US08209997B2
The present invention relates to an improved process for recovery of natural gas liquids from a natural gas feed stream. The process runs at a constant pressure with no intentional reduction in pressure. An open loop mixed refrigerant is used to provide process cooling and to provide a reflux stream for the distillation column used to recover the natural gas liquids. The processes may be used to recover C3+ hydrocarbons from natural gas, or to recover C2+ hydrocarbons from natural gas.
US08209988B2
A magnetic refrigeration device for transferring heat including a shaft rotatable about an axis, an inner magnet disposed at one of the axis and a radial distance from the axis, an outer magnet disposed a radial distance from the axis outside of the inner magnet defining a magnetic gap between the inner and outer magnets, and magnetocaloric material disposed at a radial distance from the axis between the radial distances of the inner and outer magnets. The magnetocaloric material is coupled to the shaft for rotation with the shaft about the axis such that during rotation of the shaft a portion of the magnetocaloric material alternates between a magnetized position disposed within the magnetic gap and a demagnetized position outside of the magnetic gap.
US08209975B2
A fluid system includes a controllable first pump unit for supplying fluid pressure to at least one implement; a prime mover arranged to supply a driving torque to the first pump The first pump unit is arranged to supply fluid pressure to the implement. The fluid system further includes a controllable second pump unit connected to a fluid accumulator. The prime mover is arranged to supply a driving torque to the second pump unit in order to accumulate fluid pressure in the accumulator during periods of low demand. Fluid pressure from the accumulator is arranged to drive the second pump unit to assist the prime mover during periods of high demand in order to supply an additional driving torque in excess of the available driving torque from the prime mover.
US08209973B1
A wave responsive electrical generator device having a buoyant member connected to an anchor by a tether line member, the line member passing through a sheave mounted within the buoyant member and descending to a counterweight, whereby vertical motion of the buoyant member results in rotation of the sheave, which in turn operates hydraulic cylinders to deliver hydraulic fluid under pressure to an hydraulic motor, which drives an electrical generator.
US08209955B2
A method for controlling emissions from an engine includes reducing trapped nitrogen oxides to ammonia on an LNT catalyst while concurrently oxidizing soot accumulated on the LNT catalyst, and, flowing the ammonia so formed to an SCR catalyst.
US08209949B2
Metal cable having two layers of construction 4+N comprising an inner layer C1 of 4 wires of diameter d1 wound together in a helix at a pitch p1, this layer C1 itself being surrounded by an outer layer C2 of N wires of diameter d2 wound together in a helix at a pitch p2, characterized in that said cable furthermore has the following characteristics (d1, d2, p1 and p2 in mm): 0.25
US08209943B2
There is provided a distributed medicine supplying device, which allows medicines to be distributed at a time relative to a plurality of prescription data and to be distributed appropriately in response to various types of requests. The distributed medicine supplying device includes: a receiving unit 7 for receiving prescription data; a storing unit 8 for storing an assignment condition to medicine to be accommodated in measures 4 of a tray 5; a central processing unit 10 for determining a position of the medicine to be distributed to each of the measures 4 of the tray 5 in accordance with the assignment condition stored in the storing unit 8 based on the prescription data 12 sequentially received by the receiving unit 7; and a displaying unit 9 for displaying the distribution position determined by the central processing unit 10.
US08209942B2
There is provided a medicine packing device, which prevents a free end of a bottom plate of a tablet dispensing measure from tilting due to its own weight. A bottom plate 43 is provided at a lower opening of a tablet dispensing measure 42. The bottom plate 43 includes a pin 44 at its base end. A leading end of the bottom plate is a free end. When the tablet dispensing measure 42 reaches corresponding stepped portions 37a to 37d by a movement of a tablet dispensing member 36, an opening protrusion 144b of a fixed plate 37 is fitted to an opening recess 43c of the bottom plate 43 and thus the bottom plate 43 pivots about the pin 44 from a closed position to an open position. If the bottom plate 43 moves to the open position, then tablets in the tablet dispensing measure 42 drop.
US08209936B2
An energy absorber for use in an opening of a wall of a building, the opening defined by a perimeter surface, the wall supporting a closure substantially filling the opening, the closure having respective edges which are substantially parallel to the perimeter surface of the opening. The energy absorber having a planar wall connecting portion, a planar closure connecting portion and a plastically deformable deforming surface therebetween. The connecting portions being substantially parallel to one another and, the deforming surface adapted to absorb, by plastic deformation, a force applied to the closure.
US08209933B2
A connector comprising a guide tube, and a dowel, the guide tube being arranged to receive an end of the dowel, characterized by the end of the dowel passing through the guide tube into a fixing chamber via an orifice, 5 the fixing chamber being arranged to receive a fixing means, the fixing means being arranged to restrict the motion of the dowel within the guide tube.
US08209929B2
A flooring material having a textile pad substructure with a density of greater than 10 pounds per cubic foot is provided. The textile pad has reinforcement and binding fibers. The binding fibers are thermoplastic and are used to bind the reinforcement fibers together. The pad is created by heating and compressing a fibrous textile batt so that it has a density of greater than 13 pounds per cubic foot.
US08209927B2
A structural fiber cement sheet containing cementitious matrix and reinforcing cellulose fibers distributed throughout the matrix having a dry density less than 1.25 g/cm3, a thickness less than 0.7500 in, and able to withstand uniform loads of 200 psf or greater according to test method of Section 6.4.2.4 of PS2 and with a deflection of less than 0.067 inches at 60 psf when spaced on a span of 24 inches or less on center.
US08209918B1
Provided herewith is an apparatus and means for interning a plurality of cremated remains and their accompanying urns in a columbarium placed in the ground above a pre-existing coffin style burial such that the ashes and urns are inaccessible once they are interned. The apparatus comprises an “L” shaped columbarium that is placed above a pre-existing coffin with the longer side of the “L” shape being laid horizontally. A telescoping cylinder is utilized to hold the urn for viewing during the ceremony and to deposit the urn in storage. As the telescoping cylinder is lowered back into the columbarium, a push arm forces the pivotal plate to pivot causing the urn to roll off the pivotal plate and onto a ramp that allows the urn to continue by gravitational force to the base of the ramp for permanent storage.
US08209916B2
A construction block includes a pair of base members and a pair of side wall assemblies. Each base member defines first and second upper channels and comprises a first plurality of ribs positioned within the first upper channel and a second plurality of ribs positioned within the second upper channel. Each side wall assembly defines a hollow load chamber having an open top and an open bottom and includes a plurality of hingedly interconnected panels, each including a thermoplastic material. A first side wall assembly is releasably engaged with at least some of the first plurality of ribs of a lower one of the base members, and a second side wall assembly is releasably engaged with at least some of the second plurality of ribs of the lower one of the base members. Each side wall assembly is releasably engaged with an upper one of the base members.
US08209914B2
A roof mount assembly mounts a structure to a roof having a rafter and a substrate supported by the rafter. The roof mount assembly includes a piece of flashing positioned on the substrate. The flashing includes a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface and an aperture extending through the flashing. A fastener extends through the flashing aperture. A bracket is connected to the flashing via the fastener, and the bracket is sized to support at least one roof-mounted structure on the roof. A seal is positioned between the flashing aperture and the fastener. The seal is sized to form a water-tight seal with the aperture to inhibit flow of fluid through the aperture. The seal includes a first portion and a second portion, in which the first portion is positioned to abut the flashing first surface and the second portion is positioned to extend through the aperture.
US08209913B2
An object of the invention is to propose a tubular structure and a wind turbine generator in which work on an outer surface of the tower structure can be performed easily. A tubular structure comprises: a plurality of tubular sections 21 that are stacked one on top of another in a vertical direction, the adjacent tubular sections 21 being joined together with use of a splice plate 22 arranged on at least one of an inner surface and an outer surface of abutting ends of the adjacent tubular sections 21 and a fastening member 25 fastening the splice plate 22 and the adjacent tubular sections 21; an opening for operation 26 which is arranged in a vicinity of the splice plate 22 on a circumferential surface of the tubular sections 21; and a reinforcing rib 28 arranged in the vertical direction on the circumferential surface of the tubular sections 21, wherein a vertical position of the reinforcing rib 28 includes at least a vertical range where the opening for operation 26 is arranged.
US08209912B2
A horticulture light system comprising a housing, glass retention rails, gasket, glass sheet, and threaded fasteners. The housing constructed of no more than three portions of sheet metal, defining an interior space therein and having an open end towards the plants, the housing interior space constructed and arranged for containing a grow lamp and reflector to project a pattern of light out the open end of the housing at the plants, the open end including a rectangular sealing face for mating with the gasket, the gasket sealing the glass surface to the rectangular sealing face when compressed by the glass retention rails. The glass retention rails also constructed from sheet metal, easily formed into a L shape, attached by common threaded screws, and as tightened, compressively secure the glass to the gasket and housing. Loosening the threaded screws removes the compressive force, unsealing the glass from the housing, making for easy glass removal, facilitating maintenance and cleaning.
US08209910B2
A motor vehicle door has a triangular pane, a lowerable side pane, and a guide rail for guiding the lowerable side pane being provided between the triangular pane and the lowerable side pane. Here, the guide rail is fixedly connected to a window frame, to an inner window slot and to a mirror reinforcement.
US08209903B2
A process for breeding plants which comprises growing plants of a species in an array of containers charged with growing medium of uniform characteristics in an environment of controlled climatic conditions with controlled supply of nutrients and feed water and changing the positions of the containers within the environment as required to ensure at least substantially uniform exposure of all plants in the containers to conditions in the environment. A process for the breeding of open pollinating plants in a greenhouse environment is also provided. A process for breeding plants which comprises identifying trait leads.
US08209902B2
Proposed is a biologically active nanochip for treating seeds of agricultural plants in order to improve seed germination conditions and development of plants and for protecting plants from anticipated and averaged adverse conditions. The biologically active nanochip contains a solid porous carrier, such as mineral, clay, turf, or polymer, the pores of which are intended for accommodating nanoparticles of biologically active substances that penetrate the pores when the substances are applied onto the nanochip surface, e.g., by spraying. Alternatively, the biologically active substances can be retained on the surface of the carrier by adhesion. The composition of the biologically active nanochips is selected with reference to anticipated and averaged adverse conditions. Also proposed is a method for application of the biologically active substances onto the surfaces of the biologically active nanochips.
US08209901B2
The invention relates to a method and device for administering at least one substance to a plant or plant material, comprising of: (i) providing at least one substrate with a surface and at least one plant location therein; (ii) providing injecting means; (iii) moving the substrate and the injection means relative to each other; (iv) controlling an alignment of the injecting means relative to the plant location; and (v) injecting the substance of the position of the plant location using the injecting means.
US08209869B2
A shaving blade assembly having a blade unit with at least one blade and a guard bar positioned in front of the blade. A cantilever guard is positioned in front of the blade unit defining a gap between the guard bar and the cantilever guard. The cantilever guard has a plurality of spaced apart fingers extending transverse to the blade. The fingers have a wedge shaped cross section in a direction transverse to the blades and are movable relative to the guard bar between a first position and a second position during a shaving stroke.
US08209865B2
A temporary fastener and a method of attaching an aircraft skin to a frame using the temporary fastener during a step of the skin to frame assembly process. The fastener secures the skin to the structure while holes for permanent fasteners are drilled through the skin and frame; the fastener is flush mounted so that an automatic drill can drill the holes without interference. The temporary fastener can be removed after the permanent fastener holes are drilled, and before or after permanent fasteners are inserted within their respective holes.
US08209864B1
A beaded soffit panel and related method for buildings and the like includes a plurality of generally flat, imperforate base portions shaped to enclose at least a portion of the soffit when the soffit panel is mounted in a generally horizontal orientation under the eave. A plurality of generally M-shaped, contoured beads extend between the base portions, and have oppositely inclined sidewalls with center walls therebetween to create a decorative appearance on the soffit panel. A plurality of narrow vent slits extend through the exterior faces of the bead sidewalls at a predetermined acute angle to define angled tabs that extend inwardly, whereby when the soffit panel is installed, vision through the vent slits from a position generally underneath the eave is substantially blocked by the angled tabs.
US08209860B2
Disclosed herein are a printed circuit board having metal bumps which have uniform diameter and are formed at fine pitch, and a method of manufacturing the printed circuit board.
US08209856B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a printed wiring board in which solder bumps of a mounted semiconductor chip are less prone to be ruptured. The printed wiring board includes a coreless substrate which includes: a dielectric layer having a main surface and a connecting pad embedded in the dielectric layer. The connecting pad is shaped like a brimmed hat. That is, the connecting pad includes a plate portion whose diameter φ1 is about 95 μm and a contact portion whose diameter φc is about 75 μm. The main surface of the contact portion is exposed at the main surface of the dielectric layer. Since diameter φc of the contact portion is substantially the same as diameter φ2 of an under bump metal at the semiconductor chip side, even if mechanical stress is applied in a direction in which the semiconductor chip is peeled off from the coreless substrate, the stress disperses evenly to both of the connecting pad and the under bump metal, and thus rupture is less prone to occur.
US08209846B2
Methods for assembling an active array system are described. In one exemplary embodiment, an active subarray panel assembly having a first surface with a first array of electrical contacts and a radiator aperture with an array of radiator structures and an aperture mounting surface with a second array of electrical contacts are assembled together. The first surface of the panel assembly and the aperture mounting surface of the radiator aperture are brought into contact with an adhesive layer including microwave interconnects in a pattern corresponding to the first array of electrical contacts and the second array of electrical contacts so that the adhesive layer is between the first surface of the panel assembly and the aperture mounting surface of the radiator aperture. Pressure, heat and vacuum are applied to cure the adhesive and complete engagement of the microwave interconnects.
US08209845B2
A manufacturing method includes providing a component, such as a superalloy aircraft component, with a substrate surface having damaged brittle compound particles from machining. The manufacturing method removes the damaged compound particles from the substrate surface without producing significant amount of new damaged compound particles in the substrate surface. In one example, the damaged compound particles are removed with an abrasive media. The method results in a machined substrate surface free from damaged intermetallic component particles.
US08209841B2
A method of manufacturing a multicolored illuminator is disclosed. In an embodiment, a first transparent sheet comprising light diffusing particles is provided. Second and third transparent cladding sheets are provided on either sides of the first transparent sheet. A mirror is provided adjacent to the second sheet. The first sheet, second sheet, third sheet and mirror are merged to give a multicolored illuminator.
US08209839B1
A process for redesigning a distressed component, such as a turbine blade in a gas turbine engine, in which the distressed component is under thermal and structural loads, for improving the life of the component. The process includes obtaining the operating conditions of the machine in which the distressed component is used, finding the boundary conditions under which the distressed component operates, producing a 3-dimensional model of the distressed component with such detail that the distress levels are accurately represented on the model, subjecting the model to a series of technical analysis to predict a life for the component, reiterating the technical analysis until the levels of distress on the model accurately represent the distress that appears on the actual component, and then predicting a remaining life of the component based on the analysis, or redesigning the model and reanalyzing the model until a maximum life for the component has been found. When the maximum (or near maximum) life for a component has been found, the component is then manufactured with the new component having an increased life and possibly increased performance level.
US08209835B2
There is provided a splitting tool for use with a pipe defining a longitudinal pipe axis. The pipe includes an outer wall and an inner wall defining a pipe channel. A ferrule is circumferentially disposed about the outer wall. The splitting tool includes a pipe support member defining an outer periphery that is substantially complimentary in shape to the inner wall. The pipe support member is insertable within the pipe channel to extend at least through the ferrule and to provide radial support to the inner wall. The splitting tool additionally includes a splitter member operatively connected to the pipe support member. The splitter member defines a longitudinal splitting axis that is substantially perpendicular to the pipe axis when the pipe support member is inserted within the pipe channel. The splitter member is moveable along the splitting axis to radially engage with and pierce the ferrule.
US08209825B2
Release assembly for a personal equipment carrier. Release assembly includes securing component, a plurality of first cable assemblies, a plurality of attachment assembly first portions, trigger termination, and trigger activator. Securing component is attachable to a personal equipment carrier. The first cable assemblies, include an outer member and an inner member. A first end of each first cable assembly outer member is anchored to the securing component. Each attachment assembly first portion includes a detachment portion. The detachment portion is attached to a second end of each first cable assembly inner member. The detachment portion is operable, upon tensioning of the attached first cable assembly inner member, for detaching the attachment assembly first portion from an attached attachment assembly second portion. The trigger termination is connected to the first end of each first cable assembly inner member at the securing component. The trigger activator is connected to the trigger termination.
US08209815B2
A surface cleaning suction type appliance comprises a housing, an airstream suction source, a cyclone main body, and a dirt cup. The housing includes a main suction opening. The airstream suction source is mounted to the housing and includes a suction airstream inlet and a suction airstream outlet. The suction source selectively establishes and maintains a flow of air from the main suction opening, via the airstream inlet, to the airstream outlet. The cyclone main body is supported by the housing and is in communication with the main suction opening. The cyclone main body has a uniform outer circumference and includes a first stage separator, and a plurality of downstream second stage separators. The lengths of the second stage cyclonic separators are different for any number of adjacent pairs of separators from on pair up to all adjacent pairs of separators. The dirt cup is connected to the cyclone main body. The dirt cup includes a first particle collector and a second particle collector. The first particle collector communicates with the first stage separator for collecting dust particles from the first stage separator. The separate second particle collector communicates with the plurality of second stage separators for collecting dust particles from the second stage separators.
US08209803B2
A patient transport device includes a generally planar board having a width, length, and thickness defining a volume. At least one handle element is movably connected to the board. The at least one handle element is movable between a first, storage position in which the handle element is contained within the volume of the board, and a second, deployed position in which the handle element extends outwardly from the board. At least one foot support element is movably connected to the board, and is movable between a first, storage position in which the foot support element is contained within the volume of the board, and a second, deployed position in which the foot support element extends outwardly from the board. At least one roller element is rotatably secured to a bottom surface of the board. A patient to be transported is secured to the board and partially supported by the foot support and rolled via the at least one roller element by a single user of the board grasping the at least one handle element.
US08209800B2
A single driver connecting structure for an electric bed or chair comprises: a primary frame, a driver and a link rod. The second structural component has two first angle brackets, and the first angle brackets each include a sliding slot. The third structural component has two second angle brackets, and each second angle bracket includes an aperture. The driver has a positioning portion and an extendable rod, and the positioning portion is pivoted to the securing aperture. The link rod has a first aperture and a second aperture. The first aperture is pivoted to the through hole of the driver with a control pin, and the control pin is slibable in, and limited in, the sliding slot. The second aperture and the aperture of the third structural component are pivoted together such that the driver drives the link rod to affect different movements of the main frame.
US08209796B2
The present invention is directed to methods and apparatus for tempering the temperature of a liquid in a fluid conducting system. More particularly, the invention relates to tempering the temperature of water supplied to a fixture from a water heater in a fluid conducting system. In some embodiments, the invention includes a restrictor for decreasing the fluid pressure in one of the hot inlet or cold inlet of the mixing valve.
US08209795B2
A prefabricated, polyurethane reaction injection molded, leak-proof shower module suitable for use in constructing a tiled shower includes a floor and a plurality of sidewalls wherein a first sidewall is taller than at least a portion of a second sidewall and the difference in height between the first sidewall and the second sidewall is sufficient to permit the attachment of a modular curb to the second sidewall. The floor is bounded along peripheral edges by the plurality of sidewalls which extend substantially vertically from the edges. A method of installing a tiled shower is implemented in one embodiment by applying adhesive material on a subfloor within an area bounded by stud framing, setting the prefabricated shower module in place on the subfloor, installing a prefabricated modular curb proximate to at least one sidewall of the module, attaching wallboard to the framing, and installing tile over the wallboard, module and curb.
US08209789B2
A quick-release structure of a toilet cover hinge includes a fixing bolt, a locking base, and a lid. To assemble, the present invention is coupled to a toilet cover. The fixing bolt is inserted into and engaged with a elongated engaging hole, and a stopping block is to press against the bolt head, which locks the toilet seat to the fixing bolt. To disassemble, the user places their fingers into arched notches of the locking base to pull the lid up and to disassemble the toilet cover for replacement or cleaning; the fixing bolt does not need to be unscrewed from the toilet bowl to remove the toilet seat. To reassemble, the locking base directly engages with the fixing bolt, which provides for a quick and convenient assembly and disassembly of the toilet seat.
US08209788B2
A chemical solution distributing apparatus which is installed in a water tank in water closets or the like and distributes chemical solutions periodically in the water tank including a bottomed tubular apparatus main body which has an opening at its lower end; a chemical retaining section which is present inside this apparatus main body and mounts/retains chemicals; and a drawn-water passage section which is installed outside the apparatus main body and in which one end thereof is connected to the inside of the apparatus main body via the opening while the other end thereof is positioned higher than the lower end of the apparatus main body; wherein the chemical retaining section has holes in order to mix chemicals with the water inside the apparatus main body or inside the water tank; and wherein a check valve to allow release of air inside the apparatus main body to the outside is also formed.
US08209784B2
A helmet having a shell configured to fit about a head of a wearer of the helmet. The shell includes a top portion that defines a front edge and a bottom portion adjoining the top portion. The bottom portion defines a first side edge integral with a first end of the front edge and a second side edge integral with a second end of the front edge. The front edge, first side edge, and second side edge define a segment of a circumference of the shell. The helmet includes a faceguard comprising a faceguard assembly formed in a substantially closed loop. A top portion of the faceguard assembly overlies the top portion of the shell and substantially overlies and coincides with an entire shape of the front edge. At least a segment of a top portion of the faceguard assembly makes direct contact with the top portion of the shell.
US08209780B1
A mounting device for mounting an associated optical device on an associated helmet includes a first pivot arm assembly removably attachable to the associated helmet. A second pivot arm assembly is pivotally attached to the first pivot arm assembly and is rotatable about a first horizontal axis. A optical device mounting arm assembly is rotatably attached to the second pivot arm assembly. The optical device mounting arm assembly rotatable about a first vertical axis relative to the second pivot arm assembly.
US08209769B1
A bomb suit carrier is constructed from a sheet of fabric material shaped to fit within the front torso portion of a bomb suit. A sheet of loop material is attached to the sheet of fabric material and a plurality of parallel straps are attached to the side of the sheet of fabric material having the sheet of loop material. The parallel straps form a pouch attachment ladder system and include loop material along their entire length. A hole passes through the sheet of fabric material to accommodate a rapid doffing handle of a bomb suit to which the bomb suit carrier is attached. An attachment mechanism is provided to secure the sheet of fabric material to the bomb suit.
US08214915B2
Provided is a cantilever that is capable of bending and deforming in an active manner by itself. The cantilever includes: a lever portion having a proximal end that is supported by a main body part; and a resistor member that is formed in the cantilever and generates heat when a voltage is applied, to thereby deform the lever portion by thermal expansion due to the heat.
US08214912B2
A method and apparatus for temporarily using Digital Rights Management (DRM) contents is provided. The method includes receiving a rights object having information required for using the contents, converting the rights object into a first temporary rights object and a second temporary rights object for a temporary use of the contents, and transmitting the first temporary rights object and the second temporary rights object to an unauthorized device. The first temporary rights object and the second temporary rights object are the rights objects that allow using the contents for a predetermined time.
US08214901B2
A method and apparatus are provided for combating malicious code. In one embodiment, a method for combating malicious code in a network includes implementing a resource-limiting technique to slow a propagation of the malicious code and implementing a leap-ahead technique in parallel with the resource-limiting technique to defend against the malicious code reaching a full saturation potential in the network.
US08214899B2
An online service gathers information about a user's access to an online account and makes that information available to the account owner and/or other authorized user. When an online account is accessed, the online service logs a time stamp, a network address from which the account was accessed, a port number, a user ID, routing data, and/or other access data. The online service may use the access information to obtain address ownership name, geographic location, and/or other ownership information associated with the account access. The accessing client also stores access data. The client, account owner, and/or another decision maker evaluates all, or portions of information to detect unauthorized access to the account. The decision maker may dynamically evaluate and display the access data or later compare log files of the online service and the account owner's local log file.
US08214897B2
Methods of detecting, and providing a notification of, the existence of misinformation using usage patterns of a network service enable an organization to respond to the misinformation. The method includes establishing common usage patterns of the network service, identifying an irregular usage pattern, determining that the irregular usage pattern was caused by misinformation, and responding to the misinformation.
US08214889B2
Management of security firewall settings in a networked computing environment is described. One example embodiment includes applying security settings and exceptions to the security settings based on network class for network communication, and upon detection of an event, revoking at least one exception for at least one network in a specified class.
US08214883B2
Techniques are described for use with social networks and associated access information, such as access control lists, indicating which users are allowed to access the social networks. The social networks represent relationships between users. The social networks and access control lists may be represented in a graph which is traversed in connection with performing different operations using the social networks.
US08214870B2
In a method of providing a channel/client status register to enable improved channel switching in an Internet Protocol network with a plurality of client nodes each capable of receiving video sessions over a plurality of channels from at least one video provider system, initially arranging S1 said plurality client 5 nodes into an associated group. A first client node, upon switching to or joining a new channel, transmitting S2 a channel update message to said associated group, said channel update message comprising an identity of said first client node, an identity of said new channel and a topological indication for said channel. Subsequent providing and updating S3 a respective channel/client 10 status register in each of said plurality of client nodes based on said transmitted channel update message, thereby enabling identification of what channels the client nodes in said associated group are associated with or viewing.
US08214868B2
Apparatus for distributing streaming multimedia to at least one end client over a network includes memory and at least one processor operatively connected to the memory. The processor is operative: (i) to receive the streaming multimedia from at least one multimedia source via at least one of a plurality of channels in the network; (ii) when a channel change request generated by the end client for changing a channel and corresponding multimedia content from the multimedia source is not detected, to deliver the at least one multimedia stream to the end client at a first data rate; and (iii) when the channel change request has been detected, to deliver the at least one multimedia stream to the end client at a second rate for a prescribed period of time after receiving the channel change request and, after the prescribed period of time, to deliver the at least one multimedia stream to the end client at the first data rate, wherein the second data rate is greater than the first data rate.
US08214860B2
The present invention enables a user to retrieve his or her desired one of a number of image programs easily and to view it quickly.An image retrieval assisting apparatus (100) for assisting retrieval of broadcast contents in a broadcast-contents-recording/reproducing apparatus or a broadcast receiving set comprises a classification criterion information storage portion (21) for storing classification criterion for classifying broadcast contents into a plurality of categories, program information acquisition means (23) for acquiring program information of said broadcast contents, program information classification means (27) for classifying said program information into said categories according to said classification criterion, an HDD (29) for storing said classified program information, and display means (31) for displaying said categories defined by said classification criterion horizontally on a monitor screen in a selectable manner and displaying only the program information fallen in a selected category vertically on said monitor screen in a selectable manner.
US08214857B2
Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for generating a combined video stream from multiple input video streams. A first video stream including a first product commercial generated to be played at a first playback speed and a second video stream including a second product commercial generated to be played at a second playback speed are processed. The second playback speed is faster than the first playback speed. A combined video stream is generated including a first panel in each frame to display the first video stream and a second panel in each frame to display the second video stream. When the combined video stream is played at the first playback speed the second video stream is rendered to appear at a slower speed than the second playback speed for which it was generated. When the combined video stream is played at the second playback speed the first video speed is rendered to appear at a faster speed than the first playback speed for which it was generated.
US08214850B2
At an interface between a text engine and a first client application, text and first client application properties associated with the text may be received from the first client application. Then the interface may map the first client application properties associated with the text to text engine properties associated with the text. Next, the interface may provide the text and the text engine properties associated with the text to the text engine. The text engine may process the text. Next, the text engine may provide the processed text and the text engine properties associated with the processed text to the interface. The interface may then map the text engine properties associated with the processed text to the first client application properties associated with the processed text. The interface may then provide the processed text and the first client application properties associated with the processed text to the first client application.
US08214847B2
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for configuring assurances within distributed messaging systems. A defined set of message log and cursor components are configurably activatable and deactivatable to compose a variety of different capture assurances, transfer assurances, and delivery assurances within a distributed messaging system. A composition of a capture assurance, a transfer assurance, and a delivery assurance can provide an end-to-end assurance for a messaging system. End-to-end assurances can include one of best effort, at-most-once, at-least-once, and exactly once and can include one of: durable or non-durable. Using a defined set of activatable and deactivatable message log and cursor components facilities more efficient transitions between desired assurances. In some embodiments, a composition of a capture assurance, a transfer assurance, and a delivery assurance provides durable exactly-once message delivery.
US08214845B2
A network on chip (‘NOC’) that includes IP blocks, routers, memory communications controllers, and network interface controllers, each IP block adapted to the network by an application messaging interconnect including an inbox and an outbox, one or more of the IP blocks including computer processors supporting a plurality of threads, the NOC also including an inbox and outbox controller configured to set pointers to the inbox and outbox, respectively, that identify valid message data for a current thread; and software running in the current thread that, upon a context switch to a new thread, is configured to: save the pointer values for the current thread, and reset the pointer values to identify valid message data for the new thread, where the inbox and outbox controller are further configured to retain the valid message data for the current thread in the boxes until context switches again to the current thread.
US08214840B2
Nonlinear optimization is applied to resource allocation, as for example, buffer pool optimization in computer database software where only the marginal utility is known. The method for allocating resources comprises the steps of starting from an initial allocation, calculating the marginal utility of the allocation, calculating the constraint functions of the allocation, and applying this information to obtain a next allocation and repeating these steps until a stopping criteria is satisfied, in which case a locally optimal allocation is returned.
US08214831B2
A runtime dependence-aware scheduling of dependent iterations mechanism is provided. Computation is performed for one or more iterations of computer executable code by a main thread. Dependence information is determined for a plurality of memory accesses within the computer executable code using modified executable code using a set of dependence threads. Using the dependence information, a determination is made as to whether a subset of a set of uncompleted iterations in the plurality of iterations is capable of being executed ahead-of-time by the one or more available threads in the data processing system. If the subset of the set of uncompleted iterations in the plurality of iterations is capable of being executed ahead-of-time, the main thread is signaled to skip the subset of the set of uncompleted iterations and the set of assist threads is signaled to execute the subset of the set of uncompleted iterations.
US08214823B2
In a cluster system: a heartbeat transmission unit in a service provision node transmits to a monitoring node a heartbeat packet which contains interval information indicating an interval greater than normal intervals at which normal heartbeat packets are transmitted, when an execution unit in the service provision node receives a stop command. Thereafter, when software realizing the execution unit is updated and the execution unit is restarted, the heartbeat transmission unit periodically transmits the normal heartbeat packets to the monitoring node at the normal intervals, where the normal heartbeat packets contain interval information indicating the normal intervals. A heartbeat monitoring unit in the monitoring node determines that the execution unit is in operation, while the monitoring node receives heartbeat packets at intervals indicated by the interval information stored in the monitoring node and updated with received interval information.
US08214821B1
A method for automatically updating firmware of a hand-held device. To initiate the automatic update, a reset of the hand-held device is detected and an update application is executed. The update application determines whether a flag, indicating a pervious execution of the update application, has been set. If the flag is set, the update application terminates, otherwise, the update application performs an identification test by determining whether a device ID of the device matches a device ID stored in a table of the update application. If the device ID does not match, the update application terminates and the flag is set. If the device ID matches, the update application updates the firmware of the hand-held device, sets the flag, and terminates. In so doing, the firmware of the hand-held device is updated without requiring user intervention or interaction.
US08214820B2
A method for optimizing dependencies for a set of objects includes: automatically detecting dependencies among a set of objects, where each of the objects in the set includes at least one linkable file; adding the detected dependencies to a dependency list; and removing dependencies from the dependency list for any object that does not have at least one file dependency. The method optionally includes removing unused files from the set of objects, breaking a selected object into smaller objects, and making a file having a large number of dependencies into its own object.
US08214807B2
Methods, systems, and products are provided for code path tracking. Embodiments include identifying an instrumented trace point in software code to be path tracked; identifying a function executed at the instrumented trace point in the software code; identifying parameters for the function executed at the instrumented trace point; and recording a description of the function, the parameters, and the result of the execution of the function using the parameters.
