US08220525B2
Disclosed is a method of predicting surface quality of a thin slab hot rolled coil. The method includes calculating the Cu equivalent (Cu eq.) of molten steel, applying the calculated Cu equivalent of the molten steel into an equation: 120×(Cu equivalent)2−6×(Cu equivalent) to calculate a surface crack index, and predicting the generation of surface defect of the thin slab hot rolled coil by the surface crack index. A method of producing the thin slab hot rolled coil using the same is also provided. The surface crack defect of the thin slab hot rolled coil can be predicted by calculating the Cu equivalent of the molten steel, and thus a thin slab which meets the quality standard demanded by a consumer can be provided, and this results in increased productivity and product reliability.
US08220521B2
A device for darkening a cabin window, with a drive shaft (11) for moving a first shading member (6), which is guided in two guide rails (3, 4), for to and fro movement, wherein the drive shaft (11) and the guide rails (3, 4) are combined in a common mounting unit.
US08220520B2
A support assembly is provided for a roller tube that holds sheet material. The support assembly has opposed first and second mounts adapted to support the roller tube when rotatably coupled to the mounts. The mounts can include slides having a slide member that slides within a slide bracket. A support cradle is disposed between the first and second mounts. The support cradle is configured to support the roller tube along a length thereof. Various spring elements can be arranged to apply a force to the roller tube in an upward direction when the roller tube is positioned to dispense material therefrom in a downward direction, thereby preventing the sheet material from telescoping and/or from dragging or binding against the support cradle as it winds and/or unwinds, while also keeping the material from being wound tighter at the ends than across the rest of the roller tube.
US08220517B2
In a breakaway device for a Roman shade a male member has an aperture through which the lift cord passes and a female member through which the lift cord passes, such that the male member and the female member are independently moveable relative to the lift cord. The female member has a cavity sized and configured to receive the male member. Tabs extend from the male member and fit into slots in the female member when the male member is in the cavity. A downward and outward force on the lift cord causes the male member and the female member to separate from one another. An upward force or a downward force on the lift cords will not cause separation.
US08220513B1
The present invention relates to a laminator with changeable rotation speed and heating temperature including a first roller set, a second roller set, a transmission gear set, a speed changing gear set, a first driving device, a second driving device, an input interface, a controller and a heating device. A user selects an option of the input interface according to film thickness. The controller determines rotation speed and heating temperature of the first roller set and the second roller set according to the option. Then the controller controls the second driving device to move the speed changing gear set to alter the engagement between the speed changing gear set and the transmission gear set, as to modulate the rotational speed of the first roller set and the second roller set.
US08220492B2
A faucet device includes a fixing unit having a water supply hole and a locking groove, a valve unit coupled separably to the fixing unit, a positioning unit, and a locking unit. The valve unit is movable between a first position to be connected to the fixing unit, and a second position to be separated from the fixing unit. The valve unit is rotatable relative to the fixing unit so as to be secured to the fixing unit by the positioning unit and to unblock the water supply hole, and is further rotatable reversely so as to be separable from the fixing unit and to block the water supply hole. The locking unit includes a locking component that is biased resiliently to engage the locking groove, and that is moved by the valve unit to be disengaged from the locking groove during movement of the valve unit from the second position to the first position.
US08220491B2
A piezoelectric valve having a housing is provided with an inner chamber, in which ends at least one nozzle communicating with an associated port for a medium and provided with a sealing seat having a seat face, a deformable piezoelectric bending element being received in the inner chamber of the housing in such a way that the nozzle can be closed by a portion of the bending element movable relative to the nozzle in response to deformation of the bending element, and the bending element being provided with padding of an elastically resilient material, at least in its region opposite the nozzle. This sealing seat is disposed at the end face of a nozzle insert, which is disposed to be displaceable substantially perpendicular to the seat face in a receptacle fixed to the housing, a thermally expandable compensating member acting between the receptacle and the associated nozzle insert.
US08220488B2
A combination valve assembly comprises an inner valve nested within an outer valve. The outer valve comprises a housing and a closure, permitting full closure of the valve assembly. The inner valve comprises a housing and a closure, permitting flow control by the inner valve within requiring movement of the outer valve. The housing of the inner valve is keyed to the outer valve closure, so that movement of the outer valve closure rotates the inner valve housing and closure simultaneously.
US08220487B2
A method of fabricating an elastomeric structure, comprising: forming a first elastomeric layer on top of a first micromachined mold, the first micromachined mold having a first raised protrusion which forms a first recess extending along a bottom surface of the first elastomeric layer; forming a second elastomeric layer on top of a second micromachined mold, the second micromachined mold having a second raised protrusion which forms a second recess extending along a bottom surface of the second elastomeric layer; bonding the bottom surface of the second elastomeric layer onto a top surface of the first elastomeric layer such that a control channel forms in the second recess between the first and second elastomeric layers; and positioning the first elastomeric layer on top of a planar substrate such that a flow channel forms in the first recess between the first elastomeric layer and the planar substrate.
US08220480B2
A sanitary fitting has a housing which has a hot-water supply, a cold-water supply and two mixed-water outlets, having a cartridge arranged in the housing and a mixing valve for cold and hot water, arranged between the two mixed-water outlets is a changeover valve which comprises a double valve cone which can be moved from a first position, which releases the first mixed-water outlet, into a second position, which releases the second mixed-water outlet and in which it is held under the pressure of mixed water flowing through the second mixed-water outlet until it returns automatically into the first position once the inflow of water has been switched off. The sanitary fitting has an operating element which can be actuated and is coupled to the actuating member such that actuating member is moved into the second position by virtue of the operating element being pressed.
US08220479B1
A multi-stage pressure regulator in which pressure is first reduced by a set ratio in one or more stages followed by an adjustable pressure output stage. The system of the present invention provides for distribution of the Joules-Thomson (JT) cooling effect between multiple stages. The present invention thereby provides a system to control pressure reduction and thus prevent condensation (and associated distortion of a vapor composition sample) of a gas due to J-T cooling effect.
US08220476B2
A frame structure comprising a plurality of leg members, a plurality of top-corner fittings, a plurality of slide fittings and a plurality of flexible-pole members. Each leg member comprises a first end and a second end. A top-corner fitting is attached to the first end of each leg member. A slide fitting is coupled to each leg member and is adjustably movable along a length of the leg member between the first end and the second end of the leg member. Each flexible-pole member corresponds to a leg member, and each flexible-pole member comprises a first end and a second end. The first end of each flexible-pole member is coupled to a slide fitting, and a second end of each flexible-pole member is coupled to a central hub member. Each flexible-pole member forms an arching shape when the frame structure is in an erect, unfolded position.
US08220467B2
The device relates to methods and devices for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
US08220460B2
A localized pleurodesis evacuation device may be utilized to prevent a pneumothorax by evacuating the air that leaks into the pleural space. The device may also be utilized to create a localized pleurodesis around an access port so that the lung may be safely accessed.
US08220456B2
A system and method for delivering a flow of breathing gas to an airway of a patient. The system monitors a characteristic that varies based on variations of the flow of the breathing gas and determines a Target Flow for the gas to be delivered to the patient based on the monitored characteristic. The Target Flow is set to a level sufficient to treat Cheyne-Stokes respiration or a sleep disordered breathing event. The system also alters the Target Flow based on a determination that the patient is experiencing a sleep disordered breathing event. The system further determines a pressure relief component and controls the flow of gas delivered to the patient based on the Target Flow and the pressure relief component.
US08220455B2
A dispensing device having a storage device and an air pump for dispensing a medical formulation. The storage device has multiple inserts, each insert containing a single dose of the formulation. Each insert is located in a separate and sealed cavity. The cavities can be individually opened for dispensing the respective dose from the respective insert. At least one lifespan blocking device is provided for preventing operating of the dispensing device after a predetermined number of uses corresponding to the number of receptacles.
US08220454B2
An airway device (10) comprising an airway tube (14) and a laryngeal mask (12). The mask has an inflatable cuff (36) which has a tip (38) for insertion, in use, into a patient's oesophagus. The mask further includes a guide member (42) projecting from the tip of the cuff. The guide member carries an inflatable balloon (60) for blocking the patient's oesophagus during use. The guide member helps to position the mask correctly and reduces the risk of pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents during use.
US08220451B2
Projections are located at an inner face of a case member so as to form air passages in first and second directions. A disposable pocket heater and a gel container are set inside the projections and the case member is assembled. Since the air passages in both directions are formed on a whole surface of the disposable pocket heater, oxygen is supplied to the whole disposable pocket heater and the whole gelling agents in the gel container is heated to almost uniform temperature.
US08220441B2
A fuel state control unit for use with internal combustion engines can include a primary heating chamber, a secondary heating chamber, and an expansion chamber. The primary heating chamber has a fuel conduit through which fuel is conveyed. A heater in the primary heating chamber transmits heat to the conveyed fuel in the primary heating chamber. The heater is controlled to maintain a predetermined temperature of the fuel. The heated fuel from the conduit is conveyed into a secondary heating chamber. A pressure plate separates the secondary heating chamber from the expansion chamber. The ports of the pressure plate can regulate the flow of the fuel into the expansion chamber. The heated fuel in the expansion chamber can then be conveyed to an engine so as to increase engine efficiency and reduce the amount of pollutant gases in the engine exhaust.
US08220424B2
In a method for operating an electrohydraulic valve control system of an internal combustion engine, the electrohydraulic valve control system comprising at least one gas exchange valve actuator and a gas exchange valve, which is hydraulically actuated by it, an actuation characteristic is acquired during the operation of the internal combustion engine while the gas exchange valve is being actuated and is compared with a reference actuation characteristic, which describes a nominal characteristic of the gas exchange valve actuator.
US08220410B2
A resin layer formation method, resin layer formation device, disk and disk manufacturing method for making a resin layer uniform on a substrate before lamination or on a substrate to be coated by a simple procedure are provided. Adhesive A is coated at the inner circumference side while rotating a substrate P at low speed, a first adhesive layer AL1 is formed on the surface of the substrate P by rotating the substrate P at high speed, a step difference section H is formed around a rotation center of the substrate P by irradiating ultraviolet on an area in the inner circumference side of the first adhesive layer AL1 and hardening the area, the adhesive A is coated at the rotation center side from the step difference section H on the substrate P, and a second adhesive layer AL2 is formed on the first adhesive layer AL1 by rotating the substrate P at high speed. The first adhesive layer AL1 and the second adhesive layer AL2 are integrated to form a uniform adhesive layer B as a whole.
US08220408B2
An underwater vehicle including an axi-symmetric framing system rotatable about a centerline to define a shell of revolution having a uniformly-convex outer boundary. A narrow-beam sonar array is mounted on the axi-symmetric framing system, and includes a multitude of simultaneously-fireable and/or asynchronously-fireable transducers distributed substantially evenly over a 4π-steradian viewing angle. The present invention provides the necessary configuration for a vehicle wherein an internal algorithm can compare a “new” geometry to an “old” geometry collected earlier to construct a best fit of the new world map with the old world map and locate the vehicle within the context of the new world map. This then provides a completely independent mechanism for correction of the gradual drift in x and y that is not dependent on any form of external navigation aid.
US08220402B2
A sewing machine capable of mode switching between a normal sewing mode and a free motion sewing mode including a feed dog switcher that switches a feed dog between an active state in which the feed dog is moved above and below a needle plate and an inactive state in which the feed dog is lowered below the needle plate, a first instruction issuer that instructs execution of fastening stitching at a beginning of pattern sewing sequence, a second instruction issuer that instructs execution of fastening stitching at an end of pattern sewing sequence, and a controller that, when in the free motion sewing mode, activates the feed dog by the feed dog switcher in response to an incoming instruction signal from the first or the second instruction issuer to execute fastening stitching through control of feed dog based on fastening stitching data to longitudinally feed a workpiece cloth.
US08220400B2
A method for extracting energy from biomass depleted of at least some carbohydrate, at least some oil, or both by a) introducing the biomass into a vertically elongated combustion chamber having i) at least one suspension burner at the top of the combustion chamber which is capable of projecting a flame down the axis of the combustion chamber, ii) a heat transfer apparatus having at least a portion of a heat collection surface located radially from the flame and below the burner, and iii) an exhaust opening located below the flame and below at least a portion of the heat collection surface; b) combusting the biomass to yield a mixture containing hot flue gas and molten ash above the exhaust opening; c) transferring heat from the hot flue gas to at least a portion of the heat collection surface substantially by radiation prior to any substantial contact of ash to a surface of the combustion chamber, to yield a mixture containing warm flue gas and non-molten ash and having a lower molten ash content than the mixture yielded by the combusting step; and d) cooling the warm flue gas with cold gas, to yield a mixture containing cool flue gas and non-molten ash and having a lower molten ash content than the mixture yielded by the transferring step.
US08220399B2
An article of furniture and associated methods and kits comprising at least one first leg support structure, at least one second leg support structure, the at least one first leg support structure being inter-fitted with the at least one second first leg support structure via an interference fit to define a support assembly, a top that is supported by and attached to the support assembly without the need for a mechanical fastener or adhesive; and means for creating a force state that attaches the top to the support assembly without the need for a mechanical fastener or adhesive, and thereby stabilizes the article of furniture, wherein the force state includes one or more forces applied to the at least one first leg support structure and the at least one second leg support structure, in addition to any frictional force from the interference fit.
US08220394B2
An oil and gas well shaped charge perforator capable of providing an exothermic reaction after detonation is provided, comprising a housing, a high explosive, and a reactive liner where the high explosive is positioned between the reactive liner and the housing. The reactive liner is produced from a composition which is capable of sustaining an exothermic reaction during the formation of the cutting jet. The composition may be selected from any known formulation which is suitable for use in an oil and gas well perforator, typically the composition will comprise at least one metal and at least one non-metal, wherein the non-metal is selected from a metal oxide, or any non-metal from Group III or Group IV or at least two metals such as to form an intermetallic reaction. Typically at least one of the metals in the invention may be selected from Al, Ce, Li, Mg, Mo, Ni, Nb, Pb, Pd, Ta, Ti, Zn or Zr. The liner composition may preferably be a pressed particulate composition, such that the material is consolidated under pressure to form the desired shape of the liner. To aid consolidation a binder may also be added.
US08220393B2
A wad or basewad for ammunition includes an ignition chamber. The ignition chamber can be integrally formed with the wad or basewad or can be attached to the wad or basewad. The ignition chamber communicates with a primer of the ammunition to receive and contain the primer blast for at least an initial period of time. This facilitates faster initial ignition of the propellant of the ammunition, and consequently allows higher performance levels to be achieved. Other advantages regarding other applications of this invention include cleaner burning loads, greater economy, and lower perceived recoil.
US08220392B1
A launchable grenade system is backwards compatible with conventional launch platforms and is capable of launching a variety of payloads at greater range and increased launch velocity, and with significantly improved targeting accuracy. The grenade is pre-packaged in a disposable launch canister that effectively confines launch ejection gases behind the projectile until it exits the canister. Additional enhancements in one or more embodiments, include collapsible aerodynamic stabilizers that are folded inside the launch canister prior to firing and deploy in flight to improve projectile stability and ballistic performance; electronic fuzing for improved repeatability and targeting precision, next-generation digital capabilities that include electronic device identification, failsafe and device monitoring; and momentum arresting forward expulsion of the payload to reduce blunt trauma hazard from projectile hardware and to provide for short distance targeting at significantly greater speed.
US08220386B2
A combination for creating artwork such as a sports logo on a lawn includes a lawn stencil having one or more openings configured to facilitate creation of a portion of the artwork. The combination further includes a container of spray paint and elongate members each having an elongate shaft with proximal and distal portions. The distal portion of each elongate shaft is pointed and includes a shape for accommodating insertion of the distal portion into the lawn. A container holds the lawn stencil, the container of paint, and the plurality of elongate members. The lawn stencil further comprises a connecting member that extends across a said opening of the lawn stencil for maintaining structural integrity of the lawn stencil and for distributing tension in the lawn stencil when the lawn stencil is laid upon the ground with the plurality of elongate members extending through the lawn stencil into the lawn.
US08220384B2
A press drive motor upgrade kit for adapting a mechanical press of the flywheel-driven type to a servo press including a drive motor and a drive train, and a mechanical press so modified. The kit includes at least one servo motor adapted for driving the mechanical press and a drive transmission apparatus or gear transmission or the like, connected to the servo motor and adapted for engagement with at least one gear or shaft of the drive train of said mechanical press. The kit may also include a baseplate or mounting structure on which the servo motor and transmission are arranged.
US08220377B2
The present invention is a firearm cartridge feeding system to automatically feed firearm cartridges in a successive order one diameter of a firearm cartridge at a time, to the chamber of a bolt action, semi-automatic, or fully automatic firearm until all firearm cartridges in the system are expended. The firearm cartridges are stored in a tight spiral channel side by side to maximize the use of the peripheral space surrounding the area of a magazine well or feed point of a firearm. The housing or body of the firearm feeding system consists of a multiple segment body or housing. The housing contains a spiral channel, clutch mechanism pocket and a spring drive compartment which supports the storage of firearm cartridges and the arrangement of a drive system for feeding the firearm cartridges to the feed lips.
US08220366B1
A self-centering drive socket device and associated installation method. The device includes a socket member, coupler and sliding lock body. The sliding lock body is preferably connected to a drive mechanism that provides rotational movement. The device and method allows for the installation of misaligned fasteners by disengaging the sliding lock body from a cavity in the coupler so that the socket member becomes freely angularly displaceable with respect to a central axis of the device.
US08220355B2
A steering column assembly includes a column jacket coupled to a support bracket. The column jacket is moveable in a longitudinal direction along a longitudinal axis and in a pivotable direction relative to the support bracket about a pivot axis. A locking mechanism interconnects the support bracket and the column jacket, and includes a torsion shaft rotatable about a shaft axis in a first direction and a second direction to move the locking mechanism between a lock position and a release position. A motor includes an output shaft rotatable about a primary axis in a single rotational direction. A linkage interconnects the motor and the torsion shaft of the locking mechanism. The linkage is actuated by rotation of the output shaft in the single rotational direction to rotate the torsion shaft in alternating fashion between the first direction and the second direction.
US08220353B2
A screw device manufacturing method ensures high productivity and adequate nut strength. The disclosed screw shaft manufacturing method includes: a groove forming step of forming a loaded ball rolling groove in a flat plate; and a nut forming step of bending the flat plate into a ring to form a nut. As the groove forming step of forming of the loaded ball rolling in the flat plate is followed by the nut forming step of bending the flat plate into a ring, sufficient strength of the nut can be easily achieved. Besides, a high compression stress is left in the loaded ball rolling groove in the inner surface of the nut.
US08220351B2
A transmission includes an input member, an output transfer gear, first and second shaft members, a countershaft, a reverse shaft, a plurality of co-planar gear sets, and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. The torque transmitting devices include a plurality of synchronizer assemblies and a dual clutch assembly. The transmission is operable to provide at least one reverse speed ratio and a plurality of forward speed ratios between the input member and the output member.
US08220348B2
An under travel actuator, particularly intended for an automobile clutch, including an engine (12) for the translation movement of a mobile gear (14) acting on a push stem (16) for the opening and closing of the clutch, the mobile gear including screw-nut means (22, 24) cooperating with two combined means of unidirectional driving in order to regulate the length of the push stem (16) according to the wear of the clutch surfaces subject to friction.
US08220341B2
A method and device includes measuring a multiple-phase fluid flowing through a pipe. The inventive method includes the following steps in which: a fluid is illuminated using a first coaxial probe placed in contact with the liquid phase of the fluid, and a first electromagnetic wave is emitted at a high frequency. The admittance at the interface between the first probe and the fluid is measured, and the fractions of at least two constituents of the liquid phase are calculated in order to obtain the effective permittivity (∈1) of the phase. The method also includes the following steps in which: the fluid is illuminated using a second coaxial probe and a second electromagnetic wave is emitted at a low frequency. The admittance at the interface between the second probe and the liquid is measured, and the thickness (e) of the liquid is measured. The aforementioned calculation is performed on the basis of the calculated effective permittivity (∈1) and the admittance measured by the second probe.
US08220340B2
A permanent deformation measurement apparatus includes a worktable and a measuring device. The worktable includes a supporting surface for supporting an elastic member to be measured. The measuring device includes a base, contact member, an operating member, and a measuring member. The base is fixed on the supporting surface, and defines a guide hole substantially perpendicular to the supporting surface of the worktable. The contact member includes a push rod slidable along the guide hole to contact the elastic member. The operating member is configured for moving the push rod. The measuring member is configured for measuring a position of the push rod when the push rod is in contact with the elastic member.
US08220331B2
The general field of the invention is that of resonating or vibrating devices. One of the tricky points with this type of device is that of correctly measuring the vibration frequency in a disturbed environment. The analysis system according to the invention is based on the use of the Hilbert transform of a function U representative of the position A of the vibrations of the device. More precisely, in its basic version, the analysis system comprises means making it possible to realize the second derivative of the function U denoted U(2), the Hilbert transform of the function U denoted V, the second derivative of this transform denoted V(2) as well as a function equal to - U · U ( 2 ) + V · V ( 2 ) U 2 + V 2 , this latter function being mathematically equal to the function ω 1 2 - ρ 1 ( 2 ) ρ 1 with ω1 the instantaneous angular frequency of U, ρ1 the instantaneous amplitude of U, ρ1(2) the second derivative of said instantaneous amplitude and being representative of the square of the resonant angular frequency Ω of the vibrating device. Several variants of this initial device are proposed.
US08220321B2
A method and an apparatus for testing the piston (2) of an injection pump of a pressure medium, the piston comprising a longitudinal groove (2b) that begins from its frontal face (2a) and extends on its side, and a screw-shaped guide edge (2c) that abuts on the envelope surface of the piston. According to the invention, the piston (2) is inserted, with its frontal face (2a) first, into a testing cylinder (1), wherein the clearance between the piston (2) and the testing cylinder (2) is tight and wherein a specific testing pressure is exerted on the envelope surface of the piston, in a limited area, from the vicinity of the said guide edge (2c) to a selected measurement point. The piston (2) is moved in the testing cylinder (1), so that the said measurement point moves, following the guide edge (2c). Changes in the testing pressure are monitored to observe any failures in the piston (2) and the said guide edge (2c).
US08220316B2
In the method for determining the alcohol concentration of the tank fuel after filling up with E85 fuel or E0 fuel, two corridors of possible lambda values for filling with E0 fuel and E85 are established according to the volumes of the tank fuel before and after filling, and the lambda values are taken into account in the evaluation.
US08220314B2
A lighter device having a flow restrictor and associated methods for manufacturing and testing such lighter device and flow restrictor are described. The flow restrictor may be formed of a porous member to achieve a substantially fixed or varying flame height. The flow restrictor may be tested before or after assembly into a lighter housing by receiving a non-combustible fluid therethrough. The flow rate of the non-combustible fluid may be correlated to the flow rate of a combustible fluid through the flow restrictor to approximate the resultant flame height of a lighter incorporating the tested flow restrictor. The flow restrictor may also be tested by receiving a combustible fluid therethrough prior to assembling the flow restrictor into the lighter housing. In this manner, flow restrictors and corresponding lighter devices may be tested without introducing combustible fluids into such lighter devices prior to shipment. Also, a vacuum may be drawn on a fuel tank of the lighter prior to shipment.
US08220313B2
An apparatus for ascertaining and/or monitoring a process variable, especially density of a medium. The apparatus includes: an exciting/receiving unit, which excites a mechanically oscillatable unit to execute mechanical oscillations and which receives the mechanical oscillations; an electronics unit, which applies to the exciting/receiving unit an electrical, exciter signal, and which obtains from the exciting/receiving unit an electrical, received signal. The electronics unit produces the exciter signal in such a manner, that, between the received signal and the exciter signal, a phase difference equal to a desired value of phase difference results, at which effects of changes of viscosity on mechanical oscillations of the mechanically oscillatable unit are negligible, and that the desired value of phase difference is predetermined as a function of the ratio of impedance of the exciting/receiving unit to the input impedance of the electronics unit.
US08220306B2
A die element configuration for use in a swaging or crimping press includes at least two cooperating die elements that, in use, are radially moved inwardly during a swaging or crimping process. Each die element has a body portion with a work element engaging surface located at a radially inner location on the body portion, the work element engaging surface having an axial direction and a circumferential direction transverse to the axial direction with the work engaging surface being concavely curved in the circumferential direction. The work engaging surface has a first central section extending axially with at least a pair of axially spaced first lateral sections and at least one second lateral section extending from the first central section oppositely to the first lateral sections, whereby a first lateral section of a first die element in the configuration is located axially adjacent a second lateral section of a second similarly formed die element.
US08220305B2
A device and method for guiding a metal strip in the vicinity of a coiler. The device includes a support frame, which at its first end is rotatably supported about a second axis of rotation relative to a fixed structure and supports a guide table and at its second end, i.e., the end that lies opposite the first end, is rotatably connected with a swivel frame about a first axis of rotation. The swivel arm supports a first guide table at its end that lies opposite the first axis of rotation. Both the support frame and the swivel frame are controlled by their own associated actuators and are suitably positioned according to the desired operating position.
US08220300B2
A thin lock has a housing, a core assembly mounted in the housing, multiple pin assemblies arranged longitudinally in the core assembly, and a latch assembly mounted through the housing and selectively activates the core assembly and the pin assemblies. Thus, when the thin lock is mounted on a door panel, numbers of the pin assemblies does not relate to a thickness of the door panel. Therefore, the numbers of the pin assemblies are able to be added to increase the complexity and enhance the safety of the thin lock according to user's need.
US08220299B2
A lock assembly for use with a powered actuator includes a housing, a first barrel part, a torque transmitting member, a first cam, a drive device and a spring. The housing has at least a first axially extending recess therein. The first barrel part is within the first recess. The torque transmitting member is adapted for abutment and releasable rotational engagement with a key. The first cam is adapted to operate a lock or latch mechanism and for rotational movement with the torque transmitting member. The drive device is adapted for engagement with the powered actuator and releasable engagement with the torque transmitting member. The spring biases the torque transmitting member towards engagement with the drive device.
US08220287B2
A method and apparatus for treating a commodity includes a plurality of boxes arranged in two rows with a space formed therebetween. A cover is provided for sealing the two rows of boxes at least along the top surface. A plenum is formed between the two rows of boxes with the plurality of boxes being positioned side-by-side. At least one air handler is positioned to pull air through and/or around the plurality of boxes and through ventilation holes in the boxes and/or through spacers positioned between adjacent boxes and along a length of the space formed between the two rows. The air may be discharged upwardly, horizontally or downwardly therefrom. An even flow of air is achieved between adjacent boxes, through ventilation holes in the boxes and/or through spacers positioned between adjacent boxes and along the two rows of pallets for evenly treating a commodity positioned on the pallets.
US08220283B2
An ice making and storing system which may be mounted in a refrigeration appliance. The ice making and storing system includes an ice making mechanism, a removable ice storage receptacle positioned adjacent to the ice making mechanism, an insulated cover for the ice making mechanism with a portion engageable with the ice storage receptacle to provide a thermally tight seal between the cover and the ice storage receptacle.
US08220282B2
A refrigerant system includes a dual-connection drain pan for collecting and draining condensate from the exterior surface of a cooling coil. The drain pan includes a first channel and a second channel disposed alongside each other and sloped lengthwise in opposite directions to direct the condensate to either one of two drain outlets at opposite ends of the pan. To drain the condensate to a first outlet, a breakaway removable dam between the two channels is left intact to isolate the second channel from condensate so that the condensate drains from the first channel to the first outlet. Permanently removing the breakaway dam and plugging the first outlet allows condensate to drain from the first channel, into the second channel, and out through the second outlet. In some embodiments, the drain pan, including the two channels and breakaway dam, is formed of a unitary piece of a thermoset polymer.
US08220281B2
An inlet air flow guide for a condensing unit of an air cooled direct expansion (ACDX) air conditioning unit. The flow guide has a panel having at least a portion spaced from a surface of the condensing unit to define a plenum for cooling air to enter the condensing unit from one side. A condensing unit of an ACDX air conditioning unit has a refrigerant cooling coil disposed in an opening, and the inlet air flow guide defines a plenum to provide an air flow passage to the opening from one side thereof. According to a method, the inlet air flow guide is installed onto the condensing unit of an ACDX air conditioning unit, wherein a panel of the flow guide has at least a portion spaced from a surface of the condensing unit to define a plenum for cooling air to enter the condensing unit from one side.
US08220279B2
Disclosed is a refrigerator, and more particularly to a refrigerator wirelessly setting functions of the refrigerator by improving a configuration of the refrigerator. The refrigerator according to an embodiment includes a main body formed with a storage chamber, a door rotatably coupled to the main body, a first user interface rotatably coupled to the door, and a second user interface provide on the door, positioned on an rear side of the first user interface, and provided with a receiving unit receiving a wireless signal by an external remote controller.
US08220272B2
A combustor housing includes an inlet cover plate having a central inlet configured to receive a supply of one of a high BTU content fuel or air and at least one radially-spaced, peripheral fuel inlet configured to receive a supply of a low BTU content fuel. It also includes an outlet cover plate having at least one radially-spaced, peripheral fuel outlet. The combustor housing also includes a peripheral sidewall joining the inlet cover and the outlet cover and enclosing a plenum, the at least one peripheral fuel inlet opening through the inlet cover plate into the plenum and the at least one fuel outlet opening from the plenum through the outlet cover plate. The central inlet opens into at least one conduit which extends away from the central inlet and opens into at least one high BTU content fuel conduit or air supply conduit that is axially aligned with the at least one fuel outlet.
US08220262B2
A method and a system for manually controlling a turbocharger is disclosed. The method includes steps for selecting a minimum boost pressure and a maximum boost pressure. The method also includes steps for selecting a pre-configured boost mode, including a predefined boost pressure minimum and a predefined boost pressure maximum.
US08220261B2
A master cylinder having at least one piston that pressurizes a hydraulic fluid when a stepping force on a brake pedal is transmitted thereto and sends the pressurized hydraulic fluid to at least a wheel cylinder. The piston includes a large diameter passage and a small diameter passage having a diameter smaller than that of the large diameter passage, and a valve body is fastened to the large diameter passage to control fluid communication between the large diameter passage and the small diameter passage, the valve body including a plunger coupling hole and a channel through which the hydraulic fluid communicates between the large diameter passage and the small diameter passage, wherein a plunger slidably passes the valve body through the plunger coupling hole and closes the channel of the valve body when the stepping force on the brake pedal is transmitted to the piston.
US08220258B2
Linear roller bearing assemblies can include a hub, a collar around the hub and roller bearing sub-assemblies disposed in a radial pattern around the hub. The roller bearing sub-assemblies can guide linear movement of the hub relative to the collar along a selected direction. Each roller bearing sub-assembly can include a roller and straps wrapped partially around the roller. Each strap is connected to at least one of the hub and the collar. And at least one of the straps can be connected to the roller while at least one of the straps can be circumferentially free of the roller. The hub and collar are moveable relative to each other along the selected direction for a distance that is approximately half of a circumference of the roller. Methods of forming linear roller bearing assemblies are also disclosed, as are multi-cylinder Stirling engines and a thermal energy recovery system.
US08220252B2
An exhaust gas emissions reactor and method of treating exhaust gas. The reactor has a housing for receiving exhaust gas from an engine. An oxidation catalyst is disposed in the housing for receiving exhaust gas from an inlet, and at least one mixing duct in the housing receives exhaust gas from the oxidation catalyst. An injector introduces reduction agent into the exhaust gas in the mixing duct, and at least one mixer effects mixing of exhaust gas and reduction agent. Disposed in the mixing duct downstream of the injector is an SCR catalyst for receiving exhaust gas/reduction agent mixture therethrough. Treated exhaust gas is conveyed to an outlet of the housing.
