US08276764B2
The invention relates to a process for producing a polymer membrane, the polymer membrane being produced from a solution, in particular a casting solution, comprising at least one first polymer. The invention further relates to a polymer membrane. The process of the invention is distinguished by the fact that a water-soluble second polymer and/or oligomer that forms phases in the solution is part of the solution. The polymer membrane of the invention, preferably produced by the process of the invention, has an oil flow rate, in particular of a refined edible oil, of greater than 200 l/m2 h bar at 60° C.
US08276760B2
An improved technique for particle separation is provided. A serpentine structure is utilized in a continuous fluid flow environment to allow for suitable separation of particles to occur in a manner that does not require external application of forces to initiate the separation. The geometry of the serpentine structure and associated forces generated in connection with fluid flow therein suffice.
US08276746B2
Spiral conveyor for containers, including at least one transport path spirally enclosing a machine axis, the transport path is defined by, relative to the machine axis, outer container guide and/or slide elements and by, relative to the machine axis, inner guide and/or slide elements, and extends between a container input and a container output, and including at least one carrier, which extends over the entire length of the spiral formed by the transport path and reaches through the transport path or its spiral in the area between the outer container guide and/or slide elements and the inner container guide and/or slide elements and is held on at least two carrier elements which can be rotationally driven on the machine axis.
US08276742B1
A handling system for multiple workpieces is provided for repeatedly lifting rows of multiple workpieces on a lift assembly from a collection of workpieces in a hopper and selectively delivering one or more rows of orientated workpieces to an exit conveyor. Any disoriented workpieces on the exit conveyor can be discarded from the exit conveyor and returned to the collection of workpieces in the hopper.
US08276739B2
Individual items or multiple items are stored on vertical stacks (or racks) of conveyors. The stacks of conveyors are located on both sides of a vertical transport on which cartons, totes, and/or pallets are loaded. The vertical transport is able to be vertically lifted in a fashion similar to an elevator so that the totes on the conveyor can receive items from the various levels of the storage rack conveyors. To speed up the loading process, items can be loaded in the containers simultaneously from both sides of the container and/or sequentially. In one form, a cross-belt conveyor is used to load the items. Alternatively or additionally, robotic arms can be used to load the items. One or more conveyor drivers can be used to power multiple conveyors in order to index items to a loading position on the conveyors.
US08276732B2
A clutch device is configured to include a clutch mechanism, a clutch actuator operatively engaging and disengaging the clutch mechanism, a clutch lever, and an assist pressure generator which generates assist hydraulic pressure by driving an electric motor. The assist hydraulic pressure is supplied to the clutch actuator to operatively engage and disengage the clutch mechanism. The clutch device further includes a first turning angle sensor which detects the turn operation angle of the clutch lever, a control unit which controllably drives the electric motor based on the turning operation amount of the clutch lever and adjusts the driving force generating gain characteristic of the electric motor, and a gain adjustment knob which variably sets the gain characteristic. The clutch device makes it possible to changeably set the magnitude of an assist force of an assist device according to a rider's preference.
US08276728B2
A clutch unit (1) including at least one wet clutch (28, 29) and a torsional vibration damper (12) which are accommodated in a housing (8) driven by the drive unit. In order to simplify assembly, pre-assembled modular units (3, 4, 5) are formed that are joined together during the final assembly process. Advantageously, a separation point is provided between two modular units in the torsional vibration damper, wherein one modular unit (3) includes the energy accumulators (11) captively accommodated in a housing part (6), while the other modular unit (4) includes the output part of the torsional vibration damper as an input part (13) of the at least one wet clutch.
US08276725B2
A clutch for transmitting torque between a first member and a second member includes a locking plate having an engagement groove, a carrier disposed adjacent the locking plate, an engagement member rotatably supported in an aperture of the carrier, an apply biasing element, a release plate, a release biasing element, and an electromagnet. The engagement member is rotatable between an engagement position and a release position.
US08276719B2
A damper for a bicycle having, in one arrangement, a primary unit and a remote unit. The primary unit includes a damper tube, a spring chamber, and a piston rod that supports a main piston. The main piston is movable within the damper chamber of the primary unit. The main piston and the damper tube at least partially define a compression chamber. The remote unit comprises a remote fluid chamber and an inertial valve within the remote unit. The inertial valve is preferably responsive to terrain-induced forces and preferably not responsive to rider-induced forces when the shock absorber is assembled to the bicycle. A fluid flow control arrangement within the remote unit utilizes compression fluid flow to delay closing of the inertial valve after acceleration forces acting on the inertial valve diminish. In some arrangements, the inertial valve and fluid flow control arrangement may reside in the primary unit.
US08276716B2
An arrangement and a method are provided for determining the position of an elevator car in the elevator hoistway. The arrangement includes a measuring apparatus fitted in connection with the elevator car. The measuring apparatus is arranged to form an electromagnetic radio-frequency measuring signal, for determining the position of the elevator car. The arrangement also includes a position identifier fitted in a selected location in relation to the elevator hoistway. The position identifier is arranged to connect inductively to the electromagnetic radio-frequency measuring signal, and also after it has connected to send a determined pulse pattern using the electromagnetic radio-frequency measuring signal.
US08276715B2
A method for assigning an elevator car to respond to a call signal includes a controller that determines which elevator car will respond to the call signal based on certain time metrics. The controller receives a hall call signal, and based on certain time metrics that can include, e.g., an estimated wait time (EWT), and/or estimated travel time (ETT), assigns the call signal to an elevator car. In this example, EWT represents the time a passenger is waiting for an elevator car to arrive, and ETT represents the it takes for a passenger to reach their destination once having boarded an elevator car. In some versions, an estimated time to destination (ETD) is used in determining which elevator car to assign, where ETD represents the sum of EWT and ETT. In some versions, a handling capacity coefficient (HCx), which reflects current traffic conditions, is used in determining which elevator car to assign.
US08276713B2
Disclosed is a scaffold installed within a large structure such as a pressure vessel or a tank of a ship, and an insulation system construction method using the same. The scaffold for use in performing desired work within a large structure includes a supporting structure installed adjacent to both side surfaces and a top surface of the large structure, and a carrying unit installed movable along the supporting structure to allow materials to be carried or to provide a working space for a worker thereon, wherein the supporting structure is installed to be movable along a wall surface of the large structure.
US08276701B2
An apparatus capable of omni-directional movement including a belt layer made of a plurality of interlocking flexible rings and a surface layer made of a laterally inelastic and longitudinally flexible material that surrounds the exterior of the belt layer. The device has a bladder located in the interior of the belt layer that provides structural support for the belt layer and surface layer and a hub that is in contact with the surface layer and is connected to an axle. Longitudinal motion occurs as the bladder, the belt layer, the surface layer, and the hub rotate together. Lateral motion occurs as the belt layer and the surface layer rotate around the bladder. Longitudinal motion is induced by a plurality of electromagnetic curvilinear motor drive rings that are located around the hub and are in contact with the surface layer.
US08276699B2
A mounting arrangement for a tractor front grille to a shroud includes a one-piece shroud having a radiator mounted thereto and a central opening to draw air through the radiator, and a tractor front grille slidably mounted to the shroud so that the grille can only move substantially vertically to access a battery behind the front grille. The battery may be positioned on a battery shelf that extends forwardly from and is integral with the shroud.
US08276698B2
An electrically-propelled vehicle, the battery of which is housed in a battery housing (20) arranged in the rear of the vehicle and under the floor (4) thereof, to be protected against front and rear collisions and restricting the load are as little as possible. The above is achieved by the floor (4) comprising a cut-out (11), larger in plan than the outline of the battery housing (20), the cut-out (11) having a reinforced edge (12), to which front and rear support pieces (13, 30) for the battery housing (20) are fixed, the rear support piece (13) being fixed to the vehicle by a pair of flanges (17, 17′) with rearward downwardly inclined stop surfaces (19) and the battery housing (20) is rigid or reinforced.
US08276695B2
A battery electrode sheet comprises a conductive substrate and an electrode material coated on at least a portion of the conductive substrate. The coated portion of the conductive substrate comprises a first region, a second region, and a transition region between the first and second regions. The electrode material on the first region has a first thickness; and the electrode material on the second region has a second thickness, which is smaller than the first thickness. The electrode material on the transition region has a thickness that decreases between the first and second regions.
US08276680B2
Methods and apparatus for fire egress/escape comprising a first container for storing a first fluid, a second container for storing a propellant, a nozzle to mix and atomize material from the first and second containers for forming a mist to suppress flame by evaporation, and an activation mechanism to enable a user to release material in the first and second containers for generating the mist.
US08276675B2
A wellbore servicing system, comprising a first sleeve system, the first sleeve system comprising a first sliding sleeve at least partially carried within a first ported case, the first sleeve system being selectively restricted from movement relative to the first ported case by a first restrictor while the first restrictor is enabled, and a first delay system configured to selectively restrict movement of the first sliding sleeve relative to the ported case while the restrictor is disabled.
US08276669B2
A variable flow resistance system for use in a subterranean well can include a flow chamber having an outlet and at least one structure which resists a change in a direction of flow of a fluid composition toward the outlet. The fluid composition may enter the chamber in the direction of flow which changes based on a ratio of desired fluid to undesired fluid in the fluid composition. Another variable flow resistance system can include a flow chamber through which a fluid composition flows, the chamber having an inlet, an outlet, and a structure which impedes a change from circular flow about the outlet to radial flow toward the outlet.
US08276667B2
An embodiment of a downhole method of breaking of a well treatment fluid relates to overcrosslinking a polymeric thickener with an overcrosslinking agent such as an excess crosslinking agent and/or an excess alkaline material, wherein either or both the agent and/or material may be encapsulated.
US08276661B2
A method of heating a portion of a subsurface formation includes drawing fuel on a fuel carrier through an opening formed in the formation. Oxidant is supplied to the fuel at one or more locations in the opening. The fuel is combusted with the oxidant to provide heat to the formation.
US08276660B2
A back-off tool for use in breaking a joint of a tubular disposed in a well. The tool is dual anchoring in nature such that breaking of the joint may be achieved with a degree of precision heretofore unavailable. Additionally, the dual anchoring nature of the tool at both sides of the joint allows for power requirements to be met through use of a dowhole power source incorporated into the tool. As a result, the use of heavier power carrying cables and equipment may be avoided as well as explosives or similarly hazardous and/or imprecise measures.
US08276635B2
The invention relates to a machine for manufacturing an object closed onto itself, which machine comprises first means for guiding and carrying a tire material to be arranged round the first means, characterized in that the first means can change form in controlled manner between a first form and a second form. The invention also relates to a machine for manufacturing an object closed onto itself, which machine comprises first means for guiding and supporting a tire material to be arranged round the first means, characterized in that the machine also comprises sixth means for folding the tire material arranged round the first means, for which purpose the sixth means comprise a number of folding members movable relative to each other, which folding members can engage on the tire material for folding and can therein move inside recesses provided for this purpose in the first means. The invention also relates to methods for manufacturing an object closed onto itself, comprising of arranging a tire material round first means provided for this purpose. Such machines and methods can be applied particularly in the production of tires for vehicles.
US08276634B2
An apparatus for decorating objects through sublimation comprises a kiln for heating the objects, a carousel comprising a plurality of arms having a supporting arrangement for supporting the objects, each object being associated with a transferring sheet provided with a sublimable decoration and further comprises a sucking arrangement for sucking air between the transferring sheet and the object.
US08276630B2
The invention relates to a chain link for an anti-skid chain for vehicle tires, whereby protruding studs arranged on the chain link, and at least one stud is arranged on the lengthwise side of the chain link and the longitudinal central axis of the stud is inclined with respect to the central plane of the chain link. The chain link is thus implemented as either a drawn, milled or forged chain link. The invention further relates to an anti-skid chain that exhibits chain links according to the invention.
US08276627B2
There is provided a golf club cover with a magnetized snap closure that provides a functional but convenient and attractive method for affixing and removing a cover from the head of a golf club, particularly a putter. A golfer need only align the golf club, such as by pointing the tip of a putter head toward the opening in the cover, and then quickly push the club head right through the opening and into an internal cavity of the cover. Two matching arm fasteners are disposed in opposing flaps of the cover. The arm fastener includes a flange portion and a magnet with the magnets serving to maintain the arm fasteners in a generally engaged position. Movement of the club shaft toward the interior of the cover will cause the magnetic snap closure to briefly open so as to allow the shaft to pass through the closure. Then, once the shaft has passed the closure, meaning that the head of the club has reached its resting place in the cover cavity, the snap closure then automatically (magnetically) closes so as to secure the golf club cover around the club head. In order to remove the club from the cover, the user quickly pulls the club away, which sufficiently opens the snap closure and allows the club to be extricated from the cover.
US08276618B2
Methods and devices are described for reducing flow resistance in a flow restrictor during high flows.
US08276615B2
Disclosed are embodiments of apparatus, methods, and systems for fastening a rotatable tube to spigots and nozzles, for fluid-water flow diversion to facilitate the use of sinks by small children. In one embodiment, a tube is provided, which is fastened to a spigot and nozzle. The tube-spigot fastening may be facilitated by a tapered washer. The tube, in turn, may be rotated about the supporting spigot secured to the electronic article. The tube may be configured with curvature, tapering, wall and end openings of sufficient weight, shape, and/or size to allow for optimal water flow choices. Patent NoMonth/YearName 2,171,023August 1939Buxton 1,253,309January 1918Ulleland 5,349,987September 1994Shieh 4,736,890April 1988Wallington 2,476,079February 1947Benjamin 5,072,757December 1991Lin 2,507,535May 1950Madsen 5,758,690June 1998Humpert et al U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,130 B1January 2001Nguyen et al 6,381,770 B1May 2002Raisch 1,799,815April 1931Hoff 6,085,790July 2001Humpert et al 5,833,849November 1998Primdahl 3,765,455October 1973Countryman 5,983,938November 1999Bowers et al U.S. 2007/0176024 A1August 2007Denzler 5,165,121November 1992McTargett et al U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,707 B1April 2002Kang 2,747,930May 1956Hyde U.S. Pat. No. 6,648,187 B1November 2003Shypkowski 3,316,928May 1967Weakley D288520March 1987Bozarth U.S. 2006/0207670 A1September 2006Peters U.S. Pat. No. 6,425,149 B1July 2002Wang 3,638,968February 1972Barks U.S. 2007/0175531 A1August 2007Daniels U.S. Pat. No. 6,994,318 B2February 2006Burke
US08276613B2
Disclosed is a one-way valve of a variable capacity compressor for vehicle including: a valve sheet having a coolant inlet formed at the center; a valve case provided over the valve sheet and having a plurality of coolant discharging ports along the circumferential surface; a spool valve selectively opening/closing the coolant inlet and the coolant discharging port in the valve case; and a resilient member provided between the valve case and the spool valve, wherein the plurality of coolant discharging ports are spaced from each other by a predetermined distance and one of the plurality of coolant discharging ports is closed so that the spool valve is brought in tight contact with an inner wall surface of the valve case when the coolant discharging ports are initially opened not to be swayed left and right.
US08276605B2
A device (11) for cleaning a pleated filter element, the device having; a body, a fluid inlet (13), a work face (14) having at least one pleat separating projection (19) and at least one fluid outlet (22) for directing fluid between pleats separated thereby.
US08276601B2
A cleaning vessel (10) comprising a main chamber (12) into which can be inserted a part (34) for cleaning and one or more secondary chambers (14). An opening (30) is provided in the main chamber (12) associated with each secondary chamber (14) such that the main chamber (12) is in fluid communication with each secondary chamber (14). Rotation of the part (34) causes rotational flow of fluid in the main chamber (12) and each opening (30) is oriented such that material entrained in the rotating fluid passes from the main chamber (12) into the associated secondary chamber (14).
US08276596B2
An applicator for applying a composition to the eyelashes. The applicator has at least one brush sector that has a row of fibers and at least one comb having a row of teeth and having a shape that is generally helical.
US08276591B2
A method of preventing inadvertent inflation of an implantable prosthetic includes biasing a valve assembly such that an outlet is substantially closed and using inadvertent pressure increases from the inlet to supplement the biasing of the valve assembly. It may further include the step of preventing fluid flow through the outlet by selectively varying fluid pressure within a bypass passageway having a first end which is in fluid communication with an inlet and a second end which is in fluid communication with a chamber. And, may also additionally include the step of displacing a flexible abutting wall disposed between the chamber and the valve assembly so that the abutting wall is caused to contact the valve assembly and urge the valve assembly into a closed position when the fluid pressure within the chamber exceeds a predetermined amount.
US08276584B2
A pneumatic oxygen conserving device for supplying oxygen to a user via a single-tube cannula is described. Inhalation is sensed by negative pressure in an output line 11 which causes a sensing valve 21 to open, thus venting a main control volume 14 via vent line 22. This fall in pressure causes a main control valve 2 to open to supply a pulse of gas. This pressurizes the output line 11 which in turn causes the sensing valve 21 to close, thus preventing further venting. Volume 14 now re-pressurizes via line 15 and restrictor 16 and eventually reaches a level at which valve 2 closes and terminates the pulse of gas supplied to the user. A sensing delay valve 35 is incorporated in the vent line 22 from volume 14 to prevent the volume from venting after the first pulse has been delivered, until after the user has finished inhaling.
US08276578B2
A skid plate for a concrete saw is integrally cast having two end mounting portions and a middle portion with a slot in the middle portion. A horizontal slot in a leading end mounting portion cooperates and a vertical slot in the trailing end portion releasably engage pins on the saw to allow the skid plate to be easily fastened to and removed from the saw. A spring loaded latch mechanism holds the pins in the slots.
US08276572B2
A combustion chamber to which a reactant and a working gas whose specific heat ratio is higher than that of air are supplied and in which the working gas can expand following a reaction of the reactant, a circulation path capable of resupplying the working gas into the combustion chamber by causing the working gas to circulate from an exhaust side to a suction side of the combustion chamber, supplying means that supplies the reactant, a concentration detection means capable of detecting a concentration of the reactant in the circulation path, and a supply control means that sets at least a first supply rate of the reactant by the supplying means in a time for starting based on the concentration of the reactant detected by the concentration detection means before a start of supplying of the reactant by the supplying means are included and so proper starting can be assured.
US08276564B2
A multiplexing drive circuit for an AC ignition system having a common leg that includes two switches coupled in series, and one or more dedicated legs, wherein each leg includes two switches coupled in series. The multiplexing drive circuit also includes a transformer for each of the one or more dedicated legs, each transformer having a primary winding coupled between one of the one or more dedicated legs and the common leg, and wherein each transformer has a secondary winding coupled in parallel to a spark plug, and a pulse-width modulated (PWM) switch controller configured to operate the common leg and dedicated leg switches to control characteristics of the spark discharge for the spark plug.
US08276560B2
A V-type engine includes: first and second banks which are arranged in a V-shape and which respectively have cylinder bores; a crankshaft which is shared by the first and second banks; a crankcase which supports the crankshaft, the first and second banks being connected to the crankcase; and a valley portion which is defined between the first and second banks, an engine auxiliary machine being disposed in the valley portion. The first and second banks are arranged so that a cylinder center line of the first bank and a cylinder center line of the second bank respectively pass through a point which is eccentric from a rotational center of the crankshaft to a side opposite from both the banks. Thus, it is possible to improve an auxiliary machine housing function of the valley portion defined between the first and second banks while maintaining a predetermined opening angle therebetween.
US08276559B2
A method and a device are for the optimized starting of an internal combustion engine using a starter, which is connected to a capacitor store, the capacitor store being connected via a DC/DC converter to a vehicle electrical system of a vehicle, and the vehicle electrical system including an energy store for supplying electrical energy having a nominal voltage, and the starter consuming a starting energy for starting the internal combustion engine, which is a function of a temperature of the internal combustion engine, the temperature of the internal combustion engine being measured by at least one temperature sensor and the capacitor store being charged to a setpoint voltage with the aid of a battery via another DC/DC converter, which connects the battery in parallel to the capacitor store parallel to a switch, the setpoint voltage being set by a control unit such that the electrical energy stored in the capacitor store charged to the setpoint voltage is greater than the starting energy ascertained on the basis of the measured temperature.
US08276554B2
In an internal combustion engine, a variable compression ratio mechanism (A) able to change a mechanical compression ratio and a variable valve timing mechanism (B) able to control the closing timing of an intake valve (7) are provided. The mechanical compression ratio is held at a maximum mechanical compression ratio at the engine low load operation side and gradually made to decrease as the engine load increases at the engine high load operation side. Combustion is performed by a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio at the engine high load operation side, and combustion is performed by a lean air-fuel ratio at the engine low load operation side where the mechanical compression ratio becomes the maximum mechanical compression ratio.
US08276553B2
A water pump attachment structure of a water-cooled internal combustion engine is provided to facilitate the maintenance of a valve train. A water pump attachment structure of a water-cooled internal combustion engine includes a semicircular cut-away surface of a water pump holder opposed to a semicircular surface of a cylinder head to form a water pump support circular hole. Screw members are passed through respective screw through-holes of the cylinder head and threadedly engaged with internal thread holes of the water pump holder. Thus, the water pump holder is fastened to the cylinder head. A water pump is fitted into and secured to the water pump support circular hole. A cylinder head cover is attached to the cylinder head by allowing their mating surfaces to conform with each other with the water pump holder liquid-tightly sandwiched therebetween.
US08276552B2
An opposed piston engine includes at least one cylinder with inlet and exhaust ports and opposed pistons disposed in the cylinder for reciprocating opposed motion toward and away from each other. An auxiliary system pumps liquid coolant separately to the cylinder and pistons. Another auxiliary system controls the flow of intake and exhaust gas in the engine.
US08276548B2
A portable tankless water heater includes a heat exchanger disposed in a sealed housing with an inlet cold water line and an outlet hot water line extending outside the sealed housing. A burner, disposed in an operative relationship with said heat exchanger is provided for heating water flowing through said heat exchanger and an exhaust system induces draft of air from a housing air inlet through said heat exchanger and out of a housing flue outlet.
US08276544B2
A pet abode with sound dampening characteristics comprising an interior space of a pet abode having sufficient dimensions to allow a pet to comfortably reside within the interior space. The interior space is formed from at least three walls where one or more of the walls exhibits sound dampening characteristics. The sound dampening characteristics reduces a one or more sounds originating from a source external to the interior space. That is, the interior space of the pet abode is sound proofed (or sound dampened), allowing a pet to be undisturbed by loud noises outside the interior space.
US08276539B2
An observation sample is prepared by immobilizing a nanomaterial on a substrate 10 by applying a voltage between a nanomaterial dispersion liquid 13, filled in an interior of an electrostatic spray nozzle 20, and the observation substrate 10 to electrostatically spray and dry the dispersion liquid 13 and electrostatically deposit the nanomaterial. With respect to the observation substrate 10, including a conductive grid portion 11 and a supporting film 12, a reference electrode 81 is disposed below the substrate 10 and a bias voltage of the same polarity as the electrostatic spraying voltage is applied to the grid portion 11 of the substrate 10 to adjust immobilization positions of the nanomaterial on the substrate 10. An observation sample, with which the nanomaterial is immobilized in a satisfactory state on the substrate, can thereby be prepared.
US08276537B2
In one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is disclosed. The method can include, upon attaching a bonding material containing a resin and a solvent to a second surface opposed to a first surface including a circuit pattern of a wafer, heating the bonding material to evaporate the solvent and decreasing vapor pressure of the solvent in an atmosphere faced with the bonding material and heating the attached bonding material to form a bonding layer.
US08276527B2
A corner bolt locking system for a safe or vault is disclosed for use with cam and link locking mechanisms and a generally rectangular door panel frame, having a corner hole through its corner. A reinforcement channel is disposed at the corner and aligned with the corner hole. A corner bolt link arm is pivotably attached to a rotatable pin cam plate, and a corner bolt is pivotably attached to the corner bolt link arm and positioned through the reinforcement channel and the corner hole.
US08276526B2
An adjusting device having an inner tubular body, an outer tubular body configured to slide concentrically over the inner tubular body such that the inner tubular body and the outer tubular body can slide telescopically from a retracted position to an extended position. An actuator is configured to move the inner tubular body and the outer tubular body along the longitudinal axis in relation to one another and a supporting tube is provided and configured to slide concentrically on the inside of the outer tubular body.
US08276522B2
A bogie for a railway vehicle includes a frame, a plurality of wheelsets, and steering linkages linking the wheelsets to maintain steering alignment. The bogie has a wheelset body linkage pivotally connecting the steering linkages with the bogie body so as to position the body relative to the wheelsets, and two alignment rams to position the body relative to the frame. The bogie also has sensors for monitoring yaw angle and yaw velocity. The sensor input is processed to estimate track curvature and determine the train speed and yaw velocity of the vehicle body. The processor actuates the alignment rams to adjust the position of the body relative to the frame in response to the track curvature and current frame positions to minimize wheel contact creepage and maximize bogie stability.
US08276515B1
A ultra-miniature, electro-mechanical, MEMS type safe and arming (S&A) device for medium- or large-artillery rounds, including, three sequenced S&A interlocks: a setback slider, which is positioned partially within and partially extending from an arming slider, such that, upon firing acceleration, the setback slider will compress into a channel within the arming slider (unlocking the 1st interlock); freeing the arming slider to move toward its arming position under urging of the round's spin; a stop and release mechanism formed by a flexible latch arm which impacts upon a safety catch located within the frame in which the arming slider is mounted, such that the arming slider is stopped until a release command signal is initiated by the fuze circuit, triggering a spot charge which generates an expanding gas wave that flexes the latch arm from contact with the safety catch (unlocking the 2nd interlock), thereby freeing the arming slider to continue its motion into an arming position (unlocking the 3rd interlock) and aligning the parts of the firetrain within the device, such that upon signal from the fuze circuit an output charge from the device will ignite the acceptor charge within the round.
US08276514B2
A glass-to-metal bushing for ignitors of airbags or belt tensioning pulleys. A metal pin is arranged in a slot in the base plate in the fixing material, the base plate being formed by one element whereby the base geometry describing the slot is produced by at least one separation process. Structure is provided between the front and rear of the base plate for preventing relative motion of the fixing material in the direction of the base plate rear portion across from the inner circumference of the slot.
US08276508B2
An overload protector has an input element, an output element juxtaposed with the input element, and a clamping plate. Fasteners fix the clamping plate to one of the elements against relative movement. A coupling between the clamping plate and the other of the elements permits only limited relative movement of the elements through a stroke having a predetermined length in a predetermined direction. A connector between the clamping plate and the other element fixes the clamping plate and the other element together against relative movement until an overload force greater than a predetermined critical limit is exerted shifting either of the elements toward or away from the other element in the predetermined direction.
US08276502B1
This disclosure describes embodiments of an ambidextrous or reversible safety mechanism for firearms. The safety mechanism can be utilized on specific rifles and shotguns, for example an AK47, SAIGA or similar firearms, as a retrofit to reposition the existing safety mechanism to a configuration similar to or nearly identical to an AR15, M16 or similar firearms. In this way, personnel familiar with the safety operation of the AR15 or M16 will be able to operate the retrofit firearm without learning the operation of a new mechanism. Once retrofitted, the firearm safety mechanism will have the same visual appearance, action, and “feel” as the firearm with which they are familiar. The distance from the grip (trigger) to the engagement portion of the safety mechanism of the retrofit firearm will be very similar to that of the familiar firearm.
US08276499B1
A convertible ballistic structure has a threat side and a protected side. The ballistic structure includes a body panel assembly, and at least one movable side panel assembly adjacent the body panel assembly. Means are provided for articulating the side panel assembly relative to the body panel assembly, whereby the ballistic structure is convertible between a contracted condition and an expanded condition. In the contracted condition, the side panel assembly extends rearwardly from the body panel assembly and outwardly from the protected side of the ballistic structure. In the expanded condition, the side panel assembly extends outwardly substantially coplanar to the body panel assembly.
US08276497B2
A blast attenuator includes an enclosure defining a cavity; a core defining a plurality of interconnected pores, the core disposed in the cavity; and a shear thickening fluid disposed in the cavity, such that the shear thickening fills a portion of a pore volume of the core. A blast attenuation assembly includes a blast attenuator including a shear thickening fluid and a crushable element that omits a shear thickening fluid operably associated with the blast attenuator. A method includes the steps of providing a rigid core defining a plurality of interconnected pores and placing an enclosure about the core, the enclosure defining a filling port. The method further includes the steps of filling at least a portion of a pore volume of the core with a shear thickening fluid and closing the filling port to seal the enclosure and form a first blast attenuator.
US08276491B2
An automated sequenced food article tray loading method and apparatus for a high speed slicing machine where food articles can be loaded sequentially into designated and separated lanes of a lift tray and automatically sequentially assume a preload condition. Food article separation is maintained on the lift tray after the food articles are loaded by a plurality of support plates and one or more dividers. A food article sweep mechanism receives the food articles on the lift tray in their separated positions and transfers the food articles into the food article feed mechanism while maintaining the separated positions. The food article sweep mechanism is a substantially open structure without enclosing walls.
US08276490B2
A system for cutting blocks of food product into bars of substantially equal weight. The system includes a cutter conveyor configured to receive incoming blocks of food product and move the blocks along an in-line processing path in a plane for cutting; a programmable logic controller coupled to the cutter conveyor; and, multiple stations associated with the cutter conveyor. One such station is a camera vision system configured to create an image of the slab portion, and further including a camera controller coupled to the vision system and the PLC, and configured to determine an optimized cut solution of the slab portion from the image and data related to the food product, and is configured to provide the cut solution to the PLC. The PLC is configured to control the cutting of the food product, based on the optimized cut solution, into bars of substantially equal weight.
US08276484B2
An adjustable wrench includes a fixed jaw, a movable jaw, and a handle. The fixed jaw includes a chamber and a hole defined therein. An adjusting mechanism and an abutting mechanism are disposed in the chamber. The adjusting mechanism includes a worm gear and a fixing member. The abutting mechanism includes an abutting member. The handle is pivotally fixed to the fixed jaw. The adjustable wrench is operable in a first direction wrenching an object and includes the worm gear stopped from moving along the fixing member by the abutting member fixedly abutting against the worm gear. The adjustable wrench is operable in a second direction moving relative to the object and includes the worm gear adapted to be moved with respect to the fixing member and including the movable jaw moving with respect to the fixed jaw and the abutting member not fixedly abutted against the worm gear.
US08276482B2
A bit for removing a broken security fastener having an elongated shaft with a longitudinal axis. The shaft has a first end and a second end. The first end terminates in a tip region having a recess for receipt of the post of the security fastener, the recess being disposed substantially along the longitudinal axis. The second end of the shaft is configured to be received by the chuck of a tool which provides rotational torque.
US08276481B2
A dual drive system for driving a pair of parallel output shafts comprises a pair of idler shafts interposed between and mechanically coupled to the output shafts by a first gear train. An input shaft is aligned coaxially with and is rotatable independently of one of the idler shafts. The output shafts are driven at one speed by adjusting a clutch to directly couple the input shaft to the one idler shaft, and are driven at a second speed by adjusting the clutch to indirectly couple the input shaft to the one idler shaft via a second gear train and gears rotatable respectively on the input shaft and the one idler shaft.
US08276471B2
A vibration generator has a piston guided in linear manner, which is connected with a crankshaft by way of a connecting rod. The piston is connected with the connecting rod by way of a piston pin bearing, and the crankshaft is connected with the connecting rod by way of a crank journal. The crank journal bearing is disposed within the piston pin bearing.
US08276464B2
A loading device is provided, including a first member, a second member, a first clamping member, a second clamping member, and an actuator. The first member includes a first surface, where the first surface contacts a first side of a test piece. The second member includes a second surface, for contacting a second side of the test piece. The first clamping member includes a first clamping surface for contacting the second side of the test piece. The second clamping member is fixedly secured to the second member. The actuator exerts a predetermined force driving the second member in a first direction away from the first member, and a second direction towards the first member.
