of grouped entities of said group, and for at least one of said grouped entities, comparing the monitored call length pattern of the grouped entity with the monitored call length pattern of one or more of the other grouped entities to determine if the behavior of said grouped entity is indicative of a fault. The entities may comprise nodes of the network or hardware elements within one or more nodes of the network. |
| US08712006B2 |
Method and CTDevice for computer tomographic spiral scanning of a patient
An embodiment of the invention relates to a method and to a CT device for computer tomographic spiral scanning of a patient in the region of a moving organ, in particular a beating heart, wherein a pitch is adjusted which is less than the maximum pitch, with which 180° image data can still be reconstructed. In at least one embodiment, during the scan the evaluated detector data with respect to its z width and position on the at least one irradiated detector are restricted as a function of the projection angle in such a way that an effective virtual detector with smaller z width and with a z speed profile, which differs from the z speed profile of the real detector, is produced respectively, and the moving organ is reconstructed on the basis of the detector data of the at least one virtual detector. |
| US08712002B2 |
Nuclear reactor building and construction method thereof
In a nuclear reactor building of a steel plate concrete structure that houses a pressure containment vessel formed with a plurality of penetration ports penetrating the pressure containment vessel on the periphery thereof and includes a biological shielding wall disposed outside the pressure containment vessel. The pressure containment vessel is vertically divided into a plurality of blocks so that each of the blocks has one or more pressure containment vessel penetration ports arranged on a same horizontal plane, and the reactor building including the biological shielding wall is divided into a plurality of modules by the horizontal plane. |
| US08711998B2 |
Cooling structure and cooling method for control rod drive mechanism and nuclear reactor
In a cooling structure and a cooling method for a control rod drive mechanism and in a nuclear reactor, a housing (59) in which magnetic jacks are housed is fixed to an upper portion of a reactor vessel (41), and an air intake unit (102) that takes cooling air into the housing (59), a first exhaust duct (104) that is arranged side by side with the air intake unit (102) in a circumferential direction of the housing (59), into which cooling air in the housing (59) is suctioned through a first inlet (109) at a lower portion thereof, and that guides the cooling air upward, a second exhaust duct (105) that is disposed below the air intake unit (102), into which cooling air in the housing (59) is suctioned through a second inlet (110), and that guides the cooling air to the first exhaust duct (104), and a discharging unit (111) that is formed at an upper portion of the housing (59) and discharges cooling air in the first exhaust duct (104) to the exterior are provided. |
| US08711996B2 |
Methods and apparatus for determining a phase error in signals
An integrated circuit includes samplers, a phase error determination circuit, and periodic signal generators. The samplers generate respective sampled signals by sampling respective input signals in response to respective periodic signals. The input signals have a common phase error. The phase error determination circuit receives the sampled signals from the samplers. The phase error determination circuit generates a representation of the common phase error of the input signals in response to sampled signals received in a set-up mode in which the samplers sample respective input signals having a common bit pattern. The periodic signal generators generate the periodic signals differing in phase from one another by defined phase differences in the set-up mode and subject the periodic signals to a common phase shift in a normal mode in response to the representation of the common phase error. The common phase shift matches the common phase error of the input signals. |
| US08711992B2 |
Phase noise extraction apparatus and technique
A phase noise extraction apparatus and technique that extracts phase noise induced by a component of a transmitter from a radio frequency (RF) signal and attenuates noise induced from other sources. The RF signal is digitized, modulation is removed, and the carrier is suppressed to provide a noise signal including the phase noise and the noise induced from the other sources. A complementary autocorrelation operation is applied to the noise signal to attenuate the noise from the other sources. The correlated signal is transformed into the frequency domain to generate a power spectrum of the phase noise that may be measured or displayed. |
| US08711990B1 |
Frame syncrhonization in orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing systems
A system including a demodulation module, a metric generation module, and a preamble detection module. The demodulation module is configured to generate demodulated signals based on demodulating, in accordance with a differential demodulation scheme, signals received from a base station. The signals received from the base station include a plurality of symbols. The demodulated signals comprise a plurality of real parts each having a corresponding magnitude. The metric generation module is configured to generate a plurality of metrics for the plurality of symbols based on the corresponding magnitudes of the plurality of real parts of the demodulated signals. The preamble detection module is configured to detect, based on the plurality of metrics, whether the plurality of symbols in the signals received from the base station includes a preamble symbol. |
| US08711987B2 |
Method and receiver for jointly decoding received communication signals using maximum likelihood detection
The present invention relates to a method in a receiver for decoding at least two received communication signals, wherein the communication signals are modulated, pre-coded by a discrete Fourier transform and transmitted by means of single-carrier frequency division multiple access scheme (SC-FDMA). The method comprises the steps of: performing an antenna combining and equalization on a signal observed at the receiver; performing inverse discrete Fourier transform on a model of the observed signal; whitening a time domain model of the observed signal; and jointly detecting the received at least two communication signals by performing soft value calculations based on maximum likelihood detection of a whitened time domain model using a whitened time domain channel estimate. |
| US08711983B2 |
Phase locking loop
A phase-locking loop (PLL) for use with orthogonal frequency division multiplexed signals. In one embodiment, a wireless receiver includes a PLL is configured to reduce phase and frequency divergence between the wireless receiver and a transmitter of a packet received by the wireless receiver. The PLL includes a loop bandwidth controller. The loop bandwidth controller is configured to set a bandwidth of the PLL to a first value for reception of an initial symbol of the packet. The loop bandwidth controller is configured to reduce the bandwidth of the PLL over a number of symbols preceding an initial header of the packet. |
| US08711978B2 |
Method and apparatus of communication using soft decision
A method for performing a reliable communication using soft decision information and a random linear coding in the wireless access system is disclosed. The communication method includes arranging received random-linear-coded first code blocks in descending order of their soft decision levels, and performing a random linear decoding on a first code block set, wherein the first code block set is constructed of the first code blocks arranged in the descending order of their soft decision levels. If any error occurs in the random linear decoding step of the first code block set, the method further includes performing a random linear decoding on a second code block set, wherein the second code block set is constructed when a code block having the lowest soft decision level among code blocks contained in the first code block set is replaced with another first code block. |
| US08711977B2 |
Method for transmitting a signal
The method includes providing a stream of data to be transmitted, and processing the data by means of channel coding with a time-varying code rate, thereby generating a stream of channel coded data. The method further includes forming succeeding transmission time intervals and distributing the channel coded data on the transmission time intervals, and adjusting a transmission power of the signal to be transmitted by timely positioning a transmission power slope between two succeeding transmission time intervals so that the transmission power slope is contained completely within one transmission time interval of the two transmission time intervals, wherein the one transmission time interval comprises a lower nominal code rate or a lower nominal transmission power than the other one of the two transmission time intervals. |
| US08711974B2 |
Systems and methods for mitigating spectral regrowth from non-linear systems
Various embodiments are directed to a non-linear amplifier system comprising a reference output generator, an adaptive filter, a amplitude distortion (AM-AM) compensator, a phase distortion (AM-PM) compensator, an adaptive spectrum controller and a non-linear system. The reference output generator may receive an input signal and generating a reference output. The adaptive filter may generate a modified input signal based on the input signal and the reference output. The AM-AM compensator may act on the modified input signal to compensate for AM-AM distortion. The phase distortion (AM-PM) compensator may act on the modified input signal to compensate for AM-PM distortion. The adaptive spectrum controller may provide parameters to the adaptive filter to minimize the power spectral density (PSD) of an output of the non-linear amplifier system in a stop-band and maximize the PSD of the output of the non-linear amplifier system in a pass-band. |
| US08711966B2 |
Wireless device with extendable antenna
A wireless device has receiver circuits and/or transmitter circuits supporting at least two simultaneous independent transmit paths in the same frequency band, and a multiport antenna with N ports, for the available receiver or transmitter circuits. The multiport antenna has a compact mechanical state and an extended mechanical state, and is connected to the N ports of the receiver and/or transmitter circuits by a 2N-port matching and decoupling network. This has multiple, selectable electrical states, each corresponding to at least one of the mechanical states. One combination of the mechanical state and the electrical state allows operation in a wireless channel of rank N. A second combination of the mechanical state and the electrical state allows operation in a wireless channel of rank less than N. Better MIMO performance with the extended antenna configuration can be obtained with the convenience of retaining limited performance when the user cannot use the extended antenna. |
| US08711964B2 |
Method and apparatus for pre-scheduling in closed-loop MU-MIMO antenna system
A method and an apparatus for pre-scheduling in a closed-loop multiple user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO) antenna system. A base station receives channel information representing a downlink channel condition of each mobile station from mobile stations in a cell, and determines a candidate user group for each of frequency bands included in an entire frequency band, based on the channel information, the candidate user group including mobile stations to which resources can be simultaneously allocated. The base station also instructs a mobile station included in each candidate user group to transmit a sounding signal through a corresponding frequency band. If the sounding signal is received through the corresponding frequency band, the base station performs a scheduling with regard to the mobile station included in each candidate user group. |
| US08711958B2 |
Method for decoding a spatially multiplexed data signal using a maximum likelihood detection
The disclosure relates to a method for decoding a received signal in a MIMO communication system and in at least one layer, each layer carrying at least one data symbol belonging to a signal constellation. The method includes, for one of the at least one layer, a maximum likelihood detection step. This step includes: selecting one candidate value for the data symbol of the layer, and determining the Euclidian distance between the received signal Y and the data signal transmitted using said candidate value multiplied by said channel matrix H, weighted by the inverse of a noise covariance matrix C such as ∥Y−ΣiHixi∥C−12, expressed as: Σi≠n∥Hi∥C−12|xi|2−2(HiHC−1Y−0.5Σj≠i,nHiHC−1Hjxj)x*i+∥Hn∥C−12|xn|2−2(HnHC−1Y−Σj≠nHnHC−1Hjxj)x*n=Σi≠nαiR(xi)2−2βiRxi+αnR(xn)2−2βnRxn+Σi≠nαiI(ℑxi)2−2βiIℑxi+αnI(ℑxn)2−2βnIℑxn. The terms depending on αk are computed by adding to each of them a predetermined constant depending on the size of the constellation of the layer k, called a constellation dependent constant. |
| US08711955B2 |
Spreading technique applied to broadband mobile communications by satelite relying on DVB-RCS
A device (D1) is dedicated to the processing of signals to be transmitted by waves, within a communication terminal (T). This device (D 1) includes i) memory (M1) for temporarily storing a sequence of digital samples of an analogue input signal according to a first sampling frequency and in a manner synchronized with respect to starts of periodic time slots, and ii) digital/analogue conversion (CV2) for generating, during each time slot and according to a second sampling frequency equal to N times the first sampling frequency, with N an integer strictly greater than 1, an analogue output signal, to be transmitted, representative of N repetitions of the sequence of digital samples that is stored in the memory (M1) during the time slot concerned, so as to output the analogue signal according to a symbol rate equal to N times a reference symbol rate. |
| US08711952B2 |
Analog to digital converter with increased sub-range resolution
An analog to digital converter with increased sub-range resolution. The device includes an analog front end that produces an analog communication signal, a digital front end that receives a digital communication signal, and an Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) that samples the analog communication signal across a full-range. The ADC includes a full-range ADC having a first quantization accuracy configured to sample the analog communication signal across the full-range and a central sub-range ADC having a second quantization accuracy greater than the first quantization accuracy and configured to sample the analog communication signal across a central sub-range of the full-range. The ADC also includes signal combining circuitry configured to process outputs of the full-range ADC and the central sub-range ADC to create the digital communication signal. |
| US08711950B2 |
Apparatus and method for adapted deblocking filtering strength
A picture processing apparatus for carrying out decoding processing to produce picture data from a bit stream generated previously in processing performed typically by a coding apparatus to code the picture data by selection of setting of picture types from a frame structure of the picture data and from a field structure of the picture data and by execution of an orthogonal transform process for each orthogonal transform process unit of the picture data on a prediction error, which is a difference between a predicted value generated for each predicted-value generation unit of the picture data and the true value of the picture data. |
| US08711948B2 |
Motion-compensated prediction of inter-layer residuals
