US08505672B2

A fuel cell vehicle is provided with a temperature tolerant exhaust system that eliminates the need for exhaust pipes, pipe routing, support systems, and ground clearance issues. The exhaust system includes a fuel cell exhaust pipe in fluid communication with a fuel cell stack and an exhaust tube. The exhaust tube is supported within an exhaust channel that extends along and forms a part of the underbody of the fuel cell vehicle. Alternatively, the exhaust tube is formed within the interior of the exhaust channel.
US08505670B2

A human body communications transmitter is provided to a vehicle body, for transmitting an activation signal by using the human body of a rider as a transmission path on the basis of an instruction from an on-vehicle ECU. A human body communications receiver is provided to an airbag jacket for receiving the activation signal which is transmitted by using the human body of the rider as the transmission path. The in-jacket ECU inflates and thus deploys the airbag jacket upon receipt of the activation signal for the airbag jacket through either human body communications or radio communications. The human body communications transmitter is connected to a right handlebar portion electrode, a left handlebar portion electrode, a seat portion electrode, a right footrest portion electrode and a left footrest portion electrode. The human body communications receiver is connected to an in-jacket electrode adjacent to the human body.
US08505661B2

In a work vehicle, an engine compartment is disposed forwards of a cab. An exhaust gas treatment device is disposed over an engine in the engine compartment. A radiator is disposed forwards of the exhaust gas treatment device (33) in the engine compartment. A blower is configured to generate an airflow passing through the radiator from back to front of the radiator. The exhaust gas treatment device is slanted with respect to a vehicle width direction for increasing a distance between the exhaust gas treatment device and the radiator towards a first lateral face portion. Further, the first lateral face portion includes air inlets facing a space between the exhaust gas treatment device and the radiator.
US08505658B2

A hub unit includes an electric machine adapted for driving a wheel. The hub unit includes at least two planetary gears coupled in series between the electric machine and a wheel hub, and a gear shifting device for connecting and disconnecting, respectively, one of the planetary gears from being drivingly connected to the electric machine.
US08505653B2

A double-acting compounder comprises: an outer housing; an inner mandrel disposed telescopically within the outer housing to define a fluid chamber; an equalizer, such as an equalizer piston, between the fluid chamber and an exterior of the outer housing for equalizing pressure; a movable seal assembly within the fluid chamber with a first end defining an end of the fluid chamber; the inner mandrel having an outer shoulder for moving the movable seal assembly with the inner mandrel when the inner mandrel moves in a first direction relative to the outer housing to compresses fluid within the fluid chamber; and the outer housing having an inner shoulder for preventing the movable seal assembly from moving with the inner mandrel when the inner mandrel moves in a second direction relative to the outer housing to compresses fluid within the fluid chamber.
US08505652B2

A well drilling head comprises a well drilling head housing, a bearing assembly, a first lubricant manifold and a second lubricant manifold. The well drilling head housing has a sidewall structure defining a central bore. The bearing assembly is configured for being removably seated within the well drilling head housing and for having a stripper rubber assembly attached to a lower end portion thereof. The bearing assembly includes a plurality of bearings and a bearing lubricant flow path configured for allowing bearing lubricant to be circulated through the bearings. The first lubricant manifold has a bearing lubricant passage coupled to the first end portion of the bearing lubricant flow path. The second lubricant manifold has a bearing lubricant passage coupled to a second end portion of the bearing lubricant flow path.
US08505648B2

A drive assembly for an impact wrench includes a tool element for working on a workpiece. The drive assembly also includes a ram rotatable about a central axis. The ram includes a ram lug spaced from the central axis. The ram lug has at least one drive surface. The drive assembly further includes an anvil having an anvil lug with at least one driven surface engageable with the drive surface of the ram lug to drive the anvil. The anvil is connectable to the tool element to rotatably drive the tool element. At least one of the drive surface and the driven surface includes an involute profile.
US08505646B2

A cab includes a floor panel, an operator's seat, a handle post, an operating lever and a pedal. The operating lever includes a rod, a lower link member, an upper link member and a handle. The rod has a rod lower end portion, a rod upper end portion and a bent portion connected to the rod lower end portion and the rod upper end portion. The bent portion is formed in a forwardly convex shape. The pedal has a placement surface on which a foot of an operator is placed. A straight line passing along the placement surface in a side view intersecting with the bending point, when the pedal is located in any position within a pivot range.
US08505642B2

Methods and apparatus for a dual stage hazard suppression system according to various aspects of the present invention include a housing containing a first hazard control material that is configured to be located close to a hazard source and a container containing a second hazard control material located at a distance from the hazard source. The housing may be configured to release the first hazard control material in response to a breach of the housing and/or the hazard source. The container may be configured for a timed release of the second hazard control material in response to the release of the first hazard control material. Alternatively, a sensor may be used to trigger the release of the second hazard control material in response to a triggering event separate from the initial breach of the housing and/or the hazard source.
US08505640B2

A combination of a liquid fire extinguishing composition including potassium salts or aluminum salts of an organic acid, resulting in a viscous liquid, is finely divided by a nozzle into droplets which may be applied to a fire or fuel therefor or form a cloud of droplets which settle onto such fire and/or fuel which is particularly effective for fighting fires where fuel is at least initially contained such as oil and grease fires in cooling utensils being heated on stoves. Propellant is contained and not entrained in the dispensed fire fighting composition to avoid at least spreading of the fuel beyond the containment.
US08505626B2

Novel aminoacid alkylphosphonic acid compounds are disclosed. These compounds can be used in multiple applications, in particular in a scale inhibitor functionality in aqueous systems, including in marine oil recovery.
US08505620B2

According to one embodiment, a system for accessing a subterranean zone from the surface includes a well bore extending from the surface to the subterranean zone, and a well bore pattern connected to the junction and operable to drain fluid from a region of the subterranean zone to the junction.
US08505606B2

An adhesive tape dispenser has a body, an adhesive tap dispensing unit, a knob, a pushing element and a resilient element. The adhesive tape dispensing unit is mounted in the body. The knob is mounted rotatably on the body and has a guiding structure formed obliquely on the knob and having two ends each having a limiting capability to restrict a rotating range of the knob relative to the body between the ends of the guiding structure. The pushing element is mounted slidably in the body, is connected between the knob and the adhesive tape dispensing unit and has a guided structure connected slidably to slide along the guiding structure on the knob when the knob is rotated. The resilient element is mounted in the body to provide a recoil force to the adhesive tape dispensing unit.
US08505599B2

A prefabricated panelization system having a floor or roof component and a frame component. In particular, the floor or roof component includes a deck member, which can be made of deck sections, profiles, or panels. For example, the deck member can be made of continuous panels that cover the desired width and length of the floor or roof component without intermediate beams between supporting elements. Alternatively, the deck members can be made of individual or panelized sections that are combined in juxtaposed relation to form the desired width and length. The frame component includes opposing horizontal support channels that are attached to opposing columns, respectfully.
US08505586B2

A disconnect transfer conduit comprising flexible tubing; a deformable sleeve surrounding a portion of the flexible tubing; wherein the sleeve is attached to the flexible tubing and is formed of a material having plasticity such that pressure applied to the sleeve causes the sleeve to deform about and seal the flexible tubing and upon continued application of pressure to the sleeve, the sleeve and flexible tubing are cut and the sleeve retains a deformed shape substantially sealing the tubing. Also provided is a method of sealing flexible tubing comprising applying pressure to a sleeve attached to flexible tubing to deform the sleeve and seal the tubing; wherein, applying further pressure to the sleeve to cut the sleeve and tubing, thereby leaving the tubing substantially sealed where cut.
US08505584B2

A structure of water-saving device includes a base, an adjusting ring and a gland. The adjusting ring is mounted in a water-inlet channel. The gland is movably positioned in the base to limit the adjusting ring. A central part of a top surface of the gland sinks downward to form a recess. When water flow impacts the gland, the gland pushes the adjusting ring, such that the adjusting ring is deformed. Since a difference of pressure occurs between a top and bottom surfaces of the gland, the larger the water pressure is, the larger the force from the gland toward the adjusting ring becomes; thus the degree of deformation of the adjusting ring also becomes large, such that the area between the adjusting ring and the bottom surface of the base for water flowing through decreases and the flow of water gradually achieves a stable value.
US08505578B2

The invention relates to an actuator (10) for controlling a fluid flow which comprises a valve housing (11), a flow restrictor (18) and a valve seat (16), in which the flow restrictor (18) is designed such that the flow restrictor (18)—together with a closure (22) which is connected to the valve housing (12)—will form a pressure-relieving chamber (28), and as a result, a relative movement of the flow restrictor (18) and the chamber closure (22) together with the actuation will cause the volume of the pressure-relieving chamber (28) to change as a function of the direction of movement, and the flow restrictor (18) has a recess (24) which will allow the fluid to be controlled to flow into the pressure-relieving chamber (28). The invention is characterized in that the seal (26, 30) between the flow restrictor (18) and the valve housing (11) is designed such that, in the closing position, with the flow restrictor (18) resting tightly on the valve seat (16), the seal (26, 30) will have a sealing effect, and with the flow restrictor (18) not resting on the seat, the seal (26, 30) will allow a defined amount of fluid from the pressure-relieving chamber (28) to pass through.
US08505575B2

A water supply module for hydrotherapy, which includes a pump, a water inlet, a micro bubble water outlet, a pressurized water outlet, a relief valve, and a mixer. The water inlet is connected to the pump. The micro bubble water outlet and the pressurized water outlet are connected to an outlet of the pump. The relief valve is installed in between the outlet of the pump and the micro bubble water outlet, and the mixer is installed in between the water inlet and the relief valve. A drain valve is further connected off the bottom of the pump to drain out the residual water from the pump and the piping. The integrated water supply module provides space-saving advantage. Furthermore, by draining the residual water, the water supply module also improves SPA hygiene by reducing the risk of skin diseases and infections.
US08505573B2

An actuator base, bobbin, and pole piece form a pocket for an armature that a flexible membrane encloses to form an armature chamber filled with an incompressible fluid. The membrane protects the armature from exposure to corrosive fluids flowing in a conduit. Conduit flow can be stopped by driving the membrane against a valve seat. Pressure from the controlled fluid in the conduit is transmitted through the membrane to the fluid within the armature chamber so that the armature does not need to counteract force applied to the membrane by the conduit fluid's pressure.
US08505569B2

A residue collector for collecting residual fluid from a low pressurized hose, which runs perpendicularly or at an incline, includes two pipe nozzles that are joined together, the interior spaces of which are connected to each other and form a hollow space, which can be connected to an upwardly extending portion of the low pressurized hose by way of an upper orifice and can be connected to a downwardly extending portion of the low pressurized hose by way of a lower orifice. The front end of the pipe nozzle that is connected to the lower orifice is closed and a protuberance is provided into the front end of the pipe nozzle that is connected to the upper orifice. The protuberance is directed outwardly and with the material thereof being flexible and having a wall thickness that is permits folding, at least partially, into the hollow space due to low pressurization.
US08505558B2

A combination toothpick and mint dispenser. On a bottom end of the dispenser is a toothpick. On a top end (opposite the bottom end) is a chamber which is used to hold solid mints or liquid refreshment (such as mouthwash). In an embodiment, a shaft connecting the chamber to the toothpick can be hollow, thereby allowing liquid refreshment to pass from the chamber through a bottom of the shaft and out of the dispenser.
US08505554B2

The present invention relates to an applicator which allows for precise, non-messy and even application of a hair treatment composition to a hair strand. The applicator comprises a plate movably joined by a connection to a well, a hair orientation element on the internal surface of the plate which extends towards the well and a liquid impervious, resilient fluid metering element comprising a lower metering element on the rim of the well and an upper metering element on the internal surface of the plate, wherein each independently comprise an inner and an outer surface, wherein the outer surface of the upper metering element and lower metering element independently have a convex shape. When the applicator is in a closed state, the lower metering element and the upper metering element are substantially juxtaposed to provide the fluid metering element.
US08505548B2

A simulated cigarette device (1) comprising an elongate housing (3) having an inhaling outlet at one end (5) and a refill inlet. A reservoir (7) extends along a substantial portion of the housing and has a refill valve (6) adjacent to the refill inlet and an outlet valve (9) adjacent to the inhaling outlet, which is operable to allow gas from the reservoir to pass from the reservoir and out of the inhaling outlet. An air flow passage into the housing downstream of the reservoir leads to the inhaling outlet. A valve opening mechanism having a rotatable valve (16,28) is associated with the air flow passage and is arranged to open the outlet valve (9) as air is sucked through the air flow passage.
US08505543B2

A male chastity apparatus, system and method are disclosed. The apparatus, in one embodiment, includes a housing, a protrusion, and a lock. The housing is configured to contain a shaft of a penis of a user. The housing, in certain embodiments, is made of a substantially rigid material that prevents the user from stimulating the shaft of the user's penis. The protrusion is configured to engage a piercing in the user's penis. The protrusion, in certain embodiments, is also made of a substantially rigid material. The lock is configured to engage the protrusion and to attach the protrusion to the housing.
US08505542B2

A hand restraint/cloth diaper combination can be used any time an infant needs to have their hands restrained from touching their heads or other parts of their body. The restraint device of the present invention allows for an infant to have muscle exercise and movement, while still allowing the diaper to be changed. The restraint device may be adjusted to keep the arms to be restrained right next to the infant's hips for travel or sitting and may be further adjusted to allow increased movement for laying and exercise. The restraint device may include a cloth diaper, an elastic waistband on the cloth diaper, an extra elastic band adapted to run around the back of the infant, and adjustable arm cuffs.
US08505534B2

A humidifying device for breathing gases. The humidifying device has a housing with a recess, a heater, an evaporating chamber with a water feed, a breathing gas feed channel, a breathing gas outlet channel and at least one float element and at least one filling level indicator. The evaporating chamber can be introduced at least partially into the recess and is in contact with the heater to heat water and is designed to receive water from a water reservoir through the water feed. The at least one float element is guided in a floatingly movable manner on the water and is designed to close the feed of water above a water level set point in the evaporating chamber, and the at least one filling level indicator is designed to recognize the drop of the water level from the water level set point as a function of the position of the at least one float element.
US08505530B2

An exhaust system includes a hood structure having one or more of (i) an exhaust flow infeed surface extending downward from a lower end of the filter unit that helps to feed the thermal plume toward the filter unit, (ii) a bypass flow transition surface extending upward from the upper end of the filter unit and then forward to aid bypass flow in circulating back toward the filter aperture and (iii) a front wall structure that includes a downwardly extending wall portion with a chamfered and/or curved transition portion at its lower end and a rearwardly extending wall portion.
US08505525B2

A paintball marker has an inline cylinder that includes a gas governor that reduces gas flow from a compressed gas source to a valve area when the bolt is in a firing position; this increases efficiency in the marker because only the required air is used to fire the paintball. This bolt operates independent of the valve pin, which increases cycle speed and enables the governor to open and close at an optimum time in the firing cycle. Further, when the bolt/piston is recocking, the gap between the valve pin and governor valve pin enables low pressure gas driving the piston to start pressurizing the cylinder and driving the piston rearwards without resistance from the high pressure gas. The marker also allows a user to remove the inline cylinder without tools, and provides a convenient carrying handle for holding the paintball marker, which is commonly called a “snatch grip.”
US08505522B2

A PCV valve includes a cover of which an inlet is formed thereto, a body connected to the cover to form a hydraulic path therein and the body of which an outlet is formed thereto, a valve body including a valve head and disposed within the hydraulic path for the valve head to selectively block the inlet and an elastic portion which contacts the valve head and elastically supports the valve body within the hydraulic path, wherein a valve head gas groove is formed to a surface of the valve head that contacts the elastic portion.
US08505520B2

An engine assembly includes an engine structure, an intake air assembly and a crankcase ventilation line assembly. The engine structure defines a cylinder bore, an intake port in communication with the cylinder bore, and a crankcase. The air intake assembly is in communication with the intake port. The crankcase ventilation line assembly includes a fresh air line and an oil surge protection device. The fresh air line is in communication with the crankcase and the air intake assembly and provides fresh air to the crankcase. The oil surge protection device is in communication with the fresh air line and defines an oil obstruction inhibiting oil flow to the air intake assembly while allowing air flow between the crankcase and the air intake assembly.
US08505519B2

A PCV anti-freezing apparatus for two-cylinder engine may include a PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) nipple connected to an intake manifold of a two-cylinder engine, and an oil separator formed within the PCV nipple.
US08505515B2

An internal combustion engine with a fuel injection system is provided. The injection system includes a source of pressurized fuel positioned outside an oil-wetted space of an engine and a fuel injector positioned within the space. An engine component that is a part of an engine system other than the fuel injection system is attached to the engine outside the oil-wetted space by a fastener. The fastener is provided with an internal passage forming part of a hydraulic communication between the source of pressurized fuel and the injector.
US08505509B2

The present invention provides to a rocker arm apparatus for cylinder deactivation with a new structure for increasing fuel efficiency in a gasoline engine.For this, the present invention provides a rocker arm apparatus for cylinder deactivation including: a rocker arm; a restoring spring supported at the bottom of a rear end portion of the rocker arm; a roller coupled to the rocker arm to be pressed by a cam; a pair of rocker shaft assemblies each including first and second rocker shafts, and a connecting rod integrally connecting the first and second rocker shafts; a pair of rocker shaft support members connected to the rocker arm by means of the first and second rocker shafts; and a transfer member for controlling the rocker shaft assembly.
US08505506B2

An oil pressure control apparatus includes a control valve mechanism being in communication with a pump via a first fluid passage and being in communication with a control apparatus via a second fluid passage, a third fluid passage diverging from the first fluid passage to supply oil to a predetermined portion other than the control apparatus, and a fluid passage dimension regulating mechanism including a movable member provided at the third fluid passage and including an opening for regulating a fluid passage dimension of the third fluid passage. The fluid passage dimension regulating mechanism is in communication with a fourth fluid passage diverging from the second fluid passage and biases the movable member to a side increasing the fluid passage dimension by applying the hydraulic pressure of the fourth fluid passage to the movable member separately from the hydraulic pressure of the third fluid passage.
US08505502B2

A two-stroke, uniflow, full expansion internal combustion (IC) engine having cylinders that include a cylinder wall and a cylinder head having an exhaust port with exhaust valve, a fuel injector, and a spark means in the cylinder head, and a piston mounted in the cylinder for reciprocal stroke movements of compression and power between a top dead center (TDC) position and a bottom dead center (BDC) position. The cylinder has a swirl inlet port passing through the cylinder wall at the bottom of the cylinder that is covered and uncovered in response to the reciprocal movement of the piston. The cylinder is operated through a cycle where the exhaust port is held in an open position for a portion of the compression stroke movement of the piston, to provide a delay in the onset of the compression phase of the cylinder cycle.
US08505501B2

A radial, two-stroke uniflow internal combustion (IC) cylinder and multiple cylinder engine, the cylinder having a cylinder wall and a cylinder head, the cylinder head having an exhaust port, a fuel injector, and a spark means disposed through the cylinder head, a piston reciprocally mounted in the cylinder for movement alternately through compression and power strokes, and an inlet swirl port disposed through the cylinder wall providing fluid communication into the cylinder chamber, and having an annular exhaust air manifold in exhaust gas communication with each exhaust ports, and an exhaust-driven radial in-flow turbine that drives the inlet air compression.
US08505496B2