US08276453B2
An input device, including two or more ultrasonic transducers (UTs) driven by a driving signal (DS) for respectively sending a transmitting signal to sense an object; a driving circuit unit (DCU) generating the DS; a receiving circuit unit (RCU) determining whether echo signals (ESs) respectively returned from the two or more UTs are greater than a threshold value; a diplexer receiving and transmitting the DS to the two or more UTs, or receiving and transmitting the ESs to the RCU; and a control unit controlling the DCU to generate the DS, controlling the operation of the diplexer, and obtaining a relative motion information between the object and at least one of the two or more UTs according to all of ESs greater than the threshold value and determined by the RCU, so as to correspondingly output an input signal, is provided.
US08276442B2
A device for estimating an inflation state of a tire of at least one wheel of an automobile, that includes a memory storing a reference signature including a periodic signal corresponding to an inflation and to reference running conditions; a mechanism determining a current signature including a periodic signal corresponding to an inflation and to current running conditions; a mechanism comparing the current signature and the reference signature, and capable of outputting a signal based on the deviation between the current signature and the reference signature.
US08276440B2
The invention relates to a device for the error monitoring of chassis components of rail vehicles, including at least one vibration sensor. According to one embodiment of the invention, at least one vibration sensor is arranged on a bogie frame or on a wheel set bearing of an axis of a bogie of the rail vehicle such that the detection direction thereof has a component in the moving direction (x-direction) or a component perpendicular to the moving direction (y-direction) and at the same time a component parallel to the vertical axis (z-direction) of the rail vehicle.
US08276438B2
The invention describes a method for determining the light-off temperature of a catalytic converter on board a vehicle. The aging condition of the catalytic converter is determined by means of the method. To test the catalytic converter, the latter is loaded for example with a CO/HC test pulse. During the combustion of the additional CO and HC on the catalytic converter, an axial temperature profile is generated. The position of the maximum of said temperature profile along the catalytic converter is dependent on the current light-off temperature. The temperature profile travels through the catalytic converter and can be measured at the outlet of the catalytic converter as a time-dependent profile. The original axial temperature profile can be inferred from the time-dependent profile. Using a calculation program, the current light-off temperature of the catalytic converter on the vehicle can be determined. The method has the advantage that the test can take place at exhaust-gas temperatures considerably higher than the light-off temperature. In this way, it is ensured that the test pulse does not lead to increased pollutant emissions.
US08276437B2
Provided is a clogging determining device and a clogging determining method for a reducing agent injection valve, which enable clogging of the reducing agent injection valve to be determined with high precision in further consideration of the individual difference of the system. There are provided an opened-valve pressure reduction amount calculating element for calculating an opened-valve pressure reduction amount representing a pressure reduction amount in the supply passage which is reduced in a predetermined time when the pressure-feeding operation of the pump is stopped under the state that the reducing agent injection valve is set to an injection mode, a closed-valve pressure reduction amount calculating element for calculating a closed-valve pressure reduction amount representing the pressure reduction amount in the supply passage which is reduced in a predetermined time when the pressure-feeding operation of the pump is stopped under the state that the reducing agent injection valve is set to a full-close mode; and a clogging determining element for comparing the opened-valve pressure reduction amount with the closed-valve pressure reduction amount to determine clogging of the reducing agent injection valve.
US08276429B2
A hand tool includes a work portion and a user/operator interface portion comprising a handle. The handle comprises a pair of elongated members each including a generally I-shaped cross-section. Each elongated member includes a gripping portion. The gripping portion has a first surface and a primary user-interface surface having curvatures in three dimensions and preferably defined by a plurality of constant radii. As such, the handle conforms to the hands of a user/operator and reduces or eliminates undesirable pressure concentration points. The first surface of the gripping portion is provided with a finger registration portion which receives and positions the fingers of the operator around the gripping portion. The hand tool more efficiently transfers the operator input force through the hand tool to a workpiece and provides an improved comfort to the operator.
US08276422B2
The invention pertains to a rolling device (1) with at least two rolls that are respectively supported in a roll stand (3) by means of chocks (2), wherein the rolls are provided with axial displacement means (4) that serve for the axial displacement in a displacing direction (x) and make it possible to move the rolls into a desired position relative to the roll stand (3), as well as to hold the rolls in this position, and wherein the rolls are functionally connected to bending means (5) that make it possible to subject the rolls to a bending moment. In order to maintain the bending force losses caused by the weight of the axial displacement means at a minimum, the invention proposes that a first functional end (6) of the axial displacement means (4) is arranged on the roll stand (3) directly or indirectly by means of an articulated connection (7) and a second functional end (8) of the axial displacement means is arranged on the chock (2) by means of an articulated connection (9).
US08276419B2
A cylinder lock is disclosed. The cylinder lock can be used on a motor vehicle door lock. The disclosed cylinder lock has plate tumblers and also a key for the cylinder lock. The key for the cylinder lock could be a reversible key.
US08276418B2
A cover plate assembly 10 is provided for a cabinet door or drawer lock 12. A cover plate 26 defines a first circular aperture 28 and a rotatably circular cover plate insert 32 defines an eccentrically positioned second circular aperture 34. The second circular aperture 34 defines an inner diameter 33 sized to selectively receive the cylinder and plug assembly housing 20, and the insert 32 has an outer diameter 39 sized to fit within and selectively rotate with respect to the first circular aperture 28. During installation, the outer diameter 39 of the insert 32 is positioned within the first circular aperture 28, and the insert 32 is selectively rotated to a position that enables the cover plate assembly 10 to register with a bolt housing 16 and the second circular aperture 34 to register with a cylinder and plug assembly housing 20.
US08276416B2
A master key lock includes a lock cylinder having a keyway for receiving a key, a sleeve about the cylinder, a plurality of wafer tumblers, a master key and a spring operable to axially move the sleeve relative to the cylinder when the master key is inserted into the keyway. A system that uses the master key lock includes a lock case wherein the sleeve is disposed between the cylinder and the lock case, the sleeve being axially movable within the case. The sleeve comprises a plurality of transversely disposed slots for engaging the plurality of wafer tumblers such that the lock is unlocked by insertion of a key or a master key. A method of using the master key lock is also disclosed.
US08276414B2
A micropower passive electronic lock cylinder including an immovable cylinder body (3), a rotatable plug (1), and an electronic control circuit part is described. An electronic control circuit board (13) electrically connected with a micromotor (14) and locating switches (15, 16) is arranged in the rotatable plug (1). A lock pin (8), which is controlled by a displacement limiting cam (5) driven by the micromotor (14), moves between the immovable cylinder body (3) and the rotatable plug (1) to release or block the rotatable plug (1).
US08276413B2
The lock comprises a lock bolt, in particular a latch bolt (17), the actuating mechanism of which can be locked by means of a locking mechanism which comprises one series of pushbuttons (25) on each side of the lock. The pushbuttons (25) act on code and blocking tumbler members so that when the correct number combination is put in, one of the two check slides (39) is released. A selector (59) couples the two check slides (39) to the lock bolt actuating mechanism so that, when one of the two check slides is released, the lock bolt (17) can be moved to its unlocking position. The lock can thus be unlocked from either side of the lock and, due to the two locking mechanisms, a different number combination can be set for the two sides. The tumbler members each preferably comprise a first tumbler element, consisting of a base element and a code element screwed onto the base element, and a second tumbler arranged in the check slide and biased by means of a spring against the code element. With such tumbler members, it is easier to modify the number combination.
US08276411B2
An apparatus for securing a closure such as door or a window that opens and closes by movement relative to a fixed structure such as a wall or a floor. Many embodiments provide a device for relocating a padlock from its normal location where it secures a fastener (such as a hasp) to a location for the padlock that is more accessible for locking and unlocking the padlock. Typically an extender is provided, where the extender has a hook at a first end that is disposed through the eye of the staple of the hasp, and at an opposing second end the extender has an annulus, such as a hole in the extender or a loop or ring affixed to the extender. The shackle of the padlock may be disposed through the annulus and may be disposed through the eye of a second staple to secure the door or window in a closed or open position. Some embodiments employ a rigid sheath to enclose at least a portion of the extender. Typically the rigid sheath has an open state where the hook is exposed outside the sheath and a closed state where the hook is disposed within the sheath.
US08276409B2
A cover assembly for an appliance includes a glass panel and at least one metallic attachment element bonded to an inner surface of the glass panel via a layer of cured adhesive. The at least one metallic element is configured for mounting to at least one corresponding structure of the appliance to mount the cover assembly at the appliance. The layer of cured adhesive bonds the at least one metallic element to the inner surface of the glass panel without exposure of the bonded element on an outer surface of the glass panel. A perimeter frame portion may be established around a perimeter region of the glass panel.
US08276403B2
A method for removing oxygen from molten tin in the float bath chamber of a float glass manufacturing process is provided. The method includes providing a chamber having within it molten metal and a gaseous atmosphere above the molten metal, providing at least one reducing gas container proximate the interface between the molten metal and the gaseous atmosphere, providing a source of a reducing gas, and directing the reducing gas to the at least one container. In the at least one container, the reducing gas reacts with the oxygen in the molten metal. The method may include removing a vapor/particulate stream from the float bath chamber. The method may also include removing the vapor and/or the particulate from the stream. An apparatus for removing oxygen from the molten tin is also provided.
US08276401B2
An evaporator includes a refrigerant inlet header section, a refrigerant outlet header section, and a refrigerant circulation path connecting the two header sections. A refrigerant inlet-outlet member composed of a first plate, a second plate, and an intermediate plate is joined to the two header sections. The refrigerant inlet-outlet member has an inflow channel whose one end communicates with the refrigerant inlet of the refrigerant inlet header section and whose other end is opened to a rear edge of the refrigerant inlet-outlet member, and an outflow channel whose one end communicates with the refrigerant outlet of the refrigerant outlet header section and whose other end is opened to the rear edge. The first and second plates each have inflow-channel-forming and outflow-channel-forming outward swelled portions. Cutouts and a through hole are formed in the intermediate plate such that the inflow channel and the outflow channel cross each other.
US08276397B1
A facility is described that includes one or more enclosures defining an interior space, a plurality of power taps, a plurality of coolant supply taps, and a plurality of coolant return taps. A flow capacity of the supply taps and a flow capacity of the return taps can be approximately equal over a local area of the interior space. The plurality of power taps, the plurality of supply taps, and the plurality of return taps can be divided into a plurality of zones, with taps of each zone are configured to be controllably coupled to a power source or a coolant source independently of the taps of other zones. The taps can be positioned along paths, and paths of the power taps can be spaced from associated proximate paths of supply and return taps by a substantially uniform distance along a substantial length of the first path.
US08276393B2
This invention relates to the field of heat-driven cooling devices, heat pumps or thermal transformers, in particular to those devices, known as sorption devices, which employ an ad- or absorbent material as a chemical compressor to raise the pressure of a refrigerant gas. This invention is particularly concerned with a heat exchanger suitable for use as a generator in a sorption device. Embodiments of the invention provide a heat exchanger comprising: a plurality of stacked plate members each plate member being provided with at least one fluid channel therein, each plate member having a channel inlet and a channel outlet associated with each channel of the plate member; a plurality of chambers, the chambers being provided between opposed major faces of respective adjacent plate members, the chambers containing a sorbent material; a thermal fluid inlet in communication with a plurality of the channel inlets and a thermal fluid outlet in communication with a plurality of the channel outlets; and a sorbate inlet and a sorbate outlet in communication with each of the chambers, the fluid channels being provided in fluid isolation from the chambers.
US08276390B2
A splitter is provided for improving a pressure recovery of a compressor discharge casing (CDC) by substantially aligning a fluid vortex about a longitudinal axis of a gas turbine engine. The CDC includes an annular wall that extends generally axially along at least a portion of the CDC. The CDC is configured to house a first combustor and a second combustor. The splitter extends from the annular wall between the first and second combustors. The splitter includes a first surface that is configured to direct fluid towards the first combustor and a second surface that is configured to direct fluid towards the second combustor.
US08276378B2
A method of controlling a turbocharger for an engine and a control system for the same includes a variable nozzle turbine control module operating a variable nozzle turbine of a high pressure turbocharger closed loop in a first load-engine speed region. The system also includes a high pressure turbine bypass valve control module operating a high pressure turbine bypass valve in a closed position in a first load-engine speed region. The variable nozzle turbine control module operates a variable nozzle turbine closed loop in a second load-engine speed region between the first load-speed region and a third load speed region. The high pressure turbine bypass valve module operates the high pressure turbine bypass valve in a transient region in the second load-engine speed region. The variable nozzle turbine control module operates the variable nozzle turbine open loop. The high pressure turbine bypass valve control module operates a high pressure turbine bypass valve in an open position in a third load-engine speed region.
US08276375B2
An exhaust system has one or more exhaust tubes having a first diameter, interfaced to an exhaust manifold at one end and open at an opposite end for exhaust gas to escape, and a tubular extension of a second diameter, larger than the first diameter, joined to the open end of individual ones of the exhaust tubes, the extension cut at an angle with vertical and joined to the exhaust tube in a manner that exhaust gas expanding at the open end is free to expand upward, but expanding downward strikes the tubular extension, creating a downward force on the exhaust system.
US08276369B2
In the present exhaust purification system of an internal combustion engine, a particulate filter is arranged downstream of an NOx storage/reduction catalyst device and an S trap device is arranged upstream of the NOx storage/reduction catalyst device. A first fuel supplying device for supplying additional fuel for regeneration of the particulate filter to the exhaust system upstream of the S trap device or into the cylinder is provided. An amount of the additional fuel supplied by the first fuel supplying device is controlled to make the S trap device not release SOx. A second fuel supplying device is provided in the exhaust system between the NOx storage/reduction catalyst device and the particulate filter to make up for a deficiency of the additional fuel supplied by the first fuel supplying device in the regeneration treatment of the particulate filter.
US08276367B2
An exhaust gas control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, including a three-way catalyst, a NOX storage-reduction catalyst, a rich controlling mechanism performing control to make an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas rich to reduce NOX stored in the NOX storage-reduction catalyst, and a control performing control to ensure that a NOX purifying component is present in the NOX storage-reduction catalyst when reducing the NOX.
US08276351B1
A weight training exercise apparatus incorporates a handled bag to receive a weight bag containing a mass of granular material having a weight. The weight bag is formed with a sheet of flexible, pliant material, and has a bag chamber formed by and between a closed end and an opposed mouth and opposed closed sides formed by opposed hems formed in the sheet extending between the closed end of the weight bag and the mouth. The hems extend into the bag chamber, which is filled with the mass of granular material. The mouth is formed with primary and second seals to close the mouth to prevent granular material from spilling from the mouth.
US08276347B2
A transportable container for flowable bulk goods is formed by disposing an outer wrap around a bottom support and a portion of a vertically spaced slip frame former. One of the slip frame former and the bottom support moves vertically relative to other in response to the fill level of the bulk goods. As bulk goods are added to the transportable container, the position of the slip frame former is radially adjusted to modify the shape of the transportable container. As the fill level increases in the transportable container, previously disposed portions of outer wrap are disengaged from the slip frame former to squeeze the filled portions of the transportable container. Additional portions of outer wrap are disposed around a portion of the slip frame former to maintain the transportable container for receiving bulk goods as the previously disposed portions of outer wrap are disengaged.
US08276346B2
Methods and apparatus for dispensing a predetermined fixed amount of pre-stretched packaging material to a load are disclosed. An amount of pre-stretched packaging material to be dispensed by a packaging material dispenser is determined based upon the girth of the load to be wrapped. Once the amount of packaging material to be dispensed is determined, a ratio of relative rotational speed to packaging material dispenser speed can be set and mechanically controlled. In an alternative embodiment, the ratio is electronically controlled.
US08276342B2
Flooring panel or wall panel and a use thereof in a wet room. The panel is provided with a locking means in the form of groove (6) and tongue (7) forming a tongue/groove joint for assembling of the panels. The groove (6) and the tongue (7) are preferably made of water tight material and formed with a snap-together joint.
US08276341B1
A wall structure for either a building or a stand alone wall is formed with stacked horizontal elongated panels. The upper and lower faces of each panel interlocks with its neighboring panel with a tongue and groove joint to form a continuous wall surface.
US08276336B2
A building construction method for controlling moisture in a building attic and improving the energy efficiency of the building achieved by installing a breathable membrane directly above the roof rafters thereby providing the presence of an air gap between the breathable membrane and the roof deck and sealing the membrane to the peripheral walls of the building, such that energy that normally passes from the living space into the attic and out the top of the building is conserved.
US08276332B2
Prefabricated insulation wall panels for construction of a concrete wall include two elongated studs, each having a planar web section and inner and outer flanges, and one or two insulation boards vertically disposed between the two studs. The web section includes multiple through-holes spaced apart in the body portion of the stud, disposed off center in a transverse direction and closer to the inner flange than to the outer flange. The insulation board is thinner than the width of the wed section. The inner surface of the insulation board is disposed against the inner flanges of the studs, with two side edges of the insulation board covering the through-holes on the web section of each stud, thus establishing a distance between the outer surface of the insulation board and the outer flanges of the studs through the body portion of the studs.
US08276328B2
A wall module for the construction of a housing module comprises two beams, two primary studs, two bracing members, primary reinforcements and a plurality of secondary studs. The two beams are spaced apart and substantially parallel to each other. The two primary studs are perpendicularly connected between different extremities of the two beams so as to define four wall corners. The two bracing members are connected substantially diagonally between two different opposed wall corners. The primary reinforcements are located at the wall corners and are connect one of the two beams to one of the two primary studs and to one of the bracing members. The secondary studs are attached to the two beams and to at least one of the two bracing members. The wall module may further comprise a sheathing attached to the secondary studs and a finishing sheet attached to the sheathing in between the secondary studs.
US08276326B2
A telescopic mast system includes a telescopic mast comprising a plurality of telescopic mast sections and a drive mechanism for extending and retracting the telescopic mast sections. The drive mechanism includes a rigid chain having one end connected to a last one of the telescopic mast sections to move the telescopic mast sections and a plurality of guide plates cooperating with the telescopic mast sections to prevent buckling of the rigid chain.
US08276322B2
An integrated mounting pole system for communication and surveillance infrastructures includes a plurality of stackable sections, which are rotationally attached to a system cabinet of the system and one another. The sections include arms supporting antennas, video cameras, and other functional devices. A conduit and/or wiring raceway thereof coupling electronic equipment disposed in the system cabinet and the functional devices propagates through interior of the sections and the arms. The system may be disposed on a trailer and may include an autonomous source of electric power.
US08276314B2
The arthropod trap has a base with a plurality of sides that angle upwardly and inwardly toward a capture area in the center of the base. Multiple outwardly-projecting fins are disposed on or adjacent to the sides of the base. The fins also angle upwardly toward the capture area so that the fins guide arthropods into the capture area. The capture area includes a pitfall so that the arthropods topple through a pitfall opening and are retained in the pitfall. A trap cover fits over and at least partially conceals the capture area. In one embodiment, the trap cover provides a platform for the placement of light emitting diodes that emit light in a wavelength that appeals to the positive phototaxis instincts of the target arthropods.
US08276311B2
Particular aspects provide devices and methods for adjustably and reversibly engaging a line (e.g., fishing lines, ropes, string, cable, wire, cords) at an engagement position and/or for demarcating positions/spans along a line. The inventive line-stop members are reversibly disengagable, and thereby slidably adjustable and positionable along a line, and can be used to define a user-selectable range or span. Particular embodiments comprise: an elongated line-clamping member having at least one pair of line-clamping arms and having a longitudinal axial bore suitable to allow slidable passage of a line therethrough; and a cylindrical engagement collar having a collar channel therethrough and slidably positionable along the line-clamping member, and suitable and positionable to reversibly hold the line-clamping member in a line-clamping/engagement position, and suitable and positionable to reversibly disengage the line-clamping member from the line-clamping position to reversibly disengage a line. Preferred line-stop embodiments comprise an accessory attachment member or collar.
US08276296B2
Various embodiments of this invention disclose a dynamically responsive shock attenuation system for footwear and/or apparel that comprises two or more materials with different, narrowly prescribed physical properties, which, when used together, produce a dynamic, continuous, and proportional response over a wide range of impact forces. In various embodiments of the invention, the two materials comprise a first material that exhibits generally Newtonian behavior to impact forces and a second material that exhibits generally non-Newtonian behavior to impact forces.
US08276283B1
A reticle which does not emit a retro-reflective signature detectable using standard field detection means at the standard distance of 10 miles, which reticle is formed of a precise series of about 10 micron wide lines etched within a physically light weight, single optical blank or glass lens, using a femtosecond near IR wavelength pulsed laser.
US08276281B2
A circular saw includes a housing, an electrical motor mounted in the housing, a base plate disposed below the housing, a saw blade attached to the housing and driven by the electrical motor, and an alignment indication assembly coupled to the housing. The saw blade has a portion below the base plate and can be tilted with respect to the base plate in a transverse direction. The alignment indication assembly has an indication member with an indicating end. The indication member is movable relative to a rotation center of the saw blade when the saw blade is being tilted with respect to the base plate so that the indicating end is maintained in front of and in line with the saw blade all the time.
US08276271B2
Apparatus for making an electrical connection in a system requiring four electrical connections, including an electrical connection pad having an array of four types of electrically conductive contacts, all conductive contacts of a given type being electrically connected to all other conductive contacts of the same type; and an arrangement for providing electrical connections to conductive contacts on the pads, the arrangement having electrically conductive pins for making contact with the conductive contacts, wherein the types of electrically conductive contacts include two contacts for power and two separate contacts for signals. The pins may be arranged at corners of a first square and a second square, with the first square being rotated by forty-five degrees with respect to the second square, and a pin located at a common center of both squares. A method of operation of the apparatus, and various applications and configurations for its use.
US08276267B2
Provided are a tape feeder for use in chip mounters that can reduce a chip feeding duration and prevent chips from being turned over or assuming wrong postures to feed the chips stably, and a chip mounting method. The tape feeder includes a second link having one end linked to a link shaft through which a first link and a pivot lever are combined and the other end in which a slot curved at a predetermined inclination is formed. The velocity at which a carrier tape is fed changes according to the inclination of the curve of the slot with respect to the moving direction of the first link, the curve contacting the contact unit upon the movement of the first link in a direction helping to rotate a ratchet gear.
US08276266B2
A system for the manufacture of electrical coils. The system includes a control unit configured to receive measurements for the electrical coil. The system further includes a pressure head operably connected to the control unit and mounted on a support, the pressure head including a vertical axle and a horizontal axle. At least one vertical wheel is mounted on the vertical axle and positioned to accept a conductor material and regulate height and flatness in the coil being formed. At least one horizontal wheel is mounted on the horizontal axle and positioned to accept the conductor material and position the conductor material on top of a previously formed coil. At least one hydraulic cylinder is attached to the vertical and horizontal axles and configured to adjust coiling pressure exerted on the conductor material by adjusting hydraulic pressure on the axles.
US08276261B2
In a state where the expanded protruding portion of the heat-exchanging tube, which has been expanded inside a grip portion of a chucking sleeve whose diameter has been reduced by a clamp bushing, is gripped by the grip portion, a tube expanding billet is inserted into a yet-unexpanded part of the heat-exchanging tube to cause tube expansion. When doing so, a guide portion, which is formed on a flare punch and has the same diameter as the maximum outer diameter of the tube expanding billet, is inserted inside the expanded protruding portion of the heat-exchanging tube gripped by the grip portion.
US08276256B1
A method of assembling a head stack assembly (HSA) includes securing a flex cable to an actuator including an actuator arm having a side slot with a slot end. A first head gimbal assembly (HGA) is attached to the actuator arm. The first HGA includes a first laminated flexure having a first flexure tail with a first raised region that includes an out-of-plane bend. The first raised region is squeezed while inserting the first flexure tail partially within the side slot with the first raised region adjacent the slot end. The first raised region is allowed to expand into contact with the side slot adjacent the slot end. The first flexure tail is electrically connected to the flex cable.
US08276253B2
A method and apparatus for removing and installing combustion liners in a combustion case of a turbine is provided. The apparatus includes an elongated handle having a pin disposed at one end, and a bracket attached to the elongated handle. A tower clamp, for attaching to a flange of a combustion case, includes a tower portion having a plurality of notches for receiving the pin of the elongated handle.
US08276251B2
A hand tool comprises: a body; a handle extending from the body; a hand-operable lever pivotally connected to the body and pivotable from a resting position towards the handle to a working position; a shaft extending through the body along a longitundal axis, and movable between forward and reverse directions along the axis relative to the body; a shaft drive mechanism mounted to the body and operatively connected to the shaft and lever such that pivoting of the lever to the working position causes the shaft drive mechanism to incrementally advance the shaft only in the forward direction; and a shaft release mechanism mounted to the body and comprising a shaft locking member operatively connected to the shaft and lever, wherein the shaft locking member is movable by the lever between a locking position and an unlocking position, and wherein movement of the lever from the resting position away from the working position moves the shaft locking member to the unlocking position and enables the shaft to be moved in the reverse direction.
US08276250B2
A method of manufacturing a piezoelectric ink jet device having a pressure chamber, a flexible membrane delimiting the pressure chamber, a piezoelectric actuator mounted on the membrane, and a rigid substrate attached to the side of the membrane carrying the actuator, which includes the steps of providing the piezoelectric actuator with an electrode on at least one side, attaching the actuator with its electrode side to a carrier plate, bonding the rigid substrate to the side of the carrier plate carrying the actuator, and removing material from the carrier plate on the side opposite to the actuator and leaving only a thin layer of the carrier plate which then forms the membrane.
US08276248B2
A throw assembly for a casket container includes a corrugated paper having a corner cutout configured to be longitudinally folded along each of two parallel longitudinal lines and transversally folded about the corner cutout, and a fabric member disposed over the corrugated paper structure, and fixedly coupled to the corrugated paper structure along at least one edge of the fabric member.
US08276239B2
A windscreen wiper device comprising an elastic, elongated carrier element, as well as an elongated wiper blade (2) of a flexible material, which can be placed in abutment with a windscreen to be wiped, which wiper blade (2) includes opposing longitudinal grooves (3) on its longitudinal sides, in which grooves spaced-apart longitudinal strips (4) of the carrier element are disposed, wherein neighbouring ends (5) of said longitudinal strips (4) are interconnected by a respective connecting piece (6), which windscreen wiper device comprises a connecting device (7) for an oscillating arm (8), as well as a spoiler (11) detachably connected to the wiper blade (2), with the special feature that said spoiler (11) comprises a less-flexible profile (13) which is slidably mounted on a mounting portion of the wiper blade (12).
US08276236B2
A baseboard cleaning apparatus for cleaning a baseboard of a wall extending upright along the wall with respect to a floor includes a cleaning head and a block positioned in either side of a skid plate, and which are connected by a connector that extends through a slot formed in the skid plate. The skid plate has a lower extremity formed with a skid, and the connector is movable along the slot between lowered positions of the baseboard cleaning head and the fixture toward the skid formed in the lower extremity of the skid plate, and raised positions of the baseboard cleaning head and the fixture away from the skid formed in the lower extremity of the skid plate.
US08276235B2
A wearable wipe unit having one or more absorbent members attachable to, and removable from, a retaining member, or each other. The retaining member has a mouth which attaches to a user's waist band or belt. One or more absorbent members may have a storage unit for securely holding a user's personal effects. The bottoms of the front and back sides of the retaining member are angled forward for ease of attachment.
US08276234B2
A foldable textile holder for a flat mop includes a rectangular main board provided to be pivotally connected to a handle of the flat mop and two wing plates respectively and pivotally to two opposite ends of the main board relative to a major axis of the main board by two pivot elements. The main board and the two wing plates are situated on a same plane when cleaning the floor and form a U-shape after the two wing plates being folded, wherein each pivot element temporarily positions a corresponding one of the two wing plates when the two wing plates are upwardly folded or the main board and the two wing plates are situated on a same plane.
US08276225B2
Methods and systems for patient positioning in an imaging system are provided. A palette for an imaging system is provided that includes a base portion movably connected to the imaging system and an extender portion removably connected to the base portion. The extender portion together with the base portion supports an object to be imaged by the imaging system.
US08276223B1
There is a growing need for safe methods to insulate sleeping people from intrusive environmental noises so that they can get a decent night's sleep. This invention solves the problem of how to provide a sleeping enclosure with a high degree of insulation against environmental noises while also providing assured ventilation within the enclosure. It features an active ventilation means and a passive ventilation means that are physically linked so that there is always one of them providing ventilation. This linkage combines the superior sound-insulating properties of active ventilation (such as a longer air conduit for reduced intrusion of environmental noises into the enclosure) with the superior safety properties of passive ventilation (such as not being vulnerable to power failure or mechanical failure).
US08276213B2
A venting apparatus with a no-catch mechanism and a method of manufacture of the apparatus are described. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention may comprise: a fastening device, a venting mechanism wherein the venting mechanism further comprises an opening, a mesh arrangement, and a no-catch mechanism.
US08281398B2
Structured document files, such as those utilized by standard productivity applications or for portable documents can have malicious computer executable instructions embedded within them. Modifications to such files can prevent the execution of such malware. Modifications can operate at a file sector level, such as either fragmenting or defragmenting the file, or they can operate at a file record level, such as removing records, adding records, or rearranging the order of records. Other modifications include writing random data into records deemed likely to have malware, removing unaccounted for space, or removing records that are not known to be good and are inordinately large. A scan of the structured document file can identify relevant information and inform the selection of the modifications to be applied.
US08281395B2
Disclosed are methods and devices, among which is a device that includes a pattern-recognition processor. The pattern-recognition processor may include a matching-data reporting module, which may have a buffer and a match event table. The buffer may be coupled to a data stream and configured to store at least part of the data stream, and the match event table may be configured to store data indicative of a buffer location corresponding with a start of a search criterion being satisfied.
US08281394B2
A method includes determining whether new phishing site identifiers (URLs and/or IP addresses) have been created. Upon a determination that the new phishing site identifiers have been created, the new phishing site identifiers are compared to site identifiers of sites to which critical values have been provided in the past. Upon a determination that at least one of the new phishing site identifiers matches at least one of the site identifiers, a phishing notification is provided that the user was successfully phished in the past.
US08281392B2
Methods and systems for disrupting potential attacks on a wireless network through transmission of random data are disclosed. Specifically, this disclosure relates to systems and methods for disrupting the breaking of the secret key or passphrase by an adversary or rogue device for Wi-Fi networks using wired equivalent privacy (WEP) and Wi-Fi protected access (WPA).
US08281390B1
Systems and methods, including computer software adapted to perform certain operations, can be implemented for remotely defining security data for authorizing access to data on a client device. Permission indicators are associated with a sequence of instructions, and a protected activity is associated with one or more of the permission indicators and with an instruction within the sequence of instructions. The one or more permission indicators and the sequence of instructions are provided to a remote device. The remote device determines whether execution of the instruction is permitted based, at least in part, on the one or more permission indicators, and the remote device performs the protected activity if execution of the instruction is permitted.
US08281383B2
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by an access router, an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) packet that specifies a request for executing a preemptive service for data packets specifying a prescribed flow label field value identified in the request. The method further includes attempting authentication of the request by the access router based on a prescribed secure authentication protocol. The method further includes implementing the preemptive service by the access router based on the authentication of the request, including passing any IPv6 data packet received from a host node and having an IPv6 header specifying the prescribed flow label field value and satisfying a prescribed security condition, and limiting transfer of any data packet that does not specify the prescribed flow label field value or satisfy the prescribed security condition.