Techniques and tools are described for scalable video encoding and decoding. In some embodiments, an encoding tool encodes base layer video and outputs encoded base layer video in a base layer bit stream. The encoding tool encodes inter-layer residual video (representing differences between input video and reconstructed base layer video) using motion compensation relative to previously reconstructed inter-layer residual video. For the inter-layer residual video, the encoding tool outputs motion information and motion-compensated prediction residuals in an enhancement layer bit stream. A decoding tool receives the base layer bit stream and enhancement layer bit stream, reconstructs base layer video, reconstructs inter-layer residual video, and combines the reconstructed base layer video and reconstructed inter-layer residual video. Using motion compensation for the inter-layer residual video facilitates the use of separate motion vectors and separate codecs for the base layer video and inter-layer residual video. |
| US08711946B2 |
Device and method for unified codes
A unified codec device and method are disclosed. A decoding device includes a decoding description decoder, generating at least one table by using inputted decoding description; and a codec unit, decoding and outputting encoded video data, included in an inputted bit-stream, to moving picture data by using the table. With the present invention, a bit-stream, encoded by various formats according to each standard (e.g. MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and MPEG-4 AVC), can be decoded by the same information recognizing method. |
| US08711933B2 |
Random access point (RAP) formation using intra refreshing technique in video coding
A random access point can be generated in a stream of coded digital pictures containing a plurality of predictive coded frames in which one or more subsections of each frame are intra coded. A patch frame can be formed from intra-coded subsections in identified consecutive predictive-coded frames. The patch frame can be used as a synthetic random access point. |
| US08711932B2 |
Method and apparatus for decoding/encoding a video signal with inter-view reference picture list construction
A method of decoding a video signal is disclosed. The present invention includes obtaining identification information indicating whether a coded picture of a current NAL unit is an inter-view picture group, obtaining interview reference information of the inter-view picture group, and constructing a reference picture list for inter-view prediction using the inter-view reference information according to the identification information, wherein the inter-view reference information includes view identification information of an inter-view reference picture. |
| US08711930B2 |
Non-zero rounding and prediction mode selection techniques in video encoding
In one aspect of this disclosure, techniques are described for selecting among default weighted prediction, implicit weighted prediction, and explicit weighted prediction. In this context, techniques are also described for adding offset to prediction data, e.g., using the format of explicit weighted prediction to allow for offsets to predictive data that is otherwise determined by implicit or default weighted prediction. |
| US08711928B1 |
Method, apparatus, and manufacture for adaptation of video encoder tuning parameters
A method, apparatus, and manufacture for encoding a video sequence is provided. During a first exploitation phase of an encoding pass of the video encoding, macro-blocks are encoded employing at least one encoding parameter. At least one encoder statistic is evaluated based on the encoding of macro-blocks during the first exploitation phase. Next, during a first exploration phase of the encoding pass, macro-blocks are encoded employing at least one encoding parameter that is different than the encoding parameter(s) used during the first exploitation phase. At least one encoder statistic is evaluated based on the encoding of the macro-blocks during the first exploitation phase. The encoder statistic(s) based on the first exploration stage is compared when the encoder statistic(s) based on the first exploitation phase, and a steady-state value of the encoding parameter(s) is updated based on the comparison. The process may then continue to alternate between exploration and exploitation phases. |
| US08711924B2 |
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. |
| US08711917B2 |
Sampling filter device
A sampling filter device wherein the filter characteristic is variable without using a control signal of a complicated waveform is provided. A sampling filter device 105 has integration capacitors 130 and 131, an integration time adjustment section 180, and a plurality of switches 100, 101, 110, and 111. Input current is integrated in different time duration with one clock and is stored in the integration capacitors 130 and 131 and charges stored in the integration capacitor from several clocks before to one clock before are added and the result is output. When charge is stored in the integration capacitors 130 and 131 with each clock, the integration time duration is changed, whereby it is made possible to weight and add output charge and the filter characteristic changes. |
| US08711906B2 |
Tracking data eye operating margin for steady state adaptation
In described embodiments, a transceiver includes an eye monitor and margin detector having one or more samplers with corresponding logic. One or more programmable provisioning parameters are defined based on a pre-defined minimum target operating margin for acceptable noise and jitter margins. For example, two programmable provisioning parameters, phase and voltage, correspond with thresholds for margin samplers placed within the eye. Initially, the transceiver applies equalization, after which an inner eye of the transceiver, as detected by the eye monitor, is relatively open with some margin for supporting channels. If the receiver margin goes below this target margin, the eye closes, which is registered by the samplers. In the presence of spectrally rich input data, if the receiver margin goes below this target margin, an updated adaptation of equalizer or other circuit parameters might be initiated; else, adaptation is not generally required. |
| US08711897B2 |
Split-ring resonator creating a photonic metamaterial
A split ring-resonator includes a substrate, an inner-trench or cavity formed into the substrate, the inner trench or cavity including a split, and an outer trench or cavity formed into the substrate around the inner trench or cavity, the outer trench or cavity including another split disposed at an opposite end of the split in the inner trench or cavity, wherein the inner trench or cavity and the outer trench or cavity are configured to receive an electrically conductive gas and/or plasma to form a split-ring resonator. |
| US08711889B2 |
Asynchronous line interface rate adaptation to the physical layer with synchronous lines at the connection layer
A method for adapting the rates of a certain number of asynchronous HDLC channels (15) to a single clock domain suited for interfacing with an HDLC processor (13) through a synchronous pseudo-TDM interface (14) in which the HDLC channels are multiplexed in time and vice versa in the opposite direction. In one direction the algorithm is based on the writing of the HDLC channels in a dedicated buffer (17) and in reading these buffers with a common synchronous clock just above the expected maximum HDLC rate. The under-run condition is avoided by inserting neutral information between the end byte and the start byte of the HDLC packets when this is suggested by the buffer fill monitoring function. A simple function to locate the first and last bytes of each HDLC packet read by the buffer is hence used in combination with the buffer fill monitoring function. The algorithm is also suited in the opposite direction in which different asynchronous physical lines receive their HDLC channels from a synchronous TDM-type interface on condition that this interface clock domain be just below the minimum expected HDLC output rate. In this case also the under-run conditions are avoided by insertion of neutral data after having used the same algorithm described above. Adaptation devices and a telecommunications card using them are also proposed. |
| US08711888B2 |
Digital microwave radio link with adaptive data rate
A digital microwave link and system are provided that has an adaptive data rate. |
| US08711876B2 |
Method of synchronization for low power idle
A method comprises receiving data, modulated according to a first modulation scheme, from a transmitter via an Ethernet link while the receiver is in a first mode. The first mode corresponds to a first power consumption level of the receiver. The method also includes receiving a sleep signal, and, in response, transitioning the receiver to a second mode. The second mode corresponds to a second power consumption level lower than the first power consumption level. The method also includes detecting an expiration of a predetermined time interval, and, in response, transitioning the receiver to a third mode. The third mode corresponds to a third power consumption level greater than the second power consumption level. The method also includes receiving a refresh signal modulated according to a different, second modulation scheme, synchronizing the receiver to the transmitter based on the refresh signal, and transitioning the receiver back to the second mode. |
| US08711874B2 |
Method and system for an integrated host PCI I/O bridge and dual port gigabit ethernet controller
Embodiments may include two gigabit Ethernet controllers integrated within a single chip and an I/O bridge coupled to the two gigabit Ethernet controllers and integrated within the single chip. The system may further include an I/O function coupled to the I/O bridge that is integrated within the single chip. The I/O function may include I/O logic and an I/O buffer integrated within the single chip and coupled to the I/O bridge and/or the two gigabit Ethernet controllers. A timing function or timing block may also be coupled to the I/O bridge and integrated within the single chip. A host system may be coupled to the I/O bridge. The I/O bridge may further include a primary bus controller, which may be a primary PCI bus controller. The controller or controller block may include control and status registers that may be coupled to the primary bus controller. |
| US08711873B2 |
Carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) protocols for power line communications (PLC)
Systems and methods for carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) protocols for power line communications (PLC) are described. In some embodiments, a method may include performing a virtual carrier sensing operation and, in response to the virtual carrier sensing operation indicating that a communication channel is idle, calculating a contention window. The method may also include performing a physical carrier sensing operation subsequent to the virtual carrier sensing operation, the physical carrier sensing operation based, at least in part, upon the contention window. In response to the physical carrier sensing operation indicating that the communication channel is idle, the method may then include transmitting data over the channel. In other embodiments, another method may include determining that a data transmission is a unicast transmission and that an acknowledgement message has not been received. The method may further include incrementing a backoff parameter and repeating one or more carrier sense operations. |
| US08711872B2 |
Data distribution apparatus, data distribution method, and distribution control program
Disclosed is a data distribution apparatus delivering multicast data to a terminal belonging to a multicast group, including: a table generating unit to generate a table including a source address (SA) of the terminal and a destination address (DA) for requesting the multicast data in association with port information of the terminal; an address discrimination unit to discriminate a combination of DA and SA contained in the multicast data; a forwarding destination information generation unit to generate forwarding destination information designating a forwarding destination of the multicast data by obtaining the port information in the table, corresponding to the discriminated combination, and inserts the forwarding destination information in the multicast data for transfer to a L2 switch; and a port selection unit provided in the L2 switch to select port to transfer the multicast data referring to the forwarding destination information and a routing table provided in the L2 switch. |
| US08711869B2 |
Message transfer apparatus, output method, and computer program product
A packet processor transfers a message received by a first (second) port to a second (first) port. When first specific information is included in the received message, a QoS terminal detector detects a communication terminal, which is a sender of the message received by the first port or a destination of the message received by the second port, as a QoS terminal requesting application of QoS. When the QoS terminal does not satisfy a preset connection condition associated with the QoS terminal connectable to the first port via a first network, an output unit outputs information indicating that the connection condition is not satisfied. |
| US08711868B2 |
Methods, systems, and products for providing communications services
Methods, systems, and products provide communications services. A request for communications service is received at a service provider and a best-value scenario is determined. Packets of data are subcontracted to another service provider to receive a subcontracted processing service. A result of the subcontracted processing service is incorporated in the best-value scenario, and the communications service is provided to fulfill the request for communications service. |
| US08711866B2 |
Routing of data including multimedia between electronic devices
Rerouting apparatus for rerouting data including multimedia data. The apparatus is for association with electronic equipment and allows for routing the data to a device regarded as the most convenient for playing the media. The apparatus comprises an announcer device for indicating to surrounding equipment that associated equipment is available for rerouting, thereby to enable receipt of rerouted communications therefrom, and a scout device for scanning surroundings of the associated equipment to find out about compatible equipment in the vicinity, thereby to reroute communications thereto. The apparatus may be attached to any device having data processing capability, to enable rerouting of data and communications therebetween. |
| US08711864B1 |
System and method for supporting fibre channel over ethernet communication
A system and method for transmitting packets over two different network protocols without protocol conversion in any switches. A computer system comprises host computers and target storage arrays, or targets, coupled to one another through a Enhanced Ethernet network. Each of the host computers and the targets is configured to transmit encapsulated packets, such as a Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) packet. During system configuration, each of the targets is set to be the only target included in a virtual local area network (VLAN) with a corresponding unique VLAN identifier (ID). A given host computer logins to multiple assigned targets using a predefined Fiber Channel protocol. In response to a login request, a corresponding target assigns and conveys a N_Port ID that comprises a VLAN ID and a unique Host ID to the host computer in a reply message. A virtual link is established between the host computer and the target storage array. |
| US08711863B2 |
Virtual links in a routed ethernet mesh network