A method of introducing oxygen into a boiler system for combustion with a prepared fuel in a furnace combustion chamber comprises providing a plurality of swirl-inducing elements to the air stream delivery lines, and a plurality of oxygen delivery jets adjacent the intake region and substantially surrounding the air stream delivery lines; igniting the fuel gas to create a flame; and delivering a stream of oxygen through the jets tangentially to the flame envelope to substantially shape and stabilize a swirling flow field for the flame, the oxygen concentration in the flame envelope gradually increasing towards an outer periphery of the flame envelope. A boiler system for using the method can be a new system or a retrofit to an existing system. The method and system provide advantages in reduced environmental impact and increased efficiency while addressing the safety factors involved in introducing oxygen to boiler systems.
US08505495B2

An approach is provided for a leash for leashing animals. The leash comprises a strap, an auxiliary loop, a handgrip loop and a snap buckle. The strap reeves a first snap hook at a first end of the leash, which forms an upper-layer belt and a lower-layer belt. The first snap hook is used for attaching to an animal's collar. The auxiliary loop is connected to the lower-layer belt at a second end of the leash and having a ring surrounded the upper-layer belt. The handgrip loop is connected to the upper-layer belt at the second end of the leash. The snap buckle is connected to the auxiliary loop and the handgrip loop, and is configured to release the lower-layer belt selectively toward the upper-layer belt through the first snap hook. Thus, the leash provides the advantage of positive control of the length in a simple fashion.
US08505492B2

A hair grooming tool including a housing defining a cavity and including a grooming end, a vibratory motor assembly positioned within the cavity and configured to vibrate the housing, and a pet-engaging member coupled to the housing at the grooming end. Vibration of the housing enables constant motion of the hair tool and movement of the pet-engaging member as the pet-engaging member is pulled through hair to remove loose hair without cutting the hair.
US08505481B2

In certain desirable embodiments, the present invention relates to the use of 15N isotopes into GaAsN, InAsN or GaSbN films for ion beam analysis. A semiconductor-nitride assembly for growing and analyzing crystal growth in a group III-V semiconductor sample that includes: a substrate; a buffer layer deposited on the substrate, a nitrogen gas injector to incorporate enriched nitrogen gas and the nitrogen gas injector includes a concentration of enriched nitrogen gas, a thin film consisting of at least one group III element containing compound where at least one group III element is covalently bonded with the nitrogen in the presence of the same or different group V element of the buffer layer, and a proton beam to analyze the incorporation of the nitrogen gas in the thin film layer is described.
US08505474B2

The present invention relates to an electrically conductive metal composite embroidery yarn and embroidered circuit using thereof which may be applicable to smart textiles. More particularly, this invention relates to an electrically conductive metal composite embroidery yarn and embroidered circuit for smart textiles which can be used as power supply and signal transmission lines. The present invention provides an embroidered circuit which consists of a metal composite embroidery yarn and a dielectric fabric substrate, wherein the electrically conductive metal composite embroidery yarn is embroidered on the dielectric fabric substrate to form a circuit.
US08505473B1

An opener unit having a pair of single disc openers mounted upon a parallel linkage which may be mounted onto a tool bar or drawbar is disclosed and claimed. The pair of single opener discs may be used for controlled creation of a pair of furrows to which seed, fertilizer or other soil amendments may be delivered. The opener unit may be mounted in combination with a row clearing or cleaning unit. The opener unit may also be mounted in combination with an auxiliary depth tire or a ski, and or a furrow closing device such as a wheel, a chain or a strap.
US08505472B2

A pulverized coal-fired boiler efficiently supplies air to a central part of a furnace and the neighborhood of a furnace wall, thereby promoting mixture with combustion gas, and reducing both NOx and CO.The main after air ports are structured so as to jet air having a large momentum for enabling arrival at the central part of the furnace, and the sub-after air ports are structured so as to jet air having a small momentum to the neighborhood of the wall face of the furnace, and a sectional center of each of the sub-after air ports is within a range from 1 to 5 times of a caliber of the main after air ports from a sectional center of each of the main after air ports.
US08505463B2

The wheel-type high-speed railway system includes rails provided on a railroad track and configured such that wheels provided in a bogie of a vehicle come into contact with them, a support provided on a tread surface of a railroad track between the rails, a repulsive Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) provided between the bogie and the support and configured to improve traveling performance by reducing axle load in a high-speed region, first and second steel plates mounted on both sides of the support in inclined positions, and first and second attractive Dynamic Motion Control (DMC) magnets mounted on the bogie of the vehicle in inclined positions to correspond to the first and second steel plates, and configured to generate attractive force.
US08505458B1

A venting cap system includes a first open-ended sleeve and a second open-ended sleeve. The first open-ended sleeve is made from a first material that melts at a selected temperature. The first open-ended sleeve has an internal region commencing at a first end and an externally-threaded region commencing at a second end. The second open-ended sleeve is made from a second material that does not melt at the selected temperature. The second open-ended sleeve is coaxially fitted in the first open-ended sleeve. The second open-ended sleeve includes a first end that is flush with the first end of the first open-ended sleeve. The second open-ended sleeve partially overlaps part of the externally-threaded region. The coefficients of linear expansion of the first material and the second material are about equal.
US08505454B2

A perforating apparatus according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure comprises a carrier adapted to be deployed in a wellbore; a shaped explosive charge mounted on the carrier, the shaped charge comprising an explosive disposed inside of a case; and a conically shaped liner having an apex and a base disposed with the explosive in the case, the liner comprising an electromagnetically formed portion. The electromagnetically formed portion may comprise a thickness at the apex that is different from a thickness at the base.
US08505451B2

A method of making a photopolymer sleeve blank for use in flexographic printing is provided which includes providing a base sleeve, applying a cushion layer over the base sleeve, applying an optional barrier layer over the cushion layer, and applying a photopolymer layer over the barrier or cushion layer. The method provides a sleeve blank having an integral cushion layer and eliminates the need for a back exposure step.
US08505444B2

A marshmallow roasting unit is provided that comprises an enclosure having a roasting chamber and a side defining an enclosure opening below the roasting chamber, a skewer disposed in the roasting chamber and configured to hold a marshmallow, a heating element disposed relative to the skewer in the roasting chamber, and a removable tray configured to be inserted into the enclosure opening and hold a cracker in the enclosure under the roasting chamber. The heating element is disposed a predetermined range from the skewer such that the heating element is effective to roast the marshmallow on the skewer until the marshmallow becomes pliable and falls on to the cracker or contents disposed on the cracker held on the removable tray.
US08505442B2

A beer frothing device for stably generating froth without degrading beer quality is provided. The device frothing beer in a vessel by squirting a pressurized gas through a nozzle submerged in the beer, includes a pressurized gas supply, a squirting mechanism, connected to the gas supply and having a cutoff valve to obstruct the gas squirting through the nozzle, a lifting mechanism for supporting the squirting mechanism during its vertically reciprocating up-and-down movement with a half track between a start point where the nozzle is positioned right above the vessel and a lower point where the nozzle is submerged at a predetermined depth in the beer, a start switch for lowering the lifting mechanism, a direction change switch for raising the lifting mechanism when the lower point is detected during lowering operation, a stop switch for stopping the lifting mechanism when the start point is detected during rising operation, and an open-valve switch, arranged between the direction change switch and the stop switch, for opening the cutoff valve to detect an appropriate position where the nozzle is submerged in the beer. The direction change switch and the stop switch make a limit switch.
US08505438B2

The present invention relates to a cylinder liner and a method of manufacturing the cylinder liner. A cylinder liner according to the present invention has an outer surface covered by casting metal when a cylinder block is manufactured by integral casting, in which a plurality of engraved grooves is formed throughout the outer surface of the cylinder liner to increase bonding force between the casting metal and the outer surface of the cylinder liner. Further, a method of manufacturing a cylinder liner according to the present invention includes: coating a coating material onto the inner circumferential surface of a mold rotating and drying the coating material for a predetermined time; applying an engraved-groove forming material to engrave the surface of the coating material; forming a cylinder liner parent body by pouring and solidifying molten metal through the surface of the coating material where the engraved-groove forming material is applied; and roughening the outer surface of the cylinder liner with a plurality of engraved grooves for spraying, after drawing the cylinder parent body out of the mold and removing the coating material and the engraved-groove forming material covering the outer surface of the cylinder liner parent body.
US08505426B2

A method, and an apparatus, for operating a hydraulic shearing machine. For cutting a shearing-movement of at least one shear blade which is curved, starting from a starting-position under application of an overall actuating-force and for resetting of the shear blades which were moved for cutting to their starting-position after accomplishment of the shearing-movement, a reset-movement under application of an overall reset-force. The shearing-movement and the reset-movement are accomplished by a hydraulic actuating-mechanism comprising hydraulic cylinders, wherein the overall actuating-force and the overall reset-force being applied to the moved shear blades by at least one hydraulic cylinder of the actuating-mechanism. The magnitude of the overall actuating-force is adjustable by switching one or several hydraulic cylinders of the actuating-mechanism in and out of operation-mode. The method proposes that the positions of the curved shear blade are controlled by a control system by regulating the flow of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic cylinders according to setpoints for a shear blade position versus time function and the overall actuating-force and overall reset-force requirements.
US08505410B2

A new type of steering wheel cover is designed for use with a steering wheel that has one or more spokes. The cover will include an upper portion and a lower portion. Generally, the lower portion is the region or portion of the steering wheel that is positioned at the junction between the spoke and the steering wheel rim. The upper portion and the lower portion are separated by at least one split line. The split line is designed such that during a crash or accident, the upper portion and the lower portion will collapse into each other and absorb some of the energy of the impact.
US08505400B2

A transmission includes an input member, an output member, first and second shafts, a countershaft, a plurality of co-planar gear sets, and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. The torque transmitting devices include a plurality of synchronizer assemblies and a dual clutch assembly. The transmission is operable to provide at least one reverse speed ratio and a plurality of forward speed ratios between the input member and the output member.
US08505394B2

A strain sensor apparatus for a rotatable shaft including a radiation emitter/receiver, a vibration element attached to the shaft and a radiation-reflective annulus surrounding the shaft and vibration element.
US08505391B1

An ultrasonic transducer includes a piezoelectric element that is attached to a sonic lens, a support ring that holds the piezoelectric element, a flange, and a spoke. One end of the spoke is connected to the support ring and an opposing end of the spoke is connected to an inner surface of the flange. The sonic lens may be plastic film that coats the piezoelectric element.
US08505387B2

An apparatus for applying at least one cyclical load to an elongate specimen, comprising at least two reciprocating mass means 1 each comprising a mass (6) and an actuator (16), wherein the actuator (16) is (5) operatively associated with the mass (6) to move the mass (6) along a linear displacement path, mounting means (2) for mounting each actuator (16) to a specimen, and a control system operatively associated with each actuator (16), the control system operating each actuator (16) to reciprocate its corresponding mass (6) along its respective linear displacement path, wherein the reciprocating mass means (1) are spaced apart such that the actuators (16) move their corresponding masses (6) on separate, and substantially parallel, linear displacement paths is disclosed.
US08505380B2

An out-of-plane comb-drive accelerometer. An example accelerometer linearizes a response. An example accelerometer includes one or more stators having a plurality of tines having a surface parallel to a surface of substrate. The tine surface is at a first distance from the surface of the substrate. A proof mass includes one or more rotors that include a plurality of rotor tines attached to an edge of the proof mass. The rotor tines are interleaved with corresponding ones of the stator tines. The rotor tines include a surface parallel to a surface of the substrate. The rotor tine surface is at a second distance from the surface of the substrate. The first distance and second distance are unequal by a threshold amount. Motion of the rotor relative to the stator in an out-of-plane direction provides a linear change in a capacitive value measured across the rotor and the stator.
US08505377B2

A thermal plate precipitation measurement system (300) and a method of operating the thermal plate precipitation measurement system (300) is provided. The thermal plate precipitation measurement system (300) includes a first thermal plate system (301A) with first and second thermal plates (302A, 303A) and a second thermal plate system (301B) with first and second thermal plates (302B, 303B). A precipitation rate can be determined by configuring the first and second thermal plates (302A, 303A) of the first thermal plate system (301A) at a first temperature and configuring the first and second thermal plates (302B, 303B) of the second thermal plate system (301B) at a second temperature different than the first temperature. A differential power consumption between the first and second thermal plates (302A, 303A, 302B, 303B) of each of the first and second thermal plate systems (301A, 301B) can be determined and the precipitation rate can be determined based on a difference between the differential power consumption of the first thermal plate system (301A) and the differential power consumption of the second thermal plate system (301B).
US08505362B2

Method for dewatering, pressure testing, hydrotreating, suppressing methane hydrate formation and suppressing solution freezing point in pipeline operations have been disclosed, where the solution used in the operations includes an effective amount of a metal formate salt. The metal formate salt solutions have a low viscosity, have a high density, have a low metals corrosivity, are non-volatile, have a low solubility in hydrocarbons, are readily biodegradable, have a low toxicity, are non-hazardous, have a low environmental impact, have a freezing point depression property forming water/formate eutectic point mixtures, and have a water-structuring and water activity modification property.
US08505350B2

A threading turret assembly includes a plurality of threading heads. The threading heads comprise first and second threading rollers. The threading head is configured to impart a thread onto a metallic can such that a threaded cap may be screwed onto the can to seal an opening in the can. The turret assembly is configured to rotate such that the plurality of threading heads orbit the centerline of rotation about which the turret rotates. The turret is configured to impart a rotation onto the plurality of threading heads as the threading heads orbit the center of rotation.
US08505338B2

In one aspect, there is provided a process for manufacturing a lower mold for receiving a falling molten glass droplet, in which without narrowing the option for material for a lower mold, any occurrence of air retention can be favorably prevented and a lower mold excelling in durability can be obtained. The process comprises the film forming step of forming a coating layer on a base material and the surface roughening step of roughening the surface of the coating layer. Preferably, the coating layer contains at least one element selected from among chromium, aluminum and titanium.
US08505335B2

A refractory system includes a first set of components and a colloidal silica binder. The first set of components includes alumina and zirconia. The colloidal silica binder is at 5 wt % to 20 wt % of the dry weight of the first set of components. The refractory composition comprises 10 wt % to 45 wt % alumina, at least 35 wt % zirconia, and at least 20 wt % silica.
US08505329B2

The cooling chest for rapidly quenching beverages includes a quench tray for holding containers of beverage. The quench tray is lowered into salt-water or other cooling liquid which is cooled by a refrigeration unit. A processing device determines the temperature of the beverages within the containers within the quench tray and further activates a mechanism for removing the quench tray from the water or cooling liquid when the desired temperature is reached. The processing device can also activate the mechanism for removing the quench tray from the water or cooling liquid when the upper lid or access doors are opened.
US08505324B2

A free cooling system may include first and second conduits configured to carry first and second fluids, a cooling load configured to transfer heat to the first fluid, thereby causing the first fluid to have a post-loading temperature, a free cooling device configured to transfer heat from the second fluid to atmospheric air, thereby causing the second fluid to have a post-cooling temperature, a heat exchanger configured to facilitate a heat exchange between the first and second fluids of the first and second conduits, thereby causing the first fluid to have a pre-loading temperature and the second fluid to have a pre-cooling temperature, and a fluid flow control device configured to control a first flow rate of the first fluid and a second flow rate of the second fluid, such that the post-cooling temperature is less than the pre-loading temperature by at least a predefined temperature.
US08505320B2

According to certain embodiments disclosed in the present application, a climate controlled seating assembly includes a thermal module. The thermal module comprises at least one inlet channel, at least one outlet channel and a thermoelectric device (e.g., Peltier circuit) positioned upstream of the outlet channel. In one embodiment, the seating assembly includes a sensor positioned within an interior of the thermal module and configured to detect the presence of a liquid, such as water, relative humidity, condensation or other fluids, on or near said sensor.
US08505318B2

An automated vending machine that can be selectively configured to include one or several temperature zones. A single refrigeration system and universal interior allows easy and economical assembly into a one, two, or three temperature zone machine. Thermal breaks and dividers are used to partition zones, when needed. The basic vending machine cabinet, dispensers, and controls are not changed between configurations. In one aspect, a universal air duct can be used for all three configurations, with minor changes.
US08505316B2

A direct expansion evaporator includes an inner guiding duct defining a feeding channel for guiding raw material, and an outer guiding duct enclosing the inner guiding duct therewithin to form a heat exchange channel between the outer and inner guiding ducts for guiding refrigerant flowing along the heat exchange channel to heat-exchange with the raw material along the feeding channel, wherein a helix indention is formed at the outer guiding duct to form the heat exchange channel partitioned by a helix partition, wherein a peak of the helix partition is biased against an outer surrounding wall of the inner guiding duct to conceal the heat exchange channel along the inner guiding duct in a weld-less manner.
US08505310B2

An ejector system and method of operation for combining high and low pressure fluid flow streams is disclosed. A nozzle chamber communicates with a high pressure fluid flow stream and a suction chamber communicates with a low pressure fluid flow stream. The outlet of the nozzle chamber exit into the suction chamber and include multiple nozzles such that the high pressure flow stream exits the nozzle chamber in multiple flow streams having multiple surface areas for interlayer drag between the flows. The low pressure fluid flow stream is entrained by the high pressure fluid flow streams exiting the multiple nozzles to define an intermediate pressure flow stream.
US08505307B2

A nacelle assembly includes a first portion having an outer fairing and a trailing edge, and a translatable variable area fan nozzle. The fan nozzle includes two or more nozzle segments, each nozzle segment having first and second opposed ends and a leading edge. The nozzle segments are selectively movable between a stowed position and one or more deployed positions. In the deployed position, an upstream bypass flow exit is formed between the trailing edge and the leading edge. The nacelle assembly further includes a guide mechanism for guiding the nozzle segments between the stowed position and the deployed position. A split beavertail failing shields the guide mechanism against air flow when the nozzle segments are in the stowed position.
US08505304B2

A fuel nozzle for use with a combustion chamber defined within a gas turbine engine and a method for assembling the same are provided. The fuel nozzle includes a swirler assembly and a burner tube that is coupled to a support flange in a detachable manner such that an inner surface of the burner tube circumscribes an outer surface of the swirler assembly during fuel nozzle operation.
US08505302B2

The present application provides a premixer for a combustor. The premixer may include a fuel plenum with a number of fuel tubes and a burner tube with a number of air tubes. The fuel tubes extend about the air tubes.
US08505292B2

Provided is a braking control apparatus for a slewing type working machine capable of giving a braking operation easily intuitively grasped. This apparatus includes: a flow control valve actuator increasing an opening of a flow control valve between a slewing hydraulic motor and a hydraulic pump according to an operation amount of a slewing operation member; pressure control valves limiting respective maximums of an inlet and outlet pressures of the hydraulic motor to a set value corresponding to a pressure command signal to be input; a motor-side pressure controller which retains a set pressure of the motor inlet sided pressure control valve to a pressure for motor driving and lets a set pressure of the motor outlet side pressure control valve be a set pressure for a braking torque corresponding to an operation amount of a braking operation member other than the slewing operation member; and a valve opening limiter reducing the opening of the flow control valve in correspondence with the operation of the braking operation member.
US08505291B2

An exemplary hydraulic system includes a digital valve operable to fluidly connect a hydraulic load to a pressure supply, and an orifice disposed in a flow path between the hydraulic load and the digital valve. A digital controller is operably connected to the digital valve. The digital controller stores a target pressure drop across the orifice and is configured to determine an actual pressure drop across the orifice and formulate a control signal based on the target pressure drop and the actual pressure drop. The controller transmits the control signal to the digital valve for controlling the operation of the valve.
US08505289B2