US08220251B2
An apparatus comprising a compression ignition engine and an exhaust system therefor comprising at least one exhaust system component for treating exhaust gas and means for generating an exotherm for heating the at least one exhaust system component, which exotherm generating means consisting essentially of a catalyst and means for injecting hydrocarbon into exhaust gas for combustion on the catalyst, which catalyst consisting essentially of both a palladium (Pd) component and a platinum (Pt) component, and an optional support material, disposed on a substrate monolith.
US08220248B2
Disclosed herein is a power generation process in which a portion of the carbon dioxide generated by gaseous fuel combustion is recycled back to the power generation process, either pre-combustion, post-combustion, or both. The power generation process of the invention may be a combined cycle process or a traditional power generation process. The process utilizes sweep-based membrane separation.
US08220241B2
According to the method for characterizing fancy yarn, at least one characteristic of the fancy yarn is scanned along the longitudinal direction of the fancy yarn. Values of the scanning are evaluated and the results of the evaluation are outputted. The results of the evaluation are the fancy yarn parameters such as base yarn mass, base yarn diameter, slub distance, mass increase (ΔM) of a slub, slub diameter increase, slub diameter, slub length (LE) and/or slub total mass. At least one result of the evaluation is outputted in the form of a graphic representation, for example as a scatter diagram. Such a graphic representation provides a clear representation of the measurement results. The occurring data is reduced and may be divided up into different categories.
US08220231B2
An improved equine hoof boot, boot pad and boot and pad assembly that consists of a flexible boot and a shock absorbing pad disposed inside at the bottom of the boot, the pad having optionally a combination of soft and harder components.
US08220229B1
The present invention relates to compact palletizers that include a stretch-wrap operation as the pallet is built. A four-sided compaction mechanism compresses the rough-built load to the final pallet size and then the entire layer is released to the pallet. Individual items or group of items are picked and placed onto a layer support device in a loose orientation. The loose orientation enables a much faster palletizing operation because the robotic arm that pick-and-places the item, the items, or the row of items, can travel much faster as it does not have to precisely locate the item, items, or row of items. During the time that a layer is being loosely constructed on the layer support device concurrent wrapping can occur.
US08220228B2
A cap removal apparatus for a vacuum blood collection tube is configured to remove a cap from the collection tube of which an opening is closed by the cap so that the tube is kept under vacuum inside. The cap removal apparatus comprises, a tube clamping mechanism which clamps the collection tube upright in a cap removal position, a chuck mechanism which is disposed in the cap removal position and chucks the cap of the collection tube, seal pressure reduction unit which is disposed in the a chuck mechanism and configured to seal a region around the opening including the cap and reduce the pressure of the sealed region to substantially the same level as the internal pressure of the collection tube when the cap is chucked, and a lift mechanism which raises the chuck mechanism from a cap chucking position, thereby removing the cap from the collection tube.
US08220223B2
A beverage bottling plant, in which beverage bottles are filled, closed, packed, and transported on dollies and pallets, an arrangement for transporting dollies, and a method therefor.
US08220204B2
The present invention relates to a refrigerator in which a front of a door is made of a glass plate and a display portion for showing and controlling a condition of the refrigerator is positioned on the rear of the glass plate not to protrude outward. The present invention comprises a door main body including: an outer door 50 defining a front of the door and having a display accommodating portion 54 defined by depression, a door liner 56 installed on the rear of the outer door 50, and upper, lower, left and right decorations for coupling them. In addition, the display accommodating portion 54 in the front of the door main body is mounted with a display portion 70 for showing and controlling a condition of the refrigerator. Also, a front glass plate 80 is installed on the front of the door main body and display portion 70. At this time, in order to stably arrange and secure the display portion 70 into the display accommodating portion 54, the display accommodating portion 54 may be stepwise formed, an elastic rib 262 may be provided, or a support plate 437 may be formed to extend. Further, in order to reduce the number of parts, the refrigerator door can be assembled by directly applying foam liquid to a front decoration 590 without the outer door 50.
US08220203B2
A cover assembly for an opening in a sliding vehicle door system including a linkage arm operably associated with the vehicle door and a vehicle body. Also included is a tambour door panel associated with the linkage arm. Further included is a channel located proximate a door trim panel having at least one slot, the channel including an opening capable of allowing the linkage arm to pass through at least a portion of the channel, where at least a portion of the tambour door panel slidably travels within the channel, wherein a sliding motion of the vehicle door imparts movement on the linkage arm, the linkage arm sliding within the at least one slot and the channel, and wherein the linkage arm simultaneously imparts movement on the tambour door panel.
US08220201B2
A method of producing a horticultural display containing more than one variety of the same or different species of flowering plant is disclosed. The plants are produced from unrooted cuttings that are rooted in a growth cell and cultivated in a single container so that the final product includes more than one plant species or more than one plant variety or both. A plant growth cell having rooting media and more than one plant cutting from more than one plant species or plant variety or both rooted therein is also disclosed. Further, a horticultural display having more than one plant of more than one plant species or plant variety or both initially rooted together from unrooted plant cuttings in a growth cell is disclosed.
US08220195B2
A novel orthodontic bracket system includes orthodontic appliances, such as brackets or buccal tubes, with a vertical instead of the conventional horizontal slot orientation. The occlusal-gingival slot orientation minimizes the risk of unintentional debonding of the bracket as a result of insertion and removal of the archwire. An archwire retention mechanism designed to guide, retain and/or seat the archwire. The archwire retention mechanism releases the archwire from the archwire slot whenever appropriate force is applied, or manipulation of physical properties of the material are altered by the operator.
US08220194B2
The present invention provides for a sleeve that is mountable within a rifle stock. The sleeve includes a central aperture, one end of which is threaded and is adapted to receive a like-threaded male portion of an action. The action is of the type that includes a female threaded portion, this portion being configured to receive the threaded male portion of a rifle barrel. In this configuration, the sleeve is in direct contact with the stock, the action is in direct contact with the sleeve, and the barrel is in direct contact with the action. However, neither the barrel nor the action is in direct contact with the stock. As such, both the barrel and the action are ‘floated’ within the rifle assembly. In an alternative embodiment, the sleeve may be fabricated with the action such that the sleeve and action form a single integrated element.
US08220193B1
Applicant has disclosed an improved trigger assembly for firearms, and a related method, to avoid premature firing after an unintentional trigger rotation, especially where light trigger pulls have previously been set. In the preferred embodiment, Applicant's trigger assembly has two triggers: a slotted primary trigger and a secondary trigger which can pivot into the slot. During an intentional trigger pull, the shooter's finger initially pushes against the secondary trigger until it pivots and nestles within the primary trigger's slot. Continued pulling on both the secondary and primary triggers causes a hammer to rotate off a sear, thereby allowing the firearm to discharge. In an unintentional trigger rotation, where the secondary trigger is not pulled back enough to nestle within the primary trigger's slot: an upper portion of the secondary trigger (unseen within the housing) constrains a protrusion on a spring-biased mainspring guide. This blocks movement of the mainspring guide and prevents the hammer from rotating sufficiently for discharge.
US08220189B2
A sign holder in the form of individual parts which, upon assembly, provides for the support and display of signage in a plurality of orientations. The sign holder includes a base configured to receive and support a first end to the stem, the stem having a first end and second end, the first end configured to be releasably retained by the base and the second end configured to retain a sign frame. The second end of the stem is provided with a C-shaped extremity sized to frictionally capture the sign frame such that the sign frame is releaseable from the stem by providing a lateral force to the frame.
US08220183B2
Foot-receiving devices, such as articles of footwear (e.g., athletic footwear, etc.), include a foot-covering member (such as an upper member) and a foot-supporting member (such as a sole member, optionally including insole, midsole, and/or outsole portions) engaged with the foot-covering member. The foot-supporting member may include or define a cavity or void in the heel portion of the foot-receiving device. The foot-receiving device further may include a removable heel pad detachably engaged within the cavity or void.
US08220182B2
The invention relates to a footwear sole with massaging effect comprising an external sole configured for resting on the ground and at least an insole interposed between said external sole and the user's foot. In one embodiment, the footwear has one or more vertically movable pliable areas peripherally connected to the remaining portion of the sole by bridges of elastically pliable material, which project from the outer sole and are moved towards the foot during walking. Such pliable areas are provided with an extension passing through a slot of said insole and having at least a foot contacting end portion composed of a soft or elastically pliable material. In another embodiment, the inner vamp lining the outer vamp and the outer vamp are free to slide one with respect to the other.
US08220175B2
A railway car coupler head contour gauge includes a cylindrical portion configured to be rotatably coupled to a coupler head. The railway car coupler head contour gauge also includes a pulling lug gauging portion, and a contoured gauging surface that is configured to align with a contour face of a top pulling lug of the coupler head during gauging. The coupler head contour gauge may also include a convex portion configured to align with a buffing shoulder of the coupler head.
US08220172B2
A receiving device, in particular for a sensor, grading instrument or the like, including a housing with a housing upper part in which the grading instrument can be arranged. An intermediate part is provided by which a holding position and/or a mounting position can be set.
US08220169B2
A light-based guidance system mountable on a forklift and method for guiding a plurality of load bearing members of a forklift is disclosed. The light-based guidance system includes first and second light sources disposed within a housing. The first light source is configured to emit a first light beam that is substantially parallel with the load bearing members. The method includes emitting a first light beam substantially parallel with the load bearing members, emitting a second light beam, and guiding the plurality of load bearing members based upon a position of irradiated light from the first and second light beams.
US08220166B2
A chainsaw has a cam lever and cam assembly that can be used to adjust the tension of a guide bar in the chainsaw. Once the tension of the guide bar has been lessened, the guide bar can be moved back and forth by using a chain-tightening knob and tightening mechanism. The movement of the guide bar causes the chain to tighten or loosen on the guide bar.
US08220165B2
A support arrangement for a reciprocating tool comprises a first locking surface adjacent to an adjustable foot guide. The foot guide includes a second locking surface designed to mesh with the first locking surface in a locking engagement. The support arrangement further comprises a lock actuator including a first cam profile. The lock actuator is provided adjacent to a cam plate which includes a second cam profile. The second cam profile is configured to interact with the first cam profile and force the first locking surface toward the second locking surface of the foot guide. The lock actuator is moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position, wherein a first raised surface of the first cam profile does not engage a second raised surface of the second cam profile in the unlocked position, while the first cam surface does engage the second raised surface in the locked position.
US08220147B2
According to one mode of the present invention, metal-containing resin particles composed of a resin containing 50 wt % or more of a thermosetting resin and having a ratio of weight of absorbed moisture to weight of resin from 500 to 14500 ppm, and fine metal particles contained in said resin, is provided.
US08220146B2
A short-circuiting member for preventing a commutator from being elongated in the axial direction without increasing the types of different components. Each component includes outer circumference terminals arranged along an outer circumference, inner circumference terminals arranged along an inner circumference, and connection portions connecting corresponding outer and inner circumference terminals that are separated from each other by a predetermined angle in a circumferential direction. The outer and inner circumference terminals are substantially formed along the same plane. The components are laminated in a state in which the connection portions of one of the components are reversed to the connection portions of another one of the components. The outer terminals adjacent in a lamination direction are in contact with each other, the inner terminals adjacent in the lamination direction are in contact with each other, and the connection portions that are adjacent in the lamination direction are not in contact with each other.
US08220133B2
The invention relates to the attachment of a multiple-conductor electronic cable to an electronic circuit in a sealed housing. The cable is placed in a sheath of a heat-deformable material and the method comprises the following steps: placing a rigid bushing (40) with a protruding collar (48) on the exposed end of the cable, heating the end in a conical mold or softening the sheath, inserting the bushing between the cable conductors and the softened sheath, the collar of the bushing pushing the sheath material until the conical portion of the mold is filled, cooling the sheath for solidifying it, extracting the end of the cable from the mold, the end having a conical portion with an increasing diameter ending with the protruding collar, inserting the cable in the housing opening from the inside before closing the housing. The invention can be used or an intra-oral dental radiology sensor.
US08220129B2
A method and apparatus for securing an end fitting to a flexible pipe body are disclosed. The method includes the steps of securing an open end of a portion of flexible pipe body to an inner collar member, urging an open mouth of a body portion of an end fitting towards the flexible pipe body and inner collar member and securing the end fitting body portion to the inner collar member.
US08220123B2
The OEM Venturi and outlet structures of a conventional coal classifier are removed and replaced with a simple turret having four outlet openings which are connected to the combustion chamber feed conduits. The Venturi and kidney-shaped transition tubes of the OEM structure are scrapped.
US08220117B2
A buckle structure has a female part and a male part. The female part has a cavity for insertion of an axial tab formation of the male part, which has transverse seats on opposite lateral edges for engagement by fastening members on the female part. The fastening members have teeth located on opposite sides of a longitudinal direction of coupling of the buckle, which form between them a transverse aperture for the insertion of the tab formation. The buckle has button-like release members connected to the fastening members and operable manually by pressing transverse to the buckle, to disengage the fastening members from the seats. The fastening members and the release members act in coinciding or parallel transverse directions, so that the simultaneous pressing of the buttons towards each other causes the fastening teeth to move away from the engagement seats on the tab formation.
US08220111B2
A cufflink for a button shirt has an inner piece configured to be disposed on an inside of paired shirt sleeve cuffs, and an outer piece configured to be disposed on an outside of the paired shirt sleeve cuffs. At least one of the inner piece and the outer piece has a male portion preferably having a male engagement device thereon. An opposite one of the inner piece and the outer piece has a complementary female engagement device therein. The male engagement device and the female engagement device are configured to be releasably coupled to one another. Preferably, the male engagement device includes a pin configured to pass through the inner cuff button hole and then the outer cuff fabric before engaging the female engagement device. Preferably, the outer piece inner surface has a recess therein configured to encompass the shirt sleeve button.
US08220101B2
A telescopically rotatable mop, comprising: an internal and external rod fitting to each other in a linearly and telescopically movable state; an engaging element positioned within the opening at the top of the internal rod; a driving element formed in an elongated shape and positioned within the external rod in such a way that the driving element is moved up and down synchronically with the external rod; an actuating element positioned within the engaging element for accommodating the driving element, the engaging element being driven in a single direction when the actuating element is rotated by the driving element. An annular element rotatable clockwise and counterclockwise at 360° is mounted on the top portion of the engaging element. The actuating element received within the engaging element has a smaller length, thereby creating a gap for the lifting and lowering purposes. In this way, a more smooth operation with less effort is ensured when the internal and external rods rotate in a telescopic way.
US08220099B2
A lint removal apparatus containing a tabbed end or ends on any side so a user to grip and hold the apparatus. One side of the apparatus contains an adhesive side that is protected by a backing. The backing must be removed by the user prior to using the apparatus. Once the backing is removed, a small portion of the backing will remain so that user can easily grip the apparatus. While gripping the apparatus, the user may remove lint by pressing the exposed adhesive side of the apparatus against the desired area containing lint or other particles to be removed. The apparatus is a small, durable, portable, economic, practical and be used by all individuals regardless of physical size.
US08220094B2
A mine ventilation and bridge structure incorporating a bridge feature enabling a mine vehicle to cross over the structure. The structure comprises a pair of generally parallel and spaced-apart side walls defining opposing side walls and a plurality of elongate deck panels extending between the side walls. At least one deck panel of the plurality of deck panels is a reinforced bridge deck panel constructed to support the weight of a vehicle crossing over the mine ventilation and bridge structure.
US08220087B2
An exercise comprising a mat and a plurality of supports strategically positioned for specific body parts. The supports may be integrally formed into the mat or removable. The exercise mat may further comprise a cover. The cover may have pockets or holes to receive the supports. In some embodiments, the cover and/or the top surface of the mat may comprise protuberances to reduce slippage. The bottom of the mat or the cover may be made from non-slip material.
US08220086B2
A bed frame assembly that can be assembled without additional tools. The bed frame assembly has two tubular side rails spaced a distance apart and arranged parallel to each other. The side rails are spaced apart for a distance at least equal to the length of a cross support member. Cross support members span the cross-support length between the tubular rails to support a mattress or a box spring over the distance between the two side rails. Retaining members which are used to secure the cross support members in position extend from opposing sides of the tubular side rail pair. The retaining members and the cross support members interlock via a releasable joint mechanism. The position of the releasable joint mechanism can vary to allow for adjustability in the cross support length to accommodate mattresses of different sizes.
US08220084B2
A shower head securing device has a shower head, a casing and a securing device. The securing device has a base, a ball tube, a securing screw, a shaft, the plurality of elastic pieces, the plurality of engaging pieces, a securing member and an adjusting screw.
US08220083B2
Bath fitting mounting apparatus has a wall contacting flange (16) and a fitting support portion (3) which enables a wall mounted bath fitting (18) to be mounted in a wall (1) of a bathing installation such that the fitting is substantially flush with the wall.
US08220081B2
A cover element for preventing the use of certain urinals, such as those which are out of use. The cover element temporarily covers an open area of a urinal bounded by a urinal edge, which area is accessible to a user. The dimension of the cover element is at least such that substantially the entire open area of the urinal can be covered therewith. The cover element has at least two lips which can be moved against a spring force from a first position to a second secured position, such that the lips are positioned in clamping contact against an inner side of the urinal edge. This serves to attach the cover element over the open area of the urinal.
US08220079B2
A device and system for protecting a surgically implanted medical port from damage during daily physical activities consisting of a protective shield that may be placed at any location on a port protection shirt.
US08220076B2
A yoga glove has a palm section, a back section and a finger section. The palm section has a thumb hole formed through the palm section. An edge of the palm section has a front segment and a rear segment. An extending length of the back section is longer than that of the palm section. An edge of the back section has a front segment and a rear segment. The rear segment of the edge of the back section is connected securely with that of the edge of the palm section. The finger section is crescent shaped. An edge of the finger section is connected securely with the front segments of the palm section and the back section. Therefore, the ergonomically curved yoga glove can match the curved shape of the hand and stay close to the hand.
US08220072B2
A protective guard for reducing injury to a shin of a person is provided. The protective guard includes an elastomeric substrate having a pocket disposed therein. A central core is carried by the pocket of the elastomeric substrate. The central core includes a plurality of rigid plates, a first of which is joined by at least one hinge to a second of the plates.
US08220070B2
A wearable protective body appliance for reducing the likelihood of injury to a wearer. One embodiment provides a wearable protective body appliance having an articulating protective shell assembly that includes one or more first shell members formed from a first material having a first hardness, and a second shell member directly connected to the first shell member and formed from a second material having a second hardness less than the first hardness. The second shell member is flexible and enables the one or more first shell members to articulate relative to one another, yet still provide impact protection. Another embodiment provides a body appliance including a padding assembly that defines a ventilation hole and includes an inner engagement member. The inner engagement member can surround the ventilation hole and can be adapted to frictionally engage the skin of a wearer to substantially prevent the appliance from moving relative thereto.
US08220069B2
Embodiments of an eye protector are made of a molded plastic part connected with a metal part. The plastic part consists of a generally C-shaped configuration with an elongated portion overlying the eyebrows and arcuate fingers designed to overlie the wearer's cheekbones. The metallic part includes an arcuate portion staggered significantly forwardly with respect to the plastic part. The horizontal stagger virtually precludes a ball from impacting on both the plastic part and the metallic part simultaneously, and the thin profile of the metallic part causes deflection of a ball rather than rebound. Embodiments also include a downwardly depending inverted V-shaped portion that protects the wearer's face below the eyes.
US08225416B2
Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods, and computer program products configured to calculate an indicator of the likelihood that an entitlement exists in a first community relative to a second community. The calculated indicator is then used to determine the appropriateness of entitlements within the first community or after a transfer of a person from the first community to the second.
US08225415B2
A terminal writes first encrypted data in which a communication key and an owner ID are encrypted by using a public key into a second recording medium, and this medium is mounted to a communication apparatus so that the first encrypted data are transmitted to a server. The server sends second encrypted data which it acquires by encrypting a content decryption key by using the communication key which the server acquires by decrypting the received first encrypted data by using a secret key to the communication apparatus, and causes the communication apparatus to record them into the second recording medium. The terminal decrypts a content stored in a first recording medium by using the content decryption key which it acquires by decrypting the second encrypted data read from the second recording medium by using the communication key.
US08225412B2
If the signatures of all documents in a binder document are verified when the binder document is verified, some types of documents stored in the binder document may affect the result of the verification of the binder document. When verification of a binder is performed, it is determined, for each document in the binder document, whether the document is a verification target document or not. On the basis of the result of verification of a document determined as a verification target, the result of verification of the binder document is outputted.
US08225399B1
A system and method for receiving a data packet including a destination address and a source address, categorizing the data packet into a community based on the source address, wherein the community is predefined by a user corresponding to the destination address and selecting a treatment for the data packet based on the community. The method may be implemented on a router to avoid and/or mitigate the harmful effects of a Distributed Denial of Service (“DDoS”) attack on a computer system or network.
US08225392B2
An exemplary computer-implementable method (300) transforms or “immunizes” information to reduce or eliminate risk of exploitation of a known vulnerabilty of a software service and includes receiving information (304) in response to a request, transforming the information (308) to produce transformed information and sending the transformed information (312). An exemplary firewall server (112) includes server software (144, 148) that allows the firewall server (112) to receive information from a resource (104, 108) via a network and to send information to a client computer (114) and an immunization component (264, 268) for immunizing the information to prevent exploitation of a vulnerabilty of browser software (154) on the client computer (114). Various other exemplary methods, devices, systems, etc., are also disclosed.
US08225389B2
A method and system of providing physical port security in a digital data network is disclosed. The system keeps bit maps of allowed physical output ports for each physical network connection. The map of allowed ports can be different for different source addresses connected to the device. When digital data, such as an IP packet, is received, the appropriate physical port security bit map is retrieved and a logical AND is done on the physical port bit map generated by the destination information. The resulting bit map is used to determine which physical ports the data is routed to, blocking any requested destinations that are not appropriate destinations based on the port security bit map.
US08225378B2
The auditing of authorization decisions is facilitated by integrating or coupling an audit policy to access control decisions. In an example implementation, an audit policy of an auditing scheme is coupled to a semantic framework of an access control scheme such that the audit policy is specified using at least a portion of the semantic framework. In another example implementation, audit policy rules include audit content rules that specify what audit information from any of the inputs, the outputs, or the internal data of authorization decisions is to be included in an audit record. In yet another example implementation, a semantic of an audit trigger rule comports with a semantic framework of an access request and of a logical evaluation for an authorization decision.
US08225371B2
A method and apparatus for creating a policy based on a pre-configured template is described. In one embodiment, source data having a tabular structure is identified. Further, one of multiple policy templates is used to automatically create a policy for detecting information from any one or more rows within the tabular structure of the source data.
US08225369B2
A method for operating a home digital audiovisual information recording and playback apparatus. The method includes: displaying menus with user-selectable system operation options; enabling a selection of desired audiovisual information for reproduction; effecting payment for the desired audiovisual information; inputting a user personal identification number; and downloading, from a main server, the desired audiovisual information after payment has been effected and a valid personal identification has been received.
US08225368B2
In a broadcast system (210) each broadcast content item is identified by a broadcast Content Reference Identifier (CRID). In a storage device (220) with a storage (240) each broadcast content item is identified by a local CRID. A processor (230) stores a CRID list that includes for CRIDs an associated validity interval including a starting date and an ending date during which interval the CRID is unique for the content item. When the processor receives (400) a broadcast CRID, it determines (410) an initial validity interval for the broadcast CRID. The initial validity interval includes a starting date and an ending date during which interval the broadcast CRID is unique for the broadcast content item. It then determines (420) whether the initial validity interval overlaps with a validity interval stored in the CRID list for an identical CRID. If there is no overlap it adds (430) the broadcast CRID to the CRID list.
US08225356B2
A media control system processes a numeric user input to identify a set of alphabetic letters. The media control system selects a plurality of media channel names based on the set of alphabetic letters. The media control system generates a first signal to drive a first display of the media channel names. The media control system processes additional user input to select one of the displayed media channel names. The media control system generates a second signal to drive a second display associated with a media channel identified by the selected one of the displayed media channel names.
US08225353B2
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for efficiently scheduling incoming information objects so that timely objects from a variety of content classes are scheduled for broadcast. The incoming information objects are preferably received from one or more information sources, and are tagged with attributes that associate each object with one or more classes of information (e.g., sports, news, etc.), and provide a gauge of the timeliness or ‘age’ of the object. The tags can be used to select and broadcast objects from a variety of classes, and to identify the most timely objects at any give time.
US08225345B2
A method for controlling an apparatus such as a television signal receiver having a parental control function allows users to change a setting associated with the parental control function without first entering a password, while also preventing children from circumventing and defeating the parental control function. The method is also useful for informing parents if a child attempts to change a setting in an effort to circumvent and defeat the parental control function. According to an exemplary embodiment, the method includes steps of enabling a user to change a predetermined setting associated with the parental control function without entering a password, and disabling at least one of an audio output and a video output of the apparatus responsive to the change.
US08225337B2
Some embodiments of application programming interface (API) enhancement in a networked system have been presented. In one embodiment, a servlet is initialized on a centralized server in the networked system. The capabilities of an application programming interface (API) accessible by the client are expanded to allow the client to have data converted to a predetermined format when executing an automation script in order to perform an administrative task on multiple computing machines in the networked system without user intervention.
US08225330B2
In an embodiment, a method is provided. In an embodiment, the method provides determining that a message has been placed in a send buffer; and transferring the message to an application on a second virtual machine by bypassing use of an operating system to process the message by directly placing the message in an application memory space from which the application can retrieve the message.
US08225316B1
A method may include identifying a first version of a virtualized application. The first version of the virtualized application may include a first read-only virtualization sublayer, and the first read-only virtualization sublayer may provide a base state of the first version of the virtualized application. The method may also include identifying a second version of the virtualized application. The second version of the virtualized application may include a second read-only virtualization sublayer, which may provide a base state of the second version of the virtualized application. The method may further include determining a difference between the first read-only virtualization sublayer and the second read-only virtualization sublayer and using the difference to create a patch configured to update an instance of the first version of the virtualized application to an instance of the second version of the virtualized application. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08225314B2
A method and system for support of personal computing in a public computing infrastructure. The system including a plurality of computers to be used by patrons of a public computing infrastructure. The system also includes one or more servers coupled to the plurality of computers via a network connection. Each of the plurality of computers includes a virtual machine monitor. The virtual machine monitor has a plurality of base virtual machine images, each of the base virtual machine images is customized for a particular hardware and software configuration representing a specific computing environment. The virtual machine monitor launches one of the plurality of base virtual machine images, arbitrates access to system resources via the launched virtual machine image, stores the changes in the state of the virtual machine image when a user terminates a session, and returns a computer to an appropriate state to enable the user to resume the terminated session in subsequent sessions.
US08225313B2
In certain embodiments, a method for virtual infrastructure management includes discovering a plurality of heterogeneous virtual environments, each virtual environment comprising one or more components and being associated with one or more vendor-specific management operations. The method further comprises generating, for each of the plurality of heterogeneous virtual environments, one or more virtual environment objects that model that virtual environment and are operable to abstract the one or more vendor-specific management operations of that virtual environment to a normalized set of management operations. The method further comprises facilitating management of the plurality of heterogeneous virtual environments using the virtual environment objects that model the plurality of heterogeneous virtual environments.
US08225307B2
A method, system, program product and signal bearing medium embodiments of the present invention provide for deploying software modules for software application use in a computer system thereby reducing load time as well as memory requirements. Deployment of a plurality of software modules and associated deployment descriptors into a software module depository and creation of a deployment information repository from the associated deployment descriptors occurs. A name service is initialized with information from the deployment information repository and a requested software module identifier is then mapped to a respective enabler. Having mapped the requested software module to an enabler, the respective software module is enabled for the software application use. On-demand deployment in this manner saves start-up time as well as initial and ongoing memory allocation.
US08225302B2
A method and system is described for managing the development of software source code, and in addition, collecting useful metrics about the development process. A first source code is provided in a desired state. The desired state may be the requirement that the source code can be built or the desired state may be the requirement that the source code can be built and pass one or more tests. A second source code is then received. The second source may be a modified copy of the source code. It is then determined whether the second source code is in the desired state, and the first source code is updated using the second source code in response to the second source code being in the desired state. Metrics that may be collected include: the name of a task, time to complete the task, line of code involved, etc.
US08225301B2
In one embodiment, a method of computing comprises executing a software application, wherein the software application comprises at least first and second versions of a subroutine for performing a specific function, wherein the first version exhibits a first behavior and the second version exhibits a second behavior; and selecting for execution one of the first version or the second version based on whether one or more licensing criteria are satisfied. Optionally, the behavior of second version can be redefined on a user basis. The method can be implemented and distributed within software libraries.
US08225285B2
Provided are techniques for generating a test suite. A statement grouping is generated based on operating parameters in a first operating parameters package. A data model is generated from the statement grouping based on operating parameters in a second operating parameters package. Then, one or more routine definitions are generated from the data model based on operating parameters in a third operating parameters package.
US08225276B1
An electronic device and method are provided to enable the management of shared code. Code may be shared if the environmental configuration is suitable for execution of the code and the functionality of the code matches. An identifier is provided to correspond to the functionality for a unit of code. Examples of identifiers can include file names, function names, macro names and class names. A checksum may also be used to identify the functionality of the unit of code. An organizational structure is configured to have constituents corresponding to environmental configurations suitable to execute the unit of code. Examples of the organizational structure include a directory structure or a class structure. The various units of code may be stored in the organizational structure and located by the constituent in which they are located and their functionality determined by the identifier to enable sharing.
US08225266B2
Described herein are embodiments of methods for extracting various high frequency parameters for a circuit design. In one exemplary embodiment, circuit design information indicating at least a geometric layout of conductors in the circuit design and a desired frequency of operation for the circuit design is received. Conduction modes representing distribution functions for currents in the conductors at the desired frequency of operation are defined. A conduction mode matrix including matrix elements based on the defined conduction modes is generated. Values for one or more matrix elements are computed by decomposing integrands for calculating the matrix elements into simplified terms that are less computationally intensive than the integrands and computing the values of the simplified terms. The values for the one or more matrix elements can be stored (e.g., on one or more computer-readable media).
US08225262B1
A method of placing clock circuits in an integrated circuit is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a circuit design to be implemented in the integrated circuit; identifying portions of the circuit design comprising clock circuits; determining an order of clock circuits to be placed based upon resource requirements of the clock circuits; and placing the portions of the circuit design comprising clock circuits in sites of the integrated circuit. A system for placing clock circuits in an integrated circuit is also disclosed.
US08225258B2
In designing an integrated circuit on a die having a set of die bumps, a method to generate a set of lumped circuit parameter values associated with the set of die bumps, based upon distances between the set of die bumps and the center of the die, the method also based upon a sample-data distribution function of a die bump distance variable and a sample-data distribution function of a lumped circuit parameter variable. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08225257B2
A method for reducing path delay sensitivity to temperature variation in a circuit is provided. The method includes the steps of: identifying at least one timing-critical path in the circuit, the path including a plurality of circuit cells coupled between an input and an output of the path; determining a temperature slope coefficient of the path; when the slope coefficient is negative, increasing the slope coefficient by controlling at least one characteristic of at least one of the cells in the path; and when the slope coefficient is positive, decreasing the slope coefficient by controlling at least one characteristic of at least one of the cells in the path.
US08225255B2
A method for laying out process dummy cells in relationship to inside memory cells of a memory array includes (a) calculating an initial process performance parameter for the memory array; (b) changing dummy cell layout configuration for a layer electrically connected to inside cells; (c) applying lithographic simulation and yield model for both the inside memory cells and the changed layout configuration process dummy cells; and (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) until yield is maximized. Checks may be performed to ensure that there is enough room to make the change and that there is no significant adverse effect to neighboring circuits. The process performance parameter may be yield or a process window for the inside memory cells.
