US08146619B2
A valve having a trim comprising a plurality of a vortex flowpaths, each flowpath comprising a central vortex chamber and having three tangential inlet passages is provided. As the fluid flows through the inlet passages and enters the vortex chamber the flows start to turn and impinge upon one another, i.e., the flow entering via inlet passage will impinge upon the flow entering via inlet, the flow entering inlet will impinge on the flow entering inlet and the flow entering inlet will impinge on the flow entering inlet. As the flow entering vortex chamber impinges on another fluid flow as opposed to a wall of the flowpath the vortex can be used to create a flowpath with reduced erosion. The flow from the inlets combine in a radial flow within the vortex chamber and exit via the outlet which is substantially axial to the vortex chamber.
US08146616B2
Drainage device for arrangement on a floor tile, the drainage device, when at least partially assembled in the floor, has at least two pipe lengths moveable relative to one another in such a way that a movement of the pipe lengths relative to one another allows an aperture in the floor tile and the upper inlet aperture of the drainage device to be made to coincide at least partially with one another. At the same time the pipe lengths have flanges extending radially outwards, which are sealed against one another by seals.
US08146610B2
The invention relates to a multi-dosing detergent delivery device. In embodiments of the present invention, the device comprises a housing (2) for receiving a cartridge (200). The cartridge (200) has a plurality X of chambers (210), each accommodating a detergent composition. The device further includes a directing means (3,34) to direct wash liquor selectively into a chamber (210) of the cartridge (200) to contact the detergent composition within it, and an outlet to allow the detergent loaded wash liquor to exit the device. The device also includes indexing means (100) for causing automatic movement of the cartridge (200) relative to the directing means (3,34) during and subsequent to a wash cycle so as to cause a neighboring chamber (210) to be exposed prior to a next washing cycle.
US08146609B2
The present invention concerns a multi-dosing detergent delivery device including a status indicator for providing an external indication of the internal status of the device. The indicator comprises a first element (140) internal to a main housing part (100) of the device and whose position is directly related to the status of the device and a second element (120) external of the main housing. The second element (120) and the first element (140) are linked together by means of magnetic attraction. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first element (140) comprises a magnet and the second element (120) comprises a ferro-magnetic sphere, held within a transparent dome (110). The sphere (120) and dome (110) are mounted to the exterior of a main housing of the device and form an isolated sub-housing, while the magnet (140) is provided internally. Motion of the magnet (140) is translated to motion of the sphere (120) and a static scale adjacent to the path of movement of the sphere indicates the device status.
US08146607B2
A method and device for administering minoxidil and other topical solutions to the scalp. The method entails administering a minoxidil preparation through a manifold that fits over the scalp of a patient, and placing a moisture barrier over the scalp for a period of time effective to enhance absorption of the minoxidil preparation by the scalp.
US08146606B2
A device and method for mixing and applying hair coloring chemicals to a user's hair. The device comprises a brush applicator, a first compartment capable of holding the brush applicator in a locked position, a second compartment containing a first hair coloring chemical, a third compartment containing a second hair coloring chemical, and a membrane. The membrane is located between the second compartment and the third compartment such that the first hair coloring chemical is separated from the second hair coloring chemical by the membrane when the brush applicator is in the locked position. When the brush applicator is released from the locked position, the brush applicator is movable toward the membrane to puncture the membrane. Upon puncture, the membrane retracts to a peripheral edge of the membrane to cause the first hair coloring chemical and the second hair coloring chemical to be mixed together.
US08146599B2
A system for positioning a patient on a treatment couchtop for SBRT is provided. The system includes a patient support panel and at least one positioning/fixation component for releasable mounting on the patient support panel at a desired position to immobilize a portion of the patient's body. The patient support panel includes a pair of longitudinally extending side rails having a series of longitudinally spaced indexing apertures for receipt of a locking bar for mounting a positioning/fixation component thereon at a discrete index position. The at least one positioning component includes a pair of clamping mechanisms for releasably securing that component to the side rails at any longitudinal position along the side rails.
US08146597B2
A nasal mask assembly includes a relatively flexible cushion arrangement including a cushion that provides a breathing chamber and a face-contacting portion to form a seal around the patient's nose in use, an inlet tube supported by the cushion to deliver breathable gas into the breathing chamber for breathing by the patient, and three support members extending outwardly from the cushion. A relatively rigid frame is provided to a front side of the cushion arrangement. The frame includes three headgear attachment structures. Headgear includes three headgear straps engagable with the three support members and the three headgear attachment structures to maintain the cushion arrangement in a desired position on the patient's face.
US08146589B2
A nasal delivery device (11) for delivering substance to a nasal airway (1) of a subject, comprising: first and second nosepiece units (17, 19), each including a nosepiece (21, 23) for fitting to respective nostrils of a subject; at least one substance supply unit (13, 15) for supplying substance for delivery to the nasal airway (1) of the subject; and a valve unit (35, 37) for selectively fluidly connecting the at least one substance supply unit (13, 15) alternately to respective ones of the nosepiece units (17, 19).
US08146586B2
Provided are a liquid ejection cartridge and a liquid ejection device each having a simple structure capable of surely mixing a plurality of liquids. An example of the liquid ejection cartridge includes a liquid ejection portion (12) for ejecting a liquid; a first liquid storage portion (3) which is separated from the liquid ejection portion (12) through a film (10); a second liquid storage portion (4) which is separated from the first liquid storage portion (3) through a film (9). Further, the liquid ejection cartridge further includes a first penetrating member (8) for penetrating the film (10) which separates the liquid ejection portion (12) and the first liquid storage portion (3); and a second penetrating member (7) for penetrating the film (9) which separates the first liquid storage portion (3) and the second liquid storage portion (4).
US08146584B2
A pressure switch assembly is used with a furnace controller having a first input and a second input. A first pressure switch is configured to actuate at a first combustion pressure level and is connected to the first input. A second pressure switch is configured to actuate at a second combustion pressure level, and a third pressure switch is configured to actuate at a third combustion pressure level. Pressure signals provided on the second input from at least one of the second pressure switch and the third pressure switch are used by the furnace controller to derive actuation states of the second and third pressure switches.
US08146582B2
Provided are a burner system and a heating and cooking appliance having the same. The burner system includes a burner pot, and a mixing tube unit. The burner pot provides a space where a gas and air mix and burn, and the mixing tube unit is integrally formed with the burner pot to guide the gas and the air to the burner pot. The burner pot and the mixing tube unit include a plurality of members coupled vertically and forming an appearance.
US08146579B2
Toy employing central shaft cocking mechanism for rapid fire projectile launching and method thereof
A toy for launching two or more projectiles employing a central shaft cocking mechanism for rapid fire projectile launching through quick, simple and fun cocking and triggering mechanisms. The toy includes a housing assembly, a projectile device disposed about the housing with two or more projectiles, a piston and cylinder assembly. The piston is secured to the housing in a fixed position and the cylinder is slidably mounted on the piston, a cocking mechanism in mechanical communication with the piston and cylinder assembly including a shaft extending through the projectile device for engagement with the cylinder capable of moving the cylinder to a cocked position. A trigger mechanism is secured to the housing capable of advancing the projectile device to a firing position and capable of releasing the cylinder from a cocked position to advance the cylinder on the fixed piston and discharge a burst of compressed air launching a projectile.
US08146576B2
A firing actuator mechanism used in a toy gun is disclosed to include a trigger mechanism, a link having a push portion and a stop portion at the rear side thereof, a retaining mechanism formed of a holder block and a sliding block, a hammer and a locking block. The sliding block has an engagement portion at the front side, and a first side rod and a second side rod at one lateral side. When the link is moved backwards during a single fire mode, the push portion forces the first side rod to move the sliding block backwards. When the link is moved backwards and the rear end portion is forced downwards during a continuous fire mode, the stop portion is stopped against the second side rod of the sliding block. The hammer has a durable press portion lockable by the locking mechanism.
US08146573B2
It is intended to provide an EGR device for an engine in which a cooling structure such as an EGR cooler is not required and which reduces Nox contained in the exhaust gas in the whole operation areas, so as to correspond to recent exhaust gas regulation. An EGR device 30 for an engine comprises an EGR pipe 14 for continuously connecting an exhaust manifold 4 and an intake manifold 3 of an engine 1, an EGR valve 9 for controlling a passage area of the EGR pipe 14, an ECU 6 for controlling the EGR valve 9. The EGR device 30 further comprises a bypass passage 24 for bypassing the EGR valve 9 and a restrictor 25 is installed in the bypass passage 24.
US08146571B2
A gas engine is driven by fuel gas supplied from a cassette gas canister, and includes a vaporizer device provided between a cylinder block and a muffler. The vaporizer device vaporizes liquid fuel gas, led out from the cassette gas canister, using heat of exhaust gas discharged from the cylinder block.
US08146566B2
A compression release engine brake unit includes an oil outlet passage formed in a socket brake, which stores engine brake oil, and a reset member opening or closing the outlet passage. The reset member discharges the engine brake oil by opening the oil outlet passage in response to the rotation of a rocker arm during engine braking and, thereby, the engine brake restores the initial state. Since the compression release engine brake can restore the initial state, the return valve lift is the same as when the compression release engine brake is not actuated. Accordingly, the valve does not butt against an engine piston.
US08146564B2
An engine assembly may include a cylinder head, an intake manifold assembly, first and second vanes, and an actuation mechanism. The first and second vanes may be rotatably coupled to the intake manifold assembly. The first vane may be located within an outlet of a first intake passage and the second vane may be located within an outlet of a second intake passage. The first and second vanes may be displaceable from an open position to a closed position. The first vane may extend along a wall defining the first intake passage when in the open position and the second vane may extend along a wall defining the second intake passage when in the open position. The actuation mechanism may be coupled to the first and second vanes to rotate the first and second vanes between the open and closed positions.
US08146557B2
A method for starting an internal combustion engine having direct fuel injection, comprising of adjusting a number of direct injections per combustion cycle based on a cylinder event number from a first cylinder event.
US08146552B2
A coupling device (1) of a switchable cam follower (2), in which a borehole (9) extends above a contact (8) for a support element in an outer lever (3) of the cam follower (2), and this borehole has a first section (10) of large diameter that starts from an outer side (11) of a crosspiece (6) on the other end (7) to which connects to a second section (12) of accordingly smaller diameter up to directly before an inner side (13) of the crosspiece (6). A smooth cylindrical coupling slide (14) is guided in a sealing manner through the second section (12), and this coupling slide projects with a sub-region (15) into the first section (10). This sub-region (15) is encompassed by a compression spring (16) that acts, on one end, against an annular end (17) formed between the sections (10, 12) and, on the other end, against a catch element (19) arranged on the lateral surface (18) of the sub-region (15). The first section (10) is closed by a thin-walled plug (20), such that a pressure space (22) for hydraulic medium is located axially between the annular end (17) of the borehole (9) and an inner side (21) of the plug (20), and for a coupled case, the coupling slide (14) can be brought into contact by hydraulic medium that can be guided into the pressure space (22) before its outer end (23) with a sub-region (25) extending on its inner end (24) with a catch surface (26) of a cross region (27) of the inner lever (4) and, for a decoupled case, the coupling slide (14) can be displaced in the direction toward the plug (20) such that it is out of contact from the catch surface (26) for a switched-off/reduced hydraulic medium pressure via the compression spring (16).
US08146551B2
An assembly for an engine comprising at least one phaser and a camshaft assembly. The camshaft assembly has an outer camshaft piece and an inner camshaft piece. The outer camshaft piece includes an outside cam integrally attached to the housing of the phaser through a middle portion. The outer camshaft piece also defines a hollow extending a length. The inner camshaft piece includes an inner cam adjacent to the outer cam. A tube portion extends from a first side of the inner cam and is received by the hollow of the outer camshaft piece, connecting the inner cam to the rotor of the phaser. A shaft portion extends to an end portion from the other side of the outer cam. A passage, connected to an inlet line is present within the inner camshaft piece, directing fluid to the control valve of the phaser.
US08146550B2
A variable valve timing control apparatus for an engine includes a variable valve timing unit, a lock pin, a hydraulic control unit, and a lock control unit. The lock control unit causes the lock pin to lock the camshaft phase at an intermediate lock phase when a lock request is issued. When the lock request is issued, the camshaft phase is shifted in a reference direction to go beyond the intermediate lock phase while the lock pin is urged in a lock direction. When the camshaft phase stops around the intermediate lock phase, the lock control unit changes a control amount of the hydraulic control unit by a certain amount to shift the camshaft phase. The lock control unit determines that the camshaft phase has been locked at the intermediate lock phase when the camshaft phase is not shifted even after the lock control unit changes the control amount.
US08146548B2
A continuously variable valve lift device may include a vibration link having one end eccentrically and rotatably coupled to a rotation shaft, a rocker arm having a middle portion pivotally coupled to the other end of the vibration link, an advance lever having one end coupled to the one end of the rocker arm to select advance or delay, a swivel cam link having one end pivotally coupled to the other end of the rocker arm, and a swivel cam, one end of which is pivotally coupled to the other end of the swivel cam link and the other end of which is pivotally coupled to a stationary shaft to open and close a valve.
US08146543B2
A cylinder head for an internal combustion engine has at least two cylinders, each cylinder having an outlet opening for discharging the exhaust gases out of the cylinder, an assembly end side for connection to a cylinder block of the engine, an exhaust-gas line adjoining each outlet opening, the exhaust-gas lines of the at least two cylinders merging within the cylinder head to form a combined exhaust-gas line, and a coolant jacket interior to and at least partially integrated in the cylinder head, the coolant jacket made up of a lower coolant jacket and an upper coolant jacket, and at least one connection between the lower coolant jacket and the upper coolant jacket immediately adjacent the combined exhaust-gas line for allowing the passage of coolant.
US08146532B2
An automatic milking apparatus for laboratory animals that can facilitate and stabilize the positioning of a teat cup 20 is provided for full automation of a milking operation. An end of a first milk tube 12 attached to a teat cup 20 for laboratory animals is attached to a free end of a flexible arm A having one end fixed to a suitable base (milk collecting container stand B). The flexible arm A includes a laminated body 40 including a long member 41 formed of a material that is flexible and after being flexed, can maintain the shape (for example, a lead plate) and a steel plate member 42, the laminated body 40 being coated by a coating member 50, the members being in contact with each other in such a manner that they slip relative to each other upon being flexed in their entirety, the flexible arm A including a secured part 53 formed at the one end, the secured part 53 preventing relative movement of the respective members. The tip of the flexible arm A is not displaced after being positioned.
US08146531B2
Embodiments of a portable milking apparatus configured according to principles of the invention include a milking unit that is mobile and configured for milking an animal; a service unit that is mobile and configured for receiving milk; and a connector that selectably operably connects and/or permits fluid communication between the milking and service units.
US08146514B2
A table has two end legs arranged in a parallel, laterally spaced apart relationship for support on a floor surface. Two side rails are arranged in a parallel, laterally spaced apart relationship, and are connected with upper portions of the end legs to retain them in an upright orientation, defining a self-supported table frame without intermediate bracing between the side rails, with a central, vertically extending widow. Top support members are connected with the side rails and protrude outwardly therefrom in a cantilevered fashion. A top member is supported on and connected with the table frame and the top support members, defining a plurality of workstations. A utility module configured to route utilities is positioned within the window of the frame, with opposite sides abuttingly supported on the side rails to removably mount the utility module on the frame and thereby accommodate different utility requirements at the workstations.
US08146507B2
Disclosed is a crane rail made from a roll-formed steel sheet strip. Said crane rail altogether comprises a top flange and a bottom flange. A support flange that has a triangular cross-section is additionally embodied on the top flange. The edges of the steel strip are laser-welded to the web.
US08146502B2
A combustible cartridge assembly is described. The assembly of one embodiment includes a projectile, a body having a first end portion coupled to the projectile and a second end portion opposite the first end portion. The body is made of a combustible material configured to be consumed upon firing the ammunition round assembly. A sleeve is at least partially contained within the base. The sleeve has a free end portion radially to adjacent to and coupled to the second end portion of the body. The sleeve and the body defines an interior area configured to contain a combustible propellant. A non-combustible base at least partially is coupled to the sleeve and is adjacent to the second end portion of the body.
US08146500B2
Explosive apparatus has at least two cuboid moldings, which each includes at least one firing hole and explosive, and whose edge lengths have a ratio of substantially 1:2:4, and a container including an internal area having a square outline and at least one aperture hole to the internal area, the internal area having a side length corresponding at least approximately to a longest edge length of the moldings and a height corresponding at least approximately to a shortest edge length of the moldings or to an integer multiple thereof, wherein the moldings are placed in the internal area of the container such that the at least one firing hole in one of the at least two moldings is aligned with the at least one aperture hole in the container, the aperture hole being intended for insertion of an explosive capsule into the firing hole of the corresponding molding.
US08146496B2
A printing plate handling device for holding a printing plate (11) adjacent to one edge (12) of the plate, especially adjacent to a bent-over leading edge or a bent-over trailing edge of the printing plate, with a mechanism for holding the printing plate (11) in a flat, frictionally-engaged manner along a surface area of the printing plate adjacent to one edge (12) of the printing plate.
US08146488B2
A Food cooking oven includes a steam-generation boiler, a gas burner, a fan for generating a forced air flow through and injecting gas into the burner, an outer conduit branching out from the burner and adapted to convey the flue gases through the boiler. The gas burner includes a first inner, preferably cylindrically shaped body and a second outer body that is in direct communication with the outer conduit and accommodates the first inner body so as to form a pre-mixing region in the hollow gap created therebetween. The outer surface of the first inner body is provided with a plurality of first apertures, which are distributed all over the outer surface, and the surface of the second outer body is provided with a plurality of respective second apertures, which are preferably provided to cover just a single, delimited portion of the respective outer surface and are in direct communication with the outer conduit.
US08146481B2
An actuator in which overshooting has been reduced is provided. A cylinder is divided by a piston to provide first and second chambers, and first and second control valves 41, 43, which adjust fluid pressure supply to respective chambers in a non-step manner, and first and second discharge valves 42, 44, which control outflow of fluid from the first and second chambers, are provided. A first control device carries out feedback control of pressure to be supplied to the first or second chamber such that a difference between a target position of the piston and a detected position of the piston becomes smaller. A second control device carries out differential-preceding PD control to bias pressure to be commonly supplied to the first and second chambers such that the difference between the target position of the piston and the detected position of the piston becomes smaller.
US08146478B2
In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a blast-resistant armored land vehicle. Wheels or tracks may be attached to the vehicle by an independent suspension. The vehicle may include a body comprised of sheet materials, the body having a longitudinal centerline, an upper portion including opposite side portions, a first bottom portion defining a V, with the apex of the V substantially parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle and extending along a portion of the vehicle, and a second bottom portion defining a V, with the apex of the V substantially parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle and extending along another portion of the vehicle. The first bottom portion further includes an energy-absorbing member extending longitudinally within an interior of the first bottom portion. The energy-absorbing member may be on the inside of the apex of the V and be held in position during the blast by its own inertia. The vehicle may also include a spine member having a V shaped cross section and extending along the entire length of the vehicle. All or a portion of the engine, transmission, and drive train assembly may be within the spine member. A vehicle not having a second bottom portion may be retrofitted with the second bottom portion by way of a kit.
US08146476B2
A protective structure for a vehicle having an opening on an upper surface is provided. One embodiment of the invention has at least a partial enclosure around an area defined laterally by the vehicle opening with an overhead and side protective capability. An embodiment of the invention has an overhead cover that is formed to substantially enclose a top area of the enclosure and having multiple panels that may be locked into place or opened by an occupant for exit through a top area of the enclosure. The multiple panels in this embodiment extend upwardly and inwardly from a section of the enclosure's side walls. Ballistic windows are provided on the protective structure such that an occupant can view laterally and vertically through the enclosure and overhead cover. A shield or protective plate can be mounted on one side of the enclosure.
US08146470B2
A die stamping system includes an upper die, a sliding block, a lower stripper, a die holder connected to the lower stripper, and a lower die-set moveably connected to the die holder. The sliding block includes a body with a wedge-shaped head facing down, a punch connected to the body, and two arms on opposite sides of the body, respectively. The lower stripper matches the upper die-set and has an aperture for passage of the punch therethrough. The die holder is connected to the lower stripper and includes an opening for passage of the body therethrough, and a first notch receiving the two arms. The first notch is larger than the arms. The lower die-set is movably connected to the die holder and includes a wedge-shaped padding block facing up and supporting the wedge-shaped head of the body.
US08146467B2
The invention relates to an electrical stressing means having a housing (2) which can be attached to the drive spindle of a machine tool and in which a threaded rod (3) for adjustment of the clamping jaws of a chuck is mounted such that it can be moved axially, and having an electric actuating motor (4), whose rotor is connected for drive purposes to a drive wheel (6). The drive wheel (6) is connected to the shaft generator (7) of a harmonic drive, and the internal gearwheel (8) of the harmonic drive is connected to the housing (2), with the steel bush (9) (flexspline), which has an external tooth system, of the harmonic drive being provided as a drive for the spindle nut associated with the threaded rod (3).
US08146463B2
A screw driver capable of avoiding co-rotation of an end bit and a motor in case of sharp shooting the end bit with a groove in a head of a screw. A co-rotation preventing mechanism is engageable with an end bit mounting portion when the end bit mounting portion is at a frontward position to prevent the end bit mounting portion from being rotated in the forward direction and to allow the end bit mounting portion to rotate in the reverse direction. The preventing mechanism is disengageable from the end bit mounting portion when the end bit mounting portion is at the rearward position to allow the end bit mounting portion to rotate in both forward and reverse directions.
US08146458B2
A locking differential for an automotive vehicle including a housing and a differential mechanism supported in the housing. The differential mechanism includes a pair of clutch members disposed in spaced axial relationship with respect to each other wherein each clutch member includes a groove disposed in an opposed inwardly directing face that is adapted to receive a cross pin. Each of the grooves includes a working surface extending laterally relative to each other. Each of the working surfaces defines a screw involute surface such that the cross pin contacts the working surface along a line extending in the direction of the cross pin in the event of differential rotation of an axle half shaft relative to the housing. Alternatively, each of the working surfaces defines a slightly convex surface in one plane such that the cross pin contacts the working surface at a point defined thereon. In another embodiment, the working surface defines a slightly convex surface in two planes such that the cross pin contacts the working surface at a point defined thereon.
US08146457B2
An apparatus for damping torsional vibration in a shaft, having a plurality of retainer pockets spaced from each other in the direction of the shaft's axis of rotation and connected for contemporaneous rotation with the shaft, and a plurality of disks each disposed within one of the retainer pockets, each retainer pocket having a circular track wall, each disk being free to shift perpendicular to the shaft's axis of rotation to engage and move along the circular track wall in response to the vibration, wherein each circular retainer pocket has a center that is at a predetermined radial offset distance relative to the shaft's axis of rotation and the respective radial offsets are angularly spaced from each other about the shaft's axis of rotation.
US08146456B1
An apparatus and its method of use for precisely rotating a crankshaft to one or more desired angular positions. The apparatus may include a controller that is programmed to automatically rotate the crankshaft to said one or more positions, or positional control may be allocated to a user of the apparatus. Rotation of the crankshaft is accomplished using a motor or motor/gearbox assembly coupled to a drive element that is adapted to engage an exposed portion of a crankshaft of interest. The angular position of the motor or motor/gearbox assembly and/or the drive element, is monitored, such that the angular position of the crankshaft shaft of interest is known and may be controlled.
US08146455B2
A fitting for a terminal connection in a core-adjuster assembly has a generally annular isolator with a generally central bore defining a connector pin socket and a reverse clip cap socket, and a reverse clip cap configured to be received substantially concentrically by the reverse clip cap socket of the isolator and defining a connector pin end socket.
US08146452B2
An apparatus for driving a roller of a printing press includes a main motor configured to drive the roller through a first gear wheel and a first freewheel, and an auxiliary motor configured to drive the roller through a second gear wheel and a second freewheel. A brake that is different from the main motor, for example a band brake, is configured to brake the roller during overrunning of the roller following a machine stop signal. A printing press having the apparatus is also provided.
US08146436B2
A pressure transducer is provided that has a transducer body with a rim, a diaphragm that deflects in response to pressure and a sensor bonded to the diaphragm at the rim and at a center of the diaphragm. The sensor detects deflection of the metal diaphragm. The sensor and diaphragm are made of different materials. A thermal expansion difference between the sensor and the diaphragm is accommodated by flexures in the sensor that accept relative motion in a radial direction of the metal diaphragm with little effect on a sensitivity of the silicon structure to motion in an axial direction of the diaphragm.
US08146434B2
An apparatus for measuring the vibration characteristics of a head gimbal assembly can grasp resonant characteristics at high frequencies and efficiently measure the vibration characteristics of the head gimbal assembly, the apparatus has a shaker head to which the head gimbal assembly is attached, the shaker head has a main body made of ceramics and a fixture made of metal, the fixture is solidly fixed to the main body and is provided with positioning pins and an internal thread, the head gimbal assembly is supported with a mount block, and the mount block has positioning holes to be fitted to the positioning pins of the fixture and a joined part to be removably fastened to the internal thread of the fixture.
US08146433B2
A failure detect device detects the presence of a failure in a peripheral member of a rotary shaft by analyzing a vibration generated in a device provided with the rotary shaft when the rotary shaft is rotated. A vibration detection unit detects the vibration of the device, and a rotation speed detection unit detects a rotation speed of the rotary shaft. An analysis unit calculates a frequency spectrum of the vibration of the device and determines an actually measured vibration level at each vibration order by dividing a frequency component of the calculated frequency spectrum by the rotation speed of the rotary shaft. A detection unit detects the presence of a failure in the peripheral member on the basis of the actually measured vibration level at each vibration order.
US08146431B2
The invention relates to a method for nondestructive testing of a metallic workpiece (11) using an ultrasonic transducer testing head having the following steps: to generate an ultrasonic wave, an excitation pulse is transmitted using the ultrasonic transducer (1) to the workpiece (11), a response signal is measured using the magnetic field sensor (3), testing information, preferably transit time information of the ultrasonic wave and therefrom wall thickness information about the thickness of the workpiece (11), is ascertained on the basis of an ultrasonic echo component of the response signal, and further information, in particular distance information about the distance of the testing head from the workpiece (11), is ascertained on the basis of a magnetic field component of the response signal by supplementary analysis. The invention also relates to a corresponding analysis method for analyzing measurement data which has been ascertained using an ultrasonic transducer testing head and a system for nondestructive testing of a metallic workpiece.
US08146429B2
A method for determining the type of a defect in a weld may include determining a defect location and a corresponding defect signal by analyzing ultrasonic response signals collected from a plurality of measurement locations along the weld. The defect signal and the plurality of defect proximity signals corresponding to ultrasonic response signals from measurement locations on each side of the defect location may then be input into a trained artificial neural network. The trained artificial neural network may be operable to identify the type of the defect located at the defect location based on the defect signal and the plurality of defect proximity signals and output the type of the defect located at the defect location. The trained artificial neural network may also be operable to determine a defect severity classification based on the defect signal and the plurality of defect proximity signals and output the severity classification.
US08146427B2
The present invention provides a sensor for detecting the build up of frozen deposits in a cryogen vessel housing a superconducting magnet, comprising a tensioned wire, a source of variable frequency alternating current and a voltage sensor. The tensioned wire is oriented perpendicular to the direction of the stray magnetic field produced by the superconducting magnet. By varying the frequency of the applied current, the resonant frequency of the tensioned wire may be detected as the frequency at which the voltage across the wire is a maximum. Any variation in the frequency or magnitude of the resonant peak may be interpreted as an indication of a frozen deposit hampering the free oscillation of the tensioned wire.
US08146423B2
An ion discharge gyroscope measures rotational motion and linear acceleration by generating symmetrical ion jet streams and measuring respective amounts of the jet streams impinging on detectors located so as to intercept the ion jet streams. The ion jet streams will be diverted by operation of the Coriolis effect and the differences in the amount of each ion jet stream impinging on the detectors is an indication of rotational motion and linear acceleration. In one embodiment, the ion jet streams are heated and the respective temperatures of the detectors are measured. In another embodiment, the amounts of current flowing through each detector, as contributed by the ion jet streams, are measured and used to determine rotation and acceleration.
US08146422B2
A measurement system for capturing a transit time, phase, or frequency of energy waves propagating through a propagation medium is disclosed. The measurement system comprises a compressible waveguide (403), ultrasonic transducers (405, 406), and circuitry to sustain energy wave propagation in the waveguide (403). The circuitry includes a propagation tuned oscillator (404), a digital counter (409), a pulse generator (410), a phase detector (414), a counter (420), a digital timer (422), and a data register (424). The measurement system employs a continuous mode (CM), pulse mode, or pulse-echo mode of operation to evaluate propagation characteristics of continuous ultrasonic waves in the waveguide by way of closed-loop feedback to determine levels of applied forces on the waveguide.
US08146420B2
Apparatus for measuring an amount of ablation fluid circulating in a system for ablating tissue comprises a plurality of electrical contacts located within an ablation fluid receiving chamber of the system, the contacts being located at various heights and a data processing arrangement coupled to the contacts to receive data corresponding to electrical conductance between pairs of the contacts, the data processing arrangement determining a height of fluid in the chamber based on the measured conductance levels and determining based on the determined height, whether an amount of fluid circulating through the system is within a desired range.
US08146419B2
The present invention relates to a device (10) for providing a temperature compensated measurement of the level of a liquid (14) in a tank (12; 30). The device comprises a transducer (22) for transmitting and receiving acoustic signals, and a waveguide (24) connected to the transducer and adapted to extend into the liquid. The device is characterized by means (16; 18; 40) for directing a flow of liquid originating from the tank of along the exterior of a portion of the waveguide which during operation is located above the liquid level. The present invention also relates to a corresponding method for providing a temperature compensated measurement of the level of a liquid in a tank.
US08146418B2
An apparatus for soil testing for a jack-up rig, the apparatus comprising a soil testing device integrated with a leg of the jack-up rig, the leg of the jack-up rig having a footing, an opening in the footing for allowing passage of an active portion of the soil testing device therethrough to obtain soil data from a seabed beneath the footing, and a retrieval assembly for retrieving the soil testing device.
US08146414B2
Material withdrawal apparatus and methods and systems of regulating material inventory in one or more units are provided. A material withdrawal apparatus includes a heat exchanger and a sensor. The heat exchanger includes a material inlet, material outlet, cooling fluid inlet, and cooling fluid outlet. The material inlet is coupled to the unit and the sensor is coupled to the heat exchanger to provide a metric indicative of the temperature at the material inlet; material outlet; cooling fluid inlet and cooling fluid outlet. Another embodiment of a material withdrawal apparatus includes a vessel having an outer wall, liner, fill port, and a discharge port. The liner at least partially covers the inner surface of the outer wall. The fill port and discharge port are defined in the vessel and the fill port is configured to receive withdrawn material from at least a unit. Other embodiments provide methods of withdrawing or regulating material in a unit.
US08146412B2
A reduced scale model of a tire for aerodynamic tests in a wind tunnel, the model having a hollow toroidal shape, is made of a single molded plastic material homogeneous throughout the model, is deformable, and is shaped so as to reproduce externally the deformed shape of the tire under load when this is set in conditions of operation under the action of centrifugal loads and/or ground loads.
US08146411B2
A device and method for simulating rotation of a wheel on a vehicle having a rotatable wheel rotation sensor. A motor is coupled to a rotatable portion of the rotation sensor, and is operated to rotate the rotatable portion of the rotation sensor according to a pulse train simulating a wheel skid.
US08146410B2
A system is disclosed for real-time supervision of engine test beds independent of the engine test bed. This supervision system comprises a file describing equipments and drivers associated with engine test beds, and a set of software drivers for controlling engine test bed equipments. These drivers are independent of the software operating environment and of the computer platform of the system. This system also comprises a real-time supervision software for reading the information from the description file and loading the required drivers so that test configurations can be carried out in real time. These configurations come from a test configuration editor specific to the system and are independent of the engine test bed. An application of the invention is for studying of thermal engines or electric motors on test beds.
US08146407B2
An apparatus for characterizing particles suspended in a liquid sample containing electrolyte including a sample chamber to hold the liquid sample and a collection chamber to hold an electrolyte solution. A wall separates the chambers and includes an aperture to allow passage of particles between the chambers; and a pair of electrodes are disposed on opposite sides of the aperture to induce a current through the aperture. A pressure source forces the sample to pass from the sample chamber into the collection chamber; and a processor measures a signal representative of electric resistance variation between the electrodes to enable determination of the size of the particle within the liquid passing through the aperture, wherein the processor is adapted to monitor two or more parameters characterizing the flow of particles through the aperture, and to detect a potential blockage of the aperture by detecting a change in any one of the parameters.