US08214797B2
A development system is provided. The system includes a workspace component to visually display one or more class components. A linking component identifies a database relationship between at least two of the class components, where the database relationship is employed to automatically create a class association between the at least two class components.
US08214794B2
A core idea of the present approach is to provide a mapping format (and corresponding utility code for handling such mapping) that would allow the specification of mappings between parts of an EMF model and the corresponding Java annotations. Based on this mapping, the code in this framework utilizes generic EMF APIs to populate EMF model objects from information obtained in the Java annotations.
US08214779B2
A mechanism is provided for making a discrete spatial correlation on a 2D grid continuous. The region has given grid points and each of the grid points has its discrete stochastic variable. Additional grid points and associated stochastic variables are established on the boundary and corners of the region. All correlation coefficients are obtained among the given discrete stochastic variables and the additional discrete stochastic variables. For each of two given spatial points whose spatial correlation is needed, a quadrilateral containing it is identified by four grid points, and a stochastic variable for it is expressed as a weighted linear combination of four stochastic variables at four grid points, with four weights being a continuous function of the coordinate of the point. The resulting spatial correlation is a weighted linear combination of multiple discrete correlation coefficients each weight being a continuous function of the coordinates of the two given points.
US08214777B2
A leakage current monitor circuit provides an accurate statistically representative analog of true off-state leakage current in a digital circuit integrated on a die. At least one N-type transistor and at least one P-type transistor separate from the digital circuit are sized to represent the total area of the corresponding type transistors in the digital circuit. The gates of the N-type transistor and P-type transistors are set to voltages according to the corresponding off-state logic levels of the digital circuit. The N-type and P-type transistors form a portion of corresponding current mirror circuits, which can provide outputs to a leakage current monitor and/or a control circuit such as a comparator that determines when leakage current for the N-type or P-type devices has exceeded a threshold. The output of the measurement/control circuit can be used to determine a temperature of and/or control operation of the digital circuit or the system environment of the integrated circuit.
US08214776B2
A semiconductor device has first wiring layers 30 and a plurality of dummy wiring layers 32 that are provided on the same level as the first wiring layers 30. The semiconductor device defines a row direction, and first virtual linear lines L1 extending in a direction traversing the row direction. The row direction and the first virtual linear lines L1 define an angle of 2-40 degrees, and the dummy wiring layers 32 are disposed in a manner to be located on the first virtual linear lines L1. The semiconductor device also defines a column direction perpendicular to the row direction, and second virtual linear lines L2 extending in a direction traversing the column direction. The column direction and the second virtual linear lines L2 define an angle of 2-40 degrees, and the dummy wiring layers 32 are disposed in a manner to be located on the second virtual linear lines L2.
US08214773B2
A method of forming integrated circuits for a wafer includes providing an E-Beam direct write (EBDW) system. A grid is generated for the wafer, wherein the grid includes grid lines. An integrated circuit is laid out for the wafer, wherein substantially no sensitive features in the integrated circuit cross the grid lines of the grid. An EBDW is performed on the wafer using the EBDW system.
US08214771B2
A metrology target design may be optimized using inputs including metrology target design information, substrate information, process information, and metrology system information. Acquisition of a metrology signal with a metrology system may be modeled using the inputs to generate one or more optical characteristics of the metrology target. A metrology algorithm may be applied to the characteristics to determine a predicted accuracy and precision of measurements of the metrology target made by the metrology system. Part of the information relating to the metrology target design may be modified and the signal modeling and metrology algorithm may be repeated to optimize the accuracy and precision of the one or more measurements. The metrology target design may be displayed or stored after the accuracy and precision are optimized.
US08214769B2
A system and method is described for managing phone calls initiated from a phone device of a personal digital assistant. In one example, a system for managing a phone call is described. The system comprises, among other things, a personal digital assistant. The personal digital assistant includes the following: a display device; a phone device; a call device configured to control the phone device and to display a selectable interface on the display device; a hard button configured to initiate the call device; and a selection mechanism configured to receive user selections from the selectable interface.
US08214767B2
The present application discloses a method for generating a shortcut for launching computer program functionality on a computer. The method comprises the steps of monitoring a sequence of user actions resulting in the launch of the functionality; determining a launch frequency of the functionality; determining a complexity rating for the launch; comparing the launch frequency and the complexity rating with a predefined criterion; and generating the shortcut for activating the functionality if the predefined criterion is met. The present application further discloses a computer program product implementing the above method and a computer comprising such a computer program.
US08214758B2
An information processing apparatus is configured to execute a plurality of operations in parallel. A display unit displays a header identifying each operation in a plurality of operation on a display unit. A control unit switches a current operation based on selection of the header via an input unit and, when switching the current operation, controls display of suspension information to indicate a suspension state of a suspended operation on the header for the suspended operation in addition to the current operation.
US08214749B2
A system for providing a local computer user with detailed activity information regarding remote users, in order to assist the local user in determining whether to initiate a communication session with a remote user. The system provides activity information describing the number of instant messaging sessions one or more remote users are currently involved in, the identities of participants in those sessions, activity levels, time period information, and other information. The system further provides detailed activity information describing recent instant messaging sessions of one or more remote users.
US08214747B1
In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification includes a workspace definition which includes a workspace identifier referring to a workspace where an application container having a user interface can instantiate the workspace based on the workspace definition; a plurality of application identifiers each referring to an application provider for an application, and where each application is configured to execute in the application container for the instantiated workspace and where each application has a visual representation in the user interface; and a one or more participants where each participant refers to one or more workspace participants.
US08214746B2
A processing device used to support communications between users of the collaboration system is provided with a graphical user interface. A graphical context activation mechanism associated with a discussion between users of the collaboration system may be displayed. Responsive to a selection input, a graphical illustration of information regarding the users participating in the discussion is displayed. The graphical illustration may comprise indicia of location of at least one of the users that may be displayed, for example, within the context of a geographical map. The graphical illustration may further comprise indicia of identity of at least one of the users. Additionally, a textual context activation mechanism may be provided and utilized in the same manner, thereby allowing text-based context regarding the message to be displayed. In this manner, team-wide context may be more readily established.
US08214737B2
A method allows a user to process a life or work event by enabling the user to perform certain operations, including creating at least one event instance based on an event definition that includes a specification of data required from an external source, a list of tasks to be completed, a task order, and one or more resources associated with each task, and processing the event instance by importing the data from the external source and by iteratively allowing the user to select a task in accordance with the task order and to access the resources associated with the selected task. The imported data may be used to pre-populate forms, or as other input within the tasks. If the imported data is processed or used to produce output data, the output data may be exported to an external destination.
US08214736B2
The system relates to identifying critical textual passages that influence the pagination of electronic documents such that the addition or removal of text to these critical passages will have the effect of shortening or lengthening the document.
US08214733B2
Systems and methods analyze the physical structure of text rows in a document image, including the positions of one or more alignments of one or more character blocks in one or more text rows of the document image. The systems and methods determine one or more groups of text rows that are placed into a class based on the structures of the text rows, such as the positions of the one or more alignments of the one or more character blocks in each text row. A pattern matching system then determines if one or more classes should be further combined into a combined class.
US08214728B2
A method and apparatus are disclosed for forming a frame of interleaved information bits in a communication system, where the decoding of the frame of interleaved information bits may begin before all of the bits in the frame are received. An exemplary interleaved frame is formed by receiving a frame of N information bits within the communication system; encoding the information bits at a code rate R to provide encoded bits; and arranging the encoded bits into a frame of N/R coded bits, wherein a plurality of puncturing patterns pi are applied to the frame of N/R coded bits such that a code rate of R/ai is produced for each of the plurality of puncturing pattern pi. The arrangement of encoded bits involves applying a puncturing pattern pj to the encoded bits; and applying a permutation function to the punctured encoded bits to generate a fractional section of the frame of N/R coded bits. The fractional section of the frame of N/R coded bits comprises N/R*aj bits.
US08214724B2
Provided is a transmitter for continuously and sequentially transmitting data with a variable unit for playback. The transmitter includes an obtaining section, a buffer, a computing section and a transmitting section. The obtaining section sequentially obtains segment data of the data to be transmitted. The buffer stores an error correction code to correct an error caused in the data by transmission. The computing section computes, every time newly obtained segment data reaches a predetermined size, XOR of the error correction code already stored in the buffer and the newly obtained segment data, and then updates the error correction code with the computed XOR. The transmitting section sequentially transmits the obtained segment data, as well as reads from the buffer and transmits the updated error correction code every time the computing section computes XOR for data in a size corresponding to the unit for playback.
US08214723B2
A method of low latency encoding of an input bit sequence (S0) to yield an encoded bit sequence (S), and a corresponding decoding method, said encoding method including: a first encoding step (E1) applied to bits of the input bit sequence (S0), using a first code; an interleaving step (E3) in which an interleaver interleaves the bits obtained from said first code; and a parity, second encoding step (E4) applied to the bits obtained from said interleaver, using a second code, to generate said encoded bit sequence (S). The parity, second encoding step (E4) starts after a predetermined number Δ of bits have been interleaved, said predetermined number Δ of bits ranging between a first lower number Δi of bits depending on one or more parameters of said interleaving step (E3) and a first higher number Δs of bits corresponding to the total number of bits to be processed during said interleaving step (E3).
US08214722B2
A signal error determination and correction system is provided which comprises an error correction value calculation means which processes a predetermined segment of a signal to calculate an error correction value, and a signal correction means and prediction which applies the error correction value to at least part of the signal to correct the part of the signal. The invention further provides a method of signal error determination and correction.
US08214721B2
A system and method for achieving higher data rates in physical layer devices. Costs imposed by large data rate increases represented by generational increases in Ethernet standards activities are avoided through physical layer device modifications that enable marginal increases in data bandwidth. Building-block reuse can be promoted through the selective use of clocking rate increase, increase in coding efficiency, and bit reuse.
US08214718B2
A system and method for erasure flagging for errors-and-erasures decoding in storage devices includes determining a deviation measure between a read/write head position relative to a track of symbols in storage media. A reliability value is determined for the symbols based on the deviation measure. Flagging the symbols with a reliability value below a threshold as erasures is performed. The symbols are decoded using errors-and-erasures decoding in an iterative procedure.
US08214713B2
When a determination section of a reception apparatus determines that a control channel is intended for the reception apparatus, a comparing section of the reception apparatus compares control information transmitted on the control channel with a reception capability of the reception apparatus. A data channel reception section of the reception apparatus receives a data channel when the control information is within the reception capability of the reception apparatus, but does not receive the data channel when the control information exceeds the reception capability of the reception apparatus. When the control information exceeds the reception capability of the reception apparatus, the transmission section does not transmit an ACK signal and a NACK signal with respect to the data channel.
US08214710B2
Methods and apparatus for processing error control messages, such as RLC ARQ control messages, are disclosed. An exemplary method comprises signaling a medium access controller (MAC) that link resources are needed for transmitting data, receiving an indication from the MAC that link resources for transmitting the data are scheduled, and generating an error control message after receiving said indication, based on a current error control status. The error control message is then forwarded to the MAC for transmission. Because the generation of an error control message is delayed until resources for its transmission are scheduled, the queuing of stale control messages is avoided.
US08214707B2
This disclosure relates to network data communication. Some embodiments include initiating a network connection between an original source and an ultimate destination, transmitting a block of data from the original source to the ultimate destination on the network, requesting retransmission of lost blocks from the ultimate destination to the source and retransmitting the lost blocks from source to the ultimate destination. These embodiments further include measuring round-trip time of a retransmit request, the round-trip time measured from a time of transmission of a retransmit request from the ultimate destination to a time of reception at the ultimate destination after retransmission from the original source and setting the round-trip time as a minimum retransmission request time for the network connection, wherein the round-trip time includes latencies of the network connection and in data processes at the original source and at the ultimate destination.
US08214706B2
A semiconductor device including an electronic circuit, a memory, and an error detecting module. The electronic circuit is configured to receive an input signal having been generated by a test module, and generate an output signal based on the input signal. The memory is configured to store a predetermined output value that is expected to be output from the electronic circuit based on the electronic receiving the input signal, wherein the predetermined output value is stored in the memory prior to the input signal being generated by the test module. The error detecting module is configured to (i) generate a sample value of the output signal, (ii) compare the sample value of the output signal to the predetermined output value stored in the memory, and (iii) generate a result signal that indicates whether the sample value of the output signal matches the predetermined output value.
US08214705B2
An integrated circuit carries an intellectual property core. The intellectual property core includes a test access port 39 with test data input leads 15, test data output leads 13, control leads 17 and an external register present, ERP lead 37. A scan register 25 encompasses the intellectual property core and ERP lead 37 carries a signal indicating the presence of the scan register.
US08214704B1
A system including a first clock, a first scan chain, and a first sampling circuit. The first clock is configured to generate a first clock signal. The first scan chain includes a first input, a first set of devices, and a first output. The first input is configured to receive a portion of first data to test the first scan chain. The first set of devices has a first plurality of states, wherein each of the first set of devices changes between the first plurality of states in response to the portion of the first data. The first output is configured to output a portion of second data in response to the first plurality of states. The first sampling circuit is configured to sample the portion of the second data from the first output at least twice per clock cycle of the first clock signal.
US08214700B2
Data errors in non-volatile memory inevitably increase with usage and with higher density of bits stored per cell. For acceptable quality assurance, conventional error correction codes (“ECC”) have to correct a maximum number of error bits up to the far tail end of a statistical population. The present memory is configured to have a first portion operating with less error but of lower density storage, and a second portion operating with a higher density but less robust storage. If excessive error bits (at the far tail-end) occur after writing a group of data to the second portion, the data is adaptively rewritten to the first portion which will produce less error bits. Preferably, the data is initially written to a cache also in the first portion to provide source data for any rewrites. Thus, a more efficient ECC not requiring to correcting for the far tail end can be used.
US08214695B2
To enable the host server side to be aware of the recovery of an error when the error is recovered by the user's power off/on operation, the most recent state regarding occurrences of errors at printer 16 (steps S61 and S62) is stored in the backup RAM 12a each time a status change occurs (steps S63 and S64), and when an user performs a power off/on operation and a printing device is re-activated (step S65), if a most recent state at the time of the previous activation was in a state of service call error occurrence (step S66), the current status of the printer 16 is then sent (steps S68 and S69).
US08214689B2
To shorten the time from power restoration to the resumption of business operation. During a power failure, a memory controller saves configuration information and directory information of a shared memory to a nonvolatile memory, and saves data of a cache memory to the nonvolatile memory. During power restoration from a power failure, the memory controller returns information of the nonvolatile memory to the shared memory so that it can be updated before the lapse of the initialization time, the micro processor executes online processing based on information of the shared memory, and the memory controller 70 controls the storage area of the cache memory so that it will become gradually writable according to the battery capacity of the battery if the battery capacity of the battery is still gradually increasing even after the lapse of the initialization time.
US08214684B2
The embodiments of the invention provide methods of protecting data blocks while writing to a storage array, wherein storage units in the storage array include write logs. The data protection level of the write logs is equal to or greater than the data protection level of the storage units. Moreover, the write logs have metadata describing contents of the write logs, wherein the metadata include a sequence number identifying the age of the metadata. Each of the data blocks is a member of a parity group having addressable data blocks and first parity blocks. The addressable data blocks have at least one host data block and at least one associated data block.
US08214682B2
Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that synchronizes signals related to the operation of a computer system. During operation, a set of correlation coefficients between a first signal and a second signal is generated, wherein each correlation coefficient is associated with a different phase shift between the first signal and the second signal. Then, a synchronizing phase shift associated with the highest correlation coefficient in the set of correlation coefficients is determined in order to synchronize the first signal and the second signal.
US08214681B2
The present invention has an object of realizing a power source redundancy of each of devices constructing a network while suppressing a processing load of each device with a simplified configuration. A power monitoring device includes a power configuration generator for preparing power control information based upon device information including necessary power information, being information indicative of a power necessary for operating each monitored device itself, and power status information indicative of a received power in each monitored device, causing a power configuration information storage to store the prepared power control information, and further transmitting the prepared power control information to each monitored device. Further, the monitored device includes a power controller for controlling the power of its own device based upon the transmitted power control information.
US08214676B2
An information processing apparatus switches from a regular power mode to a power saving mode in the event that a first control unit does not process packets for a certain period of time. The information processing apparatus includes a packet table in which packets to be processed by the first control unit are registered, and a determining unit for determining whether the system of the information processing apparatus can switch to the power saving mode. In the event that the determining unit determines that the system can switch to the power saving mode, a network controller processes the packets based on the packet table.
US08214668B2
A synchronizing circuit includes an internal partial power supply interruption circuit section which can be subjected to a power supply interruption and includes a data transmission register configured to output data for controlling a power supply interruption and a clock enable control register configured to output an enable signal; an internal partial power supply interruption control circuit section configured to control a power supply interruption and includes a gated clock buffer configured to control a clock signal based on the enable signal, and a data reception register configured to take in data based on the controlled clock signal; and an isolation cell configured to output an output from the internal partial power supply interruption circuit section as a fixed value when the internal partial power supply interruption circuit section has been subjected to a power supply interruption.
US08214652B2
Systems and methods for regulating user access in the context of a biometric security system are disclosed. One method disclosed includes receiving a remotely transmitted data packet containing an encryption key, utilizing a decryption component to decrypt the data packet, and utilizing the encryption component to encrypt biometric data. Another method disclosed includes utilizing a processor, within a client computing device, to perform an encryption function within a biometric security system, wherein the encryption function is incorporated into an authentication process that involves a transfer of biometric information between the client computing device and a remotely implemented server.
US08214644B2
A method, device and system for stably issuing a rights object (RO) to a memory, namely, an SRM, via a terminal. When RO has been issued to the memory card, namely, to the SRM, by using the stable procedure, the RO can be compatible with a different terminal that does not support the stable procedure, whereby the RO can be completely used by the different terminal.
US08214640B2
A method is provided for passing control messages and other information through a SIP network by embedding the information in SIP messages. The information is sent from one SIP agent to another by encrypting the information, embedding the encrypted information in one or more implementation-defined SIP header fields, and transmitting a SIP message that includes the field or fields in which the information is embedded.
US08214634B1
Validating a certificate is disclosed. Whether the certificate was previously determined to be valid by one or more peer entities is determined. The certificate is validated based at least in part on the determination.
US08214632B2
Provided is a method of booting an electronic device including a host central processing unit (CPU) and a security module. The method includes: the host CPU starting to boot a system by using boot information in response to a reset or power on event of the electronic device; and when an authentication start instruction is not received by the security module from the host CPU until a first predetermined period elapses after an occurrence of the reset or power on event of the electronic device, controlling an operation of the host CPU by the security module. According to the method, when the authentication start instruction is received before the first predetermined period elapses, the security module authenticates the boot information and controls the operation of the host CPU based on an authentication result. A method of authenticating a boot of the electronic device in the security module is also provided.
US08214630B2
A method, device and system for controlling JTAG interface enablement within a communication device. The JTAG interface can be selectively enabled based on the receipt of an encrypted access token generated by an access token server. The access token server generates the access token in response to an end user providing appropriate device-specific information. The access token includes appropriate information that, upon appropriate authentication and decryption, can temporarily device bind the boot code image of the device in a manner that enables the JTAG interface. Alternatively, the access token includes appropriate information that instructs the general purpose processor to choose between JTAG interface enablement information and JTAG interface disablement information for use with the boot code image of the device. The access token can include expiration information that causes an enabled JTAG interface to revert back to its disabled status upon expiration of the access token.
US08214626B2
Method, apparatus, and program means for shuffling data. The method of one embodiment comprises receiving a first operand having a set of L data elements and a second operand having a set of L control elements. For each control element, data from a first operand data element designated by the individual control element is shuffled to an associated resultant data element position if its flush to zero field is not set and a zero is placed into the associated resultant data element position if its flush to zero field is not set.
US08214624B2
There are provided a method and a processor for processing a thread. The thread includes a plurality of sequential instructions. The plurality of sequential instructions include some short-latency instructions and some long-latency instructions and at least one hazard instruction. The hazard instruction requires one or more preceding instructions to be processed before the hazard instruction is processed. The method includes the steps of: a) before processing each long-latency instruction, incrementing by one, a counter associated with the thread; b) after each long-latency instruction has been processed, decrementing by one, the counter associated with the thread; c) before processing each hazard instruction, checking the value of the counter associated with the thread, and i) if the counter value is zero, processing the hazard instruction, or ii) if the counter value is non-zero, pausing processing of the hazard instruction until a later time. The processor includes means for performing steps a), b) and c) of the method.
US08214619B1
Systems and methods, including computer software stored on a machine-readable medium for performing operations, can be implemented for allocating memory. Multiple channels are defined on a mobile device. Each channel can be adapted to receive a predetermined type of content for access on the mobile device. An amount of memory allocated to each channel for storing data is defined. Data identifying a new amount of memory allocated to one of the channels is received, and the amount of memory allocated to the channel is adjusted based on the data identifying the new amount of memory.
US08214617B2
Provided are a method and apparatus for avoiding bank conflict. A first instruction that is one of access instructions that are predicted to cause the bank conflict is replaced with a second instruction by changing an execute timing of the first instruction to a timing prior to the execute timing of the first instruction so as for the access instructions not to cause the bank conflict. Next, a load/store unit that is scheduled to access the bank according to the first instruction accesses the bank and reads out a data from the bank at an execute timing of the second instruction, and after that, the load/store unit is allowed to be inputted the read data at the execute timing of the first instruction. Accordingly, although the access instructions that are predicted to cause the bank conflict are allocated to the load/store units, the bank conflict can be prevented, so that it is possible to avoid deterioration in performance due the occurrence of the bank conflict.
US08214613B2
In a storage system, one or more storage apparatuses provide a management computer with a first volume for storing data from the management computer, provide a host computer with a second volume for storing data from the host computer, and manage a volume address for the one or more storage apparatuses to manage the first volume and the second volume in the one or more storage apparatuses. The management computer issues a command specifying an arbitrary volume address to the one or more storage apparatuses, and designates, when receiving a normal response from the arbitrary volume address, a volume with the arbitrary volume address as the second volume.
US08214599B2
A system analyzes access patterns in a storage system. Logic circuitry in the system identifies different address regions of contiguously accessed memory locations. A statistical record identifies a number of storage accesses to the different address regions and a historical record identifies previous address regions accessed prior to the address regions currently being accessed. The logic circuitry is then used to prefetch data from the different address regions according to the statistical record and the historical record.
US08214592B2
Disclosed are a method, a system and a computer program product for operating a cache system. The cache system can include multiple cache lines, and a first cache line of the multiple of cache lines can include multiple cache cells, and a bus coupled to the multiple cache cells. In one or more embodiments, the bus can include a switch that is operable to receive a first control signal and to split the bus into first and second portions or aggregate the bus into a whole based on the first control signal. When the bus is split, a first cache cell and a second cache cell of the multiple cache cells are coupled to respective first and second portions of the bus. Data from the first and second cache cells can be selected through respective portions of the bus and outputted through a port of the cache system.
US08214588B2
A method for data mirroring including receiving a sequence of transactions at a first storage node from a host indicating data to be stored by the node, storing the data therein, and delineating a first batch of the transactions. The node returns to the host an acknowledgment of having stored the data, delineates a second batch of the transactions received subsequent to the acknowledgment, and conveys the data to a second storage node. The first node also conveys to the second node a first record of the transactions in the first batch and a second record of the transactions in the second batch, and the data are stored in the second node responsively to the first and second records, so that all data indicated by the transactions in the first batch are stored by the second node prior to storing data indicated by the transactions in the second batch.
US08214581B2
A system for cache synchronization includes a data managing unit and a storage medium. The data managing unit is configured to control storing of data of a buffer cache of the storage medium, in response to an event signal received from a host, by classifying the data of the buffer cache into random data and sequential data. The storage medium includes a first area and a second area, and is configured to store the random data and an address information map in the first area, and to store the sequential data in the second area.
US08214580B2
A method for adjusting a drive life and a capacity of a solid state drive (SSD), the SSD comprising a plurality of memory devices includes determining a desired drive life for the SSD; determining a utilization for the SSD; and allocating a portion of the plurality of memory devices as available memory and a portion of the plurality of memory devices as spare memory based on the desired drive life and the utilization. An SSD with an adjustable drive life and capacity includes a plurality of memory devices; and a memory allocation module configured to: determine a desired drive life for the SSD; determine a utilization for the SSD; and allocate a portion of the plurality of memory devices as available memory and a portion of the plurality of memory devices as spare memory based on the desired drive life and the utilization.
US08214575B2
A memory module includes a first signal line to carry a first signal. The first signal line has (i) a first line segment disposed along a length of the memory module and coupled to a termination, and (ii) a second line segment disposed along a width of the memory module and coupled to an edge finger. The first line segment and the second line segment are coupled together at a turn. A first synchronous memory device and a second synchronous memory device are coupled to the first line segment. The first signal arrives at the first synchronous memory device and the second synchronous memory device in a sequential manner. The memory module includes a clock line routed alongside the first signal line. A clock signal arrives at the first synchronous memory device and the second synchronous memory device in sequence alongside the first signal traversing along the first signal line.
US08214568B2
A device system and method is disclosed. The device includes a first USB port configured to couple with a USB port on a camera, and circuitry configured to send USB signals to the camera and/or to receive USB signals from the camera, and to operate in USB Host mode, and/or USB OTG (on the go) mode, as the camera operates in Device mode. The device may also include a second USB port configured to couple with a PDA. The circuitry may be further configured to send USB signals to the PDA and/or to receive USB signals from the PDA, and to operate in USB Host mode, and/or USB OTG mode, as the PDA operates in Device mode.
US08214566B2
An apparatus, system and method for providing health-care equipment in a plurality of customizable configurations. A configuration includes a selection and arrangement of health-care equipment modules that each provide specialized support for the provision of health care, including the measurement of physiological parameters. Various types of configurations include those adapted to be mounted upon a desk top or a wall surface, or adapted for wheel mounting or hand-carriable mobile configurations.
US08214565B2
A KVM switch includes: server units respectively connected to computers; user units respectively connected to input/output devices for transmitting signals to the computers and receiving signals from the computers; and a main unit that connects the server units and the user units. Each of the server units, user units and main unit is a communication unit and includes: a first part communicating with another communication unit to inform the above another communication unit of unit type information about the communication unit and receive unit type information about the above another communication unit therefrom; and a second part controlling communications with the above another communication unit on the basis of the unit type information acquired from the above another communication unit.
US08214564B2
A content transfer system composed of a content reproduction terminal and an information processing apparatus is disclosed. A storage section stores information representing a file format and a bit rate of content reproducible by the reproduction terminal. A transmission section transmits the information stored in the storage section to the information processing apparatus. An obtainment section obtains the information representing the file format and the bit rate of the content reproducible by the reproduction terminal therefrom. A conversion section converts content having a predetermined file format and a predetermined bit rate as a transfer target into content having the file format and the bit rate represented by the information obtained by the obtainment section. A transfer section transfers the content converted by the conversion section to the reproduction terminal.
US08214562B2
A computer program product, an apparatus, and a method for processing communications between a target and an initiator an input/output processing system are provided. The computer program product includes a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method. The method includes: sending a message from the initiator to the target, the message requesting suspension of input/output operations between the initiator and the target for a period of time, the period of time being defined by the message; responsive to the message, suspending input/output operation messages for the period of time; performing a system change comprising at least one of: at least one update, a computer program installation, a recovery, and a change in operating parameters; and initiating new input/output operations after at least one of: expiration of the period of time and initiation of new input/output operations by the initiator.
US08214560B2
A system, method and computer program product are provided for supporting Transactional Memory communications. In one embodiment, the system comprises a transactional memory host with a host transactional memory buffer, an endpoint device, a transactional memory buffer associated with the endpoint device, and a communication path connecting the endpoint device and host. Input/Output transactions associated with the endpoint device executed in transactional memory on the host are stored in both the host transactional memory buffer and the transactional memory buffer associated with the endpoint device. In an embodiment, the Transactional Memory system further comprises an intermediate device located on the communication path between the host and the endpoint device, and an intermediate transactional memory buffer associated with said intermediate devices. In this embodiment, the Input/Output transactions associated with said endpoint device are stored in the intermediate transactional memory buffer associated with the intermediate device.
US08214548B2
In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method comprises sending, to a computer peripheral device, a request to obtain capabilities of the computer peripheral device; receiving a first capability description from the computer peripheral device, wherein the first capability description describes one or more capabilities, features or functions of the device at the time of the request; creating one or more graphical user interface (GUI) elements based upon the first capability description and causing displaying the GUI elements; receiving user input representing one or more selections of the GUI elements; creating job ticket data that describes a job for the computer peripheral device to perform, based on the GUI elements that were selected as represented in the user input; sending the job ticket data to the peripheral device; wherein the job ticket data describes one or more device settings that the computer peripheral device can transform to device commands.
US08214541B2
A system for identifying peripheral devices in an information handling system uses a path-based signature for each peripheral component device. A static table is included for listing the path of each peripheral device and is accessible to the Basic Input-Output System (BIOS). The BIOS is configured to identify peripheral components associated and determine a path-base device signature for each peripheral component.
US08214533B2
The invention provides quality assured network services in a multi-domain network and comprises a network service management device for managing device clusters incorporated within the operations management network of each provider network and receiving service orders, and a multi-domain service broker for providing a broker function for achieving agreement between a plurality of providers, and the multi-domain service broker further comprises a device for collecting domain information and information relating to the services each provider is able to provide from the network service management devices, and a device which on receipt of a network service request from a customer, extracts the network service management device of the domain which is able to satisfy the required quality level, and then issues instructions for the setting of the required information within the extracted network service management device.
US08214532B2
A technique is provided for communicating between networks and devices operating in accordance with different network protocols, and for performing logical operations on some or all of the data received and transmitted in accordance with either protocol. Where logic is enabled in a bridge/PLC, and where data is bound or affected by the logic, logical operations may be performed and data stored in a memory module or transmitted to one or another of the networks or devices in accordance with either protocol. Where data is not bound or logic is not enabled, the device may serve as a simple protocol bridge receiving input in one or both protocols, and producing output in accordance with either protocol.
US08214520B1
Media, methods and systems are provided for coordinating changes of network sources for media streams in a telecommunications network. The streams communicate instances of media content via packets to devices. A first network source streams packets of an instance of media content to a device. Each packet includes information regarding the temporal ordering of that packet within the instance and information regarding the sequencing of the packet within the stream. It is determined that a second network source should stream the instance of media content. A point in the temporal ordering within the instance is identified and communicated at which the second network source will provide the instance of media content. The second network source streams to the mobile device the instance of media content from the identified point, without requiring adjustment of the information regarding the sequencing of the packets within the stream.
US08214515B2
Web client data conversion for synthetic environment interaction is described, including receiving a message at a synthetic environment server indicating occurrence of an event on a web client by a web application server configured to generate a transformed message from a first protocol format to a second protocol format, sending the transformed message from the web application server to a message bus using the second protocol format, translating the transformed message into a translated message, the transformed message being translated from the second protocol to a third protocol using a property class, sending the translated message from the message bus to the synthetic environment server according to the property class, and updating the synthetic environment using data included in the translated message, wherein the synthetic environment is updated in substantially real-time. In some embodiments, a method can include an implementing an application programming interface associated with a transactional server.
US08214512B2
Control entity and method for setting up a session in a communications network, subscriber database and communications network The invention relates to a control entity for setting up a session in a communications network, comprising an input device for receiving a request to set up a session in the communications network, a processor unit for processing the request, and an output device for sending messages. The control entity further comprising or having access to a memory for storing information. The processor unit is arranged to determine if the request comprises a valid Communication Service Identifier, CSI, the Communication Service Identifier identifying the type of communication service of the session that is to be established over the communications network. And if the request does not comprise a valid Communication Service Identifier to execute a default CSI procedure using default CSI information stored in the memory.
US08214509B2
A networked computer with a network interface device to which the network stack can offload a subset of the functions needed to process received data packets. The network interface device can receive a map between connections and application buffers. Upon receipt of a data packet through a connection, the network interface device may use the map to identify an application buffer and transfer the data packet to that application buffer. The network interface device may be programmed to recognize qualifications on data packets appropriate for transfer to an application buffer, such as by receiving the sequence number of the next expected packet. Because the network interface device can recognize packets for transfer to an application buffer by simple comparison of a packet header to the map, additional hardware required in the network interface device to perform the offloaded functions is lightweight.