US08225253B2
A redundant logic circuit detection method includes storing unit-logic-circuit information, waveform data and a limiting condition in a storage section. The unit-logic-circuit information indicates a plurality of unit-logic-circuits synthesized based on logic design information. The waveform data indicates a logic simulation result with respect to the plurality of unit-logic-circuits. The limiting condition defines a comparison condition of the waveform data. The method selects a first unit-logic-circuit from the plurality of unit-logic-circuits. The method detects a second unit-logic-circuit having a substantially identical sequence of the waveform data to the first unit-logic-circuit based on the limiting condition. The method outputs the first unit-logic-circuit and the second unit-logic-circuit as redundant circuit information.
US08225252B2
In some embodiments, a method includes characterizing a plurality of channels, each of the plurality of channels being a channel between a location and a respective one of the plurality of communication interfaces; for each of the plurality of communication interfaces, supplying signals to the communication interface and detecting interference that occurs at the location as a result of emissions radiated from the plurality of communication interface while the signals are supplied thereto; for each of the plurality of communication interfaces, determining an estimate of interference that would occur at the location as a result of emissions radiated from the communication interface while the signals are supplied thereto, based at least in part on the characterization of the channel between the location and the communication interface; and for each of the plurality of communication interfaces, comparing the estimate of interference that would occur at the location to the detected interference that occurs at the location.
US08225250B2
A device is provided with a unit that stores shape and state characteristics of connectors, their electric characteristics, a judging equation to judge whether their connections are good or not, and information defined in script; and a unit that stores information defined in script of transfer functions to transfer the electric characteristics and the judging equation along a cable, wherein the connection consistency of the cable to connect connectors of the components is checked by analyzing characteristics of each connector, and scripts of the judging equation and the transfer functions; and a suitable cable candidate is selected and a processing is achieved by making use of scripts and an algorism unified for connectors and cables with various characters.
US08225243B2
A method for developing integrated circuits includes generating a core (logic core) in an HDL format readable by a logic synthesis tool, from an ASIC core (logic core) made of ports of blocks and port connection information, creating a temporary chip design from chip terminal information to generate a terminal in the temporary chip design, generating a design identical to that created, as a cell within the design created, connecting a design port with a cell port, wherein a name of the design port is identical to a name of the cell port, inserting an I/O buffer, depending on the device technology, into a net between the ports connected, replacing the cell by the core (logic core) created to gerate a netlist, and expanding a hierarchy of the design, being the top hierarchy.
US08225241B2
A method and apparatus for designing a device to operate in a coupling mode, a detection mode, or a reflection mode for incident light. The incident light has a wavelength λ and is incident upon a semiconductor structure of the device at an angle of incidence (θi). A voltage (V) is applied to the device. Each mode may be designed for an ON state and/or OFF state. For the coupling mode and detection mode, the ON state and OFF state is characterized by high and low absorption of the incident light, respectively, by the semiconductor structure in conjunction with the applied voltage V and angle of incidence θi. For the reflection mode, the OFF state and ON states is characterized by a shift in the optical path length of λ/2 and about zero, respectively, in conjunction with the applied voltage V and angle of incidences θi.
US08225227B2
Managing a display of a user interface. In one implementation, a first user interface and an option to change the first user interface to a second user interface may be displayed. A selection of the option to change the first user interface to the second user interface may be received. In response, the second user interface may be displayed. In addition, a count of the number of times the request to change the first user interface to the second user interface is received may be kept. If the count is equal to a predetermined number, an option to set the second user interface as the default user interface may be displayed. If the option to set the second user interface as the default user interface is selected, the second user interface may then be set as the default user interface.
US08225211B2
A display control apparatus is disclosed. The display control apparatus includes a number of items determining unit which determines the number of selection items to be simultaneously displayed in an item selection list on an operating screen based on a selection of a button on the operating screen, a position determining unit which determines an upper end position of the item selection list on the operating screen to be a position so that a part of the selection items in the item selection list is displayed in a direction inverse to a normal extending direction of the selection item list with a position of the selected button as a reference based on a comparison of the number of the selection items to be simultaneously displayed with the displayable number of selection items on the operating screen, and a generating unit which generates the item selection list on the operating screen based on the determined position.
US08225200B2
An apparatus includes a character extraction unit configured to extract a character string from a document including layout information, a character width acquisition unit configured to acquire space character width information, and a spacing amount determination unit configured to determine a spacing amount of each inter-character space based on the character string extracted by the character extraction unit and the layout information. The apparatus further includes an insertion unit configured to determine whether a space character is to be included in each inter-character space based on the spacing amount of each inter-character space determined by the spacing amount determination unit and the space character width information acquired by the character width acquisition unit, and to insert a space character code into an inter-character space in which a space character is determined to be included.
US08225189B2
Systems, methods, and computer program products that can be used concurrently or alternatively to detect errors in data as well as to protect access to data are provided. Embodiments enable a coherent data set (CDS) which is a data set guaranteed to be genuine and error-free at run-time. Embodiments provide systems, methods, and computer program programs to create a CDS, identify a CDS, and verify the coherency of a data set purported to be a CDS. Embodiments further enable privileged functions which are functions that can only be accessed by a restricted set of other privileged functions. Embodiments provide systems, methods, and computer program products to create, identify, and protect access to privileged functions.
US08225178B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a data storage area wherein a plurality of data cells, respectively storing one bit of data, is arranged in a lattice form, a redundant data storage area that stores one bit parity data, the one bit parity data corresponding respectively to a line of data read out of the data storage area as a data group, a first switch section that receives a data group read out from the data storage area and a parity data bit, and a composite unit that receives an output of the first switch section and that generates correction data for the read data group, as based upon defect position information of the data storage area. The first switch section is selectively controlled to provide the parity data bit associated with the read data group as an input into the composite unit based on the defect position information.
US08225166B2
A signal processing apparatus is provided. The signal processing apparatus includes an inner-code decoder, an outer-code decoder, and an error detection unit. The inner-code decoder decodes an input data stream to generate a first output data stream, wherein the input data stream is coded using a concatenated coding scheme including an outer coding and an inner coding. The outer-code decoder decodes the first output data stream to generate a second output data stream. The error detection unit performs an error detection upon the second output data stream to generate an error detection result. The decision logic sets error indication information of the second output data stream according to at least the error detection result.
US08225163B2
A resource allocation method for use in a system for performing a decoding function by combining an first-transmitted packet with a re-transmitted packet includes: transmitting a packet using N resource blocks (where N=integer>0); receiving a first negative-acknowledgement (NACK) signal for the packet; and re-transmitting the packet using M resource blocks according to the first NACK signal (where M=N>integer>0). Therefore, the resources can be efficiently allocated during the re-transmission.
US08225162B2
A method and apparatus for power control of the re-transmission data packet in a wireless communication system is disclosed. A first wireless communication device is provided that receives (210) a data packet from a second wireless communication device and determines (220) if the data packet is correctly decoded. If the data packet is not correctly decoded, the first wireless communication device calculates (230) a first re-transmission power required for correctly decoding the data packet based on a signal to noise ratio (Eb/No) versus frame error rate (FER) relationship. And further calculates a power difference (240) between the calculated re-transmission power and the power of the received data packet and transmits the power difference (250) to the second wireless communication device. The second wireless communication device calculates (340) a second re-transmission power based on the received power difference and re-transmits (350) the data packet at the calculated re-transmission power.
US08225159B1
The present disclosure is directed to implementing power savings features on storage drives within a storage subsystem. A controller determines a drive is inactive and directs a power connector to prevent power from being provided to the drive. The controller may receive an input/output request for the inactive drive, direct the power connector to allow power to be provided, and provide the input/output request. When the controller receives an input/output request for the inactive drive, the controller sends a notification to the request's originator that the drive is unavailable and to retry after a fixed period of time. The controller performs maintenance on the drive when the drive is not inactive. The controller determines a maintenance time when the drive will be inactive and performs maintenance at an accelerated rate.
US08225132B2
In a storage system, a first loop and a second loop are connected to a controller, and at least one of the first loop and the second loop is connected to existing storage devices (which are physical storage devices other than additional storage devices, which are physical storage devices which are additionally provided). In processing for additional provision, after having disconnected all of the existing storage devices from the first loop, the controller connects an additional storage device to the first loop. And the controller acquires, via said first loop, an address acquired by this additional storage device, and makes a first suitability decision as to whether or not this address is appropriate. And, if the result of this first suitability decision is negative, then the controller blocks up this additional storage device whose address has been acquired.
US08225127B2
Described are the architecture of such a system, algorithms for time synchronization during a multiway conferencing session, methods to fight with network imperfections such as jitter to improve synchronization, methods of introducing buffering delays to create handicaps for players with faster connections, methods which help players with synchronization (such as a synchronized metronome during a music conferencing session), methods for synchronized recording and live delivery of synchronized data to the audience watching the distributed interaction live over the Internet.
US08225116B2
A communication device includes a power supply system, the power supply system includes: an MCH, a power module, and at least one AMC module. The AMC module is adapted to send a load power supply control command according to a received load power supply control request. The power module is adapted to receive input of external power supply, and provide management power supply and load power supply after converting the input of external power supply. The at least one Advanced Mezzanine Card (AMC) module is adapted to send the load power control request to the MCH, receive the load power supply control command sent by the MCH, and control provision of the load power supply of the power module according to the load power supply control command.
US08225113B2
A computer system includes a north bridge chip, a power source, and a resistor-capacitor filter circuit coupled between the power source and the north bridge chip. The north bridge chip has a digital-to-analog converter analog power pin and a digital-to-analog converter analog ground pin. The power source is coupled to the digital-to-analog converter analog power pin of the north bridge chip. The resistor-capacitor filter includes a first resistor and a first capacitor. The first resistor is connected between the power source and the digital-to-analog converter analog power pin of the north bridge chip. One end of the first capacitor is connected to the digital-to-analog converter analog power pin of the north bridge chip, and another end of the first capacitor is connected to ground together with the digital-to-analog converter analog ground pin of the north bridge chip.
US08225109B1
An apparatus and method for securing a baseline backup are disclosed. As part of an incremental backup process, a selected set of file system data, including directories and files, are identified. The selected set of file system data are compressed, and then encrypted. Based on the encrypted and compressed file system data, a data digest is generated that uniquely identifies the encrypted and compressed file system data. The compressed and encrypted file system data are written to a portable storage device along with the data digest, thereby enabling the safe, manual transport of the file system data to a secondary, or backup, computer system (e.g., at a remote data center).
US08225108B2
The present invention provides a method of integrating existing strong encryption methods into the processing of a .ZIP file to provide a highly secure data container which provides flexibility in the use of symmetric and asymmetric encryption technology. The present invention adapts the well established .ZIP file format to support higher levels of security and multiple methods of data encryption and key management, thereby producing a highly secure and flexible digital container for electronically storing and transferring confidential data.
US08225107B2
Provided are methods of storing and searching for data in encrypted form. The method of storing data in encrypted form includes: encrypting desired data from among data stored in a database; dividing an entire region of the stored data into a plurality of bucket regions and allocating an index to each of the bucket regions; identifying order information in a bucket region to which the encrypted data belongs; and storing the encrypted data, index information of the bucket region to which the encrypted data belongs, and the identified order information in an external server. When a database containing important data of at least one user is stored in an external server using the above storing method, the security and efficiency of the database can be increased.
US08225100B2
Aspects relate to systems and methods for implementing a hash function using a stochastic and recurrent process, and performing arithmetic operations during the recurrence on portions of a message being hashed. In an example method, the stochastic process is a Galton-Watson process, the message is decomposed into blocks, and the method involves looping for a number of blocks in the message. In each loop, a current hash value is determined based on arithmetic performed on a previous hash value and some aspect of a current block. The arithmetic performed can involve modular arithmetic, such as modular addition and exponentiation. The algorithm can be adjusted to achieve qualities including a variable length output, or to perform fewer or more computations for a given hash. Also, randomizing elements can be introduced into the arithmetic, avoiding a modular reduction until final hash output production.
US08225097B2
Digital content protection can be effectively implemented through use of an anchor point and binding records in a user domain. An anchor point domain may include a secure anchor point, and data storage to store digital property instances and rights objects. The secure anchor point may be configured to receive a title pre-key from the rights object and use a binding key to decrypt the title pre-key to yield a title key. The binding key may include data uniquely associating the encrypted digital property instance with the secure anchor point.
US08225093B2
Providing for secure and efficient communication for mobile applications executed in a mobile operating environment is described herein. As an example, a primary mobile application can initiate a handshake that includes a unique identifier of the primary application and a random number for signing and/or certifying responsive requests. A recipient application can reference the unique identifier with a list of certified primary applications to verify the primary application. If verified, the recipient responds with the random number and a second random number that can sign and/or certify data requests sent by the primary application. According to some embodiments, random numbers can be hashed and/or truncated to provide low power encryption for such numbers. Further, round-trip policies can be enforced to provide reliable transmission of data. Accordingly, reliable, secure and low power synchronous communication can be conducted in a mobile environment.
US08225082B2
A system for loading application identifiers to a mobile device includes a mobile device, a card device insertable into the mobile device, and an application center. The card device is adapted to determine an effective mobile device identifier of the mobile device, and transmit the effective mobile device identifier to the application center. The effective mobile device identifier is based at least in part on the result of a process performed by the card device. The application center is adapted to (1) determine zero or more allotted application identifiers and zero or more application identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device based at least in part on the effective mobile device identifier, (2) identify at least one application identifier of the zero or more allotted application identifiers which does not form part of the zero or more application identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device, and (3) load the at least one application identifier to the mobile device.
US08225066B2
A storage system 1000 providing a storage area to an external device 1500 comprises a plurality of storage apparatuses 1100, 1200 and 1300 of different performance capabilities, and a storage controller 2600. The storage controller 2600 holds storage cost coefficients 3202 of the respective storage apparatuses 1100, 1200 and 1300, user cost allocation information 3302 for each user using the storage system 1000 from the external device 1500, and user cost distribution information 3402 that defines, for each user, proportions of an available space amount distributed to the storage apparatuses 1100, 1200 and 1300. The storage controller 2600 calculates an ideal utilization 3502 for each user, from the storage cost coefficients 3202 and the user cost distribution information 3402, and allocates, for each user, the ideal utilization 3502 to each of the storage apparatuses 1100, 1200 and 1300, in the order of the performance capabilities from highest to lowest.
US08225062B2
Embodiments are disclosed herein that are related to controlling the visibility of a portion of memory in a hardware device. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a hardware device comprising a communications interface configured to connect to a complementary communications interface on a computing device. The hardware device further comprises a portion of memory having a first ID configured to cause the portion of memory to be visible to a user of the computing device to which the hardware device is connected. Further still, the hardware device comprises instructions stored in the portion of memory which are executable by and transferable to the computing device to cause the installation of a computer program related to the hardware device, and to cause the portion of memory to be hidden from the user of the computing device upon transferring of the instructions to the computing device.
US08225061B2
Methods and an apparatuses that perform protected content data processing with limited access to system resources are described. One or more regions in a memory (including a source memory and a destination memory) can be allocated and unprocessed content data can be mapped to the source memory. A process can be initialized with the source and destination memories to process the content data. The process can be prevented from accessing resource other than the allocated regions in the memory. The processed content data can be stored in the destination memory. In one embodiment, the content data can include media content. A playing device can be instructed to play the media content based on the processed content data via the destination memory.
US08225059B2
Proposed are a remote copy system and a remote copy control method capable of performing the operation of remote copy according to the user's usage status. Resource information representing a resource usage status is collected from a first storage apparatus installed at a primary site and a second storage apparatus installed respectively at one or more secondary sites, a transfer mode of differential data between snapshots to be transferred from the first storage apparatus to the second storage apparatus based on the collected resource information, and the first and second storage apparatuses are controlled so as to transfer the differential data from the first storage apparatus to the second storage apparatus based on the decided transfer mode.
US08225054B2
A request is received from a client machine via a web interface for content presented on a web page. A globally unique identifier (GUID) that is associated with the user is accessed and a number is generated based on the GUID. The generated number is utilized as an index to locate the storage device from the number of storage devices. Here, the storage device stores a user profile associated with the user. The user profile is read from the located storage device and the web page is personalized based on this user profile. The personalized web page is then communicated to the client machine. Other techniques for locating a storage device are also described.
US08225046B2
A method and apparatus for disabling ways of a cache memory in response to history based usage patterns is herein described. Way predicting logic is to track consecutive misses to ways of a cache, i.e. hits/reads to other ways of cache. Based on the usage of ways and the non-usage of other ways, the way predicting logic determines if a way is to be powered down. In response to determining a way is to be powered down, the way predicting logic generates a power signal to power down an associated. Furthermore, upon a subsequent hit to a powered down way, the way predicting logic toggles the power signal to power up the associated way to ensure performance.
US08225045B2
A data processing system includes a first processing unit and a second processing unit coupled by an interconnect fabric. The first processing unit has a first processor core and associated first upper and first lower level caches, and the second processing unit has a second processor core and associated second upper and lower level caches. In response to a data request, a victim cache line is selected for castout from the first lower level cache. The first processing unit issues on the interconnect fabric a lateral castout (LCO) command that identifies the victim cache line to be castout from the first lower level cache and indicates that a lower level cache is an intended destination. In response to a coherence response indicating success of the LCO command, the victim cache line is removed from the first lower level cache and held in the second lower level cache.
US08225040B1
A computer-implemented method for redundant data storage may include identifying a storage system. The computer-implemented method may also include identifying a unit of data to be redundantly stored. The computer-implemented method may further include identifying an integer that represents the unit of data. The computer-implemented method may additionally include identifying a set of pairwise coprimes. The computer-implemented method may further include generating a set of shares, with each share including a reduction of the integer modulo a corresponding pairwise coprime in the set of pairwise coprimes. The computer-implemented method may also include redundantly storing the unit of data by storing the set of shares on the storage system. Various other methods and systems are also disclosed.
US08225035B2
System and methods for storing data to a storage device are provided. In embodiments, the storage device may include a disk drive with a solid-state memory for storing certain frequently updated information. In some embodiments, the solid-state memory may be used to store journaling information.
US08225033B2
A data storage system comprising a plurality of buffers configured to store data, a read pointer to indicate a particular one of the plurality of buffers from which data should be read, and a write pointer to indicate a particular one of the plurality of buffers to which data should be written. The write pointer points at least one buffer ahead of the buffer to which the read pointer is pointing. An electronic system and a telecommunications system are further disclosed.
US08225032B2
A data input buffer control signal generating device is capable of preventing unnecessary operation and current consumption of blocks and thus stabilizing an internal operation of DRAM by generating a control signal which controls an enabling timing of a data input buffer not to be conflicted with an output data. The data input buffer control signal generating device includes a write-related control unit configured to generate a data input buffer reference signal generated on the basis of a write latency by a write command, a read-related control unit configured to replicate a delay through a data output path, delay an end command for a data output termination and generate a delayed end command, wherein the end command is generated by a read command, and an output unit configured to output a data input buffer control signal by combining the data input buffer reference signal and the output of the delayed end command.
US08225027B2
A device may include a group of requestors issuing requests, a memory that includes a set of memory banks, and a control block. The control block may receive a request from one of the requestors, where the request includes a first address. The control block may perform a logic operation on a high order bit and a low order bit of the first address to form a second address, identify one of the memory banks based on the second address, and send the request to the identified memory bank.
US08225022B2
A method is provided for enabling electronic representation of a removable or fixed data storage device having a non-volatile memory as an operating system-standard disk directly accessible to a main bus of a computing appliance having a peripheral component interface connector and a motherboard. The method includes the acts (a) providing a peripheral component interface ported to a memory controller on the device, the memory controller for controlling host access to the non-volatile memory, (b) providing disk control registers and or bus control registers including appropriate disk and or bus protocols and commands in the peripheral component interface on the device, and (c) connecting the device to the peripheral component interface connector of the computing appliance.
US08225016B2
Methods and apparatus to odd and even frame combination data path architectures are described. In one embodiment, a logic may include a buffer and a parallel input, serial output (PISO) logic that may be utilized for transferring data between a source and a destination. The logic may be utilized for transferring the data whether or not the data is transmitted in accordance with single ended or differential signals. Other embodiments are also described.
US08225015B2
Certain examples provide systems, apparatus, and methods for adaptive, dynamic medical device connectivity. In an example, a medical device interface system includes a device interface connecting a medical device to a client system and enabling exchange of data between the medical device and the client system, the device interface includes a plug and play detector detecting a connection of the medical device to the device interface and a serial agent gathering information from the medical device via a connection between the medical device and the device interface and selecting an appropriate device driver to operate and interact with the medical device connected to the device interface regardless of a presence or absence of an existing plug and play capability of the medical device.
US08225007B2
A method for reducing address space in a shared virtualized I/O device includes allocating hardware resources including variable resources and permanent resources, to one or more functions. The method also includes allocating address space for an I/O mapping of the resources in a system memory, and assigning a respective portion of that address space for each function. The method further includes assigning space within each respective portion for variable resources available for allocation to the function to which the respective portion is assigned, and further assigning space within each respective portion for a set of permanent resources that have been allocated to the function to which the respective portion is assigned. The method further includes providing a translation table having a plurality of entries, and storing within each entry of the translation table, a different internal address of a permanent resource that has been allocated to a particular function.
US08225006B1
In one embodiment of the invention, a method for data redundancy across three or more storage devices is disclosed. The method includes storing a collection of data chunks as a plurality of N-1 data stripes across N storage devices where N is three or more, wherein each data chunk of up to N data chunks forming a data stripe is stored in a different storage device; storing a parity stripe across the N storage devices including N-1 data parity chunks and one meta data parity chunk; wherein each Kth storage device of N-1 storage devices stores a Kth data parity chunk of the N-1 data parity chunks computed as parity of up to N data chunks forming the Kth data stripe; and wherein an Nth storage device of the N storage devices stores the meta parity chunk computed as parity of the N-1 data parity chunks stored in the respective N-1 storage devices.
US08225001B2
Software is propagated over a social network through an instant message client. The software is propagated to a computing device in the social network over the instant message client, wherein the software is based upon a rating system within the social network.
US08224998B2
A method and system are described for providing features for internet access at an internet appliance which go beyond the resource limitations of the internet appliance. Such features may be implemented on the server, and coupled to the internet appliance for display, responsive to the ability of the internet appliance to provide those features. (1) The internet appliance and the server adapt to communication link limitations by dynamically adjusting picture quality or size for graphics to be displayed. (2) The internet appliance and the server adapt to memory and processor limitations by dynamically running applets at the server and intercepting display functions of applets for display at the internet appliance. (3) The internet appliance and the server adapt to memory and processor limitations by dynamically running editing programs or web pages at the server and by dynamically adjusting picture quality or size for graphics to be displayed.
US08224996B2
The illustrative embodiments provide for filtering LDAP requests and server responses. A viewport server is configured with filtering rules for responses from a directory server where the responses are generated to fulfill requests from a client application. The filtering rules determine which data is to be forwarded to the client application. One or more responses are intercepted from the directory server to the client application. The one or more intercepted responses are filtered according to the filtering rules to produce a set of filtered responses. The set of filtered responses are then sent to the client application.
US08224991B2
Streaming to a terminal by using a duplicating switch to receive a stream of data units, using the duplicating switch to store content from the stream, using the duplicating switch to generate a second stream that incorporates the content that was stored and address information corresponding to more than one terminal whose addressing information was not part of the first stream, and using the duplicating switch to make the second stream of data units available to two or more terminals.
US08224990B2
An apparatus and method for managing interpersonal activities among subscribers. A processor picks two subscribers for a meeting, and assigns them matched face-to-face or virtual assignments that are either identical or complementary. Assignments are selected by a processor according to preferences previously received from the picked subscribers. A random factor may affect the assignment selection. The level of intensity and/or intimacy of assignments selected by the processor may be responsive to the number of previous meetings of the picked subscribers.
US08224989B2
Flexible network policies might be enforced by (a) obtaining a flow of network packets, (b) determining a content characteristic by characterizing content of the flow using bit-stream level statistics, (c) determining content-independent flow characteristics, port-independent flow characteristics, and/or application header-independent flow characteristics, and (d) enforcing a policy on the flow using both (1) the determined content characteristic and the (2) determined content-independent flow characteristics, port-independent flow characteristics, and/or application header-independent flow characteristics.
US08224986B1
The invention is directed to techniques in a computer, for processing a content request. In one arrangement a content engine receives a content request from a client, generates a result based on the content request, the result including one of a content-providing value and a redirection value in response to the content request, and selectively provides, to the client, one of (i) content when the result includes the content-providing value, and (ii) a redirection message when the result includes the redirection value, the redirection message including an extended domain name having a client identifier which identifies the client.The result can be used by a content router or content engine in deciding whether to provide content or a redirection. The decision to selectively provide can be based on client proximity to the content engines, past redirections, content size and type, content engine capacity, content availability and other factors.
US08224985B2
Disclosed are systems and methods for peer-to-peer communication over a network between a first node behind a first network address translator (NAT) and a second node behind a second NAT, despite the first NAT and the second NAT intervening between the first and second nodes. The first NAT is a Symmetric NAT. A port prediction is performed wherein the first node constructs a list of predicted transport addresses on the first NAT. A message containing the list of predicted transport addresses is sent from the first node to the second node. A connectivity check is performed with the second node using the predicted transport addresses.
US08224983B2
Embodiments disclosed herein provide a control device and a method executing thereon for allocating network bandwidth to users accessing a controlled network. In response to a user connecting to the control device using a user device, the control device obtains a user bandwidth allocation profile for that user based on user credentials. The user bandwidth allocation profile may be stored local or remote to the control device. A provisioning module running on the control device can map attributes in the user bandwidth allocation profile to a traffic control rule and associate the traffic control rule with the user based on the user credentials and considering information identifying the user device used by the user to connect to the control device. A traffic conditioning module running on the control device can regulate the network bandwidth usage by the user utilizing the traffic control rule associated with the user.
US08224972B2
A server device sends a list of account holders together with an invitation to bind to the server. A client device can decide to present the invitation to a user for decision only if the client device finds a match between the list and the user.
US08224971B1
Techniques are described for providing managed virtual computer networks that have a configured logical network topology with virtual networking devices, such as by a network-accessible configurable network service, with corresponding networking functionality provided for communications between multiple computing nodes of the virtual computer network by emulating functionality that would be provided by the virtual networking devices if they were physically present. In some situations, the networking functionality provided for a managed computer network of a client includes receiving routing communications directed to the virtual networking devices, and using included routing information to identify and initiate external actions whose effects are not related to how network communications between computing nodes of the managed computer network are configured to be routed or otherwise forwarded through the managed computer network, such as external actions that affect devices that are not part of the managed computer network, or other types of external actions.
US08224970B2
A Web-screen sharing system including a first and a second terminals, and a mediation server. The system includes: the terminals exchanging addresses through the mediation server; connecting the terminals using the addresses; when the first terminal is connected to any Web server, detecting whether a content in the Web server is security-protected; if protected, performing predetermined authentication processing with the Web server; when the authentication is successful, the Web server transmitting a content following the authentication processing to the first terminal; the first terminal displaying the content as a Web screen, and capturing the Web screen; transmitting an image file of the Web screen to the second terminal to display the screen on the second terminal, if not protected, the first terminal receiving the content from the Web server, and transmitting a URL at that time to the second terminal to display the Web screen.
US08224967B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing an application. The systems and methods may include receiving a first selection data from a first front-end system or a first back-end system and receiving a second selection data from a second front-end system and a second back-end system. The systems and methods may next include transmitting a first version of a first service module to the first front-end system and transmitting a second version of the first service module to the second front-end system. In addition, the systems and methods may include receiving a first output data and a second output data from the first front-end system and from the second front-end system respectively, the first output data being produced by the first version of the first service module executed on the first front-end system and the second output data being produced by the second version of the first service module executed on the second front-end system.
US08224963B2
A connection accepting system, an accepting server, and a connection-acceptance managing method, for reducing the processing load of a server and allowing connection to the server in the order of arrival of connection requests. An accepting server accepts a connection request to an application server made from a client terminal through a network. The accepting server issues a reference number to the client terminal at the time of receiving a first connection request, and manages a connection priority for connection to the application server, based on the reference number. The accepting server transmits a program for automatically executing a connection request again after a predetermined time period, at the time of issuing the reference number to the client terminal.
US08224955B2
The different illustrative embodiments provide a method, apparatus, and computer program product for folding at each affinity level for a partition spanning multiple nodes. In one illustrative embodiment, a method is provided for identifying a number of domains in a number of affinity levels. A lightest loaded domain is identified in the number of domains identified. A number of nodes are identified in the lightest loaded domain identified. A lightest loaded node is identified in the number of nodes. A lightest loaded processing unit on the lightest loaded node is identified and the lightest loaded processing unit is folded.
US08224949B2
A broadband residential gateway (BRG) management system (101) has a communications interface (102) coupled to one or more BRGs 120 and one or more content service providers (CSPs)(110), a memory (104), and a processor (106). The processor can be programmed to establish (202) a content profile for each of the BRGs according to one or more attributes of the BRGs and the CSPs, receive (204) a content access request from one or more BRGs, and supply (206) each BRG access to selectable content from one or more of the CSPs according to the content profile.
US08224944B2
Embodiments of the invention include a method, apparatus and system for providing a Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) domain management application using a domain overlay architecture. The method includes comparing user constructs or data sets defining an existing domain overlay with device data that identifies various network devices in at least one SAS domain, and binding the existing domain overlay to an SAS domain if the existing domain overlay and the SAS domain are uniquely associated with one another. The method also includes creating a new domain overlay that is uniquely associated with an SAS domain for any SAS domain that is not bound to an existing domain overlay. A domain overlay and an SAS domain are not uniquely associated with one another unless the domain overlay references only network devices within the SAS domain and the network devices within the SAS domain are referenced only by the domain overlay.
US08224939B2
An environment variable for use cases such as UPnP AV use cases. The environment variable of the present invention is used to store the physical location of the user. For example, the environment variable can be used to identify a particular location as being a user's living room, kitchen, etc. The information stored in the environment variable can be used to enhance the user experience of the digital home or other environment by minimizing the number of manual selections that the user has to make in order to initiate a use case such as playing music in a bedroom or watching movies in a living room. The environment variable is used to trigger a change of a profile and select the devices needed to implement different use scenarios.
US08224937B2
Event reports generated from multiple event sources within an event management system such as Tivoli (TM) Event Console are handled by an Event Bus, which links multiple problem resolution servers together and assigns an ownership to each event report. The Event Bus parses each incoming event for adding or altering a slot value. Based on the slot value, the event is forwarded to the configured event servers. In addition, the ability to dynamically change ownership to maintain an error-free systematic transmission flow is provided.
US08224936B2
In one embodiment, a router is configured to relay a provisioning request originating from a remote network device to a remote provisioning server. When the router receives back a provisioning response including provisioning information identifying a first remotely stored configuration file, the router is configured to modify the provisioning information such that the modified provisioning information no longer identifies the first remotely stored configuration file. The router then relays the provisioning reply, which may identify a second different configuration file, to the remote network device.
US08224928B2
Disclosed is a communications network element that is capable of routing signaling messages and also performing inter-network management functions in a converged telephony-data network environment. A signaling gateway routing node is adapted to facilitate signaling communication between nodes in a signaling system 7 network and nodes in an Internet protocol (IP) type network. In addition to basic message routing functionality, the signaling gateway routing node is adapted to notify nodes in the IP network when a node in the SS7 network becomes congested or unavailable. In certain cases, the signaling gateway selectively notifies only IP nodes that are concerned with the status of the troubled SS7 node, while in other cases, notification messages are broadcast to all relevant IP nodes. The signaling gateway also serves to filter redundant congestion status queries or polling type messages that are conveyed from IP nodes through to the distressed SS7 node.
US08224926B1
Disclosed are systems and methods for outage avoidance in connecting to a remote system. The systems and methods dynamically adjust the number of requests allowed to attempt to access the remote system, resulting in a more efficient use of resources and an improved user experience.
US08224920B1
This disclosure generally may disclose a web-based online network drive that may be utilized by many users. Furthermore, this disclosure may provide for an efficient, web-based file system, which may be available as a network drive on a local computer.