US08146400B2
Medical devices, systems and methods that are useable to facilitate transnasal insertion and positioning of guidewires and various other devices and instruments at desired locations within the ear, nose, throat, paranasal sinuses or cranium. Direct viewing of such placements via an endoscope.
US08146397B2
A support arrangement (10) of a roll of a fibrous-web machine, has a first frame part (12) in which the roll (20) of the fibrous-web machine is supportable from its end when in use and a second frame part (22) in which the first frame part (12) is fastened by means of an elastic fastening. The arrangement has a motion direction control arrangement (34) for controlling the direction of the motion allowed by the elastic fastening in a way determined by the direction control arrangement (34).
US08146396B2
The invention relates to a locking cylinder with a longitudinal housing, said housing containing a control sensor for triggering an electrical switch for detection of introduction of a key into the cylinder, said sensor being slideably mounted parallel to the axis (A) of introduction of the key, the front end section of the sensor, which may be pushed by the key, cooperates with the housing means to form a ramp to cause a displacement of said front end section in a direction inclined with relation to the axis (A) between a lower idle position and an upper trigger position in which the housing (2) further contains a switch trigger means, in contact with the rear end of the sensor, said trigger means being only able to move parallel to the axis (A).
US08146386B2
A scoring device is described herein that applies a constant force while scoring a piece of material so that there is a consistent score quality (or vent depth) within the scored piece of material. In one embodiment, the piece of material is a bowed shaped glass sheet that is supported by a conformable nosing device which has been configured to have a bowed shape that substantially matches the bowed shape of the glass sheet.
US08146384B2
An absorption chiller assembly (20) includes a low-stage generator (42) that utilizes heat from vapor resulting from operation of a high-stage generator (26) and heat from another hot liquid such as coolant fluid associated with a prime mover (22). An example low-stage generator (42) includes an arrangement of conduits for directing flow of the two heat sources through the low-stage generator in a manner that both sources simultaneously interact with a refrigerant solution within the low-stage generator. A disclosed example includes an integrated diverter valve that is preassembled and packaged within an absorption chiller assembly. A disclosed heating mode in one example includes using an absorber (60) and a condenser (56) for heating fluid useful for heating operations.
US08146382B2
The present invention relates to a packaging system for storing and/or transporting different kind of fruits packaged in clamshell, punnets or trays during long periods of time, comprising a collapsible structure including four vertical columns with side walls collapsible on a pallet-type base, exhibiting an arrangement of internal trays or grids, and wrappable curtains configuring front and rear walls, such that it doesn't require the use of cardboard, wood or plastic boxes; preferably the system also comprises cooling means, gas-generating means and controlling means.
US08146380B1
The rocker chiller 10 includes a semi-cylindrical tank 12 filled with heat exchanging liquid and a baffle assembly 18 that rocks back and forth across the bottom wall of the tank. The baffle 26 of the baffle assembly 18 defines baffle openings 29 that are sized and shaped to pass the heat exchanging liquid through the openings in response to the rocking of the baffle, but small enough so that the baffle engages and retards the movement of at least some of the carcasses from moving through the baffle, thereby massaging the carcasses and increasing the moisture retained in the carcasses.
US08146376B1
An active air cleaning controller is connected to a forced air heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. The active air cleaning controller uses call signals from a thermostat to the HVAC system and/or sensor signals to determine when, and for how long, the blower of the HVAC system has been active and whether to independently activate the blower. The active air cleaning controller uses at least the collected information regarding the blower run time to determine when to activate the blower, in addition to its use within the HVAC system, to cycle and thus clean the air in a living environment independently of call signals used to activate heating and/or cooling functions of the HVAC system.
US08146371B2
A combustor/coil assembly for direct electromagnetic induction from a detonation wave comprises an annular combustor, a magnetic field source and a port. The annular combustor comprises an inner liner and a coaxial outer liner. The outer liner is electrically insulated from the inner liner. The magnetic field source generates a substantially axial magnetic field inside the annular combustor. The port introduces reactants into the annular combustor to form the detonation wave. The detonation wave induces a voltage between the inner liner and the outer liner by forming a current loop between the inner liner and the outer liner.
US08146363B2
A method of substantially preventing contaminants from entering a condenser adapted for use within a steam generating system. A condenser is provided. Steam or a combination of water and steam is passed into the condenser, the condenser operating in a normal mode if a pressure in a control area is equal to or greater than a predefined pressure and operating in a non-normal mode if the pressure in the control area is less than the predefined pressure. An inert gas is injected into the condenser if a pressure in the control area is less than a holding pressure, the holding pressure being equal to or greater than the predefined pressure.
US08146362B2
An Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) system comprising a self-contained submersible OTEC plant is disclosed. The OTEC plant comprises a electrical generation system and a thermal mass whose temperature is based on the temperature of water at a first depth of a body of water. The OTEC plant is moved to a second depth of the body of water, wherein water at the second depth is a different temperature that the water at the first depth. The OTEC system generates electrical energy based on a difference in the temperatures of the water at the second depth and the temperature of the thermal mass. The OTEC system is able to generate electrical energy at either of the first depth and the second depth.
US08146359B2
A dual-inlet turbocharger system for internal combustion engine includes a single-shaft turbocharger with a dual-inlet compressor section. An air router provides a bifurcated air supply for the dual-inlet compressor section, and also provides a bifurcated source of charge air for the engine's cylinders in the case in which the present turbocharger system is applied to a V-block engine.
US08146352B2
Methods and systems are provided for managing particulate emissions in an engine including a particulate filter and a CO2 sensor downstream of the filter. A CO2 sensor may be used to infer the presence of particulate matter in the exhaust, downstream of the filter. By sensing particulate matter in the post-filter exhaust, filter degradation may be identified.
US08146350B2
A system includes a particulate matter (PM) filter with multiple zones, an electric heater and a control module. The electrical heater includes heater segments, which each correspond with a respective one of the zones. The electrical heater is arranged upstream from and is proximate with the PM filter. The control module selectively applies a first energy level to a first one of the zones via a first one of the heater segments to initiate regeneration in the first zone. The control module also selectively applies a second energy level that is less than the first energy level to a second one of the zones via a second one of the heater segments to initiate regeneration in the second zone.
US08146343B2
A method of operating an internal combustion engine having a reductant delivery and storage system in an emission control system is disclosed. The method comprises applying an ultrasonic field to a reductant-containing liquid in the reductant storage device to generate a mist of the reductant-containing liquid, and selectively introducing an amount of mist to an exhaust system coupled to the catalyst based on an engine operating condition.
US08146342B2
An exhaust eductor system includes a primary exhaust nozzle configured to transport an active flow stream; and a mixing duct at least partially surrounding the primary exhaust nozzle and configured to transport a passive flow stream that is entrained by mixing with the active flow stream from the primary exhaust nozzle. The mixing duct has an interior, and a baffle on the interior of the mixing duct is configured to prevent the mixed flow streams from exiting the mixing duct.
US08146338B1
An adjustable rake for raking agricultural products includes a wheeled cart configured to be pulled in a direction of travel on a surface of travel and first and second rake arm positioners coupled to the wheeled cart and configured to translate in a direction transverse to the direction of travel of the wheeled cart. First and second front rake arm assemblies are pivotably coupled to the first and second rake arm positioners, respectively. First and second inner rear supports are included, and each of the first and second inner rear supports is pivotably coupled to the wheeled cart and is configured to pivot as a result of translation of the first and second rake arm positioners in the direction transverse to the direction of travel of the wheeled cart. The rake may include optional splitter wheels.
US08146329B2
A surgical cable packaging system and method are provided including, in one aspect, a cable holder having an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper and lower portions may have cooperating structures configured to be coupled together to form an interior space in which the cable is coiled. The cable holder may have an opening through which the cable extends to allow the cable to be removed from the interior space. In another aspect, a method of inserting a surgical cable into a cable holder comprising wrapping the cable around a body portion of a fixture and sliding the cable into an interior space of the cable holder in a coiled configuration.
US08146324B1
A method of securing an installed metal roof deck covered with at least one layer of insulation and/or sealer. The metal roof deck is supported by a plurality of parallel metal beams. Access holes are drilled through the insulation and/or sealer at opposite ends of a beam. Self-drilling, self-tapping screws are positioned through the pilot holes and turned through the metal roof and beams. A guide is used to drill additional access holes aligned with valleys in the metal roof deck. Self-drilling, self-tapping screws are drilled through the metal roof and beams. When no access is available for visual inspection of the deck and or the beams, the same locating process is followed in a “Blindly”, or by “Feel” way.
US08146314B2
The prefabricated universal structural steel panel and panel system includes a generally elongated rectangular panel having an opposed exterior and interior surfaces, an opposed first and second end portions, and an opposed first and second side edge portions. At least two stiffening ribs are integrally formed in the panel and extend longitudinally between the first and second end portions. The first side edge portion has a beveled configuration and is integrally connected to an elongated male connecting member. An elongated female connecting member is integrally connected to the second side edge portion and extends adjacent the interior surface to define a fold. The elongated male connecting member of one panel is cooperatively profiled to mate with the female connecting member of an adjacent panel.
US08146300B2
A buckling restrained brace includes a deformable core contained within an outer casing. Ends of the core protrude from the casing for connection to a frame or other structure. A length of the deformable core between its ends, referred to as the gauge or yielding section, is capable of deforming during an earthquake or blast loading. The gauge section is differentially heat treated from the ends so that the gauge section has a lower yield strength than the ends. The casing provides containment of the core to prevent buckling of the core. A metal foil interface or unbonding layer is provided between the deformable core and the casing so that the deformable core does not bind to the casing. The buckling restrained brace provides significant performance improvements over prior art BRBs coupled with simplified assembly.
US08146297B2
The invention relates to a device (D) for locking/unlocking to the ground (S) of a connecting plate (100) to the ground or to the rim of a basin of a roof element, the plate (100) being on the one hand connected to the rim of the roof element and on the other hand connected to the ground (S) or to the basin rim, the plate (100) being pierced with an orifice (121) coming opposite a hole (200) made in the ground, the locking/unlocking device interacting with the hole (200) made in the ground and resting on the plate (100) for the purpose of attaching the latter. This device is noteworthy in that it comprises an expandable bush (300) changing from a volume called a rest volume allowing it to be inserted into the hole (200) made in the ground to a volume called the expanded volume ensuring its adhesion to the walls (210) of the said hole (200). Applications: attaching swimming pool shelters.
US08146293B2
A snap-in glass carrier, engageable with a window regulator for snap fitting a door glass having a glass retention hole to the carrier, comprises a carrier base, a regulator attachment extending from the carrier base, a glass retention portion and a finger. The glass retention portion extends from the base spaced from the window regulator portion to define a gap for the glass. The finger, cantilevered from the base, includes a vertical portion extending parallel to the support finger on the same side of the glass as the support finger, a retention tab extending from the vertical portion into the gap that engages the retention hole, a hinge point adjacent to the glass carrier base and located on the same side of the gap as the window regulator attachment, and a spring leg extending through the gap from the hinge point to the vertical portion.
US08146292B2
The invention relates to an insert container for plant pots with a base, at least one side wall, which adjoins the base with a lower edge, is formed with an upper edge open at the top and surrounds an interior, a longitudinal axis extending perpendicular to the base, supports arranged on the base and extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis, at least one water-permeable watering device arranged on the base and at least one indentation which extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis, in the at least one side wall.
US08146290B1
The invention is a trap for bedbugs, in the form of a double-ply pouch having its periphery sealed to create a compartment for containing an attractant. A slit opening is made in the top layer and a tubular funnel-shaped member is inserted in the slit opening to create an access opening for the bedbugs to enter into the sealed compartment.
US08146286B2
A handheld device is provided for aiding in attaching a fishing line to a fishing hook having an eye. The device includes a holder having a first end and a second end. At least one of the first end and the second end includes an opening through which the hook can be securely coupled. An end of the fishing line is inserted through the eye of the fishing hook to tie a fishing knot. The device can also include a fishing lure extending from at least one of the first end and the second end. The opening can be one of a slit, a groove, a slot, a hole, and a notch.
US08146285B1
A waterfowl decoy comprising a waterfowl decoy body, a propulsion system, an accelerometer, and a microcontroller. In a preferred embodiment, the waterfowl decoy body has an inner cavity with an equipment mounting surface therein with the propulsion system coupled to the equipment mounting surface and configured to propel the waterfowl decoy across a surface of water. The accelerometer is coupled to the equipment mounting surface and configured to sense accelerations of the waterfowl decoy body when propelled across the surface of water, and the microcontroller is coupled to the accelerometer and configured to calculate a distance traveled by the waterfowl decoy body when propelled across the surface of water. A waterfowl decoy system and a method of manufacturing a waterfowl decoy system are also provided.
US08146278B1
An illuminated display configured for mounting to an automobile flag pole, or alternatively, to a window, the display including a rectangular enclosure having a transparent first side, a transparent second side, a bottom side, opposing lateral sides and a hinged-top lid. An interchangeable first panel displaying a first indicia, an interchangeable second panel displaying a second indicia and an opaque middle panel having a light source coupled to each side thereof are supported within the enclosure by sets of opposing tracks extending along the interior surface of the enclosure.
US08146272B2
Various arrangements for an article of footwear including an outsole having grooves forming discrete lugs are presented. The outsoles generally include a plurality of grooves formed in at least a portion of the outsole that extend from a lateral side of the outsole to a medial side of the outsole. The grooves may be linear or curved and generally extend in an angular fashion. The grooves may have a first depth at a perimeter of the outsole and a second depth, greater than the first depth, at the center of the outsole. The grooves form discrete lugs. In some arrangements, the lugs are diamond shaped.
US08146260B1
A folding framing square, comprising a substantially right triangular shaped framing square having a flange attached substantially perpendicular thereto and forming a substantially “T” shaped section therewith, a substantially right-angled trapezium shaped framing square hingedly attached to the flange; and optionally having a ring hingedly attached to the flange, the ring adapted to allow a user to removably insert a finger therethrough and facilitate the user to hold the folding framing square. The substantially right-angled trapezium shaped framing square and the ring may each be independently folded from an open to a closed position and vice versa. An alternate embodiment comprises a substantially right triangular shaped framing square having a flange attached substantially perpendicular thereto, a substantially right-angled trapezium shaped framing square hingedly attached to a clamp, the clamp adapted to be removably and releasably attached to the flange.
US08146252B2
A process is provided for manufacturing an exhaust gas treatment device (1), which contains at least one exhaust gas treatment insert (2) in a tubular housing (4), especially for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine. A circumferential geometry of the at least one insert (2) is measured in at least one axial section of the particular insert (2). The at least one insert (2) is inserted axially into the housing (4). The measured circumferential geometry of the at least one insert (2) is taken into account during the deformation of the housing (4).
US08146249B2
A method of making a hermetically-sealed feed-through device includes inserting an elongate conductor or conductors within a hollow portion or portions of a plastic insulator body and inserting the plastic insulator body within a hollow outer jacket to form an assembly. At least one of the conductor or conductors, insulator body, or jacket of the assembly has a plurality of circumferential grooves. Thereafter, the assembly is crimped and/or is swage-crimped at ambient temperature to cause the materials of the conductor or conductors, insulator body, and outer jacket to be displaced or extrude into the grooves thereby creating mechanical interlocks between the conductor or conductors, insulator body, and outer jacket. Additional methods and feed-through devices made by the methods are also disclosed.
US08146246B2
A method of manufacturing a wired circuit board, including: forming an insulating layer in a pattern thereby forming second through holes penetrating the insulating layer in a thickness direction thereof; and after forming the insulating layer, forming, on the insulating layer, a conductive pattern in a pattern having terminals which are continuous with an upper surface and a side surface of a side end portion of the insulating layer such that the terminals extend into the second through holes. The terminals are operative for connecting with external terminals via a molten metal. The terminals include annular, step-shaped shoulder portions aligned with the second through holes and that are recessed downward from an upper surface, and first through holes having a diameter smaller than that of the second through holes and which pass through the terminals in a thickness direction thereof.
US08146240B2
A riveting system is operable to join two or more workplaces with a rivet. In another aspect of the present invention, a self-piercing rivet is employed. Still another aspect of the present invention employs an electronic control unit and one or more sensors to determine a riveting characteristic and/or an actuator characteristic.
US08146235B2
A head suspension for supporting a head slider over a storage media in a dynamic storage device is provided with a head suspension component having a spring metal layer, an electrically conductive layer and a dielectric layer interposed between the metal layer and the electrically conductive layer. A plurality of electrically conductive traces with bond pads are formed in the electrically conductive layer. A feature datum is also formed in the electrically conductive layer on a detachable carrier strip. The feature datum defines a first edge in the electrically conductive layer parallel to an edge of the bond pads.
US08146221B2
A hydraulic tool for assembling and disassembling components, such as gears, bearings, etc. of a shaft, is capable of performing an external-pulling or an internal-pulling operation as desired for an object to be assembled or disassembled. The hydraulic tool includes an oil pressure assembly having a hand-operated pump, an oil storage member, a control valve, an oil pressure tank, a set of external pulling type clamping jaws, internal pulling type clamping jaws, and a bolt for assembling purpose. The hydraulic tool has high mobility and portability, is capable of performing assembling or disassembling operations at any angle and position, and is considerably enhanced in applicability.
US08146214B2
A fastening device comprising a pin affixed to a first zipper track, the pin comprising a first magnet and at least a first engaging element; a box affixed to a second zipper track, the box comprising a second magnet and comprising at least a second engaging element complementary to the first engaging element of the pin, wherein the pin and box form a single element through the releasable interaction of the first and second magnets, and the first engaging element of the pin reversibly interacting with the second engaging element of the box; and a first slider body, wherein the first slider body comprises at least one releasing element that reversibly disengages the first engaging element of the pin from the second engaging element of the box. The fastening device can also include a second slider body component comprising a second magnet and defining at least one groove element, wherein the first and second slider body components form a single slider body through the releasable interaction of the first and second magnets, and the ridge element of the first slider body component removably fitting into the groove element of the second slider body component.
US08146209B2
A holder for securing a glove or other article to a bag, hook or other item is provided. The holder comprises a ring, a snap hook type fastener attached to the ring in swivel fashion, and a rigid or semi-rigid tag suspended from the ring by a strap. In one embodiment the tag comprises two members or halves hingedly connected to each other in clamshell fashion so that the two members can be folded together and held together via hook and loop type fasteners. The glove may be secured to the holder via hook and loop type fastening surface located on the glove. The holder can also secure an article not having a hook or loop type fastening surface by draping the article over the hinge.
US08146200B2
A surface cleaning apparatus comprises an accessory hose mounted to an upright handle and a recovery tank mounted to a base. An accessory working air path is formed between the accessory hose and the recovery tank when the upright handle is in an upright position and is separated when the handle is tilted from the upright position. The upright handle and the base can include couplings that are in register when the upright handle is in the upright position to form the accessory working air path.
US08146197B2
A cleaning device superior in dust collecting capacity allows material selection from a wide range of fibers and a base material sheet forming the same and can be produced in a short processing time while preventing thermal deterioration and hardening of the material. A process for producing it is also disclosed. A cleaning device 1 is obtained by providing a large number of filaments 30 aligned in fiber direction with a linear bundling portion 40 connecting the fibers to each other by heat-sealing, forming a filament bundling body 31 previously bundled by the bundling portion 40, and bonding the filament bundling body 31 to a base material sheet 6 by an adhesive. A bristle-like-member-less portion 14 of a brush sheet 9 with a plurality of bristle-like members 8 is integrally bonded to a fiber bundle 7 and the base material sheet 6 by an adhesive.
US08146195B2
A cleaning device includes a case. A collection box is located in the case and the collection box includes an entrance with a door pivotally sealing the door. Two cleaning disks are connected to an underside of the case and driven by two gears connected to a roller. Each of the cleaning disks has multiple brushes so as to sweep dust into the collection box. A handle is connected with a yoke member which is pivotally connected to the case and a mopping unit is connected to the case and enclosed by a frame which is movable up and down to allow the brushes to contact the floor when use. The case is pivoted 180 degrees to allow the mopping unit to be located to mop the floor.
US08146186B2
A method and device for accurately easily and accurately positioning patients with breast cancer in the prone position for imaging and radiotherapy is disclosed. The device is a couch or support structure with a double-layer structure that allows relative planar motion between the two layers. To easily slide the top layer, an array of ball transfer units is embedded on the upper side of the bottom layer while the under side of the top layer has a corresponding array of bearing plates to prevent the ball transfer units from grinding into the top layer. A locking mechanism is specially designed to interlock the two layers safely when a knob handle is tightened. A frame of bars is attached to the bottom layer to constrain translation of the top layer. Each layer has two openings for the through insertion of breasts. When a patient lies in the prone position, the breast to be treated is pendent through the couch, and the untreated breast may be blocked from radiation exposure by a removable opening cover.
US08146182B2
A mounting assembly is used to mount a curved rod to a mounting surface. The mounting assembly includes a base, a guide and a cover. The base is fixed to the mounting surface by inserting screws through holes in the base and into the mounting surface. The guide fits around the base and can move along a length of the base. The cover is placed over the base and secured to the guide, such that the cover can also move along the length of the base. The mounting assembly interfaces with an end of the curved rod that approaches the mounting assembly at a given angle. Movement of the cover allows the mounting assembly to interface with ends of curved rods approaching the mounting assembly over a range of angles. The mounting assembly can include a shaft that is connected to the base and interfaces with the end of the curved rod.
US08146174B2
The present invention provides a glove for a wearer. The glove has a hand covering portion and an arm covering portion connected to the hand covering portion. The arm covering portion has a number of segments with each connected to one another by a pivot. The arm covering portion in a first position covers and protects the wearer. The arm covering portion in a second position forms an obstruction to prevent a liquid from contacting the wearer with the obstruction trapping the liquid therein.
US08146173B2
The present invention is a golf club which induces proper grip and suitable swing by removing the thumb-covering portion of a golf glove so as to extend the Skin Contact Length between the thumb and forefinger. Due to the absence of a thumb covering, structural problems with the glove covering stretching from the thumb area toward the palm may arise when centrifugal force is imparted by the golf club. If the glove covering has been stretched, the covering will become folded when the club is gripped; this causes a pull on the left thumb when gloves are worn and leads to improper grip. Therefore, in order to provide elasticity with regard to stretching, in place of sheepskin the area subject to stretching is processed with a Spandex material having excellent elasticity and flexibility.
US08151364B2
A method of authenticating a remote service (104) to a user (102) via a communications network (106) is disclosed. The remote service (104) obtains a service authentication code that has been generated, using a code generation algorithm, based on a first secret key. The service authentication code is communicated to the user (102) via the communications network (106) and received, or entered, into an authentication device (106) associated with the user (102). The authentication device (106) then generates, using the same code generation algorithm, an expected code value based on a second secret key and compares the expected code value to the service authentication code. Responsive to the comparison, and in the event that the expected code value correlates with the service authentication code, the authentication device (106) generates a response that indicates to the user (102) the authenticity of the remote service (104).
US08151363B2
A method and apparatus for processing an electronic document in a secure manner is provided. A client may verify that the configuration state of a standalone document-processing device has not changed since a prior configuration state by issuing a request to a security server. The security server may process the request to determine whether the configuration state of the standalone document-processing device has changed since the document-processing device was registered with the security server. The security server may also verify that actions performed on the document-processing device. A storage medium of a document-processing device may be protected against unauthorized removal of the storage medium by storing, separate from the storage medium, a password required to access the storage medium, and when the document-processing device is powered on, the password is provided to the storage medium.
US08151360B1
A system and method administers security in a logical namespace of a storage system environment. A remote agent performs an integral security-related role within a management framework that is directed to off-loading administration of privileges from a namespace and storage management (NSM) server for namespace and storage management. NSM server rights are defined and assigned to a user of the NSM server in accordance with a security administration feature of the management framework. In addition, a multi-stage authentication procedure is provided to ensure that a user has the appropriate rights to perform operations on the NSM server.
US08151357B2
An information recording medium manufacturing method includes the steps of: determining an encryption mode of each sector, which serves as an encrypt processing unit; generating encrypted data having different variations by using a plurality of cryptographic keys for a segment portion; generating encrypted data by using a single cryptographic key for a non-segment portion; and recording the encrypted data. In determining the encryption mode, a cryptographic key for each sector is specified on the basis of an auxiliary file including determination information indicating whether each sector is data of a segment portion or data of a non-segment portion and identification information for identifying a segment and a variation associated with the sector if the sector is found to be the data of a segment portion. In generating the encrypted data for the segment portion or for the non-segment portion, the encrypted data is generated by using the specified cryptographic key.
US08151354B1
A method and system are provided for preventing network service shutdowns resulting from denial of service (DOS) attacks. First, parameters are monitored corresponding to network elements carrying communication signal traffic in a communications network, and, based on the parameters, if a DOS attack is indicated, performing the following for each instance of communication signal traffic: accessing data structures for data relating to protected communication signal traffic, and, based on the data, determining if the communication signal traffic is designated as protected. Finally; based on the determination, cleaning and forwarding each protected communication signal to its respective destination.
US08151351B1
A method for detecting a security breach in a network comprises at one of a plurality of transceivers each having a different media access control address, receiving a signal from an access point, the signal representing one or more packets of data, determining a source media access control address for each of the packets, and alerting the access point when the source media access control address of one of the packets is the media access control address of the transceiver.
US08151346B2
A disclosed unauthorized usage prevention system enables execution of at least one software item including an identification information item uniquely associated with the software item, based on a key information item in a key module. An information processing apparatus includes a key information storage unit, a control unit, an unauthorized usage prevention controller, and a port. The unauthorized usage prevention controller includes a connection recognition unit and a key information copying unit. When the unauthorized usage prevention controller recognizes that the key module is connected to the port, the unauthorized usage prevention controller copies the key information item in the key module into the key information storage unit, and the control unit enables execution of all of the software items with identification information items associated with the key information items held in the key information storage unit.
US08151344B1
One embodiment provides a system that uses an authenticated channel to authenticate a user. The system can register a user by storing an association between a username, a password, and a unique identifier. The system can then present a login screen to the user which includes a username field and a password field, wherein the username field is enabled and the password field is disabled. Next, the system can receive the username via the username field and receive the unique identifier over the authenticated channel. The system can then enable the password field in response to determining that the unique identifier is associated with the username. Next, the system can receive the password via the enabled password field. The system can then authenticate the user in response to determining that the password is associated with the username.
US08151342B2
The present invention particularly relates to a digital content providing service method and a content execution device for the same, for maximizing user convenience and maintaining a sufficient level of security using a smart card. The inventive content execution device includes an independent authentication unit for storing a tool necessary for executing content; an authentication support module for providing a data communication channel between the smart card and an external broadcasting server; a tool agent for calling the tool stored in the independent authentication unit; and a content execution unit for executing content data received from the external broadcasting server. The content execution device included in a content authority management system of the present invention employs the smart card for user authentication and/or content playing tool management. Accordingly, a user can freely executing his/her licensed content in different content execution devices by conveniently removing and reinserting the smart card, without separate measures. Moreover, according to the present invention, a user can effectively use content from different broadcasters.
US08151340B2
A data relay device has a plurality of security functions sequentially executes security functions on inputted data based on a predetermined rule, to determine whether or not to permit the relay of the data, and denies the relay of the data the relay is determined to be rejected. The data relay device has a determination result acquisition unit that acquires a determination result indicating permission or rejection of relay of the data, and a rule change unit that changes, based on the determination result acquired by the determination result acquisition unit, a rule defined for any one of the security functions located forward of the security function that has determined relay rejection, so that the relay of the communication data is determined to be rejected.
US08151339B2
Multiple non-conflicting actions associated with filter rules may be located and applied to a packet using a single ACL lookup by causing action records to be created from ACEs in the ACL, and then causing the ACL lookup to return the action record rather than any one particular ACE. Radix tables may be created to enable a search engine to quickly locate the appropriate action record based on a particular set of attributes associated with the incoming packet. The action record can contain multiple actions taken from multiple ACEs that apply to the particular packet. By grouping all the actions into an action record, and then searching for an action record that applies to the packet, it is possible to apply all non-conflicting actions to the packet regardless of the number of ACEs that are used to specify those actions. Since all the actions are located together, the actions of all ACEs may be applied to a packet using a single ACL lookup.
US08151330B2
A particular method includes receiving a request for a portion of user data from a data repository. The user data is associated with a user. The method includes determining a source of the request. The method includes determining whether the portion of user data can be provided to the source. The method also includes determining at least one type of credential to be supplied from the source when the user data can be provided to the source. The at least one type of credential includes a first authentication when the source is associated with the user and a second authentication when the source is not associated with the user.
US08151323B2
The present invention relates to systems and methods to identify a level of access for a resource being accessed via a secure socket layer virtual private network (SSL VPN) connection to a network, and to control the action on the resource based on the identified level of access. The appliance described herein provides intelligent secure access and action control to resources based on a sense and respond mechanism. When a user requests access to a resource via the SSL VPN connection of the appliance, the appliance obtains information about the client to determine the user access scenario—the location, device, connection and identify of the user or client. Based on the collected information, the appliance responds to the detected user scenario by identifying a level of access to the resource for the user/client, such as rights to view, print, edit or save a document, Based on the identified level of access, the appliance controls the actions performs on the resource by various techniques described herein so that the user can only perform the allowed action n accordance with the level of access. As such, the present invention allows organization to control and provide the appropriate level of access to valuable, confidential or business critical information accessed remotely or via a pubic network while protecting such information by controlling the types of actions performed or allowed to be performed remotely on the information.
US08151318B1
A reliable asymmetric method for distributing security information within a Fiber Channel Fabric. The Switching Fabric includes a set of security servers, which maintain among themselves a replicated copy of the Fabric security databases using the currently defined Merge and Change protocols. The other Switches of the Fabric are configured as client-Switches. They maintain only the subset of the authorization and authentication information required for their correct operation. A client-Switch queries the security server when a new end-device is connected to it, or when it is connected to the Fabric. When the security configuration of the Fabric changes by an administrative action, a security server solicits the client-Switches to update their information. In an alternative embodiment, the end-devices may query directly the security server, usually for authentication purposes. A Fabric with a plurality of security servers balances among them the load of inquiries from clients, and is more reliable because it continues to operate in the event of failure of one or more servers. Reliability is achieved in a stateless manner through the FSPF protocol, the Fiber Channel routing protocol. Each security server announces itself to the Fabric by advertising an adjacency to a predefined virtual Domain_ID in its FSPF LSRs. Clients access servers by directing queries to this virtual Domain_ID.
US08151317B2
A method, a system, an apparatus, and a computer program product is presented for performing federation protocol operations within a data processing system. A message is received. In response to a determination that subsequent processing of the message requires execution of a first federation protocol operation, the message is filtered against a set of policies to determine a subset of one or more applicable policies. An applicable policy is enforced by performing a second federation protocol operation as indicated by the applicable policy prior to performing the first federation protocol operation. In response to concluding enforcement of the applicable policy, the first federation protocol operation is initiated.
US08151296B2
An interactive television program guide system is provided. An interactive television program guide implemented on user television equipment obtains program guide data from two data delivery mechanisms. Current program guide data is obtained from a continuous data stream. Other program guide data (which may include the current program guide data) is obtained by the program guide from a program guide server. The continuous data stream may also include program and program grouping identifiers. The program guide may perform real-time actions associated with programs identified in the continuous data stream.
US08151292B2
Embodiments are described that enable remote and interactive access, navigation, and analysis of reactions from viewers to a media instance. The reactions include physiological responses, survey results, verbatim feedback, event-based metadata, and derived statistics for indicators of success and failure from the viewers. The reactions are aggregated, and an interface enables remote access and navigation of the media instance, aggregated physiological responses synchronized with the media instance, survey results, and/or verbatim feedback related to the media instance. This enables users to interactively divide, dissect, parse, and analyze the reactions as they prefer. This automation provides an automated process enabling non-experts to understand complex physiological data, and to organize presentation of complex data according to their needs so as to present conclusions as appropriate to the media instance.