US08214507B2
A phone application state management mechanism is described. The mechanism adopts the state storage format widely known as “Cookies” to store information in a cross-application standard format. Cookies for multiple users are stored on a single machine that retrieves phone applications using a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). Suitable state information for a particular user is automatically retrieved in connection with HTTP requests. Further, by phone based applications can set the values of suitable cookies. An enforced access policy can be used to prevent an application provided by a first legal entity from accessing state information stored by an application provided by another legal entity. The approach can also be used to reduce the passing of telephone identifying information between applications for user identification purposes.
US08214506B2
Content is provided to a client device. A request is received from the client device at a content management service which has access to a database of content and a database of devices on a network. The request identifies content requested by a client. The content management service designates a content source. Capability information is received from the client device. The content management service determines whether the client device has capabilities corresponding to the content identified by the request, using the capability information. Responsive to a determination that the client device has the capabilities, the client device is provided with information to facilitate direct communication between the client device and the content source. Responsive to a determination that the client device does not have the capabilities, a communication channel is constructed between the client device and one or more other devices which have capabilities corresponding to the content.
US08214501B1
Methods and systems are provided for exchanging information between companies in a partnership. One method embodiment includes operatively associating a first company with a transaction directory through a directory management portal. The transaction directory is configured to permit establishment of at least one connection to a translation engine for permitting at least one transaction to occur through the connection. The method also includes connecting at least a second company to the translation engine to permit the transaction to occur between at least the first and second companies. The transaction includes an exchange of information between at least the first and second companies.
US08214493B2
A flow control apparatus includes a status monitoring unit, a flow control deciding unit, a flow control strategy storing unit and a performing unit. The status monitoring unit is configured to report the current operating status of a service node to the flow control deciding unit. The flow control deciding unit is configured to provide the current operating status of the service node to the flow control strategy storing unit, generate a flow control command based on an evaluating result which is obtained by the flow control strategy storing unit based on one or more flow control algorithms and the current operating status of the service node, and distribute the flow control command. The flow control strategy storing unit is configured to store the one or more flow control algorithms, obtain the evaluating result based on the one or more flow control algorithms and the current operating status of the service node provided by the flow control deciding unit, and provide the evaluating result to the flow control deciding unit. The performing unit is configured to control new services arriving at a service processing system according to the flow control command distributed by the flow control deciding unit. A flow control method is also provided.
US08214488B2
Resource information providing system, method, resource information providing apparatus, and program
In a resource information providing system in which resource information providing apparatuses which periodically collect pieces of resource information of a management target apparatus and stores the pieces of information in a cache are hierarchized, when an elapsed time specifying request specifying maximum allowable elapsed time with respect to the resource information is input from a request source which requests the resource information, the resource information providing apparatus obtains the maximum elapsed time from acquisition of the resource information by the management target apparatus until arrival thereof to the request source and determines whether it is exceeding the maximum allowable elapsed time input from the request source or not. If it is exceeding, the resource information providing apparatus shortens the collection interval thereof by the time obtained by subtracting the maximum allowable elapsed time from the maximum elapsed time.
US08214482B2
A method and apparatus for remote logging of access to and activity on a computerized network is provided. Logging information is transmitted to a remote log repository and is not maintained by the local log generating machine. After the logging information is stored in the remote repository, the access to the information is controlled by a specific policy that governs the type of information and the time period during which the information is available. No access is provided to information outside the bounds of the access policy. Preferably the remote log repository is outside the jurisdiction of relevant authorities. This allows the access policy between the log generating entity and the log repository to dictate precisely the information that is under the control of the log generating entity. The use of a remote log repository and a specific access policy affords flexibility to the log generating entity in balancing its multiple responsibilities and makes responding to subpoenas cost effective and efficient.
US08214480B2
A method of identifying a root cause of an event in a network of linked entities. The method comprises: defining a plurality of signatures, each signature comprising one or more classes, the classes being categorized by a taxonomy of classes; receiving a first message from the network; assigning one or more of the signatures to the first message; establishing a set of one or more hypotheses, each hypothesis identifying:a respective root cause; and one of the signatures assigned to the first message; receiving one or more subsequent messages from the network; determining whether each subsequent message matches a signature identified by a previously hypothesis; and generating an output based on the determination.Typically the method involves an element of human interaction. Typically at least one of the signatures includes a class which encloses two or more subclasses categorized by the taxonomy of classes. The ability to define signatures including such higher level entity classes in the taxonomy enables a human user to generate, store and edit generic hypotheses quickly and intuitively, and/or provides an output which can be easily understood by a human user.
US08214477B2
A method is provided of dynamically allocating an IP address, via a DHCP relay, to a client terminal within a communication network. The DHCP relay is able to choose the IP address within at least one first set of IP addresses that is administered by an entity for managing sets of IP addresses. The method implements: a first step of transmitting, to the entity for managing sets of IP addresses, a request to allocate an IP address to the client terminal; a second step in which the entity for managing sets of IP addresses selects a set of IP addresses within which to choose the IP address to be allocated from among: either the at least one first set of IP addresses; or at least one second set of IP addresses that is newly created as a function of at least one predetermined parameter; and a third step of allocating in respect of the client terminal at least one IP address chosen by the DHCP relay in the selected set of IP addresses.
US08214474B2
Methods and systems are provided for autonomic control and optimization of computing systems. A plurality of component models for one or more components in an autonomic computing system are maintained in a system level database. These component models are obtained from a source external to the management server including the components associated with the models. Component models are added or removed from the database or updated as need. A system level management server in communication with the database utilizes the component models maintained in the system level database and generic component models as needed to compute an optimum state of the autonomic computing system. The autonomic computing system is managed in accordance with the computed optimum state.
US08214469B2
Systems, methods, and machine-readable media are disclosed to provide common perspectives across multiple end devices of potentially diverse types. In one embodiment, a method of providing common perspectives to multiple end devices can comprise reading one or more common perspectives from a central repository. The one or more common perspectives can define a manner in which the end devices will present data of one or more types. The one or more common perspectives can be applied to selected data and which can then be presented consistent with the one or more common perspectives.
US08214450B2
According to the invention, a content delivery network (CDN) for delivering content objects from a content provider to a recipient is disclosed. The CDN includes a dynamic pricing engine and a second web location. The dynamic pricing engine is coupled to a first web location. The first web location, which is associated with a content provider, allows the recipient to order a content object. The delivery quote is solicited by the first web location for delivering a content object one or more times. The second web location delivers the content object to a recipient system of the recipient. The second web location is associated with the dynamic pricing engine. The dynamic pricing engine automatically produces the delivery quote, which is affected by at least one of the content object or a web location of the recipient system.
US08214449B2
A method for switching a communication channel in a shared memory communication environment which sets up a TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) communication channel and a shared memory communication channel from a first virtual machine to a second virtual machine, the method includes: transmitting a channel switching message to the first virtual machine when the first virtual machine moves to another physical machine; transmitting the channel switching message from the first virtual machine to the second virtual machine; and switching a channel state between the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine.
US08214445B2
Managing electronic subscriptions includes receiving user input for modifying an electronic subscription of a user to prevent receiving a redundant subscription message for the electronic subscription. Whether a future subscription message is redundant is determined based on at least one of an identifier for the subscription message and content included in the subscription message. Redundant future subscription messages associated with the electronic subscription is excluded from presentation to the user based on the redundancy determination and the user input.
US08214441B2
A system and method disclosed for using and updating a database of template responses for a live agent in response to user communications. The method includes computing an average string distance between each response from a live agent and a template, use to generate the response, modifying the computed average string distance based on a customer satisfaction score associated with each response and selecting a response that minimizes the computed average string distance and maximizes customer satisfaction. Upon receiving a further communication on a certain issue, the system presents a prototype response that has been added to the template database to the live agent for use in generating a response to the further communication that reduces handling time and increases customer satisfaction.
US08214434B2
A context aware mechanism including a system configured to receive presence data relating to at least one of a presentity and a watcher, and to resolve a conflict that arises during processing of the presence data according to a criteria. A method is also provided.
US08214433B2
A system and method to interact with business systems through the use of automated agents and provide context for an automated agent to service multiple avatars within a virtual universe. The system comprises a chat engine, a communications subsystem, and a channelizer configured to mediate one or more communications between the chat engine and the communications subsystem. The channelizer is further configured to map at least one channel to an application.
US08214426B2
An application for a system for providing a digital yearbook includes a server, a user computer and a database. The database is interfaced to the server and global yearbook data and private yearbook data is captured at the computer and transferred to the server. The yearbook data and private data are stored in the database and each user is provided with their own subset of the global yearbook data along with their own private yearbook data at a device for displaying such.
US08214423B2
A computer aided design (CAD) system is described where each type of change in a CAD-generated object is automatically and chronologically protocoled so that the object directly includes an abstract description of the history of the object independent of the CAD module used. This is particularly advantageous with decentralized CAD systems in which several constructors/designers are working together on the same draft, but located in different places. At the end of a session, the object history, i.e., the changes which have taken place, are directly exported, together with the object data, into the destination system. The abstract description is in a form independent of the system used.
US08214420B2
This device (10) includes elements (12) for receiving an analogical signal including a data signal in a frequency channel, elements (18) for amplifying the received signal, elements (20) for filtering the amplified signal so as to cut out frequencies outside the frequency channel of the data signal, members (24) for converting the filtered analogical signal into a digital signal, elements (32) for measuring the power (Pwhole) of the whole received signal after amplification and before filtering, and members (26) for determining an amplification control signal for the received signal amplification as a function of the received signal measured power (Pwhole).
US08214414B2
A merged datapath for PopCount and BitScan is described. A hardware circuit includes a compressor tree utilized for a PopCount function, which is reused by a BitScan function (e.g., bit scan forward (BSF) or bit scan reverse (BSR)). Selector logic enables the compressor tree to operate on an input word for the PopCount or BitScan operation, based on a microprocessor instruction. The input word is encoded if a BitScan operation is selected. The compressor tree receives the input word, operates on the bits as though all bits have same level of significance (e.g., for an N-bit input word, the input word is treated as N one-bit inputs). The result of the compressor tree circuit is a binary value representing a number related to the operation performed (the number of set bits for PopCount, or the bit position of the first set bit encountered by scanning the input word).
US08214413B2
When the intake input mode is set and a 2D function key, such as “√{square root over ( )}” or “a/b,” is operated in a state where the cursor has been moved to an arbitrary position on the formula displayed on the display unit of an electronic calculator, the range of the formula covered by the input 2D function (or to be calculated) is determined on the basis of the position of the cursor by recognizing a formula part sandwiched by parentheses or a chunk of the formula part of a function with parentheses, recognizing a chunk of a formula part of a 2D function, recognizing a chunk of a formula part with successive numerals and characters, and recognizing the position of an arithmetic symbol (“+,” “−,” “×,” or “÷”) or a delimiter (“:” or “,”). The determined range is taken in by the input 2D function.
US08214407B2
Disclosed are a method and framework for mapping data from a data source to a data destination. The method comprises the step of providing a plurality of components for performing defined functions to map the data from the source to the destination. These plurality of components perform the steps of (i) reading data from the source, (ii) processing the read data according to a set of rules, and (iii) loading the processed data into the destination. Preferably the plurality of components perform the further steps of (iv) verifying the integrity of the read data, and (v) logging results into a file. Each of the components operates independently of the other of the components.
US08214389B2
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system, method and computer program product or the administration of client side property settings in a distributed and heterogeneous environment is provided. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method comprises establishing communication between a plurality of property agents and a property service, and looking up an identifier in a property repository for each property agent. A property setting in an updated client application associated with a selected one of the property agents is then modified by a database administrator. Changed property settings from the selected one of the property agents are then sent to the property service. Property settings associated with the updated client application are updated in the property repository. The updated property settings are sent from the property service to a plurality of property agents. The property agents may then merge the updated property settings into an associated application.
US08214377B2
Provided are a method, system, and program for managing storage objects. Storage object information is provided for each storage object, wherein the storage object information indicates at least one of a plurality of groups associated with the storage object, and wherein each storage object is capable of being associated with a plurality of groups and different group types. Group information is provided for each group indicating a group identifier, storage objects associated with the group, and a group type.
US08214373B1
The present application discloses systems and methods for using probabilistic prioritization to assign human reviewers to review data stored in or indexed by an information system. Some embodiments include accessing an index of data items, where individual data items have a corresponding probability f of having a problem, a cost to review the data item, a penalty if a problem associated with the data item is not remedied, and a gain if a problem associated with the data item is remedied; identifying a subset of data items having a corresponding f that is greater than or equal to a decision threshold based on the data item's corresponding cost, penalty, and gain; and ranking at least a portion of the subset of data items based at least in part on their corresponding cost, f, and gain.
US08214371B1
A method, computer program, database system and data structure for indexing spatial objects are disclosed. Each spatial object has a location in an n-dimensional space. The indexing is for use in a partitioned parallel environment including P partitions. Each partition resides on one or more parallel processing systems. The n-dimensional space is divided into quad-tree cells (QTCs) in a quad-tree structure. Each spatial object is assigned to one or more QTCs based on the location of the spatial object in the n-dimensional space. A spatial object index entry is created which includes a designator for the QTC to which the spatial object is assigned and a pointer to the spatial object. The entries are sorted by their QTC numbers into a list. The list of entries is divided into P substantially equal parts. The entries associated with each part are stored in a different one of the P partitions.
US08214367B2
Systems for recording, searching, and outputting display information are provided. In some embodiments, systems for recording display information are provided. The systems include a virtual display that: intercepts display-changes describing changes to be made to a state of a display; sends the display-changes to a client for display; records the display-changes; and a context recorder that records context information describing a state of the display derived from a source independently of the display changes and independently of screen-images. In some embodiments, the systems further include a display system that generates an output screen-image based at least in part on at least one of the display-changes and in response to a search of the context information. In some embodiments, the virtual display further records screen-images; and the display system further generates the output screen-image based at least in part on a recorded-screen-image of the recorded screen-images.
US08214362B1
A system and method may assist in accurately inserting user data into a form document. An attribute may be received from a user, where the attribute is associated with an attribute name. A document may be presented including a form field element having an identifier. User information may be received into the form field element. It may be determined whether the user information matches the attribute. If so, the identifier associated with the form field element is mapped to the attribute name and the mapping is stored. Upon subsequent display of the form document, user data associated with the mapped attributed name may be inserted into the form field element based on the mapping.
US08214347B2
A method and apparatus for sub-topic identification from a search result that matches a query, said method including the steps of receiving a search result, extracting snippets from said search result that contain said query, truncating snippets on an instance of a boundary token, identifying phrases within said snippets that include the query, comparing all said phrases to determine optimal phrases, and presenting said optimal phrases. The apparatus for sub-topic identification from a search result that matches a query may include a dedicated server or a proxy for processing the search and sub-topic query.
US08214332B2
Various embodiments are provided for facilitation of data retention using logical objects. Following an operation creating a redundant copy of the data performed on a scheduled interval, a logical object containing a number of managed file versions, represented by a number of member objects for a recovery point, is created. The logical object is assigned a policy of a data retention policy construct associated with the recovery point. The logical object is adapted for reassignment between policies of the data retention policy construct associated with various recovery points. During the reassignment, the plurality of member objects representing the plurality of managed file versions are logically retained instead of performing a data copy operation to associate the plurality of managed file versions with another recovery point.
US08214331B2
Managing data includes: receiving at least one group of individually accessible data units over an input device or port, each data unit identified by a key value, with key values of the received data units being sorted such that the key value identifying a given first data unit that is received before a given second data unit occurs earlier in a sort order than the key value identifying the given second data unit; and processing the data units for storage in a data storage system. The processing includes: storing a plurality of blocks of data, each of one or more of the blocks being generated by combining a plurality of the data units; providing an index that includes an entry for each of the blocks, wherein one or more of the entries enable location, based on a provided key value, of a block that includes data units corresponding to a range of key values that includes the provided key value; and generating one or more screening data structures associated with the stored blocks for determining a possibility that a data unit that includes a given key value was included in the group of individually accessible data units.
US08214319B2
A computerized system configured to provide a data cell graph for a distributed data set comprised of different data formats. The system comprises a plurality of data repositories, each data repository configured to retain a portion of the distributed data set translated into a uniform semantic language and a plurality of processing cells, each processing cell configured to translate a portion of the distributed data set into the uniform semantic language, wherein the processing cells are further configured to perform at least one of applying rules to classify data against semantic knowledge models and/or adding inferred facts to and/or transforming the structure of the data found in the translated data in the data repository. The processing cells are configured in a computerized data cell graph so as to progressively create a unified semantic knowledge model for the distributed data set.
US08214311B2
Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to pattern identification and pattern recognition. In some particular implementations, the invention provides a flexible pattern recognition platform including pattern recognition engines that can be dynamically adjusted to implement specific pattern recognition configurations for individual pattern recognition applications. In some implementations, the present invention also provides for a partition configuration where knowledge elements can be grouped and pattern recognition operations can be individually configured and arranged to allow for multi-level pattern recognition schemes.
US08214310B2
A cross descriptor learning system, method and program product therefor. The system extracts descriptors from unlabeled exemplars. For each unlabeled exemplar, a cross predictor uses each descriptor to generate labels for other descriptor. An automatic label generator also generates labels for the same unlabeled exemplars or, optionally, for labeled exemplars. A label predictor results for each descriptor by combining labels from the cross predictor with labels from the automatic label generator.
US08214304B2
The method of calculating a similarity metric between a first feature vector of a first audio and/or video signal and a second feature vector of a second audio and/or video signal of the invention comprises the step of calculating a distance between the first feature vector and the second feature vector, both the first feature vector and the second feature vector comprising a feature value of a second dimension, wherein a weighting factor is used that gives a stronger weight to the first dimension than to the second dimension. The electronic device of the invention comprises electronic circuitry, which is operative to perform the method of the invention. The software of the invention makes a programmable device operative to perform the method of the invention.
US08214296B2
An electronic device, such as, a computer, may be adapted for self-monitoring for compliance to an operating policy. The operating policy may specify a pay-per-use or subscription business model and measurements associated with compliant usage. A secure execution environment may measure usage in accordance with the business model as well as monitor and enforce compliance to the operating policy. To increase the difficulty of attacking or otherwise disabling the secure execution environment, elements of the secure execution environment may be distributed. The distribution points may include other functional elements of the computer, such as interface circuits, or may even be remotely located over a network. An implementation method for disaggregating the secure execution environment is also disclosed.
US08214293B2
A cardholder-initiated financial transaction using a cardholder controlled input device in communication with a payment card network and a database is disclosed. The cardholder uses a payment card issued to the cardholder by an issuer bank. An exemplary method includes the steps of storing merchant data within the database including data identifying the merchants registered to utilize the card network and receiving from the input device transaction data relating to the financial transaction. The transaction data includes an authorization request and merchant identifying data that identifies the merchant involved in the transaction. The method further includes determining that the identified merchant is registered to utilize the card network by comparing the transaction data with the merchant data stored in the database, forwarding the authorization request to the issuer bank, receiving a response to the request from the issuer bank, and automatically forwarding the response to the input device.
US08214284B2
A special purpose entity offers a financial product linked to a charitable organization. A monetary donation is made to the charitable organization for paying a premium assigned to the financial product. Capital payments are received from one or more investors for the financial product. The premium is paid by the special purpose entity to the investors. Upon occurrence of a catastrophic event assigned to the financial product, the capital is paid from the special purpose entity to the charitable organization, for funding relief efforts for the catastrophic event. Otherwise, the capital is repaid from the special purpose entity to the investors. Charities and donors can prepare a country for natural and man-made disasters by putting in place funding before a catastrophic event actually occurs.
US08214264B2
A system and method operates on a client device and acquires a suspect list of user products based on information derived from the client device. The system normalizes the list, and the user confirms the accuracy of the product list. The user product list is sent to a server where the user product list is compared to other lists using collaborative filtering techniques. The collaborative filtering techniques determine products of interest for the use and the level of interest of the user. The system computes a similarity measure based upon the number of similar products that match the user's product list and rankings provided by the user and others. Demographic and behavioral data may also be used in performing the comparison and the similarity measure. The system acquires editorial rankings of products from other users and provides a ranked list of recommended products based upon the editorial rankings.
US08214258B2
Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for a comprehensive environmental benefit program associated with purchases made by a corporate entity and, more specifically, purchases associated with a commercial credit card. According to embodiments herein disclosed, environmental impact data, such as ecological or carbon footprint data may be determined based on the purchases made by a commercial entity using the commercial credit card and, in some embodiments, purchases made through other purchasing channels. In addition, environmental advisory data, such as suggestions for environmental improvements, environmental educational information or the like may be determined based on the purchases. Additionally, environmental rebates, such as carbon offsets may be determined based on the purchases/purchase amounts and customized based on commercial entity preferences.
US08214253B1
An embodiment of the current invention is directed to retaining customers for a wireless-service provider (“carrier”). A plurality of users who are influencers are identified from a group of wireless-service subscribers, wherein an influencer is a user who is likely to affect decisions of other users regarding whether to cancel or maintain their subscriptions with a particular carrier based on whether the influencer cancels or maintains his or her subscription. A list of influencers is thereby created. An incentive to provide the list of identified influencers is determined. The incentive increases the likelihood that the set of influencers will retain their respective subscriptions, thereby increasing the likelihood that other subscribers who might be influenced will also retain their respective subscriptions.
US08214246B2
The invention provides a user with substantial flexibility in requesting and generating analysis projects on transaction and/or consumer data that is stored in one or more databases. Exemplary embodiments of the invention provide a method for retailers and other authorized users, such as suppliers, to access and perform sophisticated, highly specialized analysis on transaction and/or consumer data, such as retail sales and consumer data, from a remote location using an internet connected computer. The transaction and/or consumer data that is accessed can be a compilation of retail transaction data (collected from EPOS systems, for example) and/or consumer data (which has been collected from frequent-shopper or loyalty cards used by consumers when they shop, for example). Projects are generated as spreadsheet based interactive reports, which are easy to manipulate for further analysis and presentations. Insights from these projects can lead to better decisions on new product launches, sampling, merchandizing, assortment, distribution, and other sales and marketing priorities. Exemplary projects may be interactive, allowing the user to manipulate and extract information which is specific to the user's particular needs.
US08214245B2
A method and system for reconstructing an original process model that includes an inclusive decision into a reconstructed process model that includes synchronized branches. The inclusive decision is replaced with a fork. Each original path of the inclusive decision is reconstructed into a corresponding reconstructed path. Each reconstructed path includes a decision, an activity included in the corresponding original path, and a merge. The decision includes a first output connected to the activity, whose output is connected to a first input of the merge. The decision further includes a second output connected to a second input of the merge. A join is created to recombine output branches from the merge node and other merge nodes included in reconstructed paths. The output branches are synchronized so that all activated reconstructed paths must finish processing before a modeling element connected to an output of the join is executed.
US08214241B2
A web-based system and method allows customers to remotely check-in to a wait list for a service from a business. A website is provided through which an address submitted by the customer can be received. Multiple locations of the business in the vicinity of the address and wait times for the service at each location can then be geographically displayed. A selection of a location at which to receive the service can be received and the customer can then be placed on a waiting list for the selected location. The multiple locations can be displayed on a map showing the relative proximity of the address and the locations. The wait times can be calculated using historical data related to the performance of the service at each location, such as the amount of time that employees at the location have taken to perform the service in the past.
US08214240B1
Described are methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for optimizing allocation of resources across projects in a project portfolio. The method includes receiving, at a computing device, (i) resource information, (ii) a portfolio of project definitions and (iii) one or more portfolio-level optimization criteria. The resource information representing a plurality of resources available for allocation to the projects, and each project definition includes a unique identifier and one or more project-level constraints. The method also includes generating, using the computing device, a plurality of project portfolio allocation scenarios and determining one or more optimized project portfolio allocation scenarios from the plurality of project portfolio allocation scenarios. Each project portfolio allocation scenario satisfies the one or more project-level constraints associated with each project definition. Each optimized project portfolio allocation scenario optimizes a sequence of the projects to satisfy the one or more portfolio-level optimization criteria.
US08214230B1
Techniques and apparatus for managing contributions to an accruable health spending account in an employer-sponsored plan offering a member an employer-funded defined contribution, at least one insurance premium option and the ability to specify an allocation of the defined contribution for payment of option premiums and, in turn, a directed contribution amount designated to such accruable account are disclosed. The accruable account may be used to reimburse the member for qualified medical expenses, and the member may pay any premium shortfall using a tax-advantaged process such as a premium only payment plan. Also disclosed are techniques and apparatus directed to presenting member-specific out-of-pocket expenses for a selected procedure offered by at least one health-care provider.
US08214228B2
A substance abuse surveillance system comprising a source of respondent responses to a self-administered virtual interview and a data collector coupled to receive from the source multiple respondent responses and analyzing the same in near real-time to form current substance abuse data, the data collector allowing access to the current substance abuse data by third parties. The data collector is coupled to the source in a manner enabling delay-free, continuous feed of the respondent responses.
US08214223B2
A method, an apparatus, a computer readable storage medium configured with instructions for carrying out a method, and logic encoded in one or more computer-readable tangible medium to carry out actions. The method is to decode audio data that includes N.n channels to M.m decoded audio channels, including unpacking metadata and unpacking and decoding frequency domain exponent and mantissa data; determining transform coefficients from the unpacked and decoded frequency domain exponent and mantissa data; inverse transforming the frequency domain data; and in the case M
US08214221B2
A method and apparatus for encoding and decoding an audio signal are provided. The present invention includes receiving an audio signal including an audio descriptor, recognizing that the audio signal includes a downmix signal and a spatial information signal using the audio descriptor, and converting the downmix signal to a multi-channel signal using the spatial information signal, wherein the spatial information signal includes a header each a preset temporal or spatial interval, and the spatial information signal includes a header each a preset temporal or spatial interval thereby the header can be selectively included in the spatial information signal and if the header is plurally included in the spatial information signal, it is able to decode spatial information in case of reproducing the audio signal from a random point.
US08214220B2
An apparatus for encoding and decoding an audio signal and method thereof are disclosed, by which compatibility with a player of a general mono or stereo audio signal can be provided in coding an audio signal and by which spatial information for a multi-channel audio signal can be stored or transmitted without a presence of an auxiliary data area. The present invention includes extracting side information embedded in non-recognizable component of audio signal components and decoding the audio signal using the extracted side information.
US08214218B2
A method and an apparatus for switching speech or audio signals, wherein the method for switching speech or audio signals includes when switching of a speech or audio, weighting a first high frequency band signal of a current frame of speech or audio signal and a second high frequency band signal of the previous M frame of speech or audio signals to obtain a processed first high frequency band signal, where M is greater than or equal to 1, and synthesizing the processed first high frequency band signal and a first low frequency band signal of the current frame of speech or audio signal into a wide frequency band signal. In this way, speech or audio signals with different bandwidths can be smoothly switched, thus improving the quality of audio signals received by a user.
US08214206B2
A technique is described herein for reducing audible artifacts in an audio output signal generated by decoding a received frame in a series of frames representing an encoded audio signal in a predictive coding system. In accordance with the technique, it is determined if the received frame is one of a predefined number of received frames that follow a lost frame in the series of the frames. Responsive to determining that the received frame is one of the predefined number of received frames, at least one parameter or signal associated with the decoding of the received frame is altered from a state associated with normal decoding. The received frame is then decoded in accordance with the at least one parameter or signal to generate a decoded audio signal. The audio output signal is then generated based on the decoded audio signal.
US08214202B2
An audio/speech sender and an audio/speech receiver and methods thereof. The audio/speech sender comprising a core encoder adapted to encode a core frequency band of an input audio/speech signal having a first sampling frequency, wherein the core frequency band comprises frequencies up to a cut-off frequency. The audio/speech sender further comprises a segmentation device adapted to perform a segmentation of the input audio/speech signal into a plurality of segments, a cut-off frequency estimator adapted to estimate a cut-off frequency for each segment and adapted to transmit information about the estimated cut-off frequency to a decoder, a low-pass filter adapted to filter each segment at said estimated cut-off frequency, and a re-sampler adapted to resample the filtered segments with a second sampling frequency that is related to said cut-off frequency in order to generate an audio/speech frame to be encoded by said core encoder.
US08214196B2
A statistical translation model (TM) may receive a parse tree in a source language as an input and separately output a string in a target language. The TM may perform channel operations on the parse tree using model parameters stored in probability tables. The channel operations may include reordering child nodes, inserting extra words at each node (e.g., NULL words) translating leaf words, and reading off leaf words to generate the string in the target language. The TM may assign a translation probability to the string in the target language.
US08214194B2
A method and apparatus for and article of manufacture for simulating workloads experienced by multiple partitions in a virtualized system are provided. A master workload driver initiates, coordinates and regulates one or more workload drivers that execute one or more workload simulation tasks in a logical partition. Further, each workload driver may be configured to report a measure of performance regarding the workload to the master control driver where results of many workload drivers may be correlated and analyzed. A configuration file specifies the characteristics of each simulation. Further, the rate and nature of workloads may be adjusted dynamically during a given simulation to model the performance under different real-world scenarios of different computational loads that may be experienced by the virtualized system.
US08214184B2
A finite element analysis (FEA) based coil spring design method that utilizes a reverse engineering based concept. The method involves first designing a desired jounce profile, which is typically an output in the conventional FEA based design, and then reversely determining the corresponding free profile necessary for manufacturing a spring having desired performance specifications.
US08214174B2
An algorithm for determining a polarization curve of a fuel cell stack. When the fuel cell stack is running and certain data validity criteria have been met, the algorithm goes into a data collection mode where it collects stack data, such as stack current density, average cell voltage and minimum cell voltage. When the stack is shut down, the algorithm uses a cell voltage model to solve a least squares problem to estimate predetermined parameters that define the polarization curve. If the estimated parameters satisfy certain termination criteria, then the estimated parameters are stored to be used by a system controller to calculate the polarization curve of the stack.
US08214173B2
A laser beam with a wavelength capable of exciting atoms of helium in the metastable state is directed to a generated plasma, and atoms in the metastable state are excited. Absorption amount information representing the amount of laser beam absorbed is acquired, and the density of atoms of helium in the metastable state in the plasma is computed from the absorption amount. The emissions of light from helium gas in the plasma caused by transition from two different excited states to the lower level are measured, and the ratio between the intensities of the emissions is determined. The electron temperature of the produced plasma is computed from the computed density of the atoms of helium gas in the metastable state and the computed emission intensity ratio. With this, the plasma electron temperature can be computed with a relatively high accuracy irrespective of the condition of the plasma atmosphere.
US08214171B2
A semiconductor memory device having a test mode circuit is presented which includes: a mode setting unit, in response to an external command and a first address signal for a mode set, providing a mode register set signal corresponding to predetermined mode setting; and a test mode circuit, in response to the mode register set signal and a second address signal for test enable control in an initial operation, performing test mode enable; the test mode circuit, in response to the mode register set signal and a third address signal for test item selection in the test mode enable state, outputting a test mode item signal; and the test mode circuit, in a subsequent operation, receiving the fed-back test mode item signal to maintain the test mode enable state.
US08214165B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for determining power source failure. A sampling module samples an alternating current power waveform as input to a power supply, at a sampling frequency which is a multiple of a predetermined frequency, to obtain a sampled amplitude at a known point within the predetermined period. A comparison module compares the sampled amplitude to a stored threshold amplitude to obtain a comparison result, corresponding to the known point. An accumulation module accumulates most recent comparison results. A warning module asserts an early power off warning signal if a predetermined number of the most recent comparison results each indicate that the sampled amplitude is smaller in absolute value than the stored threshold amplitude.
US08214162B2
Method for evaluating an asymmetric residual stress for a material by the indentation test comprises applying the residual stresses with an uniaxial and an symmetrical biaxial tensions on the material and then performing an instrumented indentation test indenting an asymmetric indenter on the material; and comparing a slope of indentation load-depth curve when the long diagonal direction of the asymmetric indenter is perpendicular to the direction of the largest residual stress with that in stress-free state, and then a slope of indentation load-depth curve when the long diagonal direction of the asymmetric indenter is parallel to the direction of the largest residual stress with that in stress-free state, so as to evaluate the asymmetric residual stress for the material.