Virtual links may be used to divert traffic within an Ethernet network without affecting overall traffic patterns on the Ethernet network. In one embodiment, the virtual link may be established on the network via a routing system in use on the network. Nodes on a defined path for the virtual link will install forwarding state for the virtual link so that traffic may follow the defined path through the network. The logical view of the virtual link, from a routing perspective however, has the same cost as the shortest path between the endpoints of the virtual link and, accordingly, does not affect other traffic patterns on the network. Once established, the end nodes on the virtual path will have two equal cost paths through the network—one following the shortest path tree and one along the path for the virtual link. The end nodes may use a tie breaking process in an Equal Cost Multi Path (ECMP) selection process to preferentially select the virtual link over the shortest path. |
| US08711860B2 |
Controller for flexible and extensible flow processing in software-defined networks
A network device acts as a controller within a software-defined network. The network device receives a processing definition, which includes a representation of configurable definitions of protocols, configurable flow table definitions, and configurable logic for selecting between flow tables defined by the configurable flow table definitions. The network device translates the processing definition to create a parser configuration package, which is distributed to a plurality of forwarding elements. This distribution causes each forwarding element to create a flow table based on each of the configurable flow table definitions. The flow tables include one or more configurable key columns and a set of one or more action columns to store forwarding decisions. The network device transmits data to populate the configurable key columns and action columns of the flow tables created within each of the plurality of forwarding elements. |
| US08711853B2 |
System and method for providing a path avoidance feature in a network environment
A method is provided in one example and includes evaluating multiple paths in a network in order to execute a reverse path forwarding decision for multicast traffic associated with a source. The method may also include selecting a second network path based on a first network path previously been designated as a route for the multicast traffic associated with the source. The first network path and a second network path differ by at least one network element. The method further includes receiving at least one of a first data stream and a second data stream, wherein the first data stream is associated with the first network path and the second data stream is associated with the second network path. |
| US08711852B2 |
Systems and methods for port mirroring with network-scoped connection-oriented sink
Systems and methods for sinking port mirrored data to any node in a network are provided. Moreover, the network is configured to convey the mirrored data to the sink, without the need for any facilities expressly dedicated for this purpose. The present invention removes the requirement to collocate the sink port within the same logical node. The present invention uses a mirrored flow configured as a provisioned layer two point-to-point connection, such as a Switched Permanent Virtual Circuit (SPVC), Pseudo-Wire (PWE3), a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) cross-connect, Provider Backbone Bridging-Traffic Engineering (PBB-TE), or the like. The provisioned point-to-point connection is configured between the mirrored port to a sink port. The node with the mirrored port is configured to create copies of the appropriate set of packets (i.e. ingress or egress packets or both based on provisioning), and to forward the packets to the sink port. |
| US08711847B2 |
System and method for providing location and access network information support in a network environment
A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes communicating location and access network information for an end user to a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) element that is coupled to a network element. The network element receives packets for a communications flow from the end user if the flow is initiated through a wireless network and through a wireline network. In more specific embodiments, the location and access network information is used to initiate one or more applications for the end user. The method could also include communicating to an application function that the end user has attached to one of the networks, has been assigned an Internet Protocol (IP) address, and the location and access network information for the end user. |
| US08711841B2 |
Communication system
A method of establishing a communication event in a communication system from an initiator device to one of a plurality of entities associated with the initiator device comprising assigning a calling identity to at least one of said entities at a first network node associated with a packet switched network; providing the assigned identity to the initiator device; storing associated contact information for the entity together with the calling identity assigned to the entity at a second network node associated with the packet switched network, initiating a communication event from the initiator device to the entity via a circuit switched network by transmitting the identity assigned to the entity to a gateway node; sending a message to the second network node with the identity assigned to the entity to determine the contact information for the entity; and routing the communication event from the gateway node to the entity using the determined contact information via one of the circuit switched and packet switched networks without said communication event being routed via said first network node. |
| US08711840B1 |
Method and apparatus for management and analysis of services in VoIP networks
A method, apparatus and computer product for modeling and analyzing additional services incorporated into a Voice-over-IP (VoIP) configuration composed of a plurality of components is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of representing selected ones of the plurality of components and relationships among the selected components, wherein said component representations are selected from the group of configuration non-specific representations consisting of: VoIP VoiceMailService, VoIPVoiceConferenceService, ITServices, ERPServices, CRMServices, WebServices and SupportServices, and wherein the representations of relationships are selected from the group of configuration non-specific representations consisting of: HostedBy/HostsServices and Integrates/IntegratedIn, providing a mapping between a plurality of first events and a plurality of second events occurring in the selected components, the mapping representing the relationships along which the first events propagate among the selected components, and determining at least one first event based on at least one of the plurality of second events by determining a measure between each of a plurality of relationship values associated with the plurality of first events and the plurality of second events. |
| US08711838B1 |
Using network labels without standard-defined syntax and semantics
In general, techniques are described for transmitting MPLS labels over a network. More specifically, a network device such a router receives a packet to be forwarded according to a label switching protocol, such as Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS). The router may determine a service instance for the packet based on a client device from which the packet originated. The network device may determine one or more services to apply to the packet based on the service instance for the packet and generate a label which having a service instance portion and a service information portion. The network device may append the label to the packet to form an MPLS-encapsulated packet, and may forward the MPLS-encapsulated packet via an output interface according to the label switching protocol. |
| US08711834B2 |
Method to prevent hyper frame number de-synchronization in a wireless communication system
A method for HFN synchronization in a wireless communication system. The method includes toggling an RSN bit value in RESET PDU, after single sided re-establishment of RLC entity. A RESET PDU with the toggled RSN bit value is transmitted to a receiver. The HFN value then updated according to a RESET ACK PDU. |
| US08711828B2 |
Method of transmitting data using spatial multiplexing
A data transmission method using spatial multiplexing is disclosed. The data transmission method using spatial multiplexing includes modulating at least one codeword to generate at least one modulation symbol, mapping the at least one modulation symbol to a layer whose number is determined according to its rank to generate a layer-mapped symbol stream, performing discrete Fourier transform (DFT) on the layer-mapped symbol stream to generate a frequency domain symbol stream, performing precoding on the frequency domain symbol stream, mapping the precoded frequency domain symbol stream to subcarriers, and then performing inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) on the precoded frequency domain symbol stream-mapped subcarriers to generate SC-FDMA symbols; and transmitting the SC-FDMA symbols by using a plurality of transmission antennas. Spatial multiplexing having a low PAPR can be possibly performed in an SC-FDMA system. |
| US08711820B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing very high throughput operation and capability signaling for wireless communications
A method and apparatus may be used to provide signaling for various capabilities in various wireless communication technologies, such as very high throughput (VHT) Capabilities in VHT wireless local area networks (WLANs). For example, in WLAN, an access point (AP) and/or a station (STA) may indicate VHT Capabilities Information, in any new or existing frames. The VHT Capabilities Information may be indicated in management frames such as association, re-association, probe, beacon, or secondary/auxiliary beacon frames. |
| US08711815B2 |
Mobile terminal apparatus, radio base station apparatus and radio communication method
To provide a mobile terminal apparatus, radio base station apparatus and radio communication method capable of supporting user multiplexing methods for enabling more users to be efficiently multiplexed on an uplink shared channel, the mobile terminal apparatus performs spreading processing for multiplying a data signal by a code varying for each user, and transmits the spreading-processed data signal to the radio base station apparatus on the uplink shared channel, and the radio base station apparatus receives the data signal, and user-separates a reception signal in which is mixed a plurality of users multiplied by spreading codes varying for each user into desired user signals to be data signals for each user. |
| US08711811B2 |
Identifying multi-component carrier cells
Methods and apparatus for generating and determining multi-component carrier cells, without the use of neighbor-cell lists, are described. Methods for generating and informing a communication system terminal about other component carriers belonging to a certain cell identity (ID), and methods and apparatus for a mobile terminal utilizing extended synchronization information for doing multi-component carrier cell search are described. Also, methods for multi-component carrier measurements and methods of reporting such measurements to a network are described. |
| US08711810B2 |
Method for dropping packet data, radio communication device, and mobile communication system
A control method in a mobile communication system, that includes configuring a timer corresponding to packet data for discarding the packet data according to a value of the timer; maintaining the value of the timer corresponding to the packet data when a handover is performed without restarting or resetting the value of the timer; and discarding the corresponding packet data when the maintained value of the timer reaches a given value. |
| US08711808B2 |
Method for switching channels in a wireless communication network
A method for switching channels in a wireless communication network comprising at least one access point and clients, wherein the communication network as secondary user uses one of a number of possible channels for data communication. In accordance with the invention, data communication occurs between the access point and the number of clients through the first transmit/receive interface of the access point on a first channel. Parallel to the data communication, a check of the possible channels occurs over the transmit/receive interface by a second transmit/receive interface of the access point to determine which of the channels are free channels that are not being used by any primary users. A channel switch from the first channel to one of the free channels occurs if a prioritized use of the first channel by a primary user is established by the access point of the communication network. |
| US08711807B2 |
Method and apparatus for compensating QoS during handover by base station in wireless broadband access system
An apparatus and method for compensating Quality of Service (QoS) during a handover of a Mobile Station (MS) by a serving Base Station (BS) and a target BS in a wireless broadband access system are provided. The method includes generating a message during a handover from the serving BS to a target BS, the message including at least one of a data transmission/reception time just before the handover, a size of a time window for which a data transmission/reception history is recorded in an accumulated way, and an amount of data transmitted/received during the time window, and transmitting the message to the target BS. The target BS can more accurately find a handover break time and the amount of data transmission/reception in the serving BS at the time the MS has been handed over to the target BS, enabling fast and adequate QoS compensation/correction for each QoS class, and thus facilitating flexible, efficient and accurate QoS provisioning regardless of controlled handover and uncontrolled handover. |
| US08711804B2 |
Retransmission control method, base station and mobile station
A base station, a mobile station and a retransmission control method for enabling communication to be more efficiently performed. In a communication system comprising a base station (100) and a mobile station (200), a time period required for the retransmission of a transport packet to complete is determined, and a retransmission control is performed, based on the required time period, to change the order of executing the retransmission of the transport packet and a handover. In this way, when it is estimated that the retransmission will complete soon, the retransmission is caused to complete in a handover source system, thereby avoiding waste of communication resources used in the preceding transmission and retransmission processes. When it is estimated that the retransmission will continue for a while, the communication resources used in the preceding transmission and retransmission processes are wasted, but a more appropriate MCS can be assigned, in a handover destination system, so as to perform a retransmission, thereby enabling communication to be efficiently performed. |
| US08711800B2 |
Wireless communications system, wireless communications apparatus, wireless communications method and computer program for wireless communication
In performing SVD-MIMO transmission, a set-up procedure is simplified while assuring a satisfactory decoding capability with a reduced number of antennas. A transmitter estimates channel information based on reference signals sent from a receiver, determines a transmit antenna weighting coefficient matrix based on the channel information, calculates a weight to be assigned to each of components of a multiplexed signal, and sends, to the receiver, training signals for respective signal components, the training signals being weighted by the calculated weights. On the other hand, the receiver determines a receive antenna weighting coefficient matrix based on the received training signals. |
| US08711796B2 |
Provision of downlink packet access services to user equipment in spread spectrum communication network