A fixed/variable hybrid system has modified constant flow open center hydraulic valves (“fixed/variable valves”), including an open center core, spools, a power core, and a tank galley. A small fixed displacement pump provides fluid at a constant rate to the open center core. A variable displacement piston pump provides fluid directly to the power core as needed. Activation of spools partially restricts the open center core causing an increase in fluid pressure that is communicated to the variable displacement piston pump's load sense signal port, causing the pump to increase fluid flow and pressure to the power core. Activated spools direct pressurized fluid from the power core to the applications through selected hydraulic ports. Activated spools also direct fluid flow from selected hydraulic ports via the tank galley to a hydraulic tank. Pumping the majority of fluid only on an as-needed basis results in significant efficiencies.
US08505278B2

Various embodiments of an apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for manipulating the properties of engine exhaust at least partially through the engine's control system to increase the efficiency and performance of the exhaust aftertreatment system. According to one representative embodiment, an engine system properties controller includes an exhaust aftertreatment system module, a powertrain module, and a combustion module. The exhaust aftertreatment system module is configured to generate an exhaust conditions vector request. The powertrain module is configured to receive the exhaust conditions vector request from the exhaust aftertreatment system module and generate at least one engine operating condition target based on the exhaust conditions vector request. The combustion module is configured to receive the at least one engine operating condition target and generate at least one engine controls command based on the at least one engine operating condition target.
US08505265B2

An alignment jig uses steel alignment cross members and chords to align multiple load bearing member footing legs simultaneously with great accuracy, thereby greatly speeding construction footing installation times. Using preset adjustment stops, multiple footing patterns may be readily accommodated. The entire alignment jig may be readily assembled or prepared for transport by skilled workers in an hour or less. By using the alignment jig, the speed of footing construction may be greatly increased. In some cases, footings that would have previously required four days to a week to build were reduced to a single day, with consequent cost and time savings. Although one initial use of the alignment jig is for high voltage power line tower footings with four legs, it may be used with as few as two legs, and may be used with more than four legs, and in a variety of applications.
US08505264B2

A tool connects a stud in place to a longitudinal track in a metal stud wall system installation. The tool includes a tool head having an upright slot in which a track flange is received and a pair of rams mounted on the tool head for linear movement transversely of the track. The rams are spaced apart and straddle opposite sides of the stud. The rams have leading tips with cutting edges. An actuator moves the rams into cutting engagement with the track flange in the upright slot to cut hinged tabs in the track flange, and to bend the hinged tabs into frictional engagement with the opposite sides of the upright stud to connect the upright stud in place to the track.
US08505247B2

A swimming pool has a plurality of wall panels secured together in an edge-to-edge relation to define the perimeter of the pool. At least one of the panels includes: a generally rectangular main body having a generally planar face forming a portion of a pool side wall; a pair of opposed edge flanges for juxtaposition with edge flanges of adjacent wall panels, the flanges extending from the plane of the body face at an angle differing from orthogonal by a small draft angle; and a plurality of elongated ribs extending along each flange of the at least one panel in a direction generally orthogonal to the plane of the body face.
US08505245B2

The invention can be efficiently used for intensively learning different disciplines, including foreign languages, and for forming and automating operational skills of professionals in different field of activity. It makes it possible to obtain a technical result and a high-quality intensive training. The use of a training aid is developed according to a synergetic theory in the form of a synergetic training device and makes it possible to provide a synergetic variant of intensive training. The synergetic training device is embodied in a dynamic technical device consisting of several soundproof booths which comprise training facilities and technical means using a sensor system. The synergetic training device makes it possible to intensify and simultaneously diversify the training activity of trainees, to develop an integrated-in-groups training method according to a ‘assistant-students’ system consisting in simultaneously training mini-divisions under the guidance of a large group of assistants, including technical assistants. The possibility of simultaneously taking into account all levels of training provides the method with a multi-level character, while the possibility of taking into account the peculiarities of the students guarantees the high antropological attitude thereof.
US08505242B1

A counterbalance system for a side load window assembly having a window sash and side frame jambs. A spring carriage is provided. The spring carriage has a first section that fits into a gap space between the window frame and the window sash. The spring carriage also includes a second section that passes under the window sash. A locking mechanism is disposed in the second section that selectively engages the side jambs and locks the spring carriage in place. At least one coil spring is provided. Each coil spring has a wound body that is held within the spring carriage. Each coil spring also has a first end that extends out of the spring carriage is anchored to one of the side frame jambs. The coil springs bias the spring housing upwardly. Since the window sash rests upon the housing, the window sash is counterbalanced.
US08505240B2

A device to limit an opening of a window having a hinged sash coupled to a window frame including a window opening limiting structure having a first member and a second member. One of them is securable to the sash and the other of the first member and the second member being securable to the frame. A selectively releasable coupler by which the first member and the second member are couplable is shiftable between a coupled status and a released status. The first member and the second member bridge a preselected distance such that the sash is inhibited from opening beyond a predetermined distance. The coupler is releasable so that the sash can be opened beyond the predetermined distance and re-engages automatically when the sash is closed.
US08505231B2

A digital machinegun optic (DMO) is discussed, which includes a digital module having a camera to obtain an image, a bullet drop compensation mount receiving the digital module in a detachable manner, and having a mounting solution, a caliber adjustment knob configured to enable a user to select a caliber that matches firearms of different calibers, and a dual bullet drop compensation wheel to allow the user to accurately hit a target by selecting a right distance to the target; a head mounted display module having a display portion to receive the image from the camera; and a control box module configured to control a display of the image on the display portion.
US08505227B2

A firearm with barrel interlock system for a rotary mounted quick coupling barrel assembly. In one embodiment, the firearm includes a receiver and barrel assembly rotatably mounted thereto. A bolt carrier supporting a bolt is slidably disposed in the receiver and axially movable into and out of battery with the barrel assembly. The barrel interlock system may include a first barrel anti-rotation locking element disposed on the barrel assembly and a mating second barrel anti-rotation locking element disposed on the bolt carrier that is engageable with the first element. When mutually engaged, the first and second locking elements form a meshed relationship and prevent rotation and removal of the barrel assembly from the receiver. In some non-limiting embodiments, the locking elements may be in the form of a protrusion and complementary shaped recess.
US08505225B1

A firearm trigger assembly is provided. The firearm trigger assembly includes first and second trigger elements having independent pivot points. The first and second trigger elements can also each incorporate rolling contact elements to minimize frictional contact between one another and the remainder of a firing mechanism incorporating the trigger assembly.
US08505218B2

A removable heel assembly, a shoe having a removable shoe assembly and kit containing a shoe body having a heel base and a plurality a assorted removable and interchangeable heels. The heel assembly includes the heel base and a removable and interchangeable heel. The removability relies upon at east two curved, tapered grooves ending in a dimple. The heel utilizes a locking connector which contains components which fit within a cavity within the heel base and which locks in place upon rotation thereof when the components engage the curved, tapered, grooves and dimple.
US08505206B2

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, a folding knife has a biasing mechanism, such as a spring, that applies an opening force to the blade when the blade is in the closed, or folded, position (i.e., the force of the spring creates a moment in the opening direction of the blade). The folding knife includes a latching mechanism that holds the blade in a closed and latched position against the opening force of the spring. To open the blade, manual pressure is applied to the upper edge of the blade (the edge opposite the sharpened edge) to move the blade slightly to a closed and unlatched position to release the blade from being held from the latching mechanism whereupon the blade is then free to pivot under the opening force of the spring.
US08505204B2

A method of manufacturing a ball joint assembly including providing an internal centerpiece substantially in the shape of a hollow truncated sphere, placing the centerpiece within a metal hollow sleeve and deforming the sleeve by forcing the sleeve against an outer surface of the centerpiece to shape the sleeve to complement the outer surface of the centerpiece, forming at least one groove in an exterior surface of the sleeve and there after molding a plastic matrix composite material over the exterior surface of the sleeve to form an external body over the sleeve.
US08505196B2

Method of securing a watch bezel 1 including a case 3 and a crystal 2, characterized in that it includes a step of snap fitting the bezel 1 onto the crystal 2, during which snap fit means 6 are guided by guide means 5 arranged on case 3.
US08505191B2

A method of assembling electric power supply cables on a stator of an electric motor including the following steps: electrically connecting an end of each cable to an end of at least one respective wire of the winding; inserting each pair of connected ends into a respective small tube of a protection and positioning element made of insulating plastic and having a strip from which a number small tubes at least corresponding to the number of electric power supply cables transversally protrudes; clamping each small tube so as to fix it to the pair of ends inserted inside it; inserting an end of the strip inside a cavity of the pack, so that the small tubes are located within the head; and tying the winding in the region of the head so as to enclose the small tubes.
US08505188B2

The invention relates to a closure device having a two-part base element and a hinged cap pivotally fastened to the base element and movable between a closed and an open setting. The base element is configured in two parts, with one part being a substantially annular fastening element and the other part being a dome-shaped dispensing element inserted into the substantially annular fastening element. The invention also relates to a method of producing such a closure device.
US08505187B2

A guide and setting device for elements, in particular fastener elements comprising a hollow guide piece, a plunger axially displaceably arranged within the guide piece and holding members which are displaceably guided perpendicular to the plunger and biased in the direction towards the longitudinal axis of the plunger and/or of the guide piece. In a retracted loading position of the plunger one element can be inserted between the holding members and the free end of the plunger. The holding members can be opened as a result of the axial advanced movement of the plunger and the respective element moved in the axial direction past the holding members. Further holding members following the first named holding members are provided which hold the element during a setting stroke. Furthermore, latching elements are provided which prevent opening of the further holding members during the setting stroke but after the completion of the setting stroke allow the opening of the further holding members to release the element. A method is also claimed.
US08505183B2

A method for sealing edges of a vapor chamber includes steps of: providing a first cover and a second cover, the first cover having its periphery bent to form a first folded edge, the second cover having its periphery bent to form a second folded edge; providing a supporting structure and a wick structure between the first cover and the second cover; covering the second cover on the first cover with the second folded edge being superposed on the first folded edge; bending the first folded edge to cover on the second folded edge; and providing a pressing die to press the first folded edge, thereby tightly connecting the first folded edge to the second folded edge. In this way, excellent tightness of sealing edges of the vapor chamber is achieved. Further, the production yield of the vapor chamber is increased with a reduced cost.
US08505182B2

A cover for concealing utility equipment on real property such as air conditioner condenser units, telephone and electric cabinets, and trash containers, has a modular, rigid and stiff skeletal frame and a filtration layer of fine mesh supported on the vertical faces of the skeletal frame. The cover includes artificial foliage in the form of sprigs that closely simulate the appearance of natural, leafed, shrubbery branches. The sprigs are affixed to substantially vertical rods positioned laterally across the face of the frame. The cover presents an aesthetically pleasing natural foliage appearance that substantially completely blocks the view of the concealed equipment. Lengths and angles between components of the cover and the number of components can be adjusted such that a single cover kit is alone or in combination with supplementary components adaptable to fit objects of different sizes and shapes.
US08505167B2

Provided is a portable terminal including a first housing, a second housing, and a hinge apparatus rotatably coupling the first housing and the second housing. The hinge apparatus includes a hinge housing fixed to the first housing, a hinge member fixed to the second housing and coupled to the hinge housing, the hinge member rotating around a hinge axis which extends perpendicular to a surface of the first housing, an interference protrusion provided on one of the hinge housing and the hinge member, and a stopper groove formed in the other of the hinge housing and the hinge member wherein the hinge member rotates around the hinge axis while being spaced apart from the hinge housing.
US08505156B2

A floor cleaning apparatus includes a chassis having a forward end and a rearward end. A plurality of floor engaging wheels support the chassis above a floor. A first tank is supported by the chassis for holding a cleaning solution that is dispensed onto the floor. A second tank is supported by the chassis for holding cleaning solution recovered from the floor. A squeegee assembly is supported by the chassis rearwardly of the forward end and in fluid communication with the second tank, wherein recovered cleaning solution drawn into the squeegee assembly is deposited into the second tank. A gas is directed toward the floor rearwardly of the squeegee assembly along substantially the entire length of the squeegee assembly to evaporate cleaning solution dispensed from the first tank and not recovered by the squeegee assembly.
US08505150B2

A sponge product for cleaning a work surface includes an open-cell melamine foam body layer having a front wall, rear wall, first sidewall or second sidewall that is inclined and at an acute angle relative to the upper surface of the body layer. An abrasive layer is adjacent the upper surface of the melamine foam body layer forming a unitary product. The abrasive layer has at least one of the front wall, rear wall, first sidewall or second sidewall forming an obtuse angle with the lower surface of the abrasive layer, and the abrasive layer upper surface and at least one front wall, rear wall, first sidewall or second sidewall forms a working edge having an acute angle, and the working edge remains flat against the work surface when a force is applied to the sponge product.
US08505146B1

A line has a proximal end, a distal end and a flexible intermediate extent with a central axis. An auger head has a central base and a plurality of semicircular disks. Each disk has an interior edge coupled to the base. The disks extend generally radially from the base. Each interior edge has an inner end and an outer end. The base has a tapering outer end coextensive the outer ends of the disks. The base has a flat inner end transverse to the axis. Coupling components removably join the distal end of the line and the inner end of the base.
US08505145B2

An approximately cylindrical central core for cleaning sponge roller having an axially extending internal hole and multiple small holes realizing communication from the internal hole to the circumferential external surface. The central core for cleaning sponge roller is characterized in that the external surface of the central core is provided in the circumferential direction with multiple axially slender projections and that the projections each has an axial section viewed from a direction perpendicular to the axial direction that is not flat.
US08505144B2

A counter-balanced top wheel assembly for laundering a vehicle includes a frame. A brush support arm having a first end and a second end is pivotally mounted to the frame adjacent the first end. A counterweight support arm having a first end and a second end is pivotally mounted to the frame adjacent the first end. The second end of the brush support arm is in communication with a brush such that the brush extends over a vehicle bay to launder an exterior of the vehicle. The assembly includes a pulley mechanism with a strap connecting the brush support arm to the counterweight support arm. The brush support arm and the counterweight support arm extend away from the frame in the same direction. The assembly is configured such that the brush applies consistent weight to the exterior of the vehicle throughout its entire arc of travel.
US08505140B2

A movable passenger bridge for embarking and disembarking a ship includes sections, each pair of adjacent sections connected at respective ends by shorter transfer sections, arranged so that passengers can walk from section to section. The sections and the transfer sections are supported by a framework of steel beams. The sections are displaceably arranged relative to the framework, forming an angle relative to the horizontal plane, accommodating a height difference between first and second ports. The framework is supported by wheel arrangements that abut against a quay. An entry module by the first port, on the one hand is connectable to a first of the sections, on the other hand is connected to the transfer section which is located closest to and lying in the same vertical plane as the entry module, whereby a connection can be established from the entry module directly into the second transfer section.
US08505137B1

An equine CT table for positioning a horse during a CT (“computed tomography”) scan. The table is positioned above the patient couch and communicates with the conventional CT system for examination of a horse without requiring mechanical or electrical attachments between the CT system and table. The table includes a frame carrying a tracking system, a linear movement system and a carousel upon which the horse is positioned. Prior to examination, positioning of the horse on the table may be manually adjusted linearly and/or radially in any direction to properly align the horse. Infinitely positionable cantilever members are provided to support horse's appendages. The tracking system identifies movement of the CT couch and mimics the movement with the linear movement system to enter and retract the horse from the gantry at predetermined positioning.
US08505120B2

The invention relates to a sock, especially for use in sports, which comprises a foot part (1) and a leg (2), said foot part having a toe area (11) and a heel area (12) and a sole area (13) between the toe and the heel area, and which is also provided with an O-ring-type bandage (22). An O-ring-type bandage (22) is disposed in the area of the ankle joint and extends asymmetrically on the circumference of the sock.
US08510861B2

A method and system for protecting software products from unauthorized use and distribution is described. The system comprises a client process executed on a client computer coupled to a producer computer over a network. The method comprises the steps of providing to a user a copy of the distributed software, the distributed software comprising an incomplete executable program requiring a security module to be installed prior to execution on the client computer. The user receives a registration code for use with the distributed software. Upon attempted execution of the distributed software the producer computer requests user registration from the user. Upon receipt of the registration information including the registration code from the user, the producer computer validates the registration code and constructing a security module for transmission to the client computer. The security module is integrated with the distributed software to allow execution of the executable program.
US08510860B2

This disclosure describes techniques for dynamically assembling and utilizing a pedigree of a resource. A pedigree of a resource is a set of statements that describe a provenance of the resource. As described herein, a document may include local pedigree fragments and optionally one or more pointers to remote pedigree fragments not locally stored in the document. A pedigree fragment, generally, is a data structure that specifies a direct relationship between a first resource, e.g., a primary resource, and a second resource from which an asserted fact of the first resource is derived. Because a pedigree fragment specifies such direct relationships, a set of pedigree fragments may be used to assemble the complete pedigree of resource.
US08510858B2

A multi-functional device and a method of storing a transmission list of users in the same. The multi-functional device includes an authenticator to authenticate one or more users, a storage unit to store a transmission list of the authenticated users, a user interface to display the transmission list of the authenticated users, a controller to read the transmission list of the authenticated users stored in the storage unit and to control the user interface to display the read list, and a communication interface to transmit and receive data. The controller controls the communication interface to transmit and receive the data to/from a transmission address, which is selected from the displayed transmission list by the user interface. When a multi-functional device is used to transmit scanned data to an electronic mail address or an Internet address, the transmission address can be selected from a recently transmitted electronic mail address list or a recently transmitted Internet address list of authenticated users such that an address desired by a user can be set up instead of directly inputting the address. Accordingly, a transmission address list of users is managed, thereby preventing the transmission address list from being discarded or deleted by other people using the multi-functional device.
US08510853B2

A contents management method and apparatus of a mobile terminal provides improved security of private contents. A contents management method of a mobile terminal includes establishing a connection to at least one external terminal. The method also includes segmenting a content stored in the mobile terminal into segments and sharing the content by distributing the segments to the terminals. The method further includes integrating the segments distributed to the terminals into the content when a content execution command is input. The method still further includes storing the integrated content and deleting the integrated content in the mobile terminal when at least one of the terminals is disconnected.
US08510844B2

In a system which attaches update information required to create a content key used for content encryption/decryption to encrypted content and transmits the encrypted content, there is used an authorized content verification method including a verification request step of, by a receiver, transmitting an authorization verification request including update information received from a transmitter, an update information check step of, by the transmitter, checking whether the update information included in the received authorization verification request is predetermined update information, a message-of-acceptance transmission step of creating a message of acceptance using the update information and an exchange key shared between the transmitter and the receiver and transmitting the message of acceptance if the update information matches the predetermined update information, and an authorized content determination step of, by the receiver, determining that content is authorized content on the basis of reception of the message of acceptance.
US08510833B2

One embodiment relates to a method of connection-rate filtering by a network device. Address resolution protocol (ARP) request packets received from a sub-network are monitored, and a copy of the received ARP request packets are sent to an agent program. The agent program determines a rate of ARP request packets sent by a host in the sub-network. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US08510822B2

Provided is a communication system capable of fundamentally preventing an attack from an unspecified counterpart and resolve problem even when a problem occurs in a user terminal or client and a server. A mediation server (1) receives an attack from an outside source on behalf of a server (34) (server A), redirects and receives communication addressed to a node-representative ID, and performs first authentication for the communication. In the case of a reliable user terminal or client (42) (client B), the mediation server (1) provides the device with an intermediary server ID specifying an intermediary server (2). The intermediary server (2) performs second authentication for the user terminal or client (42) (client B) going through the mediation server (1). When it is identified that the user terminal or client (42) (client B) is reliable, the intermediary server (2) asks the server (34) (server A) about an ID and provides the user terminal or client (42) (client B) with traceable ID information acquired from the server (34) (server A).
US08510819B2