US08214159B2
Methods and apparatus to assess current aspects of Quality Control useful for release of radioactive compounds for imaging, such as PET tracers as injectables, in an automated manner, without user interference, and in compliance with regulatory guidelines. The present method and system relates to an integrated automated quality control analysis of a substance utilizing a single sample injection for a plurality of inline quality control tests. A quantitative analysis of the sample via the plurality of quality control tests is conducted. A measurement value of each of the plurality of quality control parameters is determined and a comparison of each measurement value of the plurality of quality control parameters with a predetermined corresponding criterion value is made. A cumulative quality rating for the sample is determined and the validated sample is released based on the quality rating.
US08214158B2
A simplified X-ray imaging apparatus is capable of computationally determining effective atomic numbers with small error factors even for light elements. In one embodiment, the X-ray imaging apparatus has an X-ray generation unit 101 (400) for generating X-rays and a detector 105 (405) for detecting X-rays transmitted through an object of examination 104 (403). A computing unit 106 (406) computationally determines a quantity of an X-ray phase attributable to the object of examination and an X-ray transmittance of the object of examination from data detected by the detector. The computing unit also computationally determines an effective atomic number of the object of examination from ρet determined from the quantity of the X-ray phase and μt determined from the X-ray transmittance.
US08214147B2
The present invention relates to a navigation unit and base station used for determining location. A plurality of base stations are initialized to determine their location relative to each other. At the navigation unit, the time of arrival of at least one signal from each of the plurality of base stations is measured. From this, the location of the navigation unit relative to the plurality of base stations may be directly calculated using a closed solution. In one embodiment, a time of arrival technique is used and in another embodiment a time difference of arrival technique is used. Preferably an ultra-wide band frequency is utilized.
US08214145B2
A map distribution system that implements navigation using desired map data in which the degree of reliability of information about an object, such as a road or a facility, is taken into consideration is provided. A map distribution server 1a creates distribution data including difference map data and a reliance status showing the degree of reliability of the difference map data as a reply to edit request information about an edit request made by a user, and a map information terminal 3 receives the distribution data via a communication network 2 and performs navigation according to the reliance status included in the distribution data.
US08214140B2
A system for reducing the likelihood of collision between a first vehicle and a second vehicle in an intersection. Each of the first and second vehicles includes a device for receiving global positioning system (GPS) signals, generating at least one of a time, position and velocity signal based on the received GPS signals, generating at least one of a time, position and velocity signal based upon the motion of the vehicle, comparing the two signals, generating a corrected vehicle signal, and transmitting the corrected vehicle signal. A traffic flow controller controls traffic flow through the intersection. The traffic flow controller receiving the corrected vehicle signals, calculates from the corrected vehicle signals the likelihood that the positions of the first and second vehicles will coincide in the intersection, and generates a traffic flow control signal adapted to minimize the likelihood of coincidence of the first and second vehicles in the intersection.
US08214126B2
A speed control device includes: a continuous curve acquiring unit that acquires curve shapes and positions of two successive curves in advance of the vehicle; a curve-to-curve distance calculating unit that calculates distance between the two curves based on curve shapes and positions of the two curves; a selection unit that selects, based on the curve shapes, the curve shape of the curve having the larger radius of curvature; a vehicle speed limit setting unit that sets, based on the curve-to-curve distance and selected curve shape, a vehicle speed limit for travel between the two curves; a target vehicle speed determination unit that determines, based on vehicle location, the curve shapes and positions, and the vehicle speed limit, a target vehicle speed for traveling the two curves; and a vehicle speed control unit that controls vehicle speed based on the target and detected vehicle speeds.
US08214113B2
A retarding system for a mobile machine is disclosed. The machine may have a power source and a traction device driven by the power source. The retarding system may have a speed sensor configured to generate a speed signal indicative of a speed of the machine. Additionally, the retarding system may have a service brake configured to retard motion of the traction device. The retarding system may also have an engine brake configured to retard motion of the power source. In addition, the retarding system may have a controller in communication with the speed sensor, the service brake, and the engine brake. The controller may be configured to substantially concurrently retard motion of the traction device based on the speed signal and retard motion of the power source based on the speed signal.
US08214110B2
The present invention provides a construction machine where overheating of mounted electric devices can be prevented properly with a simple structure and a method of controlling the construction machine. For this purpose, a pump target discharge flow rate of a hydraulic pump is calculated based on an operated amount of an operating unit, a temperature of an electric device mounted on the construction machine is detected, an engine minimum speed, which is a minimum possible speed of an engine in carrying out low-speed matching for matching output of the engine and pump absorbing horsepower of the hydraulic pump to each other in a low-speed region where speed of the engine is lower than set speed, is calculated by using the detected temperature of the electric device, and a maximum value out of a corresponding speed of the pump target discharge flow rate and the engine minimum speed is generated as a candidate for an engine target speed.
US08214109B2
The invention relates to a seat control electronic system for controlling a drive of a motor vehicle seat which is configured for detecting a characteristic variable of the drive during several short actuations of the drive, and to evaluate variables respectively associated with several short actuations, and to determine a blocking function according to the evaluations.
US08214105B2
A method for automatically detecting a control signal configuration of a vehicle component includes making a connection to a channel of the component, performing an electrical measurement on the channel, and identifying a control signal configuration based upon the measurement. A method for sending control signals from one vehicle component to another includes making a connection on a channel of one component, making a connection to a channel of the other component, performing electrical measurements on the channels, identifying control signal configurations based upon the measurements, and configuring a control signal interface. A control signal interface includes an input unit, a signal processing unit, and an output unit. The input and output units each can connect to a channel of a vehicle component and perform an electrical measurement. The signal processing unit can determine control commands based upon control signals.
US08214101B2
A method for indirectly detecting a movement of a machine and a failure of a speed sensor is disclosed. The method may include receiving an operator input signal, and determining a first factor based on the operator input signal. The method may also include measuring a machine operation parameter, and determining a second factor based on the machine operation parameter. The method may further include identifying a movement of the machine if the first factor is out of a first threshold range and the second factor is out of a second threshold range for at least a first threshold length of time. The method may also include determining a speed sensor failure if the movement of the machine is identified and no speed is detected by the speed sensor for at least a second threshold length of time.
US08214094B2
A hybrid system for powering a vehicle and a method of controlling the hybrid system. The hybrid system has both an internal combustion engine and a motor/generator. The vehicle is controlled in response to the combination of states of five control parameters of the vehicle: polarity of the MG (positive or negative), relative rotor/stator speed, fueling of engine (on or off), clutch (on or off), and transmission shift position (drive, reverse, park). A control unit receives data from the vehicle representing these states, and determines an associated control mode. In at least one of the control modes, the engine both drives the vehicles and provides power to the generator.
US08214086B2
Systems and methods for a retractable fan cooling system for an electronics enclosure are provided. In one embodiment, a system comprises at least one cooling fan coupled to an electronics enclosure having a heat sink; and a fan positioning mechanism coupled to the at least one cooling fan. When a temperature inside the electronics enclosure is less than a first temperature, the positioning mechanism places the at least one cooling fan into a retracted position that does not inhibit a natural convective air flow across the heat sink. When the temperature inside the enclosure is greater than a second temperature, the positioning mechanism places the at least one cooling fan into an engaged position that produces a forced air flow across the heat sink.
US08214084B2
An LED-based light can be installed in a conventional light fixture. The LED-based light can include a sensor operable to output a first signal indicative of whether an area of one or more of the rooms is in an occupied state or a non-occupied state, and the LED-based light can also include an LED controller operable to control at least one LED in the light in response to the first signal. Additionally, the LED-based light can include a transmitter operable to output a second signal indicative of whether the area is in the occupied state or the non-occupied state to a building environment regulator.
US08214080B2
A method to compensate geometrical errors in processing machines, in which a workpiece holder (8) is arranged such that it can be adjusted on the basis of measurement signals that have been received by being able to be rotated relative to a fixture (9) in the processing machine to which the workpiece holder is attached. A method for the alignment of a workpiece in processing machines, and an arrangement for the realization of the method are disclosed. The arrangement includes a workpiece holder (8), the angle of which relative to a fixture (9) in the processing machine to which the workpiece holder (8) is connected can be adjusted.
US08214069B2
The present invention is a method and apparatus for automatically generating an optimal configuration of a product having a complex design, using logic implemented on a digital computer processing system. A general configuration for the product will be broken down into a hierarchy of subdesigns by a designer of an artifact type, such as a bus. A particular instance of the product type must satisfy a set of external parametric constraints specified by a user. These constraints may take the form of a range of values for some performance characteristic of the product. Constraints may also be imposed for other reasons, such as governmental regulations or business requirements. The hierarchical decomposition facilitates the solution of highly complex problems. Criteria for a best solution may be specified for a given subdesign, for a collection of subdesigns, or globally. The tentative selection of a particular subdesign may impose internally generated parametric constraints upon a subsequent subdesign solution. If no acceptable solution is found for a given subdesign, the candidate overall configuration is rolled back to the most complete viable partial collection of subdesigns. The method transforms the constraints into a concrete design. The method will ordinarily be executed on a digital computer, and the instructions to program the computer will be stored on tangible digital media.
US08214060B2
A building appliance controller is disclosed that includes a safety feature. In one illustrative embodiment, the building appliance controller may include a controller and a safety element. In some cases, the controller may include a control panel configured to provide an interface, and one or more option cards configured to communicate with the control panel via the interface and to provide additional functionality to the appliance controller. The safety element may include a first relay or other switching element that is configured to selectively pass power to the building appliance. In some illustrative embodiments, when an unsafe operating condition is detected by the control panel and/or the one or more option cards, the control panel and/or the one or more option cards may open the first relay of the safety element to cut off power to the building appliance. In some cases, a safety key may be passed between the control panel and the one or more option cards to help verify the safe operation of the building appliance.
US08214054B2
Systems and methods for coupling conductors to conductive contacts of electrical stimulation systems
An electrical stimulation lead includes a plurality of conductive contacts disposed at a distal end and a proximal end of a lead body. The plurality of conductive contacts includes a plurality of electrodes and a plurality of terminals. At least one of the conductive contacts is a first conductive contact that includes at least one adhesive aperture defined between an inner surface and an outer surface of the at least one conductive contact. A plurality of conductors each electrically couple at least one of the electrodes to at least one of the terminals. Each first conductive contact has a conductor associated with, and electrically coupled to that first conductive contact. The adhesive is disposed in proximity to the at least one adhesive aperture of at least one first conductive contact to adhesively couple that first conductive contact to the at least one associated conductor.
US08214046B2
In fabricating a header assembly of an implantable medical device, one end of a bore contact wire attached to a connector block is keyed with one guiding channel at an upper region of a feedthru adapter and through the adapter to its undersurface. An opposite end is bent into conformance with an orientation channel on the adaptor undersurface. A tip end of a feedthru wire connected to electronic circuitry of the medical device and projecting out of a casing mounting surface is bent for alignment with the orientation channel so end portions of the feedthru wire and bore contact wire are in end to end engagement, then welded together. A plastic header is molded to encapsulate the adapter, connector block, and bore contact wire and, when solidified, has an undersurface for engagement on the casing and an elongated receptacle aligned with a connector block bore to receive the lead.
US08214045B2
A lead implant system includes a lead coupling device, which is configured to couple a lead during an implant procedure, in communication with a medical device and an implantable medical device, which is contained within a package that includes an electrical interface for electrical coupling with an electrical contact of the implantable medical device. The electrical interface facilitates coupling of the packaged medical device to an electrical contact of another medical device, which is located outside the package. If the electrical contact of the packaged device is mounted within a bore of the device, then the connector structure allows for passage of a sterilizing gas into the connector bore, and past the connector contact, within the bore.
US08214044B2
Apparatus for telemetry equipment for communication with an active device implanted in the thoracic area of a patient This equipment includes a wave collector (16) essentially sensitive to a magnetic field so as to allow an exchange of signals through magnetic coupling (i.e., an inductive channel) with the implanted device (14). The wave collector is connected to an electronic circuit package (24) for transmission/reception and signal processing of acquired data and programming. The apparatus further comprises a cloth (10) in the form of a vest to be worn by and able to cover at least one part of the patient's anatomy, a support structure (18) for receiving and supporting the wave collector, and adjustable members able to fix the support structure at a chosen location of the cloth, for example, by means of hooking tapes (20) disposed on the support (18) and cooperating surface material on the cloth. Thus, after initial positioning of the wave collector in front of the area where the device is implanted, placement and maintaining of the wave collector will be fixed to that location each time the patient puts the cloth on.
US08214035B2
A system for regulating or modulating cardiac therapy using brain state information. The modulation may include suppressing standard, prescribed cardiac therapy for a period of time or it may involve modulating the type of cardiac therapy delivered In another embodiment, a system is provided for determining whether a cardiac event is categorized as neurologically matched, and, if so, modulating the therapeutic output to the heart.
US08214032B2
An implantable biocompatible device, that may be either a sensor or stimulator, having electronic circuitry and electrodes formed on a substrate, is uniformly covered with a coating approximately one-micron thick of ultra-nanocrystalline diamond, hermetically sealing the electronic circuitry. Selected electrodes are either left uncovered during coating or uncovered by conventional patterning techniques, allowing the electrodes to be exposed to living tissue and fluids. The ultra-nanocrystalline diamond coating may be doped to create electrically conductive electrodes. These approaches eliminate the need for a hermetically sealed lid or cover to protect hybrid electronic circuitry, and thus allow the device to be thinner than otherwise possible. The conformal ultra-nanocrystalline diamond coating uniformly covers the device, providing relief from sharp edges and producing a strong, uniformly thick hermetic coating around sharp edges and on high aspect-ratio parts.
US08214031B1
A transdermal device such as a patch can include a drug source, a porator, and an energy storage device on-board the patch. The porator operates free of any concurrent connection to any external source of power. A switch can be used to make the selective electrical connection between the porator and the energy storage device. The switch can be arranged to respond to a manual user action after the patch has been adhered to skin, including separation of the porator from a remainder of the patch. Optionally, a series of switches can make electrical connections between the porator and respective individual energy storage devices.
US08214025B2
Provided is a fluorescence endoscope system for observing fluorescence from a fluorochrome attached to or absorbed in biological tissue, including an excitation light source that emits excitation light that excites the fluorochrome; an image-acquisition section that acquires fluorescence emitted from the biological tissue when irradiated with the excitation light from the excitation light source; an autofluorescence signal setting section that sets an autofluorescence signal intensity to be emitted from the biological tissue when irradiated with the excitation light; and an image compensation section that compensates fluorescence image information acquired by the image-acquisition section on the basis of the autofluorescence signal intensity set by the autofluorescence signal setting section.
US08214024B2
An electronic polarimetric imaging system for a colposcopy device designed for in vivo observation of a cervix, wherein the colposcopy device includes a light source for illuminating the observable cervix and at least visual elements for monitoring an image of the cervix, the illumination optical path towards the cervix and the image optical path coming back from the cervix being separated from one another over at least one portion of the paths thereof. The system includes a polarimetric adapter housing which is removable into the separated portion of the illumination and image optical paths, the polarimetric adapter housing including a polarisation state generator (PSG) on the illumination optical path and a polarisation analyser (PSA) on the image optical path, wherein the polarisation state generator (PSG) and the polarisation analyser (PSA) are controllable. Several levels of polarimetric characterisation are possible. An adaptor housing is also disclosed.
US08214023B2
An image is created of blood circulation deep (e.g. a plurality of millimeters) below the surface of living tissue to aid in evaluating a patient. A first beam (26) of circularly polarized light is directed forwardly (F) against an outer surface (14) of the tissue. Light that has penetrated to only a shallow depth before moving rearwardly and out of the tissue remains polarized and is blocked by a filter (38). Light that has penetrated to greater depths (12), is scattered more and becomes depolarized, and a portion of it passes through the depolarizing filter (38) and is focused on a photodetector (48) to create an image. Light spots (54) on the image that move, represent spaces between blood platelets (52) that are moving through a capillary, and indicates the velocity of blood through the capillary.
US08214015B2
Magnetic resonance image (MRI) guided tissue penetrating catheters and their methods of use. One or more MRI apparatus (e.g., one or more coils) are positioned on or in a catheter device that includes a tissue penetrator that may be used to form a penetration tract from a body lumen in which the catheter is positioned to a target location outside of that body lumen. The MRI apparatus (e.g., coil(s)) is/are used in conjunction with an MRI imaging system to indicate the position and/or rotational orientation of the penetrating catheter within the subject's body.
US08214013B2
A method for prescribing a scan on an MRI system includes selecting a general pulse sequence to be used during a time-resolved imaging process of a subject using an MRI system. The method also includes setting a first set of scan parameters to more specifically prescribe the general pulse sequence and setting a second set of scan parameters using a formula that relates time resolution and spatial resolution resulting from the first set of scan parameters. The method then includes performing the time-resolved imaging process using the general pulse sequence, the first set of scan parameters, and the second set of scan parameters.
US08214006B2
In the application, the change in the magnetic state of the haemoglobin caused by the malarial infection is exploited by detecting suitable properties of haemozoin which are dependent on the application of a magnetic field. FIG. 1 shows apparatus, shown generally at (10), for performing magneto-optical detection using photo-acoustic techniques. The apparatus (10) comprises a light source (12), producing a beam of optical radiation (14) which passes through a polarizer (16), a variable LC retarder (0 or 180° retardance) (18), and a (chopper 20), before impinging on a sample (22) held in a sample holder (24). The sample is in direct contact with an acoustic detector (26). The apparatus (10) further comprises an electromagnet (28), and a Gauss meter (30) can be utilized to measure the applied magnetic field strength. Advantages associated with this approach are the—possibility of making in vivo measurements, and the avoidance of problems of optical scattering associated with conventional optical measurements on turbid liquids such as whole blood.
US08213997B2
A mobile phone includes a main display; a subsidiary display; and a main body mounted between the main display and the subsidiary display. The subsidiary display is retractable along a first direction relative to the main display, and the main body is retractable along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
US08213987B2
A terminal device usable in connection with an external display device is disclosed, which receives a plurality of sub-image data sets into which an original image data set has been divided, with each sub-image data set having a size within a display area size of the terminal device; converts an image format of the plurality of sub-image data sets into the same image-format as an image format of the external display device, on a per-sub-image-data-set basis; regenerates the original image data set from the plurality of format-converted sub-image data sets, such that the original image data set is formed in its entirety or in plural data blocks; and outputs the regenerated original-image-data-set to the external display device.
US08213985B2
A mobile communication terminal supporting a teletypewriter (TTY) device for a hard-of-hearing or speech-disabled user is provided. The mobile communication terminal includes: a controller activating a vocoder corresponding to a TTY mode selected by a user; a vocoder encoding a Baudot tone received from the TTY device into a voice data packet based on the selected TTY mode; a TTY mode processor including TTY mode information selected by a user in part of the voice data packet; and an RF transmitter transmitting an encoded voice data packet including the TTY mode information.
US08213974B2
A system and method are provided for sequencing radio events in a mobile device with a multi downlink multi carrier receiver. In the mobile device, there is a processor in communication with a timing control unit (TCU), whereby the TCU is in communication with two or more radios. The processor collects one or more radio events corresponding to the two or more radios and then sorts the radio events from highest priority to lowest priority to form a sorted list. The processor then loads the sorted list, beginning with a highest priority radio event, onto the TCU.
US08213967B2
A method and system for preventing replay-type attacks on a vehicle communications system that sends short message service (SMS) messages between a call center and a fleet of vehicles. The method uses separate sequence counters maintained at the call center and at each of the vehicles in the fleet to help prevent or at least minimize the effects of unauthorized third party interference; such as replay-type attacks. Each wireless message is embedded with a sequence counter that is provided by the sender and is compared by the recipient with a separate sequence counter for purposes of validation. Some optional features that can be used in conjunction with the sequence counters include a tolerance window feature, a consecutive message feature, and a proximity feature, to name but a few.
US08213962B2
A method is implemented by a mobile device associated with a short-range wireless network in a vehicle. The method includes identifying a paired device within the short-range wireless network, the paired device having access to a vehicle information system, and receiving, from the paired device, vehicle status information from the vehicle information system. The mobile device determines if the vehicle status information triggers a safety mode for the mobile device and disables particular features or components of the mobile device based on the determination.
US08213959B2
A method for updating location of a user equipment in a cellular system is disclosed. The method comprises the user equipment receiving route update radius information 220. The user equipment further calculates a route update radius from the received route update radius information 230 by using a random number generated by the user equipment. The user equipment then transmits the calculated route update radius to a cellular network 240. Alternatively, the method comprises the cellular network receiving a route update message from a user equipment 420. The cellular network further calculates a route update radius 430 using a random number generated by the cellular network. The cellular network then unicasts the calculated route update radius to the user equipment 440.
US08213957B2
A Network Autonomous Wireless Location System (NAWLS) is designed to allow for precise location of a mobile device (e.g., a cell phone) without interconnection to, and with minimal disruption of, the local wireless communications network. Using distributed radio network monitors (RNM) and a managed network emulator (NE); mobile devices are sampled, acquired or captured. Once triggered by the RNM or NE, an untethered wireless location system (U-WLS) is used to calculate a precise location. The U-WLS; comprising mobile receiver sites, each capable of self location, exchanging information with other components of the NAWLS, and receiving or exchanging signals from the mobile device; utilizes various network-based and handset-based wireless location techniques dependent on the deployed options. In addition, the NAWLS includes data links interconnecting the U-WLS, NE and RNM.
US08213954B2
A cognitive radio (CR) system (102) includes CR units (108, 110) that determine and update location-based system operating parameters to avoid interference with other systems operating in the same frequency band. Operational Location Uncertainty region and Allowed Location Error regions can be applied. The CR unit trades off between both, available channels and maximum system operating parameters, such that as Location Uncertainty of the CR device increases, available CR channels and location-based CR system operating parameters decrease over a maximum network reach.
US08213950B2
Method and corresponding system for load balancing based on using direction of arrival to allocate the same channel to nearby stations to ensure that most stations using the same channel are hearing one another, and by that, reducing the amount of collisions.
US08213948B2
An apparatus and method for allocating resources in a wireless communication system are provided. The apparatus and method include a BS for allocating downlink resources periodically to predetermined MSs, for generating resource allocation messages with resource allocation information for the MSs, and for transmitting control information including the resource allocation messages to the MSs. Accordingly, the apparatus and method more efficiently allocate resources in a wireless communication system.
US08213947B2
A method for creating a radio resource control profile for a radio resource allocation or a state-transition profile having the steps of: receiving a parameter associated with a user equipment (UE); associating the parameter with the radio resource control profile for the radio resource allocation or the state-transition profile; and initiating the radio resource allocation or state transition profile for the UE.
US08213943B2
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate employing constrained frequency hopping of downlink reference signals. Constrained frequency hopping of reference signals provides a sufficiently large set of frequency hopping patterns while enhancing channel estimation. Respective subsets of resource elements can be selected to carry reference signals from a plurality of antennas for a first subframe of a sequence. Further, respective subsets of resource elements used to carry reference signals from the plurality of antennas for a second subframe can be constrained based upon the respective subsets for the first subframe. Moreover, the first subframe frame and the second subframe (and similarly any additional subframes in the sequence) can be transmitted. An access terminal receiving the sequence of subframes can combine reference signals sent from common antennas at common frequency locations in the plurality of subframes and perform channel estimation as a function of the combined reference signals.
US08213940B2
The present invention relates to a mobile communication method in which a mobile station performs a handover from a handover source radio base station to a handover target radio base station. The mobile communication method includes the steps of: (A) acquiring, at the handover target radio base station, from the handover source radio base station or a switching center, a key for calculating a first key for generating a certain key used in a communication between the handover target radio base station and the mobile station; and (B) acquiring, at the handover target radio base station, from the switching center, a second key for calculating a first key for generating a certain key used in a communication between a next handover target radio base station and the mobile station.
US08213937B2
Aspects of a method and system for dynamic adjustment of power, antenna direction and frequencies in a femtocell network are provided. In this regard, a communication system may comprise a plurality of femtocells, one or more base stations, and a femtocell management entity that coordinates operation of the plurality of femtocells. One or more parameters may be communicated from one of the plurality of femtocells and/or one or more base stations to the femtocell management entity. The femtocell management entity may be enabled to utilize the one or more parameters to determine configuration information for one of the plurality of femtocells and/or for one or more remaining ones of the plurality of femtocells. One of the plurality of femtocells may be enabled to receive the determined configuration information from the femtocell management entity. One of the plurality of femtocells may be configured utilizing the received determined configuration information.
US08213931B2
The invention relates generally to a system for providing an roaming carrier list to a remote wireless device such as a vehicle communications package (VCP), while largely overcoming several shortcomings of prior techniques. A more intelligent Off PRL Wireless System is proposed that will scan all wireless bands including opposite cellular bands and PCS. The VCP will place test calls to the wireless carrier found during the scan. All wireless carriers found during the scan will be used to populate the Off-PRL System Availability Table (the OPA Table) including those the VCP was detected as “Unavailable”. Each carrier in the OPA Table will be denoted as Available and Unavailable depending on whether the VCP was able to access the carrier. Once the fall scan is completed, the VCP will connect the carrier listed first as available in the OPA Table.
US08213928B2
A test apparatus and method are provided for testing interoperability of a first device to communicate with a second device via wireless communication. The test apparatus includes a wireless interface configured to interface via wireless communication with devices. The test apparatus also includes a processor, memory and logic stored in memory and executed by the processor. The logic causes the test apparatus to sequence through a plurality of wireless communication actions to communicate with a first device, monitor behavior of the first device during the actions, and store characteristics of the monitored behavior in memory so that the test apparatus may be used to emulate the first device when wirelessly communicating with a second device.
US08213920B2
A device is configured to detect a wireless device and determine if the wireless device is participating in a telephone call with a remote party. The device is further configured to establish a first voice communication link with the remote party, and establish a second voice communication link with the wireless device. In addition, the device is configured to bridge the first and second voice communication links together, thereby establishing voice communications between the wireless device and the remote party.
US08213917B2
A method and system are disclosed herein for accepting multimodal inputs and deriving synchronized and processed information. A reusable multimodal application is provided on the mobile device. A user transmits a multimodal command to the multimodal platform via the mobile network. The one or more modes of communication that are inputted are transmitted to the multimodal platform(s) via the mobile network(s) and thereafter synchronized and processed at the multimodal platform. The synchronized and processed information is transmitted to the multimodal application. If required, the user verifies and appropriately modifies the synchronized and processed information. The verified and modified information are transferred from the multimodal application to the visual application. The final result(s) are derived by inputting the verified and modified results into the visual application.
US08213913B2
Systems and methods are provided that allow the delivery of location based services within a communication network. The location information can be retrieved using information from the mobile node when the mobile node registers in the network. The location information can then be cached or stored in one or more places in the communication network and correlated with the mobile node's addressing information. If a request for location based services is received without location based information, the gateway can use location based information regarding the mobile node to provide location based services. The gateway can enable non IMS mobile nodes to obtain IMS location based services or incompatible mobile nodes to obtain location based services.
US08213912B2
An information system includes a server that creates an information reservoir with data units for a user of a mobile communication device based on a unique user profile of the user of the mobile communication device. The server creates the unique user profile based on interaction of the user with the mobile communication device or with another computing system. The server transfers the information reservoir to the mobile communication device and each time the user requests data from a web site, the server scans it to find key terms. If the server finds key term(s) in the data, it uses a tagging rule to mark the key term(s) and, then, it transfers the data with the marked term(s) to the mobile communication device. The user may, then, select a marked key term to call/display a data unit that is locally stored on the mobile communication device. The server may also mark terms in data units and a data unit stored on the mobile communication device may be called using a key term that is marked in another data unit.
US08213899B1
Methods are disclosed for identifying the carrier to which a phone, such as a mobile phone, subscribes in real time, at the time a call is originating from or terminating to the mobile phone. Where both parties to a call are subscribers to the same carrier, the methods can be used for applying preferential call rates to intra-carrier calls, e.g., making the calls free. The methods are particularly useful in the telephony networks with local number portability, in which the mere identification of the phone number does not necessarily identify the carrier to which the phone subscribes. The methods can use either existing databases to identify the carrier, such as LERG (Local Exchange Routing Guide) tables, number portability databases, name databases, and home location registers, or a new database can be created correlating mobile phone directory numbers with carriers.
US08213897B2
A system for transmitting a warning message via a radio network has a transmitter (1) and at least one receiver (2). The transmitter (1) has an antenna for transmitting the warning message (14) over the radio network. The warning message (14) transmitted by the transmitter (1) includes parameters (18) of a warning area, a warning reason (15) and warning behavior (16). The receiver has an antenna (3) for receiving the warning message (14) transmitted via the radio network, a decoder (4), a processor (5), a memory (6) in which the location of the receiver (2) by geographic coordinates is stored and a warning output unit (7). In the processor (5) the received warning message (14) is captured and read out by means of a capture algorithm. The warning area is determined from the parameters (18) of the warning message (14) by using a zone algorithm. An analysis logarithm verifies whether the location stored in the receiver (2) is within the warning area, and if this is the case, a warning signal is generated and outputted by the warning output unit (7). The invention also comprises a receiver (2) for receiving a warning message (14) as well as a method for reception in a receiver (2) and a method for transmitting a warning message (14) in a radio network having a transmitter (1) and a receiver (2).
US08213896B2
Disclosed is a method of receiving a warning message in wireless communication system. A terminal (UE) receives system information through a control channel such as a Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH), and receives a warning message through a downlink channel according to scheduling information related to the warning message included in the system information.
US08213890B2
A system and method for sharing a switched capacitor array (SCA) by two tuning circuits are disclosed. In a multiple-band radio receiver, there is a need to use multiple tuning circuits for signals in different bands. The tuning circuit typically comprised an adjustable capacitance device and other tuning components, where the adjustable capacitance device is often implemented in SCA. The present invention discloses a system and method comprising n sections of capacitor elements where each capacitor element comprises a capacitor and switches to selectively connect the capacitor to one of the tuning circuit. Consequently, the SCA can be shared by the two tuning circuits. The control bits for the switched may be provided from a programmable control register.
US08213880B2
Included is a radio transmission system comprising a plurality of power amplifiers (PAs); a plurality of Volterra Engine (VE) linearizers corresponding to the PAs; a plurality of feedback loops corresponding to the PAs; at least one digital hybrid matrix (DHM) coupled to the VE linearizers; and an analog hybrid matrix (AHM) coupled to the PAs, wherein the feedback loops are connected to the AHM and the VE linearizers but not to the PAs to reduce the number of feedback loops. Also included is a radio system comprising a plurality of PAs; a Volterra DHM (VDHM) coupled to the PAs; a plurality of feedback loops corresponding to the PAs; and an AHM coupled to the PAs, wherein the feedback loops are connected to the AHM but not to the PAs to reduce the number of feedback loops.
US08213876B2
A direct digital radio having a high speed RF front end in communication with an antenna, and a radio subsystem that can be configured to form a multi-channel, full duplex transceiver system. The high speed RF front end provides a digital signal to the radio subsystem. Each transceiver includes a waveform processing subsystem that makes use of a linear, phase-B cubic spline interpolating finite impulse response (IFIR) filter for filtering the received RF signal substantially entirely in the digital domain. The linear phase-B, cubic spline IFIR filter requires significantly fewer hardware components than traditional FIR filters and is ideally suited for implementation using Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) technology.
US08213874B2
White space devices are unlicensed radiofrequency devices that must have certain capabilities in order to avoid harmful interference to licensed operations. In general, they must be location-aware, must be able to contact a geolocation database and may not operate without receiving a positive control signal. A number of white space devices can use a control channel to communicate with a control station. In addition to meeting the geolocation and positive control requirements given above, the control station coordinates the channels used by the white space devices so as to minimize their aggregate interference. In one embodiment, a control channel uses a separate frequency band with high availability and reliability but low throughput. Embodiments optimize channel assignments where the potential interference depends on the mutual distances between the white space devices. Potential interference reductions of 20-30 dB have been found in simulations. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08213873B2
According to one aspect, the present invention advantageously provides a method and apparatus that increase communications throughput by manipulating the order or manner in which CQI values are reported in a multi-rank CQI report that constrains one or more such values according to reporting order. As a non-limiting example, the present invention provides that the reporting order used for reporting multiple CQI values is chosen to eliminate or at least reduce under-reporting and over-reporting errors arising from the use of differential reporting formats for one or more of the reported CQI values. Additionally, the present invention provides for selection between single-rank or multi-rank CQI reporting, based on determining which one corresponds to the highest channel capacity, in view of the differential reporting constraints.