US08151288B2
A disk chucking device is disclosed. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the disk chucking device coupling a disk to a rotor of a motor can include: a housing, which accommodates a boss that is coupled to the rotor; a plurality of chuck pins, which is inserted into the housing such that the chuck pins are protruded to the outside of the housing; an elastic body, which elastically supports an adjacent pair of the chuck pins toward the outside of the housing; a supporting surface, which is formed on an outer circumference of the boss to support a center portion of the elastic body; a guide part, which faces the supporting surface to guide a movement of the elastic body; and a protruding part, which is protruded on a lower end of the guide part toward the boss to support a lower side of the center portion of the elastic body.
US08151280B2
The present invention relates to a system and method for configuring and managing network devices. The arrival (and departure) of devices on a network can be detected by a monitor. Upon detection, network devices can be simply and dynamically configured with little or no end-user intervention, for instance by automatically loading device drivers and allocating resources for the devices. Furthermore, network devices can be associated with other network devices such as a personal computer to facilitate seamless integration of network devices with a computer operating system.
US08151272B2
A method of balancing computer resources on a network of computers is provided employing a two-tier network architecture of at least one High Level Collector as a scheduler/load balancing server, and a plurality Low level Collectors which gather task data and execute instructions. Tasks are assigned priority and weight scores and sorted prior to assignment to Low Level Collectors. Also provided is a computer readable medium including instructions, wherein execution of the instructions by at least one computing device balances computer resources on a network of computers.
US08151264B2
Embodiments of apparatuses, methods, and systems for injecting virtualization events in a layered virtualization architecture are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes virtual machine entry logic, recognition logic, and evaluation logic. The virtual machine entry logic is to initiate a transfer of control of the apparatus from a host to a guest running on a virtual machine. The recognition logic is to recognize a request from the host to inject a virtualization event into the virtual machine. The evaluation logic is to identify an intervening monitor to handle the virtualization event.
US08151261B2
A system and method packages sets of information so that they may be used to install the set of information. The packaging is performed by one of several client computer systems using the set of information and metadata describing the set of information, requested from a server.
US08151257B2
A system and method for determining whether a rolling update may be performed. The system receives a statement of compatibility for software running on collaborating servers. The statement of compatibility indicates which software versions are compatible with one another. The statement may be stored in a shared storage area that is accessible to each of the servers in the group. The statement may be updated at any time if compatibility issues are determined after release of a software version. The system and method check the statement of compatibility automatically upon the start of an update process for a server. If the statement of incompatibility indicates that the server starting up is incompatible with an operating server, the start up process is aborted.
US08151243B1
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that determines whether a data structure, such as an array, is modifiable. First, the system loads a source file for a class. The system then examines the source file to identify a set of data structures in the class, and uses escape analysis to determine whether each data structure is modifiable. The system then performs an action based on the determination. In a variation on this embodiment, if the data structure is not determined to be modifiable, performing the action involves storing the data structure in a read-only memory (ROM) instead of a random-access memory (RAM), which leaves more RAM available for other purposes.
US08151235B2
A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for camouflaging an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), wherein the ASIC comprises a plurality of interconnected functional logic cells. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of identifying at least one gap between the plurality of interconnected functional logic cells having no functional logic therein, placing one filler cell or combination of filler cells into the identified gap and defining a routing of the placed filler cells.
US08151234B2
The invention relates to a method of optimizing an integrated circuit layout, wherein an initial integrated circuit layout is provided. A predetermined set of physical characteristics of a predetermined set of polygons of said initial circuit layout, is assessed and said physical characteristics are aggregated to derive an integral quality number associated to said initial circuit layout. According to the invention, cost functions are generated to evaluate a perturbed quality number of said perturbed layout and layout perturbations are selected that optimize the quality number, so that the circuit layout is optimized.
US08151230B2
According to the illustrative embodiments, a data structure is accessed to determine a set of known data points surrounding a queried data point having an input value and an output value, the set of known data points including first, second and third data points. First and second curves are built from the first, second and third data points utilizing a first approximate model and a second approximate model. A weighting parameter value is determined by which the first curve and second curve are blended at the second data point. The output value of the queried data point is determined and stored by blending the first curve and the second curve utilizing the input value of the queried data point and the weighting parameter value.
US08151229B1
A system and method for determining the criticality of each timing pin in a circuit design are disclosed. The criticality of a timing pin is the probability that the timing pin is on the path with the worst slack in the circuit design. According to the methodology, the slack for each timing pin is calculated, wherein each slack is a function of a process random variable. Then, the criticality of each timing pin is determined as the probability of the timing pin having the minimum slack among the slacks in an independent critical set of timing pins. The criticality of each timing pin may then be normalized. By determining the criticalities of the timing pins in a circuit design, a circuit design system may be able to more easily identify portions of the circuit design that need modification for timing and other purposes.
US08151227B2
Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for pre-tabulating sub-networks. This method (1) generates a sub-network that performs a function, (2) generates a parameter based on this function, and (3) stores the sub-network in a storage structure based on the generated parameter. In some embodiments, the generated sub-network has several circuit elements. Also, in some embodiments, the generated sub-network performs a set of two or more functions. Some embodiments store each generated sub-network in an encoded manner. Some embodiments provide a method for producing a circuit description of a design. This method (1) selects a candidate sub-network from the design, (2) identifies an output function performed by the sub-network, (3) based on the identified output function, identifies a replacement sub-network from a storage structure that stores replacement sub-networks, and (4) replaces the selected candidate sub-network with the identified replacement sub-network in certain conditions. In some embodiments, this method is performed to map a design to a particular technology library. Some embodiments provide a data storage structure that stores a plurality of sub-networks based on parameters derived from the output functions of the sub-networks.
US08151224B1
A method of designing at IC is described. In one embodiment, the method includes providing an option to select a mask layer set from a plurality of mask layer sets, the plurality of mask layer sets including a first mask layer set and a second mask layer set, where the second mask layer set is an alternative mask layer option to the first mask layer set. In one embodiment, the method further includes receiving a selection from a user choosing a mask layer set from the plurality of mask layer sets. In one embodiment, the receiving occurs after design of the IC and prior to fabrication of the IC. Also, in one embodiment, the plurality of mask layer sets are predetermined mask layer sets. In one embodiment, the first mask layer set is a standard threshold voltage (SVT) mask layer set and the second mask layer set is a high threshold voltage (HVT) mask layer set. In one embodiment, core devices of the SVT mask layer set are SVT devices and some periphery devices of the SVT mask layer set are HVT devices. In one embodiment, hybrid cell (H-cell) devices of the HVT mask layer set are HVT devices and some periphery devices of the HVT mask layer set are HVT devices.
US08151222B2
A method for decomposing a designed pattern layout and a method for fabricating an exposure mask using the same. After the designed pattern layout is automatically decomposed to obtain a plurality of mask layouts, a problematic region is determined through simulation of the mask layout, and fed back to correct the designed pattern layout. As a result, problems can be detected in each process and corrected to reduce the process time.
US08151221B2
A method to compensate optical proximity correction adapted for a photolithography process is provided. An integrated circuit (IC) layout firstly is provided. The IC layout includes active regions and a shallow trench isolation (STI) region. The STI region is a region except the active regions. The IC layout further includes ion implant regions which are overlapped with a part of the STI region and at least a part of the active regions. Subsequently, at least a photoresist line width compensation region is acquired in a photoresist covering region outside the ion implant regions according to the IC layout. Each photoresist line width compensation region is disposed in the STI region. Afterwards, the IC layout is corrected according to a width of the photoresist line width compensation region, a length of a side of the active region facing a side of the photoresist line width compensation region and a distance from the side of the photoresist line width compensation region to the active region facing the side. Finally, the corrected IC layout is transferred to a photomask.
US08151219B2
Some embodiments provide a method and system for identifying error markers for patterns within a design layout that do not meet the manufacturing constraints. Some embodiments extend a region from the error marked region to extract a pattern for decomposition analysis. Some embodiments compare the extracted pattern to known patterns stored in a library, which also stores at least one previously computed decomposition solution for each known pattern. For an extracted pattern existing within the library, some embodiments retrieve the previously computed decomposition solution from the library. For an extracted pattern that does not exist within the library, some embodiments use one or more simulations to determine a decomposition solution for the extracted pattern. The resulting decomposition solution replaces the extracted pattern within the design layout producing a variant of the original layout that contains the decomposed solution for the pattern.
US08151218B2
Evaluation of graphical program nodes. A first graphical program may be displayed on a display. The first graphical program may include a plurality of interconnected nodes which visually specifies functionality of the first graphical program. User input may be received which selects at least one of the plurality of interconnected nodes while editing the first graphical program. A second graphical program may be automatically generated based on the user input. The second graphical program may include the at least one node. The second graphical program may be executable to allow the user to evaluate the at least one node. The second graphical program may be displayed on the display.
US08151216B2
An electronic apparatus is provided in which, even in the case where a list of image files stored in a data folder is displayed to the user while another function is active, the list of image files can be displayed without degradation in the performance of the other function due to a CPU resource conflict. The electronic apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store a plurality of image files; an acquisition unit configured to acquire a CPU use rate when displaying a list of image files; a setting unit configured to set the display format of the list of image files on the basis of the CPU use rate; and a display unit configured to display the list of image files in the set display format.
US08151208B2
A method and system for presenting workflow tracking information for approval workflows assigned to business objects is provided. The approval system receives from a user a request to display the workflow for a business object and a workflow that has been assigned to that business object. The current state of a workflow is defined by tracking information that may include a workflow approval status, an originator name of the business object, and multiple steps of the assigned workflow. Each step of a workflow may include a step name, a step approval status, approver tracking information, and optionally next steps. Each next step of the step is itself a step that may include additional next steps. The approval system may generate and display a tree-like representation of the current state of a workflow for a business object based on the tracking information.
US08151204B2
A document management and thumbnail image viewing system enables a user to display separate pages in individual different documents as well as to expand an image to view more detail in a single document, move pages across documents, and insert/delete pages or documents. A document management and viewing system includes a user interface for providing data representing a single composite display image including multiple reduced size images of individual pages of a first document and multiple reduced size images of individual pages of a different second document. The single composite display image includes at least one indicator identifying a transition between pages of the first and second documents and enables a user to select and move a page from the first document to the second document. A document processor updates stored data representing the first and second documents in response to a command entered using the single composite display image.
US08151200B2
On a document collaboration system, such as a wiki, the content of postings to the collaboration system is monitored for sensitive information. Under some embodiments, when instances of such sensitive information are detected, an e-mail is sent to the user that posted the collaboration page posting. In other embodiments, a message is then sent to a person associated with the entity that indicates that the information placed on the collaboration page is confidential information or is related to an asset of the entity. In further embodiments, individual people are assigned responsibility for monitoring the use of certain instances of sensitive information on the collaboration system. Each user is only notified when the instances they are responsible for appear on a collaboration page. In other embodiments, if a collaboration page includes an instance of sensitive information, access to the collaboration page is changed such that fewer people can access the collaboration page.
US08151198B2
There is provided a system and method for an item-based economy in a virtual world. There is provided a server for providing an item exchange for a virtual world lacking a common currency for item valuation, comprising a processor configured to receive a request from a client having an inventory to initiate the item exchange, present a user interface on a display of the client for the item exchange, receive a selection of either a second quantity of second items or a third quantity of third items for the item exchange from the client, remove from the inventory of the client a first quantity of tradable items defined by a first exchange value or a second exchange value based on the selection, and add the second quantity of second items or the third quantity of the third items to the inventory of the client based on the selection.
US08151195B2
A method for editing a title recorded on a digital storage medium. The method includes the steps of (A) defining a portion of the title to be edited for slow or fast motion playback, (B) modifying at least one address of presentation control information (PCI) for the title based upon a user editing command and (C) controlling playback of the title in accordance with the modified PCI to carry out the user editing command.
US08151181B2
A method and apparatus are provided for determining the layout of a form automatically to accommodate text in the form. Under the method and apparatus, a set of parameters define the sizing and alignment of elements of the form. Sizing and positioning instructions that are separate from the sizing and alignment parameters set the sizing and positioning of elements of the form based on the sizing and alignment parameters. The instructions determine the minimum size for the form, based in part on text in the form. The difference between the minimum size for the form and a desired size for the form is then distributed across the form to size and position the elements in the form.
US08151178B2
An associative media architecture and platform that enables communication of media objects between participants using a variety of communication infrastructures and media presentation devices as determined by the users and owners of the media assets. Media assets formatted as media representations are associated with a globally unique identifier to form a media object. The media object can contain any media representation irrespective of format. The media object is an elemental entity having characteristics that are preferably retained throughout the life of the media object. The media object may be owned by one or more participants. The media object may be associated with owner preferences that can influence the context in which the media object is presented. The media object may exist in multiple storage locations, although each stored instance of the media object retains its unique identification and remains associated with the owner preferences.
US08151175B2
A bit quality evaluator receives a sequence of bits. The bit sequence is provided to a decoding device that performs soft decision convolutional decoding on the sequence of bits. An off track event detector detects an occurrence of a trellis decode path change during the convolutional decoding operation and identifies a first symbol proximate corresponding to the occurrence of the trellis decode path change. An erasure decision circuit identifies at least the first symbol for erasure. The output of the first decoder and the erasure decision circuit are received at a second decoder, which decoder decodes the output of the first decoder after erasing at least the first symbol. The erasure decision circuit may also identify additional symbols for erasure using performance measures of the trellis decode path and using quality measures of the sequence of bits.
US08151170B2
Systems and methods are disclosed herein for improving the sensitivity of satellite data decode in a satellite navigation receiver. The low signal ephemeris data decoding system of the present disclosure achieves a 5 db improvement in decoding sensitivity over conventional system by operating down to a CN0 of 21 dB-Hz. The improved sensitivity is achieved through a combination of reducing the number of data bits to be decoded, overcoming the inherent differential decoding problem of an all data bit polarity inversion, improving the probability of seeing single bit decoding error in an ephemeris word, running the parity correction algorithm, and reducing the undetected word error rate. The improved sensitivity makes it possible to predict the orbit of the satellite and to determine the receiver's location with higher accuracy even when operating in challenging signal conditions.
US08151168B2
The invention relates to a method for use in a packet-switched communication system, the method comprising: sending a first packet from a source node to a destination node, the first packet containing a first set of data bits; sending a second packet from the source node to the destination node, the second packet containing a second set of data bits; wherein, in the event that the first set of data bits cannot be successfully decoded in the destination node, the second packet further comprises a first set of error correction bits for the first set of data bits.
US08151163B2
A method for storing data in a memory (28) that includes analog memory cells (32) includes identifying one or more defective memory cells in a group of the analog memory cells. An Error Correction Code (ECC) is selected responsively to a characteristic of the identified defective memory cells. The data is encoded using the selected ECC and the encoded data is stored in the group of the analog memory cells. In an alternative method, an identification of one or more defective memory cells among the analog memory cells is generated. Analog values are read from the analog memory cells in which the encoded data were stored, including at least one of the defective memory cells. The analog values are processed using an ECC decoding process responsively to the identification of the at least one of the defective memory cells, so as to reconstruct the data.
US08151161B2
An apparatus and method for decoding a channel code is disclosed. The method for decoding a channel code includes the steps of receiving a low density parity check (LDPC) encoded signal from a transmitting party, generating a parity check matrix by adjusting the order of rows or columns of the parity check matrix, the parity check matrix including a plurality of groups consisting of a plurality of columns, at least one of the groups including at least one row of which every element is zero (0), and iteratively decoding the received signal for each group by using the generated parity check matrix.
US08151157B2
A method of encoding data using a parity check matrix, a method of decoding encoded data, and a data retransmission method using the same are disclosed. A method of encoding data by LDPC code using a parity check matrix includes variably selecting a specific sub-matrix from a parity check matrix in accordance with a coding rate to be used for encoding, the parity check matrix including at least two sub-matrixes, and encoding an input data stream by using the selected sub-matrix.
US08151154B2
The present invention relates to a transmitter and a receiver for a mobile communication system. The basic idea of the present invention is to target the number of HARQ transmissions that is required to be able to decode the transmitted data successfully and to only transmit HARQ feedback information if the decoding result differs from an expected result, wherein the expected result is based on the targeted number of required HARQ transmissions.
US08151148B2
A connection monitoring apparatus determines whether the connection monitoring apparatus is communicatively connected to the customer apparatus at a regular connection time. When the connection monitoring apparatus is not communicatively connected to the customer apparatus at the regular connection time and the present time falls within the support contract time of a customer, the connection monitoring apparatus issues a connection fault notification. When the connection monitoring apparatus is not communicatively connected to the customer apparatus at the regular connection time and the present time does not fall within the support contract time of the customer, the connection monitoring apparatus suppresses the connection fault notification from being issued and issues the connection fault notification at the next support contract time of the customer.
US08151146B2
A method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for predicting the fault-proneness of code units (files, modules, packages, and the like) of large-scale, long-lived software systems. The method collects information about the code units and the development process from previous releases, and formats this information for input to an analysis stage. The tool then performs a statistical regression analysis on the collected data, and formulates a model to predict fault counts for code units of the current and future releases. Finally, the method computes an expected fault count for each code unit in the current release by applying the formulated model to data from the current release. The expected fault counts are used to rank the release units in descending order of fault-proneness so that debugging efforts and resources can be optimized.
US08151136B2
A method and a device for correcting a code data error are disclosed. A main processor included in a digital processing device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention writes in a shared memory third code data error-corrected by a predetermined error correcting method or second code data written in a backup area if there is an error in first code data written in a code data area of a nonvolatile memory. The main processor or an application processor performs an operation corresponding to the third code data. With the present invention, a system can be stably operated thanks to promptly dealing with an error when the error in boot codes is detected or generated.
US08151131B2
There is provided a signal synchronization method of performing signal synchronization between a device which operates in synchronization with a first clock signal and a processor which operates in synchronization with a second clock signal with a different cycle from that of the first signal.
US08151121B1
Securely storing data to an optical disc has been described, including generating write data that includes the data and overhead data that facilitates reading the data from the disc; and configuring the overhead data according to a key.
US08151120B2
An integrated circuit, method of making an integrated circuit and method of addressing peripherals of an integrated circuit are disclosed for preventing copied software from running on unauthorized hardware. A permanent key is embedded in the integrated circuit and used to transform a peripheral access address output by a processor of the integrated circuit. The transformed access address is supplied to a peripheral address decoder f the integrated circuit, which allows the processor to access a corresponding peripheral. A method of supplying integrated circuits to prevent copied software from running on unauthorized hardware is also disclosed.
US08151115B2
A method starts and operates a computer with an operating system held on a replaceable storage medium. The method includes: checking the authenticity of the replaceable storage medium and/or checking a user's authority for executing the operating system held on the replaceable storage medium. The operating system held on the replaceable storage medium is executed if the replaceable storage medium is authentic and/or the user is authorized to use the operating system. Checking the authenticity of the replaceable storage medium and the user's use authority ensures the integrity of the operating system. Thereby, modifications to the operating system and to the computer are made more difficult. The invention also relates to a computer and a replaceable storage medium which are suitable for carrying out the method.
US08151111B2
This comprises a storage that stores second partial authentication data that is part of the authentication data and that is the remainder of the first partial authentication data stored in another device, and second partial processing data that is part of the processing data used when doing the process of matching the input data with the authentication data and which is the remainder of the first partial processing data stored in the other device; a receiver that receives the first partial authentication data and the first partial processing data; a data linker that generates the authentication data from the first partial authentication data and the second partial authentication data and that generates the processing data from the first partial processing data and the second partial processing data; and an authentication module that performs authentication by executing the process of matching the input data with the authentication data.
US08151110B2
Methods and apparatuses for configuring products for security. In one aspect, a method of manufacturing a device, includes: determining a first executable code for the device, the first executable code being one of a plurality of different executable codes that are capable of being executed on the device, the plurality of executable codes having a same overall functionality but different operations which generates different results from same input data; and loading the first executable code into the device. In one embodiment, a connection between a data processing system and the device is established while the device is being manufactured; and the connection is used to load the first executable code and a new set of identifier information in a format compatible with the first executable code into the device. For example, the connection includes a secure authenticated channel established using an initial set of identifier information stored in the device.
US08151103B2
The present invention provides for systems and methods of dynamically controlling a cluster or grid environment. The method comprises attaching a trigger to an object and firing the trigger based on a trigger attribute. The cluster environment is modified by actions initiated when the trigger is fired. Each trigger has trigger attributes that govern when it is fired and actions it will take. The use of triggers enables a cluster environment to dynamically be modified with arbitrary actions to accommodate needs of arbitrary objects. Example objects include a compute node, compute resources, a cluster, groups of users, user credentials, jobs, resources managers, peer services and the like.
US08151099B2
A computer-readable medium is disclosed. The computer-readable medium stores a virtualized service tool application program for running on a computer running an existing operating system platform. The virtualized service tool application program has operating system software configured to execute as an internal operating system platform separate from the existing operating system platform, and that is configured with settings that permit the computer to communicate with one or more machines coupled to the computer. The virtualized service tool application additionally has a service module configured to perform service-related tasks for the one or more machines coupled to the computer.
US08151095B1
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for associating arbitrary parallel processing unit (PPU) contexts with a given central processing unit (CPU) thread. The technique introduces two operators used to manage the PPU contexts. The first operator is a PPU context push, which causes a PPU driver to store the current PPU context of a calling thread on a PPU context stack and to associate a named PPU context with the calling thread. The second operator is a PPU context pop, which causes the PPU driver to restore the PPU context of a calling function to the PPU context at the top of the PPU context stack. By performing a PPU context push at the beginning of a function and a PPU context pop prior to returning from the function, the function may execute within a single CPU thread, but operate on a two distinct PPU contexts.
US08151086B2
Disclosed is a method of detecting an access to de-allocated memory, comprising: creating a pool of fixed size memory blocks that are a non-zero integer multiple of a page size of a processor; receiving a request for an allocation of a block of memory; recording a set of allocation context information in a fixed size memory block; returning a pointer to an allocation of memory within said fixed size memory block; receiving a request to de-allocate said block of memory; recording a set of de-allocation context information in said fixed size memory block; and, setting an indicator in a page table entry associated with said fixed size memory block to a first value that indicates access to said fixed size memory block is not allowed.
US08151084B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system that generates an index for a cache memory. The system starts by receiving a request to access the cache memory, wherein the request includes address information. The system then obtains non-address information associated with the request. Next, the system generates the index using the address information and the non-address information. The system then uses the index to fulfill access the cache memory.
US08151082B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for converting a storage request to an append data storage command. A storage request receiver module receives a storage request from a requesting device. The storage request is to store a data segment onto a data storage device. The storage request includes source parameters for the data segment. The source parameters include a virtual address. A translation module translates the storage request to storage commands. At least one storage command includes an append data storage command that directs the data storage device to store data of the data segment and the one or more source parameters with the data, including a virtual address, at one or more append points. A mapping module maps source parameters of the data segment to locations where the data storage device appended the data packets of the data segment and source parameters.
US08151077B1
A method is used in application aware cache management. A cache management policy is received including one or more sets of device generic application best practices and one or more sets of device specific best practices. Initial cache configuration processing is performed in connection with configuring a cache of a data storage system. The cache management policy is used in performing the initial cache configuration processing. Storage objects are identified as being in use by an application. Ongoing cache configuration processing is performed in connection with configuring the cache of the data storage system for use with the storage objects.
US08151075B2
A method for accessing a memory includes receiving a first address wherein the first address corresponds to a demand fetch, receiving a second address wherein the second address corresponds to a speculative prefetch, providing first data from the memory in response to the demand fetch in which the first data is accessed asynchronous to a system clock, and providing second data from the memory in response to the speculative prefetch in which the second data is accessed synchronous to the system clock. The memory may include a plurality of pipeline stages in which providing the first data in response to the demand fetch is performed such that each pipeline stage is self-timed independent of the system clock and providing the second data in response to the speculative prefetch is performed such that each pipeline stage is timed based on the system clock to be synchronous with the system clock.
US08151066B2
Arrangements including a duplication determination unit that determines whether identical contents intrinsic values are contained in a plurality of contents intrinsic values; a change control unit that changes an access destination of a first file corresponding to a first contents intrinsic value from identical contents intrinsic values, to a position having stored therein a second file corresponding to a second contents intrinsic value from among these identical contents intrinsic values when there are identical contents intrinsic values; and, a migration execution unit which, when the migration execution unit migrates data stored in files stored in one or more first logical storage devices to one or more second logical storage devices, does not migrate first data of the first file to any of the one or more second logical storage devices, and migrates second data of the second file to any of the one or more second logical storage devices.
US08151064B2
A hybrid hard disk drive includes a hard disk drive controller to receive a plurality of write commands from a host, a buffer to receive and store write data, which are input through the hard disk drive controller and correspond to each of the plurality of write commands, a command history tracker to receive the plurality of write commands and analyze a pattern of the plurality of write commands, and a CPU to control storage of the write data, which correspond to each of the plurality of write commands, on a disk or in a flash memory device based on the analysis result by the command history tracker. The drive may determine whether to store write data on the disk or in the flash memory device without operation system support.
US08151062B2
Systems and methods that designate read/write consistency models based on requirements of a distributed store to increase performance or scale. Such sever loads can be determined via a plurality of mechanisms, including delays in responses by the primary node; setting predetermined threshold limits that if exceeded results in contacting secondary nodes; polling services of the distributed cache periodically and maintaining track of loads on the servers, and the like. The weak or scalable read can occur when read requests are directed to a secondary node, and upon over loading of the primary node.
US08151046B2
The disk array apparatus includes a controller having a communication control unit for accepting a data input/output request, a disk controller unit for controlling a plurality of disk drives, and a cache memory for temporarily storing data transferred between the communication control unit and the disk controller unit. A plurality of cooling fans are provided for cooling the plurality of disk drives. In response to receiving a request, the controller controls the rotational speed of a first cooling fan related to a first disk drive, which is related to the request, and changes an operational mode of the first disk drive related to the request such that the rotational speed of the first cooling fan is increased before the operational mode of the first disk drive is changed.
US08151036B2
A memory controller adds dummy data to write data by referring to instruction information about a descriptor transfer of the write data if a size of the write data to be written according to a data-write request information does not match a page size unit, thereby adjusting the size of the write data to the page size unit and then outputs the write data.
US08151035B2
In a memory that is programmable page by page and each page having multiple sectors that are once-programmable, even if successive writes are sequential, the data recorded to an update block may be fragmented and non-sequential. Instead of recording update data to an update block, the data is being recorded in at least two interleaving streams. When a full page of data is available, it is recorded to the update block. Otherwise, it is temporarily recorded to the scratch pad block until a full page of data becomes available to be transferred to the update block. Preferably, a pipeline operation allows the recording to the update block to be set up as soon as the host write command indicates a full page could be written. If the actual write data is incomplete due to interruptions, the setup will be canceled and recording is made to the scratch pad block instead.
US08151031B2
A digital signal processor (DSP) co-processor according to a clustered architecture with local memories. Each cluster in the architecture includes multiple sub-clusters, each sub-cluster capable of executing one or two instructions that may be specifically directed to a particular DSP operation. The sub-clusters in each cluster communicate with global memory resources by way of a crossbar switch in the cluster. One or more of the sub-clusters has a dedicated local memory that can be accessed in a random access manner, in a vector access manner, or in a streaming or stack manner. The local memory is arranged as a plurality of banks. In response to certain vector access instructions, the input data may be permuted among the banks prior to a write, or permuted after being read from the banks, according to a permutation pattern stored in a register.
US08151028B2
An information processing apparatus connected with an IO device, having a processing unit, a channel device transferring data between the information processing apparatus and the IO device having a activation controller activating the channel device, a storage device having a predetermined area storing a result operation executed by the channel device, an interrupt controller controlling an interrupt required by the channel device to the processing unit, a channel device controller controlling the channel device and a driver writing a request for a first interrupt in the area of the storage device through the channel device and requiring the first interrupt to the processing unit by using the interrupt controller, wherein the processing unit executes driver commands for reading information stored in the area and requesting the first interrupt when the processing unit detects the request for the first interrupt.
US08151025B1
The fast round robin circuit includes AND gates, OR gates, multiplexers and four D flip-flop gates configured to handle requests using linear propagation of a single grant token. In this manner the device avoids wasting clock cycles when some of the arbitrated entities do not have a pending request. The circuit has an R stage and an S stage. The R stage contains the request signal and an R memorization element to memorize the request. The S stage is the arbitration stage where the next active request is selected based on the position of the current request. The selection is then memorized in an S selection bit memorization element. There is one request signal and one pair of R and S Flip-Flops associated to every requesting entity. The selection circuit skips inactive requests to enable the next active request in a polling direction defined by the circuit.
US08151019B1
A network traffic shaper adjusts the rate of data flowing from a packet source to a packet sink responsive to priority assigned to the packets pursuant to their ability to match a series of filters. Each packet is applied to a queue depending on its classification. The packets are read from each queue in accordance with a queue reading policy. Singular spectrum analysis of the traffic load produces a set of vectors that capture the spectral bases of the traffic state. These vectors are associated with the bandwidth demanded by the traffic, a relationship that is recorded in a queue/time/eigenvector/bandwidth/control table. Samples of the current network load are compared with previously recorded vector bases to reveal how similar the current traffic state is to previous traffic states, which in turn predicts the traffic's bandwidth needs for the immediate future. The queue reading regime is updated in response to this prediction.
US08151017B2
A computer system for software development and debugging for an embedded system includes a Universal Serial Bus (USB), a host computer comprising a USB driver interfaced with the USB, wherein the USB driver can multiplex application data and debug data to and from the USB, and an embedded system comprising a USB module interfaced with the USB. The USB module can multiplex the application data and the debug data to and from the host computer via the USB.
US08151015B2
Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus that transfers information, using direct memory access (DMA), between a first storage section in an information processing system and a second storage section in an information transfer system. The information processing system includes the first storage section for storing the information, and a control section. The information transfer system includes: the second storage section for storing descriptor information indicating the location at which the information is stored in the first storage section and the size of the information; and a DMA transfer section for DMA transferring the information between the first storage section and the second storage section based on the descriptor information. The DMA transfer section DMA transfers the descriptor information concerning the DMA transferred information from the second storage section to the first storage section. The control section loads the descriptor information from the first storage section.
US08151014B2
The apparatus in one example may have: at first and second processing devices; at least one sequence of processes for the first and second devices; the at least one sequence having a command forward instruction such that, after the first processing device completes processing a first process of the at least one sequence of processes, the first processing device forwards, without producing an interrupt, the command forward instruction to the second processing device to effect processing of a second process of the at least one sequence of processes.
US08151005B2
A system and method for adjusting a level of compression for thin and chubby computing clients. End devices in a network can stream audio/video traffic over a network. Such a connection between the end devices can be reserved with guarantees of bandwidth and latency being obtained. Bandwidth guarantees across multiple intermediary switches can be used to define a compression level for the end devices. In one embodiment, the lowest compression level that will produce audio/video traffic that will fit in the guaranteed connection bandwidth is chosen to produce the highest quality audio/video stream.
US08151002B2
There is provided an apparatus including an information conversion apparatus provided to a relay device for relaying between a server to which a first network address is allocated and a client terminal to which a second network address is allocated, the information conversion apparatus including: an analyzer which analyzes a message corresponding to Layer 7 of an OSI basic reference model of a received packet and determines whether a URL expressed as a literal network address is included; and an address converter which mutually converts, when a URL expressed as a literal network address is included, the literal network address in the URL between the first network address and the second network address.
US08151000B1
A device provides layer two (L2) services between customer networks that are coupled by one or more intermediate computer networks. The device comprises a routing process that receives label information for a label switched path (LSP) through the intermediate networks. The device further comprises a L2 service that receives L2 service information from a device associated with second customer network. In accordance with the label information, the device transports L2 communications between the first and second customer networks through the one or more intermediate networks. By utilizing label information in this manner, the device may minimize the impact of providing L2 services through the intermediate networks.
US08150999B2
This messaging system is for use in a peer to peer network including at least one depositary peer (PX, PR) adapted to store a message in one or more portions and to send a message notifying the completion of the storage of that portion to at least one superpeer (SPX) of the peer (PX) of the depositor (X) of the message (M). This superpeer (SPX) is adapted to send a notice of reception of the message to a peer (PY) of the addressee (Y) of that message, that notice including a list of the depositary peers (PX, PR) and an identifier of each of the portions of said message stored by each of the depositaries (PX, PR).