US08281382B1
A lightweight throttling mechanism allows for dynamic control of access to resources in a distributed environment. Each request received by a server of a server group is parsed to determine tokens in the request, which are compared with designated rules to determine whether to process or reject the request based on usage data associated with an aspect of the request, the token values, and the rule(s) specified for the request. The receiving of each request can be broadcast to throttling components for each server such that the global state of the system is known to each server. The system then can monitor usage and dynamically throttle requests based on real time data in a distributed environment.
US08281375B2
A method including generating a first and second One Time Password (OTP) token from a shared clock, receiving a third OTP token, and comparing the second and the third OTP tokens. A system including a number generator residing on a first server to generate first and second One Time Password (OTP) tokens from a shared clock, a transmitter residing on the first server to transmit the first and the second OTP tokens, a receiver residing on a second server to receive the first, the second, and a third OTP tokens, and a comparator residing on the second server to compare the second and the third OTP tokens to authenticate an identity of a party who generates the third OTP token.
US08281371B1
A method may include authenticating a node over layer 2 in a network based on authentication rules; sending a node authentication code to the node; and providing layer 3 network access based on the node authentication code.
US08281369B2
The proposed invention provides a user-friendly way for people to turn a traditional in-progress voice-only telephone call into a multi-media call. This may be accomplished using various technologies that can be provided over the Internet or some other multi-media computing/networking platform. The multi-media aspect of the invention may be used to facilitate the sharing of additional information between the call participants as well as dynamically update security aspects (e.g., encryption keys) associated with call.
US08281368B2
A secure (e.g., HTTPS) connection is established between a client and a server. Communication over the connection may utilize an application (e.g., a Web browser) that is not part of the client's trusted computing base. A password is sent from the client to the server over the connection such that the clear text password is unavailable to the application. For example, the password can be encrypted and inserted directly into the HTTPS stream from the client's trusted computing base.
US08281364B2
A trusted input technique in which switching is made between an OS environment unreliable in security and a BIOS reliable in security. Rapid switching to a secure environment, such as BIOS mode, upon request for secure input, is enabled. An OS environment of a user can be quickly resumed after the user completes the input of a cryptogram. The technique does not and will not have any influence on secure transaction architecture. The identification of a server is authenticated in a trusted secure environment, and thus it is possible to prevent such problem as “phishing” websites. The user cryptogram is present as plaintext only in a BIOS environment and server and as encrypted during intermediate transmission. Thus, it is impossible to be intercepted by any virus such as a “Trojan horse”.
US08281358B2
The invention concerns a method for transmitting a flow of digital data and of controlled messages associated with said flow addressed to mobile terminals. The flow comprises successive bursts of data of encrypted contents with control words included in the control messages transmitted in parallel with said flow. The method is characterized in that it consists in inserting a control message in each transmitted burst of contents, said message containing at least one control word designed to decrypt the contents of said burst.
US08281357B2
A network system includes a terminal apparatus, a network home appliance, a service server that provides the terminal apparatus with a service for controlling the network home appliance through a network, and a direct access management server that performs exchange of information necessary for directly accessing the network home appliance through the network. The network home appliance includes a first storing unit that stores setting information for setting necessity of message transmission concerning an event that occurs in the network home appliance and a message transmitting unit that judges necessity of transmission of a message concerning the event and transmits the message. The direct access management server includes a first message-transmission processing unit that specifies the service server and transmits the message to the service server. The service server includes a second message-transmission processing unit that specifies a destination of the terminal apparatus and transmits the message to the destination.
US08281349B2
A data providing system in which program deliverers store programs and deliver the stored programs to requesting subscriber terminals has a program allocation control unit that allocates new programs or qualified programs to multiple program deliverers, then selectively deletes the programs from the program deliverers. This allocation scheme assures that even newly added programs can be transmitted efficiently to the subscriber terminals.
US08281346B2
A method and apparatus for utilizing DVD content through a home network are provided. The method includes transmitting item information indicating DVD content in response to a request for a content list, and receiving a request for the DVD content in units of a sector from a client having acquired the item information, and extracting and transmitting data of the requested sector to the client. Various functions provided by the DVD video can be utilized similar to reproducing DVD content through a local DVD player while reproducing DVD content stored in a remote server through devices of a home network. Therefore, it is possible to reduce concerns of the DVD copyrighter about illegal copying of the content since encoded data is transmitted as it is, without being decoded.
US08281338B2
Detailed herein is a technology which, among other things, allows for storage and playback of interactive user elements in a television stream. In one approach to this technology, a content data stream, including a television program and a user experience element, is received. This content data stream is transformed, and the transformed data stream is examined, to identify which packets are associated with the user experience element. Those packets are then passed to a handler appropriate for the user experience element.
US08281329B2
The present invention relates to an improve disk retrieving and releasing device and an automation disk burning system, wherein the improve disk retrieving and releasing device is opposite to an optical disk driver of a host and disposed on the host, such that the host and the improve disk retrieving and releasing device constitute the automation disk burning system. The improve disk retrieving and releasing device is adapted for automatically retrieving a disk from a disk tray when disk tray withdraws from the optical disk driver, and releasing and putting the disk into a disk collecting bucket when the disk tray gets back into the optical disk driver. The improved disk retrieving and releasing device comprises: a frame member and two clamping mechanisms, wherein the clamping mechanism comprises: a support member, a clamping member, and an interlocked rod.
US08281323B2
Techniques for establishing virtual devices are presented. A legacy control system is encapsulated as a virtual device. The virtual device is isolated within a host hardware associate with a host OS and access to and from the virtual device is authenticated and controlled by the host OS. Legacy hardware used by the legacy control system is connected to the host hardware, thereby permitting the legacy control system to continue to access the legacy hardware when the virtual device processes.
US08281317B1
A computer readable medium and method for providing checkpointing to Windows application groups. The checkpointing may be triggered asynchronously using Asynchronous Procedure Calls. The computer readable medium includes computer-executable instructions for execution by a processing system. The computer-executable instructions may be for reviewing one or more command line arguments to determine whether to start at least one of the application groups, and when determining to start the at least one of the application groups, creating a process table in a shared memory to store information about each process of the at least one of the application groups. Further, the instructions may be for registering with a kernel module to create an application group barrier, creating a named pipe for applications of the application group to register and unregister, triggering a checkpoint thread to initiate an application group checkpoint; and launching an initial application of the applications of the application group.
US08281312B2
A system and method for enabling automated task preemption, including a plurality of multifunctional devices having a plurality of functional capabilities; and a processing module configured to: (i) separate the tasks requiring the plurality of functional capabilities into the tasks requiring a first category of capabilities and the tasks requiring a second category of capabilities, where the tasks requiring the first category of capabilities has a higher processing priority than the tasks requiring the second category of capabilities; and (ii) selectively process the tasks requiring the first category of capabilities before the tasks requiring the second category of capabilities regardless of arrival times of the tasks requiring the plurality of capabilities; wherein the tasks requiring the second category of capabilities that are preempted by the tasks requiring the first category of capabilities are rescheduled to be completed within a predetermined time period of completion.
US08281311B2
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for executing a distributed Java application on a plurality of compute nodes. The Java application includes a plurality of jobs distributed among the plurality of compute nodes. The plurality of compute nodes are connected together for data communications through a data communication network. Each of the plurality of compute nodes has installed upon it a Java Virtual Machine (‘JVM’) capable of supporting at least one job of the Java application. Executing a distributed Java application on a plurality of compute nodes includes: tracking, by an application manager, a just-in-time (‘JIT’) compilation history for the JVMs installed on the plurality of compute nodes; and configuring, by the application manager, the plurality of jobs for execution on the plurality of compute nodes in dependence upon the JIT compilation history for the JVMs installed on the plurality of compute nodes.
US08281310B2
A system and method for automatically generating flowcharts based on jobs within a mainframe job scheduling system is disclosed. The system may be interfaced through a web browser over a network (e.g., Internet) in order to configure a job flowchart request. The system includes a job flow utility employing rules and logic to execute a Job Control Language (JCL) script thereby invoking the creation of a job schedule based from a scheduling library and generates a delimited set of data that is stored within a database or saved as a delimited text file. The system also enables a user to view a job flowchart online or download the text-delimited file to open within existing charting applications.
US08281303B2
Systems and methods for efficient dynamic allocation of virtual machine resources are described herein. At least some illustrative embodiments include a method including executing virtual machine software on a real computer system (the virtual machine software including a hypervisor and a virtual machine including a plurality of virtual devices), associating each of the plurality of virtual devices with a unique subset of a real device within the real computer system, the hypervisor sending to virtual firmware within the virtual machine a request to eject that requires ejecting from the virtual machine one or more of the plurality of virtual devices, a virtual device resource object within the virtual firmware forwarding the request to eject to a virtual device resource driver executing on the virtual machine, and the virtual device resource driver causing individual ejections of each of the one or more virtual devices in response to the forwarded request.
US08281300B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to receive a request to roll back one or more individually specified software packages to their respective package states at a prior time on a processing system, to determine a series of transactions on the processing system associated with the individually specified software packages and their dependencies, conducted between the current time and the prior time, and to roll back the dependencies and the individually specified software packages to the respective package states on the processing system. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US08281299B2
The disclosed system provides a functional programming construct that allows convenient modular run-time nonstandard interpretation via reflection on closure environments. This construct encompasses both the ability to examine the contents of a closure environment and to construct a new closure with a modified environment. Examples of this powerful and useful construct support such tasks as tracing, security logging, sandboxing, error checking, profiling, code instrumentation and metering, run-time code patching, and resource monitoring. It is a non-referentially-transparent mechanism that reifies the closure environments that are only implicit in higher-order programs. A further example provides a novel functional-programming language that supports forward automatic differentiation (AD).
US08281295B2
Compiler analysis and runtime coherency checking for reducing coherency problems is provided. Source code is analyzed to identify at least one of a plurality of loops that contains a memory reference. A determination is made as to whether the memory reference is an access to a global memory that should be handled by at least one of a software controlled cache or a direct buffer. A determination is made as to whether there is a data dependence between the memory reference and at least one reference from at least one of other direct buffers or other software controlled caches in response to an indication that the memory reference is an access to the global memory that should be handled by either the software controlled cache or the direct buffer. A direct buffer transformation is applied to the memory reference in response to a negative indication of the data dependence.
US08281289B2
An execution binary image creating device includes an execution binary reading section (1) reading configuration information representing an internal configuration of an execution binary program to be executed on a computer and includes a deletable area detecting section (2) acquiring the configuration information of the execution binary program, analyzing information to be used in performing address resolution at a time of execution, and detecting a deletable area in the execution binary program, when the address resolution is not performed. Further, the device includes an execution binary rewriting section (3) rewriting the deletable area in the execution binary program into specific data and using an execution binary image creating section (4) reducing the data amount of the specific data included in the execution binary program, and converting the execution binary program into an execution binary image in a format recognizable on the computer.
US08281284B2
Disclosed is a method of editing text using a web-based text editor. The method comprises opening a document using a web-based text editor; receiving a first user input for selecting a block of text in the document; in reply to the first user input, inserting, into a source code of the document, a first temporary node before the selected block and a second temporary node after the selected block; receiving a second user input for applying an attribute to the selected block; and in reply to the second user input, adding an attribute node between the first and second temporary nodes of the source code so as to apply the attribute to at least part of the block of the document.
US08281278B2
A design supporting system of a semiconductor integrated circuit, includes: a scan chain designing section configured to generate a scan chain of scan cells; a specific cell determining section configured to determine as specific scan cells, ones of the scan cells of the scan chain based on the number of gates to be driven when a data held by each of the specific scan cells changes on scan-inputting a pattern data from a scan-in side of the scan chain; and a reordering section configured to reorder the specific scan cells at positions closest to the scan-in side of the scan chain. In the first pattern data, a don't-care bit has a same bit data as that of a care bit.
US08281277B2
Signal selecting apparatus 100 according to the present invention for determining an operation parameter of circuit 101 includes circuit analyzing means 110 for enumerating signals in the circuit that are to be measured for the operation parameter when information of the circuit is input thereto, observation signal number determination means 111 for statistically determining the number of observation signals required to determine the operation parameter from the width and reliability of an estimated error and from the number of enumerated signals, and observation signal selecting means 112 for selecting, from the enumerated signals, the same number of signals as the number of observation signals.
US08281252B2
A sliding tab tabbed pane user interface component implementable in an electronic device is presented. The user interface component provides a user interface of the electronic device with items belonging to a plurality of different categories, each category being associated with a different sliding tab. The sliding tabs are arranged such that at least a portion of the items of at least two sliding tabs is visible.
US08281251B2
An apparatus and method for inputting characters/numerals for a communication terminal provided with a touch part is disclosed. A plurality of blocks are formed on a block main body in a touch screen keyboard of the touch part, through which designation of coordinates or selection of characters can be performed using a finger or a tool, for communications with an outside or data storage, and consonants of characters for each language are arranged on the respective blocks while vowels are arranged on a plurality of fixed blocks in at least four directions (e.g. upward, downward, left, right, and diagonal directions) in which the block main body moves. In the case of Korean (i.e. Hangeul) keyboard, Roman character keyboard, and Japanese keyboard, consonants are inputted by touching the respective blocks on the block main body, and vowels of the fixed blocks are inputted through manipulation of the block main body that moves in at least four directions.
US08281237B1
This invention relates to a system and method to configure, view, and order a document online. The document is uploaded from a client and transferred over a network to a server. The server includes software that allows a user to configure and preview the document online. The user may change configuration parameters as desired. Once the configuration process is complete, the user may order the document, specifying multiple recipients as desired. The user is then billed for the order and the document is delivered to the indicated recipient(s).
US08281236B2
Unused, duplicate, or corrupted styles are removed from XML based document files through a styles definition part of a document using system input output. The removal is based on the analysis of the information contained in a compressible package of a respective document file. Other incorrect file content may also be removed such as corrupted name ranges or unused value format definitions using the same approach.
US08281235B1
A method of transforming a structured file is provided. A transformation instruction is loaded in a memory and the transformation instruction defines an event. The structured file is parsed into a parsing event and this parsing event is compared with the event defined by a transformation instruction. Based on the parsing event matching the event defined by the transformation instruction, the transformation instruction associated with the event is selected from the memory and the transformation instruction is executed to transform the structured file.
US08281234B2
A user creates an application assistant by recording a series of steps to complete a specific task involving one or more computer applications. Additional steps that may not involve the use of a computer application may be included. For each step, annotations may be created. The series of steps and annotations are stored in a computer system.
US08281230B2
A method of storing information for recorded information and a source document is provided. The method comprises: determining a first piece of information included in the recorded information; determining at least a first source document from one or more source documents that comprises information that matches the first piece of information; and storing information identifying the recorded information, information representative of the first piece of information, and information identifying the first source document such that the information identifying the first source document can be determined given the information identifying the recorded information and the information representative of the first piece of information.
US08281221B2
An operation method of a MRAM of the present invention stores in memory arrays, error correction codes, each of which comprises of symbols, each of which comprises bits, and to which an error correction is possible in units of symbols. In the operation method, the symbols are read by using the reference cells different from each other. Moreover, when a correctable error is detected in a read data of the error correction code from data cells corresponding to an input address, (A) a data in the data cell corresponding to an error bit is corrected, for a first error symbol as an error pattern of one bit, and (B) a data in the reference cell that is used to read a second error symbol is corrected for a second error symbol as en error pattern of the bits.
US08281214B2
The present invention is a programmable QC LDPC encoder for encoding user data. The encoder may be configurable for implementation with a read channel. The encoder may include a plurality of barrel shifter circuits. The barrel shifter circuits are configured for generating a plurality of parity bits based on interleaved user bits received by the encoder. The barrel shifter circuits are further configured for outputting the parity bits. The encoder may further include an encoder interleaver memory. The encoder interleaver memory may be communicatively coupled with the barrel shifter circuits and may receive the parity bits output from the barrel shifter circuits. The encoder interleaver may be configured for interleaving the parity bits. Further, the encoder may be configured for outputting the interleaved parity bits to a multiplexer. The barrel shifter circuits may generate the plurality of parity bits via an encoding algorithm: p=u*GT.
US08281208B2
A receiver with capability of correcting error is disclosed. A soft slicer generates quantized data and associated soft data. A decoder with error recovery generates decoded quantized data and a soft sequence, and is capable of correcting one bit of the quantized data. A serial-to-parallel (S/P) converter with code corrector generates parallel data, and is capable of correcting two bits of de-scrambled data bits.
US08281201B2
A method of supporting Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) includes receiving an initial uplink grant on a downlink channel, transmitting uplink data on an uplink channel using the initial uplink grant, receiving a request for retransmission of the uplink data, determining at least one transmission parameter of a channel quality indicator (CQI) from the initial uplink grant, multiplexing retransmission data of the uplink data with the CQI, and transmitting the multiplexed data on the uplink channel. Amount of resources for transmission of the CQI is determined based on the at least one transmission parameter.
US08281193B2
A test vector decode circuit includes a lockout circuit to prevent inadvertent latching of output vectors. The test vector decode circuit is driven by an additional output vector from the test vector decode circuit. The additional output vector, as well as the other output vectors, undergo at least one latching. A signal transmitted by the additional output vector as a result of the final latching activates the lockout circuit. The test vector decode circuit also receives a supervoltage signal. Only by turning off the supervoltage signal can all of the output test vectors be reset, including the additional output vector.
US08281191B2
A memory circuit including a logic circuit, content addressable memory, and a multiplexer. The logic circuit is configured to output a first address. The content addressable memory is configured to i) receive the first address and ii) output a substitute address and a match signal if the first address matches a second address stored in the content addressable memory. The multiplexer is configured to i) receive the first address and the substitute address and ii) selectively output one of the first address and the substitute address based on the match signal.
US08281189B2
A method of correcting corrupted primitives transmitted between a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) host and a SATA device includes analyzing a current state, a previously transmitted primitive, or a previously received primitive; selecting at least one candidate primitive according to at least one of the current state, the previously transmitted primitive and the previously received primitive; predicting the identity of a current primitive according to at least one candidate primitive and a received current primitive; and replacing the corrupted primitive with the predicted primitive when the predicted primitive is different from the current primitive.
US08281186B1
Apparatus and methods for electronically evaluating the criticality of a weakness in a process. The apparatus and methods may compile and store data related to business priorities and business operations. Subsequent calculations quantifying the impact of a process step failure may incorporate the stored business process data to arrive at a quantified measure of the relative criticality of a failure in the context of the process as a whole.
US08281184B1
A system, method, and computer readable medium for reliable messaging between two or more servers. The computer readable medium includes computer-executable instructions for execution by a processing system. Primary applications runs on primary hosts and one or more replicated instances of each primary application run on one or more backup hosts. The reliable messaging ensures consistent ordered delivery of messages in the event that messages are lost; arrive out of order, or in duplicate. The messaging layer operates over TCP or UDP with our without multi-cast and broad-cast and requires no modification to applications, operating system or libraries.
US08281175B2
A computer implemented method of monitoring the operational state of a computer, comprises running on the monitored computer a monitoring program configured to monitor a set of parameters. The set of monitored parameters comprises for example the name(s) of any process(es) running on the computer, together with i) the values of a plurality of metrics indicating the level of activity of the computer, and/or ii) time. The monitored parameters are provided by the monitoring program to another, monitoring, computer; which runs a comparison program which compares the set of monitored parameters with a predetermined model which determines whether or not the monitored computer is in a predetermined operational state defined by the model, and produces an indication of whether or not the monitored computer complies with the model.
US08281173B2
A system and method for enabling fallback states for energy efficient Ethernet (EEE). EEE devices can be designed to support multiple power saving states that impact layers higher than the PHY layer. Typically, these higher levels of power savings would require a greater period of time to accommodate a return to an active state. In a dynamic negotiation process, the receiving device can advertise multiple fallback power saving states to the transmitting device. The transmitting device's allocation of buffering can then determine which of the power saving states would be supported.
US08281166B2
Provided herein is a computer implemented system for managing power supply for an electronic device. The system includes computer a learning component that is trained and constructs models according to usage patterns of the electronic device, a component providing a first phase of model building relating to usage of the electronic device; and a forecasting component that employs the learning component and models to generate predictions relating to usage of the electronic device.
US08281163B2
Systems and methods for reducing problems and disadvantages associated with traditional approaches to masking false faults generated by voltage regulators are provided. A method may include receiving, at a voltage regulator configured to be enabled by a power controller communicatively coupled to the voltage regulator via an enable line, a first indication from a device other than the power controller indicating that the voltage regulator is to be disabled, wherein the enable line is configured to communicate a second indication from the power controller to the voltage regulator indicating whether the voltage regulator is to be enabled. In response to receipt of the first signal, the voltage regulator may communicate to the power controller via the enable line, a third indication indicating that the voltage regulator has been disabled by a device other than the power controller.
US08281155B1
An apparatus and method for protecting a content item such as a digitally encoded movie, an electronic programming guide, or the like, by reordering blocks of the content item prior to transmitting it to a receiving device. The receiving device constructs a block reordering structure which is used to access the reordered content item, to facilitate retrieval of a desired block from the original content item. The reordering may be done responsive to an identifier value of the receiving device, such as a serial number.
US08281151B2
Various approaches for extracting client's data from a storage provider are presented. In one approach, an auditor is initialized with a verification data set that confirms that an initial version of a data set stored by the storage provider is intact. The auditor extracts a second version of the data set from the storage provider; the second version hides information specified by the data set from the auditor. The auditor determines whether the second version matches the initial version. The second version is returned to the client if the initial version matches the second version. The auditor is prevented from recovering the information specified by the data set using the state information, and the client need not store any state information related to the initial and second versions needed to recover the information specified by the data set. If the initial version does not match the second version, the auditor outputs data indicative of data corruption.
US08281135B2
A method, system, and computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for controlling access to data stored on a plurality of storage devices associated with a first platform. The method includes authenticating a user to access the first platform, wherein the first platform includes first and second storage devices, chipset encryption hardware, and a memory. Data stored on the storage devices are encrypted, with first data on the first storage device being encrypted by the chipset encryption hardware and second data stored on the second storage device being encrypted by another encryption mechanism. The data are decrypted and the user is allowed to access the first data and the second data.
US08281132B2
A secure digital system including a number of ICs that exchange data among each other. Each of the ICs includes a key generator for generating a cipher key; a memory for securely storing the generated cipher key; an authenticating module for authenticating neighboring ICs of a respective IC; an encryption module for encrypting data communicated from the respective IC to the neighboring ICs; and a decryption module for decrypting data received from the neighboring ICs.
US08281130B2
To provide an authentication system for improving security, using fewer encryption keys. An authentication requesting device (20) and an authentication target device (10) hold common encryption keys. The authentication requesting device (20) encrypts an authentication code, then selects mutually different portions in the authentication code as switching target portions, and sends an encrypted authentication code and information about the switching target portions to the authentication target device (10). The authentication target device (10) switches the switching target portions in a code obtained by decrypting the received code, to thereby produce a switched authentication code, then encrypts the switched authentication code, and sends to the authentication requesting device (20). The authentication requesting device (20) compares the switched authentication code obtained by decrypting the code received with a code obtained by switching the switching target portions of the authentication code to carry out an authentication process for the authentication target device (10).
US08281128B2
A method of transporting an encrypted stream of multimedia content is provided. In the method, when a packet contains data of a predetermined length including selected data from pieces of data corresponding to the multimedia content and a header, key information, and first time information from among pieces of information included in a selected packet from among at least one packet are received, and encryption information is determined from the key information and the first time information, according to a key derivation function. The first time information is variable with time. The at least one packet including data corresponding to the multimedia content is encrypted using the encryption information. The at least one encrypted packet and the key information are transported.
US08281124B2
A network apparatus which is connected to a network is disclosed. The network apparatus includes a managing unit which manages an address range in which addresses to be allocated to a destination network apparatus are registered and encryption parameters for encrypting data to be transmitted to the destination network apparatus so that the address range and the encryption parameters are related to each other, an address generating unit which generates an address for the destination network apparatus by selecting an address in the address range, and an encryption unit which encrypts the data to be transmitted to the address generated by the address generating unit based on the encryption parameters.
US08281121B2
Techniques are described herein for privately aggregating distributed time-series data. A requestor provides a query sequence to users. Each user evaluates the query sequence on the user's time-series data to determine an answer sequence. Each user transforms its answer sequence to another domain, adds noise, and encrypts it for further processing by the requestor. The requestor combines these encrypted sequences in accordance with a homomorphic encryption technique to provide an encrypted summation sequence. The requestor provides the encrypted summation sequence to at least some of the users, who may in turn provide respective decryption shares to the requestor. The requestor combines the decryption shares in an effort to decrypt the encrypted summation sequence. Decrypting the encrypted summation sequence provides a summation of the encrypted sequences from the users, which may be transformed back to the original domain to estimate a summation of the answer sequences of the users.
US08281109B2
A technique for decoding an instruction in a variable-length instruction set. In one embodiment, an instruction encoding is described, in which legacy, present, and future instruction set extensions are supported, and increased functionality is provided, without expanding the code size and, in some cases, reducing the code size.
US08281097B2
A storage device includes storage units, a management section that manages a logically defined storage area as a real logical volume by associating the storage area with a physical storage area created using the storage units in advance and manages the logically defined storage area as a virtual logical volume by associating the storage area with a physical storage area when data is added, a determination section that determines whether the activity ratio of the virtual logical volume exceeds a threshold and whether the physical storage area associated with a storage area of the virtual logical volume is managed by another control unit, and a migration section that migrates data stored in the virtual logical volume to a real logical volume when the activity ratio exceeds the threshold and the physical storage area associated with the storage area of the virtual logical volume managed by another control unit.
US08281094B2
When performing asynchronous remote copying, whether or not a disaster has occurred at a main site is judged at a remote site; and if the disaster has occurred, recovery processing is immediately started at the remote site. When asynchronous remote copying is performed between a controller and a controller, the controller transfers remote copy target data in a storage apparatus and command information via a remote copy channel to the controller; and after receiving the remote copy target data, the controller stores the remote copy target data in a storage apparatus; and if the controller fails to receive the command information within a set time period, the controller judges that a disaster has occurred, and then outputs the judgment result to a backup center server; and the backup center server executes recovery processing based on data in the storage apparatus when the disaster has occurred.
US08281089B2
Upon starting the initial copy process, a pair creation command is issued from a primary disk subsystem to a secondary disk subsystem. The secondary disk subsystem sets a target area of a second disk drive to an unwritten status, and thereafter writes update data that was updated in a primary site into a designated area of the second disk drive. Subsequently, when data of a first disk drive is backed up to an external medium, the external memory medium is transported to a secondary site, and then connected to a host computer. Unwritten data among the backup data recorded in the external memory medium is thereafter restored to the first disk drive, and the initial copy is completed on the condition that all data in the first disk drive has been copied to the second disk drive.
US08281088B2
The invention is a method of customizing a memory lifespan management policy of an electronic token. The electronic token is intended to be connected to a device able to establish a wireless channel. The electronic token has a microprocessor, a communication interface, a first memory intended to comprise said memory lifespan management policy, first means for exchanging data with a distant machine by means of a wireless channel established by said connected device, second means for applying said memory lifespan management policy in said electronic token, and third means for updating said memory lifespan management policy. Said method comprises the steps of—sending data from the distant machine to the electronic token by means of a wireless channel,—updating said memory lifespan management policy as a function of data received from said distant machine.
US08281074B2
Memory requests for information from a processor are received in an interface device, and the interface device is coupled to a stack including two or more memory devices. The interface device is operated to select a memory device from a number of memory devices including the stack, and to retrieve some or all of the information from the selected memory device for the processor. Additional apparatus, systems and methods are disclosed.
US08281072B2
A data processing system, a controller, and a method for searching for a specific logical block are provided. Logical blocks are searched out from a peripheral unit, where data of the searched logical blocks are not yet stored in a cache memory of a master control unit. During searching for the logical blocks, a plurality of read commands are executed. The read commands are set to read data of a plurality of separated logical blocks of the peripheral unit respectively.
US08281071B1
A computer-implemented method for managing cluster node connectivity information. The method may include maintaining a set of cluster nodes of a clustered application. The method may also include, for each node in a set of cluster nodes, determining a connectivity state of the cluster node and transmitting, from the cluster node to non-volatile Random Access Memory (“RAM”) of a cluster disk, connectivity information that indicates the connectivity state of the cluster node. The method may further include accessing, from a remote system, the non-volatile RAM of the cluster disk to retrieve connectivity information of one or more cluster nodes from the set of cluster nodes. The method may include using the connectivity information to inform the remote system of the connectivity state of the one or more cluster nodes. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08281055B2
Described are memory modules that support dynamic point-to-point extensibility using fixed-width memory die. The memory modules include data-width translators that allow the modules to vary the effective width of their external memory interfaces without varying the width of the internal memory interfaces extending between the translators and associated fixed-width dies. The data-width translators use a data-mask signal to selectively prevent memory accesses to subsets of physical addresses. This data masking divides the physical address locations into two or more temporal subsets of the physical address locations, effectively increasing the number of uniquely addressable locations in a given module. Reading temporal addresses in write order can introduce undesirable read latency. Some embodiments reorder read data to reduce this latency.
US08281045B2
A device control device includes a transmission signal receiving/outputting unit configured to receive/output a signal containing a control signal for controlling an internal status from/to another device, the other device being connected to the transmission signal receiving/outputting unit, an application obtaining unit configured to obtain an application as necessary by accessing an application server via a network, a display control unit configured to control display based on the application obtained by the application obtaining unit, and an operation control unit configured to control an operation of the other device by performing the application obtained by the application obtaining unit. The display control unit changes content to be displayed in accordance with a type of the other device.
US08281042B2
A memory device and a method of managing a memory are provided. The memory device includes a command queue configured to receive a first command from a host to store the first command, and to read and transmit the first command, a controller configured to read, from a storage device, data corresponding to the first command transmitted from the command queue, and to store the data in a buffer memory, and a first memory configured to store a data list of data stored in the buffer memory, wherein, in response to the command queue receiving the first command from the host, the controller updates the data list of data stored in the first memory.
US08281036B2
A device, method, computer program product, and network subsystem are described for displaying a portion of a data structure or for obtaining an inter-core linkage in association with a tabular data object and for deciding whether to update the data structure in response to an inter-core linkage and to input received after displaying the portion of the data structure or for deciding whether to update the tabular data object in response to the inter-core linkage in association with the tabular data object.
US08281035B2
A method for delivering resources in a distributed computing environment, wherein at least a first resource and a second resource are associated with a content provider, and wherein the first resource references the second resource via a first uniform resource locator (URL), the first URL having a first domain name that resolves to a server associated with a domain of the content provider. The second resource is associated with a domain name that resolves to a content delivery network (CDN) formed by a plurality of repeater servers. The domain of the CDN may be distinct from the domain of the content provider. Responsive to a request that causes the first resource to be served to a client from an origin server associated with the content provider's domain, the second domain name in the second URL is resolved to identify a repeater server in the CDN's domain from which to serve the second resource to the client. If a copy of the second resource is already replicated on the identified repeater server, then the copy of the second resource is served to the client from the identified repeater server; otherwise, the second resource is replicated on the identified repeater server and the copy of the second resource is served to the client from the identified repeater server.
US08281021B1
A method, system, and computer readable media are provided for managing multiple HTTP cookies that are present in a wireless communication system. When a secure or non-secure HTTP cookie is formed, a time of creation for that HTTP cookie is also created as part of the cookie header. Therefore, when a wireless device makes a subsequent communication to a web based server, the gateway compares the creation time for multiple HTTP cookies that are present, and only forwards the most recently created HTTP cookie to the web based server. This avoids invalidating a session as a result of receiving multiple conflicting HTTP cookies from the same wireless device.