US08213868B2
Spectrum sensing in wireless communications is provided to identify utilized and/or unutilized frequency bands reserved for primary users using a cyclostationary beamforming approach. An adaptive cross self-coherent restoral (ACS) algorithm can be utilized to extract signals of interest (SOI) at unique cycle frequencies related to primary and/or secondary users from an antenna array measurement. Based on the SOI, one or more users of the spectrum can be identified or the spectrum can be regarded as vacant; this can be based on lobe identification in the frequency spectrum of the SOI, in one example. This mechanism is less complex than traditional cyclic spectrum analysis methods. The cyclostationary beamforming based approach is more effective than the energy detection method. Also, the need for quiet periods in spectrum sensing is eliminated when using this mechanism such that signals can be transmitted simultaneously with receiving signals over the antenna array.
US08213865B2
Methods and apparatus to reduce power consumption in a wireless device are disclosed. An example method includes sensing movement of the wireless device via a sensor unit; conveying data of a first size at a first frequency from the sensor unit to a first microcontroller, wherein the first microcontroller comprises data buffers of a second size; wirelessly transmitting data of the second size to a second microcontroller at a second frequency, wherein the second microcontroller comprises data buffers of the second size; and conveying data of the first size at a third frequency from the second microcontroller to an electronic device to communicate with the wireless device.
US08213863B2
A method is dedicated to the opening of a communication session between a radio terminal (MS), connected to a radio network (R1) and a fixed communication terminal (TC), coupled to at least one target screen (EC) and connected to a communication network (R2). This method consists in sending, by means of the radio terminal (MS), an identifier displayed on the target screen (EC) to open a communication session between the said radio terminal (MS) and the fixed communication terminal (TC), and then to control display of the information on the target screen (EC) by means of the radio terminal (MS).
US08213859B2
A data communication system includes a transmission medium such as a human body for transmitting an information signal via an electric field, a mobile device including a sender for imparting the electric field in which the information signal is modulated to the transmission medium, a stationary device including a receiver for detecting the electric field via the transmission medium and demodulating the electric field into the information signal, a floor cover arranging the stationary device and also being contacted by the transmission medium, in which the floor cover has a communication area contacted by the transmission medium where a data communication is performed between the mobile device and the stationary device, and the communication area is in a state of being electrically floating with respect to the floor cover.
US08213838B2
A developing apparatus usable with an image forming apparatus includes a developer cartridge having an outlet through which developer is discharged, a developing cartridge, in which the developer cartridge is detachably disposed, has an inlet, through which the developer discharged from the outlet of the developer cartridge enters, and a connecting member connecting the outlet of the developer cartridge and the inlet of the developing cartridge so that the developer is supplied from the developer cartridge to the developing cartridge, wherein through the arrangement of the developer cartridge, the developing cartridge and the connecting member, the flow of developer from the developer cartridge to the developing cartridge is regulated based on the developer pressure in the developing cartridge.
US08213831B2
A process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a developing roller that is movable between a contacting position in which the developing roller is in contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a spaced position in which the developing roller is spaced from the electrophotographic photosensitive drum. The apparatus further includes a spacing force receiving portion that is movable between a projected position and a retracted position, and a projecting force receiving portion that receives an external force to move the spacing force receiving portion from the retracted position to the projected position.
US08213829B2
A developing device and an image forming apparatus having the same include a frame having a knob part, a photosensitive body provided in front of the knob part with respect to a first direction of mounting the developing device, and a rotation guide part provided in front of the photosensitive body with respect to the first direction, and to guide a rotational motion of the developing device. When the developing device is removed from the image forming apparatus, the knob part is rotated upward. A first protrusion is provided on a side surface of the frame to determine a mounting position of the developing device. When the knob part is rotated upward, the first protrusion is rotated in the same direction as the knob part. Accordingly, the developing device has an improved mounting/removing structure adequate to compactly manufacture the image forming apparatus, and improves handling convenience in mounting and removing the developing device.
US08213827B2
In a fixing device, a metal member is provided inside a fixing belt to heat the fixing belt. A first lubricant is applied between the metal member and the fixing belt at a center portion of the fixing belt in an axial direction of the fixing belt that contacts a recording medium bearing a toner image. A second lubricant having a viscosity greater than a viscosity of the first lubricant is applied between the metal member and the fixing belt at lateral edge portions of the fixing belt in the axial direction of the fixing belt that do not contact the recording medium.
US08213821B2
A method of synchronizing the timing of a plurality of physically coupled print engines using a small delta time increment. According to the first mode of practice, the second electrophotographic module, designated as E2, is started at a slower operating speed than its normal run speed. The PI control algorithm that controls the motor speed will then allow the speed of E2 to reach its nominal speed.
US08213813B2
Systems and methods apply active feedback via a repetitive controller to compensate for periodic disturbances applied by recording media to a movable image carrier having a controlled velocity. The compensation parameters of the repetitive controller, once the error signal of the feedback converges to zero, can be stored with one or more characteristics of the print job or the recording media used for the print job. When other print jobs are received having the same one or more characteristics, the stored, converged compensation parameters can be retrieved, reducing the time to convergence of the systems and methods.
US08213812B2
The present invention provides a technique to accurately grasp a deterioration state of a development agent in a development device, in a development system which supplies a new development agent consisting of a toner and a carrier and discharges an deteriorated development agent to maintain a performance of a development agent in a development device.An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a stirring information obtaining section configured to obtain information of a stirring time of the development agent in the development device, a supply information obtaining section configured to obtain information of an amount of the carrier supplied into the development device, and a deterioration degree determining section configured to determine a deterioration degree of the development agent in the development device on the basis of the information obtained by the stirring information obtaining section and the supply information obtaining section.
US08213802B2
An optical receiver includes a first substrate including a demultiplexer and a first optical waveguide array. An input of the demultiplexer is configured to receive a wavelength division multiplexed optical input signal having a plurality of channels. Each of the plurality of channels corresponds to one of a plurality of wavelengths. Each of the plurality of outputs is configured to supply a corresponding one of the plurality of channels. The first optical waveguide array has a plurality of inputs. Each of the inputs of the first optical waveguide array is configured to receive a corresponding one of the plurality of channels. A second substrate is in signal communication with the first substrate and includes an optical detector array. The optical detector array has a plurality of inputs, each of which is configured to receive a corresponding one of the plurality of channels and generate an electrical signal in response thereto.
US08213799B2
A planar lightwave circuit (PLC) includes a substrate, a tunable filter, a demultiplexer (DEMUX), and an optical processor each disposed on the substrate. The tunable filter is configured to filter at least one of a bandwidth or a wavelength of a Wavelength Division Multiplexed (WDM) optical input signal. The DEMUX is connected to the tunable filter and configured to receive a filtered WDM optical input signal at an input and to supply one of a plurality of channels of the filtered WDM input signal at a respective one of a plurality of outputs. Each of the plurality of channels corresponds to one of a plurality of wavelengths of the filtered WDM input signal. The optical processor includes a bit-delay interferometer communicating with a respective one of the plurality of outputs of the DEMUX. The optical processor is configured to receive one of the plurality of channels from the DEMUX and output a plurality of demodulated optical signal components.
US08213797B2
Methods and apparatus are described for DWDM transport of CATV and digital signals over optical fiber in low-dispersion spectral regions. A method includes transporting a plurality of optical carriers of different wavelengths over an optical link using wavelength division multiplexing, the optical link including a plurality of optical segments. The plurality of optical channel center wavelengths defined by the plurality of optical carriers are clustered proximate an average value of a zero-dispersion wavelength of the optical link, or near either a) a low wavelength edge or b) a high wavelength edge of a range of zero-dispersion wavelengths of the optical link and a plurality of optical channel center frequencies defined by the plurality of optical channel center wavelengths are non-uniformly spaced apart.
US08213789B2
A camera with a built-in projector includes: a camera unit equipped with photographing components including an optical system; and a projector module equipped with a projecting optical system, with an optical axis extending along a longer side of the projector module running substantially parallel to an optical axis of the camera unit extending along a longer side of the camera unit.
US08213787B2
A camera system includes a replaceable lens and a body unit in which the replaceable lens is installed, and an image forming apparatus, in which a timer included in a lens controller is reset according to an instruction from a camera controller so that the replaceable lens is synchronized with the body unit, and focus is adjusted using location information detected by the replaceable lens and a focus estimation value calculated by the body unit.
US08213786B2
A method of performing fast autofocus (AF) in a digital image processing apparatus having a plurality of lenses mounted therein. By dynamically setting AF search start positions and AF search directions by using current AF position information, fast AF may be performed.
US08213783B2
An anti-shake device for use in an optical system comprises a biaxial rotating element and a electromagnetic driving module. The biaxial rotating element is made by grooving a thin resilient plate to form a special multiple-frame structure. The biaxial rotating element, when driven by the electromagnetic driving module, makes limited pivotal movement about two axes so as to provide shake compensation. The electromagnetic driving module, composed of a plurality of permanent magnets and a plurality of coils, is supported and positioned by an inner support frame and an outer support frame, both of which have uniquely designed structures. The resultant anti-shake device is structurally simple, easy to assemble, compact in size, and relatively low-cost.
US08213780B2
An information recording/reproducing apparatus is disclosed. The information recording/reproducing apparatus includes a recording/reproducing unit that records an information item into, and reproduces an information item from, a recording medium, and a determining unit that determines, when a reproduction error occurs during reproduction of the information item by the recording/reproduction unit, whether the information item is a video data item, and prevents changing a reproduction speed of the recording/reproduction unit during reproduction if the determining unit determines that the information item is a video data item, and allows changing the reproduction speed during reproduction if the determining unit determines that the information items is not a video data item.
US08213776B2
Disclosed are a selecting device, a selecting method, and a selecting program storage medium, which are configured to surely and easily select programs such as a drama series, even when a large number of programs are recorded. The selecting device includes: a designating section which designates a program from programs stored in a storage device in response to an operation; a searching section which searches the programs stored in the storage device for a program satisfying a predetermined correlation between itself and the program designated by the designating section; and a selecting section which collectively selects the program designated by the designating section and the program searched out by the searching section collectively.
US08213744B2
An image processing apparatus includes a registration unit for executing a registration process among a plurality of images; an image synthesis unit for superposing the plurality of images subjected to registration in the registration unit to synthesize the plurality of images and generate a synthetic image; a frequency characteristic measurement unit for measuring a frequency characteristic of the synthetic image; and a registration error detection unit for detecting an error of the registration process among the plurality of images based on the measured frequency characteristic of the synthetic image.
US08213741B2
This invention generates object-focused thumbnails from input images reflecting the mood and intention of the user, based on the original high-resolution picture. The invention includes edge detection, clustering detected edges into regions, ranking the regions and forming the thumbnail from a portion of the input image having a predetermined thumbnail size centered at a center of the highest ranking region. With this invention, the thumbnail accurately captures the focus of the image.
US08213734B2
A method for changing the depth at which an image is focused is provided in a portable imaging device that includes an image recording arrangement that has a lens system, an image sensor for recording images, and a display arrangement for presentation of the recorded images. The method includes moving a movable focusing frame covering a part of a recorded image presented on the display to identify an area of interest in the presented image. The method also includes analyzing the image within the frame to obtain a setting required to focus the image within the frame and applying the obtained setting to the full presented image to focus the presented image at the depth defined by the current position of the movable focusing frame.
US08213727B2
An image encoding apparatus generate encoded data having a fixed length L which is less than or equal to m×n bits and an integral multiple of 32 by m×n pixel block, while resolution information and color information are excellently maintained. For this purpose, a block generation unit inputs image data by m×n pixels. A 2-color extraction unit extracts representative colors C0 and C1 from the input block image data. An identification information detection unit generates m×n items of identification information each identifying each pixel in the block as a pixel approximate to one of the colors C0 and C1. An identification information deletion unit deletes the items of identification information in corresponding positions based on a deletion pattern stored in a deletion pattern memory. A packing unit packs the colors C0, C1 and the identification information after deletion, and outputs the data as encoded data.
US08213718B2
A method for video mode detection, wherein video input data (VID) corresponding to a video picture (P) is received and a video mode is determined for said video picture (P). The determining of said video mode depends on a local video mode (LVM) and a global video mode (GVM) of said video picture (P). Said global video mode (GVM) is determined for said video picture (P) based on said video input data (VID) or a derivative (m1) thereof. For determining said local video mode (LVM), first said video picture (P) is subdivided into a ticker area (TA) and a remaining area (RA), thereby generating ticker area data (TAD). Then, said local video mode (LVM) is determined for said ticker area (TA) based on said ticker area data (TAD). When determining said local video mode (LVM), said ticker area (TA) is subdivided into n sub-areas, and at least one of said n sub-areas (1 . . . 6) is selected as selected sub-area (SSA). Further, a sub-area video mode (SVM) is determined for said selected sub-area and said local video mode (LVM) is determined for said ticker area (TA) based on said sub-area video mode (SVM).
US08213715B1
The present invention provides a method and apparatus to enhance the image contrast of a digital image device while simultaneously compensating for image intensity inhomogeneity, regardless of the source. The present invention corrects intensity inhomogeneities producing a more uniform image appearance. Also, the image is enhanced through increased contrast, e.g., tissue contrast in a medical image. The method makes no assumptions as to the source of the inhomogeneities, e.g., physical device characteristics or positioning of the object being imaged. In the method, the error between the histogram of the spatially-weighted original image and a specified histogram is minimized. The specified histogram may be selected to increase contrast generally or particularly for accentuation, e.g., on localized regions of interest. The weighting is preferably achieved by two-dimensional interpolation of a sparse grid of control points overlaying the image. A sparse grid is used rather than a dense one to compensate for slowly-varying image non-uniformity. Also, sparseness reduces the computational complexity, as the final weight set involves the solution of simultaneous linear equations whose number is the size of the chosen grid.
US08213713B2
An image processing apparatus is provided, the image processing apparatus including: a limited color conversion processing section that extracts plural pieces of color information constructing image information and converts the plural pieces of color information into color information representing specific colors to which each of the plural pieces of color information belongs; a by-color separation processing section that separates the image information containing the converted color information for each of the specific colors; a compression determination section that determines a compression system for each color as to each of pieces of image information which are separated by the by-color separation processing section for each of the specific colors; a compression processing section that compresses said each of pieces of image information according to the determined compression system for each color; and a layered structure forming processing section that collectively outputs said each of pieces of image information compressed.
US08213709B1
A method and system for a directed area search using cognitive swarm vision and cognitive Bayesian reasoning is disclosed. The system comprises a domain knowledge database, a top-down reasoning module, and a bottom-up module. The domain knowledge database is configured to store Bayesian network models comprising visual features and observables associated with various sets of entities. The top-down module is configured to receive a search goal, generate a plan of action using Bayesian network models, and partition the plan into a set of tasks/observables to be located in the imagery. The bottom-up module is configured to select relevant feature/attention models for the observables, and search the visual imagery using a cognitive swarm for the at least one observable. The system further provides for operator feedback and updating of the domain knowledge database to perform better future searches.
US08213690B2
An image processing apparatus includes an object-feature-information storage unit configured to store feature information of a predetermined object; an image inputting unit configured to input an image; an object detecting unit configured to detect an object contained in the input image; an attribute determining unit configured to determine an attribute of the detected object; a feature-point determining unit configured to determine, according to the determined attribute, positions of feature points to be set in the input image; and a similarity calculating unit configured to calculate, by comparing feature information stored in the object-feature-information storage unit to feature information at feature points set in the input image, similarity between an object corresponding to the feature information stored in the object-feature-information storage unit and the detected object.
US08213687B2
Image processing methods, image processing systems, and articles of manufacture are described. According to one aspect, an image processing method includes defining an image dimension corresponding to a common size of data content of a plurality of images which are associated with one another, determining a plurality of image boundaries individually corresponding to a size of the data content of a respective one of the images, comparing individual ones of the image boundaries with respect to the image dimension providing difference information for respective ones of the images and indicative of differences of the respective image boundaries with respect to the image dimension, and adjusting the images using respective difference information corresponding to respective ones of the images.
US08213683B2
A driving support system with plural dimension processing units (DPUs) for indicating a condition of a surrounding area is disclosed. The driving support system of a vehicle includes plural image capturing devices disposed around the vehicle; at least a dimension processing unit (DPU) connected with the plural image capturing devices for receiving images from the plural image capturing devices and then producing plural related depth maps; a controller connected with the DPU for receiving the plural related depth maps and then producing an indicating data; and a display device connected with the controller for displaying the indicating data around the vehicle in a vertical view.
US08213682B2
Apparatuses, methods, and programs acquire vehicle position information that represents a current position of a vehicle, acquire image information of a vicinity of the vehicle, and carry out image recognition processing of a target feature that is included in the image information to determine a position of the target feature. The apparatuses, methods, and programs store recognition position information that is based on the acquired vehicle position information and that represents the determined recognition position of the target feature. The apparatuses, methods, and programs determine an estimated position of the target feature based on a set of a plurality of stored recognition position information for the target feature, the plurality of stored recognition position information for the target feature being stored due to the target feature being subject to image recognition processing a plurality of times.
US08213676B2
An inspection apparatus can process image data of one or more frames. In one aspect processing of image data can include processing for determination of a motion parameter. In one aspect an inspection apparatus can be controlled responsively to the processing of image data for determination of a motion parameter.
US08213672B2
The invention provides for an expandable multi channel radiometer imaging method and system. The imaging system includes a scanner for reflecting millimeter wave energy emanating from a pre-determined scene. The millimeter wave energy is focused to a focal plane array using an optical lens and a multi channel radiometer receives the millimeter wave energy. The focal plane array is formed by a plurality of pixels that each includes a single low noise amplifier. The number of pixels of the focal plane array is expendable to increase the resolution of a millimeter wave image. A virtual grid of cells is formed representing different values of millimeter wave energy within the imaging zone. Algorithms calculate differences of millimeter wave energy between cells of said virtual grid to display a composite image to identify concealed objects on an individual.
US08213670B2
A sleep aid system, including a band adapted for surrounding a person's head, the band including an inside fabric layer and an outside fabric layer, two speakers between the fabric layers, the speakers positioned substantially opposite to one another, and an audio input for receiving audio from an audio player.
US08213665B2
A headphone includes a headband and a left housing and a right housing. The left housing and the right housing are mounted to respective ends of the headband through respective hangers. Each housing accommodates a drive unit. Sliders including hollow cylindrical members are mounted to the respective hangers, and are slidably supported at slidably supporting portions at the respective ends of the headband. A cord, disposed between the left and right housings and used to pass drive electric current to the drive unit in one of the housings, is spirally accommodated in the hollow cylindrical members making up the respective sliders so that the cord is capable of being stretched and compressed.
US08213661B2
There is provided a microphone comprising a housing (2) which has at least one sound inlet opening (3) to connect the internal volume of the housing (2) with the volume surrounding the housing (2), and a first electroacoustic transducer (4) and a second electroacoustic transducer (5) which are symmetrically arranged in mutually opposite relationship in the housing (2), wherein a circuit board (7) is arranged between the first electroacoustic transducer (4) and the second electroacoustic transducer (5) and wherein the circuit board (7) has a slot (8) in the region of the sound inlet opening (3) of the housing (2).
US08213654B2
An in-the-ear audio device includes a custom made shell part which fits into the ear canal of a user and a pre-fabricated module part, the custom made part having a cavity with an opening for receiving the module. The cavity is partially bounded by two opposed, substantially parallel internal walls of the shell part which are spaced a distance which will allow two external, substantially parallel sides of the module to slide into the space between the two walls. Recesses and projections which extend in an arc on the walls and on the sides are provided such that the module may be inserted into the cavity between the two walls by a pivotal movement, with the projections at each side sliding in respective recesses.
US08213638B2
Methods and apparatus to provide an equalizer for analog adaptive control are disclosed. An example equalizer described herein includes a high frequency amplifier to receive an input signal and to amplify a high frequency portion of the input signal, a low frequency amplifier to receive the input signal and to amplify a low frequency portion of the input signal, and a weight factor controller to control a gain of the high frequency amplifier and a gain of the low frequency amplifier.
US08213635B2
An audio signal is received that might include keyboard noise and speech. The audio signal is digitized and transformed from a time domain to a frequency domain. The transformed audio is analyzed to determine whether there is likelihood that keystroke noise is present. If it is determined there is high likelihood that the audio signal contains keystroke noise, a determination is made as to whether a keyboard event occurred around the time of the likely keystroke noise. If it is determined that a keyboard event occurred around the time of the likely keystroke noise, a determination is made as to whether speech is present in the audio signal around the time of the likely keystroke noise. If no speech is present, the keystroke noise is suppressed in the audio signal. If speech is detected in the audio signal or if the keystroke noise abates, the suppression gain is removed from the audio signal.
US08213621B2
A method of controlling a sound field reproduction unit (2) having numerous reproduction elements (3n), uses a plurality of sound information input signals (SI) which are each associated with a general pre-determined reproduction direction which is defined in relation to a given point (5). The method includes: determining parameters which are representative of the position of the elements (3n) in the three spatial dimensions; determining matching filters (A) from the spatial characteristics and the general pre-determined reproduction directions; determining control signals by applying the aforementioned filters to the sound information input signals (SI); and delivering control signals for application to the above-mentioned reproduction elements (3n).
US08213620B1
Method for distributing encryption keys stored by a centralized key manager, operationally coupled to a first encryption device and the second encryption device is provided. The first encryption device and the second encryption device may request the CKM to provide the stored encryption keys in different formats and each encryption device may use a different encryption format to encrypt information. If the encryption devices are authorized to receive the stored encryption keys, then the CKM prepares the requested keys in different formats and provides them to the encryption devices.
US08213619B2
Provided are a method and apparatus for establishing communication via a service provider providing a service of establishing communication between a transmitting terminal and a receiving terminal. The method includes receiving an encryption key from the service provider, transmitting the encryption key to an external device storing receiving terminal identification information required for establishing communication with the receiving terminal, receiving the encrypted receiving terminal identification information from the external device, and transmitting the encrypted receiving terminal identification information to the service provider.
US08213615B2
A method of encoding a piece of information circulating in a network comprising at least one information transmitting node and one recipient node, using a public key encryption system, characterized in that it comprises at least the following steps: generating a public key by using a public key generation matrix NG consisting of u columns and u rows, an element of a column or of a row being a block formed by the code generation matrix G, and by use of a public key given by the matrix PUK=RI (matrix multiplication by block) NG (matrix multiplication) RP. The private key and the public key obtained are used to encode and decode the information transmitted in the network.
US08213613B2
The invention relates to pairing a slave device with a master device, for example decoders in a conditional access system. There is provided a security module that stores a device state that indicates whether a decoder shall be a master or a slave decoder. There is also provided a method in a conditional access system of providing a device with a device state stored on a security module. It is detected that the security module is in connection with the device and the device state is transferred from the security module to the device. There is further provided a method of pairing a slave device with a master device. The slave device asks the master device to identify itself, the master device returns an identification, and if the slave device has not yet been paired with a master device, it checks the identity of the master device and, if the identity is verified pairs with the master device. There is also provided a first, slave, device for pairing with a second, master, device. The first device comprises an interface for sending an identification command to and receiving an identification message from the master device, and a processor for checking the identity of the second device and pairing the first device with the second device.
US08213605B2
The present invention provides a new trapdoor one-way function. In a general sense, some quadratic algebraic integer z is used. One then finds a curve E and a rational map defining [z] on E. The rational map [z] is the trapdoor one-way function. A judicious selection of z will ensure that [z] can be efficiently computed, that it is difficult to invert, that determination of [z] from the rational functions defined by [z] is difficult, and knowledge of z allows one to invert [z] on a certain set of elliptic curve points. Every rational map is a composition of a translation and an endomorphism. The most secure part of the rational map is the endomorphism as the translation is easy to invert. If the problem of inverting the endomorphism and thus [z] is as hard as the discrete logarithm problem in E, then the size of the cryptographic group can be smaller than the group used for RSA trapdoor one-way functions.
US08213598B2
Harmonic distortion residual echo suppression (HDRES) technique embodiments are presented which act to suppress the residual echo remaining after a near-end microphone signal has undergone AEC, including harmonic distortion in the signal that was caused by the speaker audio signal playback. In general, an AEC module is employed which suppresses some parts of the speaker audio signal found in a near-end microphone signal and generates an AEC output signal. A HDRES module then inputs the AEC output signal and the speaker audio signal, and suppresses at least a portion of a residual part of the speaker audio signal that was left unsuppressed by the AEC module. This includes at least a portion of the harmonic distortion exhibited in the AEC output signal.
US08213584B2
Method and apparatus for analyzing a proposed service feature in a communication network is described. In one example, a call flow for supporting the service feature in the communication network is created, where at least one network component supports the call flow. First cost data for internally developing the at least one network component is determined. Second cost data for procuring the at least one network component from third party entity is determined. The first cost data and the second cost data are processed to generate a recommendation for either internally developing or externally procuring the at least one network element.
US08213581B1
The present invention is related to telecommunications, and in particular to systems and methods of using telecommunication services for user authentication. Account information is stored for a user, the account information including at least a first phone number associated with the user. A user order is received. A verification phone call is received from the user, the call including charge phone number information. The charge number information is compared to the first phone number to authenticate that the user is associated with the first phone number. Based at least in part on the comparison, the user order is selectively caused to be fulfilled.
US08213579B2
A method and an apparatus for providing audio information to a user. The method and apparatus provide information in multiple modes that represent various pieces of information and/or alternatives. In various embodiments, the form of a prompt played is dependent on what previously played prompts were given to the user during that session.
US08213577B2
A phone test set provides modem capability in a hand held device, enabling bi-directional data communications. Demodulation is provided by sampling digitized incoming phone line signals at 4 times carrier frequency, and employing values representing 0 and 90 degree samples to extract the information signal.
US08213574B2
A method for operating an x-ray image recording device having a movable x-ray detector on an-x-ray c-arm is provided. The x-ray C-arm supports an x-ray source and the x-ray detector which can be moved in the direction of the x-ray source. A variable is calculated which specifies the image quality of an x-ray image to be obtained in a position of the x-ray C-arm in a position of the x-ray detector and/or specifies the exposure dose of an operating person. A measure is taken as a function of the variable which results in a movement of the x-ray detector by the operating person and/or by an automatic movement. X-ray images are recorded in positions of the x-ray detector in which the image quality and/or the exposure dose of an operating person are optimal.
US08213568B2
When performing a fly-by or helical CT scan of a subject, radiation dose is limited by positioning a dynamic collimator (142) between the subject and an X-ray source (112). The collimator moves axially with the X-ray source (112) along a volume of interest (VOI) (122) in the subject and gradually opens, such that a narrow portion of the cone beam of X-rays is permitted to pass through the collimator (142) at ends of the VOI (122) and a wider full cone beam is emitted at central portions of the VOI (122). In this manner, tissue surrounding the VOI (122) is not needlessly exposed to X-rays, as would be the case if a full-width cone beam were used for the entire scan of the VOI (122).
US08213566B2
An imaging system including a radiation source (110) that emits poly-chromatic radiation that traverses an examination region and a detector (116) that detects radiation traversing the examination region and produces a signal indicative of the energy of a detected photon. The system further includes an energy discriminator (122) that energy resolves the signal based on a plurality of different energy thresholds, wherein at least two of the energy thresholds have values corresponding to at least two different K-edge energies of two different elements in a mixture disposed in the examination region. The system also includes a signal decomposer (132) that decomposes the energy-resolved signal into at least a multi K-edge component representing the at least two different K-edge energies. In one instance, a stoichiometric ratio of the two different elements in the contrast agent is known and substantially constant.
US08213554B2
A method of signal processing, comprising: obtaining a digital signal (yn) based on another signal (xt) and noise; and estimating information relating to the another signal (xt) by using a denoising process to produce a denoised signal (y′n) and by processing the denoised signal (y′n), wherein the denoised signal (y′n) produced by the denoising process has a substantially Finite Rate of Innovation.
US08213553B2
Methods and apparatuses identifying a co-channel interference signal in communications systems are disclosed. An exemplary method comprises generating an interference signal by subtracting a reconstructed desired signal from an at least partially demodulated composite signal, and generating synchronization statistics of interference signal using different scrambling codes. The interference signal is identified as the signal associated with the scrambling code that was used to generate an interference signal having a desired synchronization statistic.
US08213545B2
A radio receiving apparatus and method of using thereof, in which the radio receiving apparatus includes a first synchronization circuit, a second synchronization circuit, and a demodulation section that demodulates an incoming signal based on one of synchronization information output from the first synchronization circuit and synchronization information output from the second synchronization circuit, the first synchronization circuit including a first correlation section that determines a correlation between the incoming signal and a first pulse template received as input at a timing corresponding to a first reference signal, the second synchronization circuit including a second correlation section that determines a correlation between the incoming signal and a second pulse template received as input at a timing corresponding to a second reference signal, and the first pulse template having a longer width than a width of the second pulse template.
US08213523B2
The system (700), apparatus (600), and method of the present invention provide an hierarchical pseudo-circularly symmetric and full circularly symmetric training sequence structure (100) for high-speed communication system. The hieratical pseudo-circularly symmetric part (101) is preferably used for burst detection, coarse frequency and timing error estimation and AGC gain setting. The full circularly symmetric part (102) is preferably used for channel estimation, fine frequency error estimation. The resulting sequence has a very good peak-to-average power (PAPR) property, making it suitable for many applications. The bandwidth efficiency is also improved due to using symmetric sequences.
US08213520B2
A compression method and a compression system for display frames of QFHD (quad full high definition) resolution are provided and applied to the image encoding/decoding environment of the H.264/AVC image encoding standard of the QFHD resolution and the effective dictionary base compression and de-compression algorithm, the image data compression rate can be tremendously raised at the resolution of 1080 HD (High Definition) content and the average memory data rate is greatly decreased. Hence only a bus with a lower frequency as 57 MHz can be done for the real-time of the resolution of 1080 HD content.
US08213517B2
According to the present invention, a moving picture coding apparatus (70) for performing inter-picture predictive coding for pictures constituting a moving picture is provided with a coding unit (103) for performing predictive error coding for image data; a decoding unit (105) for performing predictive error decoding for an output from the coding unit (103); a reference picture memory (117) for holding output data from the decoding unit (105); and a motion vector detection unit (108) for detecting motion vectors on the basis of the decoded image data stored in the memory. When coding a B picture as a target picture, information indicating whether or not the target picture should be used as a reference picture when coding another picture is added as header information. Therefore, in a decoding apparatus for decoding a bit stream Bs outputted from the moving picture coding apparatus (70), management of a memory for holding the reference picture can be facilitated on the basis of the header information.
US08213513B2
A data reading method for motion estimation in an embedded system is provided. The embedded system includes an external memory device and a video encoding device, wherein the external memory device stores a first frame, and the video encoding device has an internal memory. First, a second frame is divided into M×N sub frame sets, wherein each of the sub frame sets has O×P sub frames. Then, each of the sub frame sets is selected in a calculation sequence, and the selected sub frame set is stored into the internal memory. Next, a predicted search path of each sub frame in the selected sub frame set is calculated. Thereafter; a predicted reading range is determined, wherein the predicted reading range includes the predicted search paths of the sub frames. Finally, a comparison data is read from the first frame according to the predicted reading range.
US08213489B2
The invention provides a communication protocol and serial interface having an approximately fixed interface clock and capable of accommodating a variety of communication rates. The interface employs a variable-length frame that may be expanded or reduced to obtain a desired communication rate, even though the interface clock rate is held approximately constant. The invention further provides a method for designing an agile barrier interface. In particular, the barrier clock rate is preferably selected to be an approximate common multiple of the various communication rates that the barrier interface must handle. The frame length corresponding to each communication rate may then be obtained by dividing the barrier clock rate by the ΣΔ rate. Finally, the invention provides an agile barrier capable of communicating data across a serial interface at a variety of data rates and at an approximately fixed interface clock rate.