US08150985B2
A cache hit determining method in a server client system, such as a web system, which can determine whether a response received by a client is a response generated by a server or a response returned from a cache in the server client system. In the cache hit determining method, when the server generates the response, the serve adds a program for a cache hit determination and data to the response and the client executes the program included in the response, thereby realizing a cache hit determination.
US08150978B2
An apparatus for and method of managing a user interface. The apparatus for managing a user interface including: a packet generation unit that generates a notification packet indicating that one or more remote servers exist on a network, a web server that manages a command for storing a state of a user interface of a predetermined application transmitted through the network or an extract command received as a result of distributing the notification packet, a state storage unit that stores the state of the user interface according to the store command, and a communication unit that transmits the state of a predetermined user interface extracted according to the extract command from among the stored states of the user interface.
US08150969B2
A method of facilitating access to services of an IP Multimedia Subsystem network by user terminals and services located behind an access point to said network. The access point is associated with a subscription to the IP Multimedia Subsystem network. The method comprises including within an Implicit Registration Set defined for said subscription, a wildcarded Public User Identity, Public Service Identity, Public User Identity sub-domain representative of a range of Public User Identities, or Public Service Identity sub-domain representative of a range of Public Service Identities. At IP Multimedia Subsystem registration of said access point with the IP Multimedia Subsystem network, the Public User Identities and Service Identities contained in the Implicit Registration Set are distributed to a Serving Call Session Control Function allocated to said access point and to a Proxy Call Session Control Function to which said access point is attached.
US08150968B2
An online machine data collection and archiving process generates a machine data profile of a customer computer accessing a transaction form of a merchant web site and links the machine data profile and a transaction record with customer identifying information using a unique transaction identification string. The process may capture parameters typically communicated as a part of web accesses, such as an IP address, an HTTP header, and cookie information. The process additionally causes the customer computer to process self-identification routines by processing coding within the merchant transaction form, the self-identification routines yielding further profile parameters. The process further includes a routine for bypassing an intervening proxy to the merchant web site to reveal the true IP address of the customer computer. Identifying the customer computer is useful for functions such as fraud detection and marketing.
US08150949B2
A reconfigurable computing apparatus includes plural computing element networks respectively formed of computing elements of an identical bit width, the bit width of each of the computing element networks differing according to computing element network; a bit width converting element that converts bit widths between the computing element networks; a control signal-dedicated network that is formed of computing elements, is reconfigurable, and controls each of the computing element networks; and a sequencer that controls a timing at which circuit configurations are switched with respect to the computing element networks, the control signal-dedicated network, and the bit width converting element.
US08150939B1
A method and system for providing a JavaScript wrapper framework divided between a client and a server for componentizing JavaScript centric widgets includes receiving a request for a widget to be rendered on the client by a client runtime component. The request includes a tag that defines a plurality of tag attributes. The tag and the tag attributes distinctly identify the widget. The request is forwarded to the server that identifies the widget and a plurality of component resources associated with the widget based on the tag attributes received from the client. A JavaScript wrapper code is generated to wrap the widget and the associated plurality of component resources. The wrapped widget and components are forwarded to the client for rendering. The wrapped widgets are rendered at an HTML page during the initial HTML page load based on the information provided by the associated component resources. The rendering of the components enables the component resources to be evaluated in the global scope of the HTML page.
US08150931B2
Based on user configuration, a main messaging user interface screen on a messaging device either presents a list of references to messages stored on the device based on a complete index of references to the stored messages or based on a filtered index of references to the stored messages. References to stored messages of a predetermined type are not maintained in the filtered index.
US08150921B2
The E-mail server of the invention receives E-mail addressed to a portable terminal unit, and transmits receipt notice E-mail prepared by removing the attachment file portion of the received E-mail to the portable terminal unit. On the other hand, the E-mail server acquires the location information of the portable terminal unit. The E-mail server selects a device among multiple printers and facsimile devices according to the acquired location information. The E-mail server transmits the data corresponding to the attachment file portion to the selected device.
US08150919B2
Many different users may access, revise and update the same shared object simultaneously through several different transports. Clients may communicate asynchronously by accessing the shared object through a physical server. Clients may also communicate synchronously by accessing the shared object through a peer-to-peer network. A manifest file associated with the shared object identifies the locations where other versions and instances of the shared object are stored. The shared object and the associated manifest file allow a client to transition seamlessly between local access, synchronous and asynchronous communication such that the user is not aware that the mode of communication has changed. A user may change location and any available data sharing transports are automatically identified. Thus, the user may access a shared object and collaborate with other authorized users through different mechanisms.
US08150896B2
A database modernization auditing system and method is disclosed. One embodiment comprises a method for loading a legacy data object, transforming the legacy data object into a modern data object according to a rule set, wherein transforming the legacy data object into the modern data object further includes abstracting at least a portion of the legacy data object into semantic information and transforming the semantic information into the modern data object, and generating an audit log entry corresponding to an error that occurs while transforming the semantic information into the modern data object, wherein the audit log entry contains a unique identifier that relates the audit log entry with the legacy data object.
US08150894B2
A system and a method for communicating selected search results are described. The system generates a first user interface that includes a first plurality of items and a first plurality of selection functions. The first plurality of items is respectively associated with the first plurality of selection functions. The system presents the first user interface over a communications network. The system receives at least two selections over the communications network. The at least two selections collectively identify a first plurality of deleted items as deleted from the first plurality of items. The first plurality of items further include and a second plurality of items that are not deleted from the first plurality of items. Next, the system generates a second user interface that includes the second plurality of items and a second plurality of selection functions and presents the second user interface over the communications network.
US08150882B2
Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to mapping from application objects to an abstract data model. In aspects, a mapper receives registrations that indicate behavior (e.g., how objects are constructed, modified, or examined) of application objects. The behavior may be specified using user-supplied expressions. The mapper aggregates this data and uses it to map application requests for data access into one or more operations that operate on the abstract data model. A data access layer may then translate the operations into actions to access data corresponding to the requests from a store. If appropriate, data obtained from the store may then be inserted into application objects as indicated by the registrations.
US08150861B2
A stream of data can be estimated by a model to produce an estimated equation. The estimated equation can be used to calibrate a response to a SQL type join query.
US08150859B2
A table of contents is generated for search results in response to a search query by identifying semantic concepts as topics for inclusion within the table of contents. When a search query is received, a search is performed to identify search results. The search results are compared to an ontology of topics to identify relevant topics. Additionally, search results are compared to an ontology of partial topics to identify relevant partial topics, which are named. Independent key-phrases are further generated from search results and identified as key-phrase topics. The identified topics, named partial topics, and key-phrase topics are ranked, and topics are selected for inclusion within a table of contents. A search results page is returned in response to the search query that includes search results and the generated table of contents.
US08150853B2
Methods and computer storage media for clustering nodes are provided. An input file is received that is comprised of primary nodes, secondary nodes and metrics that relate to the association between the primary nodes and the secondary nodes. Upon receiving the input file, the input file is abridged to reduce the number of nodes contained in the input file. The unique initial primary nodes are then clustered with their associated secondary node. The clusters containing the unique initial primary nodes are replaced if a subsequent related cluster satisfies a pre-defined condition. In some embodiments, multiple clusters are then merged until the cluster size reaches a pre-defined size. In some embodiments, the input file is cleaned and sorted prior to being abridged.
US08150849B2
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to identifying a source of bias in a sample set and using statistical techniques to overcome the bias, thereby producing extrapolated data that accurately represents a population including the sample set. The method according to one embodiment comprises identifying a plurality of attributes corresponding to an entity, generating a plurality of clusters from the plurality of attributes, the plurality of clusters including varying numbers of the plurality of attributes, and performing measurements on each of the plurality of clusters to generate measurement data values for each of the plurality of clusters. A cluster with a greatest measurement data value is selected.
US08150848B2
A system and method of parsing natural language descriptions of features to determine an approximate location. An embodiment includes splitting the natural language descriptions into components, geocoding each component, and returning the geocode with the highest confidence level. The geocode references a specific location, and this information may be determined by content from a variety of sources. The system may use an assortment of techniques for determining highest confidence level.
US08150837B2
Methods and systems for managing an index database. In one exemplary method, an index database is stored on a machine readable volume with an operating system and the files which have been indexed, and then the volume is, after the storing, made available for distribution to licensees or customers. In this manner, the volume will include a previously created index database, allowing a user to begin use of the index database without having to perform an indexing operation.
US08150832B2
This disclosure describes, generally, methods and systems for determining a natural hierarchy for a data set. The method determines one or more pair-wise combinations within the data set. The one or more pair-wise combinations each include a first field and a second field from the database. The method then determines a distinct count for each entry in the first field grouped by the second field of the one or more pair-wise combinations, and determines that the distinct counts for each entry has a value equal to one. The method further includes based on the determination that the distinct counts for each entry have a value equal to one, setting the first field in the pair-wise combination as the parent and the second field in the pair-wise combination as the child in a default hierarchy for the data set.
US08150831B2
Systems and methods facilitate a search and identify documents and associated metadata reflecting content of the documents. In one implementation, a method receives a query comprising a set of search terms, identifies a stored document in response to the query, and determines a score value for the retrieved document based on a similarity between one or more of the query search terms and metadata associated with the identified document. The method locates the identified document in a citation network of baseline query results, the citation network comprising a first set of documents that cite to the identified document and a second set of documents cited to by the identified document. The method further determines a new score value of the identified document as a function of the score value and a quantity and a quality of documents within the first and second set of documents.
US08150826B2
Systems and methods for managing data, such as metadata. In one exemplary method, metadata from files created by several different software applications are captured, and the captured metadata is searched. The type of information in metadata for one type of file differs from the type of information in metadata for another type of file. Other methods are described and data processing systems and machine readable media are also described.
US08150825B2
Inverse search systems and methods operate on identifiers of content items in a corpus such as the World Wide Web In an inverse search, the user submits a query that includes an identifier of a target content item in the corpus and receives information (metadata) about the target content item being returned to the user. Many types of metadata can be returned, including ratings or other metadata related to the target content item obtained from users, popularity data specific to the target content item, information about previously submitted forward search queries that led to the target content item being identified as a hit, and metadata extracted from the target content item.
US08150822B2
A system and method for performing a user supervised search which uses algorithm with parameters that are updated based on the review of the search results by the user.
US08150820B1
Various embodiments described herein provide systems, methods, software, and data structures to allow or prevent viewing of users and groups of users by other users and groups of users. Some such embodiments include retrieving a listing of members from a member database, defining a first subset of one or more members selected from the retrieved member listing, and designating the first member subset as visible to a second subset of one or more members when a member of the second member subset retrieves a member listing.
US08150819B2
In order to efficiently search web pages, an MFP has browsing processing portion to receive a web page from a Web server, an execution instruction accepting portion to accept an execution instruction specifying processing to be executed with respect to the received web page, and a user relating portion to store a URL for access to the web page when the accepted execution instruction specifies processing other than the processing for display. Thus, an efficient search of web pages can be executed.
US08150811B1
A system and method for migrating data, in parallel, from a source database system into a target database system includes storing data in groups (e.g., clusters) in the source database system. The groups of data are transferred, in parallel, to respective temporary staging tables in the target database system. The data in the temporary staging tables are then inserted, in parallel, into a target table in the target database system to complete the migration.
US08150806B2
A mechanism is provided for managing operations in a data storage system. A first storage controller monitors operation state information associated with a plurality of operation states stored in a data structure. The first storage controller detects a change in the operation state information. The change in the operation state information is in response to a managing entity updating the operation state information to a first operation state in the plurality of operation states in the data structure. Responsive to detecting the change in the operation state information, the first storage controller identifies a reference to a first operation associated with the first operation state updated by the managing entity. The first operation is one operation in a plurality of operations. The first storage controller performs the first operation associated with the first operation state.
US08150799B2
A document management apparatus is provided in a system that includes a project management unit capable of managing progress of a project to which a user belongs. The document management apparatus includes a reception unit configured to receive a search keyword input by the user and user attribute thereof, a search unit configured to search document information based on the search keyword received by the reception unit, an obtaining unit configured to detect the project to which the user belongs based on the user attribute received by the reception unit, and obtain a phase of the detected project from the project management unit, an extraction unit configured to extract document information which is operated on a number of times that is equal to or more than a threshold value in the project phase obtained by the obtaining unit, from the document information searched by the search unit, and an output unit configured to output the document information searched by the search unit and the document information extracted by the extraction unit to provide the user therewith.
US08150796B2
Avatars, methods, apparatuses, computer program products, devices and systems are described that carry out identifying a member of a population cohort; and inducing at least one behavior in the member of the population cohort based on an association between the population cohort and at least one cohort-linked avatar.
US08150787B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that reuses information associated with a constraint solving operation for a problem domain. This system begins by receiving a constraint problem from the problem domain. Then, the system searches through a problem cache for an entry which corresponds to the canonical representation. If a corresponding entry does not exist in the problem cache, the system produces an entry in the problem cache for the canonical representation. Otherwise, if a corresponding entry already exists in the problem cache, the system generates a solution to the canonical representation by reusing the solver heuristic associated with the corresponding entry in the problem cache.
US08150779B1
A validation system validates the detection of spam based entities in social networking contexts. Suspected spam based social networking entities are detected in a social networking site. A virtual social networking group is created that emulates a plurality of user profiles on the social networking site, including a user profile comprising a suspected spam based entity. A link in an emulated suspected spam based entity in the created virtual social networking group is invoked, resulting traffic is emulated, and the results are monitored. Responsive to the monitored results, it is determined whether to validate the suspected spam based entity. A validation indication specifying at least whether the suspected spam based entity has been validated can be stored for future reference, and/or transmitted to, e.g., the social networking site or a centralized security service.
US08150777B1
Novel methods of IP or patent management and monetization based on IP/patent pooling and scoring systems are disclosed. In addition, novel partnership methods with IP producing entities (such as universities) are disclosed which produce incentives and efficiencies far and above other methods. Systems and methods are disclosed for valuation of IP instruments and distribution of IP revenue/proceeds. Examples of methods for scoring IP instruments, using a transactional and event driven point/value system, are disclosed for tracking, monitoring, distribution and allocation of proceeds in a complex pooling arrangement of IP instruments.
US08150774B2
A computer executable system and method for dispute resolution which includes the ability to resolve claims between or among multiple parties.
US08150757B1
A system and method provide a web-based infomediary for dissemination of intellectual property transfer information among multiple users via a global computer network such as the World Wide Web. The system and method can be used to provide network users with information to facilitate transfer of intellectual property rights by assignment or license. Also, the system and method can be configured to collect bids and offers from parties seeking to acquire rights, or conduct a web-based auction. In this manner, the system and method provide a web-based infomediary in the sense that they facilitate person-to-person or business-to-business online exchanges that leverage the Internet to unite buyers and sellers into a single, efficient virtual marketplace that provides a concentration of pertinent information.
US08150754B2
An interface for interfacing a merchant processor with a card issuer database receives a merchant profile including transaction request data elements and stores the merchant profile in a global merchant database. A request for data corresponding to at least one element of the merchant profile is transmitted to a merchant system and/or a cardmember database. Data corresponding to the merchant profile is received from the merchant system and/or the cardmember database and stored in the global merchant database. A marketing system is notified that at least one record associated with the merchant profile is stored in the global merchant database.
US08150749B2
Computer-implemented methods, computer systems, and computer programs product are provided for automated generic and parallel aggregation of characteristics and key figures of unsorted mass data being of specific economic interest, particularly associated with financial institutions, and with financial affairs in banking practice. The parallel aggregation may reduce the amount of data for a customer defined granularity for the purpose of facilitating the handling of raw data related to all areas of credit risk management in banking practice. Moreover, the computing power of software and the software performance run time, respectively, may be improved in the case of mass data.
US08150748B1
Systems and methods for providing the dynamic configuration of software agents for transfer operations are described. The apparatus may include a transaction processor to receive and execute transfer requests, an object execution engine to retrieve one or more software objects and a data store to store the one or more software objects. The method may include receiving a transfer transaction request, retrieving a software object, executing the software object, performing a transfer and terminating the software object.
US08150743B2
A method and apparatus for the identification of products in a media program and making such products available for consumer purchase is presented. A consumer utilizes a “BeamBack” device to initiate a “screen grab” and thereby express interest in a placed and/or advertised product. An identifying marker is transmitted in response to the consumer's interest to a product web-site, where still images of the product are displayed upon linking of the identifying marker to another marker identifying the still image. The identifying marker can be transmitted to the consumer's “BeamBack” device, computer, or web-page or directly to the product's web-site.
US08150742B2
A system and method for managing merchandise information include acquiring merchandise information of a plurality of merchandises, and setting a plurality of categories and multi-level sub-categories to classify the merchandises. The system and method further include calculating a relative coefficient between a selected merchandise and each of the other merchandises in a same category as the selected merchandise, selecting related merchandises by comparing calculated relative coefficients with a threshold value, and linking the related merchandises to the selected merchandise.
US08150738B2
Disclosure includes selecting a merchant from a plurality of merchants, enabling a trial mode for the merchant, during the trial mode, receiving an indication of a first order for the merchant, forwarding the indication of the first order to the merchant, allocating a first payment for the first order to the merchant, requesting an acceptance of a membership status from the merchant, and receiving an indication of the payment for the first order.
US08150732B2
Systems, methods and apparatus for delivering content to an audience member over a computer network. A console allows a user to define audience segments that are organized in hierarchical fashion. The segments are then calculated by collecting profile data for audience members and determining whether members have attributes that a defined by the audience segments. The hierarchical definition of segments allows audience segments to be logically combined and facilitates efficient recalculation of audience segments. Profile synchronization provides an authoritative identifier that is used to reconcile the potential issuance of multiple identifiers for a given audience member.
US08150729B2
A method, system and program product for displaying advertising content on a portable music player. A method, system and program product for displaying advertising content on a portable music player based on content stored therein. The method includes checking in a meta tag for a music file being downloaded whether a URL corresponding to a content file containing advertising content associated with the music file being downloaded is specified therein. If a URL is specified, automatically connecting to the URL to download the content file associated with the music file being downloaded, and displaying, on the display of the music player, relevant content of the advertising content downloaded to the music player, where the advertising content downloaded includes at least one of: advertising related to a music file downloaded, advertising related to a music file stored on the music player, additional general information related to the music file downloaded, and additional general information related to a music file stored on the music player.
US08150727B2
Embodiments provide content and advertising material superdistribution. In one embodiment, a method of distributing content and advertising material may be provided. The method may include: registering members who are potential users and distributors of content; receiving, from a first member, an identifier of a second member with whom the first member has a relationship; receiving, from the first member, a selection of content to be distributed to the second member; receiving, from the first member, a selection of advertising material to be associated with the content to be distributed to the second member; and distributing the content and the advertising material to the second member.
US08150711B2
Methods, computer storage media, systems and user interfaces for generating and/or managing medical documentation sets are provided. Medical documentation sets are generated by replicating a predetermined medical template. After the predetermined medical template is replicated, the medical label associated with the medical documentation set may be modified so that the medication documentation set includes a unique medical label. Upon the completion of a medication documentation set, it may be retrieved and managed as desired.
US08150708B2
The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, a system for interfacing with multiple medical imaging modalities that includes a manifest generator for generating a manifest of medical images. The manifest can be used to determine an ordering or a layout of the medical images generated by the modalities, optionally as a function of the modality type, anatomical area, and other variables. In some embodiments, the various medical images and metadata may be received at an image order management system that parses the metadata and assembles the metadata into the manifest files that may be transmitted independently to remote interpretation sites, which in turn may be equipped with image viewer applications that analyze the manifest files and determine a rearranged ordering and/or grouping of the medical images, wherein the rearrangement is executed as a function of modality, anatomy, orientation and other variables.
US08150702B2
Disclosed is a stereo audio encoding device capable of improving a spatial image of a decoded audio in stereo audio encoding. In this device, an original cross correlation calculation unit (101) calculates a mutual relationship coefficient (C1) between the original L channel signal and the original R channel signal. A stereo audio reconfiguration unit (104) subjects the inputted L channel signal and the R channel signal to encoding and decoding so as to generate an L channel reconfigured signal (L′) and an R channel reconfigured signal (R′). A reconfiguration cross correlation calculation unit (105) calculates a cross correlation coefficient (C2) between the L channel reconfigured signal (L′) and the R channel reconfigured signal (R′). A cross correlation comparison unit (106) calculates and outputs a comparison result &agr; between the cross correlation coefficient (C1) and the cross correlation coefficient (C2).
US08150694B2
The system and method described herein may provide an acoustic grammar to dynamically sharpen speech interpretation. In particular, the acoustic grammar may be used to map one or more phonemes identified in a user verbalization to one or more syllables or words, wherein the acoustic grammar may have one or more linking elements to reduce a search space associated with mapping the phonemes to the syllables or words. As such, the acoustic grammar may be used to generate one or more preliminary interpretations associated with the verbalization, wherein one or more post-processing techniques may then be used to sharpen accuracy associated with the preliminary interpretations. For example, a heuristic model may assign weights to the preliminary interpretations based on context, user profiles, or other knowledge and a probable interpretation may be identified based on confidence scores associated with one or more candidate interpretations generated with the heuristic model.
US08150693B2
A word prediction apparatus and method that improves the precision accuracy, and a speech recognition method and an apparatus therefor are provided. For the prediction of a sixth word “?”, a partial analysis tree having a modification relationship with the sixth word is predicted. “sara-ni sho-senkyoku no” has two partial analysis trees, “sara-ni” and “sho-senkyoku no”. It is predicted that “sara-ni” does not have a modification relationship with the sixth word, and that “sho-senkyoku no” does. Then, “donyu”, which is the sixth word from “sho-senkyoku no”, is predicted. In this example, since “sara-ni” is not useful information for the prediction of “donyu”, it is preferable that “donyu” be predicted only by “sho-senkyoku no”.
US08150689B2
A distributed dictation/transcription system is provided. The system provides a client station, dictation manager, and dictation server networked such that the dictation manager can select a dictation server to transcribe audio from the client station. The dictation manager selects one of a plurality of dictation servers based on conventional load balancing as well as on a determination of which of the dictation servers may already have a user profile uploaded. Moreover, while selecting a dictation server and/or uploading a profile, the user or client at the client station may begin dictating, which audio would be stored in a buffer of dictation manager until a dictation server was selected and/or available. The user would receive in real time or near real time a display of the textual data that may be corrected by the user. The corrective textual data may be transmitted back to the dictation manager to update the user profile.
US08150686B2
A system and method is provided for sending a message type identifier through a speech codec (in-band) such as found in a wireless communication network. A first predetermined sequence with noise-like characteristics identifies a first message type. A second predetermined sequence with noise-like characteristics identifies a second message type.
US08150685B2
A method and apparatus for a voice transcoder that converts a bitstream representing frames of data encoded according to a first voice compression standard to a bitstream representing frames of data according to a second voice compression standard using perceptual weighting that uses tuned weighting factors, such that the bitstream of a second voice compression standard to produce a higher quality decoded voice signal than a comparable tandem transcoding solution. The method includes pre-computing weighting factors for a perceptual weighting filter optimized to a specific source and destination codec pair, pre-configuring the transcoding strategies, mapping CELP parameters in the CELP parameter space according to the selected coding strategy, performing Linear Prediction analysis if specified by the transcoding strategy, perceptually weighting the speech using with tuned weighting factors, and searching for adaptive codebook and fixed-codebook parameters to obtain a quantized set of destination codec parameters.
US08150683B2
An apparatus, method, and computer program are capable of receiving and cross-correlating a first audio signal and a second audio signal. This produces a cross-correlated signal, which is used to identify a plurality of parameters associated with at least one of the first and second audio signals. The parameters are used to generate an indicator identifying an extent to which the first and second audio signals match.
US08150680B2
A method and system for candidate matching, such as used in match-making services, assesses narrative responses to measure candidate qualities. A candidate database includes self-assessment data and narrative data. Narrative data concerning a defined topic is analyzed to determine candidate qualities separate from topical information. Candidate qualities thus determined are included in candidate profiles and used to identify desirable candidates.
US08150670B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a simulator for verifying plural products with common hardware configuration, in which peripheral hardware that can be reused are constituted by hardware and other peripheral hardware is constituted by software simulator, and simulation method.A simulator comprises: a hardware section that includes a peripheral hardware configuration with a structure required for a CPU and OS to operate alone; a software section that simulates the operation of peripheral hardware other than hardware constituting the hardware section as a peripheral hardware model; and an interface board that connects the hardware section and software section.
US08150662B2
A system and method for viewing models and model variables within a sophisticated modeling environment is disclosed. The system provides varying levels of insight into a modeling infrastructure to help the user understand model and model variable dependencies, usage, distribution, and/or the like. The method includes storing model and model variable data within a relational database system, receiving a request from a user interfacing with the system via a web interface, extracting search criteria and presentation preferences from the request, formulating and executing one or more queries on the database to retrieve the required data, formatting the data in accordance with the request, and retuning the data to the requesting user in the form of a web page.
US08150658B2
A system recognizes an arrangement of an object and counts the number of objects, comprising: a sensor for measuring a distance between the sensor and an object; a moving mechanism for moving the sensor; and a computer that is connected with the sensor and includes an object information database, an object arrangement database; a sensor data integrating section; and the sensor an object comparison calculator adapted to create an object model based on the data.
US08150657B2
The present invention relates to a physical quantity measuring instrument and signal processing method thereof capable of reducing noise components and improving reliability without increasing size or cost of the circuit. A physical quantity detecting unit (11) has signal detecting components for detecting a plurality of signals based on a desired physical quantity and detects the desired physical quantity. A signal processing unit (12) executes signal processing of the signals detected on the individual detecting axes by the physical quantity detecting unit (11) for linearly combining the signals in different combinations with time. An arithmetic processing unit (13) combines and calculates a plurality of signals based on the physical quantity associated with the physical quantity detecting unit (11) from the signal data output by the signal processing unit (12). It can linearly combine the signals from the plurality of detecting axes in different combinations with time, output them, and obtain desired signal components whose noise components are reduced by calculating the outputs.
US08150642B2
A secondary battery deterioration judging device is provided with an overdischarge detecting section for detecting the overdischarge of a secondary battery, the deterioration of which is to be judged, a computing section for integrating a value indicating the deterioration of the secondary battery while the overdischarge is detected by the overdischarge detecting section, and a judging section for judging a deterioration state of the secondary battery based on an integration value obtained by the computing section.
US08150641B2
A method for use in calculating a possible power output of a wind turbine. A series of performance data samples is acquired. Each performance data sample includes a meteorological condition and a power output indicated at a first time by one or more sensors associated with a wind turbine. A transfer function is calculated based at least in part on the series of performance data samples. The transfer function relates power output to the meteorological condition. A possible power output is calculated based on the transfer function and at least one meteorological condition indicated by the one or more sensors at a second time.
US08150634B1
A method of enhancing the throughput and applicability of NMR-based structure determination of protein-ligand complexes is disclosed. The method circumvents the need for protein sequence-specific resonance assignments and combines NMR data analysis and ligand docking methods into an integrated process. In one embodiment, NMR data is used to filter docking results to identify the most consistent binding modes, thereby providing structural information in a high-throughput fashion without the need for assigning protein resonances. Trial assignments for protein-ligand nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) interactions are also produced by the method.
US08150627B2
The present invention provides a method for identification of differentially methylated genomic CpG dinucleotide sequences within genomic target sequences that are associated with cancer in an individual by obtaining a biological sample comprising genomic DNA from the individual measuring the level or pattern of methylated genomic CpG dinucleotide sequences for two or more of the genomic targets in the sample, and comparing the level of methylated genomic CpG dinucleotide sequences in the sample to a reference level of methylated genomic CpG dinucleotide sequences, wherein a difference in the level or pattern of methylation of the genomic CpG dinucleotide sequences in the sample compared to the reference level identifies differentially methylated genomic CpG dinucleotide sequences associated with cancer. As disclosed herein, the methods of the invention have numerous diagnostic and prognostic applications. The methods of the invention can be combined with a miniaturized array platform that allows for a high level of assay multiplexing and scalable automation for sample handling and data processing. Also provided by the invention are genomic targets and corresponding nucleic acid probes that are useful in the methods of the invention as they enable detection of differentially methylated genomic CpG dinucleotide sequences associated with adenocarcinomas of the lung.
US08150621B1
An operating system is provided for controlling an unmanned vehicle. The system includes a stratified plurality of instruction layers, a behavior axiom block and a set of operation parameters. The instruction layers are substantially arranged in descending priority order. Each layer provides an information signal to either an adjacent descending layer or an operation device on board the unmanned vehicle. The behavior axiom block provides an independent protocol signal to a first instruction layer in said stratified plurality. The operation parameters provide an environmental condition that neighbors the unmanned vehicle to a second instruction layer. Preferably, the behavior axiom block includes prioritization adjustment to an instruction layer for overriding the information signal from an adjacently ascendant layer, such as by an interrupt signal.
US08150619B2
An automobile navigation system determines whether or not the relevant vehicle is traveling and whether or not routing assistance is being provided. When the results of both the determinations are affirmative, a displayed map image is scrolled by an amount of scrolling corresponding to the size of a guided route in response to an operation to a touch panel for scrolling, and, further, the scale of the display map image is changed by an amount of change corresponding to the size of the guided route in response to an operation to the touch panel for scale change.
US08150618B2
A method and apparatus for identifying correct city involving a street that borders on two or more cities for a navigation system. The navigation system identifies a correct city name associated with such a border street based on a direction of a vehicle travelling on the border street. In another aspect, the navigation system identifies a correct city name associated with such a border street based on a cursor point on the map image as to which side of the street and city is more proximate to the cursor point. Further, the navigation system identifies a correct city name associated with such a border street based on an address number as to whether it is an odd number or even number thereby determining the side of the street and city.
US08150614B2
A routing guide mediation system is equipped with a routing guide mediation server, establishing cooperation between a plurality of routing guide systems having map data by country and region and network data for route search. When a departure point and a destination are points in different areas, a first route search server extracts a candidate contact point which will be the boundary between the different areas, and transmits it to a second route search server via the routing guide mediation server. Then, the first and second route search servers search for an optical route from the departure point to the candidate contact point and an optimal candidate route from the candidate contact point to the destination, individually, and the first route search server acquires the amounts of time required for these routes and link data via the routing guide mediation server.
US08150609B2
A method of selecting a travel route including receiving message information formed in a hierarchical structure and including traffic information, receiving a first position value and a second position value corresponding to first and second positions, searching for travel routes between the first and second positions, classifying the travel routes from the first position to the second position into a plurality of individual road links, calculating a route cost for a first road link that includes the first position and a second road link directly connected to the first road link based on an average link speed for the first and second road links, respectively, calculating a route cost for each additional road link after the first and second road links up to a last road link including the second position based on one of a current traffic congestion status information and a predicted traffic congestion status information, and calculating a total route cost for all of the road links for the travel routes from the first position to the second position.
US08150594B2
A target vehicle speed at a predetermined position ahead of a host vehicle is obtained, and a plurality of deceleration patterns with different deceleration schemes is obtained for decelerating the host vehicle to the target vehicle speed. Based on a driving operation for controlling speed of the host vehicle, a deceleration pattern is selected from the plurality of deceleration patterns. Using the selected deceleration pattern as a reference, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is reduced to the target vehicle speed before the host vehicle reaches the predetermined position.
US08150591B2
A vehicle speed control method calculates a present value KdB_c(a)_p of a corrected evaluation index of approach/separation condition by the following equation, and starts deceleration control when the determined present value KdB_c(a)_p exceeds a threshold value determined by a braking determining equation. In the deceleration control, a corrected target relative speed is determined based on an evaluation index KdB: KdB_c ( a ) = 10 × log 10 ( - 2 × VrGy - a × VrGy_offset Ds 3 × 1 5 × 10 - 8 ) wherein VrGy_offset, VrGy, a, Ds indicate a curve-time target speed, a difference between the curve-time target speed and a speed of a subject vehicle, a constant and a curve entrance arrival distance, respectively.
US08150586B2
A method is provided for changing a gear ratio in a transmission of a motor vehicle. Engagement of a first gear-train component with a second gear-train component is initiated at a predetermined rate. Rotational speeds of the first and the second gear-train components, and whether the rotational speed of the first gear-train component and the rotational speed of the second gear-train component have substantially synchronized is determined. A rate of engagement of the two gear-train components is reduced, if the rotational speed of the first gear-train component has not substantially synchronized with rotational speed of the second gear-train component. The rate of engagement of the two gear-train components is increased, if the rotational speed of the first gear-train component has substantially synchronized with rotational speed of the second gear-train component. Following the conclusion of engagement between the two gear-train components, the gear ratio change is completed.