US08224911B2
An information distribution system 3 including a portable telephone set (70), having a display unit for displaying image data, and a communication function, and owned by a user, an image data processing device (11), having an image data processing function and a communication function, a server (12) for storing image data transmitted from the image data processing device (11), and a portable telephone base station 13 connected to the portable telephone set (15) over a portable telephone communication network (14). A list of the addresses formulated in the past is displayed on a display unit of the portable telephone set (70). The text data included in the data referenced by the address selected from the list of addresses displayed is modified and a new address is appended to the modified data.
US08224908B2
In an information processing system which includes a transmitter terminal and an E-mail transmission control apparatus, the transmitter terminal sets an application classification of an E-mail to be transmitted, and transmits the E-mail to which the set application classification has been added, to the E-mail transmission control apparatus. Further, the E-mail transmission control apparatus receives the E-mail to which the application classification has been added, from the transmitter terminal, identifies, from approval request information in which the application classification and an approval request destination are made corresponding to each other, the approval request destination corresponding to the application classification added to the received E-mail, and transmits an approval request to the identified approval request destination.
US08224904B2
A method and system for capturing missed communications is provided. An enhanced real-time communication system receives a communication from an initiating participant for a receiving participant that is not available. The enhanced real-time communication system detects that the receiving participant missed the received communication from the initiating participant. Upon detecting that the receiving participant missed the communication, the enhanced real-time communication system stores the missed communication for later retrieval by the receiving participant.
US08224900B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to detect a device connecting to a network, determine the identity of the network, and publish a status indication to at least one of a list of active contacts or a list of inactive contacts. The list of active contacts may be selected from an original list of contacts, based on the identity of the network and a personal rule set associated with a user of the device. The list of inactive contacts may be included in the original list and not included in the list of active contacts. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US08224892B2
An improved oven for use in a residence is described. The oven includes a cooking chamber, a programmable controller for executing program instructions, memory media for recording executable program instructions, and at least one controllable cooking system under control of the programmable controller, which provides a data-processing-controlled high speed cooking process which may be applied to food placed in the oven chamber. A plurality of cooking programs are recorded in the memory media of the oven. These define a plurality of high speed cooking routines available for use with the oven. A gateway server is communicatively coupled to the programmable controller. It manages the communication of digital content which is at least in-part related to operation and utilization of the improved oven. A broadband communication channel extends from a source of digital content, which is external to the residence, to the residence. The broadband communication channel delivers particular digital content related to the oven through the gateway server for distribution within the residence, including distribution to the programmable controller of the oven in order to facilitate cooking operations utilizing the oven.
US08224884B2
The invention provides a method of transmitting messages over an interconnect between processors, each message comprising a header token specifying a destination processor and at least one of a data token and a control token. The method comprises: executing a first instruction on a first one of the processors to generate a data token comprising a byte of data and at least one additional bit to identify that token as a data token, and outputting the data token from the first processor onto the interconnect as part of one of the messages. The method also comprises executing a second instruction on said first processor to generate a control token comprising a byte of control information and at least one additional bit to identify that token as a control token, and outputting the control token from the first processor onto the interconnect as part of one of the messages.
US08224881B1
A system and method for managing welding information is provided. The invention includes a remote system, a client system and/or a welder. The invention further provides for establishment of a secure connection for transmission of information between the remote system and the client system and/or the welder and/or establishment of access rights of a user/client system/welder. The invention further provides for formulating of a query based upon a request for welding information from a user/welder/client system and searching of data store(s) based at least in part upon the request and/or access rights. The invention further includes filtering of search results and a design of experiment(s) component to facilitate creation of welding procedure(s). The invention further includes calculation of weld costs for potentially suitable welding procedure(s) and communication with a customer's resource planning system in order to facilitate further automation in the industrial environment.
US08224880B2
The present invention provides a file management system and method, and a storage system that can prevent file-multiplexing in a storage apparatus, and efficiently use the storage capacity of the storage apparatus. The storage apparatus stores first management information for managing two or more kinds of classification list, each classification list including one or more keywords, and second management information for managing the kinds of classification list set for each of one or more users with regard to each of one or more tiers of their respective virtual file trees; and sends, in response to a request from a client apparatus to search the classification lists for a classification list set for a directory, the classification list set for the relevant user with regard to the tier matching the request to the client apparatus with reference to the first and second management information.
US08224868B2
A method may include obtaining a source file at a node in peer-to-peer network and dividing the source file into a plurality of pieces. The pieces of the source file may be encoded using network coding principles. A last-modified-date (LMD) value may be appended to each of the encoded pieces, the LMD value being the same for each of the encoded pieces of the source file. The encoded pieces with the LMD values may be sent to one or more other nodes in the peer-to-peer network.
US08224859B2
A computer system includes a server computer and an insurance claim database. The insurance claim database stores data in electronic format and includes a claim folder that decomposes data of an insurance claim for an insured event into a plurality of levels, the plurality of levels including a policy level, a claim level, a participant level and a line level. The server computer is configured to generate a user interactive interface that interactively displays at least one of the plurality of levels reflecting information related to a policy, the claim, claimants and an insured person in a structured format to a plurality of users, and to allow each of the users to simultaneously interact with one of the plurality of levels to retrieve and enter data for the same insurance claim.
US08224855B2
Systems and methods are provided for manipulating data sets. In accordance with one implementation, a computerized system is provided for storing, managing, indexing, interrelating, and/or retrieving data sets in a manner independent of the data model. The system includes an element module configured to store and uniquely identify elements and an element relation module configured to store relationships between the elements in the element module. The computerized system may also comprise a class module configured to store attributes of elements in a class and a type definition module configured to define the class and the attributes related to the class. The computerized system may further comprise a state machine module, the state machine module including a state machine transition module and a status module.
US08224851B2
A system to create tags for tag cloud displays includes an authentication service to authenticate a user. The system includes a set of valid resources stored in a database system. A tag creation tool permits the authenticated user to create at least one tag that serves to identify a selected resource within the set of valid resources. Each tag includes a weighted value. Each tag may include a public attribute that indicates that the tag is accessible to authenticated users and non-authenticated users. Alternatively, each tag may include a private attribute that indicates that the tag is only accessible to the authenticated user. A user interface displays tags in a tag cloud in accordance with attributes of the tags and weighted values of the tags.
US08224846B2
An apparatus for retrieving music that matches with a user preference across a plurality of music is provided. The apparatus comprises a feature vector generating device for generating feature vectors of each of the music, a clustering device for clustering the music into a plurality of clusters according to the feature vectors, a music extraction device for extracting a predetermined number of music from each of the clusters, a music selection accepting device for accepting a selection of music by the user from the music, and a music retrieval device for calculating similarities between a feature vector of the selected music and feature vectors of each of the music, and retrieving music that have higher similarities to the selected music among the music.
US08224845B2
Methods of generating a transactions prediction model using a computer for optimizing a number of transactions associated with a database system include capturing a database workload, where the database workload includes a number of statements corresponding with the transactions over a specified period of time, where each of the statements includes a variable parameter; then generating a generalized statements from the statements by replacing the variable parameter with a constant value; then generating other generalized statements, where if two or more of the number of the generalized statements are the same grouping the generalized statements to correspond with the other generalized statements; and then creating transaction classes, where each of the transaction classes includes at least one generalized statements.
US08224842B2
A computationally implemented method includes, but is not limited to: selecting at least one hypothesis from a plurality of hypotheses relevant to a user, the selection of the at least one hypothesis being based, at least in part, on at least one reported event associated with the user; and presenting one or more advisories related to the hypothesis. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
US08224840B2
A system and method of sensing and responding to service discoveries on a consumer's machine and, more particularly, to a system and method of sensing (discovering) service needs on a consumer's machine using a resident Daemon, and responding to the service discoveries using an extension of UDDI. The method comprises receiving a keyword from a local machine, locating a service associated with the keyword, and notifying the local machine about the service that matches the keyword.
US08224838B2
A search condition specifying unit specifies a search condition item, and specifies a re-search condition item which is desired to be re-searched based on the search result according to the search specified condition. A search processing unit extracts an item value corresponding to the re-search condition item from the search result of the database according to the search condition item, and repeats search of a database wherein the item value serves as the search condition item until no item value is extracted. A search result display unit displays the search result according to the search processing unit in a list.
US08224837B2
Techniques are provided for accessing and storing files within a virtual folder. A virtual folder is a folder that is logically a part of a hierarchical folder structure of a file system repository, but the contents of the virtual folder are not physically stored in the file system repository. A client may issue, to an access mechanism, a request to perform a file operation on a file in a virtual folder. The access mechanism, which may be a database server or a component therein, may perform the file operation on the file in the virtual folder as if the file was stored in a particular folder within the hierarchical folder structure implemented by the file system repository. Advantageously, files may be physically stored outside of the file system repository, but still be a part of the hierarchical folder structure implemented by the file system repository.
US08224834B2
A method includes: collecting message sequences including a series of messages issued in response to one processing request; classifying the collected message sequences into groups of the message sequences whose simplified message sequences generated by excluding words other than reserved words from a database message that is a message including a SQL sentence are identical, wherein the database message is included in the series of messages; generating, for each group, a normalized expression including the reserved words in the database message as fixed character strings and arbitrary character strings replaced with portions other than the fixed character strings in the database message, for the database message included in the message sequence belonging to the group; and generating a rule for converting the database message considered to be identical with the normalized expression into a series of fixed character strings included in the normalized expression.
US08224831B2
Mechanisms are provided for optimizing files while allowing application servers access to metadata associated with preoptimized versions of the files. During file optimization involving compression and/or compaction, file metadata changes. In order to allow file optimization in a manner transparent to application servers, the metadata associated with preoptimized versions of the files is maintained in a metadata database as well as in an optimized version of the files themselves.
US08224830B2
The data constraint framework solution of the present invention addresses data quality issues by standardizing, verifying, matching, consolidating and merging data records using powerful inexact matching logic and search reduction technologies. The data conditioning framework uses these technologies to more efficiently condition data to improve the quality of data and/or resolve quality data issues such as incomplete, inaccurate and duplicate data records. For example, the data conditioning framework is used to “cleanse” incorrect, incomplete and duplicate data from a data source, such as an information system. The data conditioning framework uses the following approximate searching and matching techniques to improve the efficiency of the approximate matching, reduce the search space for approximate matching, and improve the speed of executing approximate searches and matches: 1) inexact trimmed matching, 2) adaptive search ordering, 3) cascading search space reduction, 4) tiered and metric indexing, and 5) domain knowledge matching.
US08224816B2
A system and a method of segmenting information, is provided. A topic list is displayed. A user selects a topic from the topic list, including a question indicative of the topic. The user is also provided with a pre-generated compounded statement, upon selecting, a correlated content is displayed. The question includes a plurality of response forms. The user selects a response form and a correlated content to the response form is displayed. The correlated content may be modified by the user by selecting a filter of a plurality of filters. An option to remove the question, and/or switch the question is provided. A priority is provided, allowing the user to display the correlated content in a specific sequence. An opposite correlated content is provided, that is opposite to the correlated content. A public content is provided that is indicative of what is popular among the public. The user is provided with a tracking overlay, the tracking overlay comprised of a rating panel, including a plurality of rating factors, and a selecting panel, including a plurality of commands, sorting of the correlated content to the response and generating a correlated content.
US08224812B2
A database management system has a query interface for receiving a query and a query executor for executing the received query. The query executor dynamically generates a task, and executes a plurality of tasks in parallel. In execution of each task, each time data is required to be read from a database, the query executor generates a task for acquiring the data, and in execution of the generated task, issues a data read request for reading the data from the database, to thereby shorten a time taken to execute each task.
US08224800B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a hardware accelerator that assists a host database system in processing its queries. The hardware accelerator comprises special purpose processing elements that are capable of receiving database query/operation tasks in the form of machine code database instructions, execute them in hardware without software, and return the query/operation result back to the host system. For example, table and column descriptors are embedded in the machine code database instructions. For ease of installation, the hardware accelerators employ a standard interconnect, such as a PCle or HT interconnect. The processing elements implement a novel dataflow design and Inter Macro-Op Communication (IMC) data structures to execute the machine code database instructions. The hardware accelerator may also comprise a relatively large memory to enhance the hardware execution of the query/operation tasks requested. The hardware accelerator utilizes hardware-friendly memory addressing, which allows for arithmetic derivation of a physical address from a global database virtual address simply based on a row identifier. The hardware accelerator minimizes memory reads/writes by keeping most intermediate results flowing through IMCs in pipelined and parallel fashion. Furthermore, the hardware accelerator may employ task pipelining and pre-fetch pipelining to enhance its performance.
US08224792B2
Method, system, and computer program product embodiments for facilitating deduplication product testing in a computing environment are provided. In one such embodiment, data to be processed through the deduplication product testing is arranged into a single, continuous stream. At least one of a plurality of random modifications are applied to the arranged data in a self-similar pattern exhibiting scale invariance. A plurality of randomly sized subsets of the arranged data modified with the self-similar pattern is mapped into each of a plurality of randomly sized deduplication test files.
US08224790B2
Irregular links and relationships in a data set may relate to fraudulent actions or identify deception or risk assessment or knowledge generation but may be identified by simple superficially unlinked actions. Thus, for example a claimant may claim through an address using one telephone number but contact the insurer for that claim using a different telephone number. By pooling all the information received, including all telephone numbers, unusual or irregular or fraudulent leads can be identified by establishing telephone numbers or other gateway cluster nodes for each dataset such that supposedly unrelated claims can be matched and therefore be more closely scrutinized. The information processor arrangement may create a cascade of clusters for an as presented data set which can be configured through cluster nodes to allow better identification of suspect activity or for better analysis profiling.
US08224788B2
The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for bookmarking and tagging content items such as media files with user-defined tag information and system-defined tag information based on file types. Utilizing tag information, a user of a bookmarking and tagging service provider can easily search for and retrieve links to media files having specific tag information, even if the media files are located at geographically disparate sites. A user may also retrieve the media files using web feeds.
US08224785B2
A network database system wherein clients of subscribing entities are authorized network access to reliable documents that are identified by each entity as being relevant to clients of that entity. Features that can be included in the system are customization of the documents to reflect sourcing by particular subscribers, automated formatting of the documents for storing in a network database, client access facilitated by subscriber-maintained databases, and the avoidance of cookies remaining on clients' computer hard drives following document access. Also disclosed is a method for processing repeated data requests on a distributed computer database.
US08224779B2
In order to prevent leakage of prescribed information (such as highly confidential information, for example) stored in a data management apparatus via a storage device external to such data management apparatus, when the data management apparatus carries out processing to back up the data stored therein to the external storage device, the data management apparatus prohibits backup of prescribed designated information.
US08224778B1
A computer-implemented method for backing up emails may include: 1) identifying a file for storing emails, 2) inspecting the file to determine whether the file is in a consistent state, 3) determining that the file is in a consistent state, and then 4) performing a backup operation on the file. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08224776B1
The system and method provide hosting entity-specific photo-sharing websites for entity-specific image capture devices by providing software for the entity-specific image capture devices that causes the image capture devices to transmit entity ID information when the image capture devices transmit images over the Internet. The system and method further provide an online photo-sharing service capable of hosting the entity-specific photo-sharing websites for each of the entities, such that when the image capture devices connect to photo-sharing service, the photo-sharing service uses the entity ID received from the image capture devices to automatically associate the image with the photo-sharing website of the identified entity.
US08224768B1
A method of predicting information related to a path of a weather phenomenon includes obtaining a plurality of tracks corresponding to the weather phenomenon from at least one source. A factor is assigned to each of the plurality of tracks. A set of probabilities for the weather phenomenon to intersect a plurality of segments corresponding to a boundary is determined using at least intersection points of the plurality of tracks with the boundary and the factor assigned to each of the plurality of tracks.
US08224760B2
A system for managing a purchase agreement, including: a memory element for at least one specially-programmed general purpose computer for storing an artificial intelligence program (AIP) and a purchase agreement between a customer and at least one business entity, the purchase agreement including at least one requirement regarding at least one retail transaction between the customer and the business entity; a processor in the specially-programmed general purpose computer for: compiling a purchasing history for the customer with respect to the business entity and the purchase agreement, the memory element for storing the purchasing history, and modifying, using the purchasing history and the AIP, the at least one requirement to increase revenue or profitability of the business entity; and an interface element in the specially-programmed general purpose computer for transmitting the modified at least one requirement for presentation to the customer.
US08224757B2
Methods and systems, including computer program products, for use with a curriculum management system that manages a curriculum comprised of at least a course. The method includes scheduling a booking of the course for a learner; receiving input requesting a modification to the booking; determining whether the booking is an individual booking or a curriculum booking; and processing the modification based on whether the booking is an individual booking or a curriculum booking.
US08224756B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a system having a controller to collect one or more user-generated comments from each of a plurality of computing devices, detect a correlation in the one or more user-generated comments collected from the plurality of computing devices, and establish a social network between the plurality of computing devices according to the detected correlation. The one or more user-generated comments can be temporally associated with media content presented at the plurality of computing devices. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08224730B2
The disclosed embodiments utilize hedge ratios to determine the optimal hedge ratio and associated scanning spread. This tells traders what ratios of the quantities of products they should have in their portfolio in order to maintain the status of the portfolios as delta neutral, i.e. be delta hedged, and receive optimal margin credits therefore.
US08224725B2
Digital data can be escrowed by receiving escrow parameters including a condition(s) for releasing the escrowed data, and an escrow recipient. An escrow contract is then created based upon the specified escrow parameters. The escrowing further includes storing the digital data in a secure information vault, and storing the escrow contract, along with a pointer to the stored data, in a database. When the condition has been satisfied, the data is released to the escrow recipient. The condition(s) for release can be a payment sum, a date, an indication from a depositor, a trustee or a vault administrator, and/or fulfillment of another escrow contract.
US08224713B2
In accordance with the present invention, an information management application that provides users with the ability to create and customize matrix displays of information relating to a particular product or service for navigation by other users is provided.
US08224711B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for generating contextualized live auction feeds. The method of generating contextualized live auction feeds comprises receiving context data from a user. The method further comprises utilizing the context data received from the user to search auctions. The method, in one embodiment, includes generating contextualized live auction feeds for an auction based on the context data.
US08224696B2
A system for automated reward management for network-based contests includes one or more processors and memory coupled to the processors, where the memory stores program instructions executable by the processors to implement a contest manager. The contest manager is configured to collect an entry fee corresponding to each entry of a plurality of entries submitted for a contest over a network, and provide a prize to a winning entry of the contest based at least in part on a total amount of entry fees collected for the contest.
US08224695B2
A platform service that is used by an application may be linked to an advertising service. A cost of using the platform service may be reduced based on the linking.
US08224687B2
Systems and methods are described for transforming actual aggregated data (e.g., transaction and terminal data) from a large number of POS terminals into market trend reports that include macro-level trend data and analyses. For example, POS datasets are aggregated from POS terminals distributed across many merchant outlet locations, each POS dataset including location data and transaction data for its respective POS terminal. A reporting request is received for a market trend report corresponding to a designated market over a designated timeframe. A market dataset is identified from the portion of the aggregated POS data corresponding to the designated timeframe and market. Unreliable portions of the data may be discarded. Market trend data is then calculated as a function of the reliable portion of the market dataset, and graphical report data is output as a function of the market trend data in response to the reporting request.
US08224686B1
A system, method, and article of manufacture is disclosed for analyzing a business initiative for a business network including business locations separated into control group sites and test sites that have implemented the business initiative for a predetermined test period. Each of the sites have an associated set of attributes reflecting various characteristics corresponding to the respective site, such as geographical location, size of business location, number of employees, etc. In one aspect of the invention, a process is performed that collects a performance value for each of the test and control group sites reflecting a level of performance of each respective sites during the test period. The performance of the test sites is then measured relative to the performance of the control sites over the same time period. The process may segment the performance values for each test site attribute to identify those attributes that have a greater impact on the performance values of the test sites than other attributes. Further, the process configures a model for predicting the performance values of the test sites using the identified attributes and determines whether the model accurately predicts these performance values. If so, the process applies the model to the non-tested sites to predict the performance values of these sites. Based on the predicted performance values, a user may select one or more of the sites to implement the business initiative.
US08224683B2
A method, system, and computer program product for monitoring service tickets for information technology (IT) service providers to ensure that levels of service regarding resolving problems identified by a customer are met is provided. In one embodiment, a monitoring server inspects a service ticket in a database to determine a deadline for when a problem associated with the service ticket must be resolved. The server then determines a deadline approaching alert time. This deadline approaching alert time is a time at which a help desk user must be notified that the deadline for resolving the problem must be met is approaching. The server then alerts the help desk user that the deadline for resolving the problem is approaching when the deadline approaching alert time is reached. If the problem is not resolved by the deadline, the server periodically alerts the help desk user when times for status updates, which have been specified by a level of service agreement for updating the customer of the status of resolution of problems that have past deadline, are approaching, thereby ensuring that the IT provider meets its obligations to the customer.
US08224680B2
A system for real-time maintaining an inventory of services and associated resources of a client company. A product component communicates with feeds receiving inventory data from the client company. A transactional component communicates with the product component for managing transactional records, processing responses related thereto and updating the inventory records accordingly. An expert engine component evaluates the transactional records against corresponding ones of the inventory records stored in the product component to identify eventual changes to be made to the inventory records as determined by set conditions, and controls generation of service orders articulated on action parameters of the transactions and the inventory records concerned by the transactions. A user interface capable of displaying selected inventory records, inputting transactions relative to the inventory records, and of inputting responses to the service orders placed by the expert engine component communicates with the product and transactional components.
US08224677B2
A computer system for administering applications for life insurance has a processor and a memory storage device in communication with the processor. The processor is configured to receive data indicative of an application and an initial premium payment from a proposed insured for life insurance; based on the received data, determine whether the proposed insured is uninsurable; responsive to a determination that the proposed insured is not uninsurable, generate an output signal having data indicative of a decision to respond to the application by issuing a policy and commencing a comprehensive underwriting process; receive data indicative of a result of the comprehensive underwriting process; based on the result of the comprehensive underwriting process, determine a rating of the proposed insured; and, based on the rating, provide an output signal indicative of a same or changed premium for the policy.
US08224676B2
A system for providing flight accident insurance at low price and fixed coverage comprises means for limiting the number of policies that can be sold on any given flight to not more than a predetermined number. The predetermined number may be 20. The premium for the insurance is a function of the GDP of the country in which the airline operating said flight is domiciled such that said premium is a decreasing function of said GDP.
US08224662B2
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for developing tailored content. A selection of content is received. Content information is received that describes the selected content. Clickstream data is received that describes at least one subscriber's action while receiving the selected content. A category is assigned to the selected content information. The content information is merged with the clickstream data to create content-choice information, and the content-choice information is stored in a database. The database is queried to obtain the content-choice information matching a search query.
US08224660B2
A method is provided for coding a source audio signal. The method includes the following steps: coding a quantization profile of coefficients representative of at least one transform of the source audio signal, according to at least to distinct coding techniques, delivering at least two sets of data representative of a quantization profile; selecting one of the sets of data representative of a quantization profile, as a function of a predetermined selection criterion; transmitting and/or storing the set of data representative of a selected quantization profile and an indicator representative of the corresponding coding technique.
US08224642B2
An “impostor profile” for a language is used to determine whether documents are in that language or no language. The impostor profile for a given language provides statistical information about the expected results of applying a language model for one or more other (“impostor”) languages to a document that is in fact in the given language. After a most likely language for a test document is identified, the impostor profile is used together with the scores for the test document in the various impostor languages to determine whether to identify the test document as being in the most likely language or in no language.
US08224635B1
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for efficiently performing N-body computations using parallel computation systems. The technique involves a first processing step whereby a force matrix is partitioned into tiles, which are assigned to a one or more thread groups for processing. An off-diagonal tile may be aligned to include no diagonal cells, while an on-diagonal tile includes diagonal cells. One approach for computing either type of tile involves assigning each row from a tile to a thread within a thread group. Each thread operates on an offset pattern to avoid access conflicts to a shared memory. A net force for each atom within an N-body system is then computed by efficiently adding constituent forces stored within the force matrix using reduction operations on the force matrix.
US08224620B2
The invention relates to a method for testing the driftability of metal tubes, wherein a cylindrical drift body having a defined diameter and a defined length is guided through the tube with defined force for ensuring a predetermined internal diameter and a minimum straightness. Virtual drifting is hereby performed instead of the physical drift operation.
US08224618B2
A method of reconstructing, in two dimensions, a path of a living being or of an object moving, by a repetitive movement, in a plane or a two-dimensional surface or along a plane or a two-dimensional surface, including: measuring at least two variable components of the projection of the terrestrial magnetic field on at least two axes of a biaxial or triaxial magnetometer connected to or situated on the living being or object, measuring the period, or frequency, of a signal corresponding to the measurement of at least one of the variable components along one of the axes of the magnetometer, measuring the heading, or direction, of the movement, from at least two field measurements along at least two axes of the magnetometer, and reconstituting the path from the measurements of period or frequency and of heading or direction.
US08224614B2
A first and second test templates are combined to a combination test template. The combination test template may be configured to execute the first and second test templates in combination, and based upon a definition. The combination test template may execute tests in sequential order, concurrently, a combination thereof or the like. The first test template may be configured to be executed by a single-core machine and may be transformed to a multi-core test template that is configured to be executed on a multi-core machine in parallel to other tests. By utilizing the disclosed subject matter, a reduction in overhead of executing the first and second test templates may be achieved; a predetermined interleaving may be performed and a user may control the manner in which the combination test template is executing the first and second test templates. Additionally, reuse of pre-silicon test templates in post-silicon stage may be achieved.
US08224609B2
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with MRI excitation are described. One example method includes performing a calibration to determine a set of transmission parameters for a set of excitation pulses for transmission channels available on a multi-channel MRI transmitter. The set of excitation pulses are configured to produce a resulting nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal from an object exposed to the set of excitation pulses. The resulting NMR signal comprises NMR signal associated with a first NMR resonance associated with the object and NMR signal associated with a second NMR resonance associated with the object.
US08224604B1
A system and method to measure a delay of an individual logic gate in an unmodified form on a chip using a digitally reconfigurable ring oscillator (RO) that is on the chip is provided. A system of linear equations is established for different configuration settings of the ring oscillator and solved to determine a delay of an individual gate.
US08224603B2
A frequency offset estimating apparatus includes an nth power computing module and a spectrum analyzing module. By raising a received signal to nth power to generate an nth power signal and analyzing the spectrum of the nth power signal, the present invention is capable of quickly and accurately estimating a frequency offset of the received signal. As being unaffected by channel characteristics, the estimating frequency offset apparatus is suitable for all channel environments.
US08224594B2
A method includes receiving data identifying wireless signals including wireless signals reflected off a surface of material in a tank and detecting a plurality of reflection peaks associated with the wireless signals. The method also includes classifying at least some of the detected reflection peaks and tracking at least some of the classified reflection peaks. The method further includes identifying a level of the material using at least one of the tracked reflection peaks. The classified peaks could include main-mode and/or high-mode reflection peaks, where the material level is identified using the main-mode peak or using an estimated location of the main-mode peak based on the high-mode peak. The classified peaks could also include level, bottom, and obstruction peaks, where the material level is identified by using a known permittivity, the bottom peak, and a tank height to estimate a location of the level peak when the level peak is lost or obscured.
US08224588B2
A method for determining the water conductivity of a multi-component mixture of gas and at least one liquid containing water in a pipe, the method comprising the following steps: a. electromagnetic measurements at least two measurement frequencies are performed in a pipe near the pipe wall at a first cross-sectional location where the mixture predominantly contains gas and at a second cross-sectional location where the mixture predominantly contains liquid, b. the temperature of the multi-component mixture is determined, and c. based on an empirically determined relationship between the measurements performed is step a and b and the conductivity of pure water, the conductivity of the water contained in the multi-component mixture is determined. An apparatus for performing the method is also disclosed.
US08224582B2
The invention discloses a Non-Equilibrium Capillary Electrophoresis of Equilibrium Mixtures (NECEEM) method and NECEEM-based practical applications. The NECEEM method is a homogeneous technique, which, in contrast to heterogeneous methods, does not require affixing molecules to a solid substrate. The method of the invention facilitates 3 practical applications. In the first application, the method allows the finding of kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of complex formation. It advantageously allows for revealing two parameters, the equilibrium dissociation constant, Kd, and the monomolecular rate constant of complex decay, koff, in a single experiment. In the second practical application, the method of this invention provides an approach for quantitative affinity analysis of target molecules. It advantageously allows for the use of affinity probes with relatively high values of koff. In the third practical application, the method of this invention presents a new and powerful approach to select target-binding molecules (ligands) from complex mixtures.
US08224569B2
A method for electronically generating driving directions including: indicating a starting address; indicating an ending address; indicating one or more preferences for the directions to include less than all steps that would otherwise be generated if not for the one or more preferences; and generating driving directions based on the indicated starting address, ending address, and one or more preferences. Also provided is a method for electronically generating driving directions including: indicating a starting address; indicating an ending address; instructing the use of less than all steps that would otherwise be generated if not for the instruction; and generating driving directions based on the indicated starting address, ending address, and instruction. Also provided is a method for electronically generating driving directions by indicating addresses or locations on a map.
US08224568B2
In a navigation system, an index information (idx(di(S))) tagged to an objective differential information (di(S)) which is a part of the entire differential information (di) is transmitted from a navigation apparatus (200) to a navigation server (100). Specifically, the index information (idx(di(S))) tagged to the objective differential information (di(S)) pertained to an area (S) containing therein a navigation route (r) for guiding an automobile (2) to a destination position (p2) is transmitted from the navigation device (200) to the navigation server (100). Further, the navigation server (100) determines whether the objective differential information (di(S)) is temporally valid or not, and the objective differential information (di(S)) is added to a navigation map information on condition that the determination result is affirmative. Furthermore, a new navigation route (r) can be set and output according to the updated navigation map information to which the objective differential information (di(S)) has been added.
US08224561B2
Disclosed herein is a system for assisting fuel-efficient driving, which can advise a driver to perform fuel-efficient driving by displaying a current fuel economy corresponding to a current driving state on a graph such that a driver can compare the current driving state with a target driving state for achieving an optimum fuel economy of the vehicle.
US08224549B2
A control module and method for controlling vehicle systems, including a possible acceleration module determining possible vehicle acceleration, an actual acceleration module determining actual vehicle acceleration, and a vehicle system control module controlling or providing input to the vehicle systems in response to the difference between possible vehicle acceleration and actual vehicle acceleration.
US08224545B2
A brake control apparatus (20) includes: a hydraulic pressure source (30) that regulates pressure of hydraulic fluid in accordance with a brake operation input (24,25); a wheel cylinder (23) that applies braking force to a wheel (22) in response to a supply of the hydraulic fluid to the wheel cylinder (23); a hydraulic pressure booster mechanism (31) that amplifies the brake operation input by using the hydraulic pressure source (30), and outputs the amplified brake operation input; a hydraulic fluid supply path (63) through which the hydraulic fluid is supplied from the hydraulic pressure source (30) to the wheel cylinder (23); and a controller (70) that shuts off (valve 66) a flow of the hydraulic fluid-through the hydraulic fluid supply path (63), if a malfunction due to hydraulic fluid leakage is detected in the hydraulic fluid supply path (63) during a brake control mode in which the hydraulic fluid is supplied to the wheel cylinder (23) through the hydraulic fluid supply path (63).
US08224544B2
A method and apparatus to control an electro-mechanical transmission is provided, selectively operative in a plurality of fixed gear modes and continuously variable modes, and comprising first and second electrical machines and hydraulically-actuated clutches. Included is launching a vehicle so equipped, comprising operating the electro-mechanical transmission in a continuously variable mode to transmit motive torque from the first electrical machine to the driveline, and, selectively increasing an operating speed of the engine and selectively actuating a second clutch to transmit motive torque generated by the second electrical machine when an operator torque request exceeds a predetermined threshold.