Systems and methods are provided for securing at least one mobile device. A server includes a controller and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by the controller. The executable instructions are configured to perform a method in which a secure communications session is established with a user and the user is allowed to input a list of a plurality of security actions to be performed at a mobile device associated with the user. A secure communications session is established with the mobile device, and the list of the plurality of security actions is provided to the mobile device simultaneously as a single instruction set.
US08510816B2

The provisioning of a security token object to a user is disclosed. The security token object is used for accessing a computing resource through a client computer system. A security token object provisioning request may be received from the client computer system. In response, an authentication request may be transmitted. The user is authenticated against a user identity based upon a set of received identity credentials provided by the user. The extraction of a unique token identifier from the security token object is initiated, and completed without intervention from the user. The unique token identifier received from the client computer system is associated with to the user identity in a data store. By providing the security token object, the user can gain access to the computing resource.
US08510811B2

A two-level authentication system is described supporting two-factor authentication that offers efficient protection for secure on-line web transactions. It includes a global unique identity (UID) provided either by an institute-issued/personal trusted device, or based on client computing platform hardware attributes, and generated using institution authorized private software, institution-authorized authentication proxy software, and an institution-generated credential code which is pre-stored in the token and only accessible by the institute-authorized authentication proxy software. The institution-authorized authentication proxy software uses the user's PIN and the trusted device's UID as input and verifies the user and device identities through institution-generated credential code which was pre-stored in the trusted device. Authentication is performed in two levels: the first authenticates the user and the trusted device locally; and the second authenticates the user remotely at the institution-owned authentication server. Various embodiments add extra levels of security, including one-time-password management.
US08510809B2

A network authentication system and method are provided. When an authentication request is initiated by a user of a computer device through a network, a display interface displaying an identifier, an authentication (matching) result corresponding to the identifier and one or more non-authentication (bogus) results unrelated to the identifier are transmitted to the computer device. The user then chooses among the authentication result and the non-authentication results with the goal of choosing the result that is associated with displayed identifier. If a non-authentication result is chosen, the user is given an opportunity to repeat the authentication. The identifier includes advertising information, thereby predictably producing a desired advertising effect.
US08510806B2

In one embodiment the present invention includes a computer-implemented method comprising storing authorization data on a first client computer system, accessing virtual computing software from the first client computer system, accessing a virtual object in the virtual computing software in response to instructions received from the first client computer system, sending the authorization data from the first client computer system to a second computer system, wherein the authorization data specifies access rights on the second computer system, and accessing the second computer system using the authorization data and determining access rights on the second computer system based on said authorization data.
US08510802B1

Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for blocking the use of a PRL by a wireless device to access nodes of a network controller. In a particular embodiment, a method provides receiving an access request for the wireless device to access the home wireless network and transferring an authentication request for the wireless device to an authentication system. The method further provides the authentication system receiving the authentication request, determining that the wireless device should not be allowed to access the home wireless network, and transferring a negative authentication response to the network controller. In response to receiving the authentication response, the method provides the network controller transferring a negative access response to the wireless device. In response to receiving the access response, the method provides the wireless device blocking the use of a Preferred Roaming List by the wireless device to access nodes of the network controller.
US08510800B2

A computer system and method are provided that facilitate permitting temporary access to a website or other computer application in which temporary access is given to a generic virtual character and its corresponding user. Temporary access is made available through a temporary user account that is set up by the user. The temporary user account is active for a limited time and allows the user to learn about the website, for instance, via the generic virtual character. The generic virtual character has limited access to the website and in particular to various activities or areas on the website. Unlike temporary user account holders, users who have purchased a real world item and have created premium user accounts have full access to the website via their corresponding premium virtual characters. In addition, the system and method prevent at least some interaction between the generic virtual characters and the premium virtual characters.
US08510799B2

A communication system including many communication terminals and a management apparatus, which includes: a section which processes user authentication, a first information management section for managing authenticated user information in association with terminal information about the communication terminal used by the user, a second information management section for managing communication information including the user information about many users with intent to communicate with one another, and a connection control section. If the second information management section manages the communication information including the authenticated user information and if the first information management section manages the another user information as part of the communication information, the connection control section sends the terminal information about another communication terminal corresponding to the other user information, to the communication terminal identified by the terminal information in association with the authenticated user information.
US08510793B2

A method of providing telecommunication services includes generating fictitious contact information univocally associated with a telephone number assigned to a subscriber; and storing the fictitious contact information in a database, like an ENUM database. Responsive to a request, received from a requester, of a contact information corresponding to the telephone number and adapted to allow contacting over the Internet the subscriber assignee of the telephone number, the method includes having the database providing the fictitious contact information; and conditioning a resolution of the fictitious contact information for the provisioning of the contact information to the satisfaction of at least one security rule adapted to assess properties of at least one among the requester and the request. In a case that the request from the requester satisfies the at least one security rule, the method resolves the fictitious contact information and provides the requester with the contact information.
US08510788B2

One embodiment of the present disclosure takes the form of a method for generating a profile of a build program for one or more set-top box platforms supported by a satellite distribution system. The one or more build profiles may maintain information about the one or more the modules and sub-modules of the build program, including but not limited to a memory address indicating the location of each module of the build program in the memory components of the set-top box. In another embodiment, the build profile may also maintain the relative offset address of each module of the build program from the beginning of the build program, an indicator of each module and sub-module and the amount of memory that each module comprises when stored in memory.
US08510783B2

Provided are a video on demand (VOD) transmission/reception method and system using a divided transport stream (TS). The VOD transmission method includes setting a division coefficient for dividing a TS; dividing the TS into a unicast segment and multicast segments according to the division coefficient; and transmitting the unicast segment by using a unicast method and transmitting the multicast segments by using a multicast method.
US08510775B2

Embodiments of the disclosed invention include an apparatus, method, and computer program product for distributing media content to a plurality of display devices. For instance, in one embodiment, a computer implemented method for distributing media content to a display device is disclosed. The method comprises configuring a middleware device to provide media content to the display device and to a set of display devices. In response to the middleware device receiving a request for media content from the display device, the method determines whether the there is sufficient bandwidth to provide a requested media content to the display device. In one embodiment, if the method determines that there is insufficient bandwidth to provide the requested media content to the display device, the method provides the requested media content to the display device based on a set of preconfigured user preferences.
US08510774B2

A terminal can acquire information required for an image configuration by accessing actual Electronic Service Guide (ESG) information using linking information when broadcast providers transmit Lightweight Application Scene Representation (LASeR) content including the linking information related to the LASeR content and the ESG information provided in a Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld (DVB-H) Convergence of Broadcast and Mobile Services (CBMS), Open Mobile Alliance Broadcasting (OMA-BCAST) or Open Air Interface (OAI) standard. The broadcast providers can directly control a configuration of a broadcast image to be displayed on the terminal, such that differentiated broadcast images can be provided on a broadcast provider-by-broadcast provider basis.
US08510773B1

Systems and methods are described for providing targeted content delivery, including advertising, to mobile devices. A content organization and distribution system may be configured to receive content from a plurality of publishers and provide targeted content to a plurality of users having mobile devices, where the mobile devices are connected to the content organization and distribution system through a plurality of carriers. The provided content may be based on-one or more user customization criteria.
US08510762B1

A system, method and computer-readable storage medium provided as a Web service for on-demand generation of code samples for a specified API, target programming language and target platform. The system can include an interface, a Web application, a data store, and a compile server. The Web application is configured to receive a request including a target programming language and target platform from the user interface, to retrieve a description of an API, to generate a source library, to create a model of the API based on the API description, to select a template based on the target programming language and target platform, to expand the template to create a code sample. The data store stores generated code artifacts, and stores the generated source library for the API description. The compile server is configured to generate compiled libraries and documentation, and store compiled libraries and documentation in the data store.
US08510761B2

A method and system of managing content at a network site can allow easier use by business users. A higher level of abstraction can be used to allow business users to create their own objects that may reference or contain other objects or records as managed by a content management system. Business users do not have to learn programming code in order to work those objects, which are content types. A graphical user interface (“GUI”) can be used to help the business users to create, modify, and delete content types. The GUI and the ability for business users to the create content types greatly shortens the time between receiving software to operate a network site and launching content at that network site.
US08510760B2

Systems and methods are described herein to provide for secure host resource management on a computing device. Other embodiments include apparatus and system for management of one or more host device drivers from an isolated execution environment. Further embodiments include methods for querying and receiving event data from manageable resources on a host device. Further embodiments include data structures for the reporting of event data from one or more host device drivers to one or more capability modules.
US08510758B1

An electronics module with driver information electronically associated therein. The driver information may be in a memory on the electronics module. The memory may store drivers for multiple operating systems, including a virtual machine type operating system that can be used with any processor or operating system that can run the virtual machine. The memory may alternatively store website information, e.g., an address of the website and codes to use on the website to get the right driver and to validate the hardware.
US08510754B1

A system and method are disclosed for an interactive multimedia file (iMF), running on an interactive multimedia runtime (iMR), to store an object onto a computer, the method comprising creating a local instance of the object, storing the local instance into a memory location on the computer, monitoring changes to one or more data slots of the local instance, assigning a version identifier to the local instance, synchronizing the local instance with a main instance of the object, and interfacing the one or more data slots of the local instance with said iMF during execution.
US08510753B2

In a computing environment, one may wish to have interoperability between trusted and untrusted controls/plug-ins allowing for richer expression of content and control within a platform. This can be accomplished by allowing an untrusted plug-in to communicate with a trusted plug-in, while having the trusted plug-in exercise control over the platform. This allows for the creation of a layered secure approach of communication with a platform, thus allowing for increased application richness in untrusted third party applications.
US08510751B2

A system and computer program product for implementing a workflow include merging a workflow to create a virtual graph, wherein the workflow comprises two or more directed acyclic graphs (DAGs), mapping each of one or more nodes of the virtual graph to one or more physical nodes, and using a message passing scheme to implement a computation via the one or more physical nodes.
US08510747B2

The present disclosure relates to a method and a device for implementing load balance of data center resources, and the method includes: obtaining current utilization ratios of properties of each physical machine in a scheduling domain, and determining, according to the current utilization ratios, physical machines that have residual capability satisfying a current allocation task, where the properties include a CPU load, a memory load and a network load; predicting a load degree of each of the physical machines on the assumption that the virtual machine is allocated by each of the physical machines; selecting, according to the predicted load degree of each of the physical machines, a physical machine from the physical machines to allocate the virtual machine. By adopting the solutions of the present disclosure, the problem of the load imbalance caused by the inconsistency of specification requirements of users and specifications of physical servers is solved.
US08510744B2

A method for controlling a data processing system, a data processing system executing a similar method, and a computer readable medium with instructions for a similar method. The method includes receiving, by an operating system executing on a data processing system, an execution request from an application, the execution request including at least one resource-defining attribute corresponding to an execution thread of the application. The method also includes allocating processor resources to the execution thread by the operating system according to the at least one resource-defining attribute, and allowing execution of the execution thread on the data processing system according to the allocated processor resources.
US08510740B2

A mobile device, a method for managing and exposing a set of performance scaling algorithms on the device, and a computer program product are disclosed. The mobile device includes a multiple-core processor communicatively coupled to a non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory includes a set of programs defined by a respective combination of a performance scaling algorithm and a set of parameters, a startup program that when executed by the multiple-core processor identifies at least one member of the set of programs suitable for monitoring operation of the mobile device and scaling the performance of an identified processor core and an application programming interface that exposes the set of programs.
US08510739B2

A queuing module is configured to determine the presence of at least one shared request in a request queue, and in the event at least one shared request is determined to be present in the queue; determine the presence of a waiting exclusive request located in the queue after the at least one shared request, and in the event a waiting exclusive request is determined to be located in the queue after the at least one shared request: determine whether grouping a new shared request with the at least one shared request violates a deferral limit of the waiting exclusive request; and, in the event grouping the new shared request with the at least one shared request does not violate the deferral limit of the waiting exclusive request, group the new shared request with the at least one shared request.
US08510722B2

Mechanisms for analyzing computer instructions implementing a program in which typestate analysis is informed by concurrency analysis. The concurrency-guided typestate analysis may simulate the “worst case” scenario due to thread interleaving by transitioning a simulated state of the variable to a special state whenever the variable is not guarded by its intended guarding lock. While in the special state, the analysis may assume that the state of the simulated variable is the worst possible state with respect to processing operations that may lead to an error depending on the state of the variable. Thus, the analysis performed may assume that referencing the variable in a state-dependent operation while the simulated state of the variable is in the special state may lead to an error, and the analysis may generate a warning, accordingly. The analysis may process the computer instructions to infer which lock is intended to guard a shared variable.
US08510716B1

A system and method for simultaneously validating a client-server software application from a client side and a server side, the client-server software application having a client application and a server application. The method and system include: defining a test case to exercise or emulate the client application; specifying validations to be made against server-side state in the defined test case; controlling a monitoring program to monitor the server application and collect information about the server-side state; executing the defined test case to exercise the server application through the client or a client emulator; processing the collected information; simultaneously performing validation tests against the collected information about the server-side state and against the client application or outputs from the server; and reporting results of the validation tests.
US08510714B2

A method, apparatus, and computer program product to implement integrated documentation and functional application testing are provided. An integrated test engine drives both functional application testing and documentation testing for the application. The integrated test engine uses documentation instructions, which are embedded with metadata and represent how to automate each step in the documentation and the expected results, and runs a series of tests that ensure that the application works as expected and that the documentation accurately reflects how the application works.
US08510706B1

In an embodiment, a technique for generating a comment for an entity associated with a model. The comment may be generated based on at least (1) a structural usage of the entity and (2) a dynamically-specified rule that is associated with the structural usage of the entity. The rule may be used to control content of the comment. The comment may be incorporated in generated code for the model and the generated code including the comment may be outputted (e.g., displayed, stored).
US08510705B2

A computer-based method and a computing device for checking stub lengths of via stubs of a printed circuit board (PCB) layout are provided. The computing device displays a check interface, selects signal transmission line from a currently run PCB layout through the check interface, receives a reference stub length input through the check interface, and determines the actual stub length of each via stub of each via each selected signal transmission line connected to. The computing device further determines that a design of one via stub satisfies the design standards, if the actual stub length of the one stub via is less than or equal to the reference length, and determines that a design of one via stub does not satisfy the design standards if the actual stub length of the one via stub is greater than the reference stub length.
US08510704B2

An electronic system design platform and method are presented. The electronic system design platform includes a computing system that hosts a virtual channel manager. The virtual channel manager provides a graphical editor for receiving user input specifying design specifications of the integrated circuit, and the design specifications specify a number of functional blocks and current physical communication conditions between pairs of the functional blocks. The virtual channel manager is further adapted for designing a virtual channel interface for the current physical communication conditions between the pairs of the functional blocks, and selecting a communication protocol that is best suited for each virtual channel interface.
US08510700B2

A method and apparatus for camouflaging an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), wherein the ASIC comprises a plurality of interconnected functional logic is disclosed. The method adds functionally inert elements to the logical description or provides alternative definitions of standard logical cells to make it difficult for reverse engineering programs to be used to discover the circuit's function. Additionally, post processing may be performed on GDS layers to provide a realistic fill of the empty space so as to resemble structural elements found in a functional circuit.
US08510690B2

A method of calculating electrical interactions of circuit elements in an integrated circuit layout without flattening the entire database that describes the layout. In one embodiment, a hierarchical database is analyzed and resistance and capacitance calculations made for a repeating pattern of elements are re-used at each instance of the repeated pattern and adjusted for local conditions. In another embodiment, a circuit layout is converted into a number of tiles, wherein the resistance and capacitance calculations made for the circuit elements in the center and a boundary region of the tiles are computed separately and combined. Environmental information that affects electrical interaction between circuit elements in different levels of hierarchy is calculated at a lower level of hierarchy so that such calculations do not need to be made for each placement of a repeated cell and so that not all interacting elements need to be promoted to the same hierarchy level to compute the electrical interactions.
US08510686B2

Various implementations of the invention provide for generation of a high transmission phase shift mask layout through inverse lithography techniques. In various implementations of the present invention, a set of mask data having a plurality of pixels is generated. The transmission value associated with each pixel may then be determined through an inverse lithography technique. With various implementations of the invention, the inverse lithography technique identifies an objective function, minimizes the objective function in relation to a simulation of the optical lithographic process, such that the transmission value, which is greater than 6%, may be determined.
US08510685B1

Disclosed are methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for processing a electronic design, which use a computer system to identify an operation associated with a task to be performed on the electronic design, to generate a hierarchical output for multiple shapes for performing the task based at least in part on performing an operation associated with the task, and to display or to store the hierarchical output. The task comprises a dummy fill insertion task or a design verification task in some embodiments. The methods or the systems may further determine or identify an inverse transform and apply the inverse transform to a shape before adding the shape to the hierarchical output. In some embodiments, there exists no duplication among the shapes in the hierarchical output, or only shapes derived from original shapes that belong to the first instance of a cellview master are added to the hierarchical output.
US08510683B2

A technique for providing information about defects in a mask pattern is described. In this technique, defects in the mask pattern may be determined based on differences between a calculated pattern produced at an image plane in the photolithographic process, when the mask pattern, illuminated by an associated source pattern, is at an object plane in the photolithographic process, and a target pattern that excludes the defects. Then the defect information may be provided to the user, such as a spatial map of the determined defects, where the spatial map is associated with at least the portion of the mask pattern.
US08510680B2

A three-dimensional motion graphic user interface includes a first polyhedron component which exists in a first space, and a second polyhedron component which exists in a second space, wherein the first polyhedron component includes identification information that identifies the second polyhedron component, and if an information object selected by a user is located inside the first polyhedron component, the information object is moved inside the second polyhedron component using the identification information.
US08510669B2

Method and system for presenting photos on a website are disclosed. The method includes selecting one or more thumbnail images in a browser window on a website in response to a select command from a user, dragging the one or more thumbnail images to a drop target in response to a drag command from the user, displaying the one or more thumbnail images in transit to the drop target as collapsible thumbnail images, and dropping the collapsible thumbnail images to the drop target in response to a drop command from the user.
US08510667B2

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to define a floodplain encroachment. River reach and station information are received into a geographic information system (GIS). Floodplain encroachment values are defined using a graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI provides a simultaneous view of station identifiers for each station for which the floodplain encroachment is to be defined, profiles defined for each of the station identifiers, a method identification corresponding to each of the defined profiles, and a target water surface elevation change for each profile. The values are provided to a HEC-RAS engine which outputs analysis results that are simultaneously displayed in the GUI with the other information. The analysis results include a water surface elevation change, a top width, and a velocity for each profile-station pair. Users can modify the values and dynamically view the results from HEC-RAS in the GUI.
US08510665B2

In some embodiments, a device displays content on a touch screen display and detects input by finger gestures. In response to the finger gestures, the device selects content, visually distinguishes the selected content, and/or updates the selected content based on detected input. In some embodiments, the device displays a command display area that includes one or more command icons; detects activation of a command icon in the command display area; and, in response to detecting activation of the command icon in the command display area, performs a corresponding action with respect to the selected content. Exemplary actions include cutting, copying, and pasting content.
US08510661B2

Targeted advertisements with associated dynamic content for response and feedback embedded into the ad's header are delivered to mobile viewing devices. The mobile viewing device records a user's response to advertisements and reports it back to an ad serving platform. The ad serving platform generates user profiles that incorporate the response data. Ads are further targeted to the user according to the user's profile data to maximize the impact of the ads. The user can select the preferred format for providing advertisement feedback.
US08510655B2