US08281019B1
The present invention includes a method and system for scanning network devices connected to a network by detecting connection of a first network device to the network and performing remote scanning of the first network device in response to detection of the first network device.
US08281015B2
A device attempts to establish a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) connection and attempts to establish a point-to-point protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) connection when the attempt to establish the DHCP connection is unsuccessful. The device establishes the DHCP connection when the attempt to establish the DHCP connection is successful, or establishes the PPPoE connection when the attempt to establish the PPPoE connection is successful.
US08281000B1
Methods and systems for obtaining a scalable variable-length nonce are provided. An exemplary method for obtaining a scalable variable-length nonce includes obtaining an initial nonce candidate. The exemplary method also includes transmitting a query to determine whether the initial nonce candidate has already been assigned. When the initial nonce candidate has already been assigned, a combined nonce candidate is obtained. The combined nonce candidate includes characters appended to the initial nonce candidate. An exemplary system for obtaining a scalable variable-length nonce includes a transmitting engine that transmits a request associated with a current token. The exemplary system also includes a receiving engine that receives a message associated with the current token. The exemplary system further includes a token acquiring engine that obtains a new token, and an appending engine that appends the new token to the current token.
US08280991B2
A system that determines if a DNS server suffers from a particular known functional limitation. During operation, the system sends an exploratory query to the DNS server, wherein the exploratory query is specially constructed so as to detect the existence of a functional limitation in the DNS server without causing the DNS server to fail. Next, the system receives an answer to the exploratory query from the DNS server. If the DNS server gives an incorrect response, the system can take actions as may be desired for the implementation. For example, the system may display a message identifying the functional limitation, or the system may establish a mode of operation where it avoids performing those types of DNS queries known to present a risk of crashing the particular Internet gateway.
US08280986B2
A mobile terminal and its access control methods are discussed. According to an embodiment, the terminal includes an internal memory, and a controller configured to control the internal memory and to communicate with each of a plurality of storage units. Each storage unit includes a memory and a smart card web server (SCWS) configured to manage the memory, and a specific URL address is assigned to each storage unit. The controller is configured to access contents of the memory of each storage unit using the URL address of the respective storage unit.
US08280982B2
Personal content server apparatus and associated methods that allow a user (e.g., cable or satellite network subscriber) to access content, such as a video program, from a location outside the subscriber's network. In one embodiment, a personal content server streams the content to the subscriber over a network connection from the local e.g., (subscription) network to a remote network upon authorization by a content manager process. Various access, business or operational rules are applied depending on the content and delivery mode; e.g., to live video broadcast, video-on-demand (VOD), or archived content from the subscriber's digital video recorder (DVR) or networked PVR. Secondary content (e.g., promotions, advertisements, etc.) can also be selectively replaced if desired in order to make the remotely delivered content more appropriate to the remote user's context.
US08280977B2
A computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer usable program code are provided for data transfer using an intermediate device. The intermediate device receives data from a source device. The intermediate device may also receive access parameters associated with the data from the source device indicating which devices can read the data from the source being stored in the intermediate device. The intermediate device stores the data and any access parameters associated with the stored data. Next, the intermediate device detects a second device using a wired or wireless network. The second device presents to the intermediate device access parameters associated with the second device. The intermediate device determines whether the second device can use the stored data by matching the access parameters associated with the second device with the access parameters associated with the stored data. If a match is found, or the stored data is open for any device to read, and the second device is able to use the stored data, the intermediate device sends the stored data to the second device.
US08280976B1
Memory demands of large-memory applications continue to remain one step ahead of the improvements in DRAM capacities of commodity systems. Performance of such applications degrades rapidly once the system hits the physical memory limit and starts paging to the local disk. A distributed network-based virtual memory scheme is provided which treats remote memory as another level in the memory hierarchy between very fast local memory and very slow local disks. Performance over gigabit Ethernet shows significant performance gains over local disk. Large memory applications may access potentially unlimited network memory resources without requiring any application or operating system code modifications, relinking or recompilation. A preferred embodiment employs kernel-level driver software.
US08280970B2
One embodiment of the present method and apparatus for improving data transfers in peer-to-peer networks includes receiving a search request message from a requesting node, where the search request message requests specific data. A responding node then sends a response message to the requesting node including a referral message comprising at least one referred node that is expected to have the requested data, based on knowledge of the referred node's previous incoming and outgoing data transfers. The responding node may also indicate that the responding node has the requested data. In addition to increasing the requesting node's view of the peer-to-peer network, this also enables the identification of nodes (e.g., referred nodes) with which the requesting node may wish to establish direct peer-to-peer connections, e.g., to build peer-to-peer communities of nodes having similar interests.
US08280962B2
A method for displaying communication events is provided. The method includes collecting past, present, and future communication events from two or more communication services, where a communication device performs the collecting; combining the past, present, and future communication events into a communication events list, where the communication device performs the combining; and displaying the communication events list, such that past, present, and future communication events may be viewed, where the communication events list is displayed on the communication device.
US08280955B1
A computer-implemented method for handling client-server communications. The method may include 1) receiving, at a client system, a first command whose execution involves sending a first request to a server from a first transitory process associated with the first command; 2) initializing, on the client system, a communication proxy configured to relay communications between the server and transitory processes on the client system; 3) establishing a connection between the communication proxy and the server; 4) authenticating the communication proxy with the server; 5) establishing an inter-process communication channel configured to enable communication between the communication proxy and the transitory processes; 6) sending the first request from the first transitory process to the communication proxy over the inter-process communication channel; and 7) relaying the first request to the server via the connection between the communication proxy and the server. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08280949B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for synchronizing distribution of media with a scheduled media event. According to one aspect of the invention, a producer transfers selected content at a server in synchronization with a scheduled media event. Consumer sessions poll the server via a network and retrieve the selected content from the server for presentation thereby, whereby the information being presented at the consumers provides a user experience that is also in synchronization with the media event.
US08280947B2
A method and system for use in running a display-based computer application, the computer application comprising a plurality of application segments, where computing is distributed between a server and a client computer. The method comprises the steps of providing a generic client engine (20) to the client computer, the client engine comprising an application manager (24), one or more display managers (22), and one or more load managers (26), providing a collection of individual application subset definition files (18), each relating to one of said application segments, wherein, on receipt of successive application subset definition files from the server, the client recursively transforms to provide the respective application segments. The invention has broad utility in a wide variety of display-based computer applications, particularly in wireless applications.
US08280944B2
Methods, media and systems for managing a distributed application running in a plurality of digital processing devices are provided. In some embodiments, a method includes running one or more processes associated with the distributed application in virtualized operating system environments on a plurality of digital processing devices, suspending the one or more processes, and saving network state information relating to network connections among the one or more processes. The method further include storing process information relating to the one or more processes, recreating the network connections using the saved network state information, and restarting the one or more processes using the stored process information.
US08280922B2
Provided is a user-interest driven launching pad of a mobile application and method of operating the same. The user-interest driven launching pad inputs metadata of data elements related to a mobile device, forms a set of data elements having the same metadata, marks the set of data elements with user-interest reflecting tags, and executes the mobile application relating to the set of data elements.
US08280916B2
A computer-implemented method and apparatus for providing data locality in a serialized object stream. Data is extracted from an object into the serialized object stream, thereby creating a simple data stream. Data of a specified type is then relocated from the extracted data to a contiguous section within the serialized object stream, thereby creating an enhanced data stream. The enhanced data stream is formatted in such a manner as to provide backward compatibility with the simple data stream.
US08280915B2
Binning of predictor values used for generating a data mining model provides useful reduction in memory footprint and computation during the computationally dominant decision tree build phase, but reduces the information loss of the model and reduces the introduction of false information artifacts. A method of binning data in a database for data mining modeling in a database system, the data stored in a database table in the database system, the data mining modeling having selected at least one predictor and one target for the data, the data including a plurality of values of the predictor and a plurality of values of the target, the method comprises constructing a binary tree for the predictor that splits the values of the predictor into a plurality of portions, pruning the binary tree, and defining as bins of the predictor leaves of the tree that remain after pruning, each leaf of the tree representing a portion of the values of the predictor.
US08280911B2
A method of facilitating the entry of text into a new message generated by a messaging application of a handheld electronic device is provided that includes receiving a command to reply to or forward a received message that is included within a message thread, scanning the message thread, identifying a plurality of words in the message thread, generating one or more word lists that include the identified words, and displaying the one or more word lists. The method further includes receiving a selection of a selected one of the words from the one or more word lists, and entering the selected one of the words into the new message. Also provided is an improved handheld electronic device that implements the described method.
US08280899B2
An event is described herein as being representable by a quantified abstraction of the event. The event includes at least one predicate, and the at least one predicate has at least one constant symbol corresponding thereto. An instance of the constant symbol corresponding to the event is identified, and the instance of the constant symbol is replaced by a free variable to obtain an abstracted predicate. Thus, a quantified abstraction of the event is composed as a pair: the abstracted predicate and a mapping between the free variable and an instance of the constant symbol that corresponds to the predicate. A data mining algorithm is executed over abstracted, quantified events to ascertain a correlation between the event and another event.
US08280896B2
A method and an apparatus for generating reports and other outputs from a computer program. A user first defines a focus area, composed of chosen data types and then creates a row definition for the focus area. In defining the row definition the user defines groups and subgroups from the data represented by the focus. This definition process allows the user to generate reports from data organized in similar rows. The user has the ability to define the data to be included in the report through the use of an expression. The expression can also be used to exclude data from the report. Additional embodiments allow the user to verify the use of data and if the data has been used multiple times, and to capture on the output the missings and duplicates.
US08280892B2
In one embodiment, assigning tags to a document includes accessing the document, where the document comprises text units that include words. The following is performed for each text unit: a subset of words of a text unit is selected as candidate tags, relatedness is established among the candidate tags, and certain candidate tags are selected according to the established relatedness to yield a candidate tag set for the text unit. Relatedness between the candidate tags of each candidate tag set and the candidate tags of other candidate tag sets is determined. At least one candidate tag is assigned to the document according to the determined relatedness.
US08280887B1
Large data sets are analyzed by hierarchical clustering using correlation as a similarity measure. This provides results that are superior to those obtained using a Euclidean distance similarity measure. A spatial continuity constraint may be applied in hierarchical clustering analysis of images.
US08280885B2
A method and system for automatically summarizing fine-grained opinions in digital text are disclosed. Accordingly, a digital text is analyzed for the purpose of extracting all opinion expressions found in the text. Next, the extracted opinion expressions (referred to herein as opinion frames) are analyzed to generate opinion summaries. In forming an opinion summary, those opinion frames sharing in common an opinion source and/or opinion topic may be combined, such that an overall opinion summary indicates an aggregate opinion held by the common source toward the common topic.
US08280878B2
An end user, by way of a submission interface, instructs an engine to select particular collections of documents to process. The engine processes all the text from within all the documents from within the selected collections. The result of the processing of such text is a distilled data set. Such distillate data set is accessed through APIs by a browser. Different views of the accessed distillate data set may be presented to the end user via the browser allowing them to more effectively assess the utility of the presented data and thereby responsively tune the presented data set with regard to their particular research task. One or more of such views may be used to create a new document from sentences, paragraphs, chapters or documents from the distillate data set that correspond to the one or more views for presentation to the end user.
US08280877B2
Systems and methods for implementing diverse topic phrase extraction are disclosed. According to one implementation, multiple word candidate phrases are extracted from a corpus and weighed. One or more documents are re-weighed to identify less obvious candidate topics using latent semantic analysis (LSA). Phrase diversification is then used to remove redundancy and select informative and distinct topic phrases.
US08280869B1
A temporary computer-stored first-unit intermediate result is generated while executing a first unit of work on a computer-based database management system. The first-unit intermediate result has properties. It is determined that the properties of the first-unit intermediate result are similar to properties of a second-unit intermediate result to be generated for a second unit of work when the second unit of work is executed on the computer-based database management system. In response, the first-unit intermediate result is saved for use in executing the second unit of work.
US08280868B2
Improved approaches to domain name monitoring are disclosed. The monitoring of domain names, e.g., registrations therefor, is beneficial to holders of similar domain names, trademark owners, and competitors. Such monitoring can be automatically performed.
US08280856B2
Systems and methods for mapping extension taxonomy elements to a standard base taxonomy and thereafter making use thereof are provided. According to one embodiment, a list of base taxonomy elements is displayed on a display device. A taxonomy map is also displayed on the display device. The taxonomy map includes information regarding one or more extended taxonomy elements of a reporting entity that are not mapped to any base taxonomy elements. Responsive to one or more user input events corresponding to a selection of a base taxonomy element and corresponding to a request to map an extended taxonomy element to the selected base taxonomy element, the compatibility of the selected base taxonomy element with the extended taxonomy element is validated. If the compatibility is affirmed, then an association is formed between the extended taxonomy element and the selected base taxonomy element.
US08280847B2
A method is provided for synchronizing data sources. The method includes receiving at least first and second data tables. The data tables have one or more mutually similar fields and one or more dissimilar fields from one another. First normalized, second normalized, and intermediate data tables are stored, each including respective first normalized, second normalized, and intermediate data table fields that each correspond to the mutually similar fields of the first and second data tables. The first normalized data table is at least partially populated with corresponding entries from the first data table and the second normalized data table is at least partially populated with corresponding entries in the second data table. Intermediate data table entries are respectively replaced with corresponding inconsistent data entries of the first and second normalized data tables. An apparatus and a computer program product for accomplishing the above method are also provided.
US08280844B2
Methods, computer-readable media, and apparatuses may be configured to detect anomalous activity. Electronic information utilized to detect anomalous activity may be consolidated from multiple data feeds. This electronic information may relate to: extrusion violations, failed logins, sensitive fields access, sensitive objects access, escalation of privileges, or activity during a specific time frame within a time period, and combinations of one or more of these. A de-duplication module may be configured to detect duplicate information or activity events, wherein the duplicate data may be removed and/or consolidated.
US08280840B2
When collecting and integrating data present in separately managed information sources, data are collected from the information sources through a physical model of the information sources. Integration is executed by a process of converting a data configuration (mapping) into a logical model predefined for each utilization-side application and a process of converting and conforming values (cleansing); and the result thereof is provided as a view (logical model) for each application to the utilization-side application.
US08280833B2
Systems and methods generate a risk score for an account event. The systems and methods automatically generate a causal model corresponding to a user, wherein the model estimates components of the causal model using event parameters of a previous event undertaken by the user in an account of the user. The systems and methods predict expected behavior of the user during a next event in the account using the causal model. Predicting the expected behavior of the user includes generating expected event parameters of the next event. The systems and methods use a predictive fraud model to generate fraud event parameters. Generation of the fraud event parameters assumes a fraudster is conducting the next event, wherein the fraudster is any person other than the user. The systems and methods generate a risk score of the next event to indicate the relative likelihood the future event is performed by the user.
US08280831B1
A system and method for inductive and analogical reasoning provide capabilities for generalization, creative reasoning, possibilistic analysis, massive parallelism, and distributed processing. The system and method involve using matched cases/generalizations/analog inferences from a case base or generalization/analog base to provide output inferences based upon a user-supplied context. A user then provides feedback to indicate that the output inference is either correct or incorrect. If the user indicates that the output is incorrect, new rules may be computer-generated during runtime by performing, for example, an analogical contextual transformation. If the user indicates that the output is correct, the matched case/generalization/analog may be moved to the head of its respective base.
US08280824B1
A method and system for dynamic pricing of web services utilization. According to one embodiment, a method may include dynamically predicting utilization of a web services computing resource that is expected to occur during a given interval of time, and dependent upon the dynamically predicted utilization, setting a price associated with utilization of the web services computing resource occurring during the given interval of time. The method may further include providing the price to a customer.
US08280821B1
Systems and methods for providing a document are described. In one described method, a document comprising a portion selected by a first member of a social network is hosted for the first member. The portion is dynamically updated with content. An audience criterion for the portion and a type of relationship between the first member and a second member of the social network are identified. If the type of relationship between the first member and the second member satisfies the audience criterion, the second member is provided access to at least the portion.
US08280810B2
A method and system automatically harmonizes access to a given software application program via different access devices. Through use of the method and system, a financial institution can provide access to a given application (such as, for example, automatic bill payment services) to customers using different access devices such web browsers, screen phones and personal computers. A single application program is all that needs to be written and maintained by the financial institution. Also, the method and system enables financial institutions to “leverage” existing programs because now the institution can automatically “project” its existing stock of program services unto new access devices—devices which may not have even existed at the time the program was created. By receiving information from the user via the user's access device, including information identifying the type of device being used and the application program the user wishes to access, the present invention solves these problems. The application program is then accessed and the information to be displayed to the user is identified. This information is automatically translated into a format which is compatible with the device, including its display, and sent to the device for display. The user, in turn, inputs information in response to the displayed information and this input information is automatically translated into a format which is compatible with the application program and is sent to the application program. The response generated by the application program is automatically translated to be compatible with the device and is sent to the device.
US08280804B2
Disclosed is a method that is useful in connection with providing discount factors for an exchange-traded mark-to-market derivative product that has a variable tick rate, such as an interest rate swap product. In some embodiments, the method includes providing a series of consecutive settlement values, which collectively represent a settlement value curve for the derivative product. The curve is evaluated by determining, for each consecutive pair of settlement values, whether the difference between the first settlement value in the pair and the second settlement value in the pair exceeds a threshold. The threshold represents the value at which a discount factor derived from said pair of settlement values, in conjunction with other parameters, would be negative. In other embodiments the disclosed invention encompasses an apparatus and a computer-readable medium.
US08280801B2
A system and methods for dynamically changing a trade order quantity in an electronic trading environment are described herein. According to one example embodiment, an automated trading tool determines if a leaned on quantity of a trading strategy has increased or decreased and if so, dynamically changing a desired order quantity to reflect the change in the leaned on quantity. Dynamically changing an order quantity may be more profitable for a trader as order queue position may be maintained and portion of the desired order quantity may get filled; rather than a trader losing their order queue position and/or taking a chance of not getting any of their order quantity filled.
US08280795B2
A computerized method of using a data processor having a memory to account for carbon flows and determine a regulatory value for a biofuel includes (i) storing, in memory, a first set of one or more carbon flow values characterizing the production and use of a biofuel, wherein the biofuel is derived from a first fraction of an agricultural biomass, (ii) storing, in memory, a second set of one or more carbon flow values characterizing the sequestration of solid phase biomass carbon, wherein the solid phase biomass carbon is derived from a second fraction of the agricultural biomass and wherein the sequestration mitigates anthropogenic greenhouse gas emission, and (iii) calculating, using the data processor, a regulatory value for the biofuel from the first and second sets of carbon flow values.
US08280791B2
Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed for identifying a driver versus a passenger within a smart vehicle. This involves a determination of the relative positions of the wireless communication devices within the smart vehicle using near-field communication (NFC) or GPS, AGPS, etc. The wireless communication device detected closest to the driver seat is assumed to be the device owned by the driver. Once identified, the driver can be billed for tolls and other road services, based on the location of the smart vehicle. For instance, as the smart vehicle approaches a toll, a notification can be sent to all of the wireless communication devices. A response from a particular wireless communication device will result in the corresponding user's account being billed for the toll. Further, the smart vehicle can communicate with near-field transceivers placed, for instance, alongside a High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane. A driver of the vehicle can be billed, fined, or ticketed based upon a determination of an absence of passengers in the smart vehicle.
US08280783B1
Methods and systems for providing multiple level text cloud navigation are described, where various categories are displayed in a first text cloud and, when a category is selected, a second text cloud is displayed having child nodes of the selected category and selected lower level nodes. The categories, child nodes, and selected other nodes are displayed using an importance identifier indicative of the number of results in that category or node, a relative importance thereof, a similarities metric, a recommendations metric, or the like.
US08280779B2
Internet-based commercial network connects multiple qualified participant buyers and sellers. Items are made available for defined periods of time, referred to as an event (139). Event terms and conditions include item types, price, quantity, volume or units, discount, shipping terms (138). Reiterative offer and counteroffers permit negotiation of terms for an event. Participants may view anonymous competitive quotes for comparison and analysis. Pooled purchases and auctions are envisioned. Participants may create web presences and are subject to restrictions on access (141) and purchase (142) authority. Central system maintains participant data.
US08280776B2
A transaction processing service operates as an intermediary between acquirers of financial transaction requests and issuing institutions that process the financial transaction requests. The intermediary receives an authorization request generated based on a transaction initiated by a customer at a point of purchase. The intermediary provides a rules module that stores a set of rules for processing transactions. Each rule specifies one or more conditions to be tested and one or more actions to be executed based on the test. For each authorization request, the system determines the applicable rules and tests conditions for each rule prior to the transaction. Based on the results of the test, the system executes an associated action. Conditions may be specified based on transaction information, customer information, or other information. Actions define the system's response to a particular result in testing a condition. Possible actions include rejecting the authorization request or specifying a verification procedure to execute.
US08280770B2
A system comprises a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, a POS controller, a retail subscription system. The POS terminal allows a cashier to enter subscription sales data into the POS controller. The POS controller maintains databases on available subscriptions and produces databases containing data relating to subscriptions sold to customers. The retail subscription system verifies the subscriptions by reference to its own databases and transmits the subscriptions to a fulfillment house for distribution.
US08280734B2
Generally methods for titling segments of recorded audio data are disclosed herein. An input from a voice activation module, a push button input or another user interface can provide a stimulus for a system or device to record title information. The title information can be received as an utterance, converted to text, and linked to a segment or body of recorded audio. A speech to text converter can perform the conversion from audio to text and the text can be displayed to a user. Then, the system can request and accept a confirmation from the user that the title information reflects a user's desires. In a recording retrieval mode, the system can display a plurality of titles with textual characters that represent a lingual translation of the title to the user and prompt the user for a user selection of a title. After such a selection is made, the recorded audio can be retrieved from memory and played back to the user over speakers or headphones.
US08280723B1
A comparison technique for efficiently comparing an input string to a set of strings is described. This set of strings may be represented in a tree structure as paths from a root of the tree structure to leaves of the tree structure, and strings in the set of strings that share common substrings share nodes in the tree structure. During the comparison technique, labels may be assigned to a given node in the tree structure based at least in part on comparisons between a given character in the input string and a character associated with the given node. These labels may include a position of the given character in the input string, and a cumulative error between the characters in a string that are associated with a branch in the tree structure and the characters in the input string that have been processed. Based at least in part on these labels, an actual string, which corresponds to the input string, may be identified.
US08280720B2
An association dictionary creation apparatus is provided that is capable of easily and efficiently creating an association dictionary suiting the user's taste. The association dictionary creation unit includes: a profile storage unit that stores a profile which is information regarding the user's taste; a word selection unit that determines, every predetermined time, a word from the profile stored in the profile storage unit as an associated word search word, and further, selects words, other than the associated word search word, included in the profile as the associated word candidates; and an association degree calculation unit that calculates the degree of association between the associated word search word and each associated word candidate word selected by the word selection unit with reference to the contents stored in the contents storage unit, and when the association degree is higher than a predetermined threshold value, sets the associated word search word and the associated word candidate word as the associated word pair and stores the associated word pair and the association degree in the association dictionary storage unit in association with each other.
US08280711B2
The invention provides methods of using sequence based analysis and rational strategies to modify and improve the structural and biophysical properties of single chain antibodies (scFvs), including stability, solubility, and antigen binding affinity. These methods and strategies can be used individually or in combination. The methods of the present invention also include the use of a database comprising scFv sequences from an experimentally screened scFv library of antibodies that have been selected to have superior solubility and stability. The invention also provides methods of using the properties found for these selected antibodies in a general approach for reshaping scFv antibodies to improve stability and solubility properties of a single chain antibody fragment.
US08280703B1
Methods and apparatus are described that may be used interactively to control the synthesis of patterns via procedural modeling. In one method, a direct brush tool may be used to directly control placement of parts of a procedural model. An element of a pattern may be synthesized according to the procedural model along a curve from a start point to an end point. Other elements of the pattern may be synthesized along the curve according to the procedural model. In another method, an auto brush tool may be used to grow a procedural model automatically to a specified distance from the curve. A pattern may be synthesized according to the procedural model along the curve from a start point to an end point; the synthesis of the pattern by the procedural model may be constrained to a region defined by a specified distance from the curve.
US08280697B2
A method of optimizing a concrete pavement design including estimating conditions of the pavement, determining properties of the pavement and developing a concrete pavement system. The method may further include selecting a thickness for the system, predicting performance of the system, determining costs of the system, and optimizing the pavement design based on one or more considerations. The method may include iterating one or more considerations. An optimized pavement system having predetermined design parameters.
US08280694B2
An apparatus comprises a sensor and a circuit. The sensor is capable of generating a signal in response to detecting a stimulus. The circuit is capable of powering the sensor and providing multiple other capabilities including signal conditioning, non-signal related noise cancellation, and signal transmission using a constant current source power input from a cable and sending the signal over the cable.
US08280692B2
A position detection method and system that eliminate an effect of residual vibration of a piezoelectric or magnetostrictive element, increase correlativity between a received ultrasonic waveform and a model waveform, and are not affected by a reflected wave of an ultrasonic wave signal. A transmission unit of an ultrasonic wave propagation time measuring system of the present invention generates an electromagnetic wave signal including a trigger signal that indicates transmission timing and an ultrasonic wave drive signal by modulating an ultrasonic wave on the basis of a pseudo-random signal with high autocorrelativity at the same time as transmission of the electromagnetic wave signal, and transmits an ultrasonic wave signal of a frequency higher than a frequency of the ultrasonic wave drive signal by an ultrasonic wave transmitter. A reception unit detects the electromagnetic wave signal and the ultrasonic wave signal, and is provided with a data processing circuit for computing, with the ultrasonic wave drive signal as a model waveform, correlation values between the detected ultrasonic wave signal and the model waveform, detecting a main peak value of the computed correlation values, and computing an ultrasonic wave propagation time from a point in time of detection of the electromagnetic wave signal and a point in time of detection of the main peak value.
US08280690B2
A dimension-gauging system to determine at least one dimension of a non-ferrous, electrically conducting object produces a magnetic field inside the object and changes the excitation of the magnetic field. A signal processing unit measures the reaction of the magnetic field to the change in excitation, obtains an actual field transfer function between the excitation and the measured field reaction and determines the at least one dimension of the object by fitting the measured field transfer function to a predetermined field transfer function, where the predetermined field transfer function represents the dynamic behavior between the excitation and the measured field reaction with the one dimension as a parameter.
US08280686B2
A system including an environmental sensor that can travel with a product within a carrier's logistics network. The environmental sensor being configured to sense an environmental condition capable of affecting the product to generate product environment data. The system includes a scanner configured to read product environment data from the environmental sensor. The system also includes a hub control unit configured to communicate with the scanner and receive the product environment data from the scanner and determines whether the product environment data transcends a limit of exposure of the product to an environmental condition. The hub control unit is also configured to generate a transporting instruction to redirect transport of the product to an alternate destination different from its original destination if the hub control unit determines that the product environment data indicates the environmental condition of the product has transcended the limit of exposure.
US08280683B2
A system and method for correlation of resources with hardware events includes event driven sampling a call chain of functions to determine when functions of the call chain are active. The call chain is mapped to execution times based upon a probabilistic integration of the functions such that when portions of the call chain are active, resources associated with call chain activity are correlated with hardware events.
US08280676B2
An apparatus for recognizing an entry/exit direction of a moving body includes a first moving body detection sensor; a second moving body detection sensor; and a control means connected to the first and second moving body detection sensors by wire/wireless to recognize as an entry of a moving body only when, after moving body detection signals of the first and second moving body detection sensors are received simultaneously or together for a first predetermined time, the moving body detection signal of the second moving body detection sensor is not lastly received, and to recognize as an exit of a moving body only when, after moving body detection signals of the first and second moving body detection sensors are received simultaneously or together for a first predetermined time, the moving body detection signal of the first moving body detection sensor is not lastly received.
US08280672B2
A trimming circuit for a semiconductor memory apparatus includes a trimming code generator configured to provide a trimming code signal group by performing one of addition and subtraction using a test mode signal and a fuse coding signal, and an internal voltage generator configured to provide trimmed voltage in response to the trimming code signal group as output voltage.
US08280664B2
Stage orthogonal error and position errors caused by mirror distortion are reduced. A CPU calculates a coordinate error (Δx,Δy) between a measured XY coordinate (x,y) of each of arbitrary reference points on a wafer W0 loaded on a XY stage which is measured by a laser interferometer and a calculated ideal position XY coordinate of the reference point, calculates an orthogonal error of the XY coordinates on the bases of the calculated coordinate errors (Δx,Δy) and an error due to mirror distortion, and stores them in a storage device. When a wafer W is actually inspected, the CPU corrects the measured position coordinates (x,y) from the laser interferometer on the basis of the calculated orthogonal error, and corrects beam deflector for deflection on the basis of the calculated error due to mirror distortion.
US08280662B2
An optical system includes an optical module having an optical reception unit that receives input light and output an electric signal related to received input light, and a processing unit having an identification unit that performs identification processing based on a threshold value on the electric signal input via a reception signal path from the optical reception unit. The optical module includes a threshold calculation unit that calculates the threshold value based on the electric signal from the optical reception unit and a signal path characteristic of the reception signal path from the optical reception unit to the identification unit, and the identification unit of the processing unit performs the identification processing based on the threshold value calculated by the threshold calculation unit. Thereby, the threshold value is optimized when the identifier is provided in the unit as a connection destination of the optical module.
US08280657B2
A method of storing data in a utility monitoring system includes monitoring a characteristic of a utility system in an intelligent electronic device (IED) to produce monitored characteristic values that are buffered in the IED. The IED is communicatively coupled to a server via a network. The monitored characteristic values are indicative of the characteristic. The method further includes storing a first monitored characteristic value of the buffered monitored characteristic values periodically at a first logging interval in a memory of the IED. The method further includes storing a second monitored characteristic value of the buffered monitored characteristic values periodically at a second logging interval in the memory of the IED in response to satisfying a criterion. The second logging interval is distinct from the first logging interval.
US08280639B2
Efficiency of a hydraulically driven system is evaluated by monitoring the change in ratio of output torque to input hydraulic pressure. The hydraulic pressure data is received from a hydraulic sensor. The torque data is received from a load cell receiving a force transmitted to it by a back-up wrench. Filters are applied to the data to obtain peak levels of torque and hydraulic pressure. A ratio is generated for each process associated with a rod or other elongated member based on peak torque and hydraulic pressure levels achieved during the process. The ratio is stored and compared to historical ratios to determine if the ratio has changed more than a predetermined amount over time. A similar evaluation can be achieved by comparing speed generated on the elongated member by the hydraulically driven system to the current level controlling the flow of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulically driven system.
US08280637B2
A device and method for measuring a fluid flow velocity and direction. The device includes: a modulator for modulating an incident signal from a fiber optical arrangement. The modulator includes an encoder resulting in a modulated signal having at least a first portion, a second portion and a third portion for each complete rotation of the encoder. The device further includes a processor for determining the fluid flow velocity and direction based on at least the first portion, the second portion and the third portion of the modulated signal. The method includes modulating an incident beam to have a first portion, a second portion and a third portion for each rotation of an encoder and processing the modulated signal to determine a fluid flow velocity and direction.
US08280636B2
The present invention is directed to methods for controlling the operations of a well service rig at a well site by evaluating load sensor data obtained from sensors on or associated with the well service rig. A rig load data chart can be reviewed and an average rig load can be determined for each pull of tubing or rods from a well. The average rig load can be used to calculate and set a rig overload level. If the rig load sensor reads a rig load at or above the rig overload level, the clutch for the hoist can be disengaged and the brake applied to prevent the load from either damaging the rig or breaking off the tubing or rods in the well. In addition, the rig load can be evaluated to determine when the limit the block speed when pulling rods or tubing.