US08224542B2
In an automatic transmission of this invention, a determination as to whether or not a failure has occurred in a friction element is made repeatedly while a vehicle is traveling, and control to specify the failed friction element is begun when a vehicle speed falls to or below a predetermined value for the first time following detection of the failure in the friction element (S1, S3). When the failed friction element has been specified (S4, S13, S15, S24, S26, S35, S37), usable gear positions are determined on the basis of the specified friction element, whereupon shift control is performed using only the usable gear positions (S5, S14, S16, S25, S27, S36, S38, S39).
US08224539B2
A powertrain system includes an engine coupled to a transmission operative in one of a plurality of operating range states to transfer power between the engine and an output member. A method for controlling the powertrain system includes monitoring an operator torque request, monitoring barometric pressure and engine input speed to the transmission, determining an achievable range of input power transferable from the engine to the transmission based upon the barometric pressure and the engine input speed, and determining a preferred operating range state for the transmission and a preferred engine operating point at the preferred operating range state based upon the operator torque request and the achievable range of input power.
US08224537B2
A clutch temperature prediction module for a dual clutch transmission (DCT) includes at least one clutch slip power module that determines a first clutch slip power of a first clutch and a second clutch slip power of a second clutch. A temperature calculation module receives the first clutch slip power, the second clutch slip power, an ambient air temperature, an engine oil temperature, and a transmission oil temperature, and calculates at least one clutch plate temperature and a clutch housing temperature based on the first clutch slip power, the second clutch slip power, the ambient air temperature, the engine oil temperature, and the transmission oil temperature using a linear time-invariant (LTI) model.
US08224535B2
A control apparatus for a vehicular power transmitting apparatus includes, in series, i) a differential portion which is provided with a differential mechanism having a differential function with respect to an input shaft and an output shaft, in which the differential mechanism is switched between a differential state and a non-differential state, and ii) a stepped shifting portion that shifts between a plurality of gears in a stepped manner. During a shift with a switch between the differential state and the non-differential state in the differential portion, the control apparatus either maintains the gear at that time or shifts into a gear that is adjacent to that gear.
US08224532B2
A vehicular control system includes a master control device. The master control device is configured to facilitate selection by a driver of a vehicle from among multiple operational modes. In a first operational mode, the control system prevents a door control device from effecting operation of a power door actuator. In a second operational mode, the control system facilitates operation of a power door actuator in response to a door control signal. Vehicles including the control system are also provided.
US08224523B2
A method of language provisioning includes receiving a language designation as part of a packet sent from a communication point. The method also includes setting a local language emergency database (LLED) as a basis for a spoken language when placing emergency calls. According to this method, if an emergency call is originated by a vehicle computing system, outgoing communication from the vehicle computing system is performed at least substantially based on words and/or phrases stored in the LLED.
US08224517B2
In order to diagnose a coolant pump (11) which is provided for the purpose of circulating a coolant in a closed cooling circuit of an internal combustion engine (10) and which can be activated and deactivated independently of the operating state of the internal combustion engine (10), both a value representing the coolant temperature (TCO) of the internal combustion engine (10) and a value representing the cylinder head temperature (TZK) of the internal combustion engine (10) are determined at a predefined time instant (t2) after a cold start of the internal combustion engine (10) has been detected and the values are subsequently compared with each other. The coolant pump (11) is rated in terms of its operational integrity as a function of the result of the comparison. This enables a faulty coolant pump to be detected at a very early stage after a cold start of the internal combustion engine.
US08224510B2
A portable computer system and method of operating a vehicle using the portable computer system in a communication-based train control (CBTC) system territory is provided. The portable computer system includes a sensor and a transceiver that is communicatively coupled to the sensor and to the CBTC system, wherein the portable computer system configured to be removably coupled to the vehicle. The method includes verifying that the vehicle is operating with one of a non-operational CBTC computer system and a non-CBTC computer system, and removably coupling a portable computer system including at least one sensor and a transceiver that is communicatively coupled to the sensor to the vehicle such that the transceiver is coupled in communication with the CBTC system.
US08224506B2
A method of determining and utilizing a maximum stabilization height of a moving airplane includes: determining a nominal total height at any point of the nominal path of the airplane, determining a total height of the airplane, determining a nominal maximum total height that the airplane is able to reach from its current position corresponding to a nominal total height and according to an optimum total height variation law, determining the maximum stabilization height corresponding to the nominal maximum total height that the airplane is able to reach, and determining whether to continue or to interrupt a landing procedure during the final flight phase of the airplane based on the determined maximum stabilization height.
US08224504B2
A method and device for updating the position of an aircraft includes a flight management system incorporating first and second position supplying devices for supplying first and second positions during flight. The first position is based on inertial data and based on data from a satellite positioning system. The second position is based on inertial data and based on data from a radio-navigation system. The flight management system also includes an updating system that includes a fly over updating device, a radar updating device, and a take off updating device. The updating system is operable to generate an updating position manually or automatically that will be used as the second position and selected as a new position for use with the flight management system.
US08224499B1
Apparatus and methods or algorithms that report data regarding an engine controller and allow control over an engine coupled to the engine controller. The controller is coupled to a remotely-located annunciator. The annunciator has an engine communication interface for communicating with the controller, a display, interface electronics for causing the display to indicate status reported by the engine controller a network interface, and a computer processor coupled to the interface electronics, the engine communication interface and the network interface. The controller is polled to monitor engine parameters and the status. The engine parameters and status are transmitted to a remote web-accessible database by way of the network interface. A remote monitoring and control system comprising the remote database is able to monitor the operation of multiple generators through their engine controllers and control individual generators by way of remote annunciators. The combination of the remote annunciators and the remote monitoring and control system allows remote control operation of the engines.
US08224498B2
A device for controlling heat dissipation of an apparatus and an apparatus having the same are provided. The apparatus comprises at least one heat radiation component. The device comprises: an ambient temperature sensing unit adapted to obtain an ambient temperature of internal space of the apparatus; a component temperature measuring unit adapted to obtain a local temperature for one of the at least one heat radiation component; and a temperature control unit adapted to select a corresponding temperature control profile based on the ambient temperature, and to obtain a control parameter for controlling the temperature of the apparatus based on the local temperature and the temperature control profile. According to the present invention, it is possible to select different temperature control profiles based on the ambient temperature, ant thus to satisfy both the requirement on system heat dissipation at high temperature and the requirement on noise at room temperature, and to avoid the noise resulted from large change in rotational speeds of fans due to change in the ambient temperature.
US08224496B2
A method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code having programming instructions tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium. The programming instructions are operable to receive an indication of a geoboundary event and determine an occurrence of at least one of a radio frequency identification (RFID) event and a local area network (LAN) event. Additionally, the programming instructions are operable to adjust one or more power consumption settings of an environment based on at least one of the receiving of the indication of the geoboundary event and the determination of the occurrence of the at least one of the RFID event and the LAN event.
US08224480B2
A dispenser for dispensing a portion of sheet product stored in a dispenser, in which a dispensed sheet portion is to be removed by tearing the sheet portion from the remaining product supply. The dispenser includes a system which detects the presence of sheet product in a region of a dispensing outlet. Upon detection of a potential user, the sensing system causes dispensing of paper, on the condition that the sheet portion is regarded as having been torn off. The system includes elements for detecting a discontinuity in the sheet product.
US08224476B2
Alignment is a critical component for modeling a cross-directional (CD) papermaking process. It specifies the spatial relationship between individual CD actuators to paper quality measurements. Misalignment can occur unexpectedly due to sheet wander or CD shrinkage variation. In certain applications and circumstances, a misalignment of one third (⅓) actuator zone width can result in significant paper quality degradation. Detecting a misalignment and identifying CD alignment in closed loop are highly demanded in paper mills but these are nontrivial problems. A technique for maintaining proper CD alignment in sheetmaking systems entails monitoring the alignment online, triggering closed loop identification if misalignment is detected, and then deploying the new alignment. No personnel intervention is required.
US08224475B2
A method includes: initializing first and second variables; operating equipment based on the variables; measuring first and second parameters; determining a new value for the first variable based on the first parameter, and calculating a new value for the second variable based on the second parameter and the current value of the second variable; and repeating the operating, measuring, determining and calculating. According to a different aspect, an apparatus includes a computer-readable medium storing a computer program. When executed, the program causes: initializing of first and second variables; operating equipment based on the variables; receiving measured first and second parameters; determining a new value for the first variable based on the first parameter, and calculating a new value for the second variable based on the second parameter and the current value of the second variable; and repeating the operating, measuring, determining and calculating.
US08224469B2
Systems and methods for controlling the audio volume of an audio signal in an HDA codec having a programmable processor such as a DSP, wherein the codec receives digital audio signals and audio volume control verbs over an HDA bus, and the audio volume levels associated with the audio volume control verbs are used by the processor in the generation pulse width modulated (PWM) output signals, thereby controlling the audio volume levels of the output signals. The processor may be configured to adjust non-volume parameters such as PWM deadtime, in addition to adjusting audio volume, based on the audio volume levels. The codec may be implemented in a PC or other system that implements an HDA system that includes the HDA bus and HDA codec.
US08224447B2
A system, comprising a sterilizable package; an implantable medical device placed inside the sterilizable package; and an electrical interface electrically coupled to the implantable medical device and extending from inside the sterilizable package to outside the sterilizable package. In various embodiments, the interface may include package contacts electrically coupled to electrode terminals on the implantable medical device, patient terminals and conductors extending between the package contacts and the patient terminals.
US08224438B2
Methods, kits, apparatus, and compositions for inhibiting a cerebral neurovascular disorder, a muscular headache, or cerebral inflammation in a human patient are provided. The methods comprise intranasally administering to the patient a pharmaceutical composition comprising a local anesthetic, and preferably a long-acting local anesthetic ingredient. A composition useful for practicing the methods of the invention is described which comprises at least one local anesthetic in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, wherein the composition is formulated for intranasal delivery. Cerebral neurovascular disorders include migraine and cluster headache. Muscular headaches include tension headaches and muscle contraction headaches. A kit comprising the composition and an intranasal applicator and a method of systemically delivering a pharmaceutically active agent to an animal are also included in the invention. Apparatus for directed intranasal administration of the compositions of the invention and for performing the methods of the invention are also described.
US08224417B2
The implantable device system of the preferred embodiments includes a guide tube, a first electrical subsystem, and a second electrical subsystem. The first electrical subsystem is connected to the second electrical subsystem. The guide tube functions to facilitate the insertion of at least one first electrical subsystem and is adapted to allow the first electrical subsystem(s) to move freely with the tissue, allowing the placement of the first electrical subsystem without disconnecting the second electrical subsystem. The implantable device system may be implanted into the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, muscle, or any other suitable anatomical location. The guide tube of the system, however, may be alternatively used in any suitable environment and for any suitable reason.
US08224411B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure include a handheld multi-parameter patient monitor capable of determining multiple physiological parameters from the output of a light sensitive detector capable of detecting light attenuated by body tissue. For example, in an embodiment, the monitor is capable of advantageously and accurately displaying one or more of pulse rate, plethysmograph data, perfusion quality, signal confidence, and values of blood constituents in body tissue, including for example, arterial carbon monoxide saturation (“HbCO”), methemoglobin saturation (“HbMet”), total hemoglobin (“Hbt”), arterial oxygen saturation (“SpO2”), fractional arterial oxygen saturation (“SpaO2”), or the like. In an embodiment, the monitor advantageously includes a plurality of display modes enabling more parameter data to be displayed than the available physical display real estate.
US08224405B2
A mobile phone or other electronic device is provided with an improved friction hinge with a radial range of motion greater than 180 degrees and with detents at both ends of travel. The friction hinge can include an asymmetrical cam in conjunction with a single tab on a follower. Advantageously, the electronic device with the improved friction hinge can allows a full 360 degree range of motion with any number of detents at any radial position.
US08224397B2
A wireless headset (1) for forming a connection endpoint of a communications channel with at least one further connection point (4, 26, 27). The headset (1) comprising: means (11) for attaching the headset (1) to the head of the user, a short-range receiver (2) for receiving a first signal from at least one peripheral device (4, 26), a short-range transmitter (3) for transmitting a second signal to the peripheral device (4, 26), a speaker (5) for generating a sound, selecting means (7, 10) for selecting a connection point (4, 26, 27) from at least two different connection points (4, 26, 27) and a memory (8) for storing identity information of the at least two different connection points (4, 26, 27). The headset (1) comprises voice announcement means (7, 8, 9) for announcing through the speaker (5) the identity of the selected connection point (4, 26, 27). The disclosure also relates to a method for providing a telecommunications channel, wherein the telecommunications channel comprises and endpoint formed by a wireless headset (1) as mentioned above and at least on other connection point (4, 26, 27).
US08224391B2
A mobile terminal having a display unit provided with an LED backlight and controlling method thereof are disclosed. The present invention includes a housing, a display unit including a liquid crystal display provided to one side of the housing and a backlight unit including a plurality of light emitting diodes for a backlight provided to a backside of the liquid crystal display and a control unit controlling the backlight unit to selectively adjust brightness of the light emitting diodes in part. Accordingly, a mobile terminal according to at least one of embodiments of the present invention controls light emission of an LED backlight locally, thereby providing more various display visual effects. And, a mobile terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention is able to use at least one portion of the light emitted from an LED BLU of a display unit as an illumination of a main body without using a separate light source for external illumination. Moreover, the illumination of the main body is able to play a role as a transmitter in a visible light communication.
US08224389B2
A device, computer program product and method of controlling a display on a mobile terminal including a first body, a second body connected to the first body, the method including displaying a first display, including one of a still image, a slide show, or a moving image, on the touchscreen when the mobile terminal is closed; and automatically overlaying a text box on the first display when the mobile terminal is opened.
US08224385B2
For processing an uplink signal from a mobile station without desiring a high AFC capability in any state, in a wireless base station including a plurality of antennas, reception signals from a mobile station are taken in to perform a signal transmission and reception with the mobile station by a first antenna providing a higher reception signal level, in which a switchover from a signal transmission to the mobile station by the first antenna to that by a second antenna is performed when a frequency variation characteristic measured for an allocated frequency of the reception signal from the first antenna indicates that the mobile station is moving away from the first antenna.
US08224382B2
A wireless communications interface couples wireless service to conventional wireline phone appliances. In one embodiment, the wireless communications interface is connected to the phone appliances through existing phone jacks. This allows a user to place and receive calls over a wireless network using the existing wireline infrastructure in a building. By using the invention, users can consolidate their portable and fixed phone service with one of the multiple wireless service providers and bypass the wireline service provider entirely, if so desired. In a second embodiment, the wireless communications interface is directly connected to the phone appliances, bypassing the installed wireline infrastructure. In a third embodiment, both wireline and wireless service are operative, and the wireless communications interface may include logic arbitration to route multiple calls to multiple phone appliances.
US08224380B2
A structure of an apparatus for sharing video input/output modules among handheld devices is provided, including a sharing slot, with a top golden finger part and a bus cable to form a first signal path from the video input module of a handheld device, and a bottom golden finger part and a bus cable and a connector to from a second signal path to a video input processor of the handheld device. The present invention may further include a bypass element for shorting the two signal paths by connecting the top golden finger part and the bottom golden finger part of the sharing slot. With the present invention, a second handheld device having extending signal paths can be inserted into the sharing slot of the first handheld to use the video input/output module of the first handheld device to accomplish the sharing of video input/output modules among handheld devices.
US08224371B1
Disclosed herein are methods that enable a sending entity and a receiving entity, operating in a wireless communication network, to adjust transmission power at the sending entity according to one of two power control modes. One method provides for a continuous power control mode in which the sending entity begins transmission of a particular data flow at a power level responsive to a most recently received power adjustment command. Another method provides for a per-flow power control mode in which the sending entity begins transmission of a particular data flow at a power level responsive to the most recent transmission power level of the different particular data flow. Further methods provide for the receiving entity to dynamically instruct the sending entity in which power control mode to operate.
US08224368B2
A technique of providing wireless network service utilizes an initial threshold to determine whether a signal received from a cellular device is of sufficient strength to warrant further processing. The technique may be implemented in a power controller of a base station, where the power controller includes an outer loop power control and an inner loop power control. The outer loop power control determines the strength of the received signal and compares it to an initial threshold. If the signal strength is below the initial threshold, the outer loop power control does not process the signal further. However, if the signal strength is above the initial threshold, the outer loop power control determines whether the signal contains any errors. If not, the signal is processed normally. If so, the outer loop power control may increase the signal-to-noise (SNR) threshold of the inner loop power control, which may cause the inner loop power control to attempt to increase the transmission power of the cellular device. By increasing the transmission power of the cellular device, the received signal will typically gain strength, resulting in an error-free signal.
US08224346B2
A system for matching users in a wireless communication system based on proximity of the users and user-defined profiles includes at least two mobile units. The mobile units include a requesting unit and at least one target unit, and each mobile unit is capable of operating as both a requesting unit and a target unit. The system also includes profile means for storing a user profile on each of the mobile units and search means for searching for at least one target user by a requesting user. The search means compares the user profiles of each target user with the user profile of the requesting user. The search means can also indicate a match when a target unit is within a predetermined distance of the requesting unit.
US08224344B2
A parameter collecting method used for distributing radio resources, collecting a total number (M) of terminals for directly performing radio communication with a radio base station without a relay station or radio quality between each of terminals for directly performing radio communication with the radio base station without the relay station as a parameter, and collecting a total number (N) of terminals performing communication with the radio base station through the relay station or aggregated information on radio quality between the respective terminals performing communication with the radio base station through the relay station and the relay station as the parameter.
US08224332B2
A method for forming a moving network group by a mobile relay station (MRS) in a mobile multi-hop relay (MMR) system is provided. The MRS determines whether a transportation means mounted with the mobile relay station is at a predetermined location derived from travel information. When a velocity information of the transportation means at the predetermined location is zero (0), the MRS determines whether to include a mobile station (MS) to the moving network group based at least partly upon a signal that the mobile station receives from the mobile relay station.
US08224331B2
The present invention relates to a cell search method for a multiband radio communication system including a mobile station and multiple base stations. The method includes the steps of: classifying base station information into multiple first categories on the basis of a cell size of each base station, the base station information being information on the base stations; classifying the base station information into multiple second categories on the basis of a radio-frequency band of each base station; associating movement speeds with the respective first categories and with the respective second categories; acquiring a movement speed of the mobile station; selecting at least one of the first categories and at least one of the second categories on the basis of the acquired movement speed and the associations between the movement speeds and the respective first and second categories; creating a base station list on the basis of base station information which belongs to the selected first category and base station in information which belongs to the selected second category, the base station list being to be notified to the mobile station; notifying the mobile station of the base station list; and causing the mobile station to perform a cell search on the basis of the notified base station list.
US08224329B2
Disclosed is method for measuring a home cell in a mobile telecommunications system comprising: a network including a plurality of base stations for defining communications cells; and first and second user equipment for communicating with the network, said plurality of base stations including at least one home base station defining a home cell associated with said first user equipment and not with said second user equipment, said home cell overlapping in coverage with a communications cell usable by both said first and second user equipment, the method including the steps of: acquiring, at the network, position data indicative of the position of the first user equipment; determining whether the first user equipment is close to the home cell by using the acquired position data; sending a cell measurement control message from the network to the first user equipment via a base station specifying measurements of said home cell; performing, at the first user equipment a fine position measurement; determining at the first user equipment whether the first user equipment is close to the home cell, based on said fine position measurement; and taking measurements of said home cell at the first user equipment when the first user equipment is close to the home cell.
US08224327B2
Disclosed is a way to solve a problem of an operation error, which may occur in transmitting a Binding Update (BU) or Registration ReQuest (RRQ) message for a mobile node to a home agent due to the fact that a PDSN supports a Proxy Mobile Internet Protocol (PMIP) for the mobile terminal and the corresponding mobile node supports a client mobile IP when there is the mobile node using the client mobile IP in a 3GPP2 mobile communication system supporting the PMIP, thereby enabling efficient communication.
US08224323B2
Techniques and systems that provide timer based registration for efficiently registering access terminals with a wireless network are described. A timer is provided for an access terminal to register with the network. When the timer expires, the access terminal performs a timer based registration process if a currently serving base station is not the same as a base station that serves the access terminal when the access terminal completes the last timer based registration process, and avoids performing another timer based registration process if the currently serving base station is the same as a base station that serves the access terminal when the access terminal completes the last timer based registration process. The access terminal resets the timer if the currently serving base station is the same as a base station that served the access terminal when the access terminal completes the last timer based registration process.
US08224322B2
A method of registering a mobile subscriber within a network including distributed mobile architecture nodes is disclosed. The method includes receiving a registration request from a mobile subscriber at a first distributed mobile architecture node within the network and storing an identifier of the first distributed mobile architecture node and the mobile subscriber at a memory location within a visitor location register (VLR) gateway. The VLR gateway is coupled to an element of a wide area wireless network. Also, a computer readable memory accessible to a distributed mobile architecture node of a distributed internet protocol network is disclosed. The computer readable memory includes a first field to identify a visiting mobile subscriber unit and a second field to identify an address of one of the distributed mobile architecture nodes of the distributed internet protocol network.
US08224321B2
A cell access control method and a user terminal are provided, the method includes: obtaining, by a user equipment (UE), cell access information through a pilot channel and/or a synchronization channel; determining a current cell is a macro base station cell or an HNB cell according to the cell access information; determining, when the current cell is an HNB cell, whether the UE is allowed to access the HNB cell according to HNB information of the cell access information, if the UE is allowed to access the HNB cell, performing the access processing, if the UE is not allowed to access the HNB, abandoning the access. A UE is provided accordingly.
US08224319B2
A terminal control unit controls a 1x reception signal process unit, searches for a base station which supports a 1x method, and starts wait for occurrence of signal reception. Then, the terminal control unit periodically executes a nearby base station measuring process, controls the 1x reception signal process unit, and searches for a nearby base station which supports the 1x method. On the other hand, as regards a base station which supports an LTE method, an LTE reception signal process unit is activated to execute a search only in the case where a base station supporting the 1x method, which is used for signal reception wait, does not support the LTE method.
US08224315B2
A mobile telecommunications network includes a radio access network with base stations and one or more additional access points. An access point is connected to a network core by an IP transport broadband connection. The access point is configured to appear to a mobile terminal as a conventional base station—that is, for example, it communicates with the mobile terminal using GSM or UMTS transport protocols and does not require any modification to a standard GSM or UMTS mobile terminal. Arrangements are disclosed which monitor the quality of the broadband connection between the access point and the network core and which cause the mobile terminal to handover to a neighboring base station in the event that the quality of the broadband connection becomes too poor for the class of communication between the mobile terminals registered with the access point to be performed satisfactorily.
US08224314B2
Teachings herein offer reduced-complexity coordinated multipoint (CoMP) reception of an uplink signal transmitted by a mobile terminal. The teachings obtain, for each sector antenna in a set of sector antennas deployed in a CoMP cell, a signal strength measurement of one or more downlink signals received by the mobile terminal from a sector associated with that sector antenna. The teachings compare the signal strength measurements and then select from the set, based on that comparison, a subset of sector antennas for CoMP reception of the uplink signal. By using a subset of sector antennas for CoMP reception, instead of all sector antennas in the set, the teachings reduce the computational complexity of CoMP reception. Moreover, the teachings in some embodiments minimize any performance degradation possibly resulting from performing CoMP reception with a reduced number of antennas, by selecting the subset to include sector antennas having the strongest signal strength measurements.
US08224311B2
A central host performs an automated method of updating multiple remote devices. In one embodiment, the host recognizes a predetermined download time and, in advance of the download time, transmits a calendar update to multiple remote devices. The calendar update includes the download time, and the remote devices may utilize the download time to set calendar reminders for entering an active state. Within a short time after reaching the download time, the host pushes download data to the remote devices by broadcasting the download data. In one aspect, the host may receive message acknowledgements from remote devices in response to a first calendar update, and the host may automatically transmit additional calendar updates to any remote devices that did not receive the first calendar update. Additional embodiments involve related methods and the terminal devices that receive the updates.
US08224310B2
A method and system for managing an electronic device is provided. The method includes detecting (404) a change in orientation of a first electronic device, which is performed by the first electronic device. The method also includes communicating (406) the change in the orientation from the first electronic device to a second electronic device associated with the first electronic device, via a wireless link. Further, the method includes modifying (408) a first set of services available at the second electronic device, based on the change of orientation of the first electronic device.
US08224309B2
An information presenting method is provided for presenting target information by a first communication device during a call connection sequence. Firstly, target information is pre-downloaded to and stored in first communication device. When a call request issued by the user to the second communication device is detected by the first communication device, the target information is automatically presented. When a connection completing signal issued from the second communication device is detected by the first communication device, the information segment that is being presented is completely presented, and then the presentation of the target information is stopped. As such, normal communication between the user through the first communication device and the receiver through the second communication device is permitted.
US08224308B1
A network device, system, and method are directed towards a mobile device catalog that contains capability information about a variety of mobile devices including, for example, the mobile device type, mobile carrier, and mobile browser. The capability information can be used to tailor content requested by the mobile device.
US08224306B2
A second communication device is detected in proximity to a first communication device engaged in a call, and a substantially uninterrupted transfer of the call is made to the second device.
US08224302B2
In order to improve the efficiency of the data communication between mobile wireless communication terminals having a communication means mainly used for the wireless communication between the mobile wireless communication terminals and a wireless communication means mainly with a base station, a following terminal is used. Namely, it includes: a first communication unit used for communication with a specific base station; a second communication unit used for communication with other mobile wireless communication terminals; a storage area storing content data that can be used in the mobile wireless communication terminal and can be transmitted to other mobile wireless communication terminals; and a communication controller that obtains specific content data by searching the storage area when a request of the specific content data is accepted from a user of the mobile wireless communication terminal, transmitting a request to other mobile wireless communication terminals that can communicate via the second communication unit when the valid specific content data is not detected in the storage area, and transmitting a request to the specific base station via the first communication unit when the specific content data cannot be received from other mobile wireless communication terminals, which can communicate, within a predetermined time.
US08224300B2
An apparatus and method diverts navigation guidance provided by a phone when an incoming call occurs to achieve uninterrupted route guidance. In one aspect, a communication system is integrated with the phone to divert the route guidance to a vehicle audio system or display screen when there is an incoming call. The communication system can also be integrated with a cradle, a haptic commander or a radio head unit, which can be communicatively connected with the phone and the vehicle, such that when the incoming call occurs, the route guidance information is transmitted from the phone to the vehicle audio system or display screen through the cradle, etc. Furthermore, the communication system can continuously track the vehicle location to restart the navigation system in the phone when the call is ended.
US08224294B2
Systems and methods for delivering information to a transmitting and receiving device. The device receives a notification alerting a user of the device that information is available to be obtained and, in some embodiments, providing a short description of the information. After receiving the notification at the device, the user can then use the device to obtain or otherwise act on the information at a time and at a place convenient to the user.
US08224291B2
A system, method, and computer readable medium for terminating calls in a network system is provided. The communication system features an IP-based femtocell system for provisioning communication services to a user equipment. The femtocell system is provisioned with a list of electronic serial numbers of user equipments that are authorized to access the femtocell system. When a call is received by the femtocell system, the femtocell system determines a directory number of a user equipment to which the call is directed. If the destination user equipment is authorized to access the femtocell system and is currently within the service area of the femtocell system, the call setup may be completed by the femtocell system without any call setup signaling being transmitted to a core telecommunication network.
US08224289B2
The present invention pertains to improved communication quality and security of transmission in cellular communication networks. A customer has the option to pay different fees for different tiers of service relating to voice quality, bandwidth access, and different tiers of service relating to communications security. Higher tiers may guarantee a specific vocoder or bit rate is used, or guarantee a specific encryption protocol is use to ensure secure communications. Different tiers may be associated with customers' records for billing purposes. The network may afford high end devices higher voice quality and/or security via a lookup table indicating what level of service is associated with a given device. Calling or receiving devices may negotiate with each other to change to a more robust vocoder or bit rate to ensure a higher quality and/or security. Furthermore, the user may opt to change the quality and/or security level before or during a call.
US08224286B2
The invention relates to a method and arrangement for reducing power consumption of a radio communication device. In a solution according to the invention an audio signal is monitored (801) and the radio communication devise is activated to transmit (802) a radio signal containing information of the audio signal only when (803) the audio signal contains speech. The power consumption of the radio communication device can be reduced without a need for manual control actions that could limit the freedom of action of a person who is using of the radio communication device.
US08224282B2
An automation component configured for wireless communication within a building automation system is disclosed. The automation component includes a multi-sensor package, a wireless communications component, a processor in communication with the wireless communications component and the sensor package, and a memory in communication with the processor. The memory configured to store sensor data provided by the sensor package and computer readable instructions which are executable by the processor, wherein the computer readable instructions are programmed to receive status information related to sensor data in control at a second automation component in communication with the building automation system, and communicate a portion of the stored sensor data corresponding to the received status information to the second automation component.
US08224281B2
Methods, systems, and apparatuses for down-converting an electromagnetic (EM) signal by aliasing the EM signal, and applications thereof are described herein. Reducing or eliminating DC offset voltages and re-radiation generated when down-converting an electromagnetic (EM) signal is also described herein. Down-converting a signal and improving receiver dynamic range is also described herein.
US08224275B2
Embodiments of a SAW-less RF receiver front-end that includes a frequency translated notch filter (FTNF) are presented. An FTNF includes a passive mixer and a baseband impedance. The baseband impedance includes capacitors that form a low-Q band-stop filter. The passive mixer is configured to translate the baseband impedance to a higher frequency. The translated baseband impedance forms a high-Q notch filter and is presented at the input of the FTNF. The FTNF can be fully integrated in CMOS IC technology (or others, e.g., Bipolar, BiCMOS, and SiGe) and applied in wireless receiver systems including EDGE/GSM, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Bluetooth, and wireless LANs (e.g., IEEE 802.11). In addition, embodiments of a multi-band SAW-less RF receiver front-end and techniques to share components of FTNFs included within the multi-band SAW-less RF receiver front-end are presented.
US08224268B2
One aspect of the invention includes a communication system that includes a tone generator configured to generate a first tone, a second tone, and a third tone. The third tone can have a frequency that is a harmonic product of at least one of the frequencies of the first and second tones. A transmitter that includes a predistortion system transmits a test signal comprising the first, second, and third tones. A receiver that is communicatively coupled to the transmitter receives and processes a received test signal corresponding to the test signal. The system further includes a controller that generates a set of correction coefficients based on a measured interaction of the third tone with a non-linear signal component in the received test signal. The set of correction coefficients can be provided to the predistortion system for substantially linearizing communication signals transmitted from the transmitter.
US08224265B1
A method is provided for optimizing Amplitude Modulation to Amplitude Modulation (AM/AM) and Amplitude Modulation to Phase Modulation (AM/PM) predistortion of a polar modulated transmit signal in a mobile terminal in order to optimize an Output Radio Frequency Spectrum (OFRS) of the mobile terminal. The AM/AM and AM/PM predistortion of the polar modulated transmit signal compensates for AM/AM and AM/PM distortion of a power amplifier in the transmit chain of the mobile terminal. However, the AM/AM and AM/PM distortion of the power amplifier cannot be easily measured or computed. Accordingly, the present invention provides a system and method for optimizing coefficients for polynomials defining the AM/AM and AM/PM predistortion of the polar modulated transmit signal based on optimizing the OFRS of the mobile terminal.
US08224254B2
Methods and systems of analyzing an operating environment of wireless communication equipment in a wireless communication system are provided. A stimulus in the operating environment at a location of the wireless communication equipment is sensed and linearly expanded in Slepian sequences using a multitaper spectral estimation procedure. A singular value decomposition is performed on the linearly expanded stimulus, and a singular value of the linearly expanded stimulus provides an estimate of interference at the location of the wireless communication equipment.