A method of providing a packetized data transmission service to a mobile terminal (108) in a spread spectrum communication network (100), includes: at a transmitter (102), broadcasting an indication message to a cell on a downlink broadcast channel (114), the indication message providing notification of an available packetized data transmission service intended for the mobile terminal (108); at the mobile terminal (108), monitoring the broadcast channel (114) for the indication message, and upon receipt, acknowledging detection of the indication message to the transmitter (102) on an uplink contention channel (116); and at the transmitter (102), upon contention completion, transmitting packetized data transmission service configuration information to the mobile terminal (108) on the broadcast channel (114). |
| US08711791B2 |
Denial of service (DoS) attack prevention through random access channel resource reallocation
A method of managing wireless transmissions from a mobile handset includes determining whether the mobile handset is a source of a Random Access Channel (RACH) overload in the wireless network and, upon determining that the mobile handset is a source of the RACH overload, configuring the mobile handset to replace usage of a first RACH resource causing the RACH overload with usage of a second RACH resource specified by the processor. |
| US08711786B2 |
Autonomous downlink code selection for femto cells
Downlink codes may be chosen autonomously for femtocells in a wireless communication environment. Downlink transmissions are received from Home NodeBs that are neighbors of the femtocell and macrocell base stations near the femtocell. The downlink transmissions are evaluated to recognize a first set of detected downlink codes that each have a pilot energy above a predetermined detection threshold. An optimal downlink code is selected for use in connection with serving user equipment of the femtocell. The optimal downlink code is based upon the first set of detected downlink codes and selected as a downlink code from a set of downlink codes reserved for the femtocell. The optimal downlink code may be an available downlink code with a smallest amount of detected energy or a randomly selected downlink code from the available downlink codes. |
| US08711774B2 |
Wireless communication system and wireless communication method
There is provided a wireless communication system in which a feedback volume is reduced as exceeding a communication speed demanded by a mobile station. The wireless communication system includes: a plurality of base stations 102a and 102b having a plurality of antennas; a plurality of mobile stations 103a to 103d having a plurality of antennas; and a base station controller 101a collectively controlling a plurality of the base stations. During a certain period of time (time slot), there are provided an (MIMO+TDMA) communication mode by which only one of the base stations and one of the mobile stations are communicated with each other, an (SDMA+TDMA) communication mode by which one of the base stations and the plurality of the mobile stations are simultaneously communicated with each other, and a (multipoint SDMA) communication mode by which the plurality of the base stations and the plurality of the mobile stations are simultaneously communicated with each other by coordinating the plurality of the base stations with each other by the base station controller. And, it is judged by the base station or the base station controller whether or not the communication speed requested from the mobile station can be exceeded, so that an appropriate communication mode is automatically decided by switching the communication modes. |
| US08711771B2 |
Scalable header extension
Systems and methods for extending header fields are disclosed. The header field may be extended without changing the current size of the header. Reserve bits may be used to indicate the use of an extended header and the extended header may be store in a variety of locations within the frame, including the frame payload or pad bits. |
| US08711767B2 |
Distributed mobile access point acquisition
Providing for distributed access point management for access to a mobile network is described herein. By way of example, an interface application maintained at a Femto cell base station (BS) can facilitate initial power up and/or acquisition for a Femto user terminal (UT). Upon start-up, a bootstrap process is utilized by the Femto cell to provision the UT with an SDL establishing at least one BS as high priority within a particular geographic area (GEO). Thus, when the Femto UT is within the GEO, the UT is more likely to acquire, camp on and/or handoff to the preferred BS. When outside the GEO, a serving access point can provision the Femto UT OTA with a custom SDL suited to another GEO having a different high priority access point. By implementing access point management at distributed access points, expensive network equipment can be mitigated or avoided. |
| US08711761B2 |
Spread spectrum communication system and transmission power control method therefor
In a spread spectrum communication system, one (W.sub.n) of a series of orthogonal codes for spectrum spreading is assigned to signal-to-noise ratio measurement in a terminal. On the basis of a noise signal detected by de-spreading a signal received from an antenna with the above described orthogonal code (W.sub.n) and a pilot signal, each terminal derives a signal-to-noise ratio. Each terminal transmits the signal-to-noise ratio to the base station as a power control signal. On the basis of signal-to-noise information received from each terminal as the power control signal, the base station controls signal transmission power for each terminal. |
| US08711760B2 |
Method and apparatus to adjust received signal
A wireless communication device, a wireless communication system and a method to adjust transmitted signals constellation in a maximum likelihood multiple-input-multiple-output receiver by transmitting an EVM deviation value. The EVM deviation value may be added to a pre-stored error value at the receiver. |
| US08711759B2 |
Frame timing synchronization in a geostationary satellite system
Aspects of the invention provide a system and method to allow inroute frame timing synchronization without the aid of hub signal loopback or satellite ephemeris data. Furthermore, it allows tracking and compensating of the satellite motion to allow multiple remotes to use TDMA on the inroute frequencies, while minimizing the aperture. Two main techniques proposed are CLT and polling based approaches, which are used in combination for an optimum solution. In CLT based approach, hub transmits remote specific timing correction feedback messages on the outroute on as needed basis. In polling based approach, the remotes derive their timing based on a per-beam average delay estimate broadcast by the hub and a measured local delay specific to each outroute stream from a remote. An aspect of the invention uses triangulation method to determine satellite position. Furthermore, an aspect of the invention uses hub burst arrival method instead of polling approach. |
| US08711756B2 |
Efficient relay automatic repeat request procedure in broadband wireless access system
The present invention relates to a broadband wireless access system including a relay station, and more particularly to an efficient procedure of Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) operations in a relay station and an apparatus for performing the same. A method for transmitting data for at least one terminal (AMS) from a base station (ABS) to a relay station (ARS) in the broadband wireless access system according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of generating second transmission unit data using a plurality of first transmission unit data to which different relay sequence numbers are assigned; and transmitting the second transmission unit data to the relay station. The second transmission unit data can be transmitted through the same tunnel as the first transmission unit data. |
| US08711755B2 |
Wireless communication system, wireless communication device, wireless communication method, and program
A wireless communication system is provided that includes a first wireless communication device, a second wireless communication device, and a base station. The first and second wireless communication devices perform one of indirect communication via the base station and direct communication not passing via the base station. The first wireless communication device obtains the type of communication function with which the second wireless communication device is compatible, and transmits a data frame using at least one of the communication functions with which both the first and second wireless communication devices are compatible. The second wireless communication device measures communication quality of the data frame transmitted from the first wireless communication device for each communication function used. One of the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device, based on the communication quality, determines whether to perform one of the indirect communication and the direct communication. |
| US08711753B2 |
Femtocell one-to-many packet delivery
Femto nodes provide Local IP Access (LIPA) which allows terminals to communicate with local area networks that the femtocells reside in using cellular air-interfaces (such as cdma2000, UMTS or LTE). Femto nodes also enable Remote IP Access (RIPA) service, which allows the terminals to access the local area network from the Internet as if they were present in the local area networks. Further, to avoid degradation of standby time of the terminals or the capacity of the femto node, or both, apparatus and methods are described herein in which a femto node consolidates received Broadcast/Multicast IP packets from a local area network prior to delivering the packets to terminals over a cellular air-interface. In other aspects, a femto node may deliver the received Broadcast/Multicast IP packets via a cellular one-to-many transmission, either with or without consolidation. |
| US08711748B2 |
Method and apparatus for band switching in wireless local access network
A method and apparatus of switching a band in a wireless local access network (WLAN) is provided. The method includes transmitting a multi-band switch request message to request switching from a first frequency band to a second frequency band, and receiving a multi-band switch response message in response to the multi-band switch request message. The multi-band switch request message includes a multi-band switch schedule to operate in the second frequency band. Wider coverage can be supported by using multi-band. |
| US08711739B1 |
Subcarrier cluster-based power control in wireless communications
Devices, systems and techniques to monitor signal fading based on a cluster of subcarriers at a receiver and feedback monitored signal fading to a transmitter in wireless communication systems such as OFDM and OFDMA systems. |
| US08711729B2 |
Host route convergence based on sequence values
In an example embodiment, a method is provided that assigns a sequence value to a host. The host is identified by a host network layer address. After the assignment, the host network layer address and the sequence value are included in an advertisement for transmission. In another example embodiment, another method is provided. Here, a first sequence value associated with the host network layer address is received from a network device. In addition, a second sequence value associated with the same host network layer address is received from a different network device. The first sequence value is ranked relative to the second sequence value and data is transmitted to the network device based on the ranking. |
| US08711726B2 |
Method and device for reliable estimation of network traffic
A network, advantageously a home network, comprises a number of user devices, for example personal computers, game consoles and smartphones, each having an estimator application, preferably voluntarily installed by the user. The network further comprises a network device that acts as an interface between the network and an external network. The estimator applications measure the network traffic for its user device, while the network device in parallel generates an independent measurement of the network consumption. The measurements are then compared. If the difference between the sum of the measurements from the estimator applications and the measurement of the network device is below a fixed threshold, it is assumed that the measurements are valid for the considered measurement time interval. Otherwise, the difference is an indication that at least one estimation was incorrect. |
| US08711716B2 |
Multiple CQI feedback for cellular networks
Single user and multiuser MIMO transmission in a cellular network may be performed by a base station (eNB) transmitting either one or two transmission layers. A user equipment (UE) receives a reference symbol from the base station. The UE processes the reference symbol with one or more of a plurality of precoding matrices to form a plurality of channel quality indices (CQI). The UE provides feedback to the eNB comprising one or more feedback CQI selected from the plurality of CQI and one or more precoding matrix indicators (PMI) identifying the one or more precoding matrices used to form each of the one or more feedback CQIs, wherein at least two PMI are included in the feedback. |
| US08711711B2 |
System and method of detecting and locating intermittent and other faults
Data associated with at least one building condition or status is sensed by one or more sensors. The data from these sensors may be sent over a data bus and received by the central computer. In addition, a modulated signal may be transmitted by one or both of the transmitters across the data bus. The modulated signal is received at the receiver, which analyzes the received modulated signal, and determines whether an intermittent fault has occurred on the data bus based upon the analyzing. For example, the receiver may compare the received signal to an expected pattern and when a discrepancy exists, an intermittent fault is determined to exist. The receiver may also determine the location of the fault based upon the analysis. |
| US08711707B2 |
Integrating multimedia capabilities with circuit-switched calls
The present invention monitors call signaling events stemming from a circuit-switched call between a caller and a called party and controls a packet-session between user agents on respective endpoints associated with the caller and called party. The endpoints may include any type of computational device capable of facilitating the packet-session over a packet-switched network. Control of the user agents may be provided via a proxy for the user agents and may use the session initiation protocol (SIP), or like session control protocol for communications. |
| US08711694B2 |
Call admission control method and system
A call admission control technique allowing flexible and reliable call admissions at an ATM switch in the case of an ATM network including both QoS-specified and QoS-unspecified virtual connections is disclosed. In the case where a QoS (Quality of Service) specified connection request occurs, an estimated bandwidth is calculated which is to be assigned to an existing QoS-unspecified traffic on the link associated with the QoS-specified connection request. A call control processor of the ATM switch determines whether the QoS-specified connection request is accepted, depending on whether a requested bandwidth is smaller than an available bandwidth that is obtained by subtracting an assigned bandwidth and the estimated bandwidth from a full bandwidth of the link. |
| US08711692B2 |
Multiplexing channels by a medium access controller
A code division multiple access (CDMA) communication device comprises a medium access controller (MAC) configured to receive data from a plurality of channels. Each channel is associated with a priority and an identifier. The MAC is further configured to multiplex the data of the plurality of channels for transmission over a CDMA channel based on the priority. |
| US08711689B1 |
Dynamic trunk distribution on egress