US08280627B2
Conventional map information processing apparatuses have the problem of not being able to automatically provide appropriate information according to map browse operations. The present invention provides a map information processing apparatus, comprising: a map information storage portion in which map information, which is information of a map, can be stored; an accepting portion that accepts a map browse operation, which is an operation to browse the map; an operation information sequence acquiring portion that acquires operation information, which is information of an operation corresponding to the map browse operation; a keyword acquiring portion that acquires at least one keyword from the map information using the operation information; a retrieving portion that retrieves information using the at least one keyword; and an information output portion that outputs the information retrieved by the retrieving portion. With this map information processing apparatus, it is possible to automatically provide appropriate information according to map browse operations.
US08280626B2
A method of selecting and storing a subset of available meteorological data along a predicted trajectory of an aircraft and relevant to the predicted trajectory includes determining pseudo-waypoints and related meteorological data pertaining to a level segment of the trajectory, and selecting the meteorological data points minimizing weighted fuel burn and time error pertaining to a non-level segment of the trajectory.
US08280622B2
A system indicating to a pilot that an aircraft has passed the limit-point of success of a standard vertical avoidance maneuver is disclosed. To determine the limit-point, the system monitors a penetration of a model of the terrain being flown over into a first protection volume linked to the aircraft and configured so as to model a standard vertical avoidance maneuver path executed without delay. To determine disengagement azimuth sectors, the system monitors the penetrations of the model of the terrain being flown over into a second protection volume with large azimuth aperture, linked to the aircraft and configured so as to contain the limit-point protection volume and, for the various azimuths covered, paths of a composite maneuver beginning with change-of-heading maneuvers with which to reach the azimuth concerned and continuing with the standard terrain vertical avoidance maneuver.
US08280619B2
This present invention provides a portable navigation apparatus with a refueling prompt function, characterized in that the memory comprises a driving style table and a fuel consumption reference database, and the processing unit comprises a fuel recording unit and a refueling prompt unit. Wherein, while a vehicle approaches a gas station near the navigation route, or while a new route or a re-planned route is generated, the refueling prompt unit is able to automatically calculate forecasting fuel consumption required for traveling from a current location to a next gas station near a navigation route according to the navigation route generated by the route navigation unit, the driving style table and the fuel consumption reference database, and prompting an alarm signal when the forecasting fuel consumption is greater than the fuel quantity to remind a user to refuel firstly.
US08280608B2
A system is installed in a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, a transmission, and a clutch. The system restarts, according to at least one engine restart condition is met, the internal combustion engine that has been automatically controlled for stop thereof. The system includes a restart-condition determiner configured to determine that, as the at least one engine restart condition, an operation of the clutch is started by a driver of the vehicle for shifting the second state to the first state. The system includes a state detector configured to detect an operated state of the clutch during the clutch is shifted from a disengagement state to an engagement state. The system includes a restart controller configured to determine whether to enable or disable the restart of the internal combustion engine according to the operated state of the clutch detected by the state detector.
US08280604B2
A method and a device for determining an acceleration peak, in particular for a tire, on the basis of a signal output by a sensor and assignable to the rotation of the tire, which signal corresponds to an acceleration, the determination being made by performing the following: recording at least one acceleration signal assignable to the rotation of the tire, the recording being carried out continuously; forming an average value from the recorded acceleration signal; comparing the recorded acceleration signal with the formed average value; forming a additional average value from the recorded acceleration signal; comparing the recorded acceleration signal with the formed average value; and determining the acceleration peak on the basis of the formed comparison.
US08280601B2
A vehicle control system that classifies a driver's driving style based on characteristic maneuvers. The system includes a plurality of vehicle sensors that detect various vehicle parameters. A maneuver identification processor receives the sensor signals to identify a characteristic maneuver of the vehicle and provides a maneuver identifier signal of the maneuver. A style characterization processor receives the maneuver identifier signals, sensor signals from the vehicle sensors and the traffic and road condition signals, and classifies driving style based on the signals to classify the style of the driver driving the vehicle. The classification of the driver style can be provided for a level-1 combination that combines the classification results from different maneuver type classifiers for a single maneuver, a level-2 combination that combines the classification results from multiple maneuvers that are of the same type and a level-3 combination that combines the classification results from different types of characteristic maneuvers.
US08280593B2
A laser sensor projects laser light in the downward direction. If the laser sensor does not receive any laser light reflected by an obstacle or the ground, it is determined that the obstacle is present in the direction of projection of the laser light. It is thus possible to detect the presence of the obstacle, which will at least affect the opening of the vehicle door.
US08280590B2
An automatically adjustable axle stop of an agricultural combine (100) includes a sensor (222, 224) to sense the position of an extendible axle (200) supported on the chassis (214) of the agricultural combine (100) at a pivot coupling (206), the extendable axle (200) being configured to pivot about a longitudinal pivotal axis (208) with respect to the chassis (214), an electronic control unit (400) to read the sensor (222, 224), to calculate a stop position based at least on the sensor signal, and to control an axle oscillation stop (210, 212) in order to limit the range of pivoting of the extendible axle (200) about the pivotal axis (208).
US08280589B2
A secondary-control-system power supply line is provided to supply electricity from a secondary power supply apparatus to an electronic control apparatus. When a primary power supply voltage becomes equal to or lower than a primary power supply determination voltage, a power supply control section turns a step-down switching element on and off to thereby supply electricity from the secondary power supply apparatus to the electronic control apparatus. When a secondary power supply voltage becomes equal to or lower than a secondary power supply determination voltage, the power supply control section turns a secondary power supply relay off so as to stop the supply of electric power from the secondary power supply apparatus to a motor drive circuit, and continues the supply of electric power to the electronic control apparatus. Thus, resetting of a microcomputer of the electronic control apparatus, which would otherwise occur due to a drop in the power supply voltage, is prevented.
US08280577B2
In order to provide an integrated driving recorder that can avoid a trouble due to a temperature rise in a vehicle interior, the driving recorder 1 is so arranged that one or multiple detection devices that sense a situation concerning a behavior, a surrounding conditions of a vehicle, or the like and that output situation data indicating the situation, and a situation data storage section that stores the situation data output from the detection device are held in a single casing 2, and a heat dissipation area 2a is formed on the casing 2 and a heat conduction member 9 that has a predetermined thermal conductivity and whose one surface is connected to the heat dissipation area 2a is arranged and another surface of the heat conduction member 9 can be bonded to a window glass W of the vehicle.
US08280574B2
To generate an optimal path in a search space represented by a grid. A path search device includes: an edge generation section that generates edges extending to neighboring nodes located at least forward and diagonally forward right and left of a focus node, assuming that each grid point is a node and that a minimum cost node among end nodes each located at an end of the edges is the focus node, when a cost from a start point to a given node is a cost of the given node; an edge cost calculation/readout section that reads out a shortest distance from a reference node to the neighboring node (first distance) and a shortest distance from the reference node to the focus node (second distance) from a database, assuming that a node obtained by tracing back a predetermined number of nodes from the focus node in a direction toward the start point along the path is the reference node; a path cost calculation section that calculates a cost of a path from the start point to the neighboring node as a sum of costs of edges constituting the path; and a path determination section that selects a path having a minimum cost from the start point to the end point.
US08280573B2
Guiding speed is increased while an unmanned vehicle is prevented from straying from a travel passage width, to improve the work efficiency. Target speed of the unmanned vehicle increases as a distance between a current position of the unmanned vehicle and a guidable borderline increases, and the target speed of the unmanned vehicle decreases as the distance between the current position of the unmanned vehicle and a guidable borderline decreases. The unmanned vehicle travels, along a travel path having adjacent inbound/outbound lanes, in a direction opposite to a direction of a vehicle on an oncoming lane. If it is determined that the vehicle traveling along the oncoming lane is approaching the unmanned vehicle, then the target speed of the unmanned vehicle is reduced, whereby the unmanned vehicle is caused to travel at a low guiding speed.
US08280572B2
A first calculating section (118) calculates an allowable output power (WoutA) of the secondary battery before a ripple temperature increase operation for increasing the temperature of a secondary battery by causing a ripple current to flow in the secondary battery is performed, the allowable output power being determined in advance based on the temperature and a state of charge (SOC) of the secondary battery. A second calculating section (120) calculates the allowable output power (WoutB) achieved when the ripple temperature increase operation is performed. A determining section (122) determines whether to perform the ripple temperature increase operation so that when the allowable output power (WoutB) is equal to or greater than the allowable output power (WoutA), the ripple temperature increase operation is performed and, when the allowable output power (WoutB) is smaller than the allowable output power (WoutA), the ripple temperature increase operation is not performed.
US08280554B2
A novel fail-safe temperature monitoring system that can distinguish excessive chemical adsorbent temperature from temperature sensing component failure is provided. This system prevents the gas purifier from shutting down as a result of temperature sensing component failure, and thereby prevents a false shutdown of a high-purity gas production plant.
US08280549B2
An automated drug dispensing system includes a cabinet adapted to store a variety of prepackaged pharmaceuticals in a plurality of bins for filling patient prescriptions. Each bin stores a particular variety of packaged multiple-dose pharmaceutical. Each variety of pharmaceutical is associated with a particular code. A controller receives request signals and in response generates dispense signals. Each bin includes a dispenser coupled to the controller for dispensing the packaged pharmaceuticals therefrom in response to a dispense signal sent from the controller. After a package is dispensed, a code reader determines the code of the dispensed package and verifies whether the code on the dispensed package matches the code of the requested package.
US08280547B2
A system for transporting inventory items includes an inventory holder capable of storing inventory items and a mobile drive unit. The mobile drive unit is capable of moving to a first point with the inventory holder at least one of coupled to and supported by the mobile drive unit. The mobile drive unit is additionally capable of determining a location of the inventory holder and calculating a difference between the location of the inventory holder and the first point. The mobile drive unit is then capable of determining whether the difference is greater than a predetermined tolerance. In response to determining that the difference is greater than the predetermined tolerance, the mobile drive unit is also capable of moving to a second point based on the location of the inventory holder, docking with the inventory holder, and moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder to the first point.
US08280545B2
A vacuum processing apparatus transfers a wafer between a first transfer arm and a second transfer arm via a rotary stage; acquires position data of a peripheral portion of the wafer by using a line sensor while rotating the rotary stage sustaining the wafer before a vacuum process thereon; calculates a center position and a direction of the wafer based on the position data; controls a rotation of the rotary stage to adjust the direction of the wafer based on the calculation result; and controls the second transfer arm such that the second transfer arm conveys the wafer to a wafer mounting member inside a vacuum processing chamber while allowing a center of the wafer to be aligned to a center of the mounting member based on the calculation result.
US08280540B2
A multimedia playing system includes an audio outputting device and a multimedia player. The audio outputting device includes a connecting plug and a distance detector. The distance detector generates a distance detecting signal if the distance detector detects the presence of a nearby object. The multimedia player is communicated with the audio outputting device through the connecting plug so as to transmit an output audio signal to the audio outputting device. The distance detecting signal is transmitted to the multimedia player through the connecting plug. The multimedia player generates a prompt event to the audio outputting device if the time duration of continuously receiving the distance detecting signal exceeds a time threshold.
US08280539B2
There is disclosed a method and storage media for automatically segueing between a first audio track and a second audio track. The first audio track and the second audio track may be analyzed to determine a preferred transition window. Segueing from the first track to the second track may occur during the preferred transition window.
US08280521B2
Unscheduled wireless communication with a medical device is achieved by operating a receiver of the medical device in a series of modes. Each mode provides an increasingly selective evaluation of received RF energy. The receiver, when operating in a first mode, is capable of detecting the presence of RF energy transmitted from a communicating device. The receiver, when operating in a second mode, consumes more energy than the first mode and analyzes the RF energy to determine whether it contains the appropriate type of modulation. When operating in a third mode, the receiver consumes more energy than the second mode, and operates the full receiver to begin communication with the communicating device. The receiver opens a communication session after the RF energy has passed the evaluation by the series of modes to receive an unscheduled communication.
US08280517B2
Techniques for validating operation of a medical device are disclosed. A data collection phase utilizes a first sensor carried by a patient to record patient parameter values indicative of conditions experienced by the patient (e.g, posture states.) Therapy parameter values describing therapy adjustments requested by the patient in response to the conditions are also recorded. Associations formed between the therapy parameter values and the patient parameter values are used to develop a closed-loop algorithm for control of an IMD having a sensor similar to the first sensor. An automated device such as a robotic arm uses the recorded patient parameter values to automatically reproduce, and to subject the IMD to, conditions present during the data collection phase. Therapy delivered by the IMD while under control of the closed-loop algorithm and while being subjected to the conditions is compared to the recorded therapy parameter values e to validate IMD operation.
US08280516B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a device having a stimulation sequence generator device, at least one implantable electrode for insertion in a brain of a human being, where the at least one implantable electrode is coupled to the stimulation sequence generator, a sensor for placement on a body part of the human being, and a controller coupled to the stimulation sequence generator device and the sensor. The controller can be operable to receive a signal from the sensor, extract from the signal characteristics corresponding to desirable movements of the body part of the human being to generate output data, detect a condition from the output data for predicting an upcoming tremor, and cause the stimulation sequence generator device to apply a stimulation to the at least one implantable electrode for a first period responsive to the detected condition to prevent the upcoming tremor.
US08280514B2
The present invention relates to a method of identifying a region of the brain by measuring neuronal firing and/or local field potentials by recording discharges from at least one implanted electrode and analyzing the recording of the discharges within the beta frequency band range to determine an area of beta oscillatory activity. Once the region of the brain is identified, this region may be stimulated to disrupt the beta oscillatory activity thereby treating a movement disorder.
US08280512B2
Methods and systems are disclosed for determining whether a patient is a responder to cardiac resynchronization therapy. The beginning and ending of the intrinsic ventricular depolarization are determined through signals measured from one or more electrodes implanted in the patient's heart. An interval between the beginning and ending of the intrinsic ventricular depolarization is computed and is compared to a threshold. The threshold may be determined empirically. The pacing parameters of a heart stimulation device, such as a pacemaker, may then be configured, for example, by setting the paced atrio-ventricular delay based on whether the patient responds positively to cardiac resynchronization therapy.
US08280504B2
A method and system are provided for determining a condition of a selected region of epithelial tissue. At least two current-passing electrodes are located in contact with a first surface of the selected region of the tissue. A plurality of measuring electrodes are located in contact with the first surface of the selected region of tissue as well. Electropotential and impedance are measured at one or more locations. An agent may be introduced into the region of tissue to enhance electrophysiological characteristics. The condition of the tissue is determined based on the electropotential and impedance profile at different depths of the epithelium, tissue, or organ, together with an estimate of the functional changes in the epithelium due to altered ion transport and electrophysiological properties of the tissue.
US08280501B2
A method for quantitative sleep characterization includes acquiring a surface electroencephologram (surf-EEG) signal from an individual by a probe, decomposing the surf-EEG signal into a plurality of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) by a computer processor in communication with the probe, wherein the plurality of IMFs comprises a first group of IMFs and a second group of IMFs, calculating a ratio comprising an amplitude or power of at least one of the IMFs in the first group in the numerator and a corresponding amplitude or power of at least one of the IMFs in the second group in the denominator; and identifying a period in the surf-EEG waveform as slow wave sleep (SWS) if the ratio associated with the period is above a predetermined threshold.
US08280500B2
This disclosure describes various techniques for discriminating supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) from ventricular tachycardia (VT). As one example, a method includes detecting a tachycardia rhythm, identifying a rate of change in heart rate corresponding to the tachycardia rhythm, identifying a rate of change in heart rate variability corresponding to the tachycardia rhythm, and classifying the tachycardia rhythm as at least one of supraventricular tachycardia or ventricular tachycardia based on the rate of change in heart rate and rate of change in heart rate variability.
US08280488B2
A method, system, and related computer program products for processing and displaying dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) information are described. A plurality of instances of an MRI volume of the body part acquired at a respective plurality of sample times subsequent to an administration of a tracer is processed to determine a plurality of pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters characterizing a mathematical model-based relationship between a plasma tracer concentration and a total tracer concentration within the body part. For one preferred embodiment, computation of the PK parameters is performed according to a generalized signal model such that computation can be carried out in real time during an interactive viewer session, with required reference regions being selectable and optionally re-selectable by the viewer without requiring extensive waiting times for PK parameter computation. Associated user interfaces and computer-aided detection (CAD) algorithms are also provided.
US08280478B2
In general, the invention is directed to strategies pertaining to implantation of an implantable medical device between a scalp and a skull of the patient. The invention pertains to collection of data such as data pertaining to the skull of the patient, the scalp of the patient, the vascular structure or neurological structures in the head of the patient, and the like. The data may be in the form of images, such as images generated by X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging, CT-scan and fluoroscopy. A surgeon can use the collected data to determine, for example, whether the patient is a candidate for a cranial implantation, whether the patient's skull and scalp can support the implantation, what configuration of device should be implanted, where the device should be implanted, and how the surgical incisions should be made.
US08280476B2
One aspect of the invention provides a glucose monitor having a plurality of tissue piercing elements, each tissue piercing element having a distal opening, a proximal opening and interior space extending between the distal and proximal openings; a sensing area in fluid communication with the proximal openings of the tissue piercing elements; sensing fluid extending from the sensing area into substantially the entire interior space of the tissue piercing elements; and a glucose sensor adapted to detect a concentration of glucose in the sensing fluid within the sensing area. Another aspect of the invention provides a method of in vivo monitoring of an individual's interstitial fluid glucose concentration including the following steps: inserting distal ends of a plurality of tissue piercing elements through a stratum corneum area of the individual's skin, the tissue piercing elements each having a distal opening, a proximal opening, an interior space extending between the distal and proximal openings, and a sensing fluid filling substantially the entire interior space; and sensing a glucose concentration of the sensing fluid.
US08280460B2
A microphone (130) is fitted with a mounting portion (130a) of a front case (12) in a state being set to a microphone folder (134). A metallic mesh-wise sheet (132) is attached to a front face of the microphone. When an EL sheet (110) on a rear face of the front case emits light by supplying power to it, electrical noise is radiated from the EL sheet. The mesh-wise sheet of the front face of the microphone blocks the electrical noise from the EL sheet, which may enter through a sound hole (131) to the inside of the microphone.
US08280458B2
A mobile terminal including a terminal case made of a metal material, input keys disposed in through holes formed on the terminal case, and an input pad disposed within the terminal case, to which a signal is input according to a touch operation of the input keys.
US08280453B2
Wireless power receiving apparatus 150 is retrofitted to a portable electrical device 100 to enable the device to receive power wirelessly. The apparatus comprises a power-receiving element 200 adapted to be attached to the device, e.g. by adhesive 201, and also being adapted to receive power wirelessly from a transmitter of power when the element and transmitter are in proximity with one another. One or more power connectors 203 are connected electrically to the power-receiving element and are adapted to be connected, when the apparatus is in use, to one or more corresponding power connectors 101 of the portable electrical device to deliver power received by the element to the device. The power-receiving element may be in the form of a sticker or may be carried by or incorporated in a replacement cover portion for the portable electrical device.
US08280446B2
A mobile terminal having an input device that performs an input operation in a touch manner is provided. The mobile terminal includes a first display module, a second display module located adjacent to the first display module, an integrated window located an outer portion of the first and second display modules, and a touch sensing unit located between the window and the second display module for sensing a touch applied to the window and applying an input signal. Marks for guiding input content can be varied and high capacity and high-density multimedia or communication information can be easily and quickly accessed or executed.
US08280444B1
Systems and methods which implement cooperative random or quasi-random beam forming as between a plurality of base stations in a wireless network to reduce multi-cell interference are shown. For example, a plurality of base stations in a wireless network cooperate to provide frequency resources, such as channels, subchannels, subcarriers, etc., in a plurality of randomesque beams. In operation, subscriber stations preferably analyze signals as received on a plurality of the randomesque beams to determine one or more “best” beams for use in communication between the subscriber station and base station. Assuming an identified beam is available for use by the subscriber station, payload communications may be provided using one or more beams identified by the subscriber station as a “best” beam. The base stations of the wireless network preferably cooperate to periodically reform the randomesque beams.
US08280433B2
Systems and method are disclosed for internal matching and configuration of radio frequency communication modules and antenna systems within a portable information handling system to help alleviate contentions among wireless communication technologies. A database stores operational information associated with wireless communication radio modules and antenna systems. A central control and switching module then matches and configures antenna systems and communication modules based upon stored operational information. The stored information can include device requirements, regional communication requirements, communication protocols and/or any other desired operational information. Flexibility is thereby provided for wireless communications, and worldwide intelligent access is allowed to radio frequency (RF) spectrums while adhering to localized spectrum and regulatory policies.
US08280419B1
Improved approaches for users of electronic devices to communicate with one another are disclosed. The electronic devices have audio and/or textual output capabilities. The improved approaches can enable users to communicate in different ways depending on device configuration, user preferences, prior history, etc. In one embodiment, the communication between users is achieved by short audio or textual messages.
US08280414B1
Map tile data for displaying graphic elements of a web-based mapping system in a mobile computing device may be pre-fetched to the device based on an analysis of the historical uses of a mapping module at that mobile device. For example, module executing on the mobile device may retrieve user mapping activity data. The user mapping activity module may then extract geographic location data and send the geographic location data to a mapping system via a network connection. The mapping system may then match map tile data to the geographic location data extracted from the user mapping activity data and send the matched mapping system data to the mobile computing device for cache storage. The user mapping activity module may also analyze the user mapping activity data to determine whether the extracted geographic location data is relevant enough to warrant pre-fetching the tile data.
US08280412B2
At a first user equipment (UE), an uplink signal is received of at least one second UE is received and time marked. At the first UE, a downlink signal from at least one base station is received and time marked. Observed time differences of arrival are determined using the time markings. A position of the first UE is determined based on the determined time differences of arrival.
US08280411B2
In a mobile phone (1) that is changeable to a plurality of styles, when connecting a call in response to an originating call or an incoming call by a wireless communication section (14), a central control section (11) controls a style detecting section (24) to detect a current style, and judges whether or not the call should be restricted by referring to an operation mode information storage section (M5). The central control section (11) then restricts the call based on this restriction judgment result and the detection result from the style detecting section (24). Also, the central control section 11 drives a notifying section (20) to give a notification indicating that a call in a certain style is restricted.
US08280407B2
A computer implemented data processing system for using customer relationship management (CRM) non-exhibiting unique user identifiers in a cellular network for creating geo-statistical representations of the users. The system is arranged to: repeatedly identify all active network-connected devices in each location area using the unique identifier; repeatedly create a table, for all location areas, each table exhibiting: location area identifier, unique user identifier, time of inflow to the location area, time of outflow from the location area; and differentiate table of time N−1 over table of time N thereby detecting inflow and outflow quantities of unique identifiers for each location area; factorizing said difference by the ratio of stationary non-active network-connected device and the total number of network-connected devices; decipher the difference table; analyze the deciphered tables using CRM profiles; and join over time, the deciphered tables with corresponding location area thereby creating at least one GIS data layer.
US08280405B2
A wireless networked device incorporating a display, a video camera and a geo-location system receives geo-located data messages from a server system. Messages can be viewed by panning the device, revealing the message's real world location as icons and text overlaid on top of the camera input on the display. The user can reply to the message from her location, add data to an existing message at its original location, send new messages to other users of the system or place a message at a location for other users. World Wide Web geo-located data can be explored using the system's user interface as a browser. The server system uses the physical location of the receiving device to limit messages and data sent to each device according to range and filtering criteria, and can determine line of sight between the device and each actual message to simulate occlusion effects.
US08280398B2
A positioning system includes an illumination device, a terminal, and a positioning server. The illumination device transmits identification information. The terminal transmits the identification information received from the illumination device, to the positioning server. The positioning server uses the identification information received from the terminal, thereby searching an illumination installation position database registered in advance so as to identify the terminal position. This eliminates power supply for positioning infrastructure and facilitates attachment to a ceiling, thereby realizing the positioning infrastructure at a low cost.
US08280395B2
A system and method detects an amount of data attributed to a device including reports sent to the device, and reduces the amount of data being used to provide reports to the device if the amount of data attributed to the device exceeds an amount assigned to the device. Data uploaded from the device is also minimized.
US08280394B2
The present invention relates to methods and arrangements to estimate neighbor cell interference for admission control purposes. Information on at least the total estimated neighbor cell interference power and the own cell power for frequency subsets of tones ft is signalled to neighboring cells for calculating a vector of impact values describing the interference impact of transmissions in a first impacting cell on respective impacted neighbor cells. The neighbor cell interference impact caused by a resource allocation in a first cell is estimated by help of the pre-calculated impact values such that resources are allocated to cause a minimized interference impact on said neighboring cells.
US08280387B2
A method and a communication system including femtocells within a macrocell efficiently manage interference between the different femtocells, and between each femtocell and a macrocell. An efficient frequency assignment scheme for the femtocells minimizes interference between a femtocell and a macrocell and among different femtocells using a spectrum-sensing technique carried out by the femtocells. The frequency assignment scheme selects a suitable channel from a set of candidate channels and ensures that the femtocell has an acceptable coverage area even when it is close to the macrocell base station (BS). The frequency assignment scheme favors a co-channel implementation to take advantage of the hand-off and cell search characteristics of the co-channel implementation. In one embodiment, a joint power control and frequency band assignment technique is used, which partitions the coverage area of the macrocell into an inner region, a power control region, and an outer region. Depending on a femtocell's location, it is assigned a certain power level and a frequency band. Power control may be used within the power-control region while, in the other regions, a fixed transmission power may be used.
US08280386B2
A system and method for utilizing resources in a communication system are provided, in which a cell is divided into N sectors, a total frequency resource is divided into a center frequency region and a normal frequency region, the center frequency region is divided into N or more center frequency bands, and resources are allocated so that one sector uses at least one center frequency band and a normal frequency band corresponding to the normal frequency region.
US08280381B2
The present invention provides an intra-system handoff method, comprising the following steps: S302, when deciding a handoff of UE to a target base station, a source base station issues a handoff request to the target base station; S304, in response to the handoff request from the source base station, the target base station informs the source base station to conduct handoff for the UE; S306, after the completion of the handoff, the target base station issues an update request to an MME; and S308, in response to the update request from the target base station, the MME conducts Serving GW selection, and further fulfils the intra-system handoff. By the present invention, the target eNodeB need not determine whether access to the Serving GW is available, and accordingly the target eNodeB can avoid from configuring Serving GW.
US08280375B2
A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) (152) in a wireless communications system includes a transceiver (153) for transmitting and receiving data from a plurality of base stations (154, 156, 357) and a controller (151) communicatively coupled to the transceiver (153) and configured to adjust an operation mode of the transceiver (153). In the WTRU (152), adjusting comprises configuring the transceiver (153) to begin a radio link handover procedure responsive to receiving a handover (HO) command from a first of the plurality of base stations (154, 156, 357) over a first communications link, specifying a first time, and reconfiguring the transceiver (153) to begin a radio link interruption procedure responsive to an expiry of the first time prior to completion of the radio link handover procedure. In the WTRU (152), the radio link interruption procedure first attempts to re-establish the first communications link.
US08280373B2
An apparatus and a method for a terminal device control server. The terminal device control server collecting, storing and providing information (i.e. device intelligence) relating to a plurality of terminal devices in a mobile communication network. A policy based control mechanism can be used in conjunction with one or more authorization lists and the device intelligence to respond to requests from various elements in the network to allow or deny access to the network or to services within the network to specific terminal devices. The device intelligence can alternatively be used to improve the effectiveness of service offerings in the network by providing information associated with a specific terminal device to other elements that adapt their services offerings and interactions to the capabilities of the specific terminal devices.
US08280367B2
A mobile device receives, via a wireless network, a plurality of messages and stores message information of the messages in memory. Each message includes at least one correspondent address and conversation text with the at least one correspondent address, as well as metadata comprising an identifier for uniquely identifying the message at a server. The mobile device identifies whether a size of the message information has reached a first predetermined limit of the memory. Based on identifying that the size of the message information has reached the first predetermined limit, the mobile device deletes from the memory, automatically without user intervention, at least portions of the conversation text of some of the messages while retaining storage of the correspondent addresses and the metadata thereof. The mobile device also identifies whether the size of the message information has reached a second predetermined limit of the memory, which is greater than the first predetermined limit. Based on identifying that the size of the message information has reached the second predetermined limit, the mobile device deletes from the memory, automatically without user intervention, the correspondent addresses and the metadata associated with the messages having the deleted conversation texts.
US08280349B2
A WEP key is generated from predetermined binary data and stored in an access point. The binary data is converted into an SSID using a predetermined conversion algorithm. The access point transmits the SSID in a beacon. A mobile game apparatus receives the SSID and recovers the binary data from the SSID using the predetermined conversion algorithm. Using the same algorithm as used for generating the WEP key, a WEP key is generated from the recovered binary data. Encrypted communication is performed between the access point and the mobile game apparatus using the WEP key.
US08280347B2
A mobile device is configured with electrical circuitry that causes the transmit channel electrical circuitry of the transmitter (Tx) of the mobile device to be electrically coupled to the receive channel electrical circuitry of the receiver (Rx) of the mobile device when one or more predetermined conditions occur. The electrical coupling of the transmit channel circuitry to the receive channel circuitry causes the Rx to be sufficiently damaged to render the mobile device nonoperational, thereby preventing further use of the mobile device. The one or more predetermined conditions correspond to conditions that indicate the mobile device has been lost or stolen and/or that an unauthorized user is attempting to use the mobile device in some manner.
US08280337B2
A circuit for communicating information in a wireless network includes a filtering circuit in communication with a zero intermediate frequency (ZIF) transceiver circuit. The filtering circuit includes a first mixer in communication with an output of the ZIF transceiver circuit. The filtering circuit includes a first Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) filter circuit in communication with an output of the first mixer. The filtering circuit includes a second mixer in communication with an output of the first SAW filter circuit. The filtering circuit includes a third mixer, and a second SAW filter circuit in communication with an output of the third mixer. The filtering circuit includes a fourth mixer in communication with an output of the second SAW filter circuit and an input of the ZIF transceiver circuit. The filtering circuit also includes a local oscillator circuit in communication with the first, second, third and fourth mixers.
US08280335B2
Provided herein are different embodiments for performing radio frequency interference (RFI) detection in electronic devices such as mobile computing systems.
US08280332B2
An apparatus and method for controlling a whitening function of a whitening Maximum Ratio Combining (MRC) in a receive end of a multiple antenna system are provided. The method includes identifying if there is interference from at least one neighbor cell, if there is interference, generating a weight of the whitening MRC using a pre-whitening inverse matrix, and, if there is no interference, generating a weight of the whitening MRC using a unit matrix, thus being capable of improving a reception performance of the receive end.
US08280329B2
A receiver has an input amplifier (RFAMP) that comprises a signal-voltage amplifier (SVA) and a feedback path (FBP). The signal-voltage amplifier (SVA) provides a voltage gain (VG) from an input node (SESf) to an output node (SON). The voltage gain (VG) is controllable. The feedback path (FBP) provides a transadmittance (GM) from the output node (SON) to the input node (SIN). The transadmittance (GM) is controllable.