A method and system is disclosed that allows a user to easily and intuitively operate applications that require contact information, in a touch device, via a tray item associated with the contact information. The method for operating applications includes: displaying a contact tray comprised of a number of tray items based on contact information, on an execution screen; receiving an interaction to use a tray item in the contact tray; configuring an execution screen for an application based on contact information of the tray item; and operating the application based on the configured execution screen.
US08510653B2

A system and method for serving ad creatives to a user includes steps of: monitoring open conversation windows of a client during a login session, wherein each open conversation window is a conversation between the client and a correspondent; receiving client state information associated with each open conversation window; sending the client state information to client state information store; responsive to initiation of a new client session, retrieving the client state information; dynamically computing a template for a combination ad creative customized for each open conversation window associated with the new client session; generating the combination ad creative from the template; and serving the combination ad creative to the client.
US08510650B2

A computerized method and system for creating, analyzing, and editing complex formulas so as to facilitate their use in software applications such as spreadsheets and database applications. The method and system employ multiple synchronized views for formulas, one view presenting the linear text required by the software application and the other views presenting clear indications of the meaning of that text. Examples of such views include mathematically typeset formulas and hierarchical diagrams that reveal the formula's structure. The method and system parse formulas to determine their structure, display that structure in multiple views, and provide a variety of controls and aids to assist in analyzing, debugging, and editing the formula so that it has the intended meaning and result. Additionally, it synchronizes the multiple views so that changes to the formula or to the presentation of the formula in one view are automatically reflected in the other views.
US08510626B2

Data encoding apparatus and methods are disclosed. A Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) coding module is selected, from a plurality of different CRC coding modules, for coding a block of information. A generic coder, which is configurable to perform CRC coding based on any of the plurality of different CRC coding modules, is configured to perform CRC coding for the block of information based on the selected CRC coding module. A block of information for which a coding operation is to be performed may be segmented into a plurality of segments having respective lengths. Respective generic coders may be configured to perform the coding operation for the plurality of segments. In this case, a result of the coding operation for the block of information may be determined based on results of the coding operations for the plurality of data segments.
US08510625B1

Storing data includes encoding the data using an erasure encoding to provide encoded data, separating the encoded data into a number of components, and providing each of the components to separate data sites. The data may be encoded using a Reed/Solomon encoding. The data may be encoded using a 3-1 Reed/Solomon encoding and the encoded data may be separated into four components that are provided to four separate sites. The data may be encoded by a site that receives the data prior to encoding. The data may be encoded by a client that provides the data to a plurality of sites coupled thereto. Storing data may also include each of the separate data sites providing an additional encoding for the components. The data and the components may be encoded using a Reed/Solomon encoding.
US08510618B1

Systems and methods are provided for performing a quantum error correction. An error correction is performed on each of a plurality of qubit sets restore a desired basis state of the qubit set. Each qubit set corresponds to an associated logical qubit. A number of corrected qubits at each of the plurality of qubit sets are recorded. A first set of the plurality of logical qubits having a first state and a second set of the plurality of logical qubits having a second state are determined. One of the first set of logical qubits and the second set of logical qubits are corrected according to the recorded numbers of corrected qubits.
US08510617B2

To suppress deterioration in image quality even if skew occurs during conveyance of a medium, an apparatus, which is configured to record on the medium conveyed in a direction that intersects an array direction of a plurality of recording elements using a recording head on which the recording elements are arranged, includes a table in which the recording elements are divided into a plurality of groups, and which includes correction information corresponding to the recording elements for each group, a first acquisition unit configured to acquire position information about the medium in the array direction, a second acquisition unit configured to acquire the correction information based on the position information and the table, and a correction unit configured to correct image data based on the correction information.
US08510615B2

Embodiments described herein are directed to a virtual repair of digital media using a virtual repair service. Digital media stored on a digital media device is read using a media player. A request is received by a virtual repair unit from the media player to perform a virtual repair of a segment of unreadable digital content of the digital media. The virtual repair unit retrieves a readable copy of the digital content corresponding to the segment of unreadable digital content identified in the request from a media repository using the virtual repair unit. The virtual repair unit transmits the readable copy of the digital content to the media player for insertion into a buffer of the media player.
US08510611B2

A computer apparatus includes a main memory, a first memory diagnosis unit that determines a faulty area in the main memory by executing a first memory diagnostic program, and a storage unit that stores a relocatable second memory diagnostic program. Moreover, the computer apparatus includes a second memory diagnosis unit, that loads the second memory diagnostic program into areas of the main memory other than the faulty area determined by the first memory diagnosis unit.
US08510609B2

An apparatus and method for rate dematching in a communication system are provided. The apparatus includes an input sequence generator, an error calculator, and a puncture/repetition determiner. The input sequence generator calculates if current input data among data, which are input in interleaved sequence, corresponds to any nth sequence among before-interleaved sequence. The error calculator calculates an error for the current input data using the calculated sequence. The puncture/repetition determiner determines type of the current input data using the error for the current input data.
US08510608B2

Provided is an information security apparatus that has enhanced stability and confidentiality of a hash key. The information security apparatus includes an information generating PUF unit that has tamper resistance set, using physical characteristics, so as to output a preset hash key, a partial error-correction information storage unit that stores partial error-correction information, an error correcting PUF unit that has tamper-resistance set, using physical characteristics, so as to output error-correcting PUF information, an error-correction information generating unit that generates error-correction information using partial correction information and the error-correcting PUF information, and an error correcting unit that corrects an error for the hash key outputted from the information generating PUF unit and outputs an error-corrected hash key.
US08510602B2

A method for testing a software application used in a database system. The method includes receiving multiple changes to the software application, and running a plurality of tests on the software application. The method further includes determining if any of the tests fail, and if any of the tests fail, identifying which changes caused the failures.
US08510592B1

Error handling and recovery, implemented in a storage server, detects an error in a peripheral device of the storage server. If the error is recoverable, the system contains the error by isolating the peripheral device to prevent the generation of additional interrupt signals and migrates operations of the peripheral device to a back-up peripheral device. The system initiates error recovery by calling a recovery routine and a reinitialization routine, both provided by a device driver for the peripheral device. After device recovery is complete, the system migrates operations of the back-up peripheral device back to the peripheral device.
US08510591B2

A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes evaluating an active state of a media server configured to capture a media stream from one or more media sources. The method also includes determining a failure associated with the media server, and activating a failover media server to receive the media stream based on the failure. The method further includes replicating configuration data associated with the media server that experienced the failure. The configuration data can be provisioned in a suitable database. The failover media server is configured using the configuration data.
US08510582B2

A system and method for efficient power transfer on a die. A semiconductor chip comprises on a die two or more computation units (CUs) utilizing at least two different voltage regulators and a power manager. The power manager reallocates power credits across the die when it detects an activity level of a given CU is below a given threshold. In response to receiving a corresponding number of donated power credits, each of the one or more selected CUs maintains a high activity level with a high performance P-state. When a corresponding workload increases, each CU maintains operation and an average power consumption corresponding to the high performance P-state by alternating between at least two different operational voltages. When the operational voltage drops during the alternation, the current drawn by the particular CU may exceed a given current limit. The power manager detects this current limit is exceeded and accordingly reallocates the power credits across the die.
US08510579B2

A power supply system includes a power supply, a switch control circuit, a voltage rectifying circuit, and a trigger switch connected to the switch control circuit. The switch control circuit is connected between an alternating current (AC) power source and the power supply. The voltage rectifying circuit is connected between the AC power source and the switch control circuit to rectify an AC voltage into a direct current (DC) voltage to power the switch control circuit. When the computer system is powered off, the power supply fails to output a system voltage, and the trigger switch fails to be triggered, the switch control circuit disconnects the power supply from the AC power source. When the computer system is powered off, the power supply fails to output a system voltage, and the trigger switch is triggered, the switch control circuit connects the power supply to the AC power source.
US08510578B2

A power management apparatus is configured to manage a switch having line-cards with ports. The management apparatus includes a tracking module configured to track activity for each port in a line-card in the switch, and a control module configured to determine whether the line-card is to be disabled. The management apparatus also includes output module configured to initiate a deactivation process for the line-card if all the ports are inactive.
US08510577B2

Methods of reducing power consumption in a computing device are described in which file sharing applications which are running in the background are offloaded onto a lower power subsystem and the rest of the computing device can be put into a low power state. The lower power subsystem runs application stubs which autonomously execute a subset of the operations performed by a file sharing application which was previously running on the computing device. Before the rest of the computing device goes into the low power state, application state information is passed to the lower power subsystem for use by the application stubs. In an example, the application stub may continue to download files whilst the rest of the computing device is in standby or is shutdown and the application state information may include details of the files that are to be downloaded.
US08510575B2

A local server 200 transmits power supply ON information C as a content list to the local reproduction device 300 in the power OFF mode, the power supply ON information requesting a transition to the power ON mode. The local server 200 receives a power supply ON request from the local reproduction device 300, the power supply ON request indicating that the power supply ON information has been selected. The local server 200 causes a transition from the power OFF mode to the power ON mode in response to the power ON request.
US08510573B2

A system and method for encrypting secondary copies of data is described. In some examples, the system encrypts a secondary copy of data after the secondary copy is created. In some examples, the system looks to information about a data storage system, and determines when and where to encrypt data based on the information.
US08510571B1

A system and method for protecting a software program from unauthorized modification or exploitation. A software security mechanism according to the present invention is difficult for a hacker or cracker to detect and/or defeat, but does not impose excessive runtime overhead on the host software program. The present invention further comprises a system and method for automating the injection of a software security mechanism according to the present invention into a host software program.
US08510562B2

A method for transferring content includes requesting the content from a serving peer and sending the content to a requesting peer. Requesting the content includes sending a request to a tracker, receiving a request token, a path identifier, and a first peer identifier from the tracker, and sending a request message to a second peer. The first peer identifier includes an identity of a first peer, and the request message includes the request token, the path identifier, and the first peer identifier. Sending the content includes receiving the request token and the path identifier from a third peer, sending a return message to a fourth peer, and transferring the content from the serving peer to the requesting peer through a transfer path. The return message includes the path identifier and a second peer identifier. The second peer identifier includes an identity of a fifth peer. The transfer path includes at least the second, fourth, and fifth peers.
US08510560B1

A method and apparatus for deriving an encryption key for use between two stations in a wireless network using information intrinsic to one of the stations, without exchanging pairwise transient keys.
US08510556B2

The embodiments of the present disclosure disclose an authentication method, a system, a server, and a user node are disclosed herein. The method includes: generating, by a server, a server session key according to the identity information, at least one login information parameter, and the validity period included in the login information, generating at least one session key parameter of a user node according to the generator point of the algebraic curve, and sending at least one session key parameter of the user node to the user node; generating, by the user node, a user node session key according to at least one session key parameter of the user node; performing, by the server and the user node, mutual authentication according to the session keys. The authentication solution under the present disclosure is simple and practicable, and is also applicable to authenticating the user node in a grid computing platform.
US08510552B2

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for encryption and key management. The method includes encrypting each file on a computing device with a unique file encryption key, encrypting each unique file encryption key with a corresponding class encryption key, and encrypting each class encryption key with an additional encryption key. Further disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for encrypting a credential key chain. The method includes encrypting each credential on a computing device with a unique credential encryption key, encrypting each unique credential encryption key with a corresponding credential class encryption key, and encrypting each class encryption key with an additional encryption key. Also disclosed is a method of verifying a password by decrypting a key bag, retrieving data from an encrypted file using an encryption key from the decrypted key bag, and verifying the password by comparing retrieved data with expected data.
US08510550B2

A method for managing data in a preferably non real-time sensor network, wherein the network comprises a multitude of sensor nodes to sense data, wherein the network is divided into clusters with each consisting of several sensor nodes, wherein within each cluster a sensor node acts as aggregator node to aggregate the sensed data of the rest of the sensor nodes of the cluster, and wherein always a pre-configurable number of neighbored clusters are combined to groups and the data aggregated within a cluster are stored by the aggregator node of the cluster itself and in addition by another aggregator node of a cluster of the respective group is characterized in that the data is encrypted with homomorphic methods before being stored persistently.
US08510545B2

An illustrative method imports configuration data used by a server that supports electronic gaming machines (EGMs). Configuration data is used by operational software of the server that supports EGMs in a server-client relationship and is stored in accord with a first data structure template that defines records having fields that contain information of the configuration of each EGM. Configuration data stored in fields of records in accord with the first data structure template is automatically transferred to corresponding fields of records in accord with a second data structure template used by new operational software of the server by migration software.
US08510543B1

Technologies for a basic input/output system (BIOS) firmware that can take different boot paths depending on the operating system that a user selects to boot within a computer system are described herein. Each boot path can handle initialization differently based upon the needs of the operating system and overall project design. A method for supporting multiple boot paths on a computer includes receiving a boot path indicator that indicates a boot path to be executed. Once the boot path indicator is received, the boot path corresponding to the boot path indicator is executed and an operating system corresponding to the boot path indicator is booted.
US08510535B2

The present invention provides a mixed torus and hypercube multi-rank tensor expansion method which can be applied to the communication subsystem of a parallel processing system. The said expansion method is based on the conventional torus and hypercube topologies. A mixed torus and hypercube multi-rank tensor expansion interconnection network is built up by means of supernodes equipped with expansion interfaces. This method not only provides more bisection bandwidth to the entire system but also improves the long-range communication and global operations. Affirmatively, this expansion method can achieve better scalability and flexibility for the parallel system for a given system size.
US08510529B2

An information processing apparatus sequentially selects a function whose execution frequency is high as a selected function that is to be stored in an internal memory, in a source program having a hierarchy structure. The information processing apparatus allocates the selected function to a memory area of the internal memory, allocates a function that is not the selected function and is called from the selected function to an area close to the memory area of the internal memory, and generates an internal load module. The information processing apparatus allocates a remaining function to an external memory coupled to a processor and generates an external load module. Then, a program executed by the processor having the internal memory is generated.
US08510526B2

[Problem] Providing a storage apparatus and a snapshot control method for the same for preventing, even after long-term operation of snapshots as a means for backup, an increase in the amount of pre-update data retained in a differential volume.[Solution] According to this invention, snapshots utilizing pre-update data are replaced with snapshots utilizing update data so that the areas, in the differential volume, storing the pre-update data are released as free areas correspondingly, thereby avoiding accumulation of the pre-update data in the differential volume.
US08510524B1

An on-disk structure of a file system has the capability to generate snapshots and provide fast sequential read access to data containers, such as files. The on-disk structure arranges sequential portions of files on disk within regions, wherein each region comprises a predetermined amount of disk space represented by blocks and wherein the data of the files stored within each region may or may not be stored sequentially within the region. In addition, the on-disk structure accommodates a plurality of types of regions, including (i) active regions that contain active file system data for large files, (ii) snapshot regions that contain “copy out” snapshot data for the large files and (iii) metadata regions that contain metadata, as well as directories and small files.
US08510523B2

A system and method for generating a triage dump of useful memory data from a computer that encounters an error while executing one or more software programs. The computer system may identify data values within the triage dump that are characteristic of personal data. To protect the privacy of the software user the personal data may be poisoned by overwriting the data values with overwrite values. The overwrite values used to poison the data values may be predetermined, based on the data values themselves, or chosen at random. The triage dump may be sent to an external server to associated with the developer of the one or more software programs for analysis. When overwrite values are dynamically selected, the specific overwrite values used may be sent to the server in connection with a triage dump.
US08510516B2

A computerized method for sharing removable storage media in a network, the method comprising associating, in an index entry, a first piece of removable storage media in a first storage device with at least a first storage policy copy and a second storage policy copy; copying, to the first piece of removable storage media, data associated with the first storage policy copy; and copying, to the first piece of removable storage media, data associated with the second storage policy copy.
US08510515B2

A first virtual storage and a second virtual storage share an external LU (Logical Unit) inside an external storage. The first virtual storage comprises a first LU, which comprises multiple first virtual areas and conforms to thin provisioning, and an external capacity pool, which is a storage area based on the external LU, and which is partitioned into multiple external pages, which are sub-storage areas. The second virtual storage comprises a second LU, which comprises multiple second virtual areas and conforms to thin provisioning. In a data migration from the first LU to the second LU, for a data migration from a first virtual area, to which an external page has been allocated, to a second virtual area, the first virtual storage notifies the second virtual storage of a migration-source address, which is an address of the first virtual area, and an external address, which is an address of the external page that has been allocated to this virtual area, and the second virtual storage stores a corresponding relationship between the notified migration-source address and external address.
US08510512B2

A data processing system includes at least a first through third processing nodes coupled by an interconnect fabric. The first processing node includes a master, a plurality of snoopers capable of participating in interconnect operations, and a node interface that receives a request of the master and transmits the request of the master to the second processing unit with a nodal scope of transmission limited to the second processing node. The second processing node includes a node interface having a directory. The node interface of the second processing node permits the request to proceed with the nodal scope of transmission if the directory does not indicate that a target memory block of the request is cached other than in the second processing node and prevents the request from succeeding if the directory indicates that the target memory block of the request is cached other than in the second processing node.
US08510509B2

A method, system, and computer program product for data transfer to memory over an input/output (I/O) interconnect are provided. The method includes reading a mailbox stored on an I/O adapter in response to a request to initiate an I/O transaction. The mailbox stores a directive that defines a condition under which cache injection for data values in the I/O transaction will not be performed. The method also includes embedding a hint into the I/O transaction when the directive in the mailbox matches data received in the request, and executing the I/O transaction. The execution of the I/O transaction causes a system chipset or I/O hub for a processor receiving the I/O transaction, to directly store the data values from the I/O transaction into system memory and to suppress the cache injection of the data values into a cache memory upon presence of the hint in a header of the I/O transaction.
US08510504B2

Shingled magnetic recording (SMR) devices are described that include a command processor for accepting commands from the host/user for executing selected SMR related operations, setting selected SMR parameters and reading selected SMR related statistics and status indicators. The commands allow a host/user to control defragmentation and destaging operations. Embodiments include some or all of the set of features allowing selection of formatting settings, selection of optimization settings; command to immediately run defragmentation operation; command to change waiting time before starting defragmentation operation; and command to temporarily suspend defragmentation operation until certain usage threshold is met (e.g., E-region(s) near full).
US08510502B2

A data writing method, a memory controller using the method, and a memory storage apparatus using the method are provided. The method includes selecting a physical block as a reserved physical block for a plurality of updated physical blocks. The method also includes, when a host system is about to write updated data into a logical page belonging to a logical block and a physical page, which corresponds to the logical page, of a substitute physical block, which corresponds to an updated physical block mapped to the logical block, has stored data, independently assigning the reserved physical block to the updated physical block mapped to the logical block and writing the updated data into the reserved physical block. Accordingly, the method can complete data writing without performing a data merge operation, thereby shortening the time for performing a write command.
US08510492B2

System and method for handshaking between first and second processors via a single wire connecting a first pin of the first processor and a second pin of the second processor are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises the first processor disabling an interrupt function on the first pin; and, subsequent to the disabling, interrupting the second processor by driving the first pin to a first logic level and then releasing the first pin to a second logic level.
US08510491B1

A method and apparatus for efficient interrupt event notification for a scalable input/output device in a network system. A network interface unit is operably connected to a plurality of processing entities and associated memory units. At least one status register in the network interface unit contains information relating to a process to be performed by at least one processing entity communicated to the processing entity by an interrupt event notification. Shared memory space comprises a mailbox storage register operable to store an image of the interrupt information stored in the status register of the network interface unit. A processing entity can directly access the process information stored in the mailbox status register thereby reducing system latency associated with reading information in the status register. Updated process status information in the network interface status register may be read by the processing entity on an interleaved basis while executing a process.
US08510489B2