US08150585B2
A control system including a friction engagement element, a solenoid valve, an engagement pressure control valve and an electronic control unit, wherein a learning correction amount is divided into an initial learning amount that has no dependence upon an engagement pressure command value and a time-dependent deterioration amount that has dependence upon the engagement pressure command value, and wherein a time-dependent deterioration correction amount is determined according to the engagement pressure command value and a degree of progress of time-dependent deterioration that is indicated by a difference between a learning region correction amount and an initial learning amount which are obtained by a learning control in a learning region that is a limited input torque region, and a final engagement pressure command value is calculated as the learning correction amount by adding the initial learning amount at the time of correction to the time-dependent deterioration correction amount.
US08150576B2
A motor vehicle engine (10) has glow plugs (20) for aiding combustion of fuel in combustion chambers of the engine when the engine is cold and an ignition switch (24) is operated to crank the engine. An aberration in engine speed (36) is used to indicate an under- or non-performing glow plug. Data from sources other than the engine speed source (28), such as data related to engine fueling, is also processed by a processor (30) to exclude them as the cause of the aberration.
US08150571B2
If a user applies a brake system while an electric vehicle that includes a battery is moving and it is confirmed that the user is not simultaneously applying the accelerator, a comparison is made between an actual deceleration and an expected deceleration corresponding to the user demand sensed by the braking system. If the actual deceleration is lower than the expected deceleration, an amount of regenerative electric current supplied to the battery is increased to better correlate the expected deceleration and the actual deceleration.
US08150570B2
An auto management system for an air filter used in a battery pack comprises at least one cell and a case accommodating each of the cells so that there is secured an air flow passage between the neighboring cells. The battery pack is provided with an air inlet at one side and an air outlet on the other side and comprises an air filter detachably mounted at an outside end of the air inlet of the case; a blowing fan provided to one of the air inlet and the air outlet; a flux sensor; a control unit connected to the cells of the battery pack, the blowing fan and the flux sensor, respectively, measuring currents, voltages and temperatures of the respective cells and electrically controlling the blowing fan and the flux sensor.
US08150568B1
A synthetic image is produced which will be viewed by an operator of a train to provide the operator with important information indicative of the environment to be encountered by the train during subsequent movement of the train. This information includes information about upcoming track and highway crossings. The synthetic image may be utilized during all periods of operation of the train but will be particularly desirable during night and during periods of bad weather, such as rain, snow and fog, when normal vision is limited. The system utilizes accurate measurement of the location of the train, accurate knowledge of the path of the track and accurate knowledge of placement of track and highway crossings. Automated horn soundings, or monitoring of manual operator activations, significantly enhance safety at such track and highway crossings.
US08150561B2
A heat dissipation system within a housing of a computer is disclosed. The heat dissipation system includes a heat dissipating fan, a temperature sensor, a rotation speed setting portion, and a performance control portion. The rotation speed setting portion is configured to change a rotation speed of the heat dissipating fan in a stepwise manner based on a threshold temperature and a measurement temperature measured by the temperature sensor. The performance control portion is configured to temporarily reduce the processing capability of a processor within the computer in response to a determination that the measurement temperature has exceeded the threshold temperature during a predetermined period of time.
US08150560B2
Methods for managing/assessing heat exchanger network energy efficiency and retrofit for an industrial facility, are provided. An embodiment of a method can include the performance of perform various steps/operations including those for determining an optimal heat exchanger network retrofit projects sequence extending between a current heat exchanger network retrofit project satisfying a current desired waste energy recovery goal and a future heat exchanger network retrofit project satisfying the final waste energy recovery goal. The heat exchanger network retrofit projects sequence can be configured so that each subsequent project within the heat exchanger network retrofit projects sequence does not contradict any of the previous projects within the heat exchanger network retrofit projects sequence.
US08150557B2
A system and method that analyzes at least one aspect of the power grid for demand response in order to reduce feeder circuit losses is provided. The system and method may use a demand response model to select one or more factors for the demand response, such as selecting a subset of customers for demand response from a larger pool of available demand response customers. The demand response model may include a grid structure component, such as an indication of the particular customer's position in the grid, and a dynamic operation component, such as a real-time measurement of current in the feeder circuit. By using the demand response model, feeder circuit losses may thereby reduced.
US08150554B2
Therefore, the illustrative embodiments provide a computer program product comprising a computer recordable media having computer usable program code. Resource needs are determined for each plant in a plurality of plants to form individual resource needs. Conditions are identified in an environment in which the plurality of plants are located by receiving input from a sensor system to form current conditions. A plurality of per plant prescriptions are calculated for the plurality of plants using the individual resource needs and the current conditions. The application of the resource is controlled from a mobile utility vehicle to each plant in the plurality of plants using the plurality of per plant prescriptions.
US08150552B2
A controller for a bathing unit system comprising a memory unit for storing program instructions, an interface for establishing a communication link with an external memory medium and a processing unit. The controller is operative for controlling a set of bathing unit components at least in part on the basis of the program instructions stored in the memory unit. The external memory medium stores update information associated with the program instructions and relevancy information indicative of a characteristic of the update information. The processing unit is operative for detecting the presence of an external memory medium at the interface, accessing the relevancy information stored in the memory medium, processing the relevancy information and causing the program instructions to be updated on the basis of the update information.
US08150551B2
A charging apparatus for a mobile robot enabling the mobile robot to move relatively freely even during charging using a wiring member, while preventing occurrence of an inconvenience such as damage to the wiring member, is provided. The charging apparatus includes a charging power source, a control board which controls the charging power source, and a wiring members for use in supplying electric power from the charging power source to a battery mounted on the mobile robot. The wiring member is connected to the mobile robot to follow the movement of the robot. The charging apparatus further includes a detector which detects tension applied to the wiring member. When the wiring members is pulled, an appropriate measure to stop the mobile robot or disconnect the wiring member from the robot is taken in accordance with a signal from the tension detector.
US08150548B2
An apparatus and method for transferring plurality of samples from one sample container to another one is disclosed wherein each sample is randomly accessible and can be “cherry picked”. The disclosed method of actuation allows for using a smaller number of actuators than the number of sample transferring channels or pins and thereby simplifies the design and control of the sample transferring apparatus.
US08150527B2
Methods and systems for modifying the parameters of at least one hearing device for a patient with residual hearing provide needed orchestration of acoustic and electric stimulation of patients wearing such devices.
US08150524B2
A method and device for treating epilepsy are disclosed which provide for electrical, chemical or magnetic stimulation of certain areas of the brain to modulate neuronal activity of areas associated with symptoms of epilepsy. Deep brain stimulation is combined with vagus nerve stimulation to enhance symptomatic relief of the disorder. Some embodiments also employ a sensing capability to optimize the therapeutic treatment regimen.
US08150520B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for treating end-stage renal disease, e.g., via a pulsed electric field, via a stimulation electric field, via localized drug delivery, via high frequency ultrasound, via thermal techniques, etc. Such neuromodulation may effectuate irreversible electroporation or electrofusion, necrosis and/or inducement of apoptosis, alteration of gene expression, action potential attenuation or blockade, changes in cytokine up-regulation and other conditions in target neural fibers. In some embodiments, neuromodulation is applied to neural fibers that contribute to renal function. In some embodiments, such neuromodulation is performed in a bilateral fashion. Bilateral renal neuromodulation may provide enhanced therapeutic effect in some patients as compared to renal neuromodulation performed unilaterally, i.e., as compared to renal neuromodulation performed on neural tissue innervating a single kidney.
US08150509B2
A system or method including a device configured to measure at least one pharmacological effect of a drug on a patient. The measured pharmacological effect is compared to an expected pharmacodynamic model. The system can allow for real-time monitoring of positive and side-effects of drugs as well as drug resistance to optimize individual therapy. The system can also enable patient compliance monitoring.
US08150507B2
A body fat measurement device includes a bioelectrical impedance measurement body attachment unit with an electrode support and a belt. The belt includes a stretchable region at one part. The electrode support includes a fixing portion fixed with one end of the belt, and a holder for holding a portion closer to another end of the belt in a movable manner and including a wrapping length adjustment mechanism for adjusting the wrapping length thereof. The body fat measurement device includes a displacement amount detection unit for detecting a displacement amount of the belt caused by the stretching of the stretchable region, and a wrapping length adjustment mechanism control section for controlling the wrapping length adjustment mechanism based on information detected by the displacement amount detection unit. According to such a configuration, there is obtained a body fat measurement device including a bioelectrical impedance measurement abdomen attachment unit enabling smooth breathing motion without hardly giving pain to the subject, and capable of being closely attached with satisfactory reproducibility regardless of a waist length of the subject.
US08150500B2
The present invention is a Miniature Vein Enhancer that includes a Miniature Projection Head. The Miniature Projection Head may be operated in one of three modes, AFM, DBM, and RTM. The Miniature Projection Head of the present invention projects an image of the veins of a patient, which aids the practitioner in pinpointing a vein for an intravenous drip, blood test, and the like. The Miniature projection head may have a cavity for a power source or it may have a power source located in a body portion of the Miniature Vein Enhancer. The Miniature Vein Enhancer may be attached to one of several improved needle protectors, or the Miniature Vein Enhancer may be attached to a body similar to a flashlight for hand held use. The Miniature Vein Enhancer of the present invention may also be attached to a magnifying glass, a flat panel display, and the like.
US08150499B2
An automatic atherectomy system uses a rotary burr at the tip of a catheter as a sensing device, in order to measure both electrical conductivity and permittivity of surrounding tissue at multiple frequencies. From these parameters it is determined which tissue lies in different directions around the tip. A servo system steers the catheter tip in the direction of the tissue to be removed. In non-atherectomy applications the rotary burr can be replaced with any desired tool and the system can be used to automatically steer the catheter to the desired position. The steering may be done hydraulically, by pressurizing miniature bellows located near the catheter tip.
US08150493B2
A patient infusion and imaging system includes a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan room shielded from electromagnetic interference and image acquisition equipment positioned within the MRI scan room. The system further includes an IV liquid infusion apparatus configured to be positioned at any location within the MRI scan room without introducing image-degrading RF interference and without being affected by magnetic fields produced by the magnetic source. The IV liquid infusion apparatus includes a pump disposed to receive a liquid conduit and to transfer IV liquid through the liquid conduit from a liquid IV container source, a non-magnetic ultrasonic motor, and a non-magnetic controller configured to selectively actuate the motor to drive the pump, and thereby transfer liquid from the IV container source through the liquid conduit at a controllable volumetric rate.
US08150481B2
A wireless handheld device comprises a lower casing having a bottom end and a top end and a lid having a bottom end and a top end. The top end of the lid is rotatably coupled to the top end of the lower casing with at least one hinge component such that the handheld device is rotatable from a closed position to an open position and from an open position to a closed position. The lid and the lower casing have adjacent facing surfaces when in the closed position. When the wireless handheld device is in the closed position, at least the bottom end of the lid is displaceable relative to the lower casing generally in an axial direction of the hinge component such that the facing surfaces become misaligned for easy grasping of the lower casing and the lid.
US08150479B2
Fax transmission over a PLMN using a home gateway connected to the originating fax terminal equipment. A call setup request for a fax call destined towards terminating fax terminal equipment is sent. At the originating fax terminal equipment, a reply from the home gateway is received, sending data from the originating fax terminal equipment to the home gateway and storing them in the home gateway. A call establishment request from the home gateway to the PLMN and at least one connection establishment request from the home gateway to the terminating fax terminal equipment are sent. Waiting for a connection establishment confirmation from the terminating fax terminal equipment within a configurable time. When the connection establishment confirmation is received, sending from the home gateway stored data to the terminating fax terminal equipment through the PLMN and optionally a notification on the fax transmission status—to the originating fax terminal equipment.
US08150465B2
Sensors mounted on vehicles (e.g., buses, taxis, police cars) and public personnel (e.g., policemen) are used to monitor various conditions and situations such as air quality, potential biological and chemical attacks, and road and traffic conditions. The invention improves upon the typical approach that deploys fixed sensors at every geographical position of interest. The total number of required sensors and the size and the complexity of the network infrastructure required to connect the sensors are reduced and simplified. A method for estimating the number of mobile sensors required to cover a region of interest also is disclosed. A relatively small number of mobile sensors may be sufficient to cover a large area at a lower cost and less complexity than a fixed sensor network.
US08150456B2
A mobile phone with camera includes a body, a display module, two support arms and a camera. The body has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is perpendicular to the second surface, and the first surface has a concave section, which has two parallel sliding slots on two opposite sidewalls thereof. Each of the support arms has one end pivotally connected with the first surface and the other end pivotally connected with the display module such that the display module can be rotated relative to the body and slid along the two parallel sliding slots so as to have the display module selectively laid against the first surface or form an angle between the display module and the second surface. The camera is disposed on the second surface for snapping images to be displayed on the display module.
US08150455B2
A method and system are implemented for controlling the position of a cursor on a display screen of a remote host device with a mobile communication device. The method comprises establishing a communication link between the mobile communication device and the selected remote host device, detecting an amount of displacement of the mobile communication device, converting the detected amount of displacement into displacement data of the cursor in a coordinate format compatible with the display screen of the host device, and transmitting the displacement data to the remote host device.
US08150450B1
Conferencing between two-way radio devices and telephone devices is achieved using a conference server that has a radio interface coupled to a radio network including one or more two-way radio devices and a telephone interface coupled to a telephone network including one or more telephone devices. A conference room within the conference server manages a conference call between the two-way radio devices and telephone devices by receiving voice streams originated by the two-way radio devices and telephone devices during the conference call and transmitting the received voice streams originated by the two-way radio devices and telephone devices to the remaining devices involved in the conference call.
US08150444B2
A mobile communication method includes: (A) assigning, at a radio network controller, a channelization code and a transmission timing for the mobile station on the basis of a status of use of a channelization code and a transmission timing in a sector other than a specific sector when the mobile station sets a radio link with the radio base station in the specific sector; and (B) notifying, from the radio base station, the mobile station of the transmission power control information via the transmission power control channel using the channelization code and the transmission timing assigned at the radio network controller.
US08150432B2
To schedule uplink transmission time slots for a collection of mobile communication devices, a set of base station target interference patterns is associated with base stations. A time slot target interference pattern is assigned for each time slot and it repeats after several time slots. The time slot target interference pattern in a given time slot specifies the interference allowed by each time slot to a given base station by any single mobile. A priority index may be determined for each time slot for each mobile associated with the particular base station. The priority index may be based, in part, on a determined correlation between the time-slot target interference patterns and a potential interference profile of a mobile to which a time slot is to be allocated. A mobile's throughput requirement, the throughput already received over a specified past duration, the system fairness requirement, as well as the amount of data available for transmission are also used for evaluating the priority index.
US08150430B2
A communications device determines the appropriate method for providing a message depending upon the content of the message without prompting or querying a user of the device. When the user select a name as the recipient of the created message, the mobile device determines delivery options. If the message contains text only and if the user enters/selects a mobile device phone number, the message is sent via SMS. If the message contains multimedia and if the user enters or selects a mobile device phone number, the message is sent via MMS. If the message is text only or multimedia, and if the user enters or selects an email address, the message is sent via email. In various implementations, the message is delivery via determined delivery options including a lowest cost delivery option, a subscriber preferred delivery option, or a delivery options as indicated by an intended recipient's presence information.
US08150426B2
For use in a cellular telecommunications network including a plurality of individually addressable Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) providing bidirectional signal coverage over a predefined geographical area, capable of transmitting Point-To-MultiPoint (PTMP) messages over a Point-To-MultiPoint Service (PTMPS) functionality, and capable of transmitting Point-To-Point (PTP) messages, streaming of a substantially continuous stream of mostly different content, at least some interactive display messages on at least one personal cellular telecommunications device prior to their automatic discarding irrespective of their having been displayed or not.
US08150418B2
Method and apparatus are disclosed for monitoring the geographic location or velocity of a first wireless device relative to at least one other wireless device and noting an exception if the first wireless device moves beyond a predetermined threshold of separation from the second wireless device, or if the velocity of the first wireless device is outside a predetermined threshold. In response to an exception, supervisory action is taken which may include contacting the wireless device or contacting another person.
US08150417B2
A method of locating a mobile communications device, in particular on a known path, the mobile device communicating with a mobile communications network infrastructure including a plurality of base stations, communications between the mobile device and the base station to which it is attached having a timing advance to compensate for a time taken for a radio signal to reach the base station from the mobile device, the method comprising: reading a time ordered sequence of messages captured from said communications between the mobile device and said network infrastructure; reading timing advance information from said captured messages; identifying a step change in timing advance using said timing advance information; and determining a location of said mobile devices, in particular on said path, at a time of said step change.
US08150416B2
In certain embodiments, a method for proximity determination includes receiving one or more network identifiers, each associated with a corresponding network, from a first mobile device. The method further includes receiving one or more network identifiers, each associated with a corresponding network, from a second mobile device. The method further includes processing the network identifiers received from the first and second mobile devices to determine whether the first mobile device and the second mobile device are in proximity to one another.
US08150407B2
Systems and methods for scheduling data transmissions in a wireless communication system using scheduling requests and grants. In one embodiment, a wireless communication system has a base station and one or more mobile stations coupled by a wireless link having forward- and reverse-link channels. The base station is configured to receive requests from the mobile stations, to process the requests independently of a base station controller, to allocate communication link resources among the mobile stations, and, if necessary, to transmit one or more grants to the mobile stations in accordance with the allocation of communication link resources. Each mobile station is configured to transmit data to the base station in accordance with any grants received from the base station.
US08150404B2
Methods for allocating wireless resources are provided. In one method, time domain resources are persistently allocated to a user for a data transmission during a transmission time interval, and frequency domain resources are dynamically allocated to the user for the data transmission during the transmission time interval. Methods provide flexibility for overbooking resources for any TTI to obtain statistical multiplexing gains.
US08150401B2
Methods and systems are provided for communicating data from wireline terminals to mobile terminals in a telecommunications network, which includes a home node associated with the mobile terminal and one or more visited nodes. To establish communication with a mobile terminal, a wireline terminal sends data to a server in the telecommunications network. The server identifies a mobile identification number associated with the mobile terminal, and based on the identified mobile identification number, the server determines a route that excludes the home node when the mobile terminal is out of the geographical area served by the home node. The server then establishes via the determined route a connection to the mobile terminal and sends to the mobile terminal the data received from the wireline terminal.
US08150396B2
In a mobile communications system a visiting location register (VLR) associated with a switching center receives an address of an external control component and a service identifier identifying a service to be performed by the external control component from a home location register (HLR) associated with a mobile communications device. When a customer care call from the mobile communications device is received at the switching center, the switching center suspends call processing and queries the external control component utilizing the address from the VLR. The external control component performs the service indicated by the service indicator and determines a translation for the customer care call and returns information to the switching center for routing the call according to the translation. The translation may be determined at least in part according to the service performed by the external control component. The translation may be determined at least in part according to one or more of time of day, day of week, location of the switching center, or NPA-Nxx. The service indicator and address of the external control component may be provided by the HLR in Dialed CAMEL Subscription Information (D-CSI) associated with the mobile communication device.
US08150393B2
A method for handling service failures for in a communications network comprising a user equipment, a first network element and a serving network element, the method comprising the following steps. Receiving at the first network element a first message from the user equipment. Transmitting the first message from the first network element to the serving network element. Detecting at the first network element that the serving network element is out of service. Determining at the first network element the type of the first message, and in dependence on the type of the first message sending from the first network element to the user equipment an error message including an indication that the serving network element is out of service.
US08150391B2
A system for connecting a cellular phone located in a mobile vehicle such as an aircraft, land vehicle, water craft or space craft to a stationary mobile telephone network includes a mobile radio base station on board the mobile vehicle that converts mobile radio data into IP data and transmits the IP data via an IP connection to a ground station where the IP data are converted back into mobile radio data and provided to a stationary mobile radio network.
US08150385B1
An exemplary method processes an electronic communication received by a first end-user communication device. A communication, received by the first end-user communication device, is a digital message sent from a second end-user device. A message processing program includes an auto-reply generation method that is active to automatically transmit a predetermined reply message to another device upon receipt of a message from it. A list of origination addresses to which the predetermined reply message has previously been transmitted is stored in memory. On receipt of the digital message from the second end-user device, a determination is made if the origination address of the second end-user device is in the list of origination addresses. If it is in the list of origination addresses, the auto-reply generation method is inhibited from transmitting the predetermined reply message. If it is not in the list of origination addresses, the origination address of the second end-user device is added to the list and the auto-reply generation method is permitted to transmit the predetermined reply message to the origination address of the second end-user device.
US08150370B2
An authentication system according to the present invention includes an AAA server configured to be connected to the mobile network; a terminal device configured to be connected to the mobile network and be authenticated by the AAA server; and a PC configured to be connected to the terminal device through a short distance radio communication network. The PC transmits an identification data for identifying the PC itself to the terminal device through the short distance radio communication network. The terminal device authenticates the PC to access the mobile network on the basis of the identification data, and transmits an authentication data for accessing the mobile network to the AAA server. The AAA server performs an authentication that the PC accesses to the mobile network by using the authentication data. The authenticated PC accesses the mobile network through the Internet.
US08150369B2
A method of reserving credit for a mobile subscriber in respect of an IP multimedia service. The method comprises, following initial registration of the subscriber to the IP Multimedia service but prior to invocation of an IP Multimedia service, using the early session establishment procedure to reserve a credit amount at a charging control node and to notify an IP Multimedia Serving Element of the credit reservation, whereupon, at invocation of said IP multimedia service, the IP Multimedia Serving Element is able to proceed immediately with the session establishment.
US08150352B1
What is described herein is a technique that includes a clock generator configured to generate a clock signal having a frequency of |fbp+fi|. The technique further includes a mixer configured to input (1) an input signal that includes a desired signal at the frequency fi and (2) the clock signal and generate a mixed signal using the input signal and the clock signal. A filter, having a bandpass region that includes the frequency fbp, is configured to input the mixed signal and generate a filtered signal based at least in part on the bandpass region.
US08150348B2
A TV tuner includes an Ultra High Frequency (UHF)/Very High Frequency (VHF) tracking filter, an UHF/VHF matching circuit and a single conversion Tuner IC. The UHF/VHF tracking filter includes a first Low-Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC) inductor, a first varactor diode and a fine-tune capacitor electrically connected to determine the maximum gain frequency of the UHF/VHF tracking filter. The UHF/VHF matching circuit includes a second LTCC inductance, a second varactor diodes and a fine-tune capacitor electrically connected to determine the maximum gain frequency of the UHF/VHF matching circuit.
US08150345B2
A signal received via a plurality of antennas, and containing an interference component and a desired communication component, is processed to suppress the interference component. The interference component is suppressed based on an inverse of a spatial covariance matrix, which inverse is produced without performing a matrix inversion operation.
US08150344B1
A method and system are provided for planning a service provider network. At one or more low-cost Internet base stations (LCIBs) operating within a building, one or more wireless signals are detected. The wireless signals are provided by one or more macro base stations. The wireless signals are detected by the LCIB on an LCIB wireless-communication interface. For each detected wireless signal, one or more signal-strength values are determined. The determined signal-strength values are sent from the LCIB via an LCIB packet-communication interface to one or more network entities. The signal-strength values are used to plan the service provider network, by generating one or more network-planning directions and/or one or more network-coverage maps.
US08150338B2
A method and apparatus taught herein reduce the peak-to-average ratio (PAR) of a complex-valued signal based on detecting peaks in the signal that are above a peak threshold, characterizing the detected peaks in Cartesian coordinates, generating cancellation pulses in Cartesian coordinates based on the detected peak characterizations. PAR reduction processing continues with canceling the detected peaks by combining the cancellation pulses with a correspondingly delayed version of the signal. Advantageously, peak detection may be performed in polar form using a computationally efficient peak detection algorithm that avoids calculation of the I and Q peak waveforms unless a signal peak beyond a defined threshold is present. In one or more embodiments, the generation and use of asymmetric and/or shaped cancellation pulses offers further performance advantages.
US08150329B2
A further secure channel is ensured after switching of a modulation system at the time of deterioration channel quality. A wireless communication device includes a transmitter that converts data into a modulation wave in a set modulation system and transmits the modulation wave, a receiver that receives a transmitted modulation wave, and converts the modulation wave into original data based on a set modulation system, a determining means for determining quality of a channel on the basis of a signal received by the receiver, and a modulation system switching means for switching the modulation system to a modulation system that is strongest against external disturbance among a plurality of different modulation systems set in advance and then switching the modulation system to a modulation system in accordance with quality of the channel, when the determining means determines that quality of the channel is deteriorated.
US08150328B2
Method and apparatus for distributed sensing management and control within a cognitive radio network
A technique for spectrum sensing management and control for a secondary communication system seeking to utilize another communication system's spectrum is provided (600). Sensor control data is sent from a base station to subscriber units (604). Sensing measurements are taken and sent back to the base station for ranking (608) as sensed feedback information. Comparisons of the sensed feedback information are made to each other and to thresholds aligned with the types of measurements taken (610). An initial ranked channel list is generated (612). Weighting of the initial ranking list and secondary ranking list is followed by re-ranking the channels according to the weighting into a final ranking list (612). The final ranking list is transmitted to the mobile units to enable operation within the other communication system's spectrum within interfering with that system (614). The weighting is based on the type of sensing measurement taken as opposed to the channel.
US08150325B1
An exemplary signal interference control system is disclosed that utilizes a computer system, such as programmable logic circuits or computer controlled logic gates, to generate blanking or control signals for various types of radio frequency receiver and transmitter combinations. Control signals are generated based on signal characteristic information stored in a memory including a delay following receipt of a pre-trigger signal from a radio frequency transmitter and a pulse width of control signal(s) generated for specified receivers, frequencies or systems. In one embodiment, information can be retrieved from a memory and used to generate an interference control signal. One or more control signals can be routed to a related or associated receiver to reduce or eliminate interference effects. Data representing associated radio frequency transmitters and receivers can be determined, synchronized and stored in data structures during testing operations until the received interference signals are properly aligned, synchronized or controlled at an associated receiver. Modified control signal data such as delay and interference control signal width information can be stored in a memory and used for future control signal generation.
US08150319B2
A communication apparatus includes an antenna configured to generate a magnetic field corresponding to a signal of a first communication method; and a communication unit configured to perform communication via a communication medium by transmitting/receiving a signal of a second communication method by using a potential difference between the communication unit and a predetermined reference point, the communication unit including a transparent conductive film. The antenna and the communication unit are integrated with each other.
US08150315B2
A method for verifying alignment between first and second integrated devices coupled together using a reference and a coupling capacitor, including: transmitting a reference signal on a transmission electrode of the reference capacitor; receiving a coupling signal on a reception electrode of the reference capacitor; amplifying the coupling signal, generating a reception reference signal; generating a reception control signal as a function of the reception reference signal; transmitting a communication signal on an electrode of the coupling capacitor; receiving a reception signal on an electrode of the coupling capacitor; amplifying the reception signal, generating a first compensated signal; controlling a level of amplification of amplifying the coupling signal and the reception signal as a function of the reception control signal; and detecting a possible misalignment between the first and second devices based on an amplitude of the communication signal and an amplitude of the compensated signal.
US08150309B2
A wireless repeater includes an internal feedback path for adaptively cancelling an echo between an output antenna and an input antenna. The internal feedback path employs an adaptive algorithm implementing a list having a plurality of list elements. Each list element has one or more echo cancellation parameters and one or more repeater settings. The list may be pruned by employing a minimum distance between elements within the list. A method for stabilizing a wireless repeater includes obtaining an autocorrelation of a signal in a signal path of the repeater, detecting an echo in the signal path based on the autocorrelation, providing a list of elements indicating past successful echo cancellation coefficients and associated repeater settings, and adaptively adjusting an error of the echo cancellation coefficients to cancel the echo in the signal path.
US08150308B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an apparatus that includes a communication interface for receiving broadband signals and for transmitting RF frequency signals to a diplexer located within a premises via cabling where the RF frequency signals are configured for distribution to signal radiation devices of the premises via the diplexer and where the RF frequency signals are configured for being radiated by the signal radiation devices to at least one wireless device; and a controller for generating packetized signals from the received broadband signals at a first frequency and for modulating the packetized signals at a second frequency, wherein the RF frequency signals comprise the modulated packetized signals at the second frequency. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US08150306B2
A fixing device according to an embodiment of the invention is provided with a center coil and a side coil to induction heat a metal roller which supports a belt. An auxiliary pressurizing member which is adjacent to an opposing roller which supports the belt and presses the belt against a heat roller is provided. The distance from the center position of induction heating of a heat roller to an entrance of a nip is equalized to the distance from the center position of induction heating of the metal roller to the entrance of the nip. The distance from the temperature reading position of the heat roller to the center position of induction heating of the heat roller is equalized to the distance from the temperature reading position of the belt to the center position of induction heating of the metal roller.
US08150305B2
Disclosed are a fusing device with improved temperature increase and fusing performance characteristics and an image forming apparatus having the same. The fusing device can include a heater to generate heat, a fusing belt arranged around the heater, a rotating member, a press member and a heat shield unit. The rotating member may be configured to come into contact with an outer periphery of the fusing belt. The press member may be configured to be press a portion of the fusing belt toward the rotating member to define a fusing nip between the fusing belt and the rotating member. The heat shield unit configured to surround the press member to reduce the amount of heat delivered to the press member.
US08150291B2
When there are a plurality of candidate image forming apparatuses that are to be turned ON, a CPU refers to an MFP wearout degree table and obtains wearout degree of each candidate. Then, the CPU determines whether there is any candidate of which wearout degree is lower than a prescribed lower threshold value or not. If there is a candidate of which wearout degree is lower than the prescribed lower threshold value, the CPU determines the image forming apparatus as the object to be powered ON.
US08150284B2
An image forming apparatus is provided that reduces the occurrence of downtime in the case in which the interval between sheets needs to be expanded, and also suppresses the degradation of a photosensitive drum and a developing roller, when continuously forming images. The image forming apparatus of the present invention predicts the start timing of image formation onto the next printing material, and performs control of the positional relationship between the photosensitive drum and the developing roller without decreasing productivity, based on a result of the prediction. Further, the image forming apparatus performs control of the rotating operation of the photosensitive drum, based on the above prediction result.
US08150277B2
There is provided an image forming apparatus that is capable of reducing work burdens imposed on a user in terms of toner cartridge replacement. When a cartridge detection sensor detects that at least one of toner cartridges is emptied, a specified amount of toner is forcibly supplied from another toner cartridge than the toner cartridge subjected to detection to an intermediate hopper. After that, the amount of the toner within the another toner cartridge is detected. When an empty toner cartridge is newly detected, a request for replacement is issued as to both of the newly detected empty toner cartridge and the previously detected empty toner cartridge.
US08150275B2
A toner cartridge comprises a toner container which contains toner, a driving member which rotationally drives a conveying member, an agitating member which agitates a toner in the toner container while being rotated, a driven member which rotates in association with the driving member which is for rotationally driving the agitating member, and a rotational body which rotates according to rotation of the driven member, has a plurality of slits in rotational circumference for identifying a type of the toner cartridge, and has 1/K or more of the slits when a ratio of a rotational speed R1 (rad/s) of the driving member and a rotational speed R2 (rad/s) of the driven member is K=R2/R1.
US08150261B2
A universal remote control device controls both first and second electronic devices that may be remote from each other, via different communication channels. The remote control device is used with an optical fiber network, including a first optical transceiver coupled to the first electronic device, a second optical transceiver coupled to the second electronic device, and an optical fiber coupled between the first optical transceiver and the second optical transceiver. The remote control device comprises an infrared (IR) transmitter for transmitting a first control signal for controlling the first electronic device via an IR communication channel, and a wireless communication interface for transmitting a second control signal for controlling the second electronic device to the first optical transceiver via a wireless communication channel. The second control signal is further transmitted from the first optical transceiver to the second electronic device via the optical fiber and the second optical transceiver.
US08150260B2
The present invention relates to an optical network terminal (ONT), a method for configuring rate limiting attributes of ports, and a method for processing packets. The ONT includes a passive optical network (PON) protocol processing module, and a user network interface (UNI) module, which are connected through an internal interface. The ONT also includes a port rate limiting module connected to a UNI. The port rate limiting module stores rate limiting attributes, and the ONT uses these attributes to control the traffic of the UNI. The port rate limiting attributes are configured for the ONT through an ONT management and control interface (OMCI) message of an optical line terminal (OLT). In this way, when the ONT receives data from the UNI, it can control the traffic of the UNI according to the port rate limiting attributes. The present invention enables the port rate limiting function for the ONT, prevents overflow of the internal receiving buffer of the ONT, and prevents denial of service (DoS) attacks from illegal users.