A method, apparatus, and system are directed toward managing network traffic over a plurality of Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Level 2 switch ports. A network traffic is received over the plurality of OSI Level 2 switch ports. At least a part of the network traffic is categorized into a flow. The categorization may be based on a IP address, an OSI Level 4 port, a protocol type, a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) number, or the like, associated with the network traffic. One of the plurality of OSI Level 2 switch ports is selected based on a load-balancing metric. The load-balancing metric may be a priority of the flow, a congestion characteristic, a prediction of a load usage for the flow, a combination thereof, or the like. A frame associated with the flow is sent over the selected one of the plurality of OSI Level 2 switch ports. |
| US08711682B2 |
Method for resource allocation in a wireless communication network, method for error-free transmission of information, node and wireless communication network
An approach for resource allocation in a wireless communication network including a sender, a relay station and a receiver in case of a retransmission of information from the relay station to the receiver is described, wherein a resource necessary for retransmission is determined on the basis of the relayed channel and the relay function. |
| US08711679B2 |
Methods and systems for automatically identifying a logical circuit failure in a data network
A disclosed example method to identify a failure in a logical circuit involves receiving non-requested trap data from a plurality of switches forming a logical circuit. The logical circuit spans first, second, and third logical networks. The example method also involves polling first and second switches of the logical circuit exclusive of others of the plurality of switches of the logical circuit. The first switch forms a first network-to-network interface between the first logical network and the second logical network. The second switch forms a second network-to-network interface between the second logical network and the third logical network. The first and second switches are selected for polling based on the trap data indicating a problem at the first and second switches. The example method also involves identifying a failure of the logical circuit without manual intervention based on the polling. |
| US08711674B2 |
Interference suppressing OFDM system for wireless communications
An IS-OFDM system for point-to-point wireless communications that suppresses narrow-band interference comprises an IS-OFDM transmitter and an IS-OFDM receiver, wherein a transmitted signal comprises a plurality of subcarriers, and further wherein each subcarrier contains more than one and potentially all symbols transmitted in a given frame. The IS-OFDM transmitted signal is at a data rate that is equal to the data rate of the input data stream via the use of P/S converters. |
| US08711669B2 |
XDSL system and signal transmission method, sending device, and receiving device of xDSL system
An xDSL signal transmission method includes: receiving 2N−1 signals from 2N−1 signal input ends, where each signal in the 2N−1 signals is a signal transmitted by an independent channel in the xDSL system; pre-multiplying a (2N−1)×1 matrix formed by the 2N−1 signals by a first conversion matrix to obtain a 2N×1 matrix, where elements in the 2N×1 matrix respectively correspond to 2N signals, and the first conversion matrix is a 2N×(2N−1) matrix; and sending the 2N signals via N twisted pair lines respectively. The N twisted pair lines can transmit signals of 2N−1 channels, thereby increasing the number of signal transmissions, and improving signal transmission efficiency. |
| US08711661B2 |
Bi-directional pattern dependent noise prediction
A method performed by a disk drive, comprising: receiving a plurality of signal samples over a channel in the disk drive; executing a forward pattern-dependent noise prediction (PDNP) operation on the plurality of the signal samples; generating, based on execution of the forward PDNP operation, a first detection of recorded data bits in the plurality of received signal samples; executing a backward PDNP operation on the plurality of the received signal samples; generating, based on execution of the backward PDNP operation, a second detection of recorded data bits in the plurality of received signal samples; comparing the first detection to the second detection; identifying, based on comparing, one or more erasures in the received plurality of signal samples; and generating one or more sequences of bits that promote correction of the one or more erasures. |
| US08711650B2 |
Semiconductor device including multi-chip
In order to implement a memory having a large storage capacity and a reduced data retention current, a non-volatile memory, an SRAM, a DRAM, and a control circuit are modularized into one package. The control circuit conducts assignment of addresses to the SRAM and DRAM, and stores data that must be retained over a long period of time in the SRAM. In the DRAM, a plurality of banks are divided into two sets, and mapped to the same address space, and sets are refreshed alternately. A plurality of chips of them are stacked and disposed, and wired by using the BGA and chip-to-chip bonding. |
| US08711647B2 |
DRAM refresh method and system
A DRAM refresh method used with a memory system organized into rows of memory cells, each of which has an associated data retention time, with the system arranged to refresh predefined blocks of memory cells simultaneously. For each block of memory cells that are to be refreshed simultaneously, the minimum data retention time for the memory cells in the block is determined. Then, an asymmetric refresh sequence is created which specifies the order in which the blocks of memory cells are refreshed, such that the blocks having the shortest minimum data retention times are refreshed more often than the blocks having longer minimum data retention times. |
| US08711642B2 |
Interleaving charge pumps for programmable memories
Systems and methods, including computer software for performing operations enable interleaving of charging operations in a charging pump. A first charge pump is charged to a predetermined level, and a first operation is performed using a charge stored in the first charge pump after it reaches the predetermined level. A second charge pump is charged during a time that overlaps with performing the first operation. A second operation is performed using a charge stored in the second charge pump as a result of charging the second charge pump. |
| US08711637B2 |
Semiconductor device and data processing system
In a phase change memory, when M bit (8 bits=1 byte) data is written, erase operation and program operation are performed in units of n bit (M>n) data. Further, when M bit data is written, program operation is performed in units of the n bit (M>n) data. Further, when M bit data is read from the memory cell, read operation is performed in units of the n bit (M>n) data. For example, when the data is written into to the phase change memory, the data is not overwritten but program is performed after once erasing the target memory cell. The data size for erasure and the data size for program are made equal. Erase and program operation are performed only for the demanded data size. |
| US08711633B2 |
Dynamic data caches, decoders and decoding methods
Examples described include dynamic data caches (DDCs), decoders and decoding methods that may fit into a smaller width area. The DDCs, decoders and decoding method may be used in flash memory devices. A single column select line may be provided to select a plurality of cached bytes, while a second select line selects a byte of the selected plurality. The column select line may be routed parallel to bit lines carrying data, while the second select line may be routed perpendicular to the bit lines. |
| US08711632B2 |
Semiconductor memory device
The control circuit selects, as the first reference cell, the first memory cell having a maximum reading current supplied by turning on the first select transistor in a state in which resistance values of the first memory cells are all increased. The control circuit selects, as the second reference cell, the second memory cell having a maximum reading current supplied by turning on the second select transistor in a state in which resistance values of the second memory cells are all increased. The first reference-current setting circuit sets, as the first reference current, a current obtained by adding a first adjusting current to the reading current of the first reference cell. The second reference-current setting circuit sets, as the second reference current, a current obtained by adding a second adjusting current to the reading current of the second reference cell. |
| US08711616B2 |
Single check memory devices and methods
Memory devices and methods of operating memory devices are shown. Configurations described include circuits to perform a single check between programming pulses to determine a threshold voltage with respect to desired benchmark voltages. In one example, the benchmark voltages are used to change a programming speed of selected memory cells. |
| US08711591B2 |
AC/DC converter
The present invention relates to an AC/DC converter comprising at least two phase legs connected in series between first and second DC connection terminals of the AC/DC converter, wherein each phase leg comprises: an AC connection having first and second terminals arranged to connect the phase leg to a phase of an AC system; a phase branch comprising at least one converter cell and having first and second branch end terminals; and a capacitor. The capacitor is connected the between the first branch end terminal and the first AC connection terminal, so that the capacitor forms a DC blocking capacitor. The second AC terminal is connected to the second branch end terminal. The series connection of the phase legs between first and second DC connection terminal is such that a first series connection point in a phase leg is located between the first branch end terminal and the capacitor, while a second series connection point is located between the second branch end terminal and the second AC connection. The invention further relates to a method of operating such AC/DC converter. |
| US08711587B2 |
Power converter with a variable reference voltage and inrush current limiting
[Problem] To provide a power converter capable of suppressing voltage dropping of the smoothing capacitor and suppressing a rush current at the time of power recovery,[Means for Resolution] When it is determined that a bus voltage Vdc detected by a DC voltage detecting unit 24 is equal to or less than a predetermined reference voltage, a control device 20 allows a DC load control unit 23 to stop an operation of a DC load 30. |
| US08711586B2 |
Power converter and method including noise suppression by controlling phase shifting of converter cells
The noise generated from a power converter is suppressed by increasing the noise frequency to a level not lower than the maximum frequency of the human audible range. To obtain the frequency of an output current harmonic component as a noise source which has exceeded the maximum frequency of the human audible range, it is adequate to determine that the frequency of a driving carrier wave for the individual converter cells in the power converter, in which the phases of the carrier wave for the converter cells are mutually shifted by a given value between the converter cells, meets the following equation. |
| US08711583B2 |
Single-stage PFC converter with constant voltage and constant current
An exemplary embodiment of a power converter is provided. The power converter includes a transformer, a power device, a switching controller, and a capacitor. The power device is coupled to the transformer for switching the transformer to product output of the power converter. The switching controller receives a feedback signal for generating a switching signal coupled to drive the power device. An input circuit of the switching controller is coupled to the transformer to sample an input signal for generating the feedback signal, and the input signal is correlated to the output of the power converter. The capacitor is coupled to the switching controller to provide frequency compensation for a feedback loop of the power converter. Input of the power converter is without an electrolytic capacitor, and a maximum output current of the power converter is a constant current. |
| US08711581B2 |
Synchronous rectifier network unit circuit and method
A synchronous rectifier network unit and synchronous rectifying method. The synchronous rectifier network unit includes a first body diode to which a first current flows at a first time when the first current flows to a first coil, and a first transistor which is turned on after the first body diode is conducted, and to which the first current flows, and it rectifies the first current by differently controlling the turn-off time of the first transistor according to the first current. |
| US08711577B2 |
Connector with shielding device and method for manufacturing connector
A connector includes a main body and a shielding device. The main body includes a circuit board and a plurality of cables connected to the circuit board. Each of the plurality of cables includes a plastic jacket, a center core and a dielectric insulator enclosing the center core. The dielectric insulator is received in the plastic jacket, and the center core is attached to the circuit board. The shielding device includes a first insulating member, a copper foil, and a second insulating member. The circuit board is enclosed by the first insulating member and the plurality of cables extend out of the first insulating member. The copper foil covers the first insulating member and secured to the dielectric insulator, and the second insulating member encloses the copper foil. The present disclosure further offers a method for manufacturing the connector. |
| US08711566B2 |
Expandable mobile device
In embodiments of an expandable mobile device, the device includes first and second housing parts that slide-engage relative to each other to extend and retract the device. The expandable mobile device includes a flexible display that extends from an interior of the expandable mobile device as the second housing part slides out from the first housing part. The flexible display also retracts into the interior of the expandable mobile device as the second housing part slides into the first housing part. Rollers are integrated in the first housing part and bend the flexible display around a fixed radius to position a first section of the flexible display approximately parallel to a second section of the flexible display in a retracted position of the expandable mobile device. |
| US08711563B2 |
Dry-cooling unit with gravity-assisted coolant flow
A cooling unit is provided to facilitate cooling of coolant passing through a coolant loop. The cooling unit includes one or more heat rejection units and an elevated coolant tank. The heat rejection unit(s) rejects heat from coolant passing through the coolant loop to air passing across the heat rejection unit. The heat rejection unit(s) includes one or more heat exchange assemblies coupled to the coolant loop for at least a portion of coolant to pass through the one or more heat exchange assemblies. The elevated coolant tank, which is elevated above at least a portion of the coolant loop, is coupled in fluid communication with the one or more heat exchange assemblies of the heat rejection unit(s), and facilitates return of coolant to the coolant loop at a substantially constant pressure. |
| US08711559B2 |
Push to release cover for a portable electronic device
A cover assembly for a portable electronic device is described. The cover assembly has a cover comprising: two cover extensions extending substantially perpendicular from the cover. Each of the two cover extensions has an abutment towards a center. An angular spring with two wings and two upwards arcuate ends is included in the cover assembly, each of the wings forming a bias angle relative to a line between the two ends. Two housing extensions extend from a surface of the portable electronic device, each of the housing extensions has a protrusion mating the corresponding abutment, and a guide having a form substantially corresponding to the upwards arcuate end. When a force is applied to the center of the angular spring, the bias angle decreases and the upwards arcuate ends are urged upwards, thereby causing the abutments moving outwards, and unlocking the protrusions. |