US08213476B1
The present invention is directed to the integration of a quantum cascade laser with a hollow waveguide on a chip to improve both the beam pattern and manufacturability. By coupling the QCL output into a single-mode rectangular waveguide the radiation mode structure can be known and the propagation, manipulation, and broadcast of the QCL radiation can then be entirely controlled by well-established rectangular waveguide techniques. By controlling the impedance of the interface, enhanced functions, such as creating amplifiers, efficient coupling to external cavities, and increasing power output from metal-metal THz QCLs, are also enabled.
US08213473B2
A laser gain medium and laser system include a host material, a plurality of quantum dots dispersed throughout the host material, and a plurality of laser active ions surrounding each of the quantum dots. The laser active ions are disposed in close proximity to the quantum dots such that energy absorbed by the quantum dots is transferred to the ions, thereby exciting the ions to produce laser output. In an illustrative embodiment, each quantum dot is surrounded by an external shell doped with the laser active ions.
US08213471B2
A thermal management apparatus and method for a thin disk laser system enabling the laser system to have near isothermal temperatures across and throughout a thin disk comprising a mechanically controlled oscillating heat pipe having effective thermal conductivity of 10-20,000 W/m*K that promotes near isothermal conditions in lasing of the thin disk, a thin disk lasing crystal or ceramic bonded to the mechanically controlled oscillating heat pipe, and a supporting structure including a surface bonded to the thin disk that matches the CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) of both materials.
US08213463B2
In one embodiment, a multimedia resource is shared among a plurality of devices based upon a physical location of an active wireless endpoint unit within a structure. Devices are associated with corresponding zones within the structure. Each device provides functionality within the device's corresponding zone. Using one of a number of techniques, the physical location of the active wireless endpoint unit is determined to be within a particular zone. In response, one or more devices associated with the particular zone are provided with access to the multimedia control resources. Access is withheld to one or more other devices associated with another zone that is remote from the physical location of the active wireless endpoint unit.
US08213454B2
A method and a system for managing the transmission of data streams by a terminal of a multiple-access shared communications network, said data streams being structured as data frames and comprising at least one priority data stream and at least one non-priority data stream. The method comprises the steps of determining a congestion state of said multiple-access shared network, and managing the transmission by said station of said priority and non-priority data streams as a function of said congestion state.
US08213445B2
An apparatus including a holding portion temporarily holding packets for each individual quality class; a counter counting the amount of data of packets output from the holding portion for each individual quality class; a comparison portion comparing count values of the counter for individual quality classes with threshold values which are threshold values for the quality classes, respectively, the ratio of the threshold values for the quality classes being coincident with the weighting ratio between the quality classes; an output portion outputting packets held in the holding portion based on results of comparisons made by the comparison portion; and a control portion which, according to the results of the comparisons, subtracts values corresponding to the threshold values for the quality classes from the count values of the counter for the individual quality classes.
US08213444B1
A jitter buffer system having a jitter buffer configured to buffer traffic and a control system coupled to the jitter buffer and configured to determine a first characteristic of the traffic in the jitter buffer, adjust the size of the jitter buffer by a constant when the first characteristic does not satisfy a first constraint for the first characteristic, determine a rate of adjusting the jitter buffer, and change the constant when the rate does not fall within a specified range.
US08213442B2
A method and system is provided for performing inbound call screening in a packet-based network, such as an H.323 Voice over IP (VoIP) network. The inbound gateways on the network are registered with inbound gatekeepers, and standard messages are used between an inbound gateway, an inbound gatekeeper and an inbound screening database to decide: whether an inbound call to a particular called number (DID) is to be allowed into the network; whether the called number should be translated into a different called number; and whether a routing index should be included in the called number to indicate the destination of the call.
US08213439B2
An exemplary method for monitoring status of a Hot Standby Routing Protocol group of routers includes, for each network interface of each router in the group, monitoring changes in a status of the network interface, and based on the monitored changes, determining a status of the group.
US08213437B2
A transmitting method has steps of modulating carrier waves having frequencies set at ½N−n (n≦N; n is a positive integer) of a reference frequency with transmission signals to produce modulated signals, multiplexing the modulated signals by frequency division multiplexing to produce an input signal, and transmitting the input signal to a synchronous detector in which the transmission signals are extracted from the input signal by calculating a moving average of the input signal every sampling period of time corresponding to the reference frequency and performing an addition and subtraction calculation corresponding to the cycle of each carrier wave for the moving averages. The frequency of each carrier wave, modulated with one transmission signal having a first signal level, is equal to or lower than the frequency of any carrier wave modulated with another transmission signal having a second signal level higher than the first signal level.
US08213436B2
In a packet-based (e.g., Ethernet) network, such as the network of central offices and base stations of a wireless telephone system, a node receives one or more incoming packet-based signals from one or more other nodes of the network and recovers a clock signal from each incoming packet-based signal. The node selects one of the recovered clock signals as the node's reference clock signal. When the node is part of a base station, the node uses the selected clock to generate and transmit one or more outgoing packet-based signals to one or more central offices. The node also uses the selected clock to generate the base station's wireless transmissions. In one implementation, the base stations and central offices are connected by Ethernet facilities.
US08213431B2
A system and method for communicating real time information using a wide area network protocol and communications protocol that mitigates against potentially significant packet loss rates caused by events such as signal blockage occurring at the underlying wireless transmission (e.g., radio) links. In one implementation the method involves creating a first data packet having a first segment of information, and a first identification (ID) code. The first data packet is then transmitted. A second data packet is then created having information forming the first data packet and also a second segment of information identified by a second code. The second packet is then transmitted. Subsequently formed data packets may include all of the information from previously created data packets until a maximum packet depth is reached, and then each subsequently created new data packet drops off the oldest packet information from the previously created packet while including new information.
US08213430B2
A method of transmitting a packet from a distributed trunk switch and a computer-readable medium storing instructions therefor is described. The method comprises populating an address table of the distributed trunk switch. The method also comprises receiving a packet from a device connected to the distributed trunk switch and transmitting the received packet via a distributed trunk (DT) port of the distributed trunk switch if the destination address of the received packet corresponds to a distributed trunk port in the address table.
US08213426B2
A method for multicasting targeted advertising data to end user devices is disclosed. In an illustrative embodiment the method includes but is not limited to correlating at a regional internet protocol television (IPTV) server, multicast queue data with web data from web sites visited by each of a plurality of end user devices associated with the regional IPTV server; selecting a subgroup of end user devices from the plurality of end user devices to receive targeted advertising data correlating with a member of the multicast queue data; and multicasting targeted advertising data associated with the member of the multicast queue data to the subgroup of end user devices from the regional IPTV server. A system is also disclosed for multicasting targeted advertising data to end user devices. A data structure is disclosed for storing data used by the system and method.
US08213416B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for early media connection proxying are disclosed. According to one method, a call setup signaling message is received for establishing a call between a calling entity and a called entity. Based on at least one parameter in the call setup signaling message, it is determined whether an early media connection is required for the call. It is also determined whether early media connection proxying is required for the call. In response to determining that an early media connection and early media connection proxying are required for the call, signaling is performed on behalf of a network entity to establish an early media connection for the call.
US08213415B2
Communication apparatus, method of controlling the communication apparatus, and communication system
A method and system for establishing communication between communication apparatuses, including a first communication apparatus receiving, from another communication apparatus, first information used for communication by a first communication unit via a second communication unit, detecting a transfer of second information, and depending on the detection result, determining whether to use the first information for the communication by the first communication unit.
US08213409B2
A communication system includes a plurality of mobile nodes forming a mesh network. A plurality of wireless communication links connect the mobile nodes together. Each mobile node is formed as a communications device and operative for transmitting data packets wirelessly to other mobile nodes via the wireless communications link from a source mobile node through intermediate neighboring mobile nodes to a destination mobile node using a link state routing protocol and multiple waveforms.
US08213408B1
A first control node for use in a multimedia network includes a call control module to perform a call control task to enable establishment of a call session on behalf of a terminal in the multimedia network. The call control module further cooperates with a second control node to perform the call control task. A security element performs a security task with respect to messaging communicated for enabling establishment of the call session.
US08213406B2
An apparatus and method for uplink time synchronization in a communication system includes a first step 602 of receiving uplink data from a user equipment. A next step 604 includes storing a time error of the uplink data along with a time stamp. A next step 620 includes integrating the time error to provide an accumulated time error. A next step 606, 626 includes dumping the accumulated time error upon the time stamps of the accumulated data meeting a timing condition. A next step 610 includes comparing the accumulated time error against a threshold. A next step 616 includes scheduling a time advance with the user equipment if the accumulated time error exceeds the threshold.
US08213398B2
Systems and methods for multiuse subcarriers in multipoint-to-point communication using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) are provided. In one embodiment, a remote unit for communicating with a host unit using OFDM is provided, the host unit communicatively coupled to a plurality of remote units in a multipoint-to-point configuration. The remote unit comprises a modulator for modulating up to a plurality of tones with upstream information using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, wherein the modulator is configured to adjust a carrier frequency and timing of the plurality of tones such that spectrally overlapping tones transmitted from the remote unit and at least one other remote unit of the plurality of remote units are orthogonal and combine to form an OFDM waveform when received at the host; and wherein a first tone of the plurality of tones carries both control data and payload data.
US08213389B2
Among other disclosed subject matter, a method includes obtaining, in a mobile device, power information indicating a detected power of respective signals received from multiple transmitters. The method includes determining a location of the mobile device using a formula that uses: locations of the multiple transmitters, a first function of the power information and a second function of respective locations of the multiple transmitters. The method can include recording the determined location.
US08213382B2
A technique is provided for use by a Multi-Radio Management Resource (MRRM) component of a multi-radio wireless communication system for controlling the handover of a mobile terminal between different radio access technologies (RAT). In one example, all suitable RATs having coverage areas currently covering the location of a mobile terminal are identified. The performance gain that might be achieved via a handover to one of the other RATs is then determined by the MRRM based on various performance gain factors. Handover costs that will be incurred as a result of the handover are also explicitly calculated. Then, a cost-adjusted gain is determined by the MRRM based on the performance gain and the handover costs. A handover is only triggered by the MRRM if the cost-adjusted gain exceeds a minimum threshold. The speed and trajectory of the mobile terminal may also be considered.
US08213377B2
A method for efficiently transmitting and receiving control information through a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) is provided. When a User Equipment (UE) receives control information through a PDCCH, the received control information is set to be decoded in units of search spaces, each having a specific start position in the specific subframe. Here, a modulo operation according to a predetermined first constant value (D) is performed on an input value to calculate a first result value, and a modulo operation according to a predetermined first variable value (C) corresponding to the number of candidate start positions that can be used as the specific start position is performed on the calculated first result value to calculate a second result value and an index position corresponding to the second result value is used as the specific start position. Transmitting control information in this manner enables a plurality of UEs to efficiently receive PDCCHs without collisions.
US08213374B2
A mobile communication method according to the present invention includes the steps of: (A) activating, at the radio base station (eNB), a first timer, upon transmission of a downlink data signal to the mobile station (UE) operating in a continuous reception cycle; (B) transmitting, from the radio base station (eNB) to the mobile station (UE), a change instruction instructing the mobile station (UE) to change a reception cycle of the mobile station (UE) from the continuous reception cycle to a first discontinuous reception cycle, and releasing the uplink dedicated resources, when the first timer expires with no downlink data signal transmitted after the activation of the first timer; and (C) changing, at the mobile station (UE), the reception cycle of the mobile station (UE) from the continuous reception cycle to the first discontinuous reception cycle, and releasing the uplink dedicated resources, in response to the received change instruction.
US08213372B2
A method for receiving control information for data reception at a specific user equipment in a communication system in which at least one data transmission mode is used to transmit data of the at least one UE is disclosed. The method receives the control information including a first field and a second field, in which the first field indicates a data transmission mode of the specific user equipment (UE) and the second field indicates a resource block via which the data is transmitted, and receives the data by decoding the control information. As a result, a method for constructing control information required for receiving control data of a localized-mode UE and a distributed-mode UE can be recognized.
US08213371B1
An embodiment of the current invention is directed to reducing the time for a computing device to deliver a message to a mobile computing device. A request to enter a tracking mode is received on a quick paging channel. A transition to a tracking mode is performed. Via a slotted access channel, a location-change message is sent that indicates that the mobile computing device has entered a new location. The location-change message is sent when the mobile computing device changes locations.
US08213368B2
A method of variable rate vector quantization reduces the amount of channel state feedback. Channel coefficients of a communication channel are determined and second order statistics (e.g., variances) of the channel taps are computed). Bit allocation for the channel taps are determined based on the coefficients statistics. The channel taps are individually quantized at rates determined based on said bit allocations.
US08213363B2
QoS channels for multimedia services on a general purpose operating system platform using data cards
A SIP (session initiation protocol) service activation abstraction layer that provides a unified interface to upper layer applications for discovering, establishing, and managing the QoS connectivity. In one implementation, this is IP Multimedia Subsystem-centric, further supporting applications that utilize SIP for session control. This capability extends to the data card universe allowing UMTS data card vendors to establish concurrent QoS-based sessions using multiple primary PDP (packet data protocol) contexts based on a set of SIP triggers, further allowing applications running on a computing system to transparently utilize the established pipes based on the individual QoS requirements.
US08213359B2
The invention relates to communication systems and to systems and methods for implementing adaptive call admission control (CAC) in such systems. Adaptive call admission control can determine what CPE to base station calls (connections) are allowed at any given time. CAC, coupled with precedence, can further determine what connections are suspended if less bandwidth is available than is currently committed. Multiple techniques are disclosed to select connections for suspension. These techniques include suspending enough connections through the affected CPE until there is enough bandwidth to meet the remaining commitment, randomly (or in a round robin fashion) choosing connection to suspend from the entire set of connection, and using precedence priority levels.
US08213344B2
In a multi-radio wireless device, a first radio and a second radio share a plurality of antennas. A MAC coordination engine may coordinate the activities of the first and second radios to facilitate the allocation of antennas to the radios. In at least one embodiment, the second radio is given priority over the first radio in the allocation of antennas. When the first radio desires to communicate, a number of antennas that is available for use may be determined. It may then be determined whether the communication should be permitted to proceed given the number of available antennas.
US08213336B2
In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a processor configured for operation in a control plane in a distributed virtual switch in communication with a plurality of virtual machines each having a virtual interface. The processor is operable to identify other control planes in the distributed virtual switch, assign a virtual interface identifier to one of the virtual interfaces, receive a configuration for the virtual interface, and share the configuration with the other control planes in the distributed virtual switch. The virtual interface identifier provides a unique identifier for the virtual interface across all of the control planes. The apparatus further includes memory for storing the configuration of the virtual interface. A method for operating a network device associated with a control in the distributed virtual switch is also disclosed.
US08213335B2
A communication resource allocation method for solving resource request imbalance content in a cell is provided. Considering a propagation environment, the base station allocates a whispering resource to a whispering area, the whispering resource being one part of the communication resource and the whispering area being a peripheral area of the first base station, and allocates a speaking resource to a speaking area, the speaking resource being other parts of the communication resource and the speaking area being a border area of a cell. When the resource request of the whispering area is increased, the base station further allocates a part of the speaking resource to the whispering area or increases a ratio of the whispering resource. When the resource request of the speaking area is increased, the base station controls a threshold value for identifying the whispering and speaking areas or increases a ratio of the speaking resource.
US08213334B2
Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for optimizing a physical data communications topology between a plurality of computing nodes, the physical data communications topology including physical links configured to connect the plurality of nodes for data communications, that include carrying out repeatedly at a predetermined pace: detecting network packets transmitted through the links between each pair of nodes in the physical data communications topology, each network packet characterized by one or more packet attributes; assigning, to each network packet, a packet weight in dependence upon the packet attributes for that network packet; determining, for each pair of nodes in the physical data communications topology, a node pair traffic weight in dependence upon the packet weights assigned to the network packets transferred between that pair of nodes; and reconfiguring the physical links between each pair of nodes in dependence upon the node pair traffic weights.
US08213332B2
To enable the peer-to-peer synchronization among multiple devices, each device in the peer network keeps track of the changes it makes to any shared data and also keeps track of its own knowledge of the changes made by other devices. When two or more peer devices communicate, they share with each other their information about any changes made to the shared data by them or by other devices. This allows the devices to synchronize with each other to the extent that each of the devices knows what changes have been made by it or by other devices in the peer network.
US08213331B2
A method for managing data transfer in a network environment, the method is provided. The method comprises receiving a request to transfer first data from a first source in a source domain comprising a plurality of sources to a first target in a target domain comprising a plurality of targets. If the first source is configured to transfer data in a first mode or if the first source is configured to transfer data in a second mode and the first data has previously been transferred to the target domain, a signature of the first data is transferred to the first target instead of the first data. If the first source is configured to operate in the second mode and the first data has not previously been transferred to the target domain, the first data is transferred to the first target.
US08213325B2
A packet analysis apparatus analyzes content of communication obtained as a result of monitoring or capturing a packet passing through a network. The apparatus has a unit of acquiring source or destination address information from a network layer packet header. The apparatus has a unit of acquiring from the network layer packet header an identifier for which a value that increases monotonously with each sending for each source or destination address information is set. The apparatus has a unit of searching and acquiring an identifier corresponding to address information in a current packet from a storage part holding an identifier in a previous packet corresponding to source or destination address information. The apparatus has a unit of comparing the identifier in the previous packet acquired and the identifier in the current packet and determining that reordering occurs when the identifier in the current packet is smaller.
US08213323B1
A method and system are provided for monitoring network performance in order to reveal micro-behavior of network traffic. At least two distinct durations are set for monitoring link utilization. At least one link utilization threshold is set for each duration. Link utilization is monitored at a router using a counter. In addition, a number of durations is provided during which the at least one link utilization threshold has been exceeded.
US08213313B1
An apparatus and method for enhancing packet transfer in a network using duplicated copy of data packets are disclosed. Upon classifying a data packet in accordance with a set of predefined packet identifiers, the method for enhancing packet transfer, in one embodiment, generates a replicated packet which is substantially similar to the data packet in response to the result of classification of the data packet. The replicated packet is subsequently forwarded to an application component via a route of non-bearer traffic for facilitating parallel processing.
US08213310B2
An access network receives a request from an access terminal for communication session support resources associated with a communication session, determines whether sufficient communication session support resources are available for allocating to the access terminal and selects communication session support resources from another access terminal for de-allocation, the selected at least one communication session support resource associated with a communication session having a lower priority than the communication session. The access network sends instructions to the at least one other access terminal to facilitate de-allocation of the selected communication session support resource, and allocates communication session support resources to the access terminal for supporting the communication session after the selected communication session support resource is de-allocated from the other access terminal.
US08213306B1
Fixed-length communication traffic blocks, for transmission over a wireless communication link, are generated from communication traffic that is received at a primary communication apparatus. The generated blocks are distributed between a first wireless communication link associated with the primary apparatus and a second wireless communication link associated with a secondary apparatus, for transmission of the communication traffic blocks over the first and second wireless communication links. The distribution of the communication traffic blocks is through an inter-apparatus communication link between the primary and secondary apparatus. Communication traffic blocks that are received over the second wireless communication link are transferred to the primary apparatus through the inter-apparatus communication ink and combined, with blocks that are received on the first wireless communication link, into a communication traffic stream. One or more secondary wireless communication links may be provided by one or more respective installations of secondary apparatus.
US08213303B2
In an embodiment, an apparatus is provided that may include circuitry to generate, at least in part, and/or receive, at least in part, at least one request that at least one network node generate, at least in part, information. The information may be to permit selection, at least in part, of (1) at least one power consumption state of the at least one network node, and (2) at least one time period. The at least one time period may be to elapse, after receipt by at least one other network node of at least one packet, prior to requesting at least one change in the at least one power consumption state. The at least one packet may be to be transmitted to the at least one network node. Of course, many alternatives, modifications, and variations are possible without departing from this embodiment.
US08213295B2
This disclosure describes techniques for handling transaction timeouts during setup and management of communication sessions. In particular, a communication device may be configured to handle transaction timeouts differently based on the type of signaling and control message that experienced the transaction timeout. In one aspect, the communication devices may handle transaction timeouts experienced during register transactions differently than transaction timeouts experienced during non-register. For example, the communication device that initiated the transaction initiates at least one subsequent transaction to the current proxy server when a non-register transaction experiences the transaction timeout. After experiencing a threshold number of consecutive transaction timeouts, an expiration of a failure duration timer, or a transaction timeout associated with a register transaction, the communication device cancels the current communication session and sends a register message to a new proxy server.
US08213293B2
A method for implementing transmit diversity in a wireless mobile communication system adopting an SC-FDMA scheme is provided. A sequence of modulation symbols output from a DFT block are precoded prior to IFFT. The precoding is performed independently on an antenna basis. Modulation symbols mapped to each subcarrier of an SC-FDMA symbol, to be transmitted through each antenna may be additionally phase-shifted.
US08213292B2
A method and apparatus are provided for performing acquisition, synchronization and cell selection within an MIMO-OFDM communication system. A coarse synchronization is performed to determine a searching window. A fine synchronization is then performed by measuring correlations between subsets of signal samples, whose first signal sample lies within the searching window, and known values. The correlations are performed in the frequency domain of the received signal. In a multiple-output OFDM system, each antenna of the OFDM transmitter has a unique known value. The known value is transmitted as pairs of consecutive pilot symbols, each pair of pilot symbols being transmitted at the same subset of sub-carrier frequencies within the OFDM frame.
US08213291B2
Method and system for creating a radio block header that identifies a selected data block, a first compression scheme to compress a first encoded instance of the selected data block, and a second compression scheme to compress a second encoded instance of the selected data block, wherein the second compression scheme is different from the first compression scheme and for forming a radio block that includes the radio block header, a first instance of the selected data block, and a second instance of the selected data block.
US08213281B2
Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that characterizes the performance of a disk drive at frequencies in a set of frequencies in a frequency range. First, the disk drive is vibrated at each frequency in the set of frequencies, one frequency at a time. During this process, a disk drive performance metric is monitored. Next, the performance of the disk drive is characterized by determining the parameter related to acceleration due to the vibrations for each frequency at which a disk drive performance metric degrades by a predetermined amount from a baseline.
US08213263B2
An apparatus and method of voice activity detection (VAD) are disclosed. To detect a target sound, a target sound detecting apparatus calculates the phase difference corresponding to each frequency component from a plurality of sound signals converted in frequency domain, calculates a characteristic value indicating possibility that the phase difference of the frequency component is within an allowable phase difference range of target sound calculated based on a direction angle of the target sound, and detects the presence and/or absence of target sound using the characteristic value.
US08213255B2
Data is programmed into and read from a set of target memory cells. When reading the data, temperature compensation is provided. The temperature compensation is based on temperature information and the state of one or more neighbor memory cells. In one embodiment, when data is read from set of target memory cells, the system senses the current temperature and determines the differences in temperature between the current temperature and the temperature at the time the data was programmed. If the difference in temperature is greater than a threshold, then the process of reading the data includes providing temperature compensation based on temperature information and neighbor state information. In one alternative, the decision to provide the temperature compensation can be triggered by conditions other than a temperature differential.
US08213251B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a cell block including a first bit line, a sense amplifier unit including a second bit line and configured to amplify a data signal applied to the second bit line, a connection unit configured to selectively connect the first bit line and the second bit line, a connection control unit configured to receive a control signal for driving the sense amplifier unit and a selection signal for selecting the cell block and generate a connection signal for activating the connection unit at a first time, and a sense amplifier driving control unit configured to receive the control signal and generate a sense amplifier driving signal for driving the sense amplifier unit at a second time after the first time.
US08213250B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a cell array including a plurality of unit cells, a first amplification circuit amplifying an input signal received from at least one unit cell among the unit cells, a signal transmission unit to transmit the signal to the first amplification circuit in response to a selection signal, first amplification control circuit to output a first amplification control signal controlling an amplification operation of the first amplification circuit, a second amplification circuit to amplify an output signal of the first amplification circuit, a second amplification control circuit to output a second amplification control signal controlling an amplification operation of the second amplification circuit, and a voltage adjustment circuit to adjust an internal voltage of the first amplification circuit in response to a voltage adjustment signal before the first and second amplification circuits perform the amplification operation.
US08213249B2
A method and static random access memory (SRAM) circuit for implementing low power data predicting local evaluation for double pumped arrays, and a design structure on which the subject circuit reside are provided. A novel variation of a domino read local evaluation circuit accurately predicts the write data for the next cycle. The domino read local evaluation circuit uses static write data set up prior to a write enable signal to determine the value of the data that is being written into the array. When the data being written to the array matches the data last read the local bitlines stay in their previous state. When the data being written is opposite of the data last read then the bit lines are precharged to the precharge value.
US08213240B2
In a nonvolatile memory, less than a full block maybe erased as one or more pages. A select voltage is applied through pass transistors to each of plural selected wordlines and an unselect voltage is applied through pass transistor to each of plural unselected wordlines of a selected block. A substrate voltage is applied to the substrate of the selected block. A common select voltage may be applied to each selected wordline and the common unselect voltage may be applied to each unselected wordline. Select and unselect voltages may be applied to any of the wordlines of a select block. A page erase verify operation may be applied to a block having plural erased pages and plural nonerased pages.
US08213239B2
An electronic memory device includes at least one basic unit, which is configured as a memory cell for storing at least one bit of information. The basic unit includes a vacuum cavity for free charge carriers propagation therethrough, a region of charge carriers emission or entry into the vacuum cavity, an anode electrode which are kept under controllable voltage conditions, and at least one floating gate electrode accommodated in a path of the free charge carriers propagating through the vacuum cavity between the emission or entry region and the anode. The floating gate electrode serves for storing therein a charge indicative of the at least one bit of information.
US08213237B2
A charge pump and method of operation are provided. The charge pump includes a first boosting unit configured to receive a pre-charge voltage and electrically charge a first MOS capacitor during a pre-charge period, and to boost a voltage of a connection node to a first output voltage during a boosting operation period, and a second boosting unit configured to receive the pre-charge voltage and electrically charge a second MOS capacitor during the pre-charge period, and to receive the first output voltage and boost a voltage of an output node to a second output voltage during the boosting operation period. Here, the pre-charge voltage is applied to electrically charge a parasitic capacitor during a parasitic capacitor charging period between the pre-charge period and the boosting operation period.
US08213235B2
A nonvolatile memory device, including an X decoder coupling global lines to respective word lines to which memory cells are coupled, a voltage supply unit comprising voltage selection circuits corresponding to the respective global lines and configured to generate operating voltages, wherein each of the voltage selection circuits latches control signals, each determined according to a corresponding line enable signal and a corresponding voltage control signal, and selects and supplies one of the operating voltages in response to the control signals, and a control unit supplying a number of the line enable signals and a number of the voltage control signals to the voltage supply unit.
US08213233B2
Methods for reducing quick charge loss effects, methods for programming, memory devices, memory devices, and memory systems are disclosed. In one such method, a programming pulse is applied to the word line to increase the threshold voltage of the memory cells being programmed. A negative voltage pulse is applied to the word line after the programming pulse to force any electrons trapped in the tunnel oxide of memory cells being programmed back into the tunnel region. After the negative pulse, a program verify operation is performed.
US08213230B2
A nonvolatile memory device includes a plurality of memory blocks, a plurality of erasure detection units provided at the plurality of memory blocks, respectively, and configured to each detect erasure of the respective memory blocks, and a control unit configured to determine that a memory block is a bad memory block when a number of erasure operations performed on the memory block as detected by the respective erasure detection unit is greater than a reference value.
US08213221B2
Techniques and device designs associated with devices having magnetically shielded magnetic or magnetoresistive tunnel junctions (MTJs) and spin valves that are configured to operate based on spin-transfer torque switching.
US08213208B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of memory chips each including a chip identification (ID) generation circuit. The chip ID generation circuits of the respective memory chips are operatively connected together in a cascade configuration, and the chip ID generation circuits are activated in response to application of a power supply voltage the memory device to sequentially generate respective chip ID numbers of the plurality of device chips.
US08213200B2
In a switching power supply apparatus, multiplier 9 multiplies error voltage Verr generated in voltage error amplifier 8 and input voltage Vin to generate first threshold signal Vth1 in-phase with and similar to input voltage Vin and having an amplitude proportional to error voltage Verr. Second threshold signal generator circuit 14 generates second threshold signal Vth2 from first threshold signal Vth1. Switching device 7 is turned on and off so that the inductor current may change between first and second threshold signals Vth1 and Vth2. The switching frequency is detected and the proportional factor of first and second threshold signals Vth1 and Vth2 is changed to control the average switching frequency almost at a constant value for reducing the high frequency noises and the switching losses. The switching power supply apparatus facilitates reducing the noises and losses, improving the power factor thereof, and preventing the response performances thereof from being impaired.
US08213199B2
Power from the dc outputs of wind-generated power collection nodes is converted to ac power of suitable quality for injection into an electric power grid. Conversion is accomplished by current regulation of the dc outputs of the wind-generated power collection nodes to the input of each one of multiple inverters in a system, with each inverter outputting multiple phase currents that are out of phase with the multiple phase currents outputted from all other inverters in the system. The multiple phase currents from all of the inverters in a system are connected to the secondary windings of a phase transformation network that produces a three phase current output having a step-shaped waveform for injection into the electric power grid. Alternatively the dc input to each one of the multiple inverters may be a combination of the dc outputs of wind-generated power collection nodes and the dc outputs of solar photovoltaic power collection nodes.
US08213198B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a medium voltage drive system having multiple power cells each to couple between a transformer and a load. A first subset of the power cells are configured to provide power to the load and to perform partial regeneration from the load, and a second subset of the power cells are configured to provide power to the load but not perform partial regeneration. A controller may be included in the system to simultaneously control a DC bus voltage of at least one of the first subset of the power cells, correct a power factor of the system, and provide harmonic current compensation for the system.
US08213187B2
A power supply control circuit for use in a power supply is disclosed. An example power supply control circuit includes a power switch coupled between first and second terminals. The first terminal is to be coupled to a positive input supply rail of the power supply. The second terminal is to be coupled to an energy transfer element input of the power supply. A sampling circuit is coupled to a third terminal. The sampling circuit coupled to sample a signal across the energy transfer element input of the power supply during an off time of the power switch to provide a sampled output of the power supply. The sampled output of the power supply is disabled from being be resampled by the sampling circuit during an on time of the power switch. A control circuit coupled to the sampling circuit and the power switch, the control circuit coupled to switch the power switch in response to the sampled output of the power supply.
US08213170B2
According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a housing including a palmrest, and a honeycomb-shaped rib on an inner surface of the palmrest.
US08213155B2
There is provided a multilayer chip capacitor a multilayer chip capacitor including: a capacitor body including first and second capacitor units arranged therein; and first to fourth outer electrodes, wherein the first capacitor unit includes first and second inner electrodes, and the first capacitor unit includes a plurality of capacitor elements each having a pair of the first and second inner electrodes repeatedly laminated, the second capacitor unit includes third and fourth inner electrodes, and the second capacitor unit includes at least one capacitor element having a pair of the third and fourth inner electrodes repeatedly laminated, and at least one of the capacitor elements of the first capacitor unit is different from the other capacitor elements of the first capacitor unit in a lamination number of the first and second inner electrodes or a resonant frequency.
US08213151B2
In networked electronic ordnance systems as disclosed herein, a plurality of pyrotechnic devices communicate with a controller along a common bus. In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, at least some of the pyrotechnic devices in the ordnance system are configured such that the address for those devices can be defined during or subsequent to installation of the pyrotechnic devices in an end system. In some instances, a logic device in the pyrotechnic device includes a diagnostics block that initiates a suite of diagnostic tests within the pyrotechnic device in response to a diagnostics command received by the pyrotechnic device. Additionally, in some instances, an additional safety mechanism is added to an energy-reserve capacitor in the pyrotechnic device in compliance with a safe-by-wire standard.
US08213147B2
An over-current protection circuit is disclosed that provides a current limit threshold using resistors in the path of a scaled mirror current of a load current. The protective circuit has a first state that passes a supply source to a device, but when the threshold is reached the circuit becomes a feedback circuit that allows only a set final current to be passed to the device. When the load current reaches the threshold, the mirror current reaches a corresponding threshold that triggers a comparator and circuitry that then limits and fold backs the load current.