US08150256B2
An electronic apparatus includes: a window member containing a material that attenuates visible light but transmits specific light that does not lie in the wavelength band of visible light, the window member having a front wall portion having a thickness extending along the direction from the front side to the rear side; a light emitter provided behind the front wall portion, the light emitter emitting the visible light through a first area of the front wall portion; and a light receiver provided behind the front wall portion, the light receiver receiving the specific light passing through a second area of the front wall portion that differs from the first area, wherein the front wall portion in the first area is thinner than the front wall portion in the second area.
US08150244B2
A fluid warming device includes axially or longitudinally slidable covers that retain a removable heat exchange body in a housing in heat exchange communication with a heater assembly while allowing flow through the heat exchange body to be observed. In another aspect, a fluid warming system increases or decreases power to a heater assembly to adjust the fluid temperature to ensure that the fluid is at an appropriate temperature when it reaches the patient.
US08150241B2
The present invention relates to a baseboard heater guard or security device designed to shield the upper and front surfaces of a baseboard heater. The guard or security device comprises two or more vertical members that substantially follow the contour of the outside surface of the baseboard heater forming a frame around the heater. The vertical members comprise or are attached to a fixing member designed for attachment on the wall above the baseboard heater and a second fixing member designed for attachment at a second point on the floor. One or more first horizontal members are attached to the two or more vertical members near the top surface of the baseboard heater. One or more second horizontal members are attached to the two or more vertical members near the front surface of the baseboard heater. Optionally, one or more third horizontal members are attached to at least one first horizontal member or to at least one vertical member, and optionally, one or more fourth horizontal members are attached to at least one second horizontal member or to at least one vertical member substantially creating a barrier on top of the top surface and in front of the front surface of the baseboard heater.
US08150240B2
An optical disk for recording stereoscopic videos and high-quality video signals and a system for reproducing the videos and signals from the optical disk are made compatible with the conventional video reproducing system. A reproducing device which is used for reproducing stereoscopic videos and high-quality videos obtains stereoscopic video or high-quality videos by reproducing both first and second interleaved blocks on the optical disk in which first and second video signals are alternately recorded on the left and right sides by dividing the first and second video signals into frame groups of one GOP or more and a reproducing device which is not used for reproducing the stereoscopic videos and high-quality videos obtains ordinary videos by only reproducing either the first or second interleaved block by jumping tracks.
US08150237B2
For a content-prerecorded large capacity disc-shaped recording medium, a user interface having high flexibility is accomplished. Button image data, corresponding sound data as an effect sound, and control commands for the sound data and image data are multiplexed with a stream and recorded on the disc. A scenario reproduced from the disc is stored in a buffer 104. The image data and sound data are stored in a buffer 105. Image data is read from the buffer 105 in accordance with a scenario and expanded to a graphics plane 133. In addition, corresponding sound data is read from the buffer 105 and reproduced by a sound player 106D. When a button image is varied in accordance with a state change of the button, an effect sound is reproduced. As a result, a more effective user interface is accomplished.
US08150228B2
An acid-stop structure for a rib waveguide comprises a fin structure formed between the sidewalls in each rib channel of the rib waveguide, thereby preventing acids and other etchants from flowing down the rib channel and under a die that has been bonded to a wafer.
US08150215B2
An image pipeline device is used for processing an image. The device comprises an external memory, a direct memory access (DMA), an image pipeline controller, and a filter layer. The image pipeline controller comprises a physical memory allocation (PMA) having a physical buffer unit, and a first array controller for configuring the physical buffer unit as a corresponding first logic buffer unit. The filter layer comprises a first filter set electrically connected to the first array controller correspondingly and having a plurality of filters. The first filter set receives the image through the first array controller, processes the image selectively according to the first logic buffer unit and the filters, and stores the processed image back to the external memory through the DMA.
US08150207B2
The present disclosure describes a method and apparatus for accelerating computation of a Hough transform of a plurality of digital images of known width and height dimensions. The method includes determining a plurality of Hough values for each pixel location based on the width and height dimensions. The method further includes generating a lookup table comprising an array of Hough values corresponding to one or more Hough parameters of at least one geometric shape in at least one digital image. Each element in the array of Hough values may be based on a value of one or more Hough parameters and at least one of a height value or a width value. The method may include receiving a plurality of digital images having known width and height dimensions. The method may further include selecting, for at least one nonzero pixel of at least one of the plurality of digital images, the Hough values from the lookup table. Of course, many alternatives, variations and modifications are possible without departing from this embodiment.
US08150202B2
A method is presented for enhancing an image from an initial image, comprising computing a first luminance level frequency distribution corresponding to plurality of pixel constructing said initial image, representing said first luminance level frequency distribution as a resultant of Gaussian model mixtures to assess relative utilization of overall luminance level across said initial image, computing a desired luminance level frequency distribution as a function of the relative utilization, computing a transfer function to adjust the first luminance level frequency distribution to an enhanced luminance level as a function of desired level frequency distribution estimation, and applying said transfer function globally to said initial image to provide an enhanced image is. The first luminance level can be adapted to be linearized in a logarithmic form. In one embodiment, the model comprises one or more Gaussian functions. The initial image can be a background image estimated from a sequence of images.
US08150200B2
A method for reducing image noise with edge tracking comprises receiving input of an object image data for conversion and a size data of a matrix, namely, a conversion area of the image data; calculating a statistical difference value between each pixel of the image data and a pixel adjacent to the pixel in a predetermined direction and calculating edge map data obtained from the calculation in each predetermined direction; and converting an object pixel for conversion of the image data using calculation pixels located in the matrix of the image data, wherein the conversion step outputs main calculation pixels, namely, calculation pixels having a statistical difference value below a predetermined level with a value of the object pixel among the calculation pixels based on the edge map data, and converts the object pixel using a statistical calculation value of the main calculation pixels.
US08150189B2
There are provided an image generating apparatus and an image generating method, which are capable of generating an image with only a noise portion reliably deleted. A reduced image is generated by reducing the multi-valued image, smoothing processing is executed on the reduced image, an edge image is generated from the reduced image, edge angle information concerning edge angles is generated in pixel units from the edge image, a synthesizing rate of the multi-valued image and the smoothed reduced image is calculated in pixel units of the reduced image based upon the edge angle information. An enlarged image is generated by enlarging the smoothed reduced image to an identical scale, the synthesizing rate calculated in pixel units of the reduced image is converted into a synthesizing rate in pixel units of the enlarged image, and the multi-valued image and the enlarged image are synthesized based upon the converted synthesizing rate.
US08150186B2
An amount-of-compressed-data control method applicable to image data compression processing for compressing an amount of data is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: performing quantization by: dividing one digital image into multiple blocks each having n×n pixels; performing orthogonal transform on each block; and dividing n×n conversion coefficients resulting from the conversion by each threshold value of a quantization matrix including n×n threshold values each resulting from the multiplication of a predetermined coefficient S (where S is a positive real number); and variable-length encoding the quantized data. In this method, the value of the coefficient S allows the amount of compressed data to fit within a predetermined range of a target amount of data by performing the quantization and encoding by dividing the interval that the coefficient S can take on into multiple intervals and calculating the estimated value of the coefficient S based on the relationship between the amount of compressed image data and the coefficient S, which is defined for each of the divided intervals.
US08150185B2
An image processing apparatus generating a thin line binary image and extracting vectors includes: a vector extracting unit configured to raster-scan the thin line binary image by using a pixel matrix including a plurality of pixels to extract a vector to which contour point information is added in accordance with a predetermined pattern of black and white pixels in the pixel matrix; and a coordinate correcting unit configured to detect that the vector has been extracted from a set of black pixels in 2 pixels×2 pixels in the pixel matrix by referring to the contour point information added to the vector and correct a coordinate of a core-line vector in accordance with coordinate correction information included in the contour point information, the core-line vector being produced by reducing the vector to a core line.
US08150184B2
An image encoding apparatus reduces the discontinuation or elimination of thin lines during a transform process including rounding of coefficient data generated by a frequency transform, thereby enabling the ready acquisition of a high-quality reduced image. The image encoding apparatus includes a frequency transform unit configured to frequency-transform an image to generate coefficient data having a low-frequency component and a high-frequency component; a dynamic range control unit configured to add a bit on a least significant bit end of a portion of pixel data of the image that is used for generating the coefficient data of the low-frequency component on a pixel by pixel basis, thereby increasing a dynamic range of the pixel data; and an encoding unit configured to encode the coefficient data generated by the frequency transform unit.
US08150180B2
According to a picture coding method of the present invention, a coded picture identified by a picture number is stored, as a reference picture, into a storage unit; commands indicating correspondence between picture numbers and reference indices for designating reference pictures and coefficients used for generation of predictive images are generated; a reference picture being used when motion compensation is performed on a current block in a current picture to be coded is designated by a reference index; a predictive image is generated by performing linear prediction on a block being obtained by motion estimation within the designated reference picture, by use of a coefficient corresponding to the reference index; a coded image signal including a coded signal obtained by coding a prediction error being a difference between the current block in the current picture to be coded and the predictive image, the commands, the reference index and the coefficient is outputted. At that time, information indicating the maximum reference index value is coded and included into the coded image signal, and the commands indicating correspondence between at least one picture number and a plurality of reference indices are generated.
US08150178B2
Provided are an image encoding/decoding method and apparatus, in which one of a plurality of color component images is predicted from a different color component image reconstructed using a correlation between the plurality of color component images. Using a reconstructed image of a first color component image selected from among the plurality of color component images forming a single color image, the other color component images are predicted.
US08150169B2
Embodiments of computer implemented methods and systems for object clustering and identification are described. One example embodiment includes receiving an unclustered video object, determining a first distance between the unclustered video object and an arbitrary representative video object, the arbitrary representative video object being selected from representative video objects, estimating distances between the unclustered video object and the representative video objects based on the first distance and precalculated distances between the arbitrary representative video object and the representative video objects, and, based on the estimated distances, selectively associating the unclustered video object with a video cluster, thereby producing a clustered video object.
US08150164B2
A system and method for identifying an image based on singular value decomposition is provided. The system includes: a feature point extracting module for extracting at least one of feature points from an input image using strength of a Gaussian curvature of each pixel from the input image; an identifier detecting module for detecting a local identifier based on SVD (singular value decomposition) for blocks adjacent to the extracted feature points; and a matching module for determining whether an image is duplicated or not by comparing the detected local identifier from the identifier detecting module with an image database storing at least one of images.
US08150163B2
This invention describes an efficient super-resolution method for image enhancement that leverages prior knowledge about the specific task for which detail information is recovered. The particular case of barcode scanning is considered. The barcode localization and decoding algorithm of the present invention employs a subpixel-accurate search algorithm which allows for estimating barcode bit values at a higher resolution than that available in the image data itself. It thus allows for the synthesis of image detail from multiple frames with the result containing more detail than any of the input frames. For efficiency, it leverages special properties of the quadrilateral target object as well as prior knowledge about constant patterns in the barcodes of interest. This allows for real-time software implementations on portable devices such as camera-equipped cell phones where super-resolution helps to overcome some of the typical camera resolution and processing power constraints.
US08150161B2
Embodiments of a computer system, a method, and a computer-program product (e.g., software) for use with the computer system are described. These embodiments may be used to identify and correct errors in financial information that was extracted using character-recognition software, such as optical character recognition software and/or intelligent character recognition software. In particular, potential errors may be identified by comparing the financial information for a current financial transaction of a user with expected financial information from one or more previous financial transactions of the user. Error metrics for these potential errors may be determined and used to correct at least some of the potential errors. For example, values of the Levenshtein edit distance may be determined based on the comparison, and one or more potential errors associated with one or more minimum values of the Levenshtein edit distance may be corrected.
US08150157B2
A device for forming a random set of playing cards comprises a card in-feed area, a shuffling system, a card removal area, and a card reading system located within the device, the card reading system employing a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor and a hardware component, the hardware component capable of converting signals from the CMOS sensor into vector sets and comparing the vector sets to known vectors to determine rank and suit.
US08150147B2
The present invention provides an image processing apparatus, and an image processing method, which can reproduce an edge portion with a high resolution in a high resolution raster image, and suppress image degradation such as a jaggy, while suppressing processing cost. In the present invention, an image processing part divides image data of raster data into blocks of M×N pixels (M, N are integers of 1 or more and also at least one of M and N is an integer of 2 or more). Then, the part performs color rounding processing in the block and counts the number of colors in the block. Subsequently, when the number of colors existing in the block is two, the part acquires shape information about arrangement of the two colors. Then, the part stores the shape information and color information for a first color and color information for a second color.
US08150144B2
The invention relates to a method for determining the rotational axis and the rotating center of a vehicle wheel by means of at least two image capture units assigned to each other in position and situation during the journey of the vehicle, and by means of an analysis unit arranged downstream of said units, processing the recorded image information, taking into account multiple wheel features (10) present on the wheel or attached for the measurement, and by means of at least one bodywork feature present on the bodywork or attached for the measurement, wherein 2D-coordinates of the wheel features (10) and of the at least one bodywork feature are synchronously detected, and from these the 3D-coordinates of the features are calculated at certain time intervals and counted back to a previously established reference time point or corresponding reference position of the vehicle wheel, taking into account the distance traveled by the at least one bodywork feature relative to the reference position. To achieve measurement results that are as error free as possible, especially also when traveling on a real driving surface, it is provided that the paths of the wheel features (10) and of the at least one bodywork feature in the evaluation undergo an analysis with respect to the effects of at least one of the influencing variables, steering lock angle, steering motion, driving surface unevenness, and change of speed, and that from the analysis, correction factors or compensation functions are obtained for correcting the effects.
US08150143B2
The present invention discloses a dynamic calibration method for a single and multiple video capture devices. The present invention can acquire the variations of the pan angle and tilt angle of a single video capture device according to the displacement of the feature points between successive images. For a plurality of video capture devices, the present invention includes the epipolar-plane constraint between a plurality of video capture devices to achieve the goal of dynamical calibration. The calibration method in the present invention does not require specific calibration patterns or complicated correspondence of feature points, and can be applied to surveillance systems with wide-range coverage.
US08150142B2
Apparatus for mapping an object includes an illumination assembly, which includes a single transparency containing a fixed pattern of spots. A light source transilluminates the single transparency with optical radiation so as to project the pattern onto the object. An image capture assembly captures an image of the pattern that is projected onto the object using the single transparency. A processor processes the image captured by the image capture assembly so as to reconstruct a three-dimensional (3D) map of the object.
US08150141B2
In apparatuses for automatically acquiring and also for automatically classifying images of defects present on a sample such as a semiconductor wafer, a classifying system is provided which are capable of readily accepting even such a case that a large number of classification classes are produced based upon a request issued by a user, and also even such a case that a basis of the classification class is changed in a high frequency. When the user defines the classification classes, a device for designating attributes owned by the respective classification classes is provided. The classifying system automatically changes a connecting mode between an internally-provided rule-based classifier and an example-based classifier, so that such a classifying system which is fitted to the classification basis of the user is automatically constructed.
US08150137B2
It is a proposition to reduce user's burden when performing tracking observation of a specimen. Therefore, an image processing apparatus includes a storage unit which takes in a plurality of slice images acquired from a specific area of a specimen by each of Z-stack shootings performed at different time point, associates the plurality of slice images each with a shooting time point and slice height z, and stores the plurality of slice images as one of slice image groups, a manual selecting unit which allows user to manually select a representing image (Ia, Ib, Ic, . . . ) from one of slice image groups, and an automatic selecting unit which automatically selects a representing image from another one of slice image groups based on a result of the manual selection.
US08150136B2
The use of an imaging system, cell compartment markers, and molecular markers in methods for correlating the movement of molecules within a cell to a particular compartment are provided, including measuring and correlating molecule movement in adherent and non-adherent cells.
US08150134B2
Disclosed is a method for enhancing blood vessels in angiography images. The method incorporates the use of linear directional features present in an image, extracted by a Directional Filter Bank, to obtain more precise Hessian analysis in noisy environment and thus can correctly reveal small and thin vessels. Also, the directional image decomposition helps to avoid junction suppression, which in turn, yields continuous vessel tree.
US08150131B2
In a computer tomography method an object region of the object being examined is determined in that projection beams that are linked with maximum attenuation are sought in cropped projection images. A central point of the object region is then determined and the object sections associated with the projection beams plotted on the central point. The object region can be at least approximately determined using the end points of the object sections.
US08150130B2
In a magnetic resonance method and apparatus for generation of an angiographic image of a vascular system of a patient, a first data set of k-space data of the region to be examined is acquired using a contrast agent-free magnetic resonance angiography technique, a second data set of k-space data of the region to be examined is acquired using a contrast agent-assisted magnetic resonance angiography technique, and an angiographic image of the region to be examined is produced using both the first measurement data of the first data set and the second measurement data of the second data set.
US08150129B2
Slice image groups of a first photographing opportunity and a second photographing opportunity are acquired. Three-dimensional tumor areas (lesion areas) are extracted from the slice image groups, and a slice image with maximum tumor area is determined as a reference slice image of each slice image group. Based on the reference slice images thus determined, slice images positioned at the same distance away from the reference slice images in the slice direction are respectively acquired from the slice image groups of a first photographing opportunity and a second photographing opportunity, and the acquired slice images are displayed on a monitor device so that images can be compared and interpreted. Thus, an image interpreter can accurately compare and interpret images of lesion areas included in slice image groups with different photographing opportunities.
US08150123B2
Systems and methods are provided for identifying dark areas in images captured by encapsulated cameras or endoscopes and enhancing the visibility of the dark area using intensity stretch. For capsule or endoscope images, there are often some dark areas caused by inadequate lighting. The poor visibility of detailed features in the dark area may reduce the detection rate of anomaly. The present invention calls for a method to detect the dark area based on contour. The intensities inside and outside the dark area are evaluated and are used to generate intensity transformation to stretch intensity in the dark area while minimizing the impact on the image quality outside the dark area.
US08150118B2
There is provided an image recording apparatus for assisting an observer who observes an observed person. The image recording apparatus includes an image-capturing section that captures an image of the observed person, an observation result input section that inputs a result of the observation done on the observed person by the observer, an observer's point of sight position judging section that judges whether the observer looks at the observed person when the image-capturing section captures the image of the observed person, an image extracting section that extracts an image of the observed person for which the observer's point of sight position judging section judges that the observer looks at the observed person, a physical status quantifying section that quantifies a physical status of the observed person by analyzing the image of the observed person which is extracted by the image extracting section, for an observation result which is input by the observation result input section and corresponds to the image of the observed person which is extracted by the image extracting section, and a physical status data storing section that stores thereon physical status quantified data which is generated by the quantification by the physical status quantifying section, in association with the corresponding observation result.
US08150116B2
A method and system for detection of deformable structures in medical images is disclosed. Deformable structures can represent blood flow patterns in images such as Doppler echocardiograms. A probabilistic, hierarchical, and discriminant framework is used to detect such deformable structures. This framework integrates evidence from different primitive levels via a progressive detector hierarchy, including a series of discriminant classifiers. A target deformable structure is parameterized by a multi-dimensional parameter, and primitives or partial parameterizations of the parameter are determined. An input image is received, and a series of primitives are sequentially detected using the progressive detector hierarchy, in which each detector or classifier detects a corresponding primitive. The final detector detects configuration candidates for the deformable structure.
US08150112B2
The invention addresses the problem of reproducibly estimating statistics in structurally significant regions of interest of medical volumes where the data is acquired as projections of a Cartesian-space distribution. The regions of interest (ROI) are specified to a high resolution using a spatial reference dataset, and these are mapped to the spatial frame of reference of the apparatus on which the data was acquired. This allows the regions to be projected on to the detector loci of the apparatus and ROI activity is estimated directly from measurement projections. The invention also addresses problems associated with poor delineation of ROIs.
US08150099B2
An image processing device includes: a face detection unit that detects a face region of a person from an image formed by a plurality of pixels; and a scene judgment unit that judges a scene of the image according to a pixel value of the face region of the person detected by the face detection unit and a pixel value of a nonface region excluding the face region in the image.
US08150098B2
A method of grouping images captured in a common location, including receiving a collection of images; classifying the images into a set of events, where each image in the collection belongs to no more than one event; analyzing background region(s) of images from each event to determine one or more features that represent the event; and comparing features from at least two events to determine which events occurred in a common location.
US08150094B2
An electroacoustic transducer comprises an electric sound conversion section that vibrates a mechanical device based on an electric signal so as to emit a sound wave; and an electromagnetic wave radiation section that generates and emits an electromagnetic wave from the electrical signal.
US08150090B2
The present invention provides a headphone with a more comfortable and stable feeling to the user when being worn by the user. The headphone includes a headphone section that has a sound-sending section of a speaker unit arranged at the front surface side thereof, and has its rear surface side covered by a housing, and an ear pad that covers the sound-sending section of the speaker unit. In the ear pad, a porous elastic body of low repulsion is covered by a pad cover.
US08150088B2
In a gooseneck condenser microphone that supports a condenser microphone unit via a support pipe, when the microphone is used by inserting a microphone cable through the support pipe in the state in which a shield covered wire having no skin is exposed throughout the entire length thereof, the movement of the microphone cable in the support pipe is restricted, by which the generation of noise caused by looseness contact of the shield covered wire with the inner wall of the support pipe is prevented. The microphone cable 40 is inserted through the support pipe in the state in which the shield covered wire 43 having no skin is exposed throughout the entire length thereof, and is provided with a conductive contact, in which the central part 51 thereof is held in a state of conducting with the shield covered wire 43, and wing pieces 52 on both sides are extended in the direction substantially perpendicular to the axis line of the microphone cable 40 so as to be in contact elastically with the inner surface of the support pipe, in the predetermined portion of the shield covered wire 43.
US08150075B2
An intra-oral hearing appliance includes an actuator to provide bone conduction sound transmission; a transceiver coupled to the actuator to cause the actuator to generate sound; and a first chamber containing the actuator and the transceiver, said first chamber adapted to be coupled to one or more teeth without contacting the occlusal surfaces of the one or more teeth.
US08150068B2
Signals on respective RL, FL, C, FR, RR channels are divided into high frequency signals and low frequency signals by HPFs and LPFs respectively. The low frequency signals on the RL, FL, and C channels are superposed and output from a left-side woofer 21-1, while the low frequency signals on the RR, FR, and C channels are superposed and output from a right-side woofer 21-2. A predetermined directivity is given to the high frequency signals on respective channels by directivity controlling portions 17-1 to 17-5 respectively, and resultant signals are output from respective speaker units 20-1 to 20-n of an array speaker to generate virtual sound sources by the reflection from wall surfaces. A crossover frequency f2 of the rear channels (RL, RR) is set higher than a crossover frequency f1 of the front channels (FL, FR), and the signals on the rear channels are shaped into a narrow beam to generate a high-quality surround sound field.
US08150066B2
A sound signal processing device causes an amplifier to amplify a low frequency signal and synthesizes the amplified low frequency signal with a middle or high frequency signal so as to output the resultant output signal. A gain control section controls a gain of the amplifier on the basis of an amplitude of the output signal. As a result, it is possible to amplify the low frequency signal without any clipping in a receiving end device and without any unstable volume of a middle or high frequency component.
US08150065B2
Systems and methods for audio signal processing are provided. In exemplary embodiments, a filter cascade of complex-valued filters are used to decompose an input audio signal into a plurality of frequency components or sub-band signals. These sub-band signals may be processed for phase alignment, amplitude compensation, and time delay prior to summation of real portions of the sub-band signals to generate a reconstructed audio signal.
US08150060B2
A surround sound outputting device includes a receiving portion which receives signals on a plurality of channels, a storing portion which stores measuring sound data representing a sound, an outputting portion which outputs a sound produced based on the signals on the plurality of channels or the measuring sound data in a controlled direction and in a beam shape, a controlling portion which controls a direction of the sound output from the outputting portion, a sound collecting portion which picks up the sound output from the outputting portion to produce picked-up sound data representing the picked-up sound, an impulse response specifying portion which specifies impulse responses in respective directions from respective sound data, a path characteristic specifying portion which specifies path distances of the paths through which the sounds output in the respective directions arrive at the sound collecting portion from the outputting portion and levels of the impulse responses based on the impulse responses in the respective directions, and an allocating portion which specifies directions satisfying a predetermined relationship between the path distances of the paths in the respective directions and the levels of the impulse responses with respect to the plurality of channels respectively, and allocates the signals on the plurality of channels to the specified directions. The controlling portion controls the outputting portion so that respective sounds based on the signals on the plurality of channels are output in the directions specified by the allocating portion.
US08150056B2
There is provided an audio signal transmitting apparatus which can communicate with a plurality of external connection apparatuses and transmits audio signals to the external connection apparatuses. The audio signal transmitting apparatus includes an external output unit which outputs the audio signal to the outside, an audio signal transmitting unit which transmits the audio signal to the external connection apparatus being in a communicable state, and an audio output control unit which, when headphone information representing that a headphone function that outputs the audio signal through headphones is valid is received from at least one of the external connection apparatuses which receive the audio signals, performs control to stop an output by the external output unit.
US08150046B2
A portable electronic device includes a processor provided in a housing, a jack being sized for receiving a plug of an audio accessory and having electrical connectors for enabling communication between the audio accessory and the processor, the electrical connectors for contacting corresponding electrical connectors of the plug and a switching circuit in communication with the processor and the electrical connectors, the switching circuit for determining a pin-out of the plug and routing audio signals between ungrounded ones of the corresponding electrical connectors of the plug and the processor.
US08150033B2
A method of encrypting a set of data is disclosed. The method may include encoding a set of data with a first encryption key, and transforming the set of data encoded with the first encryption key. The method may also include using a second encryption key to encode the transformation of the set of data encoded with the first encryption key. The method may also include transforming the encoded transformation of the set of data encoded with the first encryption key generating thereby and encrypted set of data.
US08150030B2
A device and a method of cryptographically hashing a message M, including the following steps: forming a sequence (M1, . . . , Mi, . . . , Mc) of data m-tuples M1=(a1,1, . . . , a1,m), . . . Mi=(ai,1, . . . , ai,m), . . . , Mc=ac,1, . . . , ac,m), where m is a strictly positive integer, from said message M; iteratively calculating successive output p-tuples V1, . . . , Vi, . . . , Vc, where p is a strictly positive integer, corresponding to said sequence (M1, . . . , Mi, . . . , Mc) of data m-tuples as a function of at least one set of multivariate polynomials defined over a finite field; and determining a hashing value of said message M as a function of the last output p-tuple Vc.
US08150020B1
In a method for use in Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems, an IVR is configured such that voice prompts provided to a caller vary systematically and caller hang-up activity is attributed to the particular version of a prompt played to the caller. Voice prompt modifications are chosen based on how long the caller willingly listens to the voice prompt. A relatively short time listening to a prompt before hang-up, indicates dissatisfaction with that prompt. The system compares caller hang-up rates for each of the phrases in a prompt and chooses the optimum solution, which is the variant of the prompt with the longest caller listening time. Optionally, the system compares hang up rates to a threshold and contingent on that comparison chooses an alternative version of the prompt.
US08150018B2
A method includes receiving a request to provision a path associated with at least a portion of a packet network and determining whether a router is associated with the path in the packet network. The method also includes provisioning a first connection between a first gateway and a second gateway when the router is not associated with the path. The method further includes provisioning a second connection between the first gateway and the router and a third connection between the router and the second gateway when the router is associated with the path. In addition, the method includes at least one of associating and disassociating a first endpoint of the first gateway and a second endpoint of the second gateway with one or more of the connections.
US08150013B2
A system and method of telephony resource management and security for monitoring and/or controlling incoming and outgoing calls between an enterprise's end-user stations and a public circuit-switched network and/or a public packet-switched network. A security policy is made up of one or more rules designating at least one action to be performed based on at least one attribute of the incoming or outgoing call. Calls are detected and sensed on the line, trunk and/or cabling, and analyzed to determine attributes associated with each call. Actions are performed based upon the determined attributes, in accordance with the security policy rules.
US08150012B2
A communication system that enables a requesting station to receive information for the local time of the present situs of a target station. The communication system includes a time server that receives a request for the local time of the current situs of the target station. The time server may determine the present time of the target station by querying a location server for the present situs of the target station. The time server uses the situs information to obtain the local time to of the target station based on the present situs. The time information is transmitted to the requesting station for presentation to a user.
US08150010B2
According to an aspect of the embodiment provides a communication terminal for communicating in a network. The terminal receives from another communication terminal a request includes an obscured call information for obscuring an identification information. The communication terminal obscures the identification information after receiving the request.
US08150006B2
Method and apparatus for performing call correlation across network elements are disclosed. For example, the method receives by a first correlation engine one or more Call Detail Records (CDRs) from one or more network elements at a completion of a call wherein each of said one or more CDRs contains a correlation identification and a service identification. The method identifies a list of expected CDRs for said call and determines whether all of said expected CDRs for said call are received. The method then creates a CDR set for the call.
US08149995B2
Methods and systems for providing electronic notifications are described. A server is configured to serve an interface, such as a Web page, to a terminal that requests from a user a first set of user contacts to be used to provide notifications to the user by a telephonic notification system in response to a notification process initiated by an organization associated with the user. The interface further requests a first set of priorities corresponding to the first set of user contacts, wherein the notification system will attempt to provide notifications to the first set user contracts in an order based at least in part on the first set of priorities. A database is configured to store the first set of user contacts and the first set of priorities. A voice interface circuit is configured to transmit a voice notification to at least one of the first set of user contacts.
US08149991B2
A treatment planning and delivery system includes a treatment planner (102) and a treatment device (104). The treatment planner (102) develops a treatment plan that satisfies one or more of treatment objectives (122), treatment device output objectives (124), and treatment device parameter objectives (126). The treatment plan is applied by the treatment device (104), Examples of treatment device output and treatment device parameter objectives include spatial and temporal objectives.
US08149990B2
This invention relates to x-ray imaging, especially to an imaging arrangement used in intra-oral x-ray imaging, to a wireless imaging sensor and to a base station for the sensor as well as to methods for supplying operating power to the sensor and transmitting information to the sensor and from the sensor wirelessly, in which invention such a wireless power transmission link is used, which is arranged to be used for supplying energy to the sensor in connection with the imaging process.
US08149986B2
A shift register circuit is provided that can suppress a decrease in a drive capability when a frequency of a clock signal increases. A unit shift register includes a first transistor for supplying a clock signal to an output terminal, a pull-up driving circuit for driving the first transistor, a second transistor for discharging the output terminal, and a pull-down driving circuit for driving the second transistor. In the pull-up driving circuit, the gate of a third transistor charging the gate of the first transistor is charged in accordance with activation of an output signal of preceding stage, and the potential at the gate of the third transistor is increased with a capacitive element. As a result, the third transistor operates in the non-saturated region.
US08149975B2
A system for identifying at least one phase transition in a phase-shift keying signal comprising a plurality of data samples corresponding to phase values. The system comprises a memory operable to store computing device executable instructions; and a computing device. The computing device is operable to generate a first falling edge region function for each data sample; generate a first rising edge function for each data sample; generate a first level function for each data sample; and generate a second falling edge function for each data sample. The second falling edge function equals the first falling edge function if the first falling edge function is greater than the first rising edge function and the first level function, and the second falling edge function equals zero.
US08149974B2
A comparison period detecting unit (11) defines, as a comparison period, a period between a rising edge of a first clock signal and a rising edge of a second clock signal, and detects the presence or absence of transition of a data signal during the comparison period. A phase relationship detecting unit (12) detects a phase relationship between the data signal and a reference clock signal, and outputs a result of detection of the phase relationship when the comparison period detecting unit (11) detects transition of the data signal during the comparison period.
US08149973B2
A clock recovery circuit capable of simultaneously satisfying all of a bit synchronization period, a clock wander tracking performance, and a high high-frequency jitter tolerance. The clock recovery circuit includes: a phase difference detecting circuit that detects a phase difference between an input data signal and a recovery clock; an averaging circuit that averages the output of the phase difference detecting circuit; a sampling and holding circuit with resetting that samples and holds the output of the phase difference detecting circuit; and a recovery clock generating circuit that generates a recovery clock having a phase corresponding to the sum of the integral value of the output of the averaging circuit and the output of the sampling and holding circuit with resetting. The sampling and holding circuit with resetting receives a burst transmission start signal and samples and holds the output of the phase difference detecting. In addition, the sampling and holding circuit with resetting receives a burst transmission end signal and resets the held value to an initial value.