| US08711558B2 |
Electronic device
An electronic device includes a case, a plate, and a detachable member. The case has a first receiving area, a second receiving area, and a movable latch. The first receiving area is adjacent to the second receiving area. The movable latch moves back and forth between the first receiving area and the second receiving area. The detachable member is assembled to the first receiving area. The plate is assembled to the second receiving area. When the movable latch is located in the first receiving area, the movable latch locks the detachable member to the case. When the movable latch moves to the second receiving area, the movable latch is locked to the plate. |
| US08711553B2 |
Display system with mounting assemblies and associated methods
A mounting fixture includes a box, a first arm, and a second arm. The box includes a primary panel, four sidewalls rearwardly extending from the primary panel, and a central hub rearwardly extending from a rear surface of the primary panel. The first arm extends beyond one of the four sidewalls, includes a first elongated slot, and has a first hook section at an outermost end thereof. The first elongated slot extends around and is slidably adjustable relative to the central hub to cause the first arm to extend further from or closer to the one of the four sidewalls. The second arm extends beyond a different one of the four sidewalls, includes a second elongated slot, and has a second hook section at an outermost end thereof. The second elongated slot extends around and is slidably adjustable relative to the central hub. |
| US08711552B2 |
Modular system having expandable form factor
A modular system of devices, in which a (master) device can be combined with one or more of other (slave) devices to transform to functional electronic devices having expanded functionalities and features in different form factors and/or platforms. The master device is docked to the slave device via a data/electrical interface, to transform the master device to the larger form factor of the slave device, with the master device maintaining control of the slave device, substantially based on the operating system installed in the master device, with access to the data, application programs, functionalities and features embodied in the master device. An intermediate removable physical interface adaptor (or docking adaptor) is provided to facilitate docking compatibility of the master device to the slave device. An enhanced charging and power management scheme is provided to optimize power management for the master device and the slave device. |
| US08711547B2 |
Compact bus bar assembly, switching device and power distribution system
A contact bus bar assembly for supplying power to a load, and further pertains to a switching device which can be connected to such a compact bus bar assembly, and to a power distribution system. The bus bar assembly includes at least two electrically conductive tracks which are at least partly covered by an electrically insulating cover. An outer surface of said insulating cover is provided with a plurality of ribs arranged in a region connecting pin terminals. The switching device may additionally comprise a separating element provided with a plurality of second ribs. |
| US08711543B2 |
Electrifying roller
Provided is an electrifying roller which may be used in a contact electrification method, which may be manufactured more easily, and which may better prevent problems caused by an electrically conductive material. |
| US08711541B2 |
Lightning-protective explosion-preventive fastener
In an insulating cover 50A according to the present invention, a dimension of each of an outer-circumferential-side cylindrical part 50c and an inner-circumferential-side cylindrical part 50b fitting in step parts 40 and 41 in an axial direction of a fastener body 25 is set large with respect to a tip covering part 50a covering a tip surface 26a of a fastening member 26. As a result, on an outer circumferential side and an inner circumferential side of the fastening member 26, a distance from a member 22 is sufficiently ensured by the cylindrical part 50b and 50c. The tip covering part 50a is thinner than the cylindrical part 50B and 50c. Therefore, when the fastener body 25 and the fastening member 26 are fastened together, the amount of deformation of the tip covering part 50a in a thickness direction can be made small. |
| US08711534B2 |
Battery power management system and method
A battery power management system including a protection switch, a battery set, a high-voltage protection chip, a plurality of voltage-dividing units and a low-voltage measurement chip is provided. The protection switch and the battery set are connected in series between a first power terminal and a second power terminal of the battery power management system. The battery set includes a plurality of battery cells and has a plurality of sensing nodes. The high-voltage protection chip controls the protection switch according to a plurality of first sensing voltages from the sensing nodes. The voltage-dividing units are connected to a part of the sensing nodes and divide a part of the first sensing voltages to generate a plurality of second sensing voltages. The low-voltage measurement chip is connected to the voltage-dividing units and measures electric quantities of the battery cells according to the second sensing voltages. |
| US08711532B2 |
Integrated advance copper fuse combined with ESD/over-voltage/reverse polarity protection
In one embodiment, an integrated circuit, and method of manufacturing thereof, is provided. The integrated circuit contains an over-voltage protection element and an over-current protection element. The integrated circuit operates to provide enhanced and efficient ESD functionality. The over-current element of the instant disclosure includes a diffusion protection layer to enhance the lifetime of the over-current element and improve functionality. |
| US08711502B1 |
Preamplifier-to-channel communication in a storage device
An apparatus comprising a preamplifier, a channel, and a controller. The preamplifier may be configured to read/write data to a drive with a read/write head, in response to (i) a plurality of digital control signals multiplexed to be sent/received over a first bus and (ii) one or more analog data signals sent/received over a second bus. The channel may be configured to (i) connect to the first and second bus, and (ii) send/receive the plurality of digital control signals through (a) a plurality of interconnects and (b) the first bus. The controller may be configured to send/receive the digital control signals over the interconnects. The apparatus may be configured to (i) read/write the analog data signals to the drive and (ii) generate the digital control signals, in response to one or more input/output requests received from a drive interface. |
| US08711495B2 |
MEMS autofocus actuator
A micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) autofocus actuator having a support member for supporting a lens element, the support member including a stationary portion and a movable portion, the movable portion attached to the stationary portion by a movable support beam. An electrostatic drive member is attached to the stationary portion and the movable portion to drive movement of the movable portion with respect to the stationary portion. A lens holder is suspended within the support member by a resilient arm member attached to the movable portion and a deflection beam attached to the stationary portion so that in a non-actuated state, the lens element is in a first focal position that is substantially out-of-plane with respect to the stationary portion, and in an actuated state, the lens element is in a second focal position, the second focal position being different from the first focal position. |
| US08711491B2 |
Imaging lens having five lens elements, and electronic apparatus having the same
An imaging lens includes: a first lens element having a positive refracting power, and having a convex object-side surface facing toward an object side; a second lens element having a negative refracting power, and having a concave image-side surface facing toward an image side; a third lens element having a negative refracting power; a fourth lens having a convex image-side surface facing toward the image side; and a fifth lens element having an image-side surface with concave and convex portions and facing toward the image side. Absolute value of a difference between Abbe numbers of the second and third lens elements is less than 10. A quotient of a thickness of the fourth lens element divided by a sum of widths of air gap among the lens elements ranges between 0.5 and 1. |
| US08711489B2 |
Zoom lens
In a zoom lens of a fixed total length, at the time of changing the magnification from the wide-angle end toward the telephoto end, the first lens group is anchored while the second lens group is moved, and the third and fourth lens groups are moved so as to be located at the object side of the telephoto end relative to the wide-angle end, such that: the interval between the second and third lens groups is decreased at the telephoto end relative to the wide-angle end; the interval between the third and fourth lens groups is increased at the telephoto end relative to the wide-angle end; and the interval between the fourth and fifth lens groups is increased at the telephoto end relative to the wide-angle end, and at the time of focusing a near object point from a remote object point, the second lens group is moved. |
| US08711488B2 |
Zoom lens
A zoom lens includes a first lens group that has a lens having negative refractive power and a light path changing member; a second lens group that includes a lens having positive refractive power and a lens having negative refractive power, and has negative refractive power as a whole; a third lens group that includes a stop, a front group lens having positive refractive power, and a rear group lens having negative refractive power, and has positive refractive power as a whole; and a fourth lens group having positive or negative refractive power. Upon changing magnification from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, the first lens group and the fourth lens group are fixed. The second lens group moves to the object side after the second lens group moves to an image side, and the third lens group linearly moves to the object side. |
| US08711485B2 |
Vehicle display system or projection display for a motor vehicle, and calibration method
A vehicle display system comprises a display device and an optical system for generating a virtual image for a user. Correction means distorts image information after the optical system is traversed to display the virtual image with reduced distortion. The optical system comprises at least one element that can be adjusted to change the position of the virtual image. Distortion resulting from adjustment of the adjustment element. The display system has a memory device for storing correction data that determine the distortion of the correction means as a function of the selected adjustment of the adjustment element. |
| US08711484B2 |
Fabrication of thin pellicle beam splitters
A method for fabricating a pellicle beam splitter includes etching an aperture in a support substrate; bonding a beam splitter substrate to an upper surface of the support substrate so that the beam splitter substrate covers the aperture; and depositing at least one optical coating on the beam splitter substrate. A pellicle beam splitter includes a support substrate, an aperture created in the support substrate using a semiconductor fabrication processes and a beam-splitting coating covering the aperture. |
| US08711483B2 |
Lens module and method for manufacturing thereof
A lens module capable of preventing a deterioration of optical properties and a method for manufacturing thereof are provided. Optical axes of lens portions of superimposed lens arrays are aligned. Substrate portions of the other lens arrays of the superimposed lens arrays except the lowermost lens array are cut by a first cutting portion. Subsequently, thermosetting resins are supplied from a gap between cut surfaces of the cut substrate portion so as to fill a gap between the substrate portions of the superimposed lens arrays with the thermosetting resins and to cause the thermosetting resins to integrally cover the cut surfaces of the substrate portion and a surface of the substrate portion of the uppermost lens array. Thereafter, the thermosetting resins are cured, and an individual lens module is separated by cutting the substrate portion of the lowermost lens array using a second cutting portion. |
| US08711476B2 |
Screen
A screen includes a polarization layer having plural acicular particles provided with their major axes oriented nearly in the same direction on a substrate, and has polarization selectivity of reflecting light in one polarization direction and absorbing light in the other polarization direction of two polarization directions orthogonal to each other on a plane perpendicular to incident light. |
| US08711463B2 |
Light modulators and optical apparatuses including the same
Provided are examples of light modulators and optical apparatuses that may include the light modulators. A light modulator may include a plasmonic nano-antenna and an element for changing plasmon resonance characteristics of the plasmonic nano-antenna. The plasmon resonance characteristics of the plasmonic nano-antenna may be changed due to a change in refractive index of the element, and thus light may be modulated. |
| US08711462B1 |
Stroboscopic image modulation to reduce the visual blur of an object being viewed by an observer experiencing vibration
A method and apparatus for reducing the visual blur of an object being viewed by an observer experiencing vibration. In various embodiments of the present invention, the visual blur is reduced through stroboscopic image modulation (SIM). A SIM device is operated in an alternating “on/off” temporal pattern according to a SIM drive signal (SDS) derived from the vibration being experienced by the observer. A SIM device (controlled by a SIM control system) operates according to the SDS serves to reduce visual blur by “freezing” (or reducing an image's motion to a slow drift) the visual image of the viewed object. In various embodiments, the SIM device is selected from the group consisting of illuminator(s), shutter(s), display control system(s), and combinations of the foregoing (including the use of multiple illuminators, shutters, and display control systems). |
| US08711457B2 |
Optical scanner and image-forming device
An scanning unit scanner includes a light source and a polygon mirror unit. A front-to-rear rib is disposed between the light source and the polygon mirror unit and near the polygon mirror unit. An input side opening having a slit shape is formed as a cutout in the top edge of the front-to-rear rib. When laser light from the light source passes through the input side opening, the input side opening restricts the width of the light in a main scanning direction. |
| US08711456B2 |
Deflection device for a scanner with Lissajous scanning
A deflection device for a scanner with Lissajous scanning includes a micromirror that oscillates in at least two deflection axes and that includes a frame and a mirror plate that is movably arranged via a suspension mount. The deflection device also includes a control device for generating control signals for a resonant operation of the micromirror in the at least two deflection axes. The suspension mount includes at least one spring connected at one end to the mirror plate and at the other end to the frame. The frequencies of the control signals for the resonant operation of the micromirror are substantially equal in the at least two deflection axes, but differ at least in terms of the predefined scanning repetition rate. The levels of the resonance frequencies of the deflection axes and control signals are determined by a predefined scanning resolution and a predefined scanning repetition rate. |