US08280328B2
A sensor (10) for detecting an incident RF signal having a carrier frequency, and for estimating said carrier frequency, comprises a plurality of filters (70-73), each allowing passage of signals over a different band of frequencies from the band of frequencies over which passage of signals is allowed by the others of the plurality of filters (70-73), and a plurality of detectors (80-83). Each filter (70-73) is associated with at least one of the plurality of detectors (80-83), and said at least one detector (80-83) is arranged in use to generate an output signal if the incident RF signal results in a signal in the band of frequencies passed by the filter (70-73) with which the detector (80-83) is associated. Generation of the output signal by the detector (80-83) indicates in which of the frequency bands the incident RF signal has been detected. Between arrival of the incident RF signal at the sensor (10) and generation of the output signal indicating in which of the frequency bands the incident RF signal has been detected, there is a delay of not more than 1 microsecond.
US08280325B2
According to an example embodiment, an apparatus may be provided that is configurable to operate in either a separate power amplifier configuration or a combined power amplifier configuration.
US08280323B2
Fuzzy logic is utilized to control an RF amplifier and associated tuner for continuous self-optimization and automatic load matching to at least double the battery life of a battery-powered transmitter.
US08280321B2
Methods and systems for vector combining power amplification are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a plurality of signals are individually amplified, then summed to form a desired time-varying complex envelope signal. Phase and/or frequency characteristics of one or more of the signals are controlled to provide the desired phase, frequency, and/or amplitude characteristics of the desired time-varying complex envelope signal. In another embodiment, a time-varying complex envelope signal is decomposed into a plurality of constant envelope constituent signals. The constituent signals are amplified equally or substantially equally, and then summed to construct an amplified version of the original time-varying envelope signal. Embodiments also perform frequency up-conversion.
US08280305B2
There is provided a content player including: a communication module that performs a near field communication with a remote control device; a content storage section that stores content data; a playlist storage section that stores folders and playlists including a root folder as a root node and playlists as leaf nodes; a current location storage section configured to store current location information indicating a current location of a node in the playlist storage section; a current location notification module that controls the near field communication module to send the current location information to the remote control device; and a playback module configured to: set the root folder as the current location; change the current location; and play back content data having the identification information being included in the playlist.
US08280297B2
A method and apparatus for determining whether borderless printing can be done based on media type and desired gloss level is provided. Also provided is a method, printer, and system whereby a defect-free borderless print can be achieved regardless of media type and gloss level of the finished print, wherein the method includes pre-heating of the leading edge of the media before it enters a fuser area of the printer.
US08280296B2
A powder transporting device includes: a dropping path through which developer drops; a loosening member that is arranged in the dropping path, and loosens the developer applied on an inner wall of the dropping path; a supporting portion that is provided on the inner wall of the developing path, and supports the loosening member; a rotary member that includes: a rotary center; and a reciprocation applying portion that is located at a position eccentric from the rotary center, the rotary member being arranged within the dropping path and rotationally driven; and a reciprocation applied portion that is provided on the loosening member, and is brought into contact with the reciprocation applying member, wherein the loosening member is moved along the inner wall of the dropping path by contact between the reciprocation applying member and the reciprocation applied portion while the rotary member rotates.
US08280286B2
Apparatuses useful in printing and methods of treating marking material on media are disclosed. An embodiment of the apparatuses includes a roll including a first outer surface; a continuous belt including an inner surface and a second outer surface forming a nip by contact with the first outer surface, the belt being driven by rotation of the roll; and a heater disposed inside of the belt. The heater includes a circumferentially-extending heating surface contacting the inner surface of the belt over an angle of at least about 90°.
US08280280B2
A developer cartridge is described. The developer cartridge detachably mountable on a tandem type photosensitive unit slidable to a drawn-out position and a mounted position with respect to an image forming apparatus body may include a casing; a developer carrier rotatably supported on one end portion of the casing for carrying a developer; a pair of upright portions arranged on another end portion of the casing at an interval from each other in the axial direction of the developer carrier to extend from another end portion of the casing in a detaching direction for the developer cartridge; and an elastically deformable coupling portion extending in the axial direction of the developer carrier for coupling the upright portions with each other.
US08280279B2
An image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording material, detachably mounts a process cartridge including a photosensitive drum, and includes first and second positioning portions respectively positioning the drum upstream and downstream with respect to a cartridge mounting direction, a coupling engaging a drum coupling and transmitting a driving force to the drum, and a support supporting the cartridge at a first position positioning the drum to the first and second positioning portions and at a second position spacing the drum away from the first and second positioning portions to permit cartridge mounting and dismounting. The support includes a guide engaging the cartridge, and a third positioning portion limiting cartridge rotation relative to the first and second positioning portions when the coupling transmits a driving force to the drum coupling and for positioning the cartridge lower portion at an upstream position with respect to the mounting direction.
US08280273B2
A process cartridge, which includes a developing cartridge and a photosensitive cartridge for use with an image forming apparatus including a driving force output part and a feeding part, is provided. The developing cartridge includes a developer carrier, a first electrode provided at one side thereof, and a driving force receiving part provided at another side thereof and aligned with the first electrode such that the driving force receiving part overlaps the first electrode in a side view. The photosensitive cartridge, to which the developing cartridge is removably mounted, includes a photosensitive member, and a second electrode that contacts the first electrode when the developing cartridge is mounted in the photosensitive cartridge and that contacts the feeding part when the photosensitive cartridge is mounted in the image forming apparatus. The first electrode is pressed toward the driving force receiving part by contact with the second electrode.
US08280265B2
An image forming apparatus is provided with a developing unit for attaching developer to a static latent image formed through charging and exposing to form a developer image; an image supporting member for supporting the developer image formed with the developing unit; a removing member disposed to abut against the image supporting member for removing developer; a drive unit for driving the image supporting member; a drive control unit for controlling the drive unit; and a fixing unit for fixing the developer image to a medium. It is configured such that the drive control unit controls the drive unit to temporarily stop before developer is discharged.
US08280252B2
A subscriber terminal connected to a central-office unit in an optical communication network includes a variable optical attenuator for attenuating an optical signal received from the central-office unit; an optical-electric converter for converting the optical signal received via the attenuator to a corresponding electric signal; a clock extractor for extracting a clock from the electric signal and producing a clock extraction information signal representing whether or not the clock is extracted stably; and a terminal controller. The controller includes a clock extraction decider for determining whether or not the extractor stably extracts the clock on the basis of the information signal, a receiving level adjuster for setting an attenuation value to a value between a minimum and a maximum value, and an attenuation controller for setting the attenuation amount for the attenuator to the set attenuation value.
US08280251B2
A system for transmitting data, including: a transmitter node having a setup path packet and multiple data packets; a receiver node connected to the transmitter node by a first optical channel (OC); and a first intermediate node having a first forwarding module and connected to the transmitter node by a second OC and to the receiver node by a third OC, where the transmitter node transmits the setup path packet and a first subset of the multiple data packets to the first intermediate node using the second OC, where the first forwarding module relays, in response to receiving the setup packet, the first subset to the receiver node by switching the first subset from the second OC to the third OC, and where the receiver node receives a second subset of the multiple data packets from the transmitter node using the first OC.
US08280249B2
The invention relates to a network comprising at least one host device having an interface card connected to a backplane of said host device, wherein said interface card comprises at least one cage for receiving a pluggable module which performs a traffic management of data transported via at least one optical fiber connected to said pluggable module.
US08280242B2
A portable camera steady device for use with a camera, having a retractable tensile member whose distal end can be stepped on by a user or hooked to her body or clothing. The device has a swivel mounting member providing two independent and generally perpendicular axes of rotation such that the tensile member extends tangentially from the reel and housing whether the camera is used in the landscape or portrait orientation. A switch is provided to control extension and retraction of the tensile member from a biased reel.
US08280224B2
An information recording apparatus is disclosed which comprises: a first recording element for recording input picture information in units of recording into a first area of a recording medium; a representative data generating element for generating representative data representing the picture information recorded in the units of recording; a first memory for recording a plurality of symbolic pictures; a second memory for recording a program for generating link information linking the plurality of symbolic pictures recorded in the first memory with the representative data; a link information generating element for generating the link information using program; a picture generating element which, based on the link information, generates picture information including at least the symbolic pictures and the representative data being linked with one another; and a second recording element for recording the picture information generated by the picture generating element to a second area of the recording medium.
US08280223B2
A content item having sequential portions, such as episodes, is played back on a packaged media player in a manner that facilitates viewing the sequential portions in sequence. The point at which the user terminated a playback session is marked by storing an indication in memory, so that the user need not remember at what episode or other content portion the user left off. Upon beginning a new playback session, the media player retrieves the marker and navigates to the next content portion in the sequence.
US08280220B2
A reproduction apparatus successively decoding and reproducing a plurality of picture data forming reproduced data, comprising a reproduction memory, a decoder decoding the picture data, writing the decoding results in the reproduction memory, and reproducing and outputting the decoding results read from the reproduction memory, and a processing circuit for performing decoding scheduling for determining an order of making the decoder decode picture data belonging to a group of picture data in units of groups of picture data comprised of a predetermined plurality of the picture data, generating scheduling result data including decoding order data indicating the determined order and validity data indicating validity of the picture data, selecting the picture data to be processed in the order determined by the decoding scheduling based on the scheduling result data, and, conditional on the selected picture data being valid, making the decoder decode and reproduce and output the picture data and, when receiving a reproduction rate change command, updating the validity data of the scheduling result data in accordance with the changed reproduction rate.
US08280215B2
The invention relates to a bundle core repository (7) for a distribution device for optical waveguides, comprising a housing having a lateral opening (103), the bundle core repository (7) being connected to a lower part (109) via a pivot bearing (108).
US08280214B2
Nanoribbons and nanowires having diameters less than the wavelength of light are used in the formation and operation of optical circuits and devices. Such nanostructures function as subwavelength optical waveguides which form a fundamental building block for optical integration. The extraordinary length, flexibility and strength of these structures enable their manipulation on surfaces, including the precise positioning and optical linking of nanoribbon/wire waveguides and other nanoribbon/wire elements to form optical networks and devices. In addition, such structures provide for waveguiding in liquids, enabling them to further be used in other applications such as optical probes and sensors.
US08280205B2
The invention pertains to an optical connector assembly having an alignment mechanism for coupling two single-lens, multi-fiber optical connectors together. Particularly, each connector comprising a single lens through which the light from multiple fibers is expanded/focused for coupling to corresponding fibers in a mating connector. In one aspect of the invention, the alignment mechanism includes mating features extending from the fronts of the lenses having substantially longitudinal surfaces that meet and contact each other when the two connectors are coupled together in only one or a limited number of rotational orientations relative to each other to as to properly rotationally align the multiple fibers in the two mating connectors. This mechanism also helps align the two connectors with the optical axes of their lenses parallel to each other. In another aspect of the invention to even more effectively align the two connectors with their optical axes parallel to each other, the connector assembly includes an alignment sleeve into which the front of each lens extends when mated, an inner diametrical surface of the alignment sleeve contacting an outer diametrical surface of each of the two lenses over a substantial longitudinal portion of each lens. The alignment sleeve may, for instance, be a resilient split sleeve that expands radially to accept the lenses.
US08280200B2
A polarization conversion device converts a polarization state of a light which is input to a first waveguide, that is, TE/TM mode of the light, to output it from the first waveguide. The polarization conversion device includes: a mode converter that performs the inter-conversion of TE/TM modes of the light which is input to the first waveguide; and a polarization separator that receives the light passed through the mode converter and separates the received light into a first light, TE/TM of which mode has been converted by the mode converter and a second light, TE/TM of which mode has not been converted, to output the first light to the first waveguide.
US08280178B2
A moving image receiving apparatus has a moving image decoding apparatus (303) for decoding received moving image data. The moving image decoding apparatus (303) comprises: a media buffer (401) for storing moving image data; an intra-map memory (402) for storing an intra-map indicating a location of an intrablock included in an interframe of the moving image data; a pseudo intraframe generator (404) that, based on an intra-map stored in the intra-map memory (402), extracts an image of an intrablock included in an interframe in order from a latest interframe accumulated in the media buffer (401), combines images of intrablocks extracted from a plurality of interframes, and thereby generates a pseudo intraframe; and a decoder (406) that starts to decode moving image data, using a pseudo intraframe. The moving image receiving apparatus can thus decode received moving image data from an arbitrary frame.
US08280176B2
A video encoding device including a region division section for dividing a frame image constituting video data into a plurality of regions as encoding target regions, an encoding section for encoding an image of each region, an inverse transformation section and an addition section for generating reproduced image of the encoded image, a storage section for storing reproduced images, a prediction generation section for searching a region which is highly correlated to a reproduced image of a template region, which is adjacent to the region of the encoding target image in a predetermined positional relationship and is a part of the reproduced image, from the reproduced image, and determining a prediction signal based on the searched region and the above-mentioned positional relationship, and a subtraction section for generating a difference signal between the prediction signal and the encoding target image as a signal for encoding.
US08280175B2
A document processing apparatus includes: a character segmentation unit that segment a plurality of character images from a document image; a character image classifying unit that classifies the character images to categories corresponding to each of the character images; an average character image obtaining unit that obtains average character images for each of the categories of the character images classified by the character image classifying unit; a character recognizing unit that performs a character recognition to a character contained in each of the average character images; and an output unit that outputs character discriminating information as a character recognition result obtained by the character recognizing unit.
US08280173B2
A method for determining feature point locations in an image performs a first search in a predetermined first search area to search for locations of plural feature points in the image, corrects the locations of the plural feature points based on a geometric layout relationship among the plural feature points searched for, sets a second search area based on the corrected location of each of the feature points, and performs a second search in the second search area to search for the location of each of the feature points. Then, the method determines reliability of the location of each feature point searched for by the second search and selects one of the corrected location and the location searched for by the second search, as a location of the feature point.
US08280168B2
A character classification system is disclosed. The character classification system has an input device for receiving a handwritten input character, and a processor. The processor is configured to, for each character model, each character model being associated with an output character and defining a model specific segmentation scheme for that output character and an associated segment model, the model specific segmentation scheme defining a minimum length corresponding to a number of points in a stroke of the output character: (i) decompose the handwritten input character into one or more segments in accordance with the model specific segmentation scheme of the respective character model; and (ii) evaluate the one or more segments against the segment model of the respective character model to produce a score indicative of the conformity of the one or more segments with the segment model. The processor then selects the character model that produced the highest score, and classifies the handwritten input character as the output character associated with the character model that produces the highest score.
US08280167B2
Embodiments disclosed include methods for connected component labeling including labeling groups of raw data as one or more regions, the labeling including designating one or more data structures as containing information about the one or more regions; designating one or more of the regions as one or more subregions to expose a spatial distribution of one or more region features; and arranging at least one memory array with a 1:1 correspondence to a data array associated with the raw data to enable one or more data structures to include feature labels of the one or more subregions, the 1:1 correspondence enabling acquisition of the one or more region features with a controllable precision.
US08280161B2
Spot color tables, or spot color emulation colorant recipes are updated using information generated during a first and second process color related system calibration. Rather than separately calibrate, through trial and error, individual spot color emulation colorant recipes, information from the first and second general system calibrations is used to adjust spot color recipes. In one embodiment, processing an existing or initial spot color recipe through both a first system model and a second system model generates a device independent color difference. A colorant difference is then determined by transforming a predicted color difference according to estimated partial derivatives of aspects of the second system model, wherein the partial derivatives relate changes in colorant amounts to changes in parameter values of a machine independent color space.
US08280154B2
Color processing is executed in consideration of a change in size of a region of interest in a moving image. To this end, a region of interest is set in each frame image of a moving image and an occupied area ratio indicating an amount that the region of interest occupies with respect to the entire frame image is calculated for each of the frame images set with the regions of interest. A temporal increase or decrease of the occupied area ratio is determined based on the occupied area ratios of a plurality of frame images set with the regions of interest, and a color processing method is set for each frame image based on the occupied area ratio and the temporal increase or decrease determination result. Color processing is applied to each frame image by the color processing method set for that frame image.
US08280149B2
The processing of a stereoscopic image using first and second images to facilitate computing a corresponding depth/disparity image can be facilitated by providing (101) the first and second images and then computing (103) a disparity value of each pixel in the second image by, at least in part, determining a likelihood of occlusion for at least some pixels comprising the second image using, at least in part, predicted occlusion information as corresponds to information contained in the first image. By one approach, this predicted occlusion information can be provided, at least in part, by processing (102) the first image, at least in part, by determining occlusion value information for at least some pixels as comprise the first image and then using the occlusion value information for the first image to determine a corresponding disparity information map for the first image.
US08280146B2
A system receives a mask pattern and a first image of at least a portion of a photo-mask corresponding to the mask pattern. The system determines a second image of at least the portion of the photo-mask based on the first image and the mask pattern. This second image is characterized by additional spatial frequencies than the first image.
US08280134B2
A method including: providing a sample with M components to be labeled, where M>2; labeling the components with N stains, where N
US08280123B2
An authentication apparatus and authentication method which can improve the authentication accuracy are provided. The authentication apparatus consecutively picks up a biological authentication object of a predetermined biological part from different directions in series, and maps a plurality of images which are obtained as the consecutive image pickup result in series to a body of a figuration corresponding to the biological part with a point on the biological authentication object in the images being the criteria, and registers the respective images mapped to the body in a storage medium as information for collation with an image to be collated which is obtained by picking up an image from an arbitrary direction.
US08280119B2
A system for iris recognition using a set of quality metrics, which may include eye image validation, blur assessment, offset, gazing, obscuration, visibility, and the like. These metrics may be established as quantitative measures which can automatically assess the quality of eye images before they are processed for recognition purposes. Quadrant iris analysis, histograms, map processing enhancements, and multi-band analysis may be used in aiding in the iris recognition approach.
US08280108B2
An image processing system includes: an object detecting unit that detects a moving body object from image data of an image of a predetermined area; an object-occurrence-position detecting unit that detects an occurrence position of the object detected by the object detecting unit; and a valid-object determining unit that determines that the object detected by the object detecting unit is a valid object when the object is present in a mask area set as a non-detection target in the image of the predetermined area and the occurrence position of the object in the mask area detected by the object-occurrence-position detecting unit is outside the mask area.
US08280107B2
A method of identifying a planar object in source images is disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the method includes: retrieving a first source image obtained by a first terrestrial based camera; retrieving a second source image obtained by a second terrestrial based camera; retrieving position data associated with the first and second source image; retrieving orientation data associated with the first and second source image; performing a looking axis rotation transformation on the first and second source image by use of the associated position data and orientation data to obtain first and second intermediate images, wherein the first and second intermediate images have an identical looking axis; performing a radial logarithmic space transformation on the first and second intermediate images to obtain first and second radial logarithmic data images; detecting an area in the first image potentially being a planar object; comparing the potential planar object having similar dimensions in the second radial logarithmic data image and similar rgb characteristics; and finally, identifying the area as a planar object and determining its position. At least one embodiment of the method enables the engineer to detect very efficiently planar perpendicular objects in subsequent images.
US08280104B2
A system for simultaneously imaging the corona and inner heliosphere of the Sun from a space borne platform. The system includes, a wide-field annular coronagraph (WAC) having annular, aspheric reflecting optics centered on an axis coinciding with the azimuthal orientation of the imaging system towards the Sun. The WAC incorporates an occulting cone having an axis of symmetry coinciding with that of the reflecting optic system and a baffle system for reducing stray light at angles far from the Sun. The system includes a solar coronal imager (SCI) positioned within the occulting cone of the WAC. The SCI includes axially aligned refracting optics centered on an axis coinciding with the azimuthal orientation of the imaging system and includes at least one occulting disk. The WAC and SCI each utilize digital electronic imaging and associated image processing instrumentation. The occulting cone of the WAC also functions as a radiative cooler.
US08280090B2
A pull string for a hearing instrument may be attached to an anchor positioned on the inside wall of the hearing instrument shell. Collision detection may be utilized to determine a location for the anchor and the pull string.
US08280067B2
A method and device for transforming ambient audio are provided. Example embodiments may include monitoring ambient audio proximate to a sound processing device located in an environment. The device may access memory to obtain transformation audio and generate output transformation audio based on the transformation audio and the ambient audio to provide modified output audio for propagation into the environment. The device may at least reduce feedback of the modified output audio received by the sound processing device from the environment.
US08280066B2
In a personal ANR device having a pair of earpieces, each having a feedforward microphone and an ANR circuit associated therewith, each ANR circuit provides digital data representing environmental noise sounds detected by each ANR circuit's associated feedforward microphone. Such digital data may represent the environmental noise sounds as detected with little or not modification, or such digital data may be modified to some degree within each ANR circuit, perhaps to limit the range of frequencies that such digital data represents, before being provided to the other ANR circuit.
US08280065B2
A method and system for active noise cancellation is provided. The system employs subband processing, and preferably implements over-sampled filterbank. The system is applicable to adaptive noise cancellation, adaptive echo cancellation for portable listening devices, such as headsets and other similar listening devices.
US08280060B1
A method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention can include receiving a request for a public key from a local node. Furthermore, the public key and a private key that corresponds to the public key can be generated. The public key can be sent to the local node. An encrypted session key can be received from the local node. The encrypted session key can be decrypted using the private key. Additionally, the decrypted session key can be sent to the local node that enables the local node to have secure wireless communication with a remote node. The remote node can generate the encrypted session key using the public key.
US08280058B2
A number of wireless networks are established by a network device, each wireless network having an identifier. Requests are received from client devices to establish wireless network sessions via the wireless networks using the identifiers. Network privileges of the client devices are segmented into discrete security interfaces based on the identifier used to establish each wireless network session.
US08280055B2
An optical network system including an OLT and ONUs is provided that can prevent the loss of a multicast signal. When receiving an encryption key generation request from the OLT, the ONU generates an encryption key, and transmits the generated encryption key to the OLT. When receiving a notice of timing from the OLT, the ONU updates the encryption key of a belonging group. When receiving a report message from a STB through the ONU, the OLT analyzes the report message, stores a group that the STB belongs to as well as the ONU in a second table, and transmits the encryption key generation request to the ONU. When receiving the encryption key from the ONU, the OLT further stores the encryption key in the second table, and transmits to the ONU a notice of the timing in which the encryption key is valid.
US08280052B2
In one embodiment, a signal transmission authentication apparatus includes an input operable to receive a changing signal, a first extractor operable to extract first phoneme data from the received changing signal, a first generator including logic operable to generate first data representative of the extracted first phoneme data, a first output operable to communicate output data corresponding to the received changing signal and the first data from an associated transmitter to an associated receiver, a second extractor associated with the receiver including logic operable to extract second phoneme data from the received output data via the receiver and regenerate the first phoneme data from the received first data, a comparator including logic operable to generate a comparison signal in accordance with a comparison of the first and second phoneme data, and a second output operable to generate a signal corresponding to authenticity of the received changing signal in accordance with an output of the comparator.
US08280027B2
Methods and apparatus for dialing numbers using a session initial protocol device are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method includes obtaining at least a first part of an input string associated with a dialplan. The input string includes at least one character. The method also includes determining if at least a first potential target string stored in a local cache includes the first part of the input string, and accessing an external call manager arrangement if the first potential target string stored in the local cache does not include the first part of the input string.
US08280022B1
A call center maintains various pools of telephone numbers, where each telephone number pool comprises a plurality of telephone numbers in a geographic area. A call originating to a called number uses a calling telephone number that is selected from one of a plurality of telephone number pools based on the area designated by the called number. An index value is used to select the telephone number from the selected telephone number pool. The selected telephone number is used to as a calling telephone number when originating a call to the called party.
US08280014B1
A system and method for associating an audio clip with an object is provided wherein the voice-based system, such as a voicemail system, is used to record the audio clips.
US08280008B2
Described is an X-ray rotating anode plate having a base and X-ray active layer having the described acceptable properties and a method for producing same. The base comprises carbon nanoparticles in quasi-homogeneous spatial distribution. Carbon nanoparticles can be selected from among carbon nanotubes, nano-graphite powder particles having a substantially spherical shape, and mixtures thereof. The inclusion of described additives improves the stability and heat conductivity of the base. With the described method, the starting materials for the base and X-ray active layer, and other optional materials which may form functional layer are compressed to a preselected shape in a pressing mold with simultaneous application of pressure, elevated temperature and varied electric currents, compressing the shape to a final density exhibiting high-strength diffusion bonds between these starting materials. The described X-ray rotating anode plate can be used, for example, in high-performance X-ray tubes for X-ray computer tomography.
US08280000B2
Providing a radiation emission unit that includes a radiation source and outputs a fan beam of radiation, a diffraction grating onto which radiation outputted from the radiation emission unit is emitted, and a periodic information imaging radiation image detector that includes multiple linear electrodes and detects periodic information of radiation diffracted by the diffraction grating, disposing the radiation emission unit and the periodic information imaging radiation image detector such that an extending direction of the linear electrodes of the periodic information imaging radiation image detector is perpendicular to a fan surface of the fan beam having a larger spread angle, and configuring the radiation emission unit to scan the fan beam in the perpendicular direction.
US08279978B2
A method for receiving a pilot symbol in a receiver is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes removing a cyclic prefix from a received sequence to produce a modified sequence, transforming the modified sequence to a first frequency domain sequence according to a first transform, demapping a plurality of distributed subcarriers in the transformed modified sequence to extract a plurality of received symbols, deriving an intermediate channel estimate for each of the plurality of received symbols, and interpolating a final channel estimate based on the plurality of derived intermediate channel estimates. In one exemplary embodiment, the received symbols have one or more predefined characteristics such as a constant amplitude, and zero autocorrelation (CAZAC sequence).
US08279976B2
A data receiver circuit (206) includes first and second interfaces (221) coupled to first and second respective transmission lines (204). The first and second respective transmission lines comprise a pair of transmission lines external to the data receiver circuit. The first and second interfaces receive a transmission signal from the pair of transmission lines. A common mode extraction circuit (228) is coupled to the first and second interfaces to extract a common-mode clock signal from the received transmission signal. A differential mode circuit (238) is coupled to the first and second interfaces to extract a differential-mode data signal from the received transmission signal. The extracted data signal has a symbol rate corresponding to a frequency of the extracted clock signal (e.g., —the symbol rate may be twice the frequency of the extracted clock signal). The differential mode circuit is synchronized to the extracted clock signal.
US08279970B2
Transmitter devices and transmission methods transmit a modulated GMSK- or EDGE-signal in a transmission system, wherein normally the pulse shaping follows the given rules of standards for these mobile radio systems. The amount of TX spectra in the adjacent TX channels is predetermined by these rules. A second filtering step is suggested to be introduced for attenuating predetermined unwanted spectra in the adjacent transmit channels. A second goal of this suggestion is to reduce spectra at adjacent TX channels also at cases of nonlinearity at the TX Power Amplifier of the RF transmitter. Nothing must be changed in standards of mobile communication systems, for example GSM.
US08279969B2
One embodiment comprises a transmitter precoder operating on an input signal to produce an output signal for modulation. The output signal is transmitted using a constellation with a constellation density. The transmitter precoder comprises scaler logic, precoder logic and selection logic. The scaler logic scales the input signal to maintain constant power on the input signal independent of the constellation density. The precoder logic precodes the scaled signal to produce a dither signal limited to a range of values. The range is inversely proportional to the constellation density. The selection logic is operable in two states. In the first state, the selection logic combines the scaled signal with the dither signal to produce the output signal. In the second state, the selection provides the scaled signal as the output signal.
US08279963B2
A system includes an encoding module, a symbol selection module, a subcarrier selection module, and a mapping module. The encoding module receives symbols for transmission over K subcarriers and T antennas, encodes the symbols using a space time code, and generates space time coded (STC) versions of the symbols, where K and T are integers greater than 1. The symbol selection module selects T adjacent ones of the symbols and selects STC versions of the T adjacent ones of the symbols. The subcarrier selection module selects one of the K subcarriers for transmitting the T adjacent ones of the symbols and the STC versions of the T adjacent ones of the symbols. The mapping module maps the T adjacent ones of the symbols onto the T antennas for transmission over the selected one of the K subcarriers, respectively, and maps the STC versions of the T adjacent ones of the symbols onto the T antennas for transmission over the selected one of the K subcarriers.
US08279956B2
Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus including: a demodulation FFT processing section configured to carry out an FFT process on a demodulation-related signal extracted by making use of a demodulation FFT window from every symbol of a received OFDM signal and output the frequency-domain signal; a control FFT processing section configured to carry out a process equivalent to an FFT process on a control-related signal extracted by making use of a control FFT window from every symbol of the received OFDM signal and output the frequency-domain signal; a transmission-line information estimation section; an equalization section; a reception-quality computation/comparison section; and an FFT-window position control section configured to control the demodulation FFT window to be used by the demodulation FFT processing section and the control FFT window to be used by the control FFT processing section on the basis of a comparison result produced by the reception-quality computation/comparison section.
US08279955B1
In accordance with the teachings described herein, systems and methods are provided for calibrating DC offset in a receiver. A DC calibration circuit may be used that is configured to receive a digital multi-carrier modulated (MCM) signal that includes a sequence of MCM symbols. The DC calibration circuit may include an accumulator and a compensator. The accumulator may be used to determine an estimated DC offset of a current MCM symbol in the sequence of MCM symbols. The compensator may be used to remove the estimated DC offset from a next MCM symbol in the sequence of MCM symbols. The accumulator may also be used to receive a plurality of digital samples that comprise the current MCM symbol and to determine the estimated DC offset by calculating an average of the plurality of digital samples.
US08279941B2
A picture decoding method and apparatus for decoding a bit stream, the bit stream being compatible with MPEG 1 moving picture video standard. The method includes receiving, via an input terminal, from the bit stream that includes extension data added in a header of a picture layer of the bit stream when the header includes control data newly added in MPEG 2 standard format, a picture coding type and the extension data of an anterior header of the picture layer. The bit stream in the picture layer is decoded using the picture coding type and the extension data of an anterior header of the picture layer when an extension start code indicating the beginning of the extension data of the current header is not received from the bit stream.
US08279938B2
It is possible to display a caption with an aspect ratio independent from the aspect ratio of a main video. When a flag indicating that the aspect ratio of the caption is 16:9 is set, the caption video image frame size (720×480) is converted so as to match the aspect ratio of 16:9 and the caption video obtained as the result is superimposed on the main video and displayed. That is, when the main video has an aspect ratio of 4:3, as shown in FIG. 19, reduction in the lateral direction is performed and the main video is displayed with addition of black tone at the right and left but the caption video is displayed with the aspect ratio of 16:9.
US08279922B2
A rate controller in run-level domain transcoder, which receives a stream of compressed frames carried in a bit stream, selectively determines whether to quantize and/or threshold portions of a frame carried in the stream of frames. The rate controller determines the input size of the frame and based at least in part upon at least a desired size, requantizes and/or thresholds the frame such that the output size of the frame is approximately the desired size.
US08279920B2
An intra-frame prediction method and a prediction apparatus using the same are provided. The prediction apparatus includes an input data unit, a control unit, an selection unit, a processing unit, and an output data selecting unit. The input data unit provides surroundings pixels of a predicted block. The control unit provides an input selection signal, a computing parameter, and an output selection signal. The selection unit selects the surroundings pixels according to the input selection signal. The processing unit computes the selected surroundings pixels for producing a plurality of results according to the computing signal. The output data unit selects results according to the output selection signal.
US08279919B2
The invention is intended to reduce overall image degradation when frame interpolation is performed by means of an adaptive image compression technique. A compression unit which adaptively compresses input image data, determines an error rate, i.e., a quantity of data loss, depending on input image data. A compression rate is set, depending on the determined error rate (or the quantity of data loss). For an image that is likely to be degraded by compression because of a large error rate determined for it, a process of generating an interpolated image by an interpolated image generating unit is disabled and an original image is used instead of an interpolated frame.
US08279911B2
A multipath detector includes an RF module receiving multiple signals, and a correlator module receiving the signals from the RF module. The correlator module correlates the signals to create a composite ACF, and produces samples of the composite autocorrelation function (ACF). The samples are time delayed relative to each other. The multipath detector also includes a carrier phase processor that receives the samples and estimates carrier phases associated with each of the samples. The carrier phase processor employs the estimated carrier phases to determine if one of the signals is subject to a multipath delay.