A serial communication method is applied in a computing device to communicate serially with any external serial device. The computing device includes a baseboard management controller (BMC) and an operating system (OS). The BMC includes at least one physical serial port. The method generates a virtual serial port for the OS by emulating serial port functionality of the physical serial port. When the BMC is initializing the physical serial port and a serial device is connected to the physical serial port, an interrupt handler is activated to handle an interrupt triggered to the BMC by the serial device. The interrupt handler is deactivated when the physical serial port has been initialized by the BMC.
US08510485B2

This relates to interface circuits for synchronous protocols which do not rely on a dedicated high frequency clock signal. Instead, the interface circuit may rely on a clock signal received over the interface from another device in order to transfer data between the interface and an internal buffer. Furthermore, the interface circuits can rely on a clock signal provided by a bus for a device the interface circuit is located in to transfer data between the internal buffer and the bus. The internal buffer can be, but is not limited to a FIFO. Alternatively, it can be a stack or another data structure. The internal buffer can be configured so that each of its multiple of cells is a shift register. Thus, a preparatory step of moving a byte of data from the buffer to a separate shift register can be avoided.
US08510477B2

A protocol resolution device electrically connected to a central processing unit (CPU) includes a signal controller to receive communication protocol from the CPU, a signal input module, and display module. The signal input module provides an electrical signal to the signal controller. The signal controller decodes the communication protocol from the CPU and stores the decoded communication protocol, the signal controller selectively accesses and calls up the decoded communication protocol according to the electrical signal, and transmits the decoded communication protocol to the display module for display.
US08510475B2

A method for protecting application software transmitted from a server to a client over a network, the method includes: determining an edit operation for an input stream using a first program; transmitting transmission information to the server, the transmission information including first characteristic information indicating a characteristic of the input stream and edit information indicating the edit operation; receiving a second program for executing the edit operation on the input stream, the second program including the transmission information; obtaining second characteristic information from the second program; comparing the first characteristic information and the second characteristic information; and executing, on the input stream, an edit based on the edit information by using the second program, when the first characteristic information and the second characteristic information match.
US08510460B2

Technology for processing an ordered sequence of frames of a media program intended for play in an HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) player. Processing a first ordered subset of frames of the sequence. Processing a second ordered subset of frames of the sequence separate from the first subset. The second subset following on the first forms a third ordered subset of frames of the media program. Processing the second subset includes creating a manifest file of the subset. The playing time of processed frames of the first subset is at least equal to the processing time of the second subset. Processing the first subset can include creating a manifest file of the subset. The media program can include ads (at least a pre-roll ad) and content. The first ordered subset can be the pre-roll ad. The second ordered subset can be the content and remaining ads (e.g., mid-roll and post roll).
US08510458B2

The method of sending at least one item of information relative to a multimedia data stream in a communication network is characterized in that it comprises the following steps carried out on a server device capable of sending the multimedia data stream over the network: obtaining at least one item of information relative to the data stream, said at least one item of information comprising an item of information on a visual quality of the multimedia data stream and an item of information on the bandwidth necessary for sending the stream with that visual quality, and sending said at least one obtained item of information over the communication network to a client device.
US08510452B2

A wireless network selection apparatus comprises a storage unit, a transmitting unit, a first receiving unit, and a second receiving unit. The storage unit stores first connection setting information to join a first wireless network and second connection setting information to join a second wireless network which is different from the first wireless network. The transmitting unit transmits the first connection setting information or the second connection setting information to an external communication terminal. The first receiving unit receives a request to transmit the first connection setting information transmitted from the transmitting unit. The second receiving unit is provided in the same housing as that in which the first receiving unit is provided and receives a request to transmit the second connection setting information transmitted from the transmitting unit.
US08510448B2

A system, method, and computer readable medium for managing registration, by a content broker, of one or more resources with one or more service providers are provided. A content broker obtains registration information for registering the one or more resources with a service provider. The registration information may include a request to publish one or more resources to a service provider, an identification of the one or more resources, service provider selection criteria provided by the content provider or otherwise selected, and the like. The content broker transmits a service provider generation request corresponding to the registration information to the service provider. Then, the content broker manages and processes data pursuant to registration of the one or more resources with the service provider.
US08510445B2

Provided is an IT system to minimize occurrence of a bottleneck on a network while effectively making use of the bandwidth of the network. A system management apparatus collects performance information from a network device, and calculates the average value, the peak hour, and the variance from the collected performance information. In response to a request for addition of a business system, the system management apparatus builds configuration patterns of a group of virtual servers configuring the business system and monitors traffic states of the paths on the network, identifies the part of the network where the traffic quality is most degraded, and determines the pattern that includes the path which has the smallest variance in the traffic based on traffic information on the part where the communication quality is degraded identified in each pattern as the requested system configuration of the business system.
US08510439B2

A system and method can manage software services in virtualized and non-virtualized environments. A plurality of data collection components in a computing environment can include a plurality of virtual machines running on the one or more microprocessors, wherein the plurality of virtual machines are adapted to be deployed with services and applications. Each data collection component operates to use one or more data structures to communicate with a data consumer, wherein each data structure describes metrics to be collected by said data collection component and is capable of containing collected metric values.
US08510437B2

Techniques to facilitate a system to capture, process, and archive a series of user interactive events and subsequently retrieve the stored user interactive events are disclosed. The captured information is indexed and stored for future access either on a terminal device or an accessible remote server device.
US08510412B2

The present invention is a system and method for creating and implementing transactional speech applications (SAs) using Web technologies, without reliance on server-side standard or custom services. A transactional speech application may be any application that requires interpretation of speech in conjunction with a speech recognition (SR) system, such as, for example, consumer survey systems. A speech application in accordance with the present invention is represented within a Web page, as an application script that interprets semantic objects according to a context. Any commonly known scripting language can be used to write the application script, such as JavaScript (or ECMAScript), PerlScript, and VBscript. The present invention is “Web-based” to the extent that it implements Web technologies, but it need not include or access the World Wide Web.
US08510406B2

A software component for accessing and displaying Internet content includes a definition for rendering a graphical user interface within which Internet content may be presented outside of and without utilization of a web browser application. The component also includes a network reference, such as a URL, pointing to the Internet content such that the Internet Content may be downloaded and presented within said user interface. A component provider may thus create customized displays within which intended web-content may be rendered. An application component may be used in association with the software component to manage the collection, organization, sharing, and rendering of a plurality of such software components.
US08510404B2

A method and system for enabling peer to peer synchronization between members of a synchronized network. A predefined synchronization reference area on each member of the network is provided. A common identifier associated with the synchronization network is provided to each member. Changes are detected on a member regarding a data item. A network identifier associated is obtained. A unique identifier of a synchronization module is obtained. A relative path to the data item within the predefined synchronization reference area is obtained. A unique value is calculated based upon a content of a version of the data item that is associated with the change. A log number counter is incremented. A log representing the data item and the chance is created. The log includes data regarding the type of change, the network identifier, the unique identifier of the synchronization module, the relative path, the unique value, and the log number.
US08510399B1

A server system stores a hosted conversation having a special-purpose automated participant and a standard participant. The server system receives a request to modify the conversation from a first participant, determines a set of edits that update the conversation to an updated state in accordance with the request to modify the conversation; and sends, the set of edits to a second participant. When the first participant is a standard participant: the request includes an indication of preliminary edits; the conversation is updated in accordance with the preliminary edits; and the set of edits include concurrency-resolved edits. When the first participant is a special-purpose automated participant: the request includes an operation to be performed on the conversation; the operation is performed on the conversation at the server system; and the set of edits updates the conversation, in accordance with the operation.
US08510397B2

Methods of receiving audio transmissions over a telecommunication connection, extracting information about the transmissions, and publishing the information to an RSS feed are described and claimed. Systems and software using the methods are also described and claimed.
US08510395B2

A technique for contact list aggregation across networks involves logging into low level networks through a high level network. A system constructed according to the technique may include a network interface coupled to the different low level networks. The system may further include a contact aggregation engine coupled to the network interface and a network contacts database. In operation the system logs into one or more of the low level networks (or facilitates login for a user). To the extent that the data in the network contacts database is not current, the contact aggregation engine updates the networks contacts database contact information, then provides an aggregated contact list including the contact information to a display device. A method according to the technique may include logging into a high level network and displaying contacts from the one or more low level networks in an aggregated contact list. The method may further include logging into the one or more low level networks.
US08510381B1

A device receives shared data that identifies resources shared by users of nearby devices. The device outputs a user interface that contains a private area and a public area. The public area includes one or more display elements. Each of the display elements in the public area represents one of the resources shared by one of the users of one of the nearby devices. A user of the device may move the display element that represents a given resource from the public area to the private area. When the user moves the display element to the private area, the device performs an action associated with the given resource.
US08510378B2

A method, system, Web-environment and computer program product for automatically generating proxies and meta-proxies for script code in an HTML document. The invention preferably operates with a system that allows for JavaScript to be utilized on the server-side.
US08510369B1

A computing system invokes a proxy agent in a virtual environment hosted by the computing system to obtain configuration change data for a virtualized application from an agent residing in a physical environment hosted by the computing system. The proxy agent changes a configuration of the virtualized application based on the configuration change data to cause the virtualized application to load a plug-in in the virtual environment. The computing system launches the virtualized application and the virtualized application loads the plug-in in the virtual environment to utilize a function of the plug-in in the virtual environment.
US08510366B1

The present invention provides a method and system for the dynamic distribution of an array in a parallel computing environment. The present invention obtains a criterion for distributing an array and performs flexible portioning based on the obtained criterion. In some embodiment analysis may be performed based on the criterion. The flexible portioning is then performed based on the analysis.
US08510363B2

Method, apparatus, and program means for nonlinear filtering and deblocking applications utilizing SIMD sign and absolute value operations. The method of one embodiment comprises receiving first data for a first block and second data for a second block. The first data and said second data are comprised of a plurality of rows and columns of pixel data. A block boundary between the first block and the second block is characterized. A correction factor for a deblocking algorithm is calculated with a first instruction for a sign operation that multiplies and with a second instruction for an absolute value operation. Data for pixels located along said block boundary between the first and second block are corrected.
US08510348B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for creating and using imbedded Shortcodes. An imbedded Shortcode (ISC) and Shortcode may be uniquely associated with a full name that identifies an item of interest. The Shortcode may be visually identified when the full name is displayed by the ISC, which is select characters of the full name that are visually distinguished from the other characters of the full name. Thus, subsequent reference to the associated full name and its item of interest may be identified simply by using the Shortcode instead of the full name. For example, a user of an electronic device may observe the full name with the ISC in a visual display, and sequentially enter the characters of the Shortcode from the ISC into the electronic device to obtain additional information regarding the item of interest.
US08510347B2

The present invention provides a method, system and computer program product for developing a meta-model schema on the basis of one or more requirements associated with an enterprise process. The method includes defining various sets of meta-models based on the requirements and a predefined ontology. Each set of meta-models includes at least one meta-model that has been defined based on at least one other meta-model of the set of meta-models. Thereafter, the sets of meta-models defined for the corresponding requirements are integrated to develop the meta-model schema.
US08510338B2

Systems and methods for indexing, associating or compositing data records and hierarchies from various information sources are disclosed. Embodiments of the present invention may provide the ability to link data records and thus to link data records to known hierarchies of data records. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention may provide the capability to associate data records in varying information sources and to thereby associate incoming data record with existing data records or existing data hierarchies such that an incoming data record may not only be associated with an existing data record comprising information about the same entity but may additionally be associated with other members of the data hierarchy in the same manner as the existing data record. In addition to associating an incoming data record with an existing data record and incorporating the incoming data record into an existing data hierarchy, embodiments of the present invention may provide the capability of reconciling an incoming data hierarchy to which an incoming data record belongs with an existing data hierarchy belongs such that the two data hierarchies may be composited.
US08510331B1

Embodiments of desktop agents for use in file management are disclosed. Specifically, in certain embodiments a set of desktop computers within a particular networked environment where it is desired to install these desktop agents may be determined. Desktop agents may then be installed on these desktops. A desktop agent on a particular desktop computer may register with an appliance such as that described above and be given an objective including one or more tasks. For each of the tasks provided, the desktop agent may return a list of files which can be collected based on the classification(s) associated with that task. Specific files to collect may then be selected from the list of files such that these specific files may be sent from the desktop computer to the appliance by the desktop agent and stored.
US08510296B2

A system, method and computer program product for automatically estimating the confidence of a detected LAT to provide a more accurate overall score for an obtained candidate answer. A confidence “score” or value of each detected LAT is obtained, and the system and method performs combining the confidence score with a degree of match between a LAT and an AnswerType of the candidate answer to provide improved overall score for the candidate answer.
US08510289B1

A system processes user queries. The system may generate a list of query patterns of a first type. The system may also receive a user query and determine whether the received query is a query of the first type based at least in part on the list of query patterns.
US08510283B2

A MMR system for newspaper publishing includes a plurality of mobile devices, an MMR gateway, an MMR matching unit and an MMR publisher. The MMR matching unit receives an image query from the MMR gateway and sends it to one or more of the recognition units to identify a result including a document, the page and the location on the page. The image registration unit includes an indexing unit for generating images adapted to the environment and capabilities of the image capture device. The indexing unit also automatically adapts the configuration of the plurality of recognition units and index tables based upon image queries applied to the plurality of recognition and index tables. The plurality of recognition units and index tables are configured based on content they reference, recognition algorithm used or other factors.
US08510281B2

A system and method for an ultimate locking mechanism which minimizes a lock period for modifying shared data in a shared database. A process is executed as one or more initial instances and a final instance. Each initial instance reads the shared data from the shared database without acquiring a lock on the shared database. The locking mechanism obtains results that are directed to modifying the shared data and buffers the results at least partially. During or after each of the initial instances, it determines whether the next instance is to be the final one (e.g., the estimated runtime of the next instance is acceptable as the lock period). In response to a positive determination, the final instance of the process is executed. The final instance uses at least one of the buffered results during execution and acquires the lock on the shared database to modify the shared data.
US08510277B2

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed informing a user of a content management directive associated with a rating. Embodiments include identifying a content management directive capable of being invoked through a user assigned rating; identifying a rating associated with invoking the identified content management directive; and providing an identification of the rating and an identification of the content management directive associated with the rating to a user through a media file.
US08510273B2

A system, method, and computer-readable medium that provide mechanisms for tracking the number of queries received for processing for a workload to facilitate arrival rate qualifications to Throughput Service Level Goals are provided. A number of queries counter associated with a particular workload is incremented each time a query assigned to the particular workload is received thereby tracking the arrival rate of workload queries. When a system performance condition comprising a non-compliant system performance level with respect to a Throughput Service Level Goal is identified, the number of queries counter is compared with the Throughput Service Level Goal. If the arrival rate of queries for the workload is greater than the Throughput Service Level Goal of the workload, actions associated with non-compliance of the Throughput Service Level Goal may then be performed. If the number of queries counter is less than or equal to the Throughput Service Level Goal, the preliminary identification of the missed Service Level Goal as a system performance condition event is dismissed or otherwise ignored.
US08510272B2

A computer-implemented method for managing data for a clinical decision support system includes providing a computer management system including a server and a database, and downloading the decision support system onto the computer management system. The decision support system includes a plurality of rules and receives data. The method also includes accessing the decision support system and issuing an alert associated with a predetermined data pattern to at least one client system according to the rules, receiving a request for additional information from the at least one client system in response to the issued alert, determining additional data that has been requested, and retrieving the additional information associated with the issued alert.
US08510268B1

The present invention relates to a geographic information system having editable maps. In an embodiment, a system provides editable maps. The system includes an edit layer dataset that stores geocoded data. At least a portion of the edit layer dataset is edited by a user. The system also includes a base layer dataset that includes trusted geocoded data and a moderation module that receives a change in the edit layer dataset. The moderation module determines whether the change is reliable and promotes the change in the edit layer dataset to the base layer dataset if the change is reliable.
US08510265B1

Environmental information required for configuring a data storage system for using a file mapping protocol is collected and qualified via a spreadsheet used as an input file to a configuration program. The configuration program provides a comparison of the present configuration to the new configuration specified in the spreadsheet, and provides to a system administrator an option of applying or skipping the new configuration for each of multiple classes of configuration objects including iSCSI targets on storage array controllers, file server interfaces for host access to file mapping information, file systems, and iSCSI clients on the host processors. Once the system administrator approves the selected configuration changes, the configuration utility produces a series of control commands for execution by a control command interpreter of a file server in order to change configuration settings in the file server and in the storage array controllers.
US08510258B2

There is provided an information processing apparatus including: an acquisition unit successively specifying fields to be processed out of a plurality of fields included in program information in electronic program guide information and acquiring a character string included in each specified field; an analysis unit analyzing the acquired character string and outputting an analysis result for dividing the character string into a plurality of units; a sequence generating unit generating, for each field, a sequence corresponding to character string lengths of the units based on the outputted analysis result; a variance value calculating unit calculating, for each field, a variance value showing a degree of variance of magnitudes of values of items in the sequence; and a specifying unit specifying, for each program, a cast member field, in which cast member names are listed, out of the plurality of fields based on the calculated variance values.
US08510257B2

In an inference system for organizing a corpus of objects, feature representations are generated comprising distributions over a set of features corresponding to the objects. A topic model defining a set of topics is inferred by performing latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) with an Indian Buffet Process (IBP) compound Dirichlet prior probability distribution. The inference is performed using a collapsed Gibbs sampling algorithm by iteratively sampling (1) topic allocation variables of the LDA and (2) binary activation variables of the IBP compound Dirichlet prior. In some embodiments the inference is configured such that each inferred topic model is a clean topic model with topics defined as distributions over sub-sets of the set of features selected by the prior. In some embodiments the inference is configured such that the inferred topic model associates a focused sub-set of the set of topics to each object of the training corpus.
US08510252B1

A method, a system and a computer program product generate a statistical classification model used by a computer system to determine whether a video contains content in a particular class, such as inappropriate content.
US08510243B2

The updating method comprises selecting the best winning neuron and second best winning neuron, modifying the prototype vectors of the best winning neuron and the neurons located around the best winning neuron in the direction of the vector of the learning point (x(k)), determining the neighboring neurons (N(u*)) of the best winning neuron (u*) and, if the second best winning neuron (u**) is part of the neighboring neurons (N(u*)), increasing the valuation of the connection between the first and second best winning neurons.The updating method further involves reducing the valuation of each connection between the first best winning neuron and the direct neighboring neurons (N(u*)) other than the second best winning neuron (u**).
US08510242B2

A system and method for modeling technology to predict accurately water-oil relative permeability uses a type of artificial neural network (ANN) known as a Generalized Regression Neural Network (GRNN) The ANN models of relative permeability are developed using experimental data from waterflood core test samples collected from carbonate reservoirs of Arabian oil fields Three groups of data sets are used for training, verification, and testing the ANN models Analysis of the results of the testing data set show excellent correlation with the experimental data of relative permeability, and error analyses show these ANN models outperform all published correlations
US08510241B2

An approach for solving a global optimization problem is described. Specifically, one embodiment of the disclosure sets forth a method, which includes the steps of receiving a quantitative initial solution, generating a quantitative feasible solution, mapping the quantitative feasible solution to a qualitative feasible solution, determining whether to accept the qualitative feasible solution based on a first predetermined rule, wherein the qualitative feasible solution that is accepted is reverse mapped to the quantitative feasible solution, and transmitting a result of the determining step.
US08510240B2