| US08711444B2 |
Light-source control device, light-source control method, image reading device, and image forming apparatus
A light-source control device includes a light source including a first light emitter for emitting light and a second light emitter for emitting light due to the light emitted by the first light emitter; a constant current unit configured to maintain a current constant that is input via the light source from a power supply; a switching unit configured to switch the current to be input to the constant current unit at a designated duty ratio and cycle; and a control unit configured to control the current applied to the light source so that a rise transition time and a fall transition time of the current applied to the light source are nearly equal to each other. |
| US08711443B2 |
Compact multi-functional scanning apparatus with retractable flatbed scanner
A compact multi-functional scanning apparatus includes a sheet-fed scanner, a casing and a flatbed scanner. The casing is attached to the sheet-fed scanner and has a recess. The flatbed scanner is movable between a retracted position within the recess and a deployed position outside the recess. In the deployed position the flatbed scanner is enabled to perform a flatbed-scanning task. An open end of the recess is located on a lateral side of the casing, and the flatbed scanner is movable into and out of the recess through the open end. |
| US08711442B2 |
Image reading apparatus
The object of the present invention is to provide an image reading apparatus having a large depth of field and being compact in size.The image reading apparatus includes a light source, an imaging optics system, an image pickup device unit, a memory, and a processor. The imaging optics system has a plurality of cells each being an independent optics system arranged in a main scanning direction, and arranged in two rows in a sub-scanning direction. In each of the cells, a first reflective light-gathering optical element, a first plane mirror, an aperture, and a second reflective light-gathering optical element are arranged in this order from a document, and the aperture is arranged at the back focal point position of the first reflective light-gathering optical element to form a telecentric optics system at the side of the document. |
| US08711441B2 |
Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and computer readable medium for identifying target-recording element using detection pattern
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a reading unit, a controller, and an identifying unit. The image forming unit includes multiple recording elements arrayed in a first predetermined direction and drives the recording elements in accordance with input image information so as to form an image on a recording medium that moves relatively to the recording elements in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The reading unit reads the image formed by the image forming unit and outputs read data. The controller controls the image forming unit so as to form a detection pattern in a detection-pattern region located upstream or downstream, in the second direction, of a region where the image is formed in the recording medium. The identifying unit identifies a target recording element on the basis of read data obtained by reading the detection pattern using the reading unit. |
| US08711438B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing system, and image processing method
An image processing apparatus includes a recording control unit for recording, by a recording head, a recording position adjustment chart including a pattern for adjusting a recording position of the recording head discharging ink and a mark formed in a position different from that of the pattern, a reading unit for reading the recording position adjustment chart as image data, a first detection unit for detecting a position and inclination of the recording position adjustment chart when reading the recording position adjustment chart based on the mark, a second detection unit for detecting the position of the pattern based on the position and the inclination detected by the first detection unit, and a determination unit for determining adjustment values for the recording position adjustment based on the image data of the recording position adjustment chart in which the position of the pattern has been detected by the second detection unit. |
| US08711426B2 |
Methods and systems for identifying and changing resolutions to cause an aspect ratio of a printed image to match an aspect ratio of image data
An image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure includes an image data analysis unit and an image conversion unit. The image data analysis unit is configured to identify a width-directional resolution and a height-directional resolution of image data. If the width-directional resolution and the height-directional resolution are not the same, the image conversion unit is configured to change at least one of pixel counts in a width direction and a height direction to cause a first aspect ratio for printing to match a second aspect ratio of the image data. |
| US08711425B2 |
Selecting one of a plurality of print modes based on pixel coverage of a document
A method and a print apparatus are described. The method and the print apparatus allow for selecting from a plurality of print modes a print mode for a whole page of a document to be printed dependent on a print material coverage of the whole page of the document to be printed. |
| US08711423B2 |
Image forming apparatus and method
An image forming apparatus includes a communication interface unit to receives an XML paper specification (XPS) file, an XPS file processing unit which converts the XPS file into an output data corresponding to printing paper to print the XPS file using information regarding the height and width of a FixedPage in the XPS file, and a control unit which controls the image forming apparatus to print the output data. Accordingly, even when an XPS file does not include information regarding printing paper, a user can select and print printing paper suitable for the user's demand. |
| US08711418B2 |
Image forming apparatus and method of translating virtual memory address into physical memory address
An image forming apparatus includes a function unit to perform functions of the image forming apparatus, and a control unit to control the function unit to perform the functions of the image forming apparatus. The control unit includes a processor core to operate in a virtual memory address, a main memory to operate in a physical memory address and store data used in the functions of the image forming apparatus, and a plurality of input/output (I/O) logics to operate in the virtual memory address and control at least one of the functions performed by the image forming apparatus. Each of the plurality of I/O logics translates the virtual memory address into the physical memory address corresponding to the virtual memory address and accesses the main memory. |
| US08711417B2 |
Information processing apparatus, method for controlling information processing apparatus, and storage medium
An information processing apparatus, which includes a storage unit having a plurality of data areas, includes a measurement unit configured to measure a first data access speed in a first data area of the storage unit and a second data access speed in a second data area of the storage unit, and a detection unit configured to detect a defect at the first data area based on difference between the first data access speed and the second data access speed. |
| US08711416B1 |
Server providing pseudo print preview and final regular preview to device
The embodiments provide a print server including an application manager configured to receive, over a network, a print request for content to be printed in accordance with at least one selected printing option from an application associated with a device, and configured to provide a print dialog, over the network, to a user of the application in response to the print request, a pseudo preview generator configured to provide a pseudo print preview for display within the print dialog while a print preview is being generated, and a print preview generator configured to access the content in response to the print request and generate the print preview providing the at least a portion of the content displayed in accordance with at least one selected printing option, and further configured to transmit the print preview, over the network, for display within the print dialog thereby replacing the pseudo print preview. |
| US08711408B2 |
Smart television system having methods or means for accessing paid or subscribed digital content from the internet
Smart television systems and methods for rendering digital content accessed from over the Internet is disclosed. The smart television system is a device that may include an operating system, and one or more applications installed or installable for accessing digital content over the Internet. The method may include providing security or authentication information to one or more servers over the Internet, providing payment or subscription information to the one or more servers, selecting a reference from a list of references to digital content, and providing, to the one or more servers, a content object that includes the selected reference to digital content. Subsequently, the smart television system may receive, from the one or more servers over the Internet, the digital content corresponding to the selected reference to digital content for rendering. The smart television system may further include a touch sensitive screen. |
| US08711400B2 |
Profile and template based dynamic portable user workflow
A printing device receives a user profile from a computerized device. The user profile comprises at least one template and the template comprises selections of menu options offered by the printing device. The method stores the user profile within a computer readable storage medium of the printing device. The user will operate the printing device using the profile and the template more than one time. Therefore, the method presents the user with an option to access the user profile and the template maintained within the computer readable storage medium of the printing device, through a graphic user interface of the printing device, each time the user operates the printing device. Further, the method automatically selects the menu options offered by the printing device according to selected menu options identified by the template, each time the user accesses the user profile and the template. The method performs various operations according to the selected menu options identified by the template using the printing device after automatically selecting the menu options. |
| US08711397B2 |
Printing system, information processing apparatus, print job processing method, information processing method, program, and storage medium
Device capability information associated with a print job is specified, and it is determined whether the specified device capability information is valid in a printing system. If it is determined that the specified device capability information is valid, print processing is done. If it is determined that the specified device capability information is invalid, it is further determined whether the printing system can execute the print job. Then, execution of the print processing is controlled. |
| US08711391B2 |
Image forming apparatus to automatically select a communication condition
An image forming apparatus comprises a communicator for performing communications with a plurality of host apparatuses, a memory for memorizing a plurality of communication conditions, a selector for selecting a single communication condition among the plurality of communication conditions stored in the memory, wherein the communicator performs communications based on the single communication condition selected with the selector. |
| US08711382B2 |
Print system
In one embodiment of a print system, a client terminal (10) that generates a print job, a server function portion that stores the print job, a printer (30) that performs pull printing of the print job are connected via the network (40). The print job holds print data and authority information including user information for specifying a user having print authority over the print data. The client terminal (10) is provided with an authority setting means for setting authority information. A server (20) is provided with the server function portion, and is configured to update authority information, identify a user, authenticate whether or not to permit printing based on the authority information and the identification result obtained by a user identification means, and transmit print data. |
| US08711369B2 |
Laser receiver for detecting a relative position
The invention relates to a laser receiver for detecting a relative position of a defined zero point of said laser receiver with respect to a reference laser beam. Therefore, the laser receiver comprises a laser light photo sensor having a plurality of photo sensitive elements providing an electrical output when illuminated by said reference laser beam, a circuitry connected to said photo sensor for determination of said relative position and a visible readout for indication of said relative position, in particular for indicating if said zero point is on-grade with respect to said reference laser beam. According to the invention, at least a first laser fan emitter, with a laser light source and at least one fan-generating optical element, is provided for projecting a visible laser line onto a target surface, particularly in order to re-project a sharp marking-line through the vertical center of the reference laser beam. |
| US08711365B2 |
Coordinate measuring device and method for measuring with a coordinate measuring device
The invention relates to a method for the measurement of workpiece geometries with a coordinate measuring device (10) and to the device itself. According to the invention, measuring tasks may be optimally carried out without a requirement for devices of differing types, whereby one or more sensors (30), which are of optimal application for the relevant measuring task, are used. |
| US08711363B2 |
Gyroscope utilizing torsional springs and optical sensing
A gyroscope and a method of detecting rotation are provided. The gyroscope includes a structure configured to be driven to move about a drive axis. The structure is further configured to move about a sense axis in response to a Coriolis force generated by rotation of the structure about a rotational axis while moving about the drive axis. The structure further includes at least one first torsional spring extending generally along the drive axis and at least one second torsional spring extending generally along the sense axis. The gyroscope further includes an optical sensor system configured to optically measure movement of the structure about the sense axis. |
| US08711359B2 |
Delay interferometer using magneto-optic effect of a variable faraday rotator
A delay interferometer includes first and second optical paths into which incident signal light is split, a first converter including one or more conversion parts to convert the signal light on the first optical path into circularly polarized light and to convert the circularly polarized light into linearly polarized signal light, a phase adjuster to shift an optical phase of the circularly polarized light through a magneto-optic effect, and a second converter to convert a polarization state of the signal light on the second optical path into substantially the same polarization state as a polarization state of the linearly polarized signal light. |
| US08711349B2 |
High throughput thin film characterization and defect detection