US08149971B2
A wireless receiver detects signals received at two or more antennas, with each antenna coupled to an input receive chain. A switch is employed to couple selected input receive chains to one or more corresponding output receive chains during listening, coarse-detection, and fine-adjustment modes. At least one channel selection filter (CSF) is employed in each output receive chain, and the receiver employs sub-ranging. During idle mode, one antenna's input receive chain is connected to two or more CSFs to detect the packet. When the packet is detected, during a coarse-adjustment mode, the CSFs are reconfigured to couple each antenna's input receive chain to a corresponding output receive chain using low-gain signals. During fine-adjustment mode, the various gains are adjusted to be either high- or low-gain to maintain signals within the dynamic range of the corresponding CSFs.
US08149964B2
Techniques for scaling symbols to account for large abrupt changes in received power at a user equipment (UE) are described. The UE performs AGC on received samples to obtain input samples. The UE processes (e.g., CDMA demodulates) the input samples to obtain first symbols. The UE determines the power of the input samples and derives a symbol gain based on (e.g., inversely related to) the power of the input samples. The UE scales the first symbols with the symbol gain to obtain detected data symbols having approximately constant amplitude, even with large abrupt changes in the power of the input samples. The UE estimates signal amplitude and noise variance based on the detected data symbols, computes LLRs for code bits of the detected data symbols based on the signal amplitude and noise variance, and decodes the LLRs to obtain decoded data.
US08149963B2
A method and apparatus for use in connection with wireless communication to adjust the frequency of an oscillator to synchronize with a received signal by correlating a synchronization code channel with training sequences to estimate relative offsets which are employed to estimate an error, which is then filtered. The filtered output preferably provides a voltage controlling a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). The same technique may be employed to control a numeric controlled oscillator (NCO).
US08149956B1
An automatic zero-crossing signal demodulation and classification device for rapidly identifying an unknown modulation in a signal identifies an unknown modulation in a signal, demodulates differential phase shift keying signals and automatically recognizes certain phase shift keying signals. This is accomplished by eliminating the unknown term fc in differential phase estimation, introducing a symbol rate tracking mechanism, applying hysteresis nonlinearity to eliminate the phase shaping effect and using a weighted average to estimate the phase difference. Better estimates are accomplished by using the hysteretic nonlinear function to detect the zero-crossing points in eliminating the false detecting of the zero-crossing points caused by the additive noise, and calculating differential phase without directly using the center frequency to simplify the estimation process. The present invention also encompasses an automated zero-crossing signal surveillance demodulation and classification device for rapidly identifying an unknown modulation in a signal and a method for automatic zero-crossing demodulation and classification of an unknown modulation signal.
US08149953B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit equipped with an equalizer which has a circuit structure simpler than that of a related equalizer according to an FFE scheme or a DFE scheme and is capable of preventing a noise component from being amplified. The data receiver includes a plurality of receiver units, wherein each receiver unit includes a plurality of level detectors which detect different levels, and an encoder, in which the level detectors receive data according to a clock signal having a predetermined phase difference and perform an amplification operation including an equalization function based on feedback data, thereby outputting an amplification signal, and wherein level detectors of one receiver unit receive an amplification signal, as the feedback data, from level detectors of another receiver unit that receives a first clock signal having a phase more advanced than a phase of a second clock signal received in one receiver unit.
US08149951B2
A digital broadcast system including a broadcast receiving system and data processing method are disclosed. In the broadcast receiving system receiving broadcast signals, the broadcast receiving system includes a transmission parameter decoding unit, a known sequence detector, and a burst controller. The transmission parameter decoding unit detects information on a burst of a received signal from broadcast data having main service data and mobile service data multiplexed therein within a field of the received signal and outputs the detected information on the burst. The known sequence detector receives burst information from the transmission parameter decoding unit and uses the received burst information and known data position information included in the received data, so as to output burst control information. The burst controller uses the burst control information to control power supply of the broadcast receiving system.
US08149946B2
A method and apparatus for transmitting data in a MIMO communication system, the method including encoding at least one data symbol by implementing a first precoding scheme, the first preceding scheme including a precoder derived from a first channel state information (CSI). The method further includes selecting at least one antenna that maximizes the first CSI, the at least one antenna being selected by implementing a first selection scheme, and transmitting the at least one data symbol via the at least one antenna.
US08149943B2
An MB OFDM system that includes a coder, responsive to a stream of at least one incoming symbol, to form therefrom a set including channel symbols that correspond to each incoming symbol, such that the channel symbols include the incoming symbol, the negative of the incoming symbol, the complex conjugate of an incoming symbol, and a negative of a complex conjugate of an incoming symbol; an output stage configured to: when two of the channel symbols are complex conjugates of one another, the output stage transforms one of the two channel symbols as the output of a single IFFT and the other of the two channel symbols by a reversal of the index of the output and creates OFDM symbols from the transformed symbols using an IFFT such that the two transformed OFDM symbols are copies of each other with inversed indices.
US08149930B2
Among destination terminal apparatuses to which a plurality of data signals are to be transmitted, a control unit specifies a terminal apparatus to which a known signal, whose number of streams is greater than the number of streams for a data signal, is to be transmitted. The control unit appends a known signal, whose number of streams is greater than the number of streams for this data signal, to the data signal which is to be transmitted to the specified terminal apparatus. While assigning the data signal, to which the known signal has been appended, to a posterior part of the plurality of data signals, the control unit generates packet signals in a manner that a known signal, whose number of streams corresponds to the number of streams for a data signal in a header portion, is appended to a header portion of the plurality of data signals.
US08149926B2
A deblocking unit may include a buffer, an edge mask generator, and a deblocking filter. The buffer may store video data including blocks. The blocks may correspond to at least a portion of a macroblock. The edge mask generator may generate a particular edge mask that defines edges between blocks to be deblocked. The edge mask generator may include an edge mask memory to store a number edge masks and logic to choose the particular edge mask among the number of edge masks. The logic may choose based on a type of the video data in the buffer and a position offset of the macroblock. The deblocking filter may deblock edges between blocks of video data in the buffer based on the particular edge mask from the edge mask generator.
US08149919B2
In one embodiment, the method includes obtaining a reference picture list including multiple reference pictures, and determining an initial reference picture index of the multiple reference pictures in the reference picture list based on display order information for the multiple reference pictures. The reference picture index numbers increase for reference pictures having a decreasing display order with respect to a picture including the macroblock, and the reference picture numbers increase for reference pictures having an increasing display order with respect to the picture including the macroblock. The reference picture index numbers of the reference pictures having a decreasing display order are greater than the reference picture index numbers of the reference pictures having an increasing display order. The initial reference picture index is selectively modified to produce a determined reference picture index based on the macroblock level of the macroblock. The determined reference picture index is the initial reference picture index if the macroblock level of the macroblock is a frame, and the determined reference picture index is a modification of the initial reference picture index if the macroblock level of the macroblock is a field. The macroblock is decoded by selecting at least one reference picture from the reference picture list using the determined reference picture index.
US08149916B2
A decoder for video signals, such as MPEG, which uses motion-compensated bidirectional predictive coding, performs concealment of lost or corrupted portions of a picture. For this purpose, it estimates missing motion vectors by combining the two vectors which accompany a bidirectionally coded frame to create a substitute vector. An encoder can be modified to enhance this decoder operation, including forcing at least one frame per group of frames to be coded using bidirectional prediction, and constraining the two vectors so that the substitute vector is closer to the wanted value.
US08149907B2
An adaptive equalization apparatus is provided. The adaptive equalization apparatus includes an equalizer, a monitor circuit, and a control circuit. The equalizer receives a first signal, and equalizes the first signal according to an equalization parameter setting to thereby generate a second signal. The monitor circuit is electrically connected to the equalizer, and monitors edges of the second signal in a real-time manner to thereby generate a detection result. The control logic is electrically connected to the equalizer, and adaptively adjusts the equalization parameter setting according to the detection result.
US08149895B2
The number of users and data capacity of wireless systems are increased by employing apparatus and method for increasing the number of spreading codes available in the system by providing a mechanism to reuse the already allocated spreading code or use the codes that may correlate to those already being used within the same sector/cell. This, in return, provides capacity improvement proportional to the number of added base station (BS) antennas for each cell. An antenna null steering technique for code allocation maintains the cross correlation properties of the codes only for the desired user and to obtain a gain in capacity improvement.
US08149894B2
Ultra-wideband frequency hopping spread spectrum (UWB-FHSS) solutions are used for transceiver architectures. These UWB-FHSS transceiver architectures can transmit and accurately digitize frequency hops over an extremely wide bandwidth while using a relatively slow analog-to-digital converter (ADC) without suffering from unacceptable performance degradation. For example, ADCs can be used having sample rates lower than standard Nyquist criteria would require for the bandwidth of the spread spectrum utilized.
US08149890B2
Provided is a multiple distributed feedback laser device which includes a first distributed feedback region, a modulation region, a second distributed feedback region, and an amplification region. An active layer is disposed on the substrate of the first distributed feedback region, the modulation region, the second distributed feedback region, and the amplification region. A first diffraction grating is disposed in the first distributed feedback region to be coupled to the active layer in the first distributed feedback region. A second diffraction grating is disposed in the second distributed feedback region to be coupled to the active layer in the second distributed feedback region. The multiple distributed feedback laser device further includes a first micro heater configured to supply heat to the first diffraction grating and a second micro heater configured to supply heat to the second diffraction grating.
US08149881B2
The invention is directed to a method and system for providing centralized automated synchronization clock reconfiguration in packet switched telecommunications networks having network nodes that do not implement Synchronization Status Messaging (SSM) internally. This is especially useful when integrating TDM networks with packet switching network elements having T1 and E1 interfaces.
US08149880B1
A system and method for synchronously transmitting media data is described. Synchronization data may be transmitted by a cycle master for receipt by one or more cycle slaves. A cycle slave may update an internal state based on the synchronization data received from the cycle master. The cycle master may transmit media data to multiple cycle slaves. The media data output by the cycle slaves may be determined, in part, by the internal state. In one embodiment, the media data may determine which cycle slave receives particular media data.
US08149875B2
A technique is provided for processing data in a packet-based communications environment. A single data packet is encapsulated into a single link layer packet data unit. The link layer unit is encoded to form at least one code block. After the currently available radio resource capacity during a fixed duration transmission interval has been determined, bits within the code block are selected to fit into or otherwise match the radio resource capacity. Thereafter, the selected bits are transmitted via a physical layer. In some variations, unsolicited redundant sets of bits are transmitted thereafter to facilitate successful receipt.
US08149873B2
A data transmission apparatus connecting to a network consisted of a plurality of data transmission apparatuses comprises a disconnecting device that disconnects a connection established between a transmission plug of a transmitting node and a reception plug of a receiving node, both nodes being connected to the network, an optimization requesting device that requests optimization of transmitting sequences to the transmitting node, a receiver that receives information about a transmission plug newly assigned to the transmitting sequence used by the transmitting nodes of which connection has been disconnected by the disconnecting device, the information being received as an answer for the optimization request from the transmitting node, and a connecting device that establishes a new connection between the newly assigned transmission plug and the reception plug of the receiving node of which connection has been disconnected by the disconnecting device.
US08149869B2
The present invention relates to a telecommunication network for establishing radiofrequency links between gateways and ground terminals via a telecommunication satellite with several spot beams, known as a multispot satellite. The network includes a multispot satellite including a payload for the reception, processing and retransmitting of telecommunication signals received by said satellite, a service area comprised of a plurality of basic coverage areas, known as cells, each cell including a plurality of ground terminals and a plurality NGWactive of active gateways interconnected by a ground network, NGWactive being an integer, said satellite relaying signals sent by said NGWactive active gateways to said cells. Furthermore, the network includes NGW gateways, NGW being an integer strictly greater than the number NGWactive of active gateways, said NGW gateways being interconnected by said ground network and including said NGWactive active gateways such that NGW−NGWactive gateways are not active.
US08149866B2
A system and method and method for filtering communications at a network interface controller is provided. The network interface controller is coupled to a baseboard management controller through a sideband communications channel. The network interface controller filters packets to the baseboard management controller on the basis of the address within the packet that identifies the device that caused the packet to be generated. The network interface controller transmits to the baseboard management controller only those packets that were generated in response to a command issued by the baseboard management controller.
US08149865B2
A cognitive radio communication terminal including a transmission processing unit to divide data by a quiet time slot that is allocated at a first point in time of a collision detection period, to transmit at least one portion of the divided data to a reception side, and a sensing unit to determine whether at least one of a feature information and an energy of another terminal is detected in a channel with the reception side during the quiet time slot of the first point in time. Where neither the feature information nor the energy of the other terminal is detected based on a determination of the sensing unit, the transmission processing unit transmits the remaining divided data.
US08149857B2
A system and method are provided for modifying an existing HDSL system to allow for remote access to performance monitoring information stored on each HDSL circuit card. This is accomplished by attaching a cable harness to an existing chassis. A cable harness containing a number of data lines equal to the number of circuit cards in the chassis is housed in a moveable bar which protects the harness and allows removal or insertion of HDSL circuit cards. Each data line attaches to a data port on the individual circuit cards, and the cable harness terminates to a multiplexer (shelf multiplexing unit). A system controller unit provides power and signaling to the shelf multiplexing unit, instructing the multiplexing unit to select an individual data line connected to an individual circuit card. Then utilizing a mutually agreed upon communications means, the system controller unit extends the HDSL data port connection to a remote location. This distributed multiplexing arrangement provides economical remote access to all circuit cards in a central office from a remote location. Utilizing specialized user software, a user can access any circuit card connected to the data lines of the cable harness. The user software provides a terminal emulation so a user can have a virtual connection to the circuit card interface from a remote location. The user can then navigate through various menus provided by the circuit card interface as if the user were directly connected to the circuit card.
US08149853B2
Ethernet wide area networks and methods are disclosed. A disclosed example Ethernet wide area network includes a first network Ethernet switch having a first network interface and a first service interface. The first service interface is to communicate with a first local area Ethernet switch. The network also includes a second network Ethernet switch having a second network interface and a second service interface. The second service interface is to communicate with the second local area Ethernet switch. The network also includes a root node network Ethernet switch having a third network interface to communicate with the first network interface with the first network Ethernet switch and a fourth network interface to communicate with the second network interface of the second network Ethernet switch. The first, second, third and fourth network interfaces are to route packets from the first local area Ethernet switch to the second local area Ethernet switch without recognizing subscriber LAN MAC addresses associated with either the first or second local area Ethernet switches.
US08149850B2
A system and method for mediating the routing of asynchronous messages includes routing the asynchronous message to a first recipient, determining whether the first recipient opened the asynchronous message, and re-routing the asynchronous message to a second recipient who is qualified to receive and respond to the message if the first recipient fails to open the message. In an aspect, the second recipient is selected based upon the role that the second recipient performs within the system. In another aspect, the message is re-routed to the second recipient if the first recipient fails to open the message within a deadline imposed by the message sender. In another aspect, the message is re-routed to the second recipient if the first recipient fails to open the message within a deadline automatically imposed by the system when the message is of a certain type.
US08149842B2
Disclosed are, inter alia, methods, apparatus, computer-storage media, mechanisms, and means associated with automated discovery of network devices supporting particular transport layer protocols, such as, but not limited to Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP). Packet switching devices automatically discover peer packet switching devices supporting a particular transport layer protocol, and then establish a session using the particular transport layer protocol between them for subsequent use in transporting packets.
US08149841B2
Systems and methods for performing customizable analysis of a communication session between two entities includes loading predetermined first parser definitions, stored as at least one binary file, receiving second parser definitions in a form other than a binary file form, after the first parser definitions are already operating, loading and compiling the second parser definitions, and applying the first and second parser definitions to a communication session, wherein the first parser definitions identify standard components of the communication session and the second parser definitions are customizable and identify non-standard components of the communication session.
US08149840B2
A method, a system, and a processor for processing a network address translation (NAT) service are provided. The method includes: performing NAT service identification of a received message, and selecting a corresponding NAT service processor for processing a NAT service of a message that needs a NAT service processing from at least two NAT service processors. Through embodiments of the disclosure, a demand for the system to process a lot of NAT services within a short time is fulfilled, so as to increase the capacity of processing NAT services of the system.
US08149839B1
Techniques that offer enhanced diversity in the selection of paths (e.g., ECMP paths) and/or ports from ports associated with trunks for forwarding network data traffic. In one embodiment, a network device uses a rotate function to generate a rotated index (path index) that is used to select a path (e.g., an ECMP) path from multiple paths (e.g., multiple ECMP paths) for forwarding a packet. A network device may also generate a rotated index (trunk index) that is used to select an output port from multiple output ports associated with a trunk for forwarding the packet.
US08149831B2
In an application level multicast (ALM), multiple flows of data packets containing shared material are destined for different devices. A packet compression device is used to compress the data packets to reduce traffic load. This compression device includes a cache for recording the payloads of selected data packets which currently are not of record in the cache. If it is determined that the cache has therein a record of an identical version of the payload of a data packet, the compression device releases a compressed version of the data packet which includes a representation of the payload in lieu of the actual payload.
US08149828B2
Methods and apparatus for network communications are disclosed. In an example embodiment, a network switch assembly for network communications comprises a fabric blade. In the example embodiment, the at least one switch comprises a plurality of data port interfaces, where the plurality of data port interfaces are configured to transmit and receive data over a plurality of fabric data ports. The at least one switch of the fabric blade also includes a central processing unit (CPU) interface configured to communicate with an external CPU subsystem. The example network switch assembly also includes a plurality of port blades. Each port blade of the plurality of port blades includes a local CPU and at least one switch. In the example network switch assembly, the at least one switch of each port blade includes a plurality of data port interfaces, where the plurality of data port interfaces being configured to transmit and receive data over a plurality of port data ports. The at least one switch of each port blade in the example network switch assembly also includes a local CPU interface configured to communicate with the local CPU.
US08149811B2
A wireless network including client stations and an access point. A first set of client stations transmit uplink user data during a simultaneous uplink transmission period without sensing channel prior to transmitting the uplink user data. A second set of client stations transmit the uplink user data by sensing channel prior to transmitting the uplink user data. The access point (i) services the client stations, (ii) instructs the second set of client stations to not transmit the uplink user data during the simultaneous uplink transmission period, and (iii) receives the uplink user data transmitted from two or more of the first set of client stations during the simultaneous uplink transmission period. The access point sequentially transmits respective acknowledgements to the two or more of the first set of client stations in a non-overlapping manner during the simultaneous uplink transmission period.
US08149804B2
Embodiments of a multi-transceiver wireless communication device and methods for operating during device discovery and connection establishment are generally described herein. In some embodiments, the multi-transceiver wireless communication device includes a broadband wireless access network (BWAN) transceiver and a short-range frequency-hopping (SRFH) transceiver. The SRFH transceiver transmits a non-continuous sequence of either page or inquiry trains to either discover or establish an initial connection with a SRFH device when an active BWAN connection exists with a base station. The non-continuous sequence of trains may include a regularly repeating vacant transmission interval selected to coincide with listen intervals of frames when the BWAN transceiver is in sleep mode.
US08149798B2
To automatically set up temporarily the parameters required for radio communication, based on the parameters acquired from another base station apparatus existing in the neighborhood. A pair of base station identifier and down scrambling code reported from a base station apparatus in the neighborhood is acquired. The non-overlapping down scrambling code is set to a newly established base station apparatus based on the acquired contents. Whether or not the base station apparatus is located in the neighborhood is judged according to at least one of the Hop number and the required arrival time on a communication path up to the base station apparatus.
US08149787B2
A system and method for coordinating network operation modes of a GPRS network is disclosed. The system includes a database storing a preferred list of network operation modes of the GPRS network that a mobile subscriber registered for. A SGSN detects the status of an interface for GPRS packet data services and reports the status to a BSC. BSC in turn decides which network operation mode to use based on the preferred list. The GPRS network is then switched to the preferred network operation mode.
US08149785B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products for jumping a call between modes of the same device are disclosed. According to one method, a call is established between a first mode of a calling device and a call device. An indication is received to jump the call to a second mode of the calling device. In response to the indication, the call is jumped to a second mode of the calling device such that the call continues between the second mode of the calling device and the called device.
US08149774B1
Disclosed in this document is an improved mechanism for notifying mobile stations that they should not seek to initiate a communication in a given wireless coverage area. The solution is to use a specially designated PN-offset as the indicator that a problem situation exists in the coverage area and that a mobile station should not seek to initiate communication in the coverage area. When a RAN detects a problem condition in a coverage area, the RAN changes the PN-offset of the coverage area to be a reserved PN-offset, and mobile stations are programmed to not seek service on any reserved PN-offset. Advantageously, the process helps stop mobile stations from operating in a problem coverage area without requiring the mobile stations to first lock onto the PN-offset of the coverage area and to then receive some sort of overhead message directing the mobile stations to not operate in the coverage area.
US08149769B2
Provided are apparatus and method of transmitting and receiving a reception acknowledgment signal in a mobile communication system. The apparatus and method of receiving the reception acknowledgment signal includes respectively calculating a probability that the received reception acknowledgment signal is a reception success signal and a probability that the reception acknowledgment signal is a reception failure signal, by using an estimated packet error rate predicted based on a pre-set required packet error rate and determining whether the reception acknowledgment signal is the reception success signal or the reception failure signal. The apparatus and method of transmitting a reception acknowledgment signal includes determining transmission powers of a reception success signal and a reception failure signal in order to maximize a difference between a first complex signal and a second complex signal, the first complex signal being modulated for the reception success and the second complex signal being modulated for the reception failure, based on the average transmission power and a pre-set required packet error rate. The apparatus and method of transmitting reception acknowledgment signals transmits a single packet indicating reception successes or failures for a plurality of received data packets by using variable length coding based on a pre-set required packet error rate. According to the present invention, non-uniformity of frequency between the reception success signal and the reception failure signal is considered to increase correct reception rate of the reception acknowledgment signal.
US08149766B2
Methods and apparatus for communicating different size coded blocks of information in a wireless sectorized communications cell are described. Information may be categorized and formed into large, medium, and small coded blocks which may include error correction code bits based on the number of bits representing the information, time criticality of the information, and tolerable level of interference. Channels with full tone overlap between adjacent sectors, channels with no tone overlap between adjacent sectors, and channels with partial tone overlap between adjacent sectors are used for different size blocks. Some tones corresponding to a channel with less than full tone overlap are left unused in an adjacent sector thereby achieving less than full transmission tone overlap. Large transmission blocks are transmitted using full tone overlap channels; medium transmission blocks are transmitted using partial tone overlap channels; small transmission blocks are transmitted without using transmission tone overlap in adjacent sectors.
US08149765B2
A mobile station includes a radio link control unit for outputting or inputting data that are transmitted or received via a radio channel to or from a higher-level protocol layer, a media access control unit for outputting or inputting data via a logical channel to or from the radio link control unit, a physical layer control unit for outputting or inputting the data via a transport channel to or from the media access control it and for controlling radio communications, and a radio resource control unit for outputting or inputting control data to or from the radio link control unit, media access control unit, and physical layer control unit. The mobile station multiplexes report information therefrom into a channel for packet data transmission so as to transmit it to a base station. The base station carries out assignment of radio resources using the report information.
US08149761B2
In one embodiment, a satellite communications system includes first and second receivers, splitters, and combiners. The first receiver is configured to receive a first microwave communications signal; and the first splitter is coupled to the first receiver and configured to split the first microwave communications signal into at least first and second channels. The second receiver is configured to receive a second microwave communications signal; and the second splitter is coupled to the second receiver and configured to split the second microwave communications signal into at least third and fourth channels. The first combiner is coupled to the first and second splitters and configured to combine the first and third channels to form a third microwave communications signal; and the second combiner is coupled to the first and second splitters and configured to combine the second and fourth channels to form a fourth microwave communications signal.
US08149759B2
Apparatuses and methods for processing a bandwidth request in a multihop relay Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) communication system are provided. A communication method of a Relay Station (RS) includes determining a number of bandwidth request ranging codes received from Subscriber Stations (SSs); and reporting the number of the bandwidth request ranging codes to a Base Station (BS). A communication method of the BS includes allocating a resource to an RS to report on a number of detected bandwidth request ranging codes; and receiving a report on the number of the bandwidth request ranging codes using the allocated resource.
US08149753B2
Provided is a method and apparatus for allocating a multicast connection identifier (MCID) for Internet protocol (IP) packet transmission over a portable Internet network and transmitting packets using the MCID. More specifically, there is provided a method of defining and allocating an MCID for transmitting an IP version 6 (IPv6) multicast packet over an IEEE 802.16/Wireless Broadband (WiBro) network and a process for transmitting an IP multicast packet of a base station (BS) using the MCID. The method of allocating is related to a method of automatically generating a connection identifier (CID) having 16 bits for packet transmission over the IEEE 802.16/WiBro network in order to transmit the IPv6 multicast packet. In this method, a scope value of the IPv6 multicast packet is added to the MCID. Therefore, multicast packets having an effective IPv6 scope such as a multicast packet in a link-local category, a multicast packet in a site-local category, and a multicast packet in a global category can be transmitted over the IEEE 802.16/WiBro network according to the scope of the multicast packet. Accordingly, when a new IPv6 scope is defined, the method can be naturally applied.
US08149752B2
A medium-access-control (MAC) scheduler, according to one embodiment of which a station of a wireless network evaluates data throughputs corresponding to three different transmission configurations for transmission of a packet over a first of that station's wireless links. The first and second of those transmission configurations have the packet encoded in the first and second tiers, respectively, of a two-tier signal. The third transmission configuration has the packet encoded as a conventional single-tier signal. For each of the first and second transmission configurations, the station selects a second of that station's wireless links for transmission of at least a second packet, with the first and second packets encoded in different respective tiers of the two-tier signal. The station varies power allocation between the first and second tiers to optimize data throughput for each of the first and second transmission configurations and selects from the first, second, and third transmission configurations one resulting in the highest data throughput.
US08149742B1
A diplexer for steering transmit and receive signals between an antenna and a transmitter and receiver of a radio frequency communication system. The diplexer includes a first quadrature hybrid device configured for bidirectional communication with the antenna and configured for rerouting transmission signals from the transmitter. The diplexer also includes at least one pair of filters coupled to quadrature ports of the quadrature hybrid device. The at least one pair of filters provides a receive signal from the antenna via the quadrature hybrid device through a receive path and routes a transmit signal from the transceiver via the quadrature hybrid device through a transmit path. The at least one filter pair is configured to filter out noise from the receive signal and to reflect the transmit signal energy while allowing noise through from the transmit signal. The diplexer also includes a second quadrature hybrid device configured to receive an output from each of the at least one pair of filters. The second quadrature hybrid device provides the filtered receive signal to the receiver or the noise from the transmit signal to a load. Fast frequency hopping is supported by switching between pairs of filters, which allows the transmitter and receiver to operate across multiple frequencies by hopping from one frequency to another.
US08149741B2
These multimedia conferencing apparatus and method manage asymmetrical public and/or private conferences. A conference takes place between an external transceiver and at least a local transceiver; local transceivers may take part to a plurality of conferences simultaneously. The apparatus comprises a communication interface connected to a packet data communication network in order to send and receive multimedia signals to and from the transceivers. A conference managing means is operable to determine, for each transceiver, which of the incoming multimedia signals received from the other transceivers are accessible to said transceiver, based on a transceiver's state and on data characterising the existing conferences, said state indicating whether said transceiver is participating to a private conference or to a public conference. A signal generating means generates for each transceiver at least an outgoing multimedia signal by mixing the incoming multimedia signals of the transceivers accessible to said transceiver.
US08149737B2
A method and system for data transmission by computational devices in a wireless network (100) are disclosed. A computational device (102) organizes the wireless network in a hierarchical topology having at least one root node and updates a list of interferers and a list of descendents. Then, the computational device allocates a Contention Free Period (CFP) slot to each computational device in the wireless network based on at least one of the list of interferers and the list of descendents and transmits data during the allocated CFP slot.
US08149724B2
The invention relates to a method for selecting a data transfer method in a telecommunication system wherein several data transfer methods exist for selection. The method comprises determining a message to be transmitted on the basis of inputs received from a user. At least one piece of property information concerning the message being entered or already entered is checked. In order to transmit the message, the data transfer method associated in predetermined selection conditions with the property information is selected.
US08149722B2
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) communication detecting apparatus connecting to an internal network for detecting a VPN node on an external network which connects to the internal network through a relay apparatus, transmits response request packet to test target node, receives response packet from the test target node in response to the response request packet, measures response time which is from first time point when the response request packet is transmitted to second time point when the response packet is received, and determines whether the test target node is the VPN node, based on correlation between the response time and delay time inserted by the relay apparatus when test target packet pass through the relay apparatus, the test target packet, if the test target node is the other of the VPN nodes, including the response request packet or the response packet.
US08149719B2
A system and method for preventing a packet of a test pattern from being communicated over a network. A congestion state of the network is determined. The packet is marked as being associated with a test pattern. The packet is determined to be associated with the test pattern in response to the marking. The communication of the packet is terminated in response to the determined congestion state.
US08149710B2
In one embodiment, a method comprises the following steps: receiving a first set of inputs comprising a first plurality of entities and a first traffic behavior; determining a first region of a buffer corresponding to the first traffic behavior; assigning the first plurality of entities to the first region; determining hierarchical relationships between at least some of the first plurality of entities; determining a first shared buffer space of the first region; and assigning at least one threshold for each of the first plurality of entities. The threshold may comprise a maximum amount of the first shared buffer space that may be allocated to an entity. The method may also involve configuring a logic device to allocate the first shared buffer space dynamically according to the hierarchical relationships and the thresholds.
US08149704B2
A communication apparatus includes an arrival time estimation unit, connection selection unit, and network processing unit. The arrival time estimation unit estimates, for each block and each of a plurality of connections, an arrival time until a block generated by segmenting transmission data arrives from the apparatus at a final reception terminal or a merging apparatus through a network. The connection selection unit selects, for each block, a connection with the shortest arrival time from the plurality of connections on the basis of the estimation result. The network processing unit outputs each block to the network by using the selected connection. A data communication method and a data communication program are also disclosed.
US08149694B2
A self-adaptive algorithm to enforce fairness executes on nodes in an ad hoc wireless network. Each node is configured to measure or estimate the utilization of the RF channel in its neighborhood and then share this information with its neighboring nodes. In this way, the nodes learn about the traffic flows within their neighborhood and may determine the competing flows. Based on the information about the competing flows, each node then determines the fair share of RF channel usage. The fair share may be computed by dividing the total time that all competing flows use the RF channel by the number of competing flows. Traffic flows using more than the computed fair share of channel access are slowed down to allow more access to the RF channel for flows that are not getting their fair share.
US08149693B2
A method of implementing association in an Automatic Switched Optical Network. When an initial node of the 1+1 protection service is outside the ASON, it associates the primary service and the slave service to realize 1+1 protection. This invention includes: a node of a first associated service acquiring path information of a second associated service from a node of the second associated service, and associating the second associated service to the first associated service according to the path information of the second associated service.
US08149691B1
A multi-chassis network device sends state information to internal consumers within the multi-chassis device via a hierarchical distribution. As one example, a primary master routing engine within a control node of a multi-chassis router forwards state information to local routing engines within other chassis, which in turn distribute the state information to consumers on each chassis. Each local routing engine defers sending acknowledgement to the master routing engine until acknowledgements have been received from all consumers serviced by the local routing engine. Embodiments of the invention may reduce control plane data traffic and convergence times associated with distribution of state updates in the multi-chassis network device.
US08149690B1
A link-state protocol running on a router requires that an adjacent neighbor router in the same network maintain a synchronized link state database in order to form the adjacency. Should the neighbor request link state information that the router does not possess, normally the adjacency is broken, causing a restart and network instability. The described embodiments allow adjacencies to form and be maintained even when the neighbor makes at least some types of “bad” requests for link state information. Embodiments that operate with and without the knowledge and cooperation of the neighbor are described.