US08224252B2
An inter-cell interference coordination method comprises: measuring an interference over thermal noise of a first subcarrier resource block in an uplink direction and obtaining an interference over thermal noise measurement value by a first base station; judging whether a first high interference indicating message is received from a second base station when the interference over thermal noise measurement value is larger than a first preset threshold value by the first base station; sending an overload indicator message to the second base station which has sent the high interference indicating message or shielding the first subcarrier resource block by the first base station when the first high interference indicating message is received; and sending the overload indicator message to base stations to which all the neighboring cells belong by the first base station when the first high interference indicating message is not received. The overhead at X2 interface is reduced according to the present invention.
US08224251B2
A data communication apparatus includes a band-elimination filter configured to perform a process of reducing a specific frequency component included in transmission data, a packet producer configured to produce packet data including therein data outputted from the band-elimination filter, and an antenna configured to output the packet data produced by the packet producer, and further, the band-elimination filter is configured to reduce a frequency component corresponding to the reciprocal of a packet transmission cycle inherent in the packet data.
US08224249B2
A wireless conference system includes a master device and a slave device. The master device includes a master user interface, a master BLUETOOTH unit, a master memory unit, and a command converting unit. The master user interface includes a master screen. The master memory unit saves a conference document. The slave device includes a slave user interface, a slave BLUETOOTH unit, and an executing unit. The slave memory unit saves a copy of the conference document. Operation commands to operate the conference document are input through the master user interface. The command converting unit converts the operation commands to corresponding slave commands. The corresponding slave commands are transmitted to the slave device by the master BLUETOOTH unit and the slave BLUETOOTH unit. The executing unit executes the corresponding slave commands to operate the copy of the conference document.
US08224241B1
Wireless communication is provided using very low frequency signals to environments that are otherwise difficult to reach. In one embodiment, a mobile wireless system is configured to automatically orient its antenna. A monitoring module is used to detect a current signal strength of a received radio frequency signal, as well as a current position for the mobile system. This information is compared to an expected signal strength for the current position in order to determine if the antenna should be adjusted or otherwise realigned.
US08224238B2
Provided is a radio communication method or the like for making compatible an improvement in error rate characteristics and a reduction in delay. The radio communication method is used in a mobile communication system including a mobile station, a relay station and a base station. A transmitted signal containing a signal addressed to the base station is transmitted at first from the mobile station to the relay station. A non-reproduced relay signal obtained in the relay station from the transmitted signal is transmitted from the relay station to the base station. On the basis of the reception result of the non-reproduced relay signal at the base station, a re-transmission request of the transmitted signal is transmitted from the base station. A reproduced relay signal, as obtained from the transmitted signal in the relay station, is transmitted from the relay station to the base station in accordance with the re-transmission request transmitted from the base station.
US08224236B2
A relay station for use in a relay network may include an antenna, a radio, and an electronic circuit. The antenna may include a plurality of prongs. The radio may be configured to transmit and receive radio data using the antenna. The electronic circuit may be configured to select between a first mode of operation for the antenna and a second mode of operation for the antenna. The first mode of operation of the antenna may include an omni-directional mode of operation. The second mode of operation may include a directional mode of operation.
US08224215B2
An image forming apparatus includes: an electrostatic latent image bearing member; a toner cartridge; a developing member; a transfer member; a developing device; and circulating member. The toner cartridge is removably coupled to the developing device. The developing device incorporates the developing member. The circulating member is capable of operating while the toner cartridge remains coupled to the developing device, to circulate the toner between the developing device and the toner cartridge irrespective of whether the developing member is operating.
US08224211B2
To provide a developing device, which includes: a first conveying passage through which a developer including a toner and a magnetic carrier is conveyed; a first conveying member disposed in the first conveying passage for conveying the developer in a predetermined whilst agitating; a toner supply port for supplying toner into the first conveying passage; and a multiple number of electromagnets arranged in the upper part of the first conveying passage and on the downstream side of the toner supply port with respect to the developer's direction of conveyance for creating magnetic fields inside the first conveying passage along the developer's direction of conveyance, and which can improve agitation performance and conveying performance of the developer without extremely increasing stress acting on the developer, as well as providing an image forming apparatus and developer conveying method using the device.
US08224205B2
A powder storage container includes a container body, an opening formed in a portion of the container body, an opening-and-closing cover, a cover holding frame, a protrusion portion provided in the opening-and-closing cover, a blocking portion provided in the cover holding frame, a position regulating protrusion protruding from the cover holding frame, and a disengagement suppressing protrusion provided in the opening-and-closing cover. When the opening-and-closing cover takes such an attitude that the opening-and-closing cover is swingably supported by a contact portion, serving as a fulcrum, between the disengagement suppressing protrusion and the cover holding frame and is arranged along the opening-and-closing operation direction, a distal end position of the protrusion portion is located in a position where the distal end position can be released from the blocking portion.
US08224177B2
A digital camera includes: a light guide section that defines a space in which a light flux from a photographic lens to an imaging unit is guided; a mirror unit arranged inside the light guide section, that is adapted to rotate between a viewing position in which the mirror unit is inserted in a photographic light path from the photographic lens to the imaging unit to reflect the light flux and a photographing position in which the mirror unit is retracted from the photographic light path; a mirror unit control section that controls rotation of the mirror unit; a rotation instruction section that outputs a signal to rotate the mirror unit while no photography is performed to the mirror unit control section; and an opening section provided in the light guide section that discharges from the light guide section air that is moved by the rotation of the mirror unit.
US08224164B2
A heater may include an electrical conductor. Applying alternating current to the electrical conductor may resistively heat the electrical conductor. The electrical conductor may include an electrically resistive ferromagnetic material. The ferromagnetic material may at least partially surround a non-ferromagnetic material. The heater may provide a reduced amount of heat above or near a selected temperature. An electrical insulator may at least partially surround the electrical conductor. A sheath may at least partially surround the electrical insulator.
US08224163B2
A heater system may include an alternating current supply and an electrical conductor. Alternating current may be applied to one or more electrical conductors at a frequency between about 100 Hz and about 1000 Hz. The electrical conductors may be located in a formation. The electrical conductors may resistively heat upon application of the alternating electrical current. At least one of the electrical conductors may include an electrically resistive ferromagnetic material. The electrical conductor may provide a reduced amount of heat above or near a selected temperature. Heat may transfer from the electrical conductor to a part of formation.
US08224162B2
An information recording medium achieves high speed conversion of a signal input externally from MPEG-TS to MPEG-PS complying with the DVD standard. An apparatus and a method are used to record information to the information recording medium. A constrained format which enables conversion from a first stream (for example, MPEG transport stream) to a second stream (for example, MPEG program stream) is provided. The constrained format defines that a presentation order of the video information of continuous complete data blocks starts at a top field and ends at a bottom field. The continuous complete data blocks are included in a reference time of continuous presentation of video information and audio information with the reference time including at least one data block.
US08224160B2
A disk replay device includes a non-volatile storage unit, which forms a file list from file information including the file name of a compressed video file and the like, and from the number of times that viewing of the file is possible, and stores this file list. At the stage that a disk is set into a disk setting unit, this file list is created based upon information which has been acquired from a compressed video file recorded upon the disk. Moreover, the disk replay device includes a display unit which displays the file list stored in the storage unit, when a predetermined operation is performed by the operator, so that the operator is able to recognize, for each file, the number of times that viewing is possible.
US08224153B2
While a video stream is loaded, a subtitle information file is simultaneously loaded for displaying messages at accurate times. When contents of the video stream are required to be edited, such as an addition or deletion of video, a time variance caused by the edited video stream is first calculated, and the times for displaying the messages upon the displayed video stream are correspondingly edited according to the calculated time variances so that the messages may be accurately matched with the video stream. After the contents of the video stream require no further editing, the video stream may be combined with the messages by encoding. Therefore, image quality of the video stream is minimized.
US08224148B2
A decoding apparatus for enabling decoding processing free of unneeded delay at a switching point between digital high definition broadcast and multi-view broadcast. The decoding apparatus includes a picture frame storage unit (34) for storing an HD picture frame, decoded by a decoding unit (33), in terms of a storage area for HS as a unit, and for storing m SD picture frames, in terms of a recording area for SD as a unit, and a recording area procuring unit (host CPU) (14) for procuring a recording area for SD and a recording area for HD, based on the recording area information for HD and on the recording area information for SD, when m SD picture stream data is supplied. The decoding apparatus also includes a picture frame write unit (15) for writing an HD picture frame in the procured storage area for HD and for writing m SD picture frames in the procured storage area for SD.
US08224147B2
One or more digital audio systems, such as a digital audio workstation, and one or more digital video systems, such as a video server, are interconnected by a computer network. A communication protocol among the systems using the computer network enables the systems to play back in synchronization. The communication protocol defines several states for connections between systems. In particular, two systems may be disconnected, connected and unlinked or connected and linked. Each system transitions through defined state changes that are caused by a sequence of commands in the communication protocol, called a play start sequence, to initiate synchronized playback. The play start sequence can be initiated by any of the linked systems. The communication protocol includes a mechanism for distributing a running time clock from the digital audio system for synchronizing with the digital video system when the digital audio system and digital video system are not both synchronized by the same video reference signal.
US08224143B2
Provided is a substrate structure and a manufacturing method thereof, the substrate structure including a base substrate of single crystal; and a rhombohedral ferroelectric thin film exhibiting a spontaneous ferroelectric polarization and of a perovskite structure, the ferroelectric thin film being formed on a surface of the base substrate. The substrate structure may further include an optical waveguide formed on the ferroelectric thin film; and an electric field applying section that applies, to the optical waveguide, an electric field parallel to a surface of the base substrate. The electric field applying section generates the electric field so that the electric field direction of the electric field applied to the optical waveguide is parallel to a direction of the spontaneous ferroelectric polarization of the ferroelectric thin film.
US08224142B2
A nano/micro-patterned optical device includes a soft film substrate and nano/micro thin wires. A surface of the soft film substrate includes a nano/micro-pattern formed through a lithography process, and the nano/micro-pattern includes a plurality of depressed grooves. The nano/micro thin wires are placed in the depressed grooves, and used to form a plurality of optical waveguides, in which the optical waveguides include at least one optical coupling region, and the optical coupling region is located on a joining position of the optical waveguides. A fabrication method of the nano/micro-patterned optical device is also provided.
US08224137B2
The present disclosure provides an apparatus (100) that can include a first housing (110) and a second housing (120) rotationally coupled to the first housing where the second housing rotates with respect to the first housing about an axis of rotation (170). The apparatus can also include an optical transmitter (130) coupled to the first housing where the optical transmitter can be configured to transmit light. The apparatus can further include a lightguide (140) including a first lightguide end (144) substantially at the axis of rotation where the lightguide can include a second lightguide end (142) located at a distance from the axis of rotation where the second lightguide end is optically coupled to the optical transmitter. The apparatus can additionally include an optical receiver (135) coupled to the second housing at the axis of rotation where the optical receiver can also be optically coupled to the lightguide at the first lightguide end.
US08224135B2
In a PON system, an OLT periodically transmits a channel resource information block specifying a carrier wavelength and a spreading code on a first downstream channel to which a spread-spectrum spreader having a first spreading code is applied; one of ONUs receives the channel resource information block with a spread-spectrum despreader having the first spreading code and transmits a connection request to the OLT, using the carrier wavelength and the spreading code specified by the channel resource information block; the OLT having received the connection request transmits a new channel resource information block specifying a carrier wavelength and a spreading code to be used on an upstream data channel to the requester ONU through the first channel; and the requester ONU transmits data, using the carrier wavelength and the spreading code specified by the new channel resource information block.
US08224133B2
An Electrically Switchable Bragg Grating (ESBG) despeckler device comprising at least one ESBG element recorded in a hPDLC sandwiched between transparent substrates to which transparent conductive coatings have been applied. At least one of said coatings is patterned to provide a two-dimensional array of independently switchable ESBG pixels. Each ESBG pixel has a first unique speckle state under said first applied voltage and a second unique speckle state under said second applied voltage.
US08224121B2
Exemplary systems and methods are provided for imaging a unit under test. Orientation of an imaging system is determined with a machine vision system, a unit under test is scanned with the imaging system, and the scanned image is processed into a substantially distortion-free image. The scanned image may be processed into a substantially distortion-free image by mapping a scanned image to coordinates determined by the machine vision system. By combining the position and orientation information collected at the time each image pixel is collected, the image can be assembled without distortion by mapping a detector signal to the appropriate image coordinate. Alternately, the scanned image may be processed into a substantially distortion-free image by mapping a scanned image to a predetermined matrix grid of coordinates, identifying distortion in the scanned image, and correcting identified distortion in the scanned image.
US08224120B2
To perform an image processing for high resolution more suitably on even an image signal having images with different resolutions mixed therein. An image signal processing method of the present invention includes the steps of: performing a spatial low pass filter processing on a first image signal that is an input image; generating a second image signal by performing an image processing for high resolution on an image after the low pass filter processing; comparing corresponding regions in the first image signal and the second image signal; and selecting either of the first image signal and the second image signal with respect to the region based on this comparison result.
US08224119B2
The present disclosure includes systems and techniques relating to selecting a reference image for images to be joined in accordance with projective transformations. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in a computer-implemented method that includes obtaining projective transformations corresponding to two dimensional images to be joined together in accordance with the projective transformations; selecting one of the two dimensional images to be a reference image for remaining ones of the two dimensional images, the selecting being based on a measure of overall distortion for the two dimensional images; setting a projective transformation of the one of the images according to a group transform; correcting remaining projective transformations of the remaining images in accordance with the setting the projective transformation of the one of the images; and making the two dimensional images and the projective transformations available for further processing and output.
US08224112B2
Disclosed herein is a method for detecting thin lines in image data. The method is performed by a processor to process contone image data. The processing includes thresholding a window of pixels using a first set of thresholds established in the contone domain, and then counting and thresholding the binary pixels using a second set of thresholds. The processing in the contone and binary domain are used to determine if a thin line exists and if a pixel of interest in the window is an edge pixel that is part of a thin line. The disclosed method produces better quality output images and reduces the addition of false lines in an image.
US08224104B2
A system and method for predicting a file size of an image subject to transformation by scaling and a change about at least one quality-controlling parameter, in which an input receives (a) the file size of the image before transformation, (b) information about at least one quality-controlling parameter of the image before transformation, (c) information about at least one quality-controlling parameter for application to the image during transformation, and (d) a scaling factor for application to the image during transformation. A relative size prediction is calculated on the basis of the received quality-controlling parameters information and scaling factor. The file size of the image after transformation is finally calculated as a function of the file size of the image before transformation and the calculated relative size prediction.
US08224088B2
A background generating method of low process cost for use in detecting a moving object based on subtraction process performed between an input image and a base image, and an apparatus with the function of detecting a moving object using its background. The apparatus consists of a feature vector extractor for calculating feature vectors from the input image and an average processor capable of obtaining an average from the calculated feature vectors, diminishing noise occurring for a short time and the influence by the moving object, and forming images that follows the illumination change due to changes in the imaging environment. The images generated by the average processor are accumulated for a predetermined number of frames and the accumulated images are statistically processed by a statistical processor.
US08224087B2
The present invention is a video digest which extracts only the relevant information out of the video content according to user preferences. Video digest generator is a combination of hardware and software constituting a component of the digital video recorder, which analyzes the content and extracts only the portions which are meaningful or important for the user.
US08224085B2
A method includes providing a first image having sparsely sampled panchromatic pixels and color pixels corresponding to at least two color photoresponses. The method also includes interpolating the panchromatic pixels to provide a full-resolution panchromatic image. A noise-reduced value for a particular color pixel in the first image is provided by: selecting a neighborhood of color pixels surrounding a particular color pixel, selecting a neighborhood of panchromatic pixels from the full resolution panchromatic image, and using the values from the selected neighborhoods of color and panchromatic pixels to provide the noise reduced value for the particular color pixel.
US08224071B2
Three-dimensional points acquired of an object in a sensor coordinate system are registered with planes modeling the object in a world coordinate system by determining correspondences between the points and the planes. Points are transformed to an intermediate coordinate system using the correspondences and transformation parameters. The planes are transformed to an intermediate world coordinate system using world rotation and translation parameters. Intermediate rotation and translation parameters are determined by applying coplanarity constraints and orthogonality constraints to the points in the intermediate sensor coordinate system and the planes in the intermediate world coordinate system. Then, rotation and translation parameters between the sensor and world coordinate systems are determined to register the points with the planes.
US08224062B2
An individually isolated wafer adapted to a semiconductor chip is subjected to inspection in which an infrared ray is irradiated onto the backside of the wafer whose surface is sealed with a resin layer such that the optical axis thereof perpendicularly or slantingly crosses the surface of the wafer, whereby an image clearly showing cracks formed in the wafer is produced based on the reflected ray. Before or after an exterior inspection process, a tape inspection process is performed by use of an image of the surface of a dicing tape, in which a plurality of semiconductor chips are once attached onto and then separated from, so as to detect at least one of a defective element, a crack mark, and a foreign mark with regard to the semiconductor chip subjected to inspection.
US08224057B2
A method and system for nodule feature extract using background contextual information in chest x-ray images is disclosed. In order to detect false positives in nodule candidates for a chest x-ray image, background contextual information, such as contextual vessel tree information, is defined in the chest x-ray image. Features are extracted for each nodule candidate based on the background contextual information, and the extracted features are used to detect whether each nodule candidate is a false positive or a genuine nodule.
US08224045B2
A method is disclosed for processing of images to detect dental caries, that includes the following steps. Directing incident light (16) toward a tooth (20), where this light excites a fluorescent emission from the tooth. Obtaining a fluorescence image (35) from the fluorescent light component (19), and obtaining a reflectance image (34) from the back-scattered light (18) from the tooth. Applying a color balance operation to the reflectance image. Removing the specular reflectance components from the color balanced reflectance image (82) to give a back-scattered reflectance image (50). Registering the fluorescent image with the back-scattered reflectance image. Combining the registered fluorescent image (115) with the back-scattered reflectance image to provide a diagnostic image (52).
US08224041B2
In the case that media data containing image information of persons are managed, protection of privacy is realized, and an increase in management costs and a deterioration of operability are suppressed.In a media data processing apparatus into which media data containing at least one image information is inputted so as to produce encrypted media data, the media data processing apparatus is equipped with: biological feature extracting unit 10 for extracting a feature of biological information which is related to at least one person contained in said image information from the media data inputted thereinto; and encrypting process unit 20 for partially, or wholly encrypting the media data based upon the feature extracted by the biological feature extracting unit. A feature parameter of a face of the person contained in the media data is utilized.
US08224036B2
An image editing apparatus includes an image input unit including an image pickup circuit which takes a picture of a subject to obtain an image of a subject. A face detection circuit detects an image of a face of the subject from the image obtained from the image input unit. A face expression detection circuit detects at least any one of direction and expression of the face of the subject, based on the image of the face detected by the face detection circuit. A pupil detection circuit detects images of pupils of the subject, based on the image of the face detected by the face detection circuit. A catch-light composition circuit composes different catch-lights on the images of the pupils detected by the pupil detection circuit, according to any one of the direction and expression of the face detected by the face expression detection circuit.
US08224032B2
An apparatus for monitoring a spatial area, in particular for safeguarding a hazardous area of an automatically operated installation, comprises an illumination device which at least temporarily emits light signals into the spatial area. A first image recording unit records a first image of the spatial area. The first image recording unit comprises an image sensor having a plurality of pixels. An evaluation unit determines a distance value for at least one spatial area point, which is located in the spatial area and is imaged on at least one pixel, by means of a propagation type measurement. The propagation type measurement suffers from a limited unambiguity range. Therefore, a test device is designed to check the distance value by means of a reference distance value determined from a second image of said spatial area.
US08224016B2
An object of the present invention is to provide an electroacoustic transducer having a multi-channel diaphragm, and a hearing aid using the electroacoustic transducer, in which a plurality of channels having different resonant frequencies is formed in the diaphragm using MEMS technology, thus more closely approximating the different audible frequency characteristics of respective persons. The present invention provides an electroacoustic transducer provided with a multi-channel diaphragm. The electroacoustic transducer includes a diaphragm (110) and signal conversion units (120). The diaphragm is provided with respective channels having different resonant frequencies. The signal conversion units are attached to surfaces channels of the channels, or are arranged to be spaced apart from the surfaces of the channels at a predetermined interval, the signal conversion units converting vibration received from the channels into acoustic signals, or transmitting acoustic signals to the diaphragm and converting the acoustic signals into vibration.
US08224015B2
A speaker includes a magnetic circuit forming a slit-like magnetic gap, a frame that houses and holds the magnetic circuit, a diaphragm attached to the frame so as to be capable of vibrating, a voice coil unit that is placed so as to pass through substantially the center of the magnetic gap, and has its one end coupled to the diaphragm, and a damper attached to the frame to support the other end of the voice coil unit. The voice coil unit has a planar-type coil bobbin section, and a voice coil section having a coil member wound in a planar track shape and disposed so as to extend through the coil bobbin section from one side to the other side and from the other side to the one side.
US08224007B2
A rechargeable battery is provided comprising a flexible elongate electron conductive core surrounded by a first electrochemically active layer, and a second electrochemically active layer, separated by a separation layer and where an electron conducting element contacts the outer surface of the second electrochemically active layer, whereby at least one of the two electrochemically active layers and the separation layer are comprised of thin-film layers. Further a hearing aid is provided wherein a battery comprising thin film layers is provided. Such a battery may be curled or wound to accommodate an irregular space inside the hearing aid.
US08224006B2
The invention relates to a hearing aid device and a method of manufacturing the hearing aid device. The hearing aid device comprises a housing and a first conductive layer. The housing further comprises a first non-conductive layer and a second non-conductive layer. The first conductive layer is between the first non-conductive layer and the second non-conductive layer.
US08223995B1
A six channel guitar amplifier and speaker cabinet for producing orchestral guitar sounds and of the type having a hexagon shaped cabinet which will house six speakers (14) which will mount to six floating baffle boards (14a) which communicate at the six points of the hexagon cabinet and will vibrate independently. In addition a guitar with a hexaphonic pickup (16) will be received by a six way splitter box (18) through a seven pin cable (18b) and will feed the hexaphonic pickup signal into a six channel preamp (10a) to boost the weak signal inherent in hex pickups. The six channel hex preamp will feed into the six separate guitar amps (12) with six conventional patch cords (not shown). The six separate guitar amps outputs (12a) will be connected to the six speakers through conventional speaker cables facilitating independent amplification for each guitar string, resulting in hexaphonic guitar sound.
US08223993B2
A signal conditioner for subwoofers has a band pass filter which passes a lower frequency spectrum of an input signal. The band pass filter includes a high pass filter having a predetermined corner frequency, and a low pass filter having about the same corner frequency, and produces a filtered input to a peak voltage follower circuit. The peak voltage follower circuit traces and smoothes the upper boundary of the filtered input to produce a control voltage. An analog multiplier multiplies the input signal by the control voltage produced by the peak voltage follower to produce an enhanced signal where low frequency transients have been magnified.
US08223989B2
In a signal processing system, a set of channel signals from an array of sensors of different operating characteristics are processed in calibration circuitry that calculates individual average values of the channel signals and calculates an average of the individual average values of channel signals as a reference value. Reciprocal calculators calculate reciprocal values of the individual average values of the channel signals. Scaling circuitry scales the reciprocal values by the reference value to produce a set of amplitude calibration signals and scales the channel signals by the calibration signals respectively. As a result, the channel signals are normalized by their own average values and scaled by the reference value to produce a set of calibrated channel signals.
US08223988B2
An enhanced blind source separation technique is provided to improve separation of highly correlated signal mixtures. A beamforming algorithm is used to precondition correlated first and second input signals in order to avoid indeterminacy problems typically associated with blind source separation. The beamforming algorithm may apply spatial filters to the first signal and second signal in order to amplify signals from a first direction while attenuating signals from other directions. Such directionality may serve to amplify a desired speech signal in the first signal and attenuate the desired speech signal from the second signal. Blind source separation is then performed on the beamformer output signals to separate the desired speech signal and the ambient noise and reconstruct an estimate of the desired speech signal. To enhance the operation of the beamformer and/or blind source separation, calibration may be performed at one or more stages.
US08223974B2
A method and nodes provide self-healing encryption keys from a server to a client. Forward keys and backward keys are generated at the server. The server sends to the client a pair comprising a forward key for a first instant and a backward key for a later instant, the first and later instants being separated by a self-healing period. The client calculates a backward key for the first instant by processing the received backward key for the later instant. The server updates the keys to the client. If the client misses an update, it processes the first forward key to obtain a next one. If the client misses an updated backward key within the self-healing period, it uses the already processed backward key. If the client misses a later backward key, it sends a feedback to the server, responsive to which the server adjusts the self-healing period.
US08223972B2
In the key management software having a key database with a tree structure, a high-speed data encryption/decryption process is achieved by changing the tree structure without reducing the security strength when deleting or adding a key from/to the tree structure. The key management software having the key database with the tree structure, when deleting or adding a key from/to the tree structure, refers to the encryption strength comparison table and the process time comparison table to change the tree structure without reducing the security strength. This reduces the number of times an encrypted key is loaded onto the encryption/decryption processing device during the data encryption/decryption process, thus achieving a high-speed data encryption/decryption.
US08223970B2
A method for decrypting the encrypted messages sent by a transmission device to a first electronic device associated with a first trusted authority and to a second electronic device (ME). In one embodiment, first and second tokens are generated and exchanged, respectively, by the first and second electronic devices, which then generate a joint decryption key in order to decrypt the encrypted message.
US08223962B2
First and second nodes generate numeric string elements from time interval by their physical changes. The first node generates a basic numeric string from the numeric string elements and similar numeric strings, encrypts the generated basic numeric string and the similar numeric strings, and generates a cipher value list that stores the numeric strings with corresponding cipher values. The second node generates a basic numeric string based on the numeric string elements generated by the second node, encrypts the generated basic numeric string in accordance with the same encryption rule as that for the first node, and transmits the generated cipher value to the first node. The first node receives a cipher value from the second node, and compares the received cipher value with the cipher values in the cipher value list to find a match, and transmits a match signal if a match is found.
US08223958B2
Embodiments for connecting and disconnecting a first pair of conductors of a jack from a second pair of conductors of the jack, the first pair of conductors configured to connect to a first line and the second pair of conductors configured to connect to a secondary line, detecting a voltage or a current on the secondary line while the second pair of conductors is disconnected from the first pair of conductors, and notifying a user in response to detecting the voltage or the current on the secondary line while the second pair of conductors is disconnected from the first pair of conductors are disclosed.
US08223957B2
A device may receive a telephone call, automatically create a ring tone in response to receiving the telephone call, and cause the ring tone to be audibly provided to a user.
US08223952B2
The invention relates to a data communications network and a method of operation thereof. A data communications network (14) is described which includes a call server (58, 60, 62, 64) for the purpose of signalling, and a routing server (66, 68) for the purpose of routing to permit communication between users of the network. The call server (58, 60, 62, 64) is operable to send a request to the routing server (66, 68) for the purpose of obtaining the identity of another call server (58, 60, 62, 64) to which it is required to communicate. The request is provided with a parameter which relates to the origin of the communication within the data network (14) to enable a desired routing of the communication through the network.
US08223943B2
A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to support canceling audio streams leaked from a speaker to a PSTN so that only the audio stream of a presenter or viewer speaking at a conference call is transmitted. Here, the audio streams being canceled includes the audio stream of an application being run or a material being presented online during a web conference. The voice audio stream of a presenter or viewer is then transmitted in addition to the computer audio stream, clean from any other audio stream of echoes or feedbacks captured by the hosting device during the conference call.
US08223942B2
Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and devices for improved audio, video, and data conferencing. The present invention provides a conferencing system comprising a plurality of endpoints communicating data including audio data and control data according to a communication protocol. A local conference endpoint may control or be controlled by a remote conference endpoint. Data comprising control signals may be exchanged between the local endpoint and remote endpoint via various communication protocols. In other embodiments, the present invention provides for improved bridge architecture for controlling functions of conference endpoints including controlling functions of the bridge.
US08223926B2
Registering with a call manager includes connecting to a first call manager and a second call manager. The endpoints register with the first call manager and send keep-alive signals to the first call manager and the second call manager. If a failure is detected in the first call manager, the system initiates a failover process. The endpoints re-register with the first call manager when the first call manager regains operability.
US08223924B2
A grating with a large aspect ratio is disclosed, in particular to be used as an X-ray optical grating in a CT system and in particular produced by a lithography method. In at least one embodiment, the grating includes a multiplicity of recurring alternating grating webs and grating gaps with a height, and a multiplicity of filler beams, respectively arranged in the grating gaps with a spacing from one another in the direction of the gaps, which beams connect respectively adjacent grating webs over their height. In at least one embodiment, the grating webs and the grating gaps run from a first to a second side of the grating, and a filler beam has a width in the direction of the gaps and this width is at most 10% of the spacing between two adjacent filler beams. In at least one embodiment, the spacings between respective adjacent filler beams in a grating gap do not vary by more than 10% in the entire grating. At least one embodiment of the invention furthermore relates to a CT system containing at least one grating according to at least one embodiment of the invention.
US08223916B2
Methods, systems, and related computer program products for computer-aided detection (CAD) of anatomical abnormalities in a breast volume based on a plurality of two-dimensional x-ray tomosynthesis projection images thereof is described. Each projection image is processed according to at least one predetermined feature extraction algorithm to generate at least one projection feature array corresponding thereto. For each of the at least one predetermined features extracted, the plurality of corresponding projection feature arrays is backprojected according to a predetermined tomosynthesis reconstruction algorithm to form a plurality of two-dimensional tomosynthesis reconstructed feature arrays. Each pixel in the three-dimensional breast geometry is then individually classified as being either a pixel of interest, or not a pixel of interest, based upon the at least one tomosynthesis reconstructed feature array value corresponding to that pixel. CAD detections for the breast volume are then generated based on the identified pixels of interest.
US08223915B2
A radiographic X-ray apparatus is equipped with multiple devices for the acquisition of anatomical data, in particular cameras. These devices are used to facilitate and automate the imaging process, providing: before exposure the automated identification of the specific anatomical features of the patient and the optimized presetting of the exposure technique factors and projection geometry, tailored on the actual anatomy of the patient; during exposure the optimized X-ray dose modulation, either automatically or selected by the operator, in order to correctly expose the various regions of interest, and accordingly impart reduced dose to other body parts, according to the actual anatomy of the patient and imaging requirements; after exposure the possibility to complement the radiographic image with additional information about the internal and external anatomy, providing valuable tools for the medical analysis and diagnosis.
US08223906B2
A transmit filter for a stream of OFDM symbols has a remapper, Infinite Impulse Response (IIR) filter and a controller, the transmit filter operating on a stream of OFDM symbols. The transmit filter accepts symbols to be transmitted, the re-mapper re-orders them, the IIR filters the re-ordered stream, and a controller provides an output by rearranging the filtered symbols. The incoming symbol stream contains a series of symbols, each followed by a guard interval, where each guard interval has a first Tg symbol interval, and a second Tg symbol interval, the remapper generating a re-ordered stream having a first Tg symbol interval, a second Tg symbol interval and the symbol, the output of the IIR filter thereby generating a filtered first Tg symbol, a filtered second Tg symbol, and a filtered symbol, and the controller forms the transmit output by discarding the filtered first Tg symbol and outputting, in sequence, the filtered second Tg symbol, the filtered symbol, and a copy of the filtered second Tg symbol. The filtered second Tg symbol may be saved into a local buffer at the time it is initially output for use following the current symbol.