US08213146B2
A semiconductor power conversion apparatus capable of protecting an IGBT from an overvoltage by supplying a sufficient gate current to the gate of the IGBT. The IGBT is protected from the overvoltage by connecting clamping elements connected in series between a collector of the IGBT and the gate thereof, and by connecting a resistor to each of different junction points between the clamping elements connected in series.
US08213142B2
An amplifier (e.g., an LNA) with improved ESD protection circuitry is described. In one exemplary design, the amplifier includes a transistor, an inductor, and a clamp circuit. The transistor has a gate coupled to a pad and provides signal amplification for the amplifier. The inductor is coupled to a source of the transistor and provides source degeneration for the transistor. The clamp circuit is coupled between the gate and source of the transistor and provides ESD protection for the transistor. The clamp circuit may include at least one diode coupled between the gate and source of the transistor. The clamp circuit conducts current through the inductor to generate a voltage drop across the inductor when a large voltage pulse is applied to the pad. The gate-to-source voltage (Vgs) of the transistor is reduced by the voltage drop across the inductor, which may improve the reliability of the transistor.
US08213135B2
The present invention relates to a set protection circuit for when a diode short-circuit defect occurs in a power factor correction circuit of a critical conduction mode. In a conventional power factor correction circuit, an excessive amount of current flows to a switch if a diode is short-circuited so that the switch is damaged. In order to prevent damage to the switch, the present invention provides a method for stopping turn-on of the switch when a switch current is excessive.
US08213134B2
Apparatus, system, and method to prevent smoke in a power supply powered by a current limited source
A positive temperature coefficient device is configured in parallel with a bypass switch and implemented at an input to a switching regulation stage of a switching power supply. A monitoring module determines that a voltage across the regulation switch in the switching power supply is below a predefined threshold voltage for greater than a predefined threshold time period. A control module controls operation of the bypass switch. The control module opens the bypass switch in response to the monitoring module determining that the voltage across the regulation switch is below the predefined threshold voltage for greater than the predefined threshold time period such that substantially all of the current entering the switching regulation stage passes through the PTC device. By causing substantially all of the current to pass through the PTC device, the device will enter a high impedance state thereby preventing smoke and smell from occurring.
US08213133B2
A load breaker arrangement includes first and second input terminals, respectively, and first and second output terminals. The arrangement also includes two relays connected in series with one another, wherein the two relays are coupled between the second input terminal and the second output terminal, a semiconductor switch connected in parallel with one of the two relays, and a third relay coupled between the first input terminal and the first output terminal. A control circuit, in a load breaker mode, turns on the semiconductor switch while the two relays and the third relay are closed, then opens the one of the two relays in parallel with the semiconductor switch, then opens the semiconductor switch to break a current between the second input and second output terminals, and then opens the other of the two relays not in parallel with the semiconductor switch and opens the third relay.
US08213125B2
A substrate for mounting a preamp chip thereupon, fabricated using a stiffener layer made of a conductive material; an insulating layer provided over the circuitry area of the substrate; a circuitry made of a conductive material provided over the insulating layer; and a flap which is an extension of the stiffener layer having no insulating layer provided thereupon. The flap is fabricated to fold over the preamp chip to remove heat therefrom.
US08213124B2
A hard disk drive flex cable assembly, for conveying data between a connector to a host system and a head stack assembly, comprises a flex cable, which in part has a first end for coupling to the connector, and a second end for coupling to the head stack assembly; and a stiffener coupled to the second end, wherein the stiffener supports at least one termination pad of the second end on three sides of the termination pad.
US08213117B2
A magnetic head includes a reproducing element for reproducing information recorded on a magnetic recording medium, a recording element for recording information on the magnetic recording medium, and a heating resistor. The magnetic head has a magnetic medium-facing surface on which the reproducing element and the recording element are exposed.The magnetic head is obtained as follows: (1) a protective film is formed to cover the magnetic medium-facing surface; (2) within a case of a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus including the magnetic recording medium, the magnetic medium-facing surface is opposed to a surface of the magnetic recording medium; (3) the heating resistor is allowed to generate heat by power supply while rotating the magnetic recording medium, wherein thermal expansion due to the heat generation causes bulging of the magnetic medium-facing surface, bringing the protective film into contact with the magnetic recording medium; and (4) a portion of the protective film covering at least one of the reproducing element and the recording element is removed by scraping.
US08213115B1
A hard disk drive includes a chassis which supports a “sealed” housing containing a data storage magnetic disk, and read/write heads and actuator. The housing also contains an erasure device which generates a magnetic or other field or emanation for erasing the disk, so that the erasing field or emanation need not penetrate the sealed housing to effectuate erasure. A backup power supply provides power to the erasing device so that erasure can occur even in the absence of external power. A bus- or network-actuated arrangement couples power to the erasure device so that many hard drives may be simultaneously erased.
US08213108B2
To provide a plurality of magazines very closely by saving the space for forming the moving path that is required for allowing a cartridge transporting device to move. A movable magazine that is capable of moving in the lateral direction individually is provided between a first fixed magazine and a second fixed magazine located on both sides. The movable magazine is moved from the position of a cartridge loading/unloading face that corresponds to a cell to which a cartridge as a mount target for a magnetic tape drive is being housed or a cell to which a cartridge that is unmounted from the magnetic tape drive is to be housed so as to form a longitudinal moving path for allowing the cartridge transporting device to move between the magazines neighboring to each other.
US08213105B2
Various embodiments for addressing time-varying periodic disturbances in a servo control system are provided. Each of a plurality of coefficients is updated based on an estimation of at least one disturbance frequency. The updated plurality of coefficients is provided to at least one peak filter modifying an input signal of the servo control system. The peak filter is operable in view of the updated plurality of coefficients to cancel at least one of the time-varying periodic disturbances.
US08213103B2
Systems and methods for synchronizing write signals are disclosed. In one embodiment, a compensation system is implemented within a disk drive that receives a synchronization signal read from a patterned magnetic disk by a read head. The compensation system processes the synchronization signal to compensate for noise sensed by the read head while a write head writes to the disk based on a write signal. The adjustment module is operable to adjust the write signal based on the processed synchronization signal so that the write signal is synchronized to the pattern on the disk.
US08213099B2
A miniature auto-focusing lens device includes a first casing, a second casing coupled to the first casing, a movable lens set disposed in the first casing, an electromagnetic driving module provided in the first casing and configured to drive the movable lens set to perform focusing and displacement, and a fixed lens set coupled to the second casing and corresponding in position to the movable lens set. The movable lens set and the fixed lens set together form an optical system of the miniature auto-focusing lens device to perform optical focusing and imaging. The fixed lens set includes a lens that outstrips any one of the lenses of the movable lens set in size.
US08213092B2
Provided is a zoom lens having high optical performance over the entire zoom range. The zoom lens includes a first lens unit having a negative refractive power, a second lens unit having a positive refractive power, a third lens unit having a negative refractive power, and a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power, which are provided in order from an object side to an image side. During zooming, intervals between the respective lens units change. A focal length (fW) of the entire zoom lens at a wide angle end, a focal length (f3) of the third lens unit, and a movement amount (m2) of the second lens unit during zooming from the wide angle end to a telephoto end are suitably set.
US08213076B2
Novel addressing schemes for controlling electronically addressable displays include a scheme for rear-addressing displays, which allows for in-plane switching of the display material. Other schemes include a rear-addressing scheme which uses a retroreflecting surface to enable greater viewing angle and contrast. Another scheme includes an electrode structure that facilitates manufacture and control of a color display. Another electrode structure facilitates addressing a display using an electrostatic stylus. Methods of using the disclosed electrode structures are also disclosed. Another scheme includes devices combining display materials with silicon transistor addressing structures.
US08213075B2
A multi-state light modulator comprises a first reflector. A first electrode is positioned at a distance from the first reflector. A second reflector is positioned between the first reflector and the first electrode. The second reflector is movable between an undriven position, a first driven position, and a second driven position, each having a corresponding distance from the first reflector. In one embodiment, the three positions correspond to reflecting white light, being non-reflective, and reflecting a selected color of light. Another embodiment is a method of making the light modulator. Another embodiment is a display including the light modulator.
US08213072B1
An electrofluidic display device including a first structure layer and a second structure layer is provided. The first structure layer includes a first substrate. A trench structure layer is disposed on the first substrate and has a trench surrounding an indent groove of a second substrate. A first electrode layer is disposed on the first substrate. A first hydrophobic layer is disposed on the first electrode layer. The second structure layer having the second substrate is located aside the first substrate with a gap. A groove structure layer is disposed on the second substrate. The groove structure has the indent groove surrounded by the trench. A second electrode layer is disposed on the groove structure layer. A second hydrophobic layer is disposed on the second electrode layer. Polar fluid is disposed in the indent groove. Non-polar fluid is disposed in the gap between the first and second substrates.
US08213052B2
A method for adjusting the brightness of objects in a digital image using range information that includes distances of pixels in the scene from a reference location, the method comprising: generating a cluster map based at least upon an analysis of the range information and the digital image, the cluster map grouping pixels of the digital image by their distances from the reference location; detecting a plurality of objects in the digital image based at least upon an analysis of the cluster map and the digital image; determining a brightness adjustment amount for each object; and applying the brightness adjustment amounts to the detected objects to form a modified digital image with adjusted brightnesses.
US08213051B2
A color management workflow for offset printing using custom inks is disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus for color management workflow for transitioning offset printing using custom inks to digital printing includes a color image recording device to measure one or more spot color ramps that correspond to custom ink colors, the color image device operable to determine a matching L*a*b value for the spot color ramps. The apparatus further includes a color characterization module to determine device CMYK matches for each of the L*a*b values for the one or more spot color ramps and create a custom input characterization file based on the device CMYK matches and an International Color Consortium (ICC) profile module to create a new input ICC file and a new output ICC file from the custom input characterization file.
US08213048B2
An information display apparatus includes a touch panel, and a storage/management unit for storing objects input from the touch panel and other information. The storage/management unit includes a memory space (22) for temporarily storing a display object among the input objects, a memory space (24) for temporarily storing a print object, and a memory space (20) for temporarily storing other information (28). In the information display apparatus, at the time of printing, objects (30, 32) to be printed can be selected from input objects (30, 32, 34, 36), by designating a color of the object. The information display apparatus forms print information by combining pieces of information stored in memory spaces (20) and (24).
US08213047B2
An image ordering system includes an order management apparatus and an image providing apparatus. The order management apparatus includes a first image storage section, an order receiving section which receives an order for printout of images, and an order information transmitting section which transmits order information to a contact address associated with ordered images. The image providing apparatus includes a second image storage section, an order information receiving section which receives the order information, an image searching section which searches the images stored in the second image storage section for images related to images indicated by the order information, and an image releasing section which releases the images found as a result of the search upon receiving a release permission.
US08213045B2
An image forming apparatus comprises a scaling correction circuit that corrects scaling in a sub-scanning direction of image data according to scaling data, a screen processing circuit that, of image data whose scaling in the sub-scanning direction has been corrected by the scaling correction circuit, performs screen processing on image data included in a screen area; and an image forming unit that forms an image based on the image data that has been processed by the screen processing circuit. The scaling correction circuit changes the scaling in the sub-scanning direction such that a pixel arrangement of the screen area after the scaling is changed becomes a pixel arrangement of image data before the scaling was changed.
US08213043B2
A printing apparatus includes: a tag information reading/writing unit which reads information from an IC tag attached to or embedded in a predetermined location of a print medium and writes information to the IC tag through wireless communication with the IC tag and which reads layout information, which defines at least a location of a printable area on the print medium, from the IC tag; a record data inputting unit which inputs record data representing contents recorded on the print medium; and a printing control unit which performs a printing process on the print medium on the basis of print target data in which a print location of the contents represented by the record data is determined on the basis of the layout information and which updates the layout information on the basis of information directly or indirectly representing a printed area in the print medium subjected to the printing process and allows the tag information reading/writing unit to write the layout information subjected to the updating process to the IC tag.
US08213038B2
Providing access to an application is provided. An operating system is identified on a client in response to receiving a request for access to the application from the client. An appropriate version of the application for the client is selected in response to identifying the operating system. The files required on the client are sent for execution of the appropriate version of the application to the client. A billing process is initiated to identify an amount time during which the appropriate version of the application is used on the client.
US08213033B2
A common driver application device and method. A first communication unit provides a communication interface with a first printing apparatus, a common printer driver unit loads from the first printing apparatus print information including default values for print options and an emulation type that the first printing apparatus supports, and provides a print option setting menu enabling a user to adjust the default values for the print options, if the first communication unit is communicatively connected to the first printing apparatus, and a central processing unit controls the common printer driver unit to load the print information from the first printing apparatus, if the first communication unit is connected to the first printing apparatus. Thus, one common printer driver to drive plural printers connected to a computer can be provided.
US08213030B2
An image-forming apparatus includes a reception unit adapted to receive setting information that defines designation of a storage area and a process to be executed, a setting unit adapted to set the process to be executed for the designated storage area based on analysis of the setting information, an access right setting unit adapted to set an access right to access the second data, a managing unit adapted to manage the designated storage area and the second data with the set access right in association with each other, and an execution unit adapted to execute the process set in the storage area for the submitted first data and the second data that is associated with the storage area and has the set access right.
US08213022B1
Methods, devices and systems of an optical sensor for spatially smart 3-D object measurements using variable focal length lenses to target both specular and diffuse objects by matching transverse dimensions of the sampling optical beam to the transverse size of the flat target for given axial target distance for instantaneous spatial mapping of flat target, zone. The sensor allows volumetric data compressed remote sensing of object transverse dimensions including cross-sectional size, motion transverse displacement, inter-objects transverse gap distance, 3-D animation data acquisition, laser-based 3-D machining, and 3-D inspection and testing. An embodiment provides a 2-D optical display using 2-D laser scanning and 3-D beamforming optics engaged with sensor optics to measure distance of display screen from the laser source and scanning optics by adjusting its focus to produce the smallest focused beam spot on the display screen. With known screen distance, the angular scan range for the scan mirrors can be computed to generate the number of scanned spots in the 2-D display.
US08213012B2
The present subject matter relates to methods of high-speed analysis of product samples. Light is directed to a portion of a product under analysis and reflected from or transmitted through the product toward an optical detector. Signals for the detector are compared with reference signals based on a portion of the illuminating light passing through a reference element to determine characteristics of the product under analysis. Temperature within the analysis system is monitored and the output signals of the optical detectors are compensated or corrections are made within the analysis calculations to compensate or correct for the system temperature. The products under analysis may be stationary, moved by an inspection point by conveyor or other means, or may be contained within a container, the container including a window portion through which the product illuminating light may pass.
US08213006B2
The present subject matter relates to methods of high-speed analysis of product samples. Light is directed to a portion of a product under analysis and reflected from or transmitted through the product toward a plurality of optical detectors. Signals from the detectors are compared with a reference signal based on a portion of the illuminating light passing through a reference element to determine characteristics of the product under analysis. The products under analysis may be stationary, moved by an inspection point by conveyor or other means, or may be contained within a container, the container including a window portion through which the product illuminating light may pass.
US08212998B2
A device (1) for the determination of distance by means of light pulses is disclosed. The device (1) comprises a light source (2) for emitting light pulses with a specified frequency, a detector (8) for receiving the light pulses emitted and reflected by the light source, and a controller (4) which is in communication with the light source (2) and the detector (8) and which can control said light source and detector by means of signals. The device (1) further comprises at least two timers (Z1, Z2, Z3) which are connected to the controller (4) and the detector (8). Said controller (4) is designed in such a way that when a light pulse is emitted by the light source (2), the controller (4) generates a start signal which triggers the time measurement by each one of the at least two timers, in order, and beginning again from the start. The detector (8) is designed in such a way that upon receiving a reflected light pulse, said detector (8) generates a stop signal which is forwarded to the at least two timers (Z1, Z2, Z3) and which stops the time measurement by the timer of the at least two timers, to which at that instant a measuring window is assigned by the controller (4). The device can preferably be designed as a fiber-optic scanner. In addition, a method for the determination of distance by means of light pulses is disclosed.
US08212997B1
A chromatic confocal point sensor optical pen comprises a multi-stage optical configuration providing an enhanced range-to-resolution ratio. The optical configuration comprises at least first and last axially dispersive focusing elements that combine to contribute to the overall axial chromatic dispersion of the optical pen. The first focusing element receives source radiation and focuses that radiation at a first focal region internal to the multi-stage optical configuration and the last focusing element receives radiation from a last focal region internal to the multi-stage optical configuration and outputs the measurement beam. Intermediate focusing elements may provide additional focal regions internal to the multi-stage optical configuration. This configuration provides an unprecedented combination of extended sensing range, compact lens diameter, and high numerical aperture. The focusing elements may comprise refractive lenses or diffractive optical elements.
US08212990B2
An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate to radiant energy comprises a controller configured to determine a shot layout based on data representing a surface shape of the substrate, and an exposure unit configured to expose the substrate to the radiant energy in accordance with the shot layout determined by the controller.
US08212989B2
The invention concerns a device for transferring structures which are provided in a mask onto a substrate, with at least one illumination device, for homogeneous illumination of a section of the mask, and with a mask holding device, for holding a mask in a mask plane which is defined by an X axis and a Y axis which is perpendicular to it, and with at least one lens device, which is arranged on the side of the mask plane facing away from the illumination device, for mapping the structures onto the substrate, and with a substrate holding device, for holding the substrate in a substrate plane which is parallel to the mask plane and at a distance from the lens device, and with means for synchronous movement of the illumination device and lens device in parallel, relative to the mask plane and substrate plane, along the X axis and/or along the Y axis.
US08212987B2
A liquid crystal display device having an improved aperture ratio and the manufacturing method thereof are provided. The liquid crystal display device has a storage capacitor with two patterned transparent conductive layers serving as two electrodes. Therefore the storage capacitor is pervious to light and the transparent area of the display device is enlarged so as to improve the aperture ratio.
US08212974B2
Disclosed is a dye-containing blue color composition for color filter, including a triarylmethane-based dye having a structure represented by the following formula (1): wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 and R6 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms which may have a substituent, a phenyl group which may have a substituent or a benzyl group which may have a substituent, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, R13, R14, R15, R16, R17, R18, R19 and R20 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms which may have a substituent or a halogen atom and X represents a tristrifluoromethanesulfonylmethide anion.
US08212969B2
Provided are a method and apparatus for manufacturing a display device, which can ensure precise alignment and attachment of a lenticular sheet onto a display panel. The method includes sequentially stacking a display panel and a lenticular sheet on a stage, irradiating light that is incident in parallel toward the display panel and the lenticular sheet from below the display panel, detecting the light that has passed through the display panel and the lenticular sheet, and determining an axial direction of a columnar lens formed on the lenticular sheet.
US08212961B2
A first printed circuit board is disposed on a first side of the cover. A second printed circuit board is disposed on a second side of the cover. A first connector and a second connector are disposed on the first and second printed circuit boards, respectively. A through hole is formed in a region of the cover that corresponds to the first connector. The first and second connectors are electrically connected to each other through the through hole.
US08212956B2
An electro-optic device includes an electro-optic panel and a mounting case. The mounting case includes a frame, a first cover member and a second cover member. The second cover member has an elastic portion for pressing the electro-optic panel against the first cover member.
US08212952B2
A liquid crystal display panel capable of reducing a capacitance of a parasitic capacitor between a data line and a pixel electrode. The liquid crystal display panel comprises: a thin film transistor at a crossing of a gate line and a data line, liquid crystal cells including a pixel electrode connected to the thin film transistor; first shield patterns in the liquid crystal cells, each shield pattern being parallel to the data line without overlapping the data line, wherein the shield patterns are insulated from and overlap with an outer portion of the pixel electrode; and a common line arrayed to connect the shield patterns for each the liquid crystal cell.
US08212944B2
A method of fast stream switching including receiving at least one first stream at a device corresponding to at least one first program, wherein the device employs dynamic power management and is operating at a first power level; activating a selection panel; receiving a plurality of streams corresponding to a plurality of programs; and adjusting to a second power level. After a stream is selected, the non-selected streams may be deactivated and the device may return to the first power level.
US08212942B2
A digital front-end architecture for television receivers with sigma-delta ADC input. An input digital signal is fed to the architecture and the gain is controlled by a gain stage. In the first method, the gain stage is controlled by a first AGC. Here, the gain is increased if the first threshold value is larger than the magnitude of a complex phase-locked loop (CPLL) output, and the gain is decreased if the first threshold value is lower than the magnitude of the CPLL output. In the second method, the gain is controlled through a second AGC. The gain is controlled by increasing the gain if the second threshold value is larger than a line peak of the moving average filter output, and the gain is decreased if the second threshold value is lower than the peak. The second threshold value and the peak are compared in a peak search block.
US08212940B2
A hybrid architecture of a television (TV) receiving system is disclosed. The architecture includes two portions, a hardware portion and a software portion. The hardware portion includes a minimum amount of hardware to achieve operations of receiving a RF signal, producing an IF signal and outputting data representing the IP signal. The software portion, taking advantage of available computing power (e.g., high-speed microprocessor and a lot of memory) in a computing device and executed therein, includes one or more demodulators, all implemented in software. Each of the demodulators is implemented in accordance with one type of TV standard. Thus depending on the received data, a corresponding demodulator is activated to demodulate the received data and subsequently produces audio and video data. One of the advantages, benefits and objects in the present invention is to have a band of software-based demodulators, any of which may be updated or expanded whenever there is a new TV standard or modification to an existing standard.
US08212937B2
According to one embodiment, a video processing apparatus includes a histogram generator, a determination module and a sharpening processor. The histogram generator generates a histogram based on a luminance level of pixels of a video signal. The determination module determines whether the video signal is a captured video based on the histogram. The sharpening processor sharpens the video signal based on an imaging model function in which a blur due to imaging is not considered, if the video signal is not the captured video.
US08212920B2
A method of image processing for conversion of an image in a sequence of images comprises the steps of associating pixels of an image with respective motion values indicative of a degree of inter-image motion for each pixel; adjusting the motion value of each pixel based upon the motion value of a secondary pixel found within a first region of a first predetermined size substantially centered upon each respective pixel, said secondary pixel being that whose associated motion value is indicative of the greatest motion of any pixel in the first region; adjusting the motion value of each pixel based upon the motion value of a secondary pixel that lies within a second region of a second predetermined size substantially centered upon each respective pixel, said secondary pixel being that whose associated motion value is indicative of the least motion of any pixel in the second region; categorizing each pixel as a static pixel or a motion pixel according to its respective associated motion value, and then selecting respectively either a first conversion process or a second conversion process for a pixel dependant upon whether that pixel is categorized as a static pixel or a motion pixel.
US08212919B2
An image processing apparatus includes: a field forming unit configured to subject 3-2 pulldown materials to 3-2 pulldown to form field images in normal reproduction, and to add flag information to the field images, the flag information necessary to generate frame images from field images; and a generating unit configured to generate frame images from the formed field images based on the flag information, wherein in a special reproduction other than the normal reproduction, according to its reproduction form, the field forming unit forms a predetermined field image from the material, and adds flag information to the formed field images, the flag information that has to be added to a field image possibly formed by subjecting the material corresponding to the field image to 3-2 pulldown, and the generating unit generates a frame image from the field image based on the flag information added to the field image.
US08212918B2
An image pickup apparatus includes a controlling unit moving an electronic front curtain in a simulated manner from an exposure start position towards an exposure end position by successively performing reset operations on a plurality of pixels in an image pickup element in a predetermined direction; a rear curtain that moves from the exposure start position towards the exposure end position by a biasing force of a biasing unit; and a storage unit storing data indicating a change in movement characteristics of the rear curtain with time. On the basis of the data, the controlling unit changes movement characteristics of the electronic front curtain in accordance with the change in the movement characteristics of the rear curtain with the time.
US08212917B2
An imaging apparatus includes an image pickup device that includes a first pixel group configured to photoelectrically convert an object image formed by a luminous flux from an imaging optical system, and a second pixel group which includes a plurality of pixels configured to photoelectrically convert a split pair of the luminous flux from the imaging optical system and a detecting unit configured to implement a first detection control that changes an imaging state of the image pickup device while detecting a contrast of the object image based on an output of the second pixel group, and then a second detection control that changes the imaging state of the image pickup device while detecting the contrast of the object image based on an output of the first pixel group.
US08212911B2
An imaging apparatus includes an imaging section converting an image into image data, an image classifying section classifying the image data, and a display section for displaying information regarding a recommended image as a shooting object based on a classification result by the image classifying section. Further, a server having a shooting assist function receives image data from an imaging apparatus that has an imaging section converting an image into the image data and includes a scene determining section classifying the received image data and determining whether a typical image has been taken repeatedly, a guide information section outputting information regarding a recommended image as a shooting object based on a determination result by the scene determining section, and a communication section outputting the information to the imaging apparatus.
US08212910B2
An information processing apparatus includes a processing unit configured to execute a predetermined process, an acquisition unit configured to acquire a progress situation of the predetermined process executed by the processing unit, and a display control unit configured to display a progress situation display area for indicating the progress situation of the predetermined process on an area which lies along a plurality of adjacent sides of the display area on a display apparatus, and control a display state of the progress situation display area based on the progress situation acquired by the acquisition unit so that the display state changes from a state indicating that processing is yet to be performed to a state indicating that processing has been performed, progressively from one end to another end of the progress situation display area at a different rate based on a length of the sides along which the progress situation display area lies.
US08212906B2
An imaging device having pixels that store charge from a photosensor under at least one storage gate during a sampling period. A driver used to operate the at least one storage gate, estimates how much charge in the pixel exceeds a predetermined limit during a non-destructive pixel sensing operation. A specific voltage is stored on the pixel's floating diffusion region to flag how many times the pixel exceeded the limit. The final pixel signal and the stored information is readout at the end of integration period to create a sum that represents the pixel's final signal value.
US08212895B2
The present invention provides a technique capable of generating an image having a portrait effect without complicating a configuration of a digital camera system. An image capturing apparatus has an optical system including a zoom lens, a correction lens, and a focus lens; and an image sensor for converting subject light which is incident via the optical system into an electric signal. The image capturing apparatus captures a blurred image in which a blurring is generally caused intentionally by changing a relative positional relation between any one of the zoom lens, the correction lens, and the focus lens and the image sensor, and also captures a normal image in which a blurring is not caused intentionally. An image processing apparatus combines the normal image and the blurred image, thereby generating a composite image having a no-blurring area in which a blurring is not intentionally caused and a blurred area in which a blurring is intentionally caused.
US08212880B2
An image stabilization system includes an optical assembly configured to receive electromagnetic radiation emitted by a target and produce focused image of the target; a focal plane array, the focal plane array being configured to receive the image and integrate at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation making up the image to produce an electrical representation of the image; sensors configured to provide kinematic data; a control system receiving the kinematic data and estimating jitter-induced motion of the image on the focal plane and outputting a control signal; and actuators configured to receive the control signal and to translate the focal plane along two orthogonal axes and rotate the focal plane about a third orthogonal axis such that jitter-induced motion of the image on the focal plane is reduced.
US08212879B2
An internal CPU, a vibration control equalizer for processing an output signal of a vibration detector for detecting vibration of an imaging apparatus and calculating a vibration signal for determining a driving amount for an optical component on the basis of vibration of the imaging apparatus, a position control equalizer for calculating a position signal for determining a driving amount for the optical component on the basis of position of the optical component, and a control switching section for switching between the internal CPU and an external control circuit for the imaging apparatus for control of the vibration control equalizer and the position control equalizer.
US08212875B2
An interface and display of video from multiple fixed-position cameras is provided. A main video stream captured by a camera is selected to be the main video stream and is displayed to the interface. Video streams captured by the set of cameras and the main camera that are temporally related to the displayed main video stream are selected, including playback positions from one or more of a first segment of time in each of their respective video streams at the time of the main video stream, a second segment of time in each of their respective video streams prior to the time of the main video stream, and a third segment of time in each of their respective video streams after the time of the main video stream. The selected video streams are displayed to the interface in temporal relation to the display of the main video stream.
US08212873B2
A security camera and an image, within the camera's field of view, of a test pattern, containing color elements and grayscale elements having know predetermined spectrophotometrical values and resolution elements. After taking of images at a scene, and when subsequently reproduced accurately the elements will produce electronic signals that are detectable on measuring equipment well-known to the trade, such as vectorscopes and waveform monitors. Adjustments and corrections can then be made to the images of a scene, based on those readings. A method of adjusting and correcting images using the test pattern is also disclosed.
US08212862B2
An endoscope system of the present invention has an endoscope which acquires a direct-view field of view image and a side-view field of view image of an object to be observed, a light source apparatus which supplies an illuminating light for illuminating the object to be observed, a detection section which detects a change of a physical quantity with respect to movement of an insertion section provided at the endoscope, which occurs due to an operation of the endoscope, an image processing unit which generates and outputs a video signal including the direct-view field of view image and the side-view field of view image in a same screen, and a light adjustment area selection section which detects a brightness of the direct-view field of view image and a brightness of the side-view field of view image individually, selects a field of view image corresponding to a moving direction in which the change of the physical quantity increases out of the direct-view field of view image and the side-view field of view image as a light adjustment target based on a detection result of the detection section, and performs control so as to make a luminance of the field of view image selected as the light adjustment target relatively higher than a luminance of the other field of view image.
US08212861B2
A medical apparatus includes: an image pickup apparatus introduced and retained in a body; a retaining/fixing section which contacts a body wall in the body, for retaining and fixing the image pickup apparatus at the body wall; plural operation wires operated from an extracorporeal side; and an observation direction control section which changes an observation direction of the image pickup apparatus by operation of the plural wires, and includes: an image pickup apparatus fixing section connected to the operation wires, which contacts an outer surface part of the image pickup apparatus; and a rotary section for supporting the retaining/fixing section and the image pickup apparatus fixing section so as to be separated from each other by a predetermined distance, and allowing the image pickup apparatus fixing section to rotate with respect to the retaining/fixing section with a rotation center as a fulcrum, based on operation of the plural operation wires.
US08212857B2
An interactive display in which alternating illuminators are used to reduce or cancel specular reflections. The interactive display includes multiple illuminators and at least one camera placed behind one or more display layers. The interactive display uses a phase management mechanism that controls alternation of phases of the interactive display. When in the first phase, the first illuminator is controlled to dominate over the second illuminator. When in the second phase, the second illuminator is controlled to dominate over the first illuminator. A consolidated image is then formulated using a combination of the first and second images. The consolidated image has reduced or eliminated specular reflections as compared to the first and second images alone.
US08212851B2
A portable printer includes: a housing; a platen roller configured to convey a label sheet having a base sheet; a pinch roller configured to rotate following the platen roller via the base sheet; a supporting shaft configured to support the pinch roller; a shaft holder configured to hold the supporting shaft; a removing and inserting section configured to hold the shaft holder to be removable therefrom and insertable thereinto; a pawl section provided in the shaft holder, configured to resiliently hook to the removing and inserting section; a member holding section provided in the housing; and an urging member detachably attachable to the member holding section, nipped by the member holding section and the supporting shaft, and configured to apply pressing force on the platen roller to the pinch roller.
US08212836B2
The color management module includes a first color converter color-converting color information contained in an image signal having been input according to a three-dimensional LUT; an interpolator generating a synthetic image signal by synthesizing an image signal converted by the first color converter and an image signal having been input in an arbitrary ratio; and a second color converter color-converting color information on the synthetic image signal in the HSV space and outputting the color information.
US08212829B2
A computer includes a processing unit; a hard disk drive having a main memory region on and from which processing information used in correspondence to processing procedures of the processing unit is directly written and read; a control unit which communicates with the hard disk drive at high speed, for controlling the writing and reading for the hard disk drive; and a communications bus which connects between the hard disk drive and the control unit so that the hard disk drive and the control unit can communicate with each other at high-speed. Accordingly, there is provided a computer which effectively overcomes the limit on a memory storage capacity, and saves the space of a mainboard and reduces the weight thereof.