Disclosed herein is a system which address the problem of multiple mappings of a source ICD code to a target ICD code by using an adaptive mechanism to automatically convert to a target ICD code with the help of accompanying data and associated rules. The mechanism is based on analysis of the ICD code description, and analysis of accompanying data to determine a set of parameters to assist in the conversion. The rules are assigned numerical values to indicate the confidence of conversion. An adaptive mechanism is also disclosed that automatically tracks user overrides to refine the rules and the indicator values over time.
US08510238B1

Methods and apparatus for predicting time spans for mobile platform activation are presented. A machine-learning service executing on a mobile platform receives feature-related data. The feature-related data includes usage-related data about time spans that the mobile platform is activated and platform-related data received from the mobile platform. The usage-related data and the platform-related data can differ. The machine-learning service determines whether the machine-learning service is trained to perform machine-learning operations related to predicting a time span that the mobile platform will be activated. In response to determining that the machine-learning service is trained, the machine-learning service: receives a request for a predicted time span that the mobile platform will be activated, determines the predicted time span by the machine-learning service performing a machine-learning operation on the feature-related data, and sends the predicted time span.
US08510237B2

Methods and devices for accelerating web page rendering include processing web pages and gathering web page element information, performing machine learning analysis on the gathered web page element information to identify patterns in layout independence correlated to web page element information, and training a classifier to predict sub-tree independence based on element information in a web page script. The predicted sub-tree independence may be used to concurrently process portions of a web page to be rendered to reduce the time required to render the page. Sub-trees may be conditionally independent, in which case, the conditionally independent sub-trees may be made independent by speculating data to render the sub-trees independent, or by performing a task to obtain the certain information to render the sub-tree independent.
US08510235B2

An information processing apparatus including: a label acquisition section that acquires a label assigned by a user to a content selected among plural contents; a user certainty factor setting section that sets a user certainty factor to the label assigned by the user; a label prediction learning section that performs label prediction learning; a label prediction section that predicts a label regarding a content to which the label is not assigned, and calculates a label certainty factor that refers to certainty of the predicted label; a user certainty factor prediction section that performs user certainty factor prediction learning, and predicts a user certainty factor of (regarding) the predicted label of (regarding) the content to which the label is not assigned; and a selection section that selects a content to be next assigned a label among contents to which labels are not assigned.
US08510231B2

A method and system that allows for large amounts of data to be printed utilizing a small memory is provided. The complete image to be printed on the print medium is separated into different regions each having associated print data. The memory device, while being too small to store all of the print data for the full image, is capable of storing the print data associated with each region. The print data for each region is released from the print head controller to the memory device for printing in a timed fashion based on movement of the print medium. The print data for a subsequent region will not be passed to the memory until the print medium has moved a sufficient distance, thereby indicating that printing of the preceding region has been completed.
US08510219B1

A billing management package which handles all web access as charged transactions (Pay-as-you-go) for browsing and purchasing product(s), service(s), and/or data on the Internet. The software is designed to be loaded on an individual web or a web server front ending multiple domains and/or access to other domains through Internet servers. The software deals with access to web pages, content viewing and product selection, billing the user for time spent browsing or per number of pages downloaded, and acting as a broker for multiple product selections. The billing software package is modular, each one handles different time based access transactions used for browsing and/or purchasing on the Internet.
US08510197B2

An analyzer module may read a selector key and a financial object number stored within a financial object. The financial object number may be sent to a selector module associated with the selector key. The selector module may read a selector strategy key stored within the financial object. A processor programmed by the selector module may retrieve a set of position values associated with the financial object based, at least in part, on the selector strategy key. A mapping module may be chosen by the selector module based upon a financial instrument type. The mapping module may store the position values within the financial object. A price calculator may generate a key figure for each of the position values. A list of the position values may be displayed to a user on a display device.
US08510186B2

A virtual currency system keeps track of virtual credits, which can be owned, transferred, purchased, and sold by participants in a virtual economy. Each virtual credit has an internal value and an external value, which define, respectively, the exchange rates for creating and redeeming the virtual credits. Upon creation of new virtual credits, the internal value for those credits is the rate for which real currency was paid per credit. The external value sets the rate at which the virtual credits can be redeemed for real currency. Each virtual credit may further have a face value, which is an apparent value of the virtual credit within the virtual economy, giving users a baseline impression for valuing the virtual currency. These features of the virtual currency enable a number of useful actions within the virtual economy, including currency seeding, couponing, and chargebacks.
US08510185B2

Systems and methods are defined for facilitating the audit process involving a business client, an auditor, and a third-party providing confirmations for the client upon the auditor's request. An auditor receives an audit number, electronically captured signature, or physical signature from the audited client as evidence of authorization for requesting confirmation from a third-party, such as a bank or related business entity. The confirmation request submitted by the auditor will be stored in a network-based computer system (i.e., confirmation system) and transmitted to the relevant third-party. The third-party responder then provides necessary confirmation response data or the confirmation system retrieves the response data from a computer of the responder using credentials of the client. The involved third-party can be a bank or financial institution, another entity in business relationship with the client, or any other entity that has access to the requested data associated with the client.
US08510184B2

A system and method for the online settling of a transaction is provided. The system includes a server having a rules configured to process available data regarding the debtor party using rules established on behalf of the party to the financial transaction and weighting factors accorded to selected available data related to the debtor party. The rules and weighting factors are employed by the rules engine to establish a transaction settlement offer set conveyable to the user and comprising multiple simultaneously presentable and individually selectable offers, each offer configured to settle the transaction on terms satisfactory to the party to the transaction.
US08510174B2

Products and processes are provided in which information is received about a post relating to an item to be sold via a posting site. A posting payment award is determined. The posting payment award may be determined by calculating a posting payment amount. The posting award is provided in the form of a prominent feature of the post on the posting site.
US08510173B2

A fact checking system verifies the correctness of information and/or characterizes the information by comparing the information with one or more sources. The fact checking system automatically monitors, processes, fact checks information and indicates a status of the information.
US08510171B2

An electronic product registration (ER) system which enables a retailer, preferable in cooperation with its vendors, to provide a customized return/warranty program for customers on a product-by product basis. The original policy(ies) in the ER system can be modified for a particular product and the modified policy is stored in the ER system so that the modified policy can be accessed if the product is again presented for a return/warranty transaction.
US08510170B2

A point of sale (POS) system includes primary and auxiliary printers powered by a shared power supply. A POS terminal includes the shared power supply, a user interface, and a host including a printer driver for dynamically generating primary print commands. A printer connection card connected to the POS terminal includes a Universal Serial Bus (USB) hub in communication with the host and having at least one USB connector powered by the shared power supply. The primary printer is connected to the USB hub for receiving power and the primary print commands through the USB hub from the POS terminal. An auxiliary printer has a power-only connection to the printer connection card, receiving independently generated auxiliary print commands from a separate host computer. A controller includes control logic for selectively blocking the primary print commands to the primary printer in response to the signal drawn by the auxiliary printer exceeding a threshold.
US08510165B2

A software based system and method of displaying location based information from an information site on a network by determining location data of a user of the location based information on the network. The location based information is generated based on the determined location data of the user; and generated location based information is provided to the user over the network.
US08510161B2

A method of using a stored-value card to reserve an item includes providing a stored-value card to a customer prior to the release date of an item, adding value to the stored-value card prior to the release date of the item, and reserving the item with the stored-value card. Other method and product embodiments are disclosed.
US08510152B1

A tool is configured to determine process and service strengths as related to the accomplishment of one or more objectives. One or more processes include associated process information relating to various process attributes. The tool may execute a plurality of scoring modules to produce scores representative of strengths of processes and services as related to the accomplishment of the objectives. The scores may be used to identify processes for adjustment having a maximum impact on the scores.
US08510150B2

An exemplary method includes a fiber to the premises (“FTTP”) network modeling system assigning a cost factor to each of a plurality of street segments within a geospatial polyline map of a fiber optic network service area, receiving input representative of a geospatial location of each of a plurality of FTTP demand sites, automatically determining a least cost path along one or more of the street segments for each of the FTTP demand sites to a central office included in the FTTP network in accordance with the assigned cost factors, automatically determining a demand associated with each street segment included in the plurality of street segments; and automatically determining a geospatial location and a size of a plurality of fiber distribution hubs to be included in the FTTP network. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.
US08510147B2

A method and system for calculating pipeline integrity business risk score for a pipeline network is provided. The method includes a step of first calculating a structural risk score, an operational risk score and a commercial risk score for each pipeline segment in a pipeline network. The method further includes calculating pipeline integrity business risk score for each pipeline segment. The structural risk score, operational risk score, commercial risk score and pipeline integrity business risk score for each pipeline segment is rolled-up to calculate the respective risk scores of a pipeline network. The rolled-up risk scores are calculated by computing weight factors for each pipeline segment, relative risk scores weight of each pipeline segment and relative risk scores contribution of each pipeline segment. The system of the invention comprises executable files, dynamic linked libraries and risk score computing modules configured to display the risk scores using a dashboard.
US08510145B2

The present invention provides systems and methods for planning important events such as weddings, milestone birthday parties and the like. A suite of computer-implemented applications perform various aspects of event management, including guest list and seating management, task planning, vendor selection, budget control and gift recordation and tracking. The data gathered, processed and stored by different portions of the application suite is used seamlessly by other portions of the application suite to synergistically enhance the overall functioning of the system. The system may be a web-based Internet implementation where brides and other users can input and manipulate the information for the event planning system. Guests are provided a unique URL to a web page about the wedding, which contains information about the bride and groom. Guest preferences can be input and that information used to coordinate seating. The budgeter provides the user with task and vendor details to optimize planning.
US08510140B2

Systems, apparatus, and methods are provided to facilitate product development by linking stages of product development with the allocation of resources and support for the product. Products are developed based on a structured framework having distinct stages in which each stage builds upon information of previous stages. At the end of each stage, a review is conducted to determine whether the product is suitable for further development. Upon each review, an integrated set of tools is used to identify and link the product with resources and support needed for the product. In addition, the tools assist in automatically identifying the resources and support needed for the product as it progresses through each stage.
US08510137B2

A network system for serving digital content to a graphical user interface of a user device is provided. The system includes a database storing user data including user preferences and events in a calendar of a system user; a processor configured to automatically scan the database to determine an event scheduled for a predetermined window of time; to automatically determine the event is associated with travel by the user and access one or more travel services, and to prepare content conveying a travel package customized to the event of the user; and a server to serve the content for presentation by the graphical user interface.
US08510136B2

A method may include aggregating information regarding events, where for each event the aggregated information includes an event name, an event time, and an event venue. The method may further include receiving a request for a list of events or a list of venues from a user device and obtaining, from the user device, a profile of a user of the user device. The method may further include generating, based on the profile and the aggregated information regarding events, the generated list of events or the list of venues and sending, to the user device, the list of events or the list of venues.
US08510133B2

Pursuant to some embodiments, systems, methods and devices are provided for insurance processing including installing a medical monitoring application associated with a user of a mobile device, the medical monitoring application including configuration data associated with at least a first medical monitoring rule, displaying, under control of the medical monitoring application, a series of instructions to cause the mobile device to be configured to communicate with at least a first biometric sensor, collecting, based on the at least first medical monitoring rule, a set of biometric data from the at least first biometric sensor, and transmitting the set of biometric data from the mobile device to a remote processing system for processing a request for insurance.
US08510130B2

A service provider is prompted to provide a summary of an engagement with a consumer, an audible summary provided by the provider is recorded and, and the audible summary is associated with a record of the engagement.
US08510114B2

The application discloses a communication device and method of processing a text message in the communication device. An aspect of the present application is a method of processing text message in a communication device, the method including receiving a text message from an external sender, receiving a request to transform the text message into voice data, transforming the received text message into voice data according to the request, and transmitting the voice data to an external sound reproduction device through a wireless communication module.
US08510113B1

A system, method and computer readable medium that enhances a speech database for speech synthesis is disclosed. The method may include labeling audio files in a primary speech database, identifying segments in the labeled audio files that have varying pronunciations based on language differences, identifying replacement segments in a secondary speech database, enhancing the primary speech database by substituting the identified secondary speech database segments for the corresponding identified segments in the primary speech database, and storing the enhanced primary speech database for use in speech synthesis.
US08510111B2

A speech recognition apparatus includes a generating unit generating a speech-feature vector expressing a feature for each of frames obtained by dividing an input speech, a storage unit storing a first acoustic model obtained by modeling a feature of each word by using a state transition model, a storage unit configured to store at least one second acoustic model, a calculation unit calculating, for each state, a first probability of transition to an at-end-frame state to obtain first probabilities, and select a maximum probability of the first probabilities, a selection unit selecting a maximum-probability-transition path, a conversion unit converting the maximum-probability-transition path into a corresponding-transition-path corresponding to the second acoustic model, a calculation unit calculating a second probability of transition to the at-end-frame state on the corresponding-transition-path, and a finding unit finding to which word the input speech corresponds based on the maximum probability and the second probability.
US08510102B2

An information processing apparatus includes a foreign language dictionary, an input unit through which a user input a letter, a determination unit, a storage unit storing notation information about the letter, a search unit, a converter, and an output unit. The foreign language dictionary stores each foreign word in one of uppercase, lowercase, and a combination of at least one uppercase letter and at least one lowercase letter. The determination unit determines whether a letter input through the input unit is uppercase or lowercase. The search unit searches the foreign language dictionary for a word corresponding to an initially input string of letters in the order in which the letters are input. The converter converts a notation of each letter included in the word retrieved by the search unit according to the notation information. The output unit outputs the word in a notation converted by the converter as a candidate word.
US08510099B2

The present disclosure discloses a method and apparatus of selecting a word sequence for a text written in a language without word boundary in order to solve the problem of having excessively large computation load when selecting an optimal word sequence in existing technologies. The disclosed method includes: segmenting a segment of the text to obtain different word sequences; determining a common word boundary for the word sequences; and performing optimal word sequence selection for portions of the word sequences prior to the common word boundary. Because optimal word sequence selection is performed for portions of word sequences prior to a common word boundary, shorter independent units can be obtained, thus reducing computation load of word segmentation.
US08510096B2

The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for selecting an interface language of software, wherein, the method includes: the software is started and judged whether it is the first start; if it is, the interface language currently used by an operation system is obtained to match a plurality of languages preset by the software, if the match is successful, the interface language used currently by the operation system is selected as the interface language of the software, and if the match is unsuccessful, the default interface language of the software is selected as the interface language of the software; if it is not the first start, the pre-configured interface language recorded by the software is used as the interface language of the software. The above method for adaptively selecting an interface language provided by the present invention facilitates use of users.
US08510095B2

An improved mobile electronic device enables the inputting of text in one alphabet, Traditional Chinese in the present example, by transliteration of inputs in another alphabet, BoPoMoFo in the present example. Since some of the inputs can be ambiguous, transliteration of an ambiguous input is delayed until a detection of a finalization event, thus avoiding the outputting of unnecessary transliteration results, and thus advantageously avoiding a distraction to the user.
US08510094B2

Methods, program products and systems for first receiving an indication of when a user-manipulable cursor is positioned in proximity to a first presentation of first text in a graphical user interface (GUI), the first text being in a first language. In response to the first receiving, causing a second presentation in the GUI of second text in a distinct second language, where the second text represents a translation of the first text into the second language or the first text represents a translation of the second text into the first language. Second user input to the GUI is received providing an alternate translation of the first text to the second text or the second text to the first text.
US08510091B1

Disclosed are domain-decomposition approaches to simulations of electromagnetic fields may that, in various embodiments, use second-order Robin transmission conditions at subdomain boundaries.
US08510090B2

A conditioning device is described for power supply networks (2) having a network voltage measurement unit (3) which can be connected to a three-phase power supply network (2), having a computation unit (1) which is connected to the network voltage measurement unit (3) and is used to determine conditioning current values (K) and having an inverter unit (4) which is connected to the power supply network (2) and is used to feed in conditioning currents (IK) as a function of the determined conditioning current values (K). The computation unit (1) is designed for modeled simulation of a synchronous machine in order to determine at least one component of the conditioning current values (K) as stator currents of the simulated synchronous machine as a function of freely variable synchronous machine parameters, using the network voltages (UN), measured in three phases, of the power supply network (2) as input variables. In addition, compensation currents are fed into the network (2) via the inverter (4), and are determined by the algorithms for harmonic current compensation (7) and unbalance compensation (8).
US08510086B1

A method and apparatus for analyzing passenger flow. A three-dimensional model of a passenger cabin is received. Features in the three-dimensional model of the passenger cabin are identified in response to receiving the three-dimensional model. A first plurality of objects is generated for the features in the passenger cabin. User input identifying a number of characteristics for passengers is received. A second plurality of objects for the passengers is generated using the number of characteristics. The second plurality of objects is assigned to seats within the passenger cabin. Each of the second plurality of objects is assigned a destination location and has a behavior when encountering an obstacle while moving from a current location to the destination location. A movement of the passengers to a number of locations relative to the seats assigned to the passengers is simulated using the second plurality of objects.
US08510077B1

In a method of implementing a positioning system a buffer is configured to store a buffer record for each of a plurality of position fixes determined by the receiver and a database is configured to store a database record for each of the position fixes. Buffer records are accumulated, with each buffer record corresponding to one of the position fixes determined by the receiver. A first threshold position near an area in which a degradation event occurs is identified and recorded in a first database record. A second threshold position near the area is identified in a second database record. The second threshold position is indicated by one of the position fixes outside of the area and is proximate to a position at which the degradation event ends.
US08510072B2

Additional circuitry is included in an input cell design structure for an integrated circuit to detect and report transitions on an input that was expected to be stable, and to store that event for later analysis. Two or more modified input cells may have their error indications daisy-chained together to minimize additional routing. The storage elements may be included in a scan chain to allow for isolation of which input had the unexpected transition.
US08510067B2

An improved quality assurance system and method for point-of-care testing are disclosed. The present invention provides quality assurance for laboratory quality tests performed by a blood analysis system or the like at the point of patient care without the need for running liquid-based quality control materials on the analysis system. Quality assurance of a quantitative physiological sample test system is performed without using a quality control sample by monitoring the thermal and temporal stress of a component used with the test system. Alert information is generated that indicates that the component has failed quality assurance when the thermal and temporal stress exceeds a predetermined thermal-temporal stress threshold. Alternatively, the present invention provides quality assurance for laboratory quality tests performed by a blood analysis system or the like at the point of patient care by minimizing the need for running liquid-based quality control materials on the analysis system.
US08510056B2

The present invention is directed to an integrated microsystem and method for detecting biomolecules in a liquid sample. The integrated microsystem is made up of a sensor that includes microelectrodes connected to a matrix of carbon nanotubes deposited on a substrate, a micropump, a microcontroller for regulating the sample delivery, a signal processor for analyzing the sensor signal, a microheater that surrounds the carbon nanotube sensor, and microfluidic channel formed by a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) silicone elastomer cap containing a trench with the cap aligned with the carbon nanotube sensor. The method includes using the integrated microsystem to detect the presence of a biomolecule based on changes in the electrical conductance or resonant frequency of the carbon nanotube matrix.
US08510050B2

Downhole fluid typing with pulsed neutron logging. A method comprises obtaining at least one capture gamma count rate at a particular borehole depth, calculating a fluid type indicative response value for the borehole depth, and determining at least one fluid type based on the response value. A system comprises a downhole tool, including a neutron source, at least one gamma detector, and a processor coupled to a memory. The memory stores a program that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to obtain at least one capture gamma count rate for a particular borehole depth. The processor calculates a fluid type indicative response value for the borehole depth and determines at least one fluid type based on the response value.
US08510047B2