US08223905B2
Method and apparatus for maximizing the usable bandwidth for High Performance 1553 terminals operating concurrently on the same physical bus with legacy 1 Mb/s MIL-STD-1553 terminals. More specifically, the method and apparatus provides implementation for predictive cancellation by synthesizing an estimate of the 1 Mb/s MIL-STD-1553 component of a composite 1 Mb/s plus High Performance 1553 input signal using either of two different techniques: (1) a combination of digital and analog techniques; and (2) an all digital technique. The synthesized signal is then subtracted from the composite signal. Both techniques employ an algorithm for minimizing the effects of clock skew between 1 Mb/s 1553 transmitting clocks and the local High Performance 1553 sampling clock. Both techniques also incorporate an adaptation algorithm for developing and maintaining digital models of 1 Mb/s 1553 signals received from multiple 1 Mb/s 1553 terminals on a bus.
US08223887B2
A transmitter, a receiver, and a method of supporting a space time block code (STBC) scheme in a single carrier (SC) system based on a unique word (UW) are provided. The transmitter supporting an STBC scheme in an SC system based on a UW includes: a space time (ST) encoder encoding a plurality of symbols, which has been received according to a predetermined pattern, using a space time encoding; a first UW adder generating a first transmission sequence by inserting a first UW after a first symbol, from the encoded plurality of symbols; and a second UW adder generating a second transmission sequence by inserting a second UW after a second symbol, from the encoded plurality of symbols.
US08223880B2
A communication system for a power line is described. A transmission system of the communication system divides the time axis into a number of time slots synchronized such that one time slot can start about a zero crossing of the power line signal. These time slots may be referred to as channels. Data may initially be modulated into at least one of these time slots over a first transmission period according to a modulation scheme. The time slots and/or modulation scheme used in subsequent transmission periods may be adjusted depending on transmission feedback relating to prior modulated data.
US08223873B2
A method and system for acquiring beamforming vectors using multiple spreading sequence spreading gains is disclosed. One embodiment of the invention allows time and power to be saved by spreading a training sequence with spreading sequences of different gains in different iterations of an iterative beamforming acquisition procedure. In one embodiment of the invention, the method comprises modulating, at a first station, a first training sequence with a first source beamforming vector, wherein the first training sequence has a first spreading gain, transmitting the modulated first training sequence to a second station, receiving a first response signal from the second station, obtaining a second source beamforming vector based on the first response signal, modulating, at the first station, a second training sequence with the second source beamforming vector, wherein the second training signal has a second spreading gain which is different from the first spreading gain, transmitting the modulated second training sequence to the second station, receiving a second response signal from the second station, obtaining a third source beamforming vector based on the second response signal, and determining whether to use the third source beamforming vector to modulate a data signal to be transmitted to the second station.
US08223843B2
Disclosed is a method and apparatus of encoding a video, the method including: splitting video data into a maximum coding unit; encoding the video data of the maximum coding unit based on deeper coding units of hierarchical structures in which a coding unit of an upper depth is split as a depth deepens, according to at least one split region of the maximum coding unit, and determining a coding depth at which an encoding result is to be output, including inter prediction using partitions obtained by splitting the coding unit according to arbitrary ratios; and outputting a bitstream including the encoded video data corresponding to a coding depth for the at least one split region according to maximum coding units and information regarding the coding depth and encoding modes.
US08223835B2
An improved solution for categorizing moving objects into familiar colors in video is provided. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for categorizing moving objects into familiar colors in video comprises: receiving a video input; determining at least one object track of the video input; creating a normalized cumulative histogram of the at least one object track; and one of: performing a parameterization quantization of the histogram including separating the histogram into regions based on at least one surface curve derived from one of saturation and intensity; or identifying a significant color of the quantized histogram.
US08223831B2
A method for detecting a pattern in an image includes defining a set of pixel values in an image using a window and calculating a Fourier transform of the pixel values. In one embodiment, the Fourier transform of the pixel values forms a spectrum. The method further comprises analyzing the spectrum of the Fourier transform to find a peak and analyzing the peak to determine whether the peak is indicative of the presence of a pattern in the image.
US08223823B2
A digital broadcast transmitting/receiving system, and a signal processing method thereof, includes a randomizer for randomizing a transport stream into a specified position of which stuff bytes are inserted, a stuff-byte exchanger for replacing the stuff bytes included in data output from the randomizer with specified known data, an RS encoder for performing an RS-encoding of data output from the stuff-byte exchanger, an interleaver for interleaving data output from the RS encoder, a trellis encoder for performing a trellis encoding of data output from the interleaver, an RS parity generator for generating a parity by performing an RS encoding of data output from the RS encoder, and outputting the generated parity to the trellis encoder, and a modulator/RF converter for modulating data output from the trellis encoder and performing an RF up-converting of the modulated data. The digital broadcast receiving performance can be improved even in an inferior multi-path channel by detecting the known data from the received signal and using the known data for synchronization and equalization in a digital broadcast receiver.
US08223819B2
Systems and methods for generating spectrally shaped pseudo random noise sequences are described, which may include generating an L-level PN sequence, where L is an integer greater than 1; up-sampling the PN sequence by a factor of M, where M is an integer greater than 1; and filtering the up-sampled PN sequence using a finite impulse response (FIR) filter of length M, where the coefficients of the FIR filter are chosen from a set of pre-determined values.
US08223814B2
The present invention provides a semiconductor laser realizing reduced possibility that a wiring layer disposed in the air is broken even under severe environment of a large temperature difference. A trench is provided between adjacent ridges, and a wiring layer electrically connecting an upper electrode and a pad electrode is disposed in the air at least above the trench. The wiring layer in a portion above the trench has a flat shape or a concave shape which dents toward the trench. With the configuration, accumulation of strains in the wiring layer when the wiring layer repeats expansion and shrink under severe environment of a large temperature difference is suppressed.
US08223812B2
An optical scanning apparatus includes a light source configured to emit a plurality of laser beams from a plurality of light emitting parts, a beam shaping unit configured to shape the laser beams emitted from the light source, a detection unit provided outside the light source and configured to detect an amount of a laser beam that is not shaped by the beam shaping unit in the laser beams emitted from the light source in an area outside the beam shaping unit, and a light amount control unit configured to control amounts of the laser beams emitted from the light source based on a detection result detected by the detection unit. The detection unit includes a plurality of light-sensitive elements. The light amount control unit controls the light amounts of the laser beams emitted from the light source based on detection results of the light-sensitive elements.
US08223804B2
A synchronized communication system is provided in which even when communication devices are connected in series to a transmission path, devices connected to the communication devices are synchronized so that a communication cycle can be reduced. A second communication device includes a relay path and a return path which do not pass through a storage device, and a path selection switch therefor. A first communication device instructs switching of the return path from the transmission path, measures a transmission path delay time, notifies the second communication device of it, and sends a reference time of the first communication device for each communication cycle. The second communication device corrects its reference time using the transmission path delay time and the reference time. When a new second communication device is found during synchronized communication, the first communication device also performs transmission path delay measurement using the remaining time in the communication cycle.
US08223801B2
Presently described is a system and method for switching multimedia data communications, including but not limited to Voice over IP (VoIP) telephony, cable TV, digital audio and video. The system utilizes a single, integrated device to provide all PacketCable-compliant functionality, including enhanced user privacy, compliance with CALEA, E911 and other mandated services not available in conventional distributed PacketCable systems. High speed and efficient, low cost operation are provided by means of an optimized data unit encapsulation scheme for internal switching and routing. A proprietary fiber optic backplane and removable optical connectors are used to enable lightspeed internal communications hot-swapping of components. Furthermore, the present system is extensible to all forms of digital data switching and is secure, resistant to Denial of Service attacks, and fault-resilient.
US08223794B2
Disclosed is a system and method for routing a call to a dual mode wireless device. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a network node receives a call. The network node determines that the call is associated with a dual mode wireless device. Once this determination is made, the network node then selects one of a plurality of networks (e.g., cellular network or packet-based network, such as a VoIP network) for use in connecting the call to the dual mode wireless device. The network node then routes the call to the dual mode wireless device via the selected network. During the call, the network node re-routes the call to another network if the network node determines that this other network is now better suited for the call.
US08223787B2
A digital broadcasting system and a data processing method are disclosed. A receiving system of the digital broadcasting system includes a baseband processor, a management processor, and a presentation processor. The baseband processor receives broadcast signals including mobile service data and main service data. Herein, the mobile service data may configure a RS frame, which includes mobile service data and table information describing channel configuration information and IP access information of an ensemble level corresponding to the RS frame. The table information is encapsulated to a UDP/IP header. The management processor processes table information from the RS frame to acquire channel configuration information and IP access information of an ensemble level, and accesses mobile service data requested to be received from the RS frame, based upon the acquired information. The presentation processor decodes the accessed mobile service data and outputs the decoded data to a display screen and/or a speaker.
US08223786B2
An embodiment is a technique to perform packet scheduling for QoS. A plurality of buffers is visited in a variable round robin manner. The buffers store packets having packet types associated with priority levels and having buffer types according to the packet types. The packets are generated for transmission from an application according to a network protocol in a multi-hop mesh network having a local node and a remote node. The buffers are dequeued according to the buffer types and using an amount dynamically weighted by the priority levels associated with the buffer types.
US08223781B2
The system and method for implementing a Universal Messaging Gateway (UMG) disclosed herewith provides telecommunications Network Operators (NO) and like related parties with innovative and flexible art for delivering domestic and foreign network originated Multi-media traffic and/or, more generally, interactive and/or synchronous mobile text and related telecommunications messaging or information services to a large number of related receiving telecommunications network equipment (as ESMEs and/or SMS-Cs in relation to SMS traffic).
US08223770B2
A virtual network has virtual machines on physical devices connected to network interfaces each coupled by tunnels (100) through a forwarding network (40), each interface having a forwarding address in an address space of the forwarding network, each network interface having a reconfigurable address mapper (320) for determining a forwarding address for a packet, and encapsulating the packet with its forwarding address so that the forwarding network can deliver the data packet to the remote physical device having that forwarding address. Such encapsulation enables virtual machines on different physical devices to communicate transparently to the underlying forwarding network. Virtual networks can be created to suit their applications yet use or share existing forwarding networks, while protecting the forwarding network from interference by the virtual machines, and maintaining isolation between virtual machines.
US08223769B2
The invention provides circuitry for processing and routing data and comprises an input configured to receive data, one or more summing units configured to sum at least some of the data and a plurality of outputs configured to output the summed data. The one or more summing units are configured to route the summed data to one or more of the outputs.
US08223765B2
Exemplary embodiments of the invention provide a system and method for providing multicast service in a unicast-based Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system. The system and method include a VoIP call server receiving subnet information from VoIP terminals authenticated by an authentication server, generating multicast group information, and providing the multicast group information to the respective authenticated VoIP terminals. The VoIP call server searches a list of grouped VoIP terminals, selects a VoIP terminal of a corresponding subnet, transmits multicast session information to the selected VoIP terminal to set the VoIP terminal as a relay VoIP terminal, and requests a media server to transmit group message data to the relay VoIP terminal. According to this system and method, it is possible to implement a multicast service in a unicast-based VoIP system without adding additional equipment.
US08223764B2
A digital broadcasting system and a data processing method thereof are provided. An apparatus for generating a transport stream includes a packet generator for generating a plurality of packets by compressing video and audio signals; a counter for counting the number of the generated packets and outputting the count result; and an information controller for determining whether the count result of counting reaches a predetermined number of packets, inserting packet start information into the packets according to the count result, and transmitting the packets with the packet start information inserted therein. The packet start information is added to a packet to be transmitted in a transmitter, and the packet start information is extracted from the received packet in a receiver, so that the waste of frequency resources can be reduced.
US08223762B2
A private IP address is converted into a public IP address in a communications network without adapting a client software. The conversion of the private IP addresses into the public IP addresses is carried out via a network address translation. The private IP address of each terminal included in a payload of the IP data packet is convertible into a corresponding public IP address and, if necessary, vice-versa.
US08223752B2
Service resource items for use in call setup in a telephone system are held on servers that are connected to a computer network which is logically distinct from the telephone system infrastructure; this computer network may, for example, make use of the Internet. Each service item is locatable on the network at a corresponding URI and is associated with a particular telephone number. A mapping is provided between telephone numbers and the URIs of associated service resource items. When it is desired to access a service resource item associated with a particular telephone number, this mapping is used to retrieve the corresponding URI which is then used to access the desired service resource item.
US08223748B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide techniques for refreshing a session. A session is refreshed using a refresh message that is enhanced for a refresh. For example, the refresh message does not include an SDP or any other message body. The message includes only a reduced header. This reduces time spent building and parsing the refresh message. Also, less bandwidth is used in sending the refresh messages.
US08223739B2
A wireless communication device, a wireless communication system and a method of transmitting by a piconet controller (PNC) a poll request frame using beamforming techniques to one or more devices, wherein the poll request frame includes a time offset for sending a poll response frame by the device. The PNC receives the poll response frame with a channel bandwidth allocation request and dynamically allocating a channel bandwidth to the one or more devices according to the channel bandwidth allocation request.
US08223735B2
Techniques are provided to performing beamforming on a wireless communication link that employs multi-carrier code division multiple access (MC-CDMA) signal formatting techniques. At a first wireless communication device, a waveform is received at each of a plurality of antennas, where the waveform comprises a multi-carrier code division multiple access ranging transmission from each of one or more of a plurality of second wireless communication devices such that MC-CDMA ranging transmissions from two or more second wireless communication devices overlap in time and frequency. All codes in a set of possible codes that may be used by the second wireless communication devices are searched to determine whether which codes in the set are present in the one or more MC-CDMA ranging transmissions contained in the received waveform. For each of the one or more codes that are determined to be present in the received waveform, estimated channel path responses are computed at each of the plurality of antennas of the first wireless communication device. A downlink beamforming weight vector is computed from the estimated channel path responses computed for a corresponding code.
US08223730B2
A system and a method for monitoring grouped objects with a gateway and a plurality of radio nodes attachable to the objects. Each radio node has a computing unit, a short-range communications unit and an energy supply unit. One of the radio nodes or the gateway has a localization unit. Optionally, one of the radio nodes also has a long-range communications unit. The computing unit contains a control program for the processing of predetermined tasks in radio nodes, which is designed for the control of bi-directional communications between the radio nodes via the short-range communications unit for the formation of an ad hoc network. The control program undertakes the control of a tuning process between the radio nodes and selects one of the radio nodes for the processing of one of the predetermined tasks, the selected node at that instant being best suited for the task according to predetermined criteria.
US08223729B2
Techniques for selecting a radio interface for an application are described. A terminal identifies locally-addressable and globally-addressable wireless networks among wireless networks available to the terminal. Radio interfaces supported by the terminal may be prioritized based on the locally-addressable and globally-addressable wireless networks, information obtained for the application, the application type, etc. Different applications may have different radio interface preferences or requirements, which may be considered in prioritizing the radio interfaces. A suitable radio interface may be selected for the application based on the prioritized radio interfaces. WLAN interface may be selected for the application if (a) the WLAN interface is preferred and any WLAN is acceptable to the application or (b) a globally-addressable WLAN is available. A WLAN interface may be selected for the application if a globally-addressable WLAN is not available.
US08223728B2
An architecture by which combined scheduling and network coding can be used in mesh networks, and more particularly wireless mesh networks. In various embodiments, this architecture includes a scheduling MAC protocol for scheduling nodes in the mesh network in order to take advantage of network coding opportunities. The schedule takes advantage of these opportunities by assigning a gain to transmit packets based upon the number of packets that are transmitted concurrently and choosing a schedule which minimizes the gain over the scheduling horizon. Regarding the assigned gain, in one embodiment this value is one for basic non-encoded operations and two or more for encoded operations. A scheduling MAC protocol is also used to announce and arbitrate network coding opportunities by indicating which packets (as characterized by their transmission slot) are to be encoded with each other.
US08223723B2
Embodiments of the invention describe a method for joint resource blocks assignment and antenna selection (AS) in a wireless communication network, the network comprising user equipment (UE), wherein the UE comprises a plurality of subsets of antennas, the UE is configured to transmit a sounding reference signal (SRS) from a subset of antennas at a time. The method transmits a first SRS from a first subset of antennas and a second SRS from a second subset of antennas. Upon receiving, in response to the transmitting of the first SRS and the second SRS, information related to an optimal subset of antennas, and information related to an optimal subset of resource blocks, the method transmits a data symbol from the optimal subset of antennas using the optimal resource block.
US08223716B2
The present invention relates to reducing the time required to provide an IP address to a mobile node by pro-actively obtaining IP addresses, through the use of PANA-assisted pro-active IP address acquisition, IKEv2-assisted proactive IP address acquisition, or by pro-active IP address acquisition using DHCP only.
US08223712B2
Provided are a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH)-based scheduling method and apparatus suitable for use by a base station in a long-term evolution (LTE) system. The scheduling method includes: determining an aggregation level of a common search space of a PDCCH by considering channel quality of a plurality of user equipments (UEs); identifying the number of PDCCH candidates and the number of messages, which require allocation of the common search space, based on the determined aggregation level and selecting messages by a smaller number of the number of messages and the number of PDCCH candidates; and allocating PDCCH resources and physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) resources for the selected messages. In a situation where the PDCCH resources are shared by downlink scheduling information and uplink scheduling information of different UEs, the PDCCH resource-based scheduling method can be used by the base station to efficiently utilize the PDCCH resources.
US08223707B2
A method and Node B are disclosed for allocation of “sticky” resources in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing communication system. The Node B comprises a scheduler that is configured to make a sticky resource allocation to a user equipment, determine that a transmit power level allocated for transmissions to the user equipment should be adjusted, determine whether the resources allocated to the user equipment comprise a Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) modulation scheme, and in response to determining that the resources allocated to the user equipment comprise a QPSK modulation scheme, adjust the allocated transmit power level without informing the user equipment of the adjustment. The Node B further may condition the determination to adjust the allocated transmit power level without informing the UE of the adjustment based on a size of the adjustment.
US08223700B2
A wireless terminal capable of communicating with a wireless communication system comprised of a plurality of wireless terminals and a plurality of base stations. The wireless terminal selects a sequence from a group of certain sequences for random access. At least one sub-carriers on an uplink channel including at least one data channel is allocated for at least one random access channel. Each data channel includes a continuous set of data sub-carriers. The wireless terminal then filters the at least one random access channel by applying a Raised Cosine filter, maps the selected sequence to the at least one random access channel to generate a random access channel signal, and transmits the random access channel signal to a base station.
US08223698B2
The methods and devices of the present disclosure may be used to enable non-carrier dependent, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) femtocells for in-service use with one or more mobile handheld devices. The VoIP femtocell generally includes at least one Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver; and program logic that, at least in part, performs a broadcast channel selection protocol and a handheld reselection protocol, so as to enable one or more mobile handheld devices to select the VoIP femtocell for in-service use. In certain embodiments, the broadcast channel selection protocol includes a configuration phase and a broadcast phase.
US08223697B2
A user equipment implements a method of processing indication messages, such as SCRI (signalling connection release indication) messages. The user equipment (UE) maintains a count of how many indication messages with a cause set have been sent by the UE while in at least one radio resource control (RRC) state. Various conditions are provided for resetting the count. These include receiving packet switched (PS) data by the UE and transmitting packet switched (PS) data.
US08223686B2
An apparatus and method for Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) signaling in a broadband wireless communication system are provided. A communication method of a Base Station (BS) includes transmitting a Fixed Allocation (FA) message containing bitmap index information for all Mobile Stations (MSs) allocated with fixed resources; and transmitting bitmap information indicating whether packets to be transmitted to the MSs are Retransmission (Rtx) packets or new packets. Accordingly, when HARQ is carried out using a fixed resource allocation scheme, a bitmap is used to indicate whether HARQ packets transmitted in a current frame are new packets or Rtx packets. Therefore, a receiving end can be prevented from incorrectly decoding the packets.
US08223680B2
Each of a plurality of network nodes in an ad hoc mesh network utilizes a data communication device that includes a two-way communications component, comprising a first receiver and transmitter, and a second receiver. The second receiver activates the communications component from a dormant state when it receives a broadcast including a wake-up identifier of the communication device. A method of activating and deactivating a mesh network includes, first, transmitting a broadcast that includes a wake-up identifier such that each second receiver of each communication device identified by the wake-up identifier, upon receipt, activates the communications component of the communication device, which then engages in mesh networking communications, and, second, transmitting a second broadcast including a second identifier such that the communications component of each communication device identified by the second identifier, upon receipt, will cease its mesh networking communications and will return to the dormant state.
US08223665B2
A mobile IPTV system and a method of providing a mobile IPTV service are provided. The mobile IPTV system includes an IPTV head end, a base station, and a mobile terminal. The IPTV head end encodes data for an IPTV stream into a base layer and an enhancement layer and outputs the encoded data. The base station receives the IPTV stream from the IPV head end and partially truncates the enhancement layer of the IPTV stream according to a combination of a modulation technique and a cording rate which are determined in advance and outputs a transmission IPTV stream. The mobile terminal receives the transmission IPTV stream from the base station. Since an IPTV service is provided in view of a user distribution characteristic of a network, user can be efficiently provided with satisfactory QoS.
US08223650B2
A method, router node, and set of instructions for using express virtual channels in a component network on a chip. An input link 302 may receive an express flow control unit from a source node 102 in a packet-switched network via an express virtual channel 110. An output link 306 may send the express flow control unit to a sink node 106. A switch allocator 322 may forward the express flow control unit directly to the output link 306.
US08223649B2
A method of sending a packet from a source node to a destination node in the same broadcast domain. The packet is associated with a traffic flow directed from the source node to the destination node. The source node is connected with the destination node via a first and a second communication path. A criterion based on an attribute of the traffic flow is measured for each of the communication paths. One path is selected between the first and second communication paths based on the measured criterion and the selected communication path is assigned to the associated traffic flow. The packet is then sent via the selected communication path.
US08223619B2
A reproduction apparatus for an optical recording medium that has a convex pit recording layer, in which pits are formed in a convex shape viewed from a laser incidence side, and a concave pit recording layer, in which pits are formed in a concave shape viewed from the laser incidence side, as recording layers in which data is recorded by pit strings, the pits being formed with a depth that is set in a range of λ/4.5 to λ/6 with respect to a laser wavelength λ, including: an optical head section that irradiates laser beams on the recording layers and detects reflected light information to read out information recorded in the recording layers; a tracking error signal generating section that generates a tracking signal; a polarity switching section that switches a polarity of the tracking error signal; and a tracking servo section that performs a tracking servo operation.
US08223618B2
An optical information recording medium includes a recording layer that includes a mark layer in which recording marks formed in accordance with condensed recording light are aligned and has a recording light absorption amount of 20.8% or less with respect to an innermost depth as a depth of the mark layer from a side thereof that the recording light enters to a side thereof that is most distant from the side that the recording light enters, and a change amount of a light absorption amount with respect to measurement light having a wavelength 10 nm shorter than that of the recording light at a time a light absorption amount with respect to measurement light having the same wavelength as the recording light is used as a reference, of 8.0% or more per 0.30 mm.
US08223617B2
A device and method for reducing power consumption of an optical drive are proposed. The present invention samples a carrier control signal and then compares the samples of the signals with predetermined threshold signals. According to the comparison result, the present invention produces at least one diphase excitation control signal. The diphase excitation control signal comprises at least one impulse signal, and a negative edge of the impulse signal is adjusted to a predetermined level during the period of the diphase excitation control signal. The present invention reduces the time for outputting the control signals and greatly reduces the power consumption of the optical drive thereby.
US08223615B2
A compatible near field optical recording/reproducing apparatus includes a solid immersion lens unit including a first lens, which has an aspherical surface in which light incident from the first light source is condensed, and a second lens, which realizes a high numerical aperture via a near field effect by light condensed by the first lens and has an aspherical surface. An effective beam size-controlling device controls an effective size of a light beam transmitted to the solid immersion lens unit such that either near field light or far field light is transmitted to an information storage medium by the solid immersion lens unit and a focal point adjusting optical system adjusts a focal position of light transmitted to the information storage medium according to the type of the information storage medium.
US08223607B2
The present invention provides an overwrite method of a write-once optical disc and apparatus thereof, by which a logical overwrite is enabled by varying an overwrite system according to a recording mode to enhance efficiency of disc use. The present invention includes the step of performing a replacement recording on a data area within the optical disc with overwrite-requested data in a specific recording-completed area within the optical disc in a sequential recording mode (SRM) wherein a logical overwrite is executed to maintain continuity of a user data area by the replacement recording. And, the present invention includes the step of performing a replacement recording on a spare area within the optical disc with overwrite-requested data in a specific recording-completed area within the optical disc in a random recording mode (RRM) wherein a size of the spare area for allocation is determined on disc initialization for the replacement recording.
US08223600B2
Storage drive logic and a standalone tape file structure are described. File transfer logic transfers file data to and from a network according to a first protocol. Media access logic accesses a sequential-access storage medium associated with the drive according to a second protocol. Media management logic translates file-based commands received from the network according to the first protocol into sequential-access device commands according to the second protocol. The device commands control accessing of data by the drive. The storage medium may be a magnetic tape including a data region for storing data in a file format, and a table of contents (TOC) region for storing a table of contents that indexes the locations of files within the data region.
US08223592B2
An acoustic radiator for underwater application is provided by opposing boundaries mutually spaced and centered on a common axis, a plurality of radial barriers located perpendicular to and connected between the top and bottom boundaries to define a plurality of adjacent radial waveguides, and a plurality of transducers disposed in each radial waveguide, and with one group of transducers being located radially outwardly from another group, the groups being defined in part by all members of the group being the same distance from the apex of the radial waveguide.
US08223587B2
An improved method for reducing the accuracy requirements on the starting model when performing multi-scale inversion of seismic data (65) by local objective function optimization (64). The different scales of inversion are brought about by incorporating a low-pass filter into the objective function (61), and then decreasing the amount of high-frequency data that is filtered out from one scale to the next. Moreover, the filter is designed to be time varying, wherein the filter's low-pass cutoff frequency decreases with increasing traveltime of the seismic data being filtered (62). The filter may be designed using Pratt's criterion for eliminating local minima, and performing averages (or other statistical measure) of the period and the traveltime error only with respect to source and receiver location but not traveltime (63).
US08223586B2
Methods and systems for analyzing subterranean formations in-situ stress are disclosed. A method for extracting geological horizon on-demand from a 3D seismic data set, comprises receiving sonic log data; computing the anisotropic shear moduli C44, C55 and C66; determining in-situ stress type and selecting an in-situ stress expression corresponding to the in-situ stress type; computing stress regime factor Q of the formation interval; and computing and outputting the maximum stress σH by using the stress regime factor Q, Vertical stress σv and Minimum horizontal stress σh.
US08223582B2
A circuit made on a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate. The circuit includes a first transistor having a first channel, a second transistor having a second channel, with the transistors provided in serial association between first and second terminals for applying a power supply potential, each of the transistors comprising a drain region and a source region in the thin layer, a channel extending between the source region and the drain region, and a front control gate located above the channel. Each transistor has a back control gate formed in the base substrate below the channel of the transistor and capable of being biased in order to modulate the threshold voltage of the transistor. At least one of the transistors is configured for operating in a depletion mode under the action of a back gate signal which will sufficiently modulate its threshold voltage.
US08223576B2
A regulator for regulating a charge pump is provided. The regulator includes a comparator having a first input end capable of receiving a first voltage and a second input end capable of receiving a second voltage for determining enabling or disabling the charge pump. The first voltage is associated with an output voltage of the charge pump. The second voltage is associated with an internal power voltage and a reference voltage Vref.
US08223574B2
Techniques for block refreshing a semiconductor memory device are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for block refreshing a semiconductor memory device. The method may comprise arranging a plurality of memory cells in one or more arrays of rows and columns. Each of the plurality of memory cells may comprise a first region coupled to a source line, a second region, a first body region disposed between the first region and the second region, wherein the body region may be electrically floating and charged to a first predetermined voltage potential, and a first gate coupled to a word line, wherein the first gate may be spaced apart from, and capacitively coupled to, the first body region. The method may also comprise applying voltage potentials to the plurality of memory cells to refresh a plurality of data states stored in the plurality of memory cells.
US08223573B2
Method and device for controlling a memory access and correspondingly configured semiconductor memoryA method and a device for controlling a memory access of a memory comprising memory cells are described. A completion of the memory access is determined by means of at least one dummy bit line. The at least one dummy bit line is connected to a plurality of memory cells of the memory cells of the memory such that a content of the at least one memory cell can be read out via the at least one dummy bit line. The at least one memory cell can be set to a predetermined potential. Each of said plurality of memory cells is connected to the at least one dummy bit line and to at least one dummy word line such that each of said plurality of memory cells can be set to the predetermined potential by means of the at least one dummy bit line and by means of the at least one dummy word line.
US08223571B2
A circuit includes a first left transistor having a first left drain, a first left gate, and a first left source; a second left transistor having a second left drain, a second left gate, and a second left source; a third left transistor having a third left drain, a third left gate, and a third left source; a first right transistor having a first right drain, a first right gate, and a first right source; a second right transistor having a second right drain, a second right gate, and a second right source; a third right transistor having a third right drain, a third right gate, and a third right source; a left node electrically coupling the first left drain, the second left drain, the second left gate, the third right gate, and the third left drain; and a right node electrically coupling the first right drain, the second right drain, the second right gate, the third left gate, and the third right drain.
US08223554B2
Each of the programming processes operate to program at least a subset of the non-volatile storage elements to a respective set of target conditions using program pulses. At least a subset of the programming processes include identifying a program pulse associated with achieving a particular result for a respective programming process and performing one or more sensing operations at one or more alternative results for the non-volatile storage elements. Subsequent programming process are adjusted based on a first alternative result and the identification of the program pulse if the one or more sensing operations determined that greater than a predetermined number of non-volatile storage elements achieved the first alternative result. Subsequent programming process are adjusted based on the identification of the program pulse if the one or more sensing operations determined that less than a required number of non-volatile storage elements achieved any of the alternative results.
US08223547B2
A non-volatile memory system is formed of floating gate memory cells arranged in blocks as the smallest unit of memory cells that are erasable together. The system includes a number of features that may be implemented individually or in various cooperative combinations. One feature is the storage in separate blocks of the characteristics of a large number of blocks of cells in which user data is stored. These characteristics for user data blocks being accessed may, during operation of the memory system by its controller, be stored in a random access memory for ease of access and updating. According to another feature, multiple sectors of user data are stored at one time by alternately streaming chunks of data from the sectors to multiple memory blocks. Bytes of data in the stream may be shifted to avoid defective locations in the memory such as bad columns. Error correction codes may also be generated from the streaming data with a single generation circuit for the multiple sectors of data. The stream of data may further be transformed in order to tend to even out the wear among the blocks of memory. Yet another feature, for memory systems having multiple memory integrated circuit chips, provides a single system record that includes the capacity of each of the chips and assigned contiguous logical address ranges of user data blocks within the chips which the memory controller accesses when addressing a block, making it easier to manufacture a memory system with memory chips having different capacities. A typical form of the memory system is as a card that is removably connectable with a host system but may alternatively be implemented in a memory embedded in a host system. The memory cells may be operated with multiple states in order to store more than one bit of data per cell.
US08223545B1
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for providing a NAND flash memory arrangement that comprises a source select line (SSL), a drain select line (DSL) and a plurality of NAND memory cells arranged to provide a plurality of data pages. The method further includes defining a first set of data pages in close proximity to the SSL, defining a second set of data pages in close proximity to the DSL, and differentiating the first set of data pages and the second set of data pages from at least the remaining data pages.
US08223534B2
A method of operating magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) cells includes providing an MRAM cell, which includes a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) device; and a selector comprising a source-drain path serially coupled to the MTJ device. The method further includes applying an overdrive voltage to a gate of the selector to turn on the selector.