US08212828B2
An apparatus including a processor and a memory. The processor may be configured to process pixel data comprising eight or more bits. For pixel data having bit-depths greater than eight bits, a number of most significant bits (MSBs) of a pixel are presented as a first byte and a number of least significant bits (LSBs) of the pixel are packed with LSBs from one or more other pixels into a second byte. The memory may be coupled to the processor and configured to store the first byte in response to a first pointer and the second byte in response to a second pointer. The first byte and the second byte are stored independently in the memory.
US08212825B1
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for more effectively utilizing graphics hardware by allowing the developer to exploit parallelism at the primitive-level. In this technique, an algorithm is analyzed to break the total work associated with processing one primitive into discrete portions of work. The results of this analysis are used to program a geometry shader group that includes multiple geometry shaders. Upon receiving a single input primitive, the geometry shader group launches multiple parallel threads, one thread in each geometry shader in the group corresponding to each discrete portion of work. As each thread completes, the output of the thread is stored in on-chip GPU memory for processing by the next stage in the graphics pipeline. Since the overall work associated with a given input primitive is distributed across multiple threads, the output of each thread is smaller and, thus, the total memory required to implement the algorithm is reduced.
US08212822B2
A program execution system, has a program execution device which has a controller operated by a user and a display on which images such as characters or players in a game are seen. In order to prevent an incorrect movement of a character on the display when a switching from one scene viewed from one camera viewpoint to another scene viewed from another camera viewpoint without additional steps by the user, the program execution system has a computer-readable and executable program stored on a recorded medium providing a character motion direction step by which, if along the motion of a character on the screen a switching is made from one scene to another, the direction of motion of the character in the second scene is maintained in coordination with the character's motion direction on a map in the first scene at least immediately before the switching.
US08212818B2
Development environments are commonly used to facilitate the development of user interfaces (e.g. windows forms, web forms, etc.). Drawing objects are components that may be used within the development environment to provide visual enhancements to the user interface. An effective method for drawing one or more drawing objects is disclosed herein to draw the drawing objects as windowless shapes within a shape container. The shape container may be configured to participate in a windows message loop (e.g. event handling system), wherein the windowless shapes do not participate in the windows message loop (e.g. lack a windows handle). The shape container listens, for example, within the windows message loop for operations pertaining to windowless shapes, and executes the operations upon the windowless shapes. Computer resources may be efficiently allocated, for example to the graphical user interface during runtime, instead of the windowless shapes consuming resources to participate in the windows message loop.
US08212816B1
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for parallel ray tracing traversal and intersection utilizing a single instruction multiple data (SIMD) processing architecture. In operation, a ray tracing traversal operation is performed utilizing one or more processing elements of the SIMD architecture. Additionally, a ray tracing intersection operation is performed in parallel with the ray tracing traversal operation, utilizing the same one or more processing elements. Furthermore, at least a portion of code utilized for performing the ray tracing traversal operation is the same as at least a portion of code utilized for performing the ray tracing intersection operation.
US08212813B2
The present application generates an image in which a contour line is drawn about a tuned object in a virtual three-dimensional space. A reference width is stored in association with the tuned object. The reference width corresponds to a reference size of the tuned object. The reference size of the tuned object is a size of the tuned object when the tuned object is positioned a predetermined distance from a viewing point of a virtual camera. A line width of the contour line that is drawn about the tuned object is calculated based upon the reference width and a distance that the target object is positioned from the viewing point of the virtual camera.
US08212806B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a method for extending a graphics rendering framework. A rendering application locates a first file that includes a first implementation involving a first graphics material and compares data associated with the first file to data associated with a second file that includes a second implementation involving a second graphics material. The rendering application compares data associated with the first and second files, determines that the first graphics material matches the second graphics material, and determines that the first implementation is different from the second implementation. The data associated with the first file and the data associated with the second file are then combined into a data structure. Advantageously, new graphics materials, and implementations for existing graphics materials, may be created without access to the source code of the original implementation of the graphics materials and may be installed at a later time without re-shipping the entire library of graphics materials and implementations.
US08212803B2
A liquid crystal display and a method of driving the same are provided. The liquid crystal display includes a first source drive IC group outputting a first feedback lock signal in response to one of a power voltage input through a first lock signal input terminal and a lock signal from the timing controller, a second source drive IC group outputting a second feedback lock signal in response to one of the power voltage input through a second lock signal input terminal, the lock signal from the timing controller, and a lock signal transferred from the first source drive IC group, and a comparator that compares the first feedback lock signal with the second feedback lock signal and supplies a comparison result to the timing controller.
US08212791B2
There are included a protection panel main body configured by a transparent plate, a lower electrode sheet laminated onto an upper surface of the protection panel main body, an upper electrode sheet bonded to the lower electrode sheet at peripheral edges thereof with a gap being formed between electrodes, a decorative sheet laminated onto an upper surface of the upper electrode sheet, and an FPC that has an end inserted between the lower electrode sheet and the upper electrode sheet and is connected by thermal compression bonding to output ends of an upper circuit and a lower circuit. Further, the protection panel main body is provided with a thermal compression head inserting space at a portion corresponding to a portion bonded with the FPC by thermal compression so that a thermal compression heater is allowed to be brought closer to the lower electrode sheet.
US08212787B2
A touch panel has a plurality of band-like optically transmissive lower electrodes and upper electrodes formed at predetermined intervals in directions perpendicular to each other on an upper surface of an optically transparent base sheet. A dome-like movable contact is formed from a conductive metal sheet which is mounted under the touch panel. A light guide sheet with a plurality of convex-concave light emitting portions is formed on an optically transparent substrate, which is disposed between the touch panel and the movable contact. Accordingly, uniform illumination can be attained by using only one or two light emitting elements, and it is possible to obtain a movable contact body capable of inexpensive and reliable illumination.
US08212786B2
An image data identifying unit identifies at least two pieces of image data for images displayed in display regions detected by a detecting unit. The at least two pieces of image data includes a first image data firstly identified by the image data identifying unit. An image data selecting unit selects or deselects the at least two pieces of image data identified by the image data identifying unit. A selection data storing unit stores selection data for each of the plurality of pieces of image data read by a reading unit. The selection data indicates whether each of the plurality of pieces of image data is in a selected state or a deselected state by the image data selecting unit. A determining unit determines whether the first image data is in the selected state or the deselected state based on the selection data. The image data selecting unit sets the at least two image data to the selected state when the determining unit determines that the first image data is in the deselected state, and sets the at least two image data to the deselected state when the determining unit determines that the first image data is in the selected state.
US08212784B2
An interactive media display system is provided to display media associated with a selected geographic area based on a gesture input of user. The interactive media display system may include a touch-sensitive display surface configured to display a geographic map and receive a gesture input generated by a user on the touch-sensitive display surface while the geographic map is displayed, the gesture input defining a selected geographic area on the geographic map. The system may further include a controller configured, in response to the gesture input, to filter the media data based on position data to determine a filtered media data collection including media that are associated with the selected geographic area, and to command the touch-sensitive display surface to display the media in the filtered media data collection.
US08212782B2
A user interface technique using a two-dimensional capacitive sensor is provided. An apparatus for sensing movement of multi-touch points includes a capacitance sensing unit sensing two or more touch points, and sensing capacitance and a change in capacitance on the basis of the sensed touch points, a movement analyzing unit sensing and analyzing a change of movement of the two or more touch points using information on the sensed capacitance and change in capacitance, and a command processing unit processing a command corresponding to the change in movement according to a result of the analysis.
US08212780B2
The present invention relates to a game apparatus for changing a display state of an image by displaying a marker on a display screen covered with a touch panel and moving the marker while pressing the marker. The game apparatus divides the touch panel into a plurality of areas, detects the coordinate value of the marker on the display screen covered with the touch panel, and continuously changes the display state of the image based on the parameter set for the area in which the marker is located, in accordance with the movement of the marker.
US08212774B2
An input device for inputting commands to a host computer includes a base. An upper housing defines a plurality of control buttons for inputting commands to the computer. The base and upper housing are movably coupled to each other to enable the mouse to be placed in a collapsed position and a raised position. A release button is configured to actuate and facilitate raising of the mouse from the collapsed position to the raised position, the raised position placing the mouse a suitable state for inputting commands to the computer using the control buttons.
US08212772B2
An interface device and method providing haptic sensations to a user. A user physically contacts a housing of the interface device, and a sensor device detects the manipulation of the interface device by the user. An actuator assembly includes an actuator that provides output forces to the user as haptic sensations. In one embodiment, the actuator outputs a rotary force, and a flexure coupled to the actuator moves an inertial mass and/or a contact member. The flexure can be a unitary member that includes flex joints allowing a portion of the flexure to be linearly moved. The flexure can converts rotary force output by the actuator to linear motion, where the linear motion causes a force that is transmitted to the user. In another embodiment, the actuator outputs a force, and a mechanism coupling the actuator to the device housing uses the force to move the actuator with respect to the device housing. The actuator acts as an inertial mass when in motion to provide an inertial force that can be transmitted to the user. The mechanism can be a flexure including at least one flex joint or a mechanism with bearings.
US08212771B1
A computer mouse with an integral attached mouse pad is herein disclosed. The top portion of the mouse moves conventionally while the base is equipped with sliding X-Y access plates having a protruding analog stick. The bottom surface of the base plate comprises a non-slip material. The top portion has both left and right mouse buttons as found on a conventional mouse. In use, the top portion of the device slides in relation to the base generating higher resolution computer cursor movements. This device is ideal for use on desktops with crowded spaces or for with notebook computers.
US08212767B2
An input device has a circular arc resistive layer and a metal plate as a conductive layer that is faced to the circular arc resistive layer, and can detect a position operated by partial contact between them. The input device has an element unit where a linear insulating layer as a contact preventing unit for preventing both ends of the circular arc resistive layer from simultaneously coming into contact with the metal plate during operation is disposed on one end of the circular arc resistive layer.
US08212759B2
A timing controller for an LCD panel includes a signal receiver, a data reader, a signal receiver, a logic control unit, and a data conversion unit. The signal receiver receives transmitted signals, and the data reader acquires data from the signal receiver. The logic control unit receives the data acquired by the data reader to generate pixel data, and the data conversion unit receives the pixel data and converts them into serial signals. The timing controller converts the pixel data and the control commands into serial signals, and then they are transmitted in serial to each of the source driver chips.
US08212757B2
A source driver includes an amplifier, and the amplifier includes an input stage, an output stage, a first current source, a second current source, a third current source, and a switch module. The first current source is utilized to provide a first bias current to the input stage, the second current source is utilized to provide a second bias current to the output stage, and the third current source is utilized to provide a third bias current. The switch module is utilized for selectively connecting the third current source to the input stage or the output stage.
US08212754B2
A grayscale voltage generating circuit includes a first constant-voltage source for generating a high potential; a second constant-voltage source for generating a low potential; γ resistor connected between outputs of the first and second constant-voltage sources; a difference voltage detecting circuit for detecting a difference voltage across the γ resistor; and a voltage-to-current converting circuit for converting the difference voltage to a current by a resistor and outputting the current as a source current and a sink current. The source current output and sink current output of the voltage-to-current converting circuit are connected to the high and low potential sides, respectively, of the γ resistor.
US08212753B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a pixel defined by at least four sub-pixels. The sub-pixels include at least one sub-pixel belonging to a first group and at least one sub-pixel belonging to a second group, the sub-pixel of the second group being different from that of the first group. The luminances of the sub-pixels are set such that if the colors represented by the pixel change from black into white while being kept achromatic, the first group of sub-pixel starts to increase in luminance first, and the second group of sub-pixel starts to increase in luminance when the luminance of the first group of sub-pixel reaches a predetermined value.
US08212751B2
The present invention relates to a flat panel display device that is adaptive for preventing a brightness inversion phenomenon generated when the data modulated before are re-modulated in a multi-modulation method where data are modulated several times, and a data multi-modulation method thereof. The flat panel display device includes a first modulator which primarily modulates digital video data, which are to be displayed in a flat panel display panel, with pre-stored first compensation values in order to adjust at least any one of a response characteristic and a contrast ratio of the flat panel display panel. The flat panel display device further includes a second modulator which secondarily modulates the digital video data, which are to be displayed at a defect display area of which the brightness appears different from that of a normal display surface when displaying the same gray level in the flat panel display panel, with pre-stored second compensation values.
US08212750B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a display device in which a reverse current sufficient enough to insulate a short-circuited point flows and a transistor using amorphous silicon is used is applied. The display device includes a switching transistor that controls an input of a video signal, a driving transistor that controls a current flowing in a forward direction to a light emitting element, and an AC transistor that controls a current flowing in a reverse direction to the light emitting element; and a reverse bias current can be applied to the light emitting element. Furthermore, the above-described transistors are N-channel transistors.
US08212738B2
A dielectrically-loaded helical antenna has a cylindrical ceramic core bearing metallised helical antenna elements which are coupled to a coaxial feeder structure passing axially through the core. Secured to the end face of the core is an impedance matching section in the form of a laminate board. The matching section embodies a shunt capacitance and a series inductance.
US08212732B2
The present invention relates to a dual polarized array antenna comprising at least two dual polarized antenna elements being arranged for radiating electromagnetic energy having a first polarization, constituting a first antenna radiation pattern, via a connection to a first antenna port, and electromagnetic energy having a second polarization, constituting a second antenna radiation pattern, via a connection to a second antenna port, the second polarization being orthogonal to the first polarization, the first antenna radiation pattern and second antenna radiation pattern each having a main beam and a number of side-lobes with nulls. The array antenna comprises at least one further dual polarized antenna element arranged for radiating electromagnetic energy having two mutually orthogonal polarizations, constituting further antenna radiation patterns, via respective connections to the first antenna port and the second antenna port, where the polarization of said at least one further dual polarized antenna element that is associated with the first antenna port deviates from the first polarization such that said at least one null of the first antenna pattern is at least partly filled.
US08212731B2
There is provided an antenna device including a substrate, an earth section which is disposed on a portion of the substrate, a feed point which is disposed on the substrate, a loading section disposed on the substrate and constructed with a line-shaped conductor pattern which is formed in a longitudinal direction of an elementary body made of a dielectric material, an inductor section which connects one end of the conductor pattern to the earth section, and a feed point which feeds a current to a connection point of the one end of the conductor pattern and the inductor section, wherein a longitudinal direction of the loading section is arranged to be parallel to an edge side of the earth section.
US08212724B2
A position indicating process includes the steps of receiving at least four radio signals emitted by different transmitter stations; determining a channel pulse response of the transmission channel for each of the received radio signals; estimating the direct signal path for each of the received radio signals based on the respectively determined channel pulse response; and determining the receiving position of the radio signals by evaluating the estimated direct signal paths of the received radio signals.
US08212723B2
Systems and methods for determining a direction and range, at a predetermined level of granularity, for a transmitting device in a communications system are presented. Determinations, based on indicia related to the signal conditions, information contained in the received signals, and/or inferences surrounding the transmission conditions can be employed in identifying a transmitter, determining the range and direction of a transmitter and/or identifying a relative location of a transmitter without relaying, retransmitting, and/or conveying the transmitted and received signal across a supporting communications network. These determinations can be formed centrally at the transmitting or receiving user equipment or mobile device or formed in a distributed manner between the transmitting and receiving user equipment or mobile devices across a communications system.
US08212716B2
A method for calibrating an antenna comprising a phased array of antenna elements connected to a plurality of transceivers, the method comprising providing an RF source located close to the antenna and synchronized with the transceivers, determining, per antenna element, a calibration ratio adapted to accommodate for presence of at least one interfering structure electromagnetically interfering with a signal transmitted from the RF source and received by the antenna, wherein the determining includes generating simulated far field and near field signals so as to simulate a signal transmitted by an RF source located at infinity and located near the RF source respectively, internally injecting an internal signal into the antenna via an internal injection network, using the RF source to externally inject an external signal into the antenna; and, for each individual antenna element, computing said calibration ratio by combining information characterizing the internal and external signals as received by the individual antenna element with a correction factor characterizing the simulated far field and near field signals; and calibrating the antenna using the per-antenna element calibration ratios adapted to accommodate for presence of at least one interfering structure.
US08212710B2
According to one embodiment, a synthetic aperture radar includes a back projection processor that is configured to receive multiple return signals from the radar as the radar is moved with respect to an object, wherein the return signals are representative of electro-magnetic radiation reflected from the object. The back projection processor generates a dynamic image of one or more internal features of the object from the return signals by varying a squint angle of the plurality of return signals in which the squint angle varied by modifying a back projection filter. Once generated, the back projection processor displays the dynamic image on a display.
US08212707B2
A remote control system is provided. The remote control system includes at least one first remote control apparatus and at least one second remote control apparatus. The at least one first remote control apparatus includes a command input unit, a first control unit, and a first output unit. The at least one second remote control apparatus includes a first user interface unit, a first input unit, a second control unit, and a second output unit.
US08212701B2
Integrated circuit and corresponding method of processing a multitype radio frequency digital signal
An integrated circuit includes input circuitry for receiving a radio frequency digital signal, output circuitry capable of delivering a radio frequency analog signal, and a processing stage coupled between the input circuitry and the output circuitry and including several processing channels in parallel. Each processing channel may include a voltage switching block the input of which is coupled to the input circuitry and a transmission line substantially of the quarter-wave type at the frequency of the radio frequency analog signal coupled in series between the output of the voltage switching block and the output circuitry.
US08212699B1
Examples of a system and method for sigma-delta analog-to-digital conversion of an electrical input signal are disclosed. An electrical input signal is received. A filtered analog signal is provided based on the electrical input signal and an analog feedback signal. A digital representation of the filtered analog signal is provided, the digital representation being one of K quantization levels, wherein K is a positive integer between 2L and 2L+1, L being a positive integer. The analog feedback signal is obtained based on the digital representation.
US08212692B2
A manual pulse generator that includes a main body, a magnification selector, an axis selector, and an input device is disclosed. The input device is disposed on an upper surface of the main body. The input device includes a control chip and a panel with many touch-sensors electronically connected to the control chip. When the touch-sensors are touched, the touch-sensors generate signals to the control chip. The control chip is configured to generate pulse signals according to the signals received from the touch-sensors to control a servo motor of a CNC machine.
US08212683B2
A metric of a system is monitored using a monitoring tool that receives an operation metric and a planned downtime metric that reflects whether the monitored system is currently in a planned downtime, the planned downtime metric received as another one of the multiple metric inputs. The operation metric and the planned downtime metric are combined into a processed operation metric for the monitored system.
US08212682B2
A disinfection system for liquids is provided that features an irradiation chamber for accommodating a liquid to be disinfected. A UV-radiator with a cladding that is transparent to UV-light is arranged in the irradiation chamber such that the UV-radiation emitted by the UV-radiator may penetrate the liquid. A first UV-sensor is arranged in the irradiation chamber such that a first attenuation characteristic with respect to the UV-light emitted by the UV-radiator may be measured with the first UV-sensor, wherein the first attenuation characteristic comprises a first aging characteristic and a first liquid attenuation characteristic. A second UV-sensor is arranged in the irradiation chamber such that a second attenuation characteristic with respect to the UV-light emitted by the UV-radiator may be measured with the second UV-sensor, wherein the second attenuation characteristic comprises a second aging characteristic and a second liquid attenuation characteristic and differs from the first attenuation characteristic.
US08212678B2
With an RFID system for communicating between reading units (R1, R2) and transponders (T1, T2) in at least two different scan areas (S1, S2), wherein at least one reading unit (R1, R2) and at least one antenna (A1-A4, B1-B4) communicating with the reading unit are allocated to each scan area (S1, S2) for the radiation of electromagnetic signals (EA1-EA4, EB1-EB4) in the scan area (S1, S2), the antennas (A1-A4, B1-B4) are designed in such a way that at least one antenna (A1, A3) of a scan area (S1) has a different polarization and/or a different polarization rotation direction relative to at least one antenna (B2, B4) of another scan area (S2).
US08212674B2
In one implementation, a method includes reading first component data from a first tag associated with a first component of a device. The device may be powered on or off. The first component data indicate components associated with the first component at a first time. The method may involve obtaining second component data from a second tag associated with a support structure. The second component data may indicate components disposed in the support structure at a second time. The method may also involve comparing the first component data with the second component data and determining whether the first component data match the second component data.
US08212668B2
The basic invention uses a portable device that can contain a camera, a database, and a text, voice or visual entry to control the storage of an image into a database. Furthermore, the stored image can be associated with text, color, visual or audio. The stored images can be used to guide the user towards a target that the user does not recall its current location. The user's commands can be issued verbally, textually or by scrolling through the target images in the database until the desired one is found. This target can be shoes, pink sneakers, a toy or some comparable items that the user needs to find.
US08212662B2
An automotive display system includes an image projection unit and an angle information acquisition unit. The image projection unit projects a light flux including an image including a display object toward one eye of an image viewer. The angle information acquisition unit acquires at least one of vehicle angle information and external environment angle information. The vehicle angle information relates to an angle of at least one of an attitude and a heading of a vehicle carrying the image viewer. The external environment angle information relates to an angle of a background object at a target position of the display object in a background of an external environment of the vehicle. The image projection unit changes an angle of the display object in the image based on at least one of the vehicle angle information and the external environment angle information acquired by the angle information acquisition unit.
US08212658B2
A container for a product is used with an external device having long-range communication capability and short-range communication capability and location sensing capability. The container has a storage element for storing an access code for a central facility and a container identification code, a first data acquisition component for detecting that the container has been opened, and a second data acquisition component for sensing an identity of a nearby person, the nearby person being a member of a group registered at a central facility, the container identification code not uniquely associated with a member of the group. The container also has a local communication interface for communicating with the external device using the short-range communication capability of the external device, and a processor for producing information and directing the local communication interface to send the information to the external device. The information sent from the container to the external device includes (a) the access code for the central facility, (b) the container identification code, (c) the detection that the container has been opened, (d) the sensed identity of the nearby person, and (e) instructions for the external device to use its location sensing capability to sense its location and to report its sensed location to the central facility. The container may also have a switch for activation by a user to produce an activation signal that is sent from the container to the external device.
US08212654B2
A channel selection method for reading tag information, a channel selection apparatus of an RFID reader applying the same, and an RFID reader. A channel selection apparatus of a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader equipped within a wireless communication portable terminal, includes a channel selection unit which selects a channel to read tag information stored in an RFID tag, and a channel determination unit which, when determining that the selected channel is not used by another RFID reader, determines the selected channel to be a channel to read the tag information. Accordingly, when a plurality of RFID readers reads out the tag information from the RFID tag almost at the same time, the interference among them can be avoided.
US08212646B2
The present invention relates to a fuse assembly for rapid interruption of a prospective fault current. The fuse assembly includes a plurality of splitter plates. A plurality of foil elements extend between a pair of terminals and are physically supported by the splitter plates. A pair of parallel busbars are in series with the foil elements and generate a magnetic field that is substantially perpendicular to the current flowing in the foil elements. In the presence of a prospective fault current, the foil elements will melt and at arcing inception an electromagnetic force developed as a result of interaction between the magnetic field and the arc current will push the molten foil elements into the splitter plates. This increases the arc length and hence the arc voltage. At least the foil elements and the splitter plates are preferably located in flowing liquid dielectric such as MIDEL 7131, for example. The liquid dielectric flow may help to push the molten foil elements into the splitter plates and removes debris away from the arc site.
US08212641B2
An electronic device including a core, at least a wire and a magnetic material is provided. The core includes a pillar, a top board and a bottom board. The pillar is disposed between the top board and the bottom board. An area of the top board is smaller than an area of the bottom board. A winding space is fanned among the top board, the bottom board and the pillar. The wire is winded around the pillar and located in the winding space. The magnetic material fills the winding space to encapsulate the wire. The magnetic material includes a resin and a metallic powder, wherein an average particle diameter of the magnetic powder is smaller than 20 μm.
US08212632B2
FET phase shifter for selectively phase shifting signals between different filtering characteristics
Provided is a phase shifter that shifts a phase of an input signal based on switching between a low-pass filter and a high-pass filter, the phase shifter including: a first field-effect transistor that is coupled between an input terminal and an output terminal; a resonance circuit that resonates when the first field-effect transistor is in an on-state; an additional line that is coupled between the resonance circuit and a node that is included in a signal line, which is formed between the input and output terminals when the first field-effect transistor is in the on-state; and an inductor that is included in a part of the signal line and forms a low-pass filter together with at least the additional line, when the first field-effect transistor is in the on-state.
US08212626B2
A constant-temperature type crystal oscillator includes: a surface-mount crystal unit, in which a crystal element is housed in a case main body to hermetically encapsulate the crystal element with a metal cover, and which includes a crystal terminal serving as a mounting terminal that is electrically connected to at least the crystal element on an outer bottom face of the case main body; a thermistor that detects an operational temperature of the surface-mount crystal unit; and a circuit substrate, on which elements forming an oscillator circuit and elements forming a temperature control circuit along with the thermistor are installed. The thermistor includes a first and second terminal electrode and a temperature detecting electrode that is electrically independent of the first and second terminal electrode. The temperature detecting electrode is electrically connected to the crystal terminal of the surface-mount crystal unit through a circuit pattern formed on the circuit substrate.
US08212620B2
An amplifier device including an amplifier having an input for receiving an audio input signal and an output for sending an output signal to a load. A boosted-rail circuit is connected to a power source and has a single boosted rail connected to the BTL amplifier. Also, a common-mode circuit is coupled to the boosted-rail circuit and the BTL amplifier. The common-mode circuit sends a common-mode signal to the BTL amplifier that will dynamically track the output voltage supplied from the boosted-rail circuit to the BTL amplifier. In operation, the boosted-rail circuit reacts to the BTL amplifier and switches from a non-boost mode to a boost mode to increase the output voltage supplied to the BTL when the BTL amplifier requires additional voltage.
US08212615B2
There is disclosed a variable-gain amplifier circuit that operates on a low voltage, exhibits low distortion, provides a wide range of variation, and is suitable for use in a low-power-consumption wireless communication system. The variable-gain amplifier circuit is configured so that a variable-load circuit, which includes three reactance function elements and provides a wide range of impedance variation, is connected to a conductor circuit whose output terminal generates a positive-phase output current proportional to conductance with respect to an input voltage.
US08212613B1
A switching amplifying method or a switching amplifier for obtaining one or more than one linearly amplified replicas of an input signal, is highly efficient, and does not have the disadvantage of “dead time” problem related to the class D amplifiers. Another aspect of the present invention provides a switching amplifier that is completely off when there is no input signal. Yet another aspect of the present invention provides a switching amplifier for obtaining a plurality of different linearly amplified replicas of the input signal, and adds more slave outputs easily and economically.
US08212610B2
A digital loop filter includes a fine control circuit and a coarse control circuit. The fine control circuit adjusts a phase of a feedback clock signal by a first phase adjustment in response to a first phase error signal that indicates a sign of a phase error between a reference clock signal and the feedback clock signal. The coarse control circuit adjusts the phase of the feedback clock signal by a second phase adjustment in response to a second phase error signal. The second phase adjustment is larger than the first phase adjustment. The second phase error signal indicates a magnitude of a phase error between the reference clock signal and the feedback clock signal.
US08212601B2
A method and apparatus for providing system clock failover using a one-shot circuit are disclosed. A process, in one embodiment, is able to detect a clock failure using a one-shot circuit, wherein the clock signals are generated by a first clock circuit. Upon generating a switching signal in response to the clock failure, a system reset signal is asserted for a predefined time period in accordance with the clock failure. After switching a second clock circuit to replace the first clock circuit, the process is capable of resuming the clock signals via the second clock circuit.
US08212599B2
A signal generating circuit and method are disclosed that do not require a phase-locked-loop and a low frequency temperature-stable oscillator. The method may include generating an oscillating output signal responsive to a feedback signal, where the feedback signal controls a frequency of the oscillating output signal, generating a current output signal having a magnitude corresponding to the frequency of the oscillating output signal, and then comparing the current output signal to a reference signal to generate the feedback signal. The signal generating circuit may include an oscillator circuit responsive to a feedback signal and a frequency-to-current conversion circuit configured to generate a frequency dependent current signal that is compared to a reference current to generate an output signal corresponding to the frequency of the oscillating output signal. A feedback conversion circuit compares the output signal with a reference signal to generate the feedback signal to the oscillator circuit.
US08212593B2
Systems and methods for providing a clock signal are provided. A frequency multiplier circuit is provided that can include a plurality of serially connected delay elements that are configured to generate a plurality of delay tap signals from an input signal. The frequency multiplier circuit can also include a phase detector configured to receive a first selected delay tap signal and the input signal. The phase detector can detect a phase shift between the first selected delay tap signal and the input signal, and can generate a phase detection signal indicative of a value of the phase shift. The frequency multiplier circuit can also include a digital logic gate configured to receive the input signal and a second selected delay tap signal. The digital logic gate can be further configured to generate an output signal responsive to the second selected delay tap signal and the input signal. The frequency multiplier circuit can also include a controller coupled to the phase detector and coupled to an output gate. The controller can be configured to receive the phase detection signal and to enable the output gate when the value of the phase shift corresponds to a predetermined value. The output gate can provide the output signal when enabled.
US08212590B2
A mixed-voltage I/O buffer includes an input buffer circuit. The input buffer circuit includes a first inverter, a first voltage level limiting circuit, a first voltage level pull-up circuit, an input stage circuit, and a logic calibration circuit. The first inverter inverts an input signal to generate a first control signal. The first voltage level limiting circuit limits voltage level of an external signal to generate the input signal transmitted to the first inverter to prevent electrical overstress of the first inverter. The first voltage level pull-up circuit is controlled by the first control signal to pull up voltage level of the input signal inputted into the first inverter. The input stage circuit receives the first control signal to generate corresponding digital signals inputted into a core circuit. The logic calibration circuit calibrates voltage level of the first control signal when the first inverter mis-operates due to the input signal having a low voltage level.
US08212583B2
A system and method is provided for ground testing of a yaw system of a nacelle (3) prior to erection of a wind turbine (1). A portable transformer box (10) is provided which will allow the nacelle preparation team to operate the yaw and hydraulic systems while the nacelle is grounded prior to erection.
US08212578B1
A manipulator system comprising a column unit and a carriage supported by the column unit and configured to move along a desired axis of translation. A marker is provided on the column unit along the axis of translation. A sensor is associated with the carriage and configured to sense a position along the marker. A position display unit is configured to receive a position signal from the sensor and display a current position of the carriage along the axis of translation. In another aspect, the column unit defines at least one slot. A lock assembly is attached to the carriage and includes a tang axially moveable between an unlocked position wherein the tang is disengaged from the at least one slot and a locked position wherein the tang is engaged in the at least one slot.
US08212576B1
Method and apparatus for self-regulated burn-in of an integrated circuit (IC) is described. One embodiment of a method of burn-in for the IC includes: configuring programmable resources of the IC device based on a burn-in pattern to implement a load controller, the load controller having a plurality of heat core circuits. The load controller is initialized with a number of enabled heat core circuits of the plurality of heat core circuits. A junction temperature is measured in the IC device after a measurement period has elapsed. The junction temperature is compared with a set-point temperature. The number of the enabled heat core circuits is increased if the junction temperature is less than the set-point temperature, or the number of the enabled heat core circuits is decreased if the junction temperature is greater than the set-point temperature.
US08212570B1
The invention is a simple amplifier circuit for a current transformer to measure very small AC currents, as required for ground fault detection. The circuit presents a very low impedance to the current transformer output and provides high amplification of the current transformer signal. Concurrently and with no additional components, the inventive circuit supplies a bias current to the current transformer to improve its performance and provides output signals which can be used to detect disconnection of the current transformer or a short circuit between either of the current transformer terminals and ground.
US08212569B1
An ambient electric field detector comprising: a collection mechanism disposed to generate a current signal in response to the ambient electric field; an input current mirror operatively coupled to the collection mechanism and disposed to amplify and duplicate the current signal to generate a duplicate signal; and an odd number (i) of at least three nonlinear, over-damped, bi-stable elements coupled uni-directionally in a ring such that the ring of elements oscillates, wherein at least one of the elements has a different initial state than the other elements and each element is disposed to receive the duplicate signal.
US08212567B2
An instrument disposed into a drill string for imaging an earth formation includes: at least one band antenna disposed over an intermediate layer disposed into a groove in an outer surface of the drill string. A method of fabrication is provided.