Methods and systems for determining band structure characteristics of high-k dielectric films deposited over a substrate based on spectral response data are presented. High throughput spectrometers are utilized to quickly measure semiconductor wafers early in the manufacturing process. Optical dispersion metrics are determined based on the spectral data. Band structure characteristics such as band gap, band edge, and defects are determined based on optical dispersion metric values. In some embodiments a band structure characteristic is determined by curve fitting and interpolation of dispersion metric values. In some other embodiments, band structure characteristics are determined by regression of a selected dispersion model. In some examples, band structure characteristics indicative of band broadening of high-k dielectric films are also determined. The electrical performance of finished wafers is estimated based on the band structure characteristics identified early in the manufacturing process. |
| US08711347B2 |
Defect inspection method and device therefor
Disclosed is a defect inspection method which makes it possible to scan the entire surface of a sample and detect minute defects without causing thermal damage to the sample. A defect inspection method in which a pulse laser emitted from a light source is subjected to pulse division and irradiated on the surface of a sample which moves in one direction while the divided-pulse pulse laser is rotated, reflection light from the sample irradiated by the divided-pulse pulse laser is detected, the signal of the detected reflection light is processed to detect defects on the sample, and information regarding a detected defect is output to a display screen, wherein the barycentric position of the light intensity of the divided-pulse pulse laser is monitored and adjusted. |
| US08711336B1 |
Multipoint photonic doppler velocimetry using optical lens elements
A probe including a fisheye lens is disclosed to measure the velocity distribution of a moving surface along many lines of sight. Laser light, directed to the surface and then reflected back from the surface, is Doppler shifted by the moving surface, collected into fisheye lens, and then directed to detection equipment through optic fibers. The received light is mixed with reference laser light and using photonic Doppler velocimetry, a continuous time record of the surface movement is obtained. An array of single-mode optical fibers provides an optic signal to an index-matching lens and eventually to a fisheye lens. The fiber array flat polished and coupled to the index-matching lens using index-matching gel. Numerous fibers in a fiber array project numerous rays through the fisheye lens which in turn project many measurement points at numerous different locations to establish surface coverage over a hemispherical shape with very little crosstalk. |
| US08711325B2 |
Method and system for determining a suppression factor of a suppression system and a lithographic apparatus
The invention relates to a method for determining a suppression factor of a suppression system. The suppression system is arranged to suppress migration of a contaminant gas out of a first system. The suppression factor is an indication of the performance of the suppression system. The method includes introducing a tracer gas in the sub-system, providing a detection system configured to detect the amount of tracer gas that has migrated out of the first system, determining a first suppression factor for the suppression system for the tracer gas. The method further includes determining a second suppression factor for the suppression system for the contaminant gas based on the first suppression factor. |
| US08711320B2 |
Mounting structure, electro-optical apparatus, and touch panel
A mounting structure includes a first member that includes a first electrode, a second member that includes a second electrode facing the first electrode, and an anisotropic conductive material that includes conductive particles electrically connecting the first electrode and the second electrode by being deformed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first electrode is positioned in a bottom portion of an opening portion of an insulating layer that is formed in the first member. At least a part of the periphery of the opening portion of the insulating layer overlaps with the second electrode in a plan view. Also, a particle diameter of the conductive particles is equal to or more than twice a depth value of the opening portion. |
| US08711319B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display device restraining display defects even in a structure having a potential difference between an externally-connected electrode potential and the mean potential of the drive waveform of a liquid crystal material. An electrostatic charge stored in the vicinity of a liquid crystal layer of the liquid crystal display device as a result of the potential difference between an externally-connected electrode potential and the mean potential of the drive waveform of the liquid crystal material is dispersed by employing a capacitor or an arrester connected to ground. Accordingly, discharge of the stored charge is facilitated, and occurrence of display defects is restrained. |
| US08711316B2 |
Liquid crystal display and manufacturing method thereof
A liquid crystal display includes a substrate, a plurality of pixel electrodes formed on the substrate, a common electrode facing the pixel electrodes, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the pixel electrodes and the common electrode. The pixel electrode includes at least one oblique edge including a plurality of protruded and depressed portions. |
| US08711312B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display device using a liquid crystal material exhibiting a blue phase is provided to achieve higher contrast. Further, the power consumption of the liquid crystal display device using a liquid crystal exhibiting a blue phase is reduced. In a liquid crystal display device including: a first substrate provided with a pixel electrode layer (also referred to as a first electrode layer); and a second substrate provided with a common electrode layer (also referred to as a second electrode layer), between which a liquid crystal layer exhibiting a blue phase is interposed, the pixel electrode layer and the common electrode layer project into the liquid crystal layer and are arranged so that the adjacent pixel electrode layer and common electrode layer engage with each other at a distance with the liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. |
| US08711308B2 |
Flat panel display device and method of fabricating the same
Provided are a flat panel display device including a protection board configured to prevent damage of a display panel from external impact, and a method of fabricating the same. The display panel and the protection board are closely attached, and distortion of an image displayed on the display panel due to a space between the display panel and the protection board can be prevented. The flat panel display device includes a display panel including a lower substrate, an upper substrate and at least one light emitting element disposed between the lower and upper substrates, a protection board disposed on the display panel, and an adhesive layer disposed between the display panel and the protection board. The method includes preparing a display panel including a lower substrate, an upper substrate and at least one light emitting element disposed between the lower and upper substrates, preparing a protection board, forming an adhesive layer on one surface of the display panel or the protection board, arranging the display panel and the protection board such that the adhesive layer is disposed between the display panel and the protection board, and applying a predetermined pressure to attach the display panel to the protection board. |
| US08711302B2 |
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display includes: a plurality of pixel electrodes each having a first sub-pixel electrode and a second sub-pixel electrode that face each other in a diagonal direction; a plurality of gate lines; and a plurality of data lines that intersect the plurality of gate lines and at least partially overlap the pixel electrodes. |
| US08711295B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display device includes: an active matrix substrate with a pixel electrode in each of a plurality of pixels; a counter substrate including a counter electrode that opposes the pixel electrode; a liquid crystal layer between the active matrix substrate and the counter substrate; and a pair of polarizers oppose each other via the liquid crystal layer and are in a crossed Nicols arrangement. The pixel electrode- includes a cruciform trunk portion arranged to coincide with polarization axes of the polarizers, a plurality of branch portions extending from the trunk portion, and a plurality of slits between the branch portions. The active matrix substrate further includes an auxiliary electrode which is arranged to oppose the pixel electrode via an insulation layer. The auxiliary electrode and the pixel electrode define a storage capacitor. |
| US08711293B2 |
Liquid crystal shutter glasses
In one embodiment, a pair of liquid crystal shutter glasses include a first liquid crystal shutter and a second liquid crystal shutter. The first and second liquid crystal shutters are switched to a transmissive state by turns. The respective first and second liquid crystal shutters include a first electrode substrate and a second electrode substrate opposing the first electrode substrate. An OCB (Optically Compensated Bend) mode liquid crystal layer is held between the first and second electrode substrates. The first electrode substrate includes a first electrode and a second electrode arranged adjacent to the first electrode. The first and second electrodes respectively include a side opposing each other and a plurality of projecting portions provided to the respective opposing sides of the first and second electrodes alternately. |
| US08711284B2 |
LCD television set capable of external connection with application processor
A LCD television set includes a remote controller, a flat screen television processor, a docking base, and a first connector. The remote controller includes a first key group for operating the television set and a second key group for operating a smartphone. The flat screen television processor processes a television video signal, displays a frame on a display, and processes remote control signals corresponding to the first and second key groups. The docking base docks the smartphone and has the first connector in contact with a second connector disposed at the smartphone, such that an application processor of the smartphone and the flat screen television processor are electrically connected. The flat screen television processor outputs signals via the first and second connectors based on the remote control signals, thereby triggering the application processor to execute applications. |
| US08711283B2 |
Digital broadcast receiver and method for processing caption thereof
A digital cable broadcast receiver and a method for automatically processing caption data of various standards and types, is disclosed. The digital broadcast receiver includes: a demultiplexer for dividing a received broadcast stream into video data, audio data, supplementary information; a controller for determining whether caption data included in the video data is digital caption data or analog caption data on the basis of caption information included in the supplementary information, and outputting a control signal according to a result of the determining; a digital caption decoder for extracting and decoding digital caption data from the video data according to the control signal; and an analog caption decoder for extracting and decoding analog caption data from the video data according to the control signal. |
| US08711278B2 |
Sealed, waterproof digital electronic camera system and method of fabricating same
A hermetically sealed digital electronic camera that is designed to operate both on land and underwater to great depths, and method of making same. The present invention is a camera which is hermetically sealed by being totally encapsulated, preferably by being cast in plastic, with no seals, holes, joints, penetrating pins, wires or other objects. Wireless means are used for communicating information, electrical power and control signals. The invention is impervious to atmospheric contamination and absolutely incapable of leaking under water to great depths and pressures. In an alternate embodiment camera optics are not encapsulated but are immersed in water when the encapsulated digital camera is placed in water. |
| US08711260B2 |
Image sensor, electronic apparatus, and driving method of electronic apparatus
An image sensor that has a pixel array section in which pixels are arrayed in a two-dimensional manner in vertical and horizontal directions and that controls an exposure time of each pixel in a rolling shutter method is disclosed. The sensor includes control means for determining an electronic shutter occurrence number within one horizontal scanning period, which is the number of rows where electronic shutters are simultaneously performed in one horizontal scanning period, by an operation based on an address addition amount (P1, P2, P3, . . . , PN) when a vertical address movement amount of the pixel array section for every one horizontal scanning period in an exposure regulation shutter, which is an electronic shutter for regulating exposure, executed corresponding to electric charge reading in each pixel is expressed as repetition of the address addition amount (P1, P2, P3, . . . , PN). |
| US08711258B2 |
Solid-state imaging device and method for manufacturing the same
A solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of light-receiving portions (PD) formed therein, a wiring layer formed on the semiconductor substrate, color filters formed on the wiring layer in a manner individually corresponding to the light-receiving portions (PD) of the semiconductor substrate, and partition walls each formed between the individual color filters. Each of the partition walls includes a lower layer portion and an upper layer portion, an upper surface of the lower layer portion is modified into a modified layer, and an interface for facilitating reflection of penetration light from outside is structured between the modified layer and the upper layer portion. |
| US08711256B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program to create a composite image from color image data and monochrome image data
There is provided an image processing apparatus including an image acquisition unit that obtains color image data composed of wavelength components in a visible light region only, and monochrome image data which does not contain the wavelength components in the visible light region and which is composed of wavelength components in other than visible light region only, a color information extraction unit that extracts color information from the color image data, a luminance information extraction unit that extracts luminance information from the monochrome image data, and a synthesis unit that synthesizes the extracted color information and the extracted luminance information to generate composite image data. |
| US08711251B2 |
Method and device for reducing image color noise
A device and method for reducing color noise of an image by using a distance weight depending on a distance from a central pixel for each pixel of an image and an edge weight depending on the difference in luminance and chrominance with the central pixel is provided, which can effectively reduce the color noise of the image by using the correlation between the luminance and the chrominance and edge characteristics. |
| US08711243B2 |
Image playback device and method and electronic camera with image playback function
An image playback device, which may be part of an electronic camera, reads out recorded information that has been recorded on a recording medium. A time period discriminator receives the recorded information read out by the image playback device and discriminates periods of time during which recorded information agrees with certain pre-set conditions. Moving-picture image information contained in the recorded information is played back and displayed in accordance with results of the discrimination. |