US08223521B2
In a 2-shunt system, accurate sensorless vector control can be realized without increasing shunt resistors. There is disclosed an inverter device including an inverter main circuit obtained by connecting, in a three-phase bridge-like manner, three arms formed by coupling, in series with a direct-current power source, two switching elements which perform mutually opposite on/off operations, to apply three-phase pseudo alternating-current voltages of a three-phase PWM system to an electric motor; shunt resistors connected to the direct-current power source in series with at least two of the three arms of the inverter main circuit; and a controller for detecting currents flowing through the shunt resistors in a predetermined cycle to control the on/off operations of the switching elements of the inverter main circuit based on the detected currents. The controller converts, into the current value of a specific angle range, a current value detected at a time before approximately 180° corresponding to the specific angle range where the on-time of the switching elements is continuously not more than a predetermined value, and then uses the converted current value.
US08223520B2
A DC conversion apparatus comprises a first transformer, a second transformer, a parallel circuit having series circuits connected in parallel, one of the series circuits including a reactor and a primary winding of the first transformer, the other series circuit including a reactor and a primary winding of the second transformer, a conversion circuit converting a DC voltage of a DC power source into an AC voltage and outputting it to the parallel circuit, a first rectifying-smoothing circuit rectifying and smoothing a first voltage generated by a first secondary windings of the first transformer into a first DC output, and a second rectifying-smoothing circuit rectifying and smoothing a second voltage generated by a first secondary windings of the second transformer into a second DC output that is different from the first voltage. The second secondary windings of the first transformer are connected in parallel with the first secondary windings of the second transformer.
US08223505B2
A holder for holding a flexible printed circuit board includes a main body and at least one securing member. The main body includes a hook portion and a holding member, wherein one of the securing member and the holding member comprises at least one magnet, and the other comprises at least one magnetic portion, at least one magnet or combination thereof such that the securing member capable of being magnetically attached to the holding member.
US08223504B2
A structure for supporting a printed wiring board housed in a housing of an electronic device. The supporting structure includes a first projection formed on the housing and projecting toward the printed wiring board. The electronic device includes a conductor plate, which is grounded and accommodated in the housing. A second projection is formed on the conductor plate and projects toward the printed wiring board. The printed wiring board includes a substrate and a ground layer, which is arranged on the substrate. The first projection of the housing and the second projection of the conductor plate hold and support the printed wiring board in between and thereby electrically connect the ground layer to the conductor plate.
US08223501B2
A server includes a substrate, a circuit board and a locking device assembling the circuit board to the substrate. The locking device includes a frame and a sliding member. The frame includes a pin having a main body and a hood wider than the main body. The sliding member defines a latching groove and a sliding groove therein. The latch groove includes a circular hole facing the sliding groove and a slit narrower than the circular hole. The sliding groove includes an opening facing the latch groove and a split. The opening is wider than the hood. The split is narrower than the hood but not narrower than the main body. The hood extends through the opening of the sliding groove. The sliding member moves relative to the frame along a first direction to cause the main body of the pin to engage in the split of the sliding groove.
US08223499B2
An arrangement is described for receiving an electrical converter module for converting a first frequency of an electrical input signal into a second frequency of an electrical output signal. A rack includes input terminals for receiving the electrical input signal and output terminals for providing the electrical output signal. A slot receives the converter module in a first and second positions where in first position the converter module is electrically connected both to the input and output terminals and in the second position the converter module is electrically disconnected both from the input and output terminals. An actuator, which is mounted to the rack and which, in response to a disconnect trigger signal, is adapted to move the electrical converter module from the first position to the second position. A frequency converter system equipped with such an arrangement and a method for disconnecting a converter module are provided.
US08223493B2
An electronic device includes an enclosure, an expansion card received in the enclosure, and a fan module received in the enclosure for dissipating heat of the expansion card. The fan module includes a cooling fan and a fixing member. The fixing member includes a fixing portion fixed on the cooling fan, a first rotary portion rotatably connected to the fixing portion, and a second rotary portion rotatably connected to the fixing portion. The first rotary portion and the second rotary portion are fixed on the enclosure.
US08223484B2
A cover mechanism is for an electronic device, and the cover mechanism includes a base member and a cover member. The base member defines a hole and a receiving groove. The cover member is received in the receiving groove. The connecting arm extends through the base member and is latched with another side of the base member. The connecting arm is elastically bent to allow the cover portion to cover the hole.
US08223483B2
Docking stations with a moveable connector that is more durable are provided. For example, when a portable electronic device, coupled with the connector, is pushed forward, the connector is designed to move (e.g. rotate), thereby reducing an impact of strain resulting from such a push. The rotatable connector may be biased to keep the portable electronic device in an upright position such that the electronic device is supported by a rear reference surface of the docking station, thereby preventing undue strain on the rotatable connector in the upright position and inhibiting movement forward. The rotatable connector may be partly below an outer shell of the docking station, and pivot at the outer shell, thereby reducing possible damage to parts below the outer shell. The rotatable connector may also retract when rotated, thereby removing a force that can break the connector at a position of full rotation forward.
US08223482B2
A portable computing device having an outer housing, and internal hard disk drive and a shock damping mounting assembly is disclosed. Multiple outer dimensions of the portable computing device can be less than the width of the hard drive due to a diagonal arrangement of the hard drive within the overall device. The hard drive can comply with a standardized form factor, such as a 3.5 inch form factor. A mounting assembly located within the outer housing and coupled to the hard drive can include one or more components adapted to damp a mechanical shock to the hard drive, which components can be mounted to corners and/or edges of the hard drive. Mounting assembly components can includes a first stage spring comprising a finger geometry that provides initial damping of the mechanical shock and a second stage spring comprising an elastic block that provides final damping of the mechanical shock.
US08223474B2
An apparatus, such as a metering panel, for electric power distribution. An enclosure having an access opening defining an interior space, at least two electrical components for separate phases of electricity. The two components located within the enclosure and spaced laterally apart, at least one electrically insulating barrier panel, movable between at least two guided positions, a working position within the enclosure and between the components and an access position displaced from the components.
US08223467B2
An isolation device having normally off detection is provided. The isolation device having normally off detection includes a transient blocking unit (TBU) having at least one depletion mode device disposed between a pair of sense terminals, and at least one normally off transition element disposed to drive a gate of the depletion mode device in the TBU, where the normally off transition element transitions from a first resistive state to a second resistive state and one depletion mode device is connected to one sense terminal, and the normally off transition element transitions by detection of a current through the TBU. The TBU can be unidirectional or bidirectional.
US08223466B2
An arc flash detector includes a light sensor, a light attenuating filter in communication with the light sensor, a housing disposed to support the light attenuating filter and the light sensor, and a logic circuit in communication with the light sensor. The logic circuit is disposed to receive an output of the light sensor and disposed to produce an output signal responsive to a predetermined intensity of light received by the light sensor. The light attenuating filter is disposed to reduce the intensity of light received by the light sensor. The housing is also disposed to retain the light sensor and the light attenuating filter at a fixed orientation.
US08223459B2
A recording head includes a magnetic write pole having an end positioned adjacent to an air bearing surface, a first waveguide having an end positioned adjacent to the air bearing surface, a laser, and a coupler for coupling light from the laser to the waveguide. The coupler can include a grating positioned in or adjacent to a lasing cavity of the laser.
US08223457B2
Magnetic heads for perpendicular magnetic recording on magnetic recording media are provided.
US08223456B2
An exemplary magnetic head assembly for use with magnetic recording media is provided. In one example, a head includes a data island associated with at least one data transducer, the data island having a width along a direction of media transport and a radius of curvature. The magnetic head further includes a mini-outrigger placed adjacent to the data island and separated by a void, wherein a width of the mini-outrigger along the direction of media transport is less than the width of the data island. Additionally, in one example, the radius of curvature of the mini-outrigger is less than the radius of curvature of the data island. The wrap angle of magnetic storage tape to the data island may be less than 3 degrees. Further, the radius of curvature of the mini-outrigger may be less than one-half the radius of curvature of the data island.
US08223455B2
A rotor hub includes a shaft connecting portion arranged to be connected to a shaft serving as a central axis, a disk loading portion centered about the central axis and arranged to support a disk shaped storage medium mounted thereon, a yoke arranged below the disk loading portion and supporting a field magnet at one of an inner side surface thereof and an outer side surface thereof, and a flexible portion connecting the disk loading portion to the yoke and being flexible with respect to a force applied thereto from the yoke.
US08223447B2
A filter and method for filtering an optical beam are disclosed. One embodiment of the filter is an optical filter for filtering an incident light beam, comprising an optically effective material characterized by: a light transmittance of less than 1% for wavelengths below 420 nm; and a light transmittance for wavelengths complementary and near complementary to wavelengths below 420 nm that, combined with the transmittance for wavelengths below 420 nm, will yield a filtered light beam having a luminosity of about 90% and an excitation purity of 5% or less. The complementary wavelengths can be wavelengths above about 640 nm, wavelengths above about 660 nm, and/or wavelengths from about 540 nm to about 560 nm. Further, in one embodiment the difference between the light transmittance just below 420 nm and the light transmittance just above 420 nm can be greater than 90%. Above 420 nm, in some embodiments, the light transmittance can be arbitrarily determined.
US08223440B2
A zoom lens including in order from an object side to an image side: a positive first lens unit which does not move for zooming; a negative second lens unit for magnification, and a rear lens group including two or more lens units, in which: the first lens unit includes a first subunit not moving for focusing and a second subunit moving for focusing, and the first subunit includes two or more negative lenses and one or more positive lenses; and an average Abbe number and an average partial dispersion ratio of materials of the negative lenses included in the first subunit, average Abbe number and average partial dispersion ratio of materials of the one or more positive lenses included in the first lens unit, combined focal length of the negative lenses included in the first subunit, and focal length of the zoom lens at telephoto end are appropriately set.
US08223436B2
A rear attachment lens detachably attached to a main lens system at an image side thereof to lengthen a focal length includes a negative lens disposed such that, when L is a distance between a lens surface closest to an object side and a lens surface closest to an image side in the rear attachment lens, the negative lens is within an area in which a distance from the lens surface closest to the object side to the negative lens is in the range of 0.5 L to 1.0 L. When νdn1 is an Abbe number of a material of the negative lens with respect to the d-line and θgFn1 is a partial dispersion ratio of the material of the negative lens with respect to the g-line and the F-line, the following conditions are satisfied: 10<νdn1<23 0.020<θgFn1−0.6438+0.001682*νdn1<0.100.
US08223433B2
A low-cost sunlight redirecting element including multiple substantially identical redirecting structures uniformly arranged and fixedly disposed on a base, where each redirecting structure includes multiple optical surface regions that are cooperatively formed and arranged such that, when the sunlight redirecting element is operably fixedly oriented relative to a stationary target with sunlight directed along an incident direction onto the redirecting structures, at least some of the sunlight is transmitted between the corresponding optical surface regions of each redirecting structure, and redirected from the corresponding optical surface regions toward the target's surface. The optical surface regions are shaped and arranged to redirect the sunlight toward the fixed target surface even when the sunlight's incident angle direction changes during the course of a year. A stationary sunlight redirecting system (e.g., an architectural daylighting arrangement or PV farm) includes the sunlight redirecting element maintained in a fixed relationship to the stationary target surface.
US08223428B2
A microscope includes a microscope main body, a revolving nosepiece rotatably mounted on the microscope main body and equipped with plural objective lenses, and focusing handles that adjust focal points of the objective lenses. The microscope further includes operation knobs mounted in a vicinity of the focusing handles and configured to move by a predetermined amount in a predetermined direction, and an operating-force transmitting mechanism provided between the operation knobs and the revolving nosepiece and configured to transmit, when the operation knobs move, operating force to the revolving nosepiece to cause the movable member to move so that the objective lenses can be switched from one to the other through a single moving operation of the operation knobs by the predetermined amount.
US08223427B2
A method of fixing a polarization-reversed region formed in a ferroelectric single crystal, including preparing a ferroelectric single crystal having a polarization-reversed region; and irradiating an ion beam or a neutral beam on the ferroelectric single crystal. The ferroelectric single crystal is a substantially stoichiometric lithium tantalate single crystal or a substantially stoichiometric lithium niobate single crystal, and the polarization-reversed region is fixed and any back switch and expansion of the polarization-reversed region are suppressed.
US08223418B2
A first optical system couples a light beam from a light source, including a first lens made of glass with a positive power and a second lens made of plastic with a negative power. A second optical system focuses the light beam from the first optical system onto a scanning surface and moves a light spot on the scanning surface in a main-scanning direction. One of an incidence plane and an output plane of the first lens is spherical while the other is spherical or flat. A cross-sectional plane of the second lens along one of the main-scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction has a non-arc shape on at least one of the incidence plane and the output plane.
US08223409B2
An optical device equipped with a mirror which reflects light, include a plurality of first receiving parts that touch one face of one of ends in a lengthwise direction of the mirror; a plurality of first pressing parts that touch a face opposing to the face to which the first receiving parts touch, and press the mirror with elastic force toward the first receiving parts.
US08223406B2
An image reading apparatus includes an image reading portion that moves in a predetermined direction. The image reading portion includes an image reading sensor that reads an image on a sheet. The image reading apparatus also includes a sheet feeder that feeds the sheet, a first transparent member with a reference surface that supports the sheet thereon, and a second transparent member that contacts the sheet fed by the sheet feeder. The second transparent member is positioned in an inclined position with respect to the reference surface of the first transparent member. The image reading portion moves along a lower surface of the first transparent member and a lower surface of the second transparent member.
US08223404B2
An image forming system according to an aspect of the present invention comprises a component data acquiring unit that acquires a component from color lookup table data; a verifying unit that determines whether or not the component of the color lookup table data acquired by the component data acquiring unit has been generated according to a predetermined generating rule; and a download data generating unit that downloads the color lookup table data and generates download data to be used in image forming processing from the color lookup table data after the verifying unit determines that the component has been generated according to the generating rule.
US08223400B2
If different settings are performed for a user to control usage of functions provided by an image forming apparatus, a management apparatus detects whether resources relating to these settings accord with each other to confirm any conflict between these settings. A plugin management unit detects whether a resource relating to a setting by a plugin B, which is to be installed from a plugin management table, accords with a resource relating to a setting by a plugin A.
US08223393B2
A method of rendering the appearance of microprint contained within a printed input digital image comprised of an array of pixels and wherein each pixel is assigned a digital value representing marking information, the method comprising identifying one or two pixel lines or both and reassigning their digital value.
US08223389B2
An information processing apparatus separates an object from image data of a read document to allow the object to be reused, the apparatus and includes: a storing unit for storing a relative relationship between an object and the other objects included in the document in metadata as a first characteristic amount when the object is separated from the image data of the read document; a designating unit for receiving a designation of a size of a document to which the object is outputted and a designation of observation distance setting; an enlargement/reduction processing unit for performing enlargement/reduction processing on the stored object on the basis of the metadata and a second characteristic amount defined according to the size of the document and the observation distance setting; and a pasting unit for pasting the object subjected to the enlargement/reduction processing into image data of the document.
US08223376B2
In order to prevent leakage of confidential information, MFP includes a communication I/F to receive print data, an image forming portion to perform image formation on print data, and a CPU to prohibit the image forming portion from performing image formation on the print data before the print data is subjected to image formation by the image forming portion, when a prescribed time has passed since the print data was received or when an input of an instruction to protect the print data is accepted, and to store the print data in a storage device, and to allow the image forming portion to perform image formation on the print data in response to accepting a log-in instruction.
US08223363B2
A universal print driver allows an application program to print to any printer available on a network without the user having to perform the configuration that is required in conventional printing arrangements. The universal print driver includes functionality for performing printing device discovery to determine printing devices that are available to process print data. The universal print driver allows users to manage options and settings for printing devices through the universal print driver. The universal print driver may also be configured with a “best fit” matching function that selects an available printing device to process print data that has characteristics that most closely match user-specified characteristics. The universal print driver generates a graphical user interface that allows users to view printing devices available to process print data and to select options and settings for printing devices.
US08223349B2
An image processing apparatus that can provide an online support service is provided. The image processing apparatus includes a user operation data retaining section for retaining user operation data in which contents of user's operation performed by a user is recorded, an input section having a help key for instructing start of execution of an online support function, and a support data retaining section for retaining information about a support connecting destination to be connected in the online support. When recognizing pressing of the help key, the image processing apparatus refers to the user operation data so as to gain at least a part of the contents of the operation performed until a time point of the pressing, selects the support connecting destination according to the gained user operation contents with reference to the support data retaining section so as to request connection of communication with the selected support connecting destination.
US08223348B2
A printing system includes a media input location for storing a recording medium prior to transport within the printing system for subsequent printing; a light source directed toward an extended region of the media input location; an array of photosensors restricted to only a substantially perpendicular movement relative to a plane of the media input location; and an optical path including a first optical path section from the light source to the extended region of the media input location and a second optical path section from the extended region of the media input location to the array of photosensors.
US08223346B2
A method and apparatus for determining the longitudinal position of a tapered displaceable element positioned between two substantially orthogonally laterally opposing displacement sensors. A change in the longitudinal position of the displaceable element causes the sensors to each measure their distance to the displaceable element which relates directly to the local thickness and thus the longitudinal position of the displaceable element. The system factors out errors in measured lateral proximity position of the displaceable element since an erroneous proximity to one sensor is equal and opposite to an erroneous proximity to the other.
US08223308B2
The method for dispensing sealant comprises: preparing an inner-side sealant that comprises a light curing sealant or a first mixture of a light curing sealant and a thermal curing sealant in which the content of the light curing sealant is more than that of the thermal curing sealant; preparing an outer-side sealant that comprises a thermal curing sealant or a second mixture of a light curing sealant and a thermal curing sealant in which the composition of the light curing sealant is less than or equal to that of the thermal curing sealant; simultaneously dispensing the inner-side sealant and the outer-side sealant onto a substrate along four edges of the substrate by using a device for dispensing sealant so that one side of the inner-side sealant abuts the sealed liquid crystal materials and the other side thereof integrates with the outer-side sealant.
US08223305B2
A display device includes a first substrate, a second substrate which is disposed to face the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer which is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, a first electrode and a second electrode which are formed on the first substrate, and a protrusion which is disposed under one of the first electrode and the second electrode, the liquid crystal layer having an isotropic state when there is no applied electric field, and an anisotropic state when an electric field is applied.
US08223301B2
An electro-optical device includes a first substrate and a translucent second substrate facing each other, a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, a reflective electrode that is disposed between the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer, a translucent electrode that is disposed between the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer, a first dielectric layer that is disposed between the reflective electrode and the liquid crystal layer and includes a plurality of dielectric films, and a second dielectric layer that is disposed between the translucent electrode and the liquid crystal layer and includes at least one dielectric film.
US08223299B2
The OCB mode liquid crystal display device applies a black display voltage V(Tr) with temperature characteristic requirements expressed by: V(T)=
US08223286B2
The present invention provides a display panel including a plurality of dual-gate pixel units connected to each other through data lines, gate lines and common lines. Each dual-gate pixel unit includes a first pixel and a second pixel respectively connected to a first gate line and a second gate line, and shares a common line and a data line. The first pixel and the second pixel are respectively disposed at two opposite sides of the common line, and they are also respectively disposed at two opposite sides of the first data line and the second gate line. The data lines transfer data signals into pixels, and the gate lines control the pixels to receive the data signals. The present invention raises an aperture ratio of each pixel of the display panel, and reduces the probability of the gate line and the common line being short-circuited.
US08223283B2
A display substrate includes a base substrate, a first line, a second line, a bridge line, a thin-film transistor (TFT), a storage line, and a pixel electrode. The first line extends in a first direction on the base substrate. The second line extends in a second direction on the base substrate and is divided into two portions with respect to the first line. The bridge line makes contact with the two portions of the second line in first and second bridge contact regions. The TFT includes a source electrode making contact with one of the first and second lines in a data contact region. The storage line is formed on the one of the first and second lines. The pixel electrode is formed on the storage line and is electrically connected to the TFT. The display substrate reduces formation of parasitic capacitance between pixel electrode and data line.
US08223282B2
A display apparatus including a plurality of gate lines, a data line intersecting the plurality of gate lines; a first pixel unit connected with a n-th gate line of the plurality of gate lines and the data line. A second pixel unit connected with a (n+1)-th gate line of the plurality of gate lines; and a coupling capacitor disposed between the first pixel unit and the second pixel unit, wherein the first pixel unit comprises a first liquid crystal capacitor and a first thin film transistor (TFT), the second pixel unit comprises a second liquid crystal capacitor and a second thin film transistor (TFT), and a source electrode and a drain electrode of the second TFT are connected with both electrodes of the coupling capacitor, respectively.
US08223277B2
A display device displays a D-seat image and a P-seat image on a display screen in a time-sharing manner, and forms a non-display state by inserting a black image BL or the like when changing the viewing angle of the display screen by controlling a liquid crystal shutter provided on the display screen in synchronization with the switching between the D-seat image and the P-seat image. With this display device, it is possible to prevent the image in one field of view from entering the other field of view, even if there are differences in the switching timing of the liquid crystal shutter.
US08223275B2
A projector includes a projecting unit that projects a calibration image containing a plurality of types of pattern images having different shapes, a storing unit that stores correction data showing a correction value for each of the pattern images, a selecting unit that receives selection of a pattern image selected by a user from the pattern images, and a correcting unit that corrects distortion of an image projected by the projecting unit based on the correction value corresponding to the selection.
US08223273B2
According to one embodiment, a video transmission apparatus includes a detection unit which detects a communication quality level of a wireless communication channel which wirelessly connects a display device and the video transmission apparatus, a start control unit which starts a process of transmitting video data to the display device via the wireless communication channel if the detected communication quality level exceeds a first threshold value and a hot plug detect signal is received in a state in which transmission of the video data to the display device is stopped, and a stop control unit which stops the transmission of the video data to the display device if the detected communication quality level falls below a second threshold value, which is lower than the first threshold value, in a state in which the process of transmitting the video data to the display device is being executed.
US08223267B2
There is provided a signal processing apparatus including a first image generating unit, a second image generating unit, a first selecting unit selects at least one of the first image generating unit and the second image generating unit and outputs an image, an image signal processing unit that performs signal processing on the image and outputs the processed image, a second selecting unit that selects one of the first selecting unit and the image signal processing unit and outputs an image, a storing unit that stores information on operations of the second image generating unit and the image signal processing unit, and a third selecting unit that selects at least one of the second image generating unit and the image signal processing unit and connects the selected one to the storing unit, whereby the storing unit is shared between the second image generating unit and the image signal processing unit.
US08223260B2
A method of controlling a flash output for capturing an image in a portable electronic device having a digital camera includes receiving light at an image sensor, determining a flash output adjusted for color and brightness based on the light received at the image sensor, providing the flash output, and capturing a resultant image at a digital image processor.
US08223250B2
A solid-state image sensing device comprises: a light receiving unit for receiving light; a microlens formed above the light receiving unit; a fluorine-containing resin material layer formed on the microlens; and a transparent substrate provided over the fluorine-containing resin material layer. A resin layer adheres the fluorine-containing resin material layer and the transparent substrate.
US08223248B2
An image sensor module is presented which includes a semiconductor chip, a holder and a coupling member. The semiconductor chip has a semiconductor chip body; an image sensing section over the semiconductor chip body; and bonding pads on the semiconductor chip body. The holder is mounted over the semiconductor chip and has an insulation section over the semiconductor chip body; connection patterns on the insulation section which are electrically coupled to the bonding pads; and a transparent cover over the image sensing section which is connected to the insulation section. The coupling member is interposed between the holder and the semiconductor chip for coupling together the holder to the semiconductor chip.
US08223247B2
A method for calculating a shift amount of a microlens from a position of a light receiving element arranged in a pixel of an image pickup element is provided. The microlens collects incident light from an image pickup lens. The method comprises: acquiring an incident angle characteristic value indicating a relation between an arranged position of the pixel and an incident angle of the incident light to the pixel; calculating a sampled shift amount of the microlens from the position of the light receiving element corresponding the incident angle characteristic value based on light collection efficiency of the incident light; approximating the sampled shift amount by a second or higher order function to calculate a shift amount characteristic function indicating a relation between the arranged position and the shift amount; and calculating the shift amount of the pixel using the shift amount characteristic function.
US08223239B2
A clock signal generation circuit of a delay locked loop type includes a delay line configured to delay a first clock signal to generate a second clock signal; a delay amount controller configured to change the amount of delay in the delay line in such a manner that a phase of the second clock signal is in synchronization with a phase of the first clock signal; a pseudo-lock detection section configured to detect a pseudo-locked state of the first clock signal and the second clock signal; and a pseudo-locked state release section configured to change the amount of delay in the delay line in a case that the pseudo-locked state is detected.
US08223234B2
A solid-state imaging device includes a substrate and a plurality of pixel portions arranged over the substrate, each of the pixel portions includes a photoelectric conversion portion provided over the substrate and a color filter provided over the photoelectric conversion portion, the solid-state imaging device includes partitions provided between the color filters of the adjoining pixel portions so as to cover side surfaces of the color filters, each of the photoelectric conversion portions includes a lower electrode provided over the substrate, an upper electrode provided over the lower electrode, and a photoelectric conversion layer provided between the lower electrode and the upper electrode, each of the pixel portions further includes a protective layer provided between the color filter and the upper electrode, and the protective layer has a thickness of greater than 0 μm and smaller than or equal to 1.0 μm.
US08223232B2
An image processing method includes the following steps. First, noise of a first image is filtered, and the first image is converted to obtain a luminance signal. Second, the first image is stored and outputted. Third, a color space converting process is performed upon the first image according to the luminance signal to obtain a second image. Fourth, a linear computing is performed upon the second image to obtain a third image. Fifth, the color space converting process is performed according to a third image and the luminance signal to obtain and output a fourth image. Sixth, an error compensation is performed upon the first image and the fourth image, and the fourth image is outputted. Accordingly, a linear operating process and error compensation processing is performed upon the single image to filter the noise of the image, and thus a load of the system is reduced.
US08223217B2
Disclosed are methods and devices for solid state electronically switched optical shutters of cameras and other devices. The disclosed non-mechanical camera shutter includes an electronically controlled material that provides optical density variation, to transition the shutter from being open to being closed. The layer of electronically controlled material is configured to change from substantially to transparent to substantially opaque, without scattering, by changing the state of the material. The transmittance period is the period of time that the layer changes transmittance from approximately 100% to approximately 0%. Electronic circuitry is in communication with a timing control module that is configured to provide a signal output to a transparent conductive layer proximal to the layer of electronically controlled material to initiate a change in its transmissivity. The described electronically switched optical component would add little or no additional bulk to a small camera.
US08223216B2
An image processing apparatus in which auto-selecting of an object to be prioritized from among a plurality of detected objects is capable more appropriately. A characteristic detecting unit detects a previously set characteristic portion of an object from an image signal constituting a moving image. A control unit sets a priority to each characteristic portion when a plurality of the characteristic portions are detected by the characteristic detecting unit and also sets a high priority to a characteristic portion being detected for a long period of time.
US08223210B2
Transmit data composed by linking to main data representing an image and/or audio accessory information including frame rate information and frame identification information of each frame included in a reference frame period is generated and output. If the main data is reproduced using this transmit data, a variable reproduction speed range is set based on the frame rate information. In accordance with a specified reproduction speed within the variable reproduction speed range, thinning-out or repeating processing is performed on the data of image and/or audio utilizing the frame identification information, thereby making a reproduction speed of the main data variable easily to generate image signals or audio signals.
US08223206B2
Various techniques are provided for identifying filters used with infrared cameras. A plurality of filters may be installed in a filter wheel of an infrared camera. Identifiers associated with the filters may be read by the infrared camera to identify the various types of filters currently installed in the filter wheel. The installed filters can be selected by the camera or a user for use in particular applications as desired. For example, filters may be selected based on associations between the filters, filter identifiers, and targets stored in a table or other record maintained by the infrared camera. Settings of the infrared camera may be adjusted in response to filter selections.
US08223203B2
Disclosed herein is a vehicle-mounted type of camera capable of being reduced in the space required for installation on the windshield of a vehicle.An imaging unit 15 is provided on a substrate 19 and has an optical axis in a direction perpendicular to the substrate surface. The substrate 19 is set up in parallel with respect to the windshield of the vehicle. A lens 14 is disposed on the optical axis. A mirror 16 is also provided on the optical axis of the imaging unit 15, and is adapted to change a direction of the optical axis to a frontward direction of the vehicle, thus guiding frontward visual field information of the vehicle to the imaging unit 15. The mirror 16 is retained in an attachment 11. The attachment 11 can be engaged with and disengaged from an enclosure 12 that holds the lens 14.
US08223201B2
A method and apparatus are provided for operating a security system. The method includes the steps of providing a security panel coupled to a plurality of security sensors, a central monitoring station monitoring the security panel, coupling the security panel to the central panel through an Ethernet connection and periodically generating a heartbeat within the security panel that is periodically sent to the central station to confirm the operability of the Ethernet connection. The Ethernet connection may include a voice over Internet protocol connection or a voice and video over Internet protocol connection.
US08223199B2
In a finger vein authentication unit and an information processing unit using the same, in order to realize a reduction in size and maintain high accuracy such that the finger vein authentication unit is applied to a small-sized information processing unit such as a mobile telephone, the finger vein authentication unit includes a light source which irradiates infrared light to a finger, an imaging sensor which images a vein image by the light which is diffused in the finger and transmitted through the front side of the finger, and an image processing unit which processes the image. The light source is mounted on the front side of the finger and emits the light toward the side surfaces of the finger. Further, a wall is disposed on either side of the finger vein authentication unit for supporting the finger and guiding the irradiated infrared light.
US08223191B2
The present invention is a method and system for reducing delay in video communication, including, for example, video transcoding and continuous presence in a multipoint multimedia conference. The video communication control unit reduces such delay by processing a video stream in a small number of macroblocks referred to as “chunks,” without waiting to get a full frame of video data. Instead, the incoming video stream is converted into decoded chunks. These decoded chunks are transferred to an output module without waiting to decode an entire frame. An encoder in the output module encodes the decoded chunks (also referred to as encoder chunks), and transfers them to an end user without waiting for the entire frame to be processed. Thus, reducing the delay in waiting for the entire frame of video data provides improved real-time video communication.
US08223185B2
Various embodiments of apparatus and/or methods are described for providing communication between multiple content viewers. First video data is captured of a first user located locally with respect to a presentation device and transmitted to a base station located remotely with respect to the presentation device. The base station transmits a composite signal that includes video content provided by a content source communicatively coupled the base station and further includes second video chat data captured of a second user located remotely with respect to the presentation device. The composite signal is responsively presented by the presentation device to the first user.
US08223184B2
A scanning optical device includes a deflector for scanningly deflecting a plurality of light beams from a plurality of light sources, and an imaging optical system for imaging the light beams upon a plurality of scan surfaces to be scanned, wherein at least one piece of reflecting element is provided at each of a plurality of light paths extending from the deflector toward the scan surfaces.
US08223182B2
A printer includes: a nonvolatile storage section configured to be capable of keeping stored content even if a power supply is turned off; a sheet storing section configured to store a label sheet wound in a roll shape; a thermal head configured to heat a label stuck to a base sheet of the label sheet and perform printing in a process in which the label sheet, which is stored in the sheet storing section, is drawn out and conveyed in a sub-scanning direction by using a motor as a driving source; a label-position detecting section provided in a sheet conveying path, which connects between the position of the sheet storing section and the position where the thermal head is arranged, and configured to detect a label position of the label sheet; an information storing section configured to store a position of the label sheet detected by the label-position detecting section when the power supply is turned off in the nonvolatile storage section as stop position information; and a position setting section configured to set the stop position information, which is stored in the nonvolatile storage section, as a print start position for printing by the thermal head.
US08223177B2
A method and system for driving a pixel circuit in an active matrix display is provided. The system implements a feedback driving scheme to enhance programming speed of the pixel circuit. The system includes a column driver for driving the pixel circuit with feedback. A controller controls a signal on a programming signal line during a programming cycle. For example, the driver may include a model for reducing the settling time of a pixel current. During the programming mode, an accelerating pulse may be provided to accelerate the programming of the pixel circuit.