US08279909B2
A method for transmitting information using a sequence is disclosed. According to an embodiment, the method includes the steps of generating a sequence for transmitting data or control signals, performing phase modulation for indicating additional information on partial elements among a plurality of elements configuring the sequence, and transmitting the phase modulated sequence.
US08279905B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor optical element having an active layer containing quantum dots, in which density of the quantum dots in a resonator direction in a portion of the active layer in which density of photons is high, relative to the density of the quantum dots in a portion of the active layer in which the density of photons is relatively low, includes forming the quantum dots in the active layer so that the distribution density is uniform in a resonator direction; and diffusing or implanting an impurity non-uniformly in the resonator direction in the active layer in which quantum dots are uniformly distributed, thereby disordering some of the quantum dots and forming a non-uniform density distribution of the quantum dots in the resonator direction in the active layer.
US08279904B2
A semiconductor light-emitting device including an active layer is provided. The light-emitting device includes an active layer between an n-type semiconductor layer and a p-type semiconductor layer. The active layer includes a quantum well layer formed of Inx1Ga(1−x1)N, where 0
US08279903B2
A femtosecond laser based laser processing system having a femtosecond laser, frequency conversion optics, beam manipulation optics, target motion control, processing chamber, diagnostic systems and system control modules. The femtosecond laser based laser processing system allows for the utilization of the unique heat control in micromachining, and the system has greater output beam stability, continuously variable repetition rate and unique temporal beam shaping capabilities.
US08279901B2
Designs and techniques for constructing and operating femtosecond pulse lasers are provided. One example of a laser engine includes an oscillator that generates and outputs a beam of femtosecond seed pulses, a stretcher-compressor that stretches a duration of the seed pulses, and an amplifier that receives the stretched seed pulses, amplifies an amplitude of selected stretched seed pulses to create amplified stretched pulses, and outputs a laser beam of amplified stretched pulses back to the stretcher-compressor that compresses their duration and outputs a laser beam of femtosecond pulses. The amplifier includes a dispersion controller that compensates a dispersion of the amplified stretched pulses, making the repetition rate of the laser adjustable between procedures or according to the speed of scanning. The laser engine can be compact with a total optical path of less than 500 meters, and have a low number of optical elements, e.g. less than 50.
US08279894B2
The assembly of data blocks to form at least one data packet includes: writing in a first register of at least one first data block descriptor, which includes information representing a status of each block belonging to a set of blocks, whereby the status of each block indicates whether the block has been stored; the determination and recording in a second register of a status of the blocks, which represents the state of storage of the blocks, whereby this operation, based on the use of a second register, enables simple and fast acquisition of the status of a packet which can be assembled on the basis of the blocks; and the assembly of a packet containing the blocks according to the status recorded in the second register.
US08279891B2
According to another general aspect, an apparatus may include a receiver, a decoding engine, an envelope generator, an error code generator, and a transmitter. In one embodiment, the receiver may be configured to receive an Ethernet packet that includes a payload portion. In various embodiments, the decoding engine may be configured to decode at least the payload portion of the Ethernet packet such that the size of the payload portion is reduced. In some embodiments, the envelope generator may be configured to encapsulate the payload portion such that packet boundaries may be identified. In various embodiments, the error code generator may be configured to associate an error correction code with the encapsulated payload portion. In another embodiment, the transmitter may be configured to transmit the encapsulated payload and error correction code.
US08279882B2
A location information provision system includes an access point, a first game apparatus, and a second game apparatus. The access point stores information for specifying a current location of the access point, and transmits the information to the first game apparatus. The first game apparatus IB receives the information transmitted from the access point, and specifies the location of the access point based on the information. The first game apparatus transmits location information representing the specified location to the second game apparatus. The second game apparatus receives the location information transmitted from the first game apparatus, and specifies the current location of the second game apparatus based on the received location information.
US08279871B1
A packet is received from a network via an ingress port, wherein the packet includes at least first and second headers. A first set of one or more egress ports via which the packet is to be forwarded is determined based on one of the first header or the second header, and the packet is forwarded to the first set of one or more egress ports. At least a subset of the packet is forwarded to an upstream location in a packet processing pipeline, and a second set of one or more egress ports via which the at least a portion of the packet is to be forwarded is determined in response to forwarding the at least the subset of the packet to the upstream location in the packet processing pipeline and based on at least one of the first header or the second header. The at least the portion of the packet is forwarded to the second set of one or more egress ports.
US08279867B2
An improved method and apparatus for making forwarding decisions in a switching device. The invention reduces the flooding of frames to particular network segments connected to the switch. To insure a device sees a frame addressed to it, if a switch does not know what segment a device address is connected to for a unicast frame, the switch typically floods the frame to all segments in the broadcast domain. This invention allows segments to be identified as having a predefined maximum number of device addresses that will be associated with it. When that number of addresses is already in the forwarding table the switch will not flood unicast frames to that segment since no more devices should be connected to that segment.
US08279860B1
With the widespread adoption of SIP-based VoIP, understanding the characteristics of SIP traffic behavior is critical to problem diagnosis and security protection of VoIP services. A general methodology is provided for profiling SIP-based VoIP traffic behavior at several levels: SIP server host, server entity (e.g., registrar and call proxy) and individual user levels. Using SIP traffic traces captured in a production VoIP network, the characteristics of SIP-based VoIP traffic behavior in an operational environment is illustrated and the effectiveness of the general profiling methodology is demonstrated. In particular, the profiling methodology identifies anomalies due to performance problems and/or implementation flaws through a case study. The efficacy of the methodology in detecting potential VoIP attacks is also demonstrated through a test-bed experimentation.
US08279859B2
A method and arrangement for transferring synchronizing information in a data transmission system includes modem connections. The arrangement includes a modulator (207) arranged to generate an analog signal (222) modulated by synchronizing information, the frequency spectrum of the signal being located in a frequency range that falls outside the data transmission bands of the modem line connected to the network element. The arrangement includes a switching circuit (208) arranged to connect the analog signal to a data transmission cable (206) that forms part of the modem line connected to a network element. The arrangement includes a second switching circuit (209) arranged to receive the analog signal from a data transmission cable that forms part of the modem line connected to the second network element. The arrangement also includes a regenerator (209-arranged to regenerate the synchronizing information from the analog signal.
US08279856B2
The present invention enables an overlay capability to be invoked on network systems and elements that are designed to support multiple customer bases. Depending on the registered identification of the user, screens and other user interfaces that provide access to functions can be overlaid on the network component and segmented along customer classifications.
US08279855B2
A method for dialing between Internet extensions is disclosed. When dialing between Internet extensions, just dial the switchboard phone number of SIP proxy server plus “-” and then dial the extension phone number of the opposite Internet extension directly. It is not necessary to use a voice guidance for asking dialing of the extension phone number of the opposite Internet extension.
US08279850B2
Methods and apparatus to implement voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) phones are disclosed. A disclosed example VoIP phone comprises a phone housing, a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) processor located in the phone housing, and a bay defined in the phone housing and dimensioned to receive a user-replaceable network interface.
US08279847B2
A method for exchanging information with a base station includes: communicating with the base station using electromagnetic waves with a first frequency; detecting a first connection request carried in the first electromagnetic; receiving the first connection request if the first connection request is detected; and receiving information carried in the electromagnetic waves with a second frequency that is higher than the first frequency from the base station. An apparatus for exchanging information with the base station is also disclosed.
US08279846B2
A broadcast control channel (BCH) transport block is communicated in a cellular communications system having a physical layer in which information is communicated in one or more frames, wherein the BCH transport block represents BCH information. This involves coding (901) the BCH transport block (1001, 1101) to generate M bits of coded information. Nframes segments of coded bits are formed (903) from the M bits of coded information, wherein the BCH information can be derived from any one of the Nframes segments of coded bits. A unique one of Nframes mapping functions is applied (905) to each of the Nframes segments of coded bits to produce Nframes mapped segments of coded bits. A different one of the Nframes mapped segments of coded bits is transmitted (907) in each of Nframes frames. This enables multi-frame timing to be determined even when fewer than all BCH segments are received.
US08279837B2
A communication system, a network handover processing method and a network handover processing apparatus are disclosed. The method includes the following steps: receiving, by a target evolved NodeB (T-eNB), identity information sent from a user equipment (UE), the identity information being allocated to the UE by a source evolved NodeB (S-eNB); and sending, by the T-eNB, parameters to the UE if identity information, matching the received identity information sent from the UE, is available in the T-eNB, wherein the parameters are allocated to the UE. The apparatus includes a receiving module and a sending module. The communication system, network handover processing method and network handover processing apparatus can reduce the state change times of the UE in the network handover process and save the system resources.
US08279833B2
Provided are a mobile network system capable of processing a high-speed handoff by dividing into a data packet path between mobile nodes and a handoff packet path of the mobile node, and a method for processing IP handoff thereof. The system includes a MAP broadcasting a handoff registration request and reply between a foreign agent and a home agent, and an additional handoff signal path between the MAP and a mobile agent operating as a foreign agent and a home agent by means of a HAAP and VPN technology to be physically distinguishable from a data path. Therefore, limitation in a head of line can be resolved and the IP handoff can be promptly provided.
US08279810B1
There is provided a sensor network information collection mechanism in which, after a UE has decided to become part of an information collecting operation for collecting information from a local sensor network, a signaling transmitted from a managing node of a local sensor network is received and processed. A communication network control element is informed about the willingness to become an information collector by sending a report message comprising measurement results derived from the signaling received from the managing node of the local sensor network. When receiving a gateway allocation message indicating that the UE is determined to be a gateway element to the local sensor network, the information collecting operation is started wherein sensor nodes of the local sensor network are woke up, and a traffic flow direction in the local sensor network is set in accordance with the managing node identity to which the UE is accessed.
US08279809B2
Wireless communication with a communicating apparatus that is a limited band terminal capable of receiving only part of frequencies. A frequency channel allocating section allocates frequency channels, a terminal reception quality information processing section calculates an optimal modulation rate and required transmit power for each subcarrier, a subcarrier power control section controls a level of transmit power for each subcarrier, and a determining section checks a reception bandwidth of a communicating apparatus, while determining whether the communicating apparatus is a full band terminal capable of receiving all the frequency channels in the system band or a limited band terminal capable of receiving only part of frequencies. When the communicating apparatus is the limited band terminal, the transmit power of all or part of subcarriers is decreased in a frequency channel that is adjacent to a reception band allocated to the communicating apparatus and that is allocated to another communicating apparatus.
US08279800B2
One embodiment is directed to an enterprise mobile network for providing wireless service within a coverage area associated with an enterprise using licensed radio frequency spectrum. The enterprise mobile network includes a base station subsystem deployed on a premises of the enterprise to provide wireless capacity within the coverage area using the licensed radio frequency spectrum. The enterprise mobile network further includes a mobile switching subsystem deployed in an office of a service provider that operates a public land mobile network. The mobile switching subsystem is communicatively coupled to the public land mobile network. The base station subsystem is communicatively coupled to the mobile switching subsystem using an Internet Protocol (IP) network. The mobile switching subsystem is configured to function as a mobile switching center (MSC) and visitor location register (VLR) for roaming subscribers and local subscribers of the enterprise. The mobile switching subsystem is configured to function as a home location register (HLR) and gateway mobile switching center (GMSC) for local subscribers of the enterprise.
US08279789B2
Systems and methodologies are described that intelligently set a hysteresis activation timer in a wireless communication environment. In accordance with various aspects set forth herein, systems and/or methods are provided that continuously monitor a data session to determine whether or not an application is exchanging data with a counterpart device, acquire indication from a hysteresis activation timer of whether or not the hysteresis activation timer is active, determine an appropriate new hysteresis activation timer value with which to set the hysteresis activation timer, and thereafter sets the hysteresis activation timer with the new hysteresis activation timer value.
US08279786B1
Methods and system are provided for managing and monitoring allocation of RF spectrum resources based on time, space and frequency. A network may be enabled to allocate excess spectrum resources for use by other network providers on a real-time basis. Allocated resources may be transferred from one provider with excess resources to another in need of additional resources based on contractual terms or on a real-time purchase negotiations and settlements. A network may be enabled to monitor the use of allocated resources on real-time basis and off-load or allow additional users depending on the spectrum resources availability. Public safety networks may be enabled to make spectrum resources available to general public by allocating spectrum resources and monitoring the use of those resources. During an emergency, when traffic increases on a public safety network, the public safety networks may off-load bandwidth traffic to make available necessary resources for public safety users.
US08279785B2
The present disclosure relates generally to a system and method for asynchronous busy-tone multiple access with acknowledgement for ad hoc wireless networks. In one example, the method includes emitting a tone after determining that a transmission is incoming from a sending node. An initial portion of a packet comprising the transmission is received while emitting the tone, where the initial portion contains a destination address of the packet. The emitting of the tone is stopped if the received destination address does not match an address of the receiving node. A remaining portion of the packet is received while continuing to emit the tone if the received destination address matches the address of the receiving node.
US08279784B2
An audio/video (AV) processor is coupled to a media access controller (MAC) to generate a composite packet having an optimized format for carrying audio, video, and data traffic with fields in a header of the composite packet specifying video-specific information. A physical device interface (PHY) is coupled to the MAC. The PHY encodes and decodes between a digital signal and a modulated analog signal. The PHY comprises a high rate physical layer circuit (HRP) and a low rate physical layer circuit (LRP). A radio frequency (RF) transmitter is coupled to the PHY to transmit data.
US08279779B2
An approach is provided for virtual agent session monitoring and barge-in. A platform monitors content of a communication session between a virtual agent and a user and determines whether the content satisfies a pre-defined rule. Further, the platform selectively initiates a barge-in of the communication session by a live agent based on the determination.
US08279775B2
In a system comprising a first fabric and a plurality of devices coupled to the fabric by Fibre Channel connections, the devices are logically grouped to form configurations and zones. A configuration includes at least one zone, and each zone includes at least one device as a member of the zone. Communications between the devices is restricted according to the configuration currently in effect. For example, one device may be permitted to communicate with another device only if they are members of a common zone.
US08279773B2
A digital broadcast system having storing resistance to errors generated during the transmission of mobile service data, and a data processing method are disclosed. The digital broadcast system additionally encodes mobile service data. As a result, the mobile service data has strong resistance to a channel variation and noise, and at the same time the system can quickly cope with the channel variation.
US08279765B2
Various embodiments are described to provide more efficient interworking in inter-technology networks. A first network node (121) provides access network service to remote units (101, e.g.) using a first access network technology, while a second network node provides access network service to remote units using a second and different access network technology. The first network node indicates to a networking device (122), what messaging associated with the second access network technology will be supported by a remote unit via the first network node. The networking device receiving this indication can then determine whether new messaging for the remote unit associated with the second access network technology and to be conveyed via the first network node, is supported. This networking device can then prevent the conveyance of the new messaging via the first network node.
US08279756B2
Transmission of excess segments to a network can be effectively inhibited. A received byte calculation section 14 calculates, at a sending side, the number of bytes of segments which arrive at a receiving side within a period of a minimum value of RTT measured by a minimum time measurement section 13, a target calculation section 15 calculates a target used for controlling segment transmission based on the number of bytes of the received segments calculated by the received byte calculation section 14, and a send segment control section 16 which controls segment transmission based on the target calculated by the target calculation section 15.
US08279753B2
Determination of a fast route from a source node to many destination nodes. Identities of each node, and bandwidths and latencies of paths are received. A threshold bandwidth is set, and routes containing paths among nodes which have an associated bandwidth exceeding the threshold bandwidth (or within a desired range, in general) are determined. The route providing the least latency among the routes thus determined is selected. The process is repeated for other values of threshold bandwidths, and the fastest route is then determined from the routes selected for each value of threshold bandwidth considered.
US08279750B2
The invention is related to a method for resilient multi-path connections between edge devices of a communication network. First are determined connection-specific traffic distribution functions for the multi-paths depending on a plausible failure pattern of active and inactive paths of the multi-path of this connection. Further is selected the traffic distribution function for a multi-path depending on the current failure pattern of active and an inactive paths of the multi-path of this connection and is distributed the traffic of the connection onto the path of the corresponding multi-path pursuant to the selected traffic distribution function. An essential advantage of the invention is a significant decrease of network capacity for resilient multi-path connections. Another advantage of the invention is the short reaction time in case of an outage of one or more paths of the multi-path connections.
US08279747B2
There is provided an information processing apparatus includes, an encoding section for encoding a bit string to generate a data signal having an amplitude of a1 and a transmission speed of b; a signal generation section for synchronously adding a clock having a frequency of b/K (K is a predetermined natural number), an amplitude of a2 (>a1), and a small duty ratio to the data signal generated by the encoding section to generate a transmission signal; and a signal transmission section for transmitting the transmission signal generated by the signal generation section.
US08279745B2
A wire-based infrastructure capable of delivering high data rates is described herein. A transmission system, reception system, and/or repeater uses wire-mapping code matrices to reduce interference in multi-wire cables to increase the data rate provided by such multi-wire cables. More particularly, code mapping matrices are applied to transmission and/or received input signals to generate a mapped signal for each output wire or corresponding to each input wire such that each mapped signal comprises a different combination of all of the input signals. Different ones of the wire-mapped signals are ultimately transmitted on different wires. In so doing, the present invention facilitates crosstalk reduction, and therefore, provides a technique that increases the data rate available on multi-wire cables.
US08279741B2
The present invention provides a device and method for interleaved encoding RS code, the RS code used being RS (N, K, S). The method comprises: firstly, writing the data in the data packets to be RS interleaved encoded into the information region of the RS code byte interleaver column-by-column in turn; then, constructing the data of each row of the check region based on the data written into the information region; finally, performing cyclic shifting processing on the data of the check region, and reading out the data of the check region in the RS code byte interleaver column-by-column in turn. The present invention can be used to improve the performance of the entire data packet outputted, thereby enhancing the reliability of the data link layer, by evenly spreading the areas with a filled value of 0 in the last column of the information region that is filled with valid information and by performing cyclic shifting processing on the data of the check region so that the data of that region offer larger time span and good diversity effect when outputted.
US08279735B1
A method for identifying digital data and reproducing the same by executing a software program stored in a memory of a computer is disclosed. The method includes: reading a plurality of source mediums; identifying digital data of the plurality of source mediums; saving the digital data as a temporary file; receiving a request for selecting a target medium, wherein the target medium is used for storing the digital data of the plurality of source mediums; determining a quantity of the target medium to be used for writing according to the size of the digital data and the size of the target medium; and writing the digital data of the plurality of source mediums into the target medium.
US08279734B2
A recording medium read/write method and apparatus are disclosed. The present invention records version information of a corresponding recording medium as read/write control information within the recording medium. The version information includes write compatibility version information and read compatibility version information. The read/write apparatus efficiently performs the read/write of the recording medium with reference to the version informations recorded within the recording medium.
US08279723B2
A recording medium includes at least one recording layer on which information is recorded by multi-photon absorption, and a servo layer disposed in a laminated direction with respect to the recording layer and having a track for guiding a beam spot of laser light having a first wavelength and a beam spot of laser light having a second wavelength along a scanning trajectory. The servo layer and the at least one recording layer constitute a set of layers, and a plurality of sets of layers is formed in the laminated direction. The servo layer is made of a material having a high reflectance with respect to laser light having a third wavelength for generating a servo signal, and low reflectances with respect to the laser light having the first wavelength and the laser light having the second wavelength.
US08279717B2
To provide a calendar mechanism which can easily and reliably cause first and second date indicators to coincide in rotation phase, and an analog timepiece equipped therewith. A calendar mechanism of an analog timepiece includes a first date indicator including a first date character indication portion which indicates the ones column of the date, a first date indicator gear portion, and a drive cam portion which defines an endless ring-shaped cam face; a drive cam lever which includes a driven lever portion whose one end portion abuts against the drive cam portion, and an operating lever portion which includes a first fan-shaped gear portion at the leading end portion, the operating lever portion being pivoted in accordance with the driven lever portion; and a second date indicator which, being rotatable, includes a second date character indication portion which indicates the tens column of the date, and a second fan-shaped gear portion meshing with the first fan-shaped gear portion. The first fan-shaped gear portion and second fan-shaped gear portion have specified teeth which are brought into selective meshing engagement in a condition in which the first date indicator and second date indicator coincide in rotation phase.
US08279712B2
A transducer, system and method of constructing the same that utilizes a composite of piezoelectric pillars. In one embodiment, the invention is an apparatus for generating acoustic energy comprising: a plurality of pillars constructed of a piezoelectric material, the pillars arranged in a spaced-apart manner so that spaces exist between adjacent pillars; the pillars having a width and a height extending between a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the height of the pillars is greater than the width of the pillars; and the spaces filled with a resilient material so as to form a composite assembly.
US08279709B2
The invention relates to an automated estimation of the position (co-ordinates) of a set of loudspeakers in a ioom Based on measured impulse responses the distances between each pair of loudspeakers are estimated, thereby forming a distance matrix, and the resultant distance matrix is used by a multidimensional scaling (MDS) algorithm to estimate the co-ordinates of each individual loudspeaker An improved co-ordinate estimation can, if desired, be derived by utilizing the stress values provided by the MDS algorithm.
US08279706B2
Seismic data recorded in a marine streamer are obtained, sorted as a common receiver gather. A complex Laplace frequency parameter is used to transform the seismic data from a space-time domain to a spectral domain. An iterative conjugate gradient scheme, using a physically-based preconditioner, is applied to the transformed seismic data, to provide a least squares solution to a normal set of equations for a source deghosting system of equations. The solution is inverse-transformed back to a space-time domain to provide source deghosted seismic data, which is useful for imaging the earth's subsurface.
US08279705B2
According to one embodiment, a reception unit generates reception beam data set groups based on echo signals. Each of the reception beam data set groups includes reception beam data sets respectively corresponding to reception beams associated with parallel signal processing. Each of the reception beam data sets is generated based on echo signals from transducers associated with a corresponding reception position. A scanning control unit sets the spatial arrangement of the reception beams. The reception beams are arranged at unequal intervals. A synthesizing unit generates synthetic beam data sets associated with reception positions based on the reception beam data set groups. Each of the synthetic beam data sets is obtained by synthesizing reception beam data sets associated with the same reception position. An image generation unit generates ultrasonic image data based on the synthetic beam data sets.
US08279703B2
A sub-word line driver includes a substrate, a plurality of gate lines and at least one gate tab. The substrate includes a plurality of isolation areas and a plurality of active areas, where the two active areas are separated by each isolation area, and the isolation areas and the active areas are extended in a first direction and are arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The plurality of gate lines are formed on the substrate, where the gate lines are extended in a second direction and are arranged in the first direction. The at least one gate tab is formed on the substrate, where the at least one gate tab is extended in the first direction to cover the isolation area. Incorrect operation of the sub-word line driver may be prevented, and a power consumption of the sub-word line driver may be reduced.
US08279698B2
A semiconductor memory device includes first and second sub-memory-cell areas configured to form a memory cell matrix and include a first bit line and a second bit line respectively to form a data transfer path corresponding to a predetermined memory cell, an additional bit line configured to cross the first sub-memory-cell area and form a data transfer path by being connected with the second bit line and a sensing and amplifying unit configured to sense and amplify data inputted through the additional bit line and the first bit line.
US08279689B2
An apparatus is provided that includes a memory controller to provide a first on-die termination (ODT) signal and a second ODT signal, a memory channel, a first memory module to couple to the memory channel, and a second memory module to couple to the memory channel. The first memory module may include a first memory having a first ODT circuit to receive the first ODT signal, and a second memory having a second ODT circuit to receive the first ODT signal. The first ODT signal may disable the ODT circuit of the first memory when the first memory is to be ACTIVE.
US08279687B2
A reduced bitline precharge level has been found to increase the SRAM Beta ratio, thus improving the stability margin. The precharge level is also supplied to Sense amplifier, write driver, and source voltages for control signals. In the sense amplifier, the lower precharge voltage compensates for performance loss in the bit-cell by operating global data-line drivers with increased overdrive. In the write driver, the reduced voltage improves the Bitline discharge rate, improves the efficiency of the negative boost write assist, and decreases the reliability exposure of transistors in the write path from negative boost circuit.
US08279681B2
An electronic device can include a nonvolatile memory cell. In a particular embodiment, during an erase pulse, all unselected lines are at substantially the same voltage, and a row or segment of a row, such as a word, is erased during the erase pulse. In another embodiment, selected control gate and erase lines are at substantially the same voltage during a programming pulse. In a further embodiment, charge carriers tunnel through a dielectric layer of a component during a program pulse, and charge carriers tunnel through a different dielectric layer of a different component during an erase pulse.
US08279676B2
A method of operating a nonvolatile memory device includes reading data stored in a main cell and a flag cell using a first read voltage, the nonvolatile memory device comprising the main cell for storing data including a least significant bit (LSB) and a most significant bit (MSB), and the flag cell for determining a program state of the main cell, determining a program state of the main cell based on the data read from the flag cell, reading data stored in the main cell and the flag cell using a second read voltage if a MSB page program has been performed on the main cell, and reading data stored in the main cell using a third or a fourth read voltage based on the data read from the flag cell using the second read voltage, if a threshold voltage of the main cell shifts.
US08279671B2
A programming method of a nonvolatile memory device is provided including: applying a local voltage to a first unselected word line; applying a local voltage to a second unselected word line, after the local voltage is applied to the first unselected word line; and applying a pass voltage to the first unselected word line, after the local voltage is applied to the second unselected word line. Related devices and systems are also provided herein.
US08279654B2
A resistance change memory device includes: memory cells each having a current path in which a storage element, whose resistance changes according to the voltage applied, and an access transistor are connected in series; first wirings each connected to one end of the current path; second wirings each connected to the other end of the current path; a well which is a semiconductor region in which the access transistors are formed; and a drive circuit.
US08279648B2
An apparatus and method for converting an input signal to an output AC signal in which the input voltage signal is inverted and modulated to provide an intermediate AC signal having twice the desired output frequency. The intermediate signal is then full-wave rectified and then the polarity of the rectified signal is switched every second cycle to produce the output AC signal of a desired frequency and voltage.
US08279640B2
In one embodiment, a system may include multiple transformers each to provide an output to one or more power cells, where the power cells provide AC power to a load. Each transformer may have at least one primary winding and multiple secondary windings, where the primary winding of each transformer is phase shifted with respect to its neighboring transformers and the secondary windings are also phase shifted. The phase shift of the primary winding can be based on the phase shift of the secondary windings and a number of the plurality of transformers.
US08279634B2
Disclosed are circuits and methods for use in a control circuit of a switching mode power supply for turning on a switching device in the switching mode power supply when the voltage across the switching device is at a minimum. A voltage detector is provided for detecting the voltage across the switching device to produce a detection voltage which is a function of the voltage across the switching device, and circuit arrangement is used to predict a valley timing for the voltage across the switching device by evaluating the time period that the detection voltage falls down from a first threshold to a second threshold.
US08279625B2
Electrical components such as integrated circuits may be mounted on a printed circuit board. To prevent the electrical components from being subjected to electromagnetic interference, a radio-frequency shielding structure may be mounted over the electrical components. The radio-frequency shielding structure may be formed from a printed circuit that includes a ground plane such as a flex circuit or rigid printed circuit board that includes at least one blanket layer of metal. The printed circuit board to which the electrical components are mounted may include a recess in which the electrical components are mounted. Additional components may be mounted to the interior and exterior surface of the radio-frequency shielding structure. The radio-frequency shielding structure may be formed from a flex circuit that has slits at its corners to accommodate folding.
US08279621B2
A plurality of AC_LED units are coupled and disposed on a single chip to form an AC_LED system in single chip. Alternatively, an AC LED system in single chip with four metal contacts is also disclosed.
US08279617B2
A pad layout structure of a driver IC chip of a liquid crystal display device includes dummy power pads and dummy ground pads, which are disposed in corners of the driver IC chip and are connected to main power pads and main ground pads by metal lines in a chip-on-film (COF) package. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the resistance of power supply lines and ground lines, to minimize a power dip of a block located far away from the main power pads and main ground pads, and to prevent a failure in power application, which may occur due to a decrease of adhesive strength at a specific position, by dispersing the adhesion positions of the power pads and ground pads.
US08279600B2
An electronic device enclosure for suppressing Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI) includes a first plate defined on a first plane, a second plate defined on a second plane and a number of polygonal holes defined in the first plate at an angle of orientation. The second plane is substantially perpendicular to the first plane. The angle of orientation of the number of polygonal holes in the first plate is set according to a number of maximum dimensions in a direction substantially perpendicular to the second plane. The angle of orientation is defined such that there are a minimum number of maximum dimensions.
US08279598B2
A semi-auto sliding mechanism is provided, including a first member, a second member, a first rack, a second rack, a pinion gear pivotally connected to the second member, and a clockwork spring connecting the pinion gear to the second member. The first and second racks are disposed on the first member. When the first member is moved relative to the second member to a first position by an external force, the pinion gear rolls along the first rack, and an elastic potential energy is stored in the clockwork spring. When the external force is released, the clockwork spring impels the pinion gear to rotate along the second rack, such that the first member moves relative to the second member from the first position to a second position.
US08279597B2
A modular processing module allowing in-situ maintenance is provided. The modular processing module comprises a set of processing module sides. Each processing module side comprises a circuit board, a plurality of connectors, and a plurality of processing nodes. Each processing module side couples to another processing module side using at least one connector in the plurality of connectors such that, when all of the set of processing module sides are coupled together, the modular processing module is formed. The modular processing module comprises an exterior connection to a power source and a communication system and at least one heatsink that couples to at least a portion of the plurality of processing nodes on one of the processing module sides and is designed such that, when a set of heatsinks in the modular processing module are installed, an empty space is left in a center of the modular processing module.
US08279589B2
One or more apparatuses and methods are disclosed for data entry from a removable portable device cover which are configured to cover, surround, and/or encapsulate at least a portion of an exterior shell of a portable electronic device. In one embodiment of the invention, a physical keyboard is operatively connected and/or attached to a removable portable device frame of the removable portable device cover, wherein the removable portable device frame is designed to fit a portable electronic device. In some embodiments of the invention, the operative connection and/or attachment of a physical keyboard to a removable portable frame may be accomplished by using straps, connector ports, and/or wireless protocols. Furthermore, a physical keyboard operatively connected and/or attached to the removable portable device frame may be a foldable physical keyboard which enables easy touch-typing for a user if the foldable physical keyboard is fully expanded.
US08279583B2
A solid electrolytic capacitor containing a capacitor element that includes an anode, dielectric layer, and solid electrolyte is provided. The anode is formed from a plurality (e.g., two or more) of separate components, which allows the properties of each component (e.g., density, quality, etc.) to be more readily controlled during manufacturing. The components are electrically connected using a refractory metal paste (e.g., tantalum paste) that sinter bonds to the components to form a strong and reliable connection. The ability to reliably bond together separate components enables the use of a wide degree of possible cross-sectional profiles for each individual component. For example, the components may posses a relatively complex profile that contains one or more indentations and/or projections for increasing surface area. Despite the complex profile, the components may be readily connected to each other in accordance with the present invention to form the anode.
US08279578B2
[Problem to be Solved] To provide a helical capacitor for controlling a high-frequency power which flows in power lines, and a manufacturing method of the helical capacitor.[Solution] A helical capacitor is constituted by helically spiraling a belt shape capacitor line 1001 which includes an internal metal body to be a helically spiraled belt-shape internal electrical conductor, a dielectric film covering the internal electrical conductor, and an electrically conductive layer covering the dielectric film. The capacitor line of belt shape 1001 can be wrapped around the internal support body 1200. Internal metal body lead terminals 1311, 1321 are respectively formed at both ends of the internal metal body, and electrically conductive layer lead terminals 1312, 1322 can be respectively formed at both ends of the electrically conductive layer.