US08149686B2
A base station apparatus is disclosed for use in a mobile communication system including multiple cells having multiple sectors. The base station apparatus includes a synchronization channel generation unit configured to generate a synchronization channel for use in cell search by a user apparatus and a transmitting unit configured to wirelessly transmit a signal including the synchronization channel. The synchronization channel includes a primary synchronization channel and a secondary synchronization channel. The primary synchronization channel includes multiple types of sequences, and the secondary synchronization channel transmitted in a sector of a cell includes a code derived from a predefined generation polynomial equation corresponding to the primary synchronization channel.
US08149673B2
An optical recording method for recording information by irradiating an optical disc medium with a modulated write pulse train of laser light variable over a plurality of power levels such that a plurality of marks are formed on the optical disc medium, edge positions of each of the marks and a space between adjacent two of the marks being utilized for recording of the information.
US08149666B2
An optical disc apparatus according to the present invention includes a disc type recognizing section for determining whether the optical disc loaded is a first type, of which the number of information storage layers is less than a setting T (where T is an integer that is greater than two), or a second type, of which the number of information storage layers is equal to or greater than the setting T. Depending on whether the optical disc loaded has turned out to be the first type or the second type, the apparatus determines the read/write preprocessing (such as whether a fingerprint detection process needs to be performed or not).
US08149662B2
A method for determining an optimum laser power for a recording medium. The method includes checking if a portion of an unused area in a test area on the recording medium is defective, and performing an optimum laser power operation in a used area in the test area, in which the used area is a non-defective area that was used to test the optimum laser power for the recording medium.
US08149655B2
An information recording medium (100), provided with: a first recording layer (L0 layer) and a second recording layer (L1 layer) in each of which record information can be alternately recorded, at least one of the first recording layer and the second recording layer provided with: an anchor area (AP#1 to 4) which is to record therein anchor information (VRS, AVDP, VAT_ICB) and which is referred to in reading file system information (101, 111) for controlling at least one of recording and reproduction of the record information; and an update area to update and record therein the anchor information.
US08149645B2
The present invention relates to a system and method for processing the read and write operations in a memory architecture. The system processing the read and write operations includes at least one local memory block and a synchronously controlled global controller coupled to the local memory block and adapted to extend the high portion of a clock pulse. The method for processing the read and write operations includes skewing a clock pulse using at least one word line interfacing with the global controller.
US08149638B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array includes memory cells, lines provided to correspond to the memory cells, a first decoder configured to select a first line as an inspection target from the lines, a second decoder configured to select a second line for generating a reference voltage from the lines, a driver configured to charge the first and second lines, a discharging circuit configured to simultaneously discharge the first and second lines, and a sense amplifier configured to compare a voltage of the first line with a voltage of the second line to detect a defect of the first line while the first line is discharged.
US08149633B2
A semiconductor memory device is provided which includes a voltage detecting unit configured to compare a target voltage level with a fed-back internal voltage to output a detection signal in a normal mode, a driving unit configured to selectively drive an internal voltage terminal to a first or second power supply voltage according to an operation mode in response to the detection signal, and an enable control unit configured to control the driving unit in response to a control signal corresponding to the operation mode.
US08149631B2
For data erase from an electrically erasable and programmable non-volatile memory cell, the following operations are performed: an erase operation to apply an erase pulse voltage to a memory cell for data erase, an erase verify operation to verify whether data erase is completed, and a step-up operation to increase the erase pulse voltage by a certain step-up voltage if data erase is not completed. A control unit controls voltages so that at least a first erase pulse voltage initially generated in the erase operation has a longer rise time than that of a second erase pulse voltage generated subsequent to the first erase pulse voltage.
US08149621B2
A flash memory device and a method of testing the flash memory device are provided. The flash memory device may include a memory cell array including a plurality of bit lines, a control unit configured to output estimated data and an input/output buffer unit including a plurality of page buffers. Each of the plurality of page buffers corresponds to one of the plurality of bit lines in the memory cell array and is configured to read test data programmed in at least a first page of a memory cell array, compare the read-out test data with the estimated data to determine whether the corresponding bit line is in a pass or failure state and output a test result signal. A voltage of the test result signal is maintained when test data of a second page of the memory cell array is read if the corresponding bit line in the first page is in a failure state.
US08149615B2
An MRAM has: a memory cell including a first magnetoresistance element; and a reference cell including a second magnetoresistance element. The first magnetoresistance element has a first magnetization free layer, a first magnetization fixed layer, a second magnetization free layer and a first nonmagnetic layer sandwiched between the first magnetization fixed layer and the second magnetization free layer. The first magnetization free layer has: first and second magnetization fixed regions; and a magnetization free region. The magnetization free region and the second magnetization free layer are magnetically coupled to each other. Whereas, the second magnetoresistance element has: a third magnetization free layer whose magnetization easy axis is parallel to a second direction; a second magnetization fixed layer whose magnetization direction is fixed in a third direction perpendicular to the second direction; and a second nonmagnetic layer sandwiched between the second magnetization fixed layer and the third magnetization free layer.
US08149607B2
The embodiments described herein are directed to a memory device with multi-level, write-once memory cells. In one embodiment, a memory device has a memory array comprising a plurality of multi-level write-once memory cells, wherein each memory cell is programmable to one of a plurality of resistivity levels. The memory device also contains circuitry configured to select a group of memory cells from the memory array, and read a set of flag bits associated with the group of memory cells. The set of flag bits indicate a number of times the group of memory cells has been written to. The circuitry is also configured to select a threshold read level appropriate for the number of times the group of memory cells has been written to, and for each memory cell in the group, read the memory cell as an unprogrammed single-bit memory cell or as a programmed single-bit memory cell based on the selected threshold read level.
US08149605B2
An analog memory circuit, i.e. a sample and hold circuit, wherein the source and the gate of the switching transistor is maintained at a same potential prior and after the sampling process using a transistor circuitry. The analog memory circuit comprises a memory capacitor (102) connected at a first end to a first port (104), which is connected a reference potential (106). A drain of a first transistor (108) —switch transistor—is connected to a second end of the memory capacitor (102). A source of the first transistor (108) is connected to a second port (110), which is connected to circuitry (112) for providing an input signal for storage in the memory capacitor (102), and a gate of the first transistor (108) is connected to a third port (114), which is connected to a first current sink (116). A source of a second transistor (118) is connected to the source of the first transistor (108) and a drain of the second transistor (118) is connected to the gate of the first transistor (108). The source of the first transistor (108) is connected to a source of a third transistor (120). A gate and a drain of the third transistor (120) are connected together to a gate of the second transistor (118) and to a fourth port (122), which is connected to a second current sink (124). According to the invention the feedthrough error is constant irrespective of the input signal level.
US08149603B2
The present disclosure relates to a resonance circuit for DC-link voltage control in a DC-to-AC inverter. The resonance circuit comprises two active switches. Before the active switches of the DC-to-AC inverter are turned on, a DC-link voltage is isolated by the active switches and the active switches of the DC-to-AC inverter are discharged by the resonance circuit to zero voltage at both ends. Then, the active switches of the DC-to-AC inverter are turned on again after the DC-link voltage is charged by the resonance circuit until the DC-link voltage restores to a normal voltage value. Hence, the active switches of the DC-to-AC inverter achieve zero-voltage switching. Not only the switching loss can be reduced to enhance the conversion efficiency, but also the electro-magnetic interference as well as the RF interference due to dynamic transient changes of the voltage (dv/dt) and of the current (di/dt) can be lowered.
US08149601B2
An embodiment of the invention relates to a power converter operable in a continuous conduction mode and a discontinuous conduction mode that includes a current-sense circuit element configured to produce a current-sense signal dependent on a current in an inductor of the power converter, and a difference circuit configured to produce a difference signal representing a difference of the current-sense signal and a signal representing an output characteristic of the power converter such as an output voltage. The difference signal is constrained to be above a difference signal threshold value. A slope compensation circuit is configured to produce a slope-compensated signal that includes a sum of the difference signal and the current-sense signal. A controller is configured to control a duty cycle of a power switch of the power converter in response to the slope-compensated signal by comparing the slope-compensated signal with a voltage threshold controlled by a feedback circuit.
US08149600B2
In one embodiment, a method of operating a switched-mode power supply having a switch coupled to a drive signal is disclosed. The method includes shutting off the switch with the drive signal at a first instance of time, and comparing a magnitude of a voltage of a power supply node to a threshold after shutting off the switch. If the magnitude of the voltage of the power supply node exceeds the threshold, the switch is inhibited from turning on for a first time interval.
US08149595B1
A mounting apparatus includes a bracket, a first circuit board, a securing member, and a second circuit board. The bracket includes a first sidewall, and an end wall perpendicularly extending from a front end of the first sidewall, for fixing a stop plate of a first expansion card. The first circuit board is mounted to the first sidewall of the bracket adjacent to the end wall. A first expansion slot is installed on the first circuit board for engaging with the first expansion card. The securing member is detachably mounted to the first sidewall behind the first circuit board and away from the end wall, for fixing a stop plate of a second expansion card. The second circuit board is detachably mounted to the first sidewall adjacent to the securing member. A second expansion slot is installed on the second circuit board for engaging with the second expansion card.
US08149589B2
A holder for mounting multiple capacitors onto a circuit board includes a main structure and a plurality of latching member. The main structure has a top plate and a plurality of side plates. The top plate includes a plurality of holding slots, with the latching members off the side plates. Each latching member has an extension portion and an engaging member. The engaging member is located at the end of the extension under the bottom edge of the side plate. The capacitor includes a main body and a pair of electric leads at one end of the main body. At the opposite end of the electric leads, the main body is bounded on top by the top plate of the main structure, where the main body of each capacitor emerges partially above the upper surface of the top plate.
US08149588B2
The present invention provides a circular electronic apparatus. The circular electronic apparatus includes a circular crust and a plurality of isosceles trapezoid circuit boards. The isosceles trapezoid circuit boards are put together to form an equilateral polygon. Each isosceles trapezoid circuit board is connected with an adjacent isosceles trapezoid circuit board by a plurality of electrical lines and all the isosceles trapezoid circuit boards are connected together. The circular crust covers the equilateral polygon circuit board.
US08149582B2
A detachable module system includes a plurality of modules that couple to a corresponding plurality of module mounts on a mounting plate. To install a selected module into the module system, a user translates the selected module to an engage position on its respective module mount to engage the selected module with a immediately preceding adjacent module. Any one of the modules may be identified and removed from its module mount, without requiring removal of the remaining modules. The modules may house various types of electronic devices.
US08149581B2
An electronic device includes separate housings, one includes a keyboard and the other includes a display screen, a pair of cam assemblies and a pair of actuator arms. Each cam assembly has first and second connection parts that are rotationally connected, and are configured so that the first and second connection parts tilt relative to each other responsive to rotation of one relative to the other. The first connection parts of both cam assemblies are connected to spaced apart locations on the first housing. The actuator arms are connected on one end to spaced apart locations on the second housing and are connected on the other end to different ones of the second connection parts of both cam assemblies. Relative movement of the first and second housings rotates the first connection part relative to the second connection part of both cam assemblies and tilts the first housing relative to the second housing.
US08149567B2
The capacitor module includes a capacitor, in which a screw hole is arranged on an outer bottom wall surface of a capacitor case housing a capacitor element, and a heat dissipater, on which a plurality of capacitor cases are fixated by screwing fixation screws in the screw holes of the capacitors. As a result, for example, the capacitor can be fixated with reliability and durability secured even under a condition where very strong vibration is continuously applied, for example, when the capacitor module is mounted on construction machinery. Further, because, an adherence of the outer bottom wall surface of the capacitor case on a fixation surface of the heat dissipater is strengthened by screwing the fixation screw in the screw hole, the capacitor can be cooled down by transferring heat produced by the capacitor to the heat dissipater as needed.
US08149562B2
A system for decharging a wafer or substrate disposed on an electrostatic chuck, includes a capacitance detector for measuring a capacitance between the electrostatic chuck and the wafer or substrate, and a decharging voltage calculator for calculating a decharging voltage based at least in part on the capacitance measured by the capacitance detector. The decharging voltage calculated by the decharging voltage calculator of the system is applied to the electrostatic chuck after dechucking to substantially neutralize electrostatic charges on the wafer or substrate.
US08149560B2
An electrostatic discharge apparatus for a touch key. A need for a conductive material or a ground layer included in the touch key is removed and a ground pattern portion is formed to prevent damage caused by static electricity introduced into the touch key. The electrostatic discharge apparatus for a touch key having a touch sensing unit and a connector unit extending from one end of the touch sensing unit includes a ground pattern portion having at least one ground pattern, which is included in the touch key and formed on a static-electricity path of the touch key, and a conduction-processing portion connecting the ground patterns with each other and connected with a main body, thereby removing a need for a ground layer provided along an internal circumference of a conventional touch sensing unit, reducing cost by not including EMI paint on the entire surface of the touch key, and preventing static electricity from being introduced into internal circuits of the touch key by causing static electricity introduced into the ground pattern portion to be discharged without passing through the internal circuits of the touch key, thus improving the stability and durability of the touch key.
US08149559B2
A driving device for a piezoelectric actuator supplies charges and discharges the piezoelectric actuator through a charging switch and a discharging switch, respectively. The charging switch is repeatedly turned on and off thereby to charge and expand the piezoelectric actuator. The discharging switch is repeatedly turned on and off thereby to discharge and contract the piezoelectric actuator. The discharging switch is kept ON especially during a period from when the discharging switching control is terminated to when the charging switching control is started next. Thus, the piezoelectric voltage at the start of the next driving can be made substantially 0V.
US08149556B2
A power adapter for an electronic device selectively works in different modes according to a working state signal of the electronic device. When the electronic device is powered off or on with a battery in a determined charge state, the power adapter controls a relay to turn off the relay to disconnect power to the electronic device.
US08149550B2
A protective device is disclosed having a circuit breaker for an electrical connection between a transformer and a load, wherein an overcurrent device is arranged between the transformer and the load. The overcurrent device has first magnetoelectric transducers arranged at each phase conductor and the neutral conductor, wherein the overcurrent device uses the transducer currents to in each case establish the presence of a first ground-fault current, and wherein the circuit breaker has a switching device, which interrupts at least the phase conductors between the transformer and the load in the event of the presence of a first ground-fault current (unrestricted earth fault). In order to also be able to determine the ground fault current between the transformer and the circuit breaker, at least one embodiment of the invention proposes providing in each case second magnetoelectric transducers at each phase conductor, the neutral conductor and a star-point conductor which is connected to the star point, using the transducer currents of the second transducer in each case to determine the presence of a second ground-fault current (restricted earth fault), and forming a signal for disconnecting the transformer in the event of the presence of a second ground-fault current.
US08149541B2
A system according to one embodiment includes a thin film stack having a magnetic transducer and a contact pad; and a heater in the thin film stack for inducing thermal protrusion of a media-facing side of the thin film stack, wherein the thin film stack is characterized by the contact pad protruding farther than the magnetic transducer upon the thin film stack being heated by the heater. A method for calibrating a protrusion of a magnetic head includes increasing a thermal protrusion of a magnetic head to induce head-medium contact; determining that the head has contacted the medium, wherein a portion of the head that contacts the medium is a contact pad or overcoat of the contact pad; determining parameters for inducing a desired amount of protrusion based in part on the determination that the head has contacted the medium; and storing the parameters.
US08149539B2
An apparatus includes a magnetic layer, a heat sink layer, and a thermal resistor layer between the magnetic layer and the heat sink layer. The apparatus may be configured as a thin film structure arranged for data storage. The apparatus may also include an interlayer positioned between the magnetic layer and the thermal resistor layer.
US08149530B1
A method of and system for handling latency issues encountered in producing real-time entertainment such as games of skill synchronized with live or taped televised events is described herein. There are multiple situations that are dealt with regarding latencies in receiving a television signal with respect to real-time entertainment based on the unfolding games played along with the telecasts. Systemic delays, arbitrarily imposed delays of a broadcast signal and variances in the precise broadcast times of taped television programs have to be equalized so as to provide fair entertainment.
US08149527B2
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for data regeneration. For example, a method for data regeneration is disclosed that includes receiving a data input derived from a medium, determining a media defect corresponding to the data input, and determining an attenuation factor associated with the defective medium. Based at least in part on the determination that the medium is defective, amplifying the data input by a derivative of the attenuation factor to regenerate the data.
US08149518B2
A zoom lens system, includes, in order from an object side to an image side: a positive first lens unit which does not move for zooming; a negative second lens unit which moves for zooming; a positive third lens unit which moves for zooming; and a fourth lens unit which does not move for zooming, is provided for imaging, and has a positive refractive power, in which the third lens unit includes multiple lenses including a positive lens and a negative lens, and the third lens unit satisfies: −2.0×10−3<(θpa−θna)/(νpa−νna)<−1.4×10−3; and 41<νpa−νna<53; and 2.9
US08149512B2
Micro-shutter device applicable to display devices including a flexible display device and method of manufacturing same are provided. Micro-shutter device includes membrane. Frame including receiving hole in its center portion is bonded to membrane. Transparent substrate is bonded to frame to encapsulate optical fluid received in receiving hole. Actuator varies refractive power produced by change in curvature of fluid lens formed in the center portion of the receiving hole due to bending of a periphery of the fluid lens. A reflector is disposed to correspond to the fluid lens and be spaced apart from the membrane, such that light intensity transferred to a user is adjusted depending on the refractive power produced by a change in curvature of the fluid lens. Therefore, the device has improved optical efficiency compared to using liquid crystal and a polarizing film, and can have a flexible structure for application to a flexible display device.
US08149507B2
Binoculars have two tubes connected to each other via a folding bridge and an Abbe-König prism system is arranged in each tube and the Abbe-König prism systems are provided for image reversal of respective visual viewing beam paths. Each Abbe-König system includes an isosceles prism and a roof prism adjacent thereto. A laser transmitter (21) in the first tube (3a) and a corresponding laser receiver (22) in the second tube (3b) can be changed in parallel with respect to the distance to each other by means of the folding bridge (37). One of the two prisms (9, 10) of each Abbe-König prism system (6) is configured with a splitter layer (12, 12′, 12″) or is connected via a cement layer for splitting the viewing beam (7) and laser beam (24) into separate beams with the beams (7, 24) running part way in common in the respective tubes (3a, 3b).
US08149506B2
A cassette for retaining a specimen of surgically exposed tissue from a patient in an orientation that facilitates optical sectioning of the tissue by a confocal microscopic or other optical imaging microscope. The cassette includes a base member having an optically transparent window upon which a tissue specimen is situated, a membrane locatable over a substantial portion of the base member including the window, and an upper member which can cover the base member to provide an enclosed cavity between the membrane and the window sealing the tissue specimen therein. The edges of the tissue specimen may then be positioned planar against the window and retained in that position by bonds formed between the membrane and window around the tissue specimen. The cassette may be part of a confocal imaging system to produce microscopic images of sections of the tissue specimen useful for Mohs surgery.
US08149504B2
An objective assembly for use with a microscope is provided. The objective has an optical axis that permits an image beam to be emitted through the objective toward the eyepiece of a microscope. A mirror is positioned at an angle to the optical axis of the objective. A laser assembly is positioned on a first side of the mirror for directing a laser beam toward said mirror so that the energy is reflected off the mirror and through the objective in a direction that is substantially aligned with the optical axis of the objective. An indicator assembly including a source of light is positioned with the light incident on the other side of the mirror to reflect a beam of light in a direction opposite to the direction of the laser beam to provide an optical representation at the eyepiece of a microscope of the position of the laser beam being emitted by the objective.
US08149503B2
Provided are a semiconductor optical amplifier and an optical signal processing method using the same. The reflective semiconductor optical amplifier includes: an optical signal amplification region operating to allow a downward optical signal incident from the external to obtain a gain; and an optical signal modulation region connected to the optical signal amplification region and generating a modulated optical signal. The downward optical signal is amplified through a cross gain modulation using the modulated optical signal and is outputted as an upward optical signal.
US08149493B2
In a general aspect, a device includes a substrate, a light transmission formed on a top surface of the substrate, a first contact, and a second contact. The light transmission structure includes a first doped region; a second doped region doped oppositely to the first region; a lateral junction between a part of the first doped region and a part of the second doped region, the lateral junction oriented substantially perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate; and a vertical junction between a part of the first doped region and a part of the second doped region, the vertical junction oriented substantially parallel to the top surface of the substrate. The first contact is in electrical contact with the first region and the second contact is in electrical contact with the second region.
US08149492B2
An optical modulator has an optical splitter for splitting an input light beam into a first and second light beam; a first and a second wave-guide arm connected to the optical splitter for receiving and transmitting therethrough the first and second light beam, respectively, the waveguide arms each including a core region having group IV semiconductor material or a combination of group IV semiconductor materials; an optical combiner connected to the first and second waveguide arm for receiving the first and second light beam and combining them into an output light beam; a first and a second electrode structure associated with the first and second waveguide arm, respectively; and a driving circuit for supplying voltage to the first and second electrode structure. The driving circuit is adapted to supply a first modulation voltage super-imposed to a first bias voltage to the first electrode structure and a second modulation voltage superimposed to a second bias voltage to the second electrode structure.
US08149489B2
A mirror device includes a mirror (153) which is supported to be pivotable with respect to a mirror substrate (151), a driving electrode (103-1-103-4) which is formed on an electrode substrate (101) facing the mirror substrate, and an antistatic structure (106) which is arranged in a space between the mirror and the electrode substrate. This structure can fix the potential of the lower surface of the mirror and suppress drift of the mirror by applying a second potential to the antistatic structure.
US08149488B2
An optical logic gate (10) comprising inputs (12) for optical signals on which to perform a chosen logical operation. An SOA (11) element receives such input signals to be piloted thereby in saturation and its output is connected to at least one optical filter (14, 15, 16) that filters components of signals output from the SOA and which represent a desired logical result of the signals input at the gate so that at the output (13) of the filter there is an optical signal as the result of the desired logical operation. A probe signal (17) can also be provided. An appropriate combination of power of the input, power and probe signal wavelength and central wavelength of the filter allows obtaining a plurality of logic functions such as NOR, NOT, inverted XOR, AND, OR.
US08149487B2
An optical apparatus includes: a focusing lens that focuses light which is one of recording light being irradiated to an optical recording medium with reference light for recording a hologram and reference light being irradiated to an optical recording medium for reading out a hologram; and a focal position-shifting unit that refracts the light while moving in accordance with a moving speed of the optical recording medium, so as to shift a focal position of the light in the optical recording medium a distance in a thickness direction of the optical recording medium.
US08149483B2
A color gamut data creating device includes a locating unit, and an extracting unit. The locating unit locates characteristic points based on the measurement points on a target plane. The extracting unit extracts at least three vertices of a color gamut from among the characteristic points. The at least three vertices satisfy the conditions that a first point, which is any one of the at least three vertices, is located within a reference distance from a second point adjacent to the first point from among the at least three vertices, and that all cross products that are calculated by a vector from the first point to the second point and vectors from the first point to any characteristic points that are located within the reference distance from the first point have the same sign.
US08149480B2
An image forming apparatus which is capable of increasing printing efficiency by simplifying the calibration operation in time zones during which the frequency of use of the apparatus is high. An image forming apparatus has a plurality of calibration modes set in advance on a time zone-by-time zone basis for operating days. A printer controller determines a day of week and time of day, and selects one of the calibration modes associated with the day of week and time of day. The controller performs cumulative counting of sheets color-printed after a preceding calibration, and determines whether or not calibration in the selected calibration mode should be executed, from a cumulative count value of color-printed sheets and the selected calibration mode. The calibration in the selected calibration mode is executed in response to the determination that the calibration should be executed.
US08149467B2
A technology for use in an e-mail transmission apparatus capable of preventing or discovering ‘impersonation’ in e-mail transmission efficiently, in which an e-mail is sent not only to a receiving address, but also to a sending address set by a sender.
US08149463B2
A halftone screen which is applicable to a low-resolution electrophotographic printer is created. Hence, dot-lattice points arranged in a predetermined region are displaced using rotation processing, the predetermined region is partitioned into polygons each of which surrounds the dot-lattice point. Then, a threshold matrix used to grow a halftone dot, which is surrounded by each polygon, in a direction of the displacement is generated.
US08149462B2
A plurality of types of positional shift postulated patterns are postulated wherein the positional shift of print head tips in a printer are postulated to have positional shift directions and distances. For each of the postulated positional shift postulated patterns, a base dithering mask is generated considering the ability to produce excellent dot dispersion characteristics when this postulated positional shift has occurred. Additionally, optimal dithering masks are generated through multiply combining the sets of threshold values that comprise the base dithering masks. Doing so enables the suppression of degradation of printed image quality, even when there are positional shifts between the print heads, in a half toning process for printing using a printer that is provided with a plurality of print heads that are arranged in a line across a printing range.
US08149457B2
An image forming apparatus using a plurality of colorants for image formation, includes a generation unit which generates bitmap data, in which each pixel has a gradation value of each color of the colorants, with respect to an object of the image formation; a classification unit which classifies the pixels into a plurality of predetermined groups based on the bitmap data and generates classification data corresponding to the classified groups for each pixel; a detection unit which detects, based on the classification data, a range, in which a correction processing of modifying the gradation values has to be executed, on the bitmap data; and a correction unit which executes the correction processing to the detected range, wherein the image formation is executed based on bitmap data after the correction processing.
US08149451B2
In an information processing device which embeds a number of partial information items produced from predetermined information in an image, an image dividing unit divides an image into a number of division images in a lattice formation to generate the division images. An information assigning unit assigns the partial information items to the division images generated by the image dividing unit. An information embedding unit embeds the partial information items assigned by the information assigning unit, in the division images. The information assigning unit assigns all the partial information items to a set of division images located in a predetermined direction.
US08149447B2
To provide a technology enabling a terminal device to use various functions provided in a data processing device without the use of a device driver. A multifunction device executes a process for implementing a function indicated by instruction data when such instruction data is stored in a shared area of the RAM. Here, the shared area of the RAM in which the instruction data is stored can be recognized by a personal computer connected to the multifunction device as a storage area that can be accessed through the file system, which is a function provided as a standard feature of the operating system. Accordingly, operations of the multifunction device can be controlled from the personal computer end simply by storing instruction data in the shared area via the operating system, eliminating the need for a special device driver to control the operations of the multifunction device.
US08149446B2
A printer (100) for printing based on a print job signal sent from a data processing device (200) registers print job signal sending sources and a message corresponding to each sending source in memory (111, 112). A controller (113) detects whether the sending source of a received print job signal is registered in memory. If the sending source is registered, a messaging unit (110, 111) outputs a corresponding message. Sending sources that are permitted to print can also be registered in memory (111, 112). In this case, the controller (113) detects whether the sending source of a received print job signal is registered in memory, and instructs the printer (110) to print only when the sending source is registered as permitted to print.
US08149445B2
An automated rule-based system for facilitating delivery of a fax document from a source to a destination over a network where an initial delivery attempt has been unsuccessful. Actions to be taken are based upon a time-variable set of input conditions which may be determined from one or more of the destination, the source, a database of past delivery attempts, and a human analyst. The actions may include one or more of resubmitting the fax document to the network for a next delivery attempt, cancelling the document, sending a request to the source or destination for additional delivery information, and identifying the destination as a technical problem. The input conditions may include an identification of non-business days and non-business hours.
US08149440B2
There is disclosed a technique that facilitates a search for a service and use of the service available on a network. To accomplish this, steps of inputting information about a service (S100 to S102) and steps of searching a network for service providing devices capable of implementing the service about which information has been input (S103 and S104) are to be executed. Then, service providing devices found by the search are displayed (S105), a service providing device that executes the service is selected from among the multiple service providing devices displayed (S106) to cause the service providing device to execute the service about which information has been input at in the inputting step (S107).
US08149427B2
A raster-imaging processing (RIP) time is predicted for each of a number of pages to be printed in printed-page number order. The pages are sorted based at least on when RIP should be finished for each page. The pages are dispatched to RIP components for RIP at least substantially in an order in which the pages have been sorted. Each page is dispatched to a next RIP component that is available. A RIP component is available for a given page to be dispatched thereto where a total size of the RIP component's output buffer minus space within this output buffer taken up by any pages ordered after the given page in the printed-page number order is greater than the needed space to store the given page. The pages as have been raster-image processed are retrieved from the output buffers in the printed-page number order and transmitted to a printing device.
US08149424B2
A disclosed image processing device includes: a media connecting portion including a first surface and a second surface forming a space for housing a protrusion type storage medium whose body protrudes from the media connecting portion and an insertion type storage medium whose body is inserted into the media connecting portion; a protrusion type slot portion for protrusion type storage media formed on the first surface; and an insertion type slot portion for insertion type storage media formed on the second surface. An insertion direction in the protrusion type slot portion is substantially orthogonal to an insertion direction in the insertion type slot portion.
US08149418B2
Exemplary method, apparatus and arrangement can be provided for obtaining information associated with a sample such as a portion of an anatomical structure. The information can be generated using first data, which can be based on a signal obtained from a location on the sample, and second data, where the second data can be obtained by combining a second signal received from the sample with a third reference signal. An image of a portion of the sample can also be generated based on the information. For example, the first data can be associated with spectral encoding microscopy data, and the second data can be associated with optical coherence tomography data.
US08149411B2
The invention relates to a sensor unit for a Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) unit, comprising a transparent sensor structure forming at least one wall of a cavity, the wall being defined by a concave inner surface and a convex outer surface The inner surface is provided with a layer of a conductive material capable of supporting a surface plasmon. In the cavity there is provided a flow structure in said cavity so as to form at least one compartment for sample between the flow structure and the inner wall of the cavity. Also, a method for the detection of events at a surface by utilizing surface plasmon resonance is provided. It comprises placing a sample with an analyte of interest in a sensor unit as claimed in claim 1, and measuring the reflectance from said sensor unit at a single or plurality of angle/angles.
US08149407B1
A sensor for NO2 with ultrahigh sensitivity of detection is created by combining off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy (OA-ICOS) (which can provide large path lengths of the order of several km in a small volume cell) with multiple line integrated absorption spectroscopy (MLIAS) (where the absorption spectra is integrated over a large number of rotational-vibrational transitions of the molecular species to further improve the sensitivity). Employing an external cavity tunable quantum cascade laser operating in the 1601-1670 cm−1 range and a high finesse optical cavity, the absorption spectra of NO2 over 100 transitions in the R-band have been recorded. Based on the observed linear relationship between the integrated absorption vs. concentration of NO2, the sensor has an effective sensitivity of detection of 28 ppt for NO2, which is among the most sensitive levels of detection of NO2 to date. This technique can be applied using any tunable laser source, such as diode lasers, capable of tuning over multiple lines of target species including complex molecules and explosive compounds.
US08149400B2
The present invention enables snap-shot spectral imaging of a scene at high image generation rates. Light from the scene is processed through an optical system that comprises a coded-aperture. The optical system projects a plurality of images, each characterized by only one of a plurality of spectral components, onto a photodetector array. The plurality of images is interspersed on the photodetector array, but no photodetector receives light characterized by more than one of the plurality of spectral components. As a result, computation of the spatio-spectral datacube that describes the scene is simplified. The present invention, therefore, enables rapid spectral imaging of the scene.
US08149389B2
A description is given of a radiation sensor for detecting the position and intensity of a radiation source. The radiation sensor includes at least one photodetector having a radiation-sensitive surface. Furthermore, the radiation sensor includes a reflector that reflects the radiation emitted by a radiation source from specific directions at least partly in the direction of the radiation-sensitive surface of the photodetector. The reflector is arranged on that side of the radiation sensor that is remote from the radiation source.
US08149388B2
A surveying apparatus and method for surveying and tracking a moving object is disclosed to improve the tracking so that a moving object may be tracked reliably and automatically. The surveying apparatus comprises an optical arrangement to sight an object, and a tracking unit to track the sighted object. The tracking unit obtains an object parameter of the object, wherein the object parameter is associated with a movement of the object. Further, the tracking unit issues an instruction to the optical arrangement to change between a close range setting and a long range setting according to the obtained object parameter, the close range setting corresponding to a wide field of view and the long range setting to a narrow field of view.
US08149387B2
A method is provided for placing a substrate onto a surface of a substrate holder, the surface having a plurality of burls. First substrate placement data is calculated. This data enables placement of the substrate at a certain position with respect to a position of the plurality of burls on the surface of the substrate holder. Then, the substrate is placed at the certain position in accordance with the substrate placement data. The certain position may be based on the position at which placement would result in a minimized overlay error or may be based on the position at which placement would result in minimized substrate deformation.