US08279577B2
A support for a substrate processing chamber comprises a chuck having a substrate receiving surface, and a base comprising an upper wall comprising a recessed trench having (i) an attachment face at a first depth, and (ii) a fluid channel at a second depth. A lower wall is seated in the recessed trench and attached to the attachment face of the upper wall, to close the fluid channel. A fluid inlet is provided to supply a heat transfer fluid to the fluid channel and a fluid outlet provided to discharge the heat transfer fluid from the fluid channel.
US08279565B2
Systems and methods for providing overcurrent circuit protection are disclosed. A method of providing overcurrent circuit protection may include setting a threshold current value according to an operational state of a motor and sensing an amount of current being supplied to the motor. The method may further include electrically isolating the motor from a current source if the sensed current amount is greater than the threshold current value.
US08279564B2
Alternating electric current flow through a lamp fixture (L) of a maximum power rating is reduced without being terminated should a lamp be used in the fixture of a power rating that exceeds the fixture's maximum power rating. This is done using a thermally responsive switch (B) connected in series with a resistor (S) of relatively low resistance and in parallel with a resistor (P) of relatively high resistance, the switch and resistors being thermally connected, and by simultaneously passing alternating current to the fixture through an auxiliary line which has a diode (D1) that substantially halves current flow through the auxiliary line.
US08279558B2
An assembly includes a slider and a suspension assembly. The slider includes an air bearing surface and a slider mounting surface opposite the air bearing surface. There are a plurality of slider pads on the slider mounting surface. The suspension assembly includes a plurality of suspension pads on a suspension mounting surface. Each of the suspension pads is connected to one of the slider pads with a solder joint so that the slider mounting surface has at least one of a pitch, roll, or yaw angle with respect to the suspension mounting.
US08279552B2
A HDD comprising an internal base plate comprising a porous material and configured for attachment of internal components of the HDD, an external hermetic base plate comprising a non-porous material and configured to hermetically seal the HDD, an external attachment base plate comprising fastening features and an external hermetic cover hermetically sealed to the external hermetic base plate.
US08279543B2
A lens drive unit includes a movable member with lenses; and a guide portion configured to movably guide the movable member back and forth along a predetermined direction and rotatably guide the movable member about a predetermined rotational axis in a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the lens. A distance r between the gravity center of the movable member and the rotational axis satisfies the following expression (A): r≦√{square root over (0.2J/M)} (A).
US08279536B2
A fixed-focus lens capable of imaging a light valve disposed at a reduced side onto a magnified side is provided. The fixed-focus lens includes a first lens group, a second lens group, and a free form reflective mirror. The first lens group is disposed in the light path between the reduced side and the magnified side. The second lens group is disposed in the light path between the first lens group and the magnified side and includes a first free form lens. The free form reflective mirror is disposed in the light path between the second lens group and the magnified side. An imaging surface imaged from the light valve by the fixed-focus lens is a curved surface. An imaging system using the fixed-focus lens is also provided.
US08279534B2
A lens driving device has a motor mounted to a plate, a lead screw connected to the motor for undergoing rotation about an axial line thereof, a nut threadingly engaged with the lead screw, and a casing mounted to the plate for housing the lead screw and the nut. The nut has a convex protruding portion protruding outwardly from an outer peripheral surface of the nut. The casing has a fitting groove linearly formed in the casing in a direction of the axial line for receiving the protruding portion in a state in which the protruding portion is fitted in the fitting groove so as to regulate rotation of the nut, and for movably guiding the protruding portion in the fitted state in the direction of the axial line to move the nut back and forth along the lead screw. At least one of the casing and the protruding portion of the nut has a tapered surface formed so as to forcibly guide the protruding portion toward the fitting groove to gradually fit the protruding portion into the fitting groove when the casing and the plate are mounted together.
US08279533B2
A zoom lens includes a negative first lens-group, a positive second lens-group, and a positive third lens-group, sequentially arranged from the object side. The focal length magnification of the zoom lens is changeable by changing a distance between the lens-groups. The first lens-group is composed of a negative first lens, the image side of which is concave, and a positive second lens that is an aspheric plastic lens. The second lens-group is composed of a cemented lens and a meniscus-form fifth lens having a convex surface facing the object side. The cemented lens is composed of a double-convex-form positive third lens and a double-concave-form negative fourth lens. The third lens-group is composed of a positive sixth lens, which is a single lens. Formula (1) about focal length fG2 of the second lens-group and focal length fw of the entire system at wide end is satisfied: 1.10
US08279529B2
A zoom lens system is provided that includes a compactly constructed focusing lens unit and that has a suppressed change in the image magnification at the time of movement of a focusing lens unit and further that can compensate an image blur caused by vibration applied to the entire system. The zoom lens system according to the present invention comprises a plurality of lens units and an aperture diaphragm arranged in the lens unit. The plurality of lens units include: a negative lens unit that is arranged on an object side relative to the aperture diaphragm and provided with negative optical power having an absolute value greatest in the entire system and that moves in a direction along an optical axis at the time of zooming; a focusing lens unit that is arranged in an optical path between the negative lens unit and the aperture diaphragm and that moves in a direction along the optical axis at the time of focusing such that an interval relative to the negative lens unit should vary; and an image blur compensation lens unit that is arranged on the image side relative to the focusing lens unit and that moves in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis when the image blur caused by vibration in the zoom lens system should be compensated.
US08279524B2
A polarization-modulating optical element formed of an optically active crystal material has a thickness profile where the thickness, as measured in the direction of the optical axis, varies over the area of the optical element. The polarization-modulating optical element has the effect that the plane of oscillation of a first linearly polarized light ray and the plane of oscillation of a second linearly polarized light ray are rotated, respectively, by a first angle of rotation and a second angle of rotation, with the first angle of rotation and the second angle of rotation being different from each other.
US08279512B2
A periscope that is switchable between the normal optical view of the outside, a display view, and an overlay view in which the outside view and display view are combined. The switching element is an electronically switchable mirror with primarily reflective, primarily transparent, and intermediate states, depending on the application of electrical potentials.
US08279511B2
Embodiments relate to a method and apparatus for producing polarized light, having a modulator crystal, where the modulator crystal incorporates a birefringent electro- optic material. The modulator crystal has an optic axis, a first polarization axis, and a second polarization axis, where the first polarization axis and second polarization axis are each perpendicular to the optic axis and perpendicular to each other. The apparatus can also include an electrode pair, where application of an electric field modulates light passing through the modulator crystal that is polarized along the first polarization axis. Embodiments pertain to a method and apparatus for modulating light. The apparatus incorporates a modulator crystal having an electro-optic material. The device also has at least two electrode pairs, where each electrode pair that modulates light passing through the modulator crystal that has a direction of travel that has a component parallel to the optic axis.
US08279503B2
A sheet media reading control method includes conveying a sheet medium on which magnetic ink characters are printed through a transportation path, reading the magnetic ink characters and an image of the sheet medium using a magnetic head and an image sensor head positioned along the transportation path, extracting partial scanned image data containing at least an outside edge part of the sheet medium from the scanned image data captured by the image sensor head, executing a skew evaluation based on the partial scanned image data to detect if the sheet medium is conveyed skewed at a skew angle exceeding an allowable skew angle, and invalidating at least the magnetic ink character data captured by the magnetic head from sheet media that are determined by the skew evaluation to be skewed.
US08279502B2
An image reading apparatus has a plurality of emitters that emit light onto a manuscript surface in a light quantity that is the synthesized light quantity of light emitted from the plurality of emitters. In the image reading apparatus, determination on the abnormality of a reference white data level value at the time of turning on a power supply is carried out through comparison between the reference white data level value with a predetermined absolute value. A normal reference white data level value is stored in a first storing unit, while a comparison white data level value detected at the time of manuscript reading operation is stored in a second storing unit. Then, a differential between the level values stored in the first and second storing units is calculated, and an abnormality determining unit compares the differential with a predetermined threshold to detect the abnormality of an emitter.
US08279498B2
A document reading apparatus includes an integral display portion integrally provided with the area sensor portion and a main CPU for controlling screen display of the integral display portion, in which a document placed on a screen of the integral display portion is read by the area sensor portion. The integral display portion has an operation area for displaying various operation keys of the document reading apparatus on its screen, and the main CPU detects an area of the document placed on the screen by the area sensor portion and sets an area other than an area where the document is placed as the operation area of the document reading apparatus.
US08279494B2
There is provided an image printer having a display unit, in which a predetermined image can be set as a background picture of the display unit. The image printer includes an image processing unit processing an image selected by a user in accordance with a predetermined image processing technique so as to set the selected image as a background picture of the display unit; and a setting unit setting the processed image as the background picture of the display unit, wherein the display unit displays the processed image.
US08279490B2
In a matrix area, a plurality of linear areas each of which extends in a tilt direction tilted relatively to row and column directions are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the tilt direction without spaces, and the plurality of linear areas are alternatively assigned to first and second element groups along an arrangement direction. One element is specified in each element group and subsequently process of specifying an element farthest from specified elements, is repeated to acquire a turn-on order of dots with increase in gray level in one grayscale range and a turn-off order of dots with decrease in gray level in the remaining grayscale range, and a threshold value of each element is determined according to these orders. Thus, generated is a threshold matrix capable of reducing graininess in a halftone image with directionality in the tilt direction, and improving the reproduction of thin lines and characters.
US08279472B2
An image processing apparatus capable of executing a plurality of types of jobs includes a storage unit configured to store an integrated document including image data and a plurality of types of accompanying information related to the image data, a receiving unit configured to receive an instruction for executing a job for the integrated document stored in the storage unit, a deletion unit configured to delete at least a part of the accompanying information of the integrated document for which the instruction for executing the job is received by the receiving unit if the job for which the instruction for execution is received by the receiving unit is a predetermined type of job, and an execution unit configured to execute the job for which the instruction for execution is received by the receiving unit.
US08279465B2
A method for routing a facsimile according to one embodiment of the present invention includes analyzing text of a facsimile for at least one of a meaning and a context of the text; and routing the facsimile to one or more destinations based on the analysis. A method for routing a facsimile according to another embodiment of the present invention includes analyzing a pattern of light and dark areas of a facsimile; correlating the pattern to one or more forms; and routing the facsimile to one or more destinations based on the correlation. Additional systems and methods are also presented.
US08279461B2
Systems and methods for managing a plurality of resources across multiple printing devices are disclosed. An exemplary system includes a resource server. The resource server includes a processor and memory in electronic communication with the processor. Instructions are stored in the memory. The instructions are executable to implement a method that involves receiving a registration message from a printing device. The method also involves downloading to the printing device a plurality of soft-links to resources in a server resource repository. The method also involves receiving a request for a resource from the printing device. The request includes a soft-link to the resource. The method also involves attempting to download the resource to the printing device in response to receiving the request.
US08279456B2
A handheld display device for interacting with printed content and filling in a form. The device includes: an optical sensor for imaging an area of a printed substrate containing the printed content and generating image data; an opaque touch-sensitive display screen for displaying display output to a user; a processor configured for: monitoring the identity of the substrate and the position of the device relative to the substrate using the image data; retrieving display data; rendering the display output to the display screen; and interpreting user input to a displayed form via the touch-sensitive display screen. The opaque touch-sensitive display screen has real-time virtual transparency through the screen to the printed content from a user's perspective to provide a virtual window to the printed content.
US08279446B2
An apparatus for measuring a layered object comprising a low coherence light source, a coherent light source, and an interferometer including a reference arm and a measurement arm. The reference arm is comprised of a first section of polarization maintaining optical fiber engaged with a first fiber stretcher. The measurement arm is comprised of a second section of polarization maintaining optical fiber engaged with a second fiber stretcher. The first and second fiber stretchers are driven so as to alternatingly vary the lengths of the first section of polarization maintaining optical fiber and the second section of polarization maintaining optical fiber, thereby causing interference signals with the low coherence light when the length of the reference arm is equal to the length of the measurement arm including the distance from the second section of polarization maintaining optical fiber to any of the surfaces of the layers of the object.
US08279444B2
The Invention relates to a method for producing a solid support coated by a metal Layer to which an SiOx layer provided with a uniform and stable thickness is applied, wherein said solid support makes it possible to determine the pretense of a compound on the surface thereof by means of Surface Plasmon Resonance (≦SPR ≧).
US08279440B2
A hand-held light measuring device includes a device housing (G) with a bottom face incorporating a measuring window (7) through which a measurement optical path extends so that a measurement object can be measured when the device housing (G) is positioned with its bottom face on the measurement object. The measuring device has an integrated, displaceably mounted white reference tile, which can be moved into the measurement optical path and moved back out of it again. The white reference tile is disposed in an end region of an oblong support plate (10) on its side directed towards the housing interior. The support plate (10) is mounted so that it can move backwards and forwards between a parked position and an operating position, and the support plate (10) terminates the device housing (G) at its bottom face and is recessed into the device housing (G) in the parked position, and the support plate (10) is lifted out from the bottom face of the device housing (G) and moved in the longitudinal direction and covers the measuring window (7) by means of the end region incorporating the white reference tile in the operating position. The kinematics of the support plate (10) and white reference tile are simple in design/operation and the support plate and white reference tile can be moved easily and comfortably.
US08279431B2
In spectral detection for detecting the shape of repeating pattern structures uniformly formed on a surface of a test object, it is advantageous to use light having a wide wavelength range in a short wavelength region. However, it is not easy to realize a relatively simple optical system capable of spectral detection of light having a wide wavelength range in a short wavelength region, namely in ultraviolet region. The present invention provides an inspection apparatus for detecting pattern defects. The inspection apparatus includes a spectral detection optical system capable of spectral detection of light in a wavelength range from deep ultraviolet to near infrared. The spectral detection optical system includes a spatially partial mirror serving as a half mirror and a reflecting objective provided with an aperture stop for limiting the angle and direction of light to be applied to and reflected by a test object.
US08279422B2
A method of an apparatus for measuring or determining the movement characteristics of an object uses the detection of changes in beams. A set of beams F1-B1, F2-B2, F3-B3 is disposed in the movement path of the object; at relative angles to each other; and at acute angles to the intended direction of the object. The number of changes in the beams or durations between changes in the beams are recorded. The relative times, durations or differences in relative times, at which different beams of the set are changed are measured. The resulting measurements are associated with the relevant movement characteristics of the object.
US08279419B2
The present invention provides a method and a geodetic scanner for determining the appearance of a target. In the method and geodetic scanner of the present invention, an initial can is performed to calculate or determine a set of optimal gain values for each one of a number of predetermined positions (151-166) at the surface of the target (150). Once gain values (g151-g166) have been determined for all predetermined positions, distances to each one of the predetermined positions are calculated using the gain values. The present invention is advantageous in that the measurement rate and the overall efficiency are increased.
US08279416B2
An optoelectronic sensor (10) having a light transmitter (12) for the transmitting of laser pulses (18) into a monitored region (24) by means of a laser light source (14) and having a driver circuit (16, 30) for the laser light source (14) is described which is designed to set the light transmitter (12) into a working state in which the laser light source (14) transmits a laser pulse (18) or into a preparatory state. The driver circuit (16, 30) is further designed to set the light transmitter (12) into the preparatory state in each case prior to the transmission of a laser pulse (18).
US08279406B2
A loading/unloading method to perform quickly exchanging an article to be loaded on a placing table. The method comprises: positioning the placing table, where article to be unloaded is placed, to a second position that is different from a first position; unloading the article that exists on the placing table; moving the placing table from the second position to the first position while the vertically moving member is positioned at a position lower than a lower surface of a loading member holding a next article and higher than the placing surface of the placing table; allowing a loading member holding the next article to wait over the first position before the placing table is positioned at the first position; and loading the next article onto the place table positioned at the first position after the placing table is moved to the first position.
US08279400B2
Disclosed herein is a super-resolution lithography apparatus and method based on a multiple light exposure method. The super-resolution lithography apparatus comprises a photographic medium having energy levels of a first ground state, a second ground state, a first excited state, a second excited state and a quenching state; a first light source inducing energy level transition between the first ground state and the first excited state of the photographic medium; a second light source inducing energy level transition between the second ground state and the first excited state of the photographic medium; and a third light source inducing energy level transition between the second ground state and the second excited state of the photographic medium. Accordingly, the resolution of lithography can be improved simply by using a photographic medium having a simple structure and conventional laser beams and increasing the number of exposure steps. Furthermore, a multiple photon absorber that is difficult to obtain, a medium having a complicated energy level and a high-efficiency quantum optical light are unnecessary, and thus economic efficiency is improved.
US08279395B2
A super-twist nematic (STN) liquid crystal (LC) light shutter with improved contrast performance, lower power requirements and enhanced off-axis performance. Compensator components may be disposed in front of and, in some cases, behind the liquid crystal cell. In some embodiments, a STN LC cell with a twist angle of 270 degrees may be used. In other embodiments, a STN LC cell with a twist angle ranging between just greater than 270 degrees and 285 degrees may be used. Also disclosed is a system incorporating the various disclosed STN LC shutters.
US08279389B2
A poly-silicon type thin film transistor substrate includes: a plurality of gate lines and data lines defining a pixel; a pixel electrode in the pixel; a thin film transistor having a gate electrode connected to one of the gate lines, a source electrode connected to one of the data lines, a drain electrode connected to the pixel electrode, and a first active layer of poly-silicon defining a channel between the source electrode and the drain electrode; and at least two storage lines positioned on different sides of the pixel electrode.
US08279387B2
A liquid crystal display includes opening patterns in the electrodes or protrusions on the electrodes. The opening patterns or the protrusions have a pattern which controls the direction of the liquid crystal molecules. Thus the quality of the LCD can be improved.
US08279382B2
The present invention provides a display device which can provide bright display by both of reflective display and transmissive display without having a multi-gap structure and which can reduce a difference in response time between the reflective region and the transmissive region. The display device of the present invention is a display device including: a pair of substrates; a display medium interposed between the pair of substrates; and a pixel having a reflective region for performing reflective display and a transmissive region for performing transmissive display, wherein the display device includes a pixel electrode and a common electrode on one of the pair of substrates, a voltage is applied to the display medium through the pixel electrode and the common electrode, the pixel electrode is provided with a plurality of slits, the plurality of slits include a pair of line-symmetric slits, and a slit arranged between the pair of line-symmetric slits, of inner contours facing each other of the pair of line-symmetric slits, one forms an angle with the other, and an axis of symmetry of the pair of line-symmetric slits is positioned in the reflective region.
US08279379B2
There is provided a light receiving device including a polarization dispersing section that disperses a polarization direction of incoming light into a plurality of polarization directions, a light collecting section that has a metal pattern shaped like concentric circles on a surface thereof, where the light collecting section collects light that has passed through the polarization dispersing section, and a light receiving section that receives the light collected by the light collecting section. Also provided are a light receiving device manufacturing method and a light receiving method. The light collecting section may have a surface plasmon antenna that has the metal pattern shaped like the concentric circles on a surface thereof, and the light receiving section may receive the light collected toward a center of the concentric circles of the metal pattern of the light collecting section, through a hole at the center of the concentric circles, on a rear side of the light collecting section.
US08279369B2
A polarized light emitting light guide plate includes: a transparent substrate of optically isotropic material, in which the light incident through a lateral side thereof travels; an anisotropic liquid crystal polymer layer formed on an upper surface of the substrate and having first and second refractive indices with respect to first and second perpendicular polarization components; and a polarization separation microstructure formed at an interface between the transparent substrate and the liquid crystal polymer layer, which refracts or reflects the first polarization component and transmits the second polarization component. The refractive index of the polarization separation microstructure is substantially equal to the refractive index of the substrate; the first refractive index of the liquid crystal polymer layer is greater than the refractive index of the substrate, and the second refractive index of the liquid crystal polymer layer light is substantially equal to the refractive index of the substrate.
US08279367B2
A backlight assembly includes a lamp socket unit, a printed circuit board and a lower receiving container. The printed circuit board includes a cutout portion which receives the lamp socket unit therethrough. The lower receiving container receives the lamp socket unit and the printed circuit board. The lamp socket unit is coupled to the printed circuit board, and the printed circuit board, having the lamp socket unit coupled thereto, is disposed in the lower receiving container.
US08279356B2
A digital TV (DTV) incorporates a TV white space device capable of operating on plural TV frequencies and responsive to the DTV processor to send a signal to an interfering white space device nearby the DTV that is interfering with a TV channel being presented on the TV. The signal sent from the TV white space device to the interfering white space device alters operation of the interfering white space device so as to reduce if not eliminate the interference.
US08279352B2
In a video display device of the present invention, a main control unit is equipped with a user interface for varying correction values set to a range correction unit and controls a range correction unit by acquiring the corresponding correction values from a storage unit in accordance with correction level information input by the user interface. The storage unit stores range correction values for the video display unit in correspondence with each piece of the correction level information input by the user interface. Thus, it is possible to correct luminance ranges to suit the user's preference without causing a large luminance reduction.
US08279351B2
In accordance with at least one embodiment, a first representation of a first gamma curve is stored in a look-up table, a second representation of a second gamma curve is stored in a look-up table, and a video signal is modified in accordance with an interpolation of at least a portion of the first representation of the first gamma curve and at least a portion of the second representation of the second gamma curve. In accordance with at least one embodiment, the at least a portion of the first representation of the first gamma curve is multiplied by a one's complement of a normalized weight factor, the at least a portion of the second representation of the second gamma curve is multiplied by the normalized weight factor, and the results are added together to obtain an output video signal.
US08279344B2
A system synchronizes a video presentation to a master time reference (e.g., a corresponding audio presentation) by modifying a video cadence. The system detects when a displayed video leads or lags a master time reference by a programmable level or more. The system minimizes the synchronization error by inserting or removing source video frames to or from a frame cadence pattern.
US08279339B2
A projection display may include a frame rate conversion section selectively performing a first frame rate conversion process or a second frame rate conversion process, an image process section selectively performing a black insertion process or a pair-frames gamma process, and outputting a result as a pair of consecutive image frames, a projection display section projecting and displaying an image on the basis of the video signal processed by the frame rate conversion section or the image process section, and a control section controlling the frame rate conversion section or the image process section according to a selected operation on a menu screen, where the control section performs the user interface function so that the black insertion process or the pair-frames gamma process by the image process section is selected with priority over the first frame rate conversion process by the frame rate conversion section.
US08279337B2
A casing of a webcam improves the hand feel of turning a lens ring. A base of the casing includes a sheath hole having a first connection portion, a first ring-shaped flange formed around an upper side of the lens ring, a second connection portion formed between upper and lower sides of the lens ring, and a second ring-shaped flange formed around the lens ring and abutted against an upper side of the sheath hole and a lower side of the first connection portion, and the first and second ring-shaped flanges of the lens ring are separated from the sheath hole by an interval. A flexible ring is clamped between the first and second connection portions and disposed between the first and second ring-shaped flanges, such that the casing can have a greater manufacturing tolerance to reduce manufacturing costs, and provide a better hand feel of turning the lens ring.
US08279334B2
The present invention integrates a structured light source into an imaging system for reconstructing surface topography of an object being imaged. The structured light source includes a mechanism for transmitting a set of lines onto the object from an angle. The lines are displaced, or phase shifted relative to a stage, when they encounter an object with finite height, such as a mouse. This phase shift provides structured light information for the object. A camera captures the structured light information. Using software that employs a structured light analysis, surface topography data for the object is determined from the phase shift of the lines.
US08279327B2
Camera apparatus with dual lenses that allows quickly switching between lenses in a single camera.
US08279324B2
A control method of detecting an object image to be focused from a sensed image, setting a focus detection area in detecting an in-focus state of a photographing optical system, and exercising control such that the photographing optical system is moved based on a signal output in the focus detection area to carry out focus control, wherein, in the setting of the focus detection area, a first focus detection area corresponding to an object to be focused detected from the sensed image and a second focus detection area which is larger than the first focus detection area are set, and in the focus control, control is exercised such that the photographing optical system is moved based on output signals in the set first and second focus detection areas.
US08279318B2
An image pickup apparatus of the present invention comprises an image obtaining part configured to photoelectrically convert a first object image and a second object image formed by light fluxes divided by a pupil divider among light fluxes from an image pickup optical system to generate a first image and a second image, a displaying part configured to display images, and a processing part configured to cause the displaying part to display a superimposed image formed by superimposing the first and second images on each other.
US08279316B2
Multiple images are captured where the exposure times for some of the images overlap and the images are spatially overlapped. Charge packets are transferred from one or more portions of pixels after particular integration periods, thereby enabling the portion or portions of pixels to begin another integration period while one or more other portions of pixels continue to integrate charge. Charge packets may be binned during readout of the images from the image sensor. Comparison of two or more images having different lengths of overlapping or non-overlapping exposure periods provides motion information. The multiple images can then be aligned to compensate for motion between the images and assembled into a combined image with an improved signal to noise ratio and reduced motion blur.
US08279308B1
Systems and methods (“utility”) for encoding digital linear image data into encoded image data. The utility may be included as part of a digital image capture device, such as a digital camera or a film scanner. The utility may include an encoder module that is operative to encode digital linear image data into encoded data according to an enhanced transfer function. The transfer function includes a linear portion and a logarithmic portion separated by a breakpoint. The transfer function may be continuous and continuously differentiable at the breakpoint. Further, the transfer function may operate to reduce the bit depth of the image data (e.g., from 12 bits to 10 bits, or the like) to provide compression for the image data.
US08279306B2
An imaging system includes a plurality of pixels. A pixel readout circuit produces a plurality of first image frames from those pixels. An image output circuit produces a plurality of second image frames and operates to produce a second image frame from more than one of the first image frames. The pixel readout circuit is enabled to produce the first images frames at a rate faster than the image output circuit produces the second image frames. Through combining first image frames, by averaging or other statistical combinations, the photon shot noise of second image frames is reduced. Photon shot noise affects images with high light levels more than those with low light levels and, as such, the system processing alters the rate of first image frames dependent on the current light levels.
US08279300B2
An imaging device is provided which includes a color component region detection portion that detects, from image data of a photographic subject, a region that has a same or a similar color component to a color component of a target photographic subject, an area calculation portion that calculates an area of the detected region, a luminance calculation portion that calculates luminance of the whole photographic subject and luminance of the detected region, a current luminance level determination portion that determines a current luminance level corresponding to the area of the detected region, using the luminance of the whole photographic subject and the luminance of the detected region, and an exposure amount calculation portion that calculates an amount of exposure such that the current luminance level becomes a target luminance level.
US08279298B2
An imaging apparatus includes a signal processing unit that generates moving image data and still image data using image data output from an imaging unit, a moving image coding unit that encodes the moving image data, a still image coding unit that encodes the still image data, a recording unit that records the coded moving and still image data on a recording medium, a setting unit that sets a data rate of the coded moving image data, and a control unit that controls the moving and still image coding units. The control unit controls the moving image coding unit based on the set data rate to adjust the data rate of the moving image data and the still image coding unit based on the set data rate and a recording data rate of the recording medium to adjust an amount of the still image data.
US08279297B2
The invention provides an image processing apparatus comprising: an acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of captured images captured by an image capturing apparatus; a determination unit configured to determine position information of the image capturing apparatus for each of the plurality of captured images so that an evaluation value becomes smaller; and a connecting unit configured to connect the plurality of captured images projected onto a reconstruction plane using the determined position information of the image capturing apparatus, wherein the determination unit comprises a calculation unit configured to project each of the plurality of captured images onto the reconstruction plane based on the set position information and to calculate, as the evaluation value, an image difference between the projected images in a overlapping region between the projected images.
US08279292B2
The accuracy of servo control of a corrective lens in an image stabilization control circuit is prevented from decreasing due to non-linear characteristics of a position-detecting element. A signal representing a component of vibration of an image pickup apparatus is generated based on an angular velocity signal from a vibration-detecting element. A microcomputer corrects the vibration component signal according to a predetermined correction function and generates a target position signal representing a target position of the lens. A position-detection signal based on an output from the position-detecting element is compared with the target position signal, and the position of the lens is servo-controlled. The correction function is set so that the characteristics of variation of the target position signal relative to the target position will be the same as the characteristics of variation of the position-detection signal relative to the actual position of the lens.
US08279291B2
Image transforming apparatus using plural feature points and method of controlling operation of same
First and second images are obtained by continuous shooting. Overall-image shake between the first and second images is detected and shake is corrected. If the image of an automobile, for example, contained in the first and second images is moving from capture of the first image to capture of the second image, the image of the automobile is moved in the second image so as to coincide with the image of the automobile in the first image. The image of the automobile in the first image and the image obtained by moving the image of the automobile are superimposed. Two image frames can be superimposed in accordance with portions in which there is movement of a subject and portions in which there is no movement of the subject but in which blur has occurred owing to camera shake.
US08279290B2
In an image pickup apparatus in which image stabilization is performed based on shake sensor and movement-vector-obtaining method which can perform accurate blur correction since shake components difficult to be detected by shake sensor can be detected by the movement-vector-obtaining method, the image blur due to high frequency vibration such as vehicle vibration cannot be corrected by the movement vector in low-frame-rate shooting since the detectable frequency band narrows in high frequency. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the combination of blur information from the angular velocity sensor and from the movement vector, according to the frequency band detectable by the movement vector depending on change in frame rate. The combination ratio of blur correction based on blur information from angular velocity sensor, acceleration sensor and blur correction based on movement vector is determined depending on frequency detectable by the movement vector which inevitably changes depending on frame rate.
US08279287B2
A passive optical crosswind profiling system. The system includes at least one telescope defining two apertures separated at a distance and adapted to collect light along at least two separate paths from a field of view containing a target and at least one high-speed digital camera defining at least one many pixel sensor wherein pixels of said at least one many pixel sensor are identified as separate blocks of pixels. The system further includes an optical system for focusing light collected along said at least two separate paths by said at least one telescope onto said at least one many pixel sensor to produce at least two images of the target scene and a high-speed computer processor programmed to with a special block matching correlation algorithm to correlate image data collected the separate blocks of pixels in order to calculate a crosswind profile along a path between said system and said target.
US08279285B2
A hybrid image of a scene is formed by obtaining a visible light image and a quantum entanglement image of the scene. Light intensity channel information is extracted from the visible light image of the scene, and a ghost image of the scene is constructed by cross-correlating the extracted light intensity channel information with the quantum entanglement image. The visible light image is thereafter fused with the ghost image so as to form a hybrid image of the scene.
US08279281B1
The disguised surveillance apparatus provides a stuffed animal toy enclosing surveillance components. The toy can be placed anywhere an operator desires increased inconspicuous security. The plurality of solar cells is disposed upwardly within the toy so that the battery pack within the toy is charged by both solar energy and optionally via an electrical plug within the toy. The motion sensor is disposed within the first eye and the camera within the second eye. The housing is disposed within the toy body and contains the microphone, the cell phone, the CPU, and the speaker. Motion detected triggers the camera to record and the cell phone to dial emergency numbers.
US08279276B2
A receiving apparatus includes a receiver, a signal processor, an identifying unit, and a processing determining unit. The receiver receives serial data transmitted from a body-insertable apparatus, the serial data including a payload portion that indicates actual content of the serial data and an additional portion that is added to the payload portion as a signal indicating a position to start processing and contains attribute information that varies according to each type of body-insertable apparatus. The signal processor performs predetermined signal processing on the payload portion of the serial data. The identifying unit identifies a type of the body-insertable apparatus based on the attribute information contained in the additional portion of the serial data. The processing determining unit selects a mode of signal processing performed on the payload portion by the signal processor based on an identification result obtained by the identifying unit.