In a method and system for monitoring an underground cable in a site of interest, multiple samples of magnetic field data and corresponding location data are collected periodically over a sampling period of extended time. The magnetic field data samples and corresponding location data are processed to determine respective topologies of one or more current-carrying conductors in the site and for each of the conductors respective magnetic field data relating to each sampled point are integrated with respect to a predetermined parameter of the respective conductor so as compute an integrated contribution of each sampled span along the respective conductor. The data relating to different conductors in the site are output in a manner that allows determination of a conductor for which the parameter changes during the sampling period.
US08510044B2

A position sensing device and method are provided for executing correction processing based on a reliability and error index of each component of GPS output data to increase positioning accuracy. Correction processing is performed to correct a position determination result obtained through dead reckoning, and a vehicle speed, a pitch angle, and a sensor mounting angle used in position determination executed through dead reckoning in a measurement period of GPS in accordance with direction-specific positional components and speed components of a vehicle, which are measured with GPS to determine a reliability of each of the direction-specific positional components and speed components of the vehicle and calculate an error index of a component determined to be a reliable component, to set the degree of contribution of a measurement component determined to be unreliable to correction processing to zero or almost zero, and to reduce the degree of contribution of a measurement component determined to be reliable to correction processing in accordance with a value of the error index.
US08510036B2

The invention provides an information providing device and an information providing system which can provide suitable destination information according to the utilization situation of a user. The information providing device is an information providing device mounted on a vehicle and provides information on potential destinations. An information providing unit which provides information on a potential destination in accordance with the performance of electronic payment at a destination after traveling assistance is provided. By providing this information on a potential destination, a potential destination can be selected on the basis of information on a destination for which traveling assistance has actually been provided and which has been utilized, information on the potential destination can be provided, and information on a suitable potential destination according to the actual utilization situation of a user can be provided.
US08510035B2

A travel information service system and a method of providing a travel information service which can perform guidance of travel information appropriate for a travel purpose and a travel type are provided. The method of providing the travel information service includes: a first operation of providing a travel course for each area and point of interest (POI) information for each course using a user interface; a second operation of creating a travel route based on user selection of the travel course for each area and the POI information for each course; and a third operation of performing map guidance based on the created travel route.
US08510032B2

A method for speech recognition includes providing a source of geographical information within a vehicle. The geographical information pertains to a current location of the vehicle, a planned travel route of the vehicle, a map displayed within the vehicle, and/or a gesture marked by a user on a map. Words spoken within the vehicle are recognized by use of a speech recognition module. The recognizing is dependent upon the geographical information.
US08510031B2

Systems and methods for sellers of goods and services for providing information relating to existence and features of what they provide, to buyers using a system as herein described that enables a buyer to identify and obtain collections of information that comprise a subset of the contents of a database having multiple records provided by a plurality of sellers. A seller may use a conventional home or office computer including without limitation PC's and MACINTOSH™ computers to transmit information to a system as provided, which is accessible to users also via a conventional home or office computer. A user specifies desired criteria and the system provides the user a subset of information upon which further decisions by the user can be made. In some embodiments, systems and methods provided relate to information concerning the inventory of new home construction in a selected region, which region may include a general metropolitan area.
US08510029B2

A method for defining a following path for a following vehicle to autonomously follow a leader, the method including acquiring waypoints associated with a path that the leader traverses; filtering the acquired waypoints, wherein the filtering removes waypoints located outside an area of interest; generating intermediate waypoints by interpolating between adjacent pairs of the filtered waypoints if the adjacent pairs of the filtered waypoints are separated by a distance that exceeds a threshold distance; and defining a following path through the filtered waypoints and the intermediate waypoints using a least-squares spline fit to calculate the following path.
US08510021B2

A vehicle control system includes a determiner configured to determine whether or not a driver has performed a predetermined acceleration or deceleration operation; a detector configured to detect a value of at least one of a relative rotational position and relative rotational speed of an input shaft and an output shaft, the input shaft being positioned upstream of an engagement portion of driving power transmission members which are engaged with each other with a slack on a driving power transmission path, and the output shaft being positioned downstream of the engagement portion, and a controller configured to execute control for accelerating or decelerating the input shaft or the output shaft to reduce at least one of a contact speed and transmission torque of the driving power transmission members based on the value detected by the detector, if the determiner determines that the driver has performed the acceleration or deceleration operation.
US08510009B2

The invention relates to a vehicle braking system, the slip of which can be regulated electronically, for which, in the event of an automatic braking process, the activation of the foot pedal by the driver, does not result in a significant actuating path. The driver therefore disadvantageously perceives different pedal actuating characteristics in the foot actuated and automatic braking operations. According to the invention, a method is proposed for controlling a vehicle braking system, the slip of which is regulated electronically, and with which pedal actuating characteristics, which are largely uniform in the different operating states of the vehicle braking system can be produced. To achieve this, a valve unit is controlled in such a way that a pressure medium flows from the wheel brake to the pressure medium reservoir and the drive motor of the pressure generator is controlled in parallel.
US08510001B2

A method for reaching a neutral position N located between two end positions of a gearshift fork in a shift transmission in a motor vehicle from a starting position of the gearshift fork. The method allows finding the neutral position of the gearshift fork without a sensor determining the position of the gearshift fork or in the alternative in case such the sensor is defect.
US08510000B2

Effective use of energy is provided by recovering energy produced during braking in operation of a rotation motor RM alone for electric generation. A control unit C has functions: of operating a passage-resistance control unit (51) to reduce the passage resistance by a pressure relief valve 50 when determining based on a detection signal from a neutral-condition detecting unit (6, 8, 9, 11 and 16, 18, 19, 21) that all the operated valves 1-5, 12-15 in the circuit system are in the neutral position and a pressure signal from a brake-pressure-detection processor sensor 49 reaches a preset pressure; of causing a tilt-angle control unit 36 to control the tilt angle of a hydraulic motor HM; and of relatively controlling the passage resistance maintained by controlling the passage resistance control unit and the tilt angle of the hydraulic motor to maintain a brake pressure of the rotation motor.
US08509998B2

A method and device for the remote collection of data from aircraft or ship recorders, using a buoy (3) which may be ejected in the event of sinking and contains a double memory which stores the positions of the buoy during the drift thereof as well as information relating to the flight or crossing. A two-way radio communication means allows the buoy to transfer the contents of said memories to a remote collection means, which is a reconnaissance aeroplane.
US08509990B2

A data monitoring and analysis system suitable for performing real-time monitoring of vehicle information systems installed aboard a passenger vehicle fleet and methods for manufacturing and using same. The data monitoring and analysis system includes a loadscript system for establishing a communication channel with each vehicle information system. Continuously receiving performance data accumulated by the vehicle information systems, the loadscript system validates and parses the performance data and provides the resultant performance data to a database system for further analysis. The database system enables fleet operators to generate reports with consolidated performance data for the vehicle fleet, to stratify the performance data based upon one or more variables, and/or to drill down into subsets of the performance data to understand root causes underlying system performance. A large volume of performance data accumulated by the fleet thereby can be presented in a meaningful manner for rapid human intervention, as needed.
US08509986B1

Provided is an automotive diagnostic tool including a tool body and a first projector connected to the tool body. The first projector is configured to project a diagnostic display image onto an adjacent surface separate from the tool body. An input detection sensor is connected to the tool body and is configured to detect motions of a user within a field of view proximate the tool body, and to generate an input signal responsive to the detected motions. A diagnostic processing unit is disposed within the tool body and is connected to the first projector and the input detection sensor for receiving the input signal therefrom. The diagnostic processing unit is configured to be operatively connectable with the onboard vehicle computer to receive vehicle data therefrom and to process the data and modify the diagnostic display image according to the received vehicle data and the input signal.
US08509982B2

A roadgraph may include a graph network of information such as roads, lanes, intersections, and the connections between these features. The roadgraph may also include one or more zones associated with particular rules. The zones may include locations where driving is typically challenging such as merges, construction zones, or other obstacles. In one example, the rules may require an autonomous vehicle to alert a driver that the vehicle is approaching a zone. The vehicle may thus require a driver to take control of steering, acceleration, deceleration, etc. In another example, the zones may be designated by a driver and may be broadcast to other nearby vehicles, for example using a radio link or other network such that other vehicles may be able to observer the same rule at the same location or at least notify the other vehicle's drivers that another driver felt the location was unsafe for autonomous driving.
US08509980B2

A hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a motor, the engine and the motor being driving sources, a first traveling mode in which the vehicle is driven utilizing an output of the engine, and a second traveling mode in which the vehicle is driven through an output of the motor with the engine stopped. The hybrid vehicle further includes an air density detecting section configured to detect an air density of an environment under which the vehicle travels and, in a case where the detected air density is reduced with respect to a standard air density, the motor output in the second traveling mode is reduced with respect to the motor output in a standard air density such that a driving force of the vehicle in the second traveling mode when the traveling mode is switched approaches the driving force of the vehicle in the first traveling mode.
US08509978B2

An electric powered vehicle includes a motor, an inverter, a main power storage device, and a plurality of sub power storage devices. A converter is connected to a selected one of the plurality of sub power storage devices to perform voltage conversion bidirectionally between the selected sub power storage device and an electric power feeding line. A control device executes a disconnection process to disconnect a selected sub power storage device from the converter based on a state of charge of the selected sub power storage device when there is no new sub power storage device that can replace the selected sub power storage device. Further, the control device executes a braking process for the inverter for regenerative braking by the motor. The control device prohibits, during execution of one process of a disconnection process and braking process, the other process.
US08509975B2

A vehicle comprising a chargeable/dischargeable battery, a current sensor for detecting the current from the battery, and a control unit for estimating the charged state of the battery and controlling the charging/discharging of the battery according to the charged state. In a first operation mode in which charging and discharging cycles are repeated, the control unit estimates the open-circuit voltage of the battery, and determines the charged state on the basis of the value which is obtained by correcting the open-circuit voltage according to the polarization. In a second operation mode in which either one of charging and discharging is continued, the control unit determines the charged state on the basis of the result of integration of the current detected by the current sensor. Hence, the charged and discharged amperehours are large, thereby providing a vehicle which can effectively utilize the secondary battery.
US08509969B2

The present invention relates to a method and system for automatically identifying various information of a train. The method comprises using sensors to collect wheelbase information, processing the information by signal data processing devices, thereby providing information of a train, namely: arranging a plurality of sensors along the rail in the incoming direction of the train, dividing the sensors into at least three groups, each group comprising at least two sensors; analyzing and processing the signal data stream obtained from the sensors and collected when a train vehicle passes by, thereby acquiring the speed and wheelbase of the train, and further acquiring the train segmentation information; determining the vehicle type; acquiring hook locating information; determining the train arrival; determining the train departure; acquiring vehicle number. The present invention further comprises a system for carrying out the information method for automatically identifying information of a train. The present invention can provide a plurality of types of train information with high accuracy, and is easy to be carried out.
US08509968B1

Systems and methods for real-time efficiency and aircraft performance monitoring and delta efficiency calculations between various user- or system-selected phases of flight by determining an efficiency messaging index that gets translated into a messaging profile. That messaging profile is then used to obtain necessary flight and other information from multiple sources. The efficiency calculations and deltas can be used to determine real-time or post-processed benefits, which can then be used to optimize flight(s). Additionally, data is post-processed, which allows the calculation, storage and subsequent usage of efficiency coefficients to enhance the accuracy of the efficiency calculations. There are a number of ways to implement the architecture and order of processing.
US08509944B1

A storage kiosk is disclosed which comprises a cabinet, a carousel, a plurality of dividers, a drive means for rotating the carousel, and a plurality of latch means. The cabinet has a door defining a front surface of the cabinet. The door includes a plurality of openable panels vertically aligned. The panels are normally in a latched closed position. The carousel is rotatably mounted in the cabinet about a vertical axis and includes a plurality of shelves spaced along the vertical axis. The plurality of dividers are disposed on each of the shelves to define a plurality of compartments on each shelf for receiving items to be stored. The dividers and the shelves, in combination, define a plurality of compartments around the periphery of the carousel. The drive means is for rotating the carousel to bring respective ones of the compartments into alignment with respective ones of the panels. The pluralities of latch means are for selectively latching or unlatching a panel so that can be opened to place or remove an item from the compartment which was brought into alignment with the panel by the drive means.
US08509942B2

Surface 27 of molten metal within a mold is constantly monitored by camera 25. Camera 25 records the surface from an obliquely upward position of the mold in an area that does not affect the casting process. Various analyzing frames such as analysis band 35, molten metal pattern 37, and injection monitoring part 43, are set with respect to the information recorded by the camera 25. The analysis band 35 includes the surface (molten metal part 31c), and is set to a predetermined width so that the direction of surface change is in the longitudinal direction. The width of the analysis band 35 is set as wide as possible in a range that does not block the discharge part (molten metal part 31a). Inside the analysis band 35, the rate of change of the binary data is calculated by the analyzing part.
US08509935B2

A method and system for operating a facility having a plurality of equipment combinations wherein each equipment combination is operating interactively with at least one of another of the plurality of equipment combination is provided. The method includes receiving, in real-time, for each of the plurality of equipment combinations, a plurality of measured process parameters, determining at least one derived quantity from the plurality of measured process parameters, and recommending a change to an equipment operation based on the measured process parameters and the derived quantities.
US08509934B2

A Manufacturing Executing System (MES) implements a planned manufacturing process and controls the corresponding production at the plant floor in a method and in a system for managing and controlling manufacturing processes planned by an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and produced by the plant floor. The method includes defining sequential process segments. Each sequential process segment includes a plurality of actions to be performed at a plant floor level. The method includes the execution of a software tool including the steps of activating a sequential process segment and sequentially executing the respective actions. The method further includes defining state machines including a plurality of states and state transitions corresponding to actions to be performed at plant floor. A state manager tool is executed to define the state machines. A software tool is activated by the state manager tool to execute the state transitions of the state machine.
US08509927B2

The invention relates to a control system for controlling safety-critical processes in an automated system by using a communications network with a communications master for controlling the communications on the network and a plurality of network subscribers. At least a few of the network subscribers are constructed as decentralized, secure network subscribers, and each has a separate, decentralized safety controller for controlling a safety-relevant application. Each of the decentralized, secure network subscribers has a unique safety address. The decentralized, secure network subscribers themselves execute the safety functions and/or safety logic operations relevant to them. The decentralized, secure network subscribers communicate with each other in a fail-safe way in which each executes automatic, fail-safe point-to-point communications with another of the decentralized, secure network subscribers, in order to be able to provide safety functions covering the decentralized, secure network subscribers.
US08509924B2

An integrated optimization and control technique performs process control and optimization using stochastic optimization similar to the manner in which biological immune systems work, and thus without the use of historical process models that must be created prior to placing the control and optimization routine in operation within a plant. An integrated optimization and control technique collects various indications of process control states during the on-line operation of the process, and attempts to optimize the process operation by developing a series of sets of process control inputs to be provided to the process, wherein the control inputs may be developed from the stored process control states using an objective function that defines a particular optimality criteria to be used in optimizing the operation of the process. The technique responds to a significant change in the current process state by determining anew set of process control inputs to be provided to the process based on one or more of the stored process control states.
US08509923B2

Methods for reducing sensor support power in a sensor network include a primary node locating a secondary node. The primary node has a primary node sensor profile, and the secondary node has a secondary node sensor profile. The secondary node sensor profile is compared to the primary node sensor profile. A virtual sensor profile is constructed based on the comparison between the primary and secondary sensor profiles. The virtual sensor profile reduces redundant sensor data gathering between the primary and secondary sensor nodes. A power consumption optimization hardware configuration for the secondary node is determined to provide sensor data for the virtual sensor profile, and the determined hardware configuration is assigned to the secondary node.
US08509910B2

This document discusses, among other things, an implantable device comprising a communication circuit configured to communicate with an external device, a logic circuit communicatively coupled to the communication circuit, and a processor, communicatively coupled to the logic circuit and the communication circuit. The processor is configured to communicate information with the external device, via the communication circuit and the logic circuit, using a set of communication messages. While in a device safety mode, the processor is held in an inactive state and the logic circuit is configured to communicate with the external device using a subset of the set of communication messages.
US08509899B2

Hermetically sealed assemblies, for example, that include IC chips, are configured for incorporation within a connector terminal of an implantable medical electrical lead, preferably within a contact member of the terminal. An assembly may include two feedthrough subassemblies, welded to either end of the contact member, to form an hermetic capsule, in which an IC chip is enclosed, and a tubular member, which allows a lumen to extend therethrough, along a length of the terminal. A multi-electrode lead may include multiplexer circuitry, preferably a switch matrix element and a communications, control and power supply element that are electrically coupled to the contact member and to another contact member of the terminal. Each pair of switch matrix switches allows for any two of the electrodes to be selected, in order to deliver a stimulation vector, via stimulation pulses from a device/pulse generator, to which the connector terminal is connected.
US08509897B2

A system and method is presented in which an implantable cardiac device is configured to generate representative electrograms which can be transmitted to an external programmer for display. A representative electrogram represents a patient's typical electrogram during a defined time period or when a particular condition exists. Such representative electrograms may be averages or other statistical measures of electrograms recorded continuously or periodically during the defined time period or during the time when the particular condition exists.
US08509896B2

An implantable cardiac stimulator (10), configured to switch mode of operation between at least one right ventricular stimulation mode in which no control signals triggering left ventricular stimulation pulses are delivered to the left ventricular stimulation unit and a biventricular stimulation mode in alternation. Switching takes place as a function of duration of prevailing QRS signal interval, such that the cardiac stimulator switches to biventricular stimulation mode when comparison of the duration of a prevailing QRS signal interval with a first comparison value reveals the duration of the prevailing QRS signal interval is longer than a first reference value represented by the first comparison value and switches to right ventricular stimulation mode when comparison of the duration of a prevailing QRS signal interval with a second comparison value reveals the duration of the prevailing QRS signal interval is shorter than a second reference value represented by the second comparison value.
US08509894B2

An implantable device for improving the pump function of the heart of a human patient by applying an external force on the heart muscle is provided. The device comprises at least one heart contacting organ. The heart contacting organ is adapted to be movable to change the position of said force exerted on the heart after the implantable device has been implanted in the human patient. The invention further relates to a method of using said device.
US08509886B2

A method of analysing cardiac functions in a subject using a processing system is described. The method may include applying one or more electrical signals having a plurality of frequencies to the subject and detecting a response to the applied one or more signals from the subject. A characteristic frequency can then be determined from the applied and received signals, and at least one component of the impedance (e.g., reactance, phase shift) can be measured at the characteristic frequency. The impedance or a component of impedance at a characteristic frequency can be determined for a number of sequential time instances. A new characteristic frequency may be determined within a cardiac cycle or the same characteristic frequency may be used throughout the cardiac cycle during which instantaneous values of impedance are determined. These values may be used to determine an indicia of cardiac function.
US08509869B2

The present disclosure is generally directed to identifying and/or analyzing high resolution variations in a measured physiologic parameter, such as blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) measured using pulse oximetry. Present embodiments may include a system including a sensor comprising an emitter capable of emitting light at different wavelengths into a tissue bed, and a detector capable of detecting the light from the emitter after dispersion and/or reflection by the tissue bed. Further, the system may include a pulse oximeter capable of receiving signals from the sensor that are indicative of characteristics of the light detected by the detector, and utilizing the signals to estimate blood oxygen saturation values over time at a high resolution to facilitate detection of variations in the blood oxygen saturation values that are smaller in magnitude than an accuracy, display precision, and/or calibration of the blood oxygen saturation values.
US08509857B2

A detector for detecting the connection of an accessory including a microphone and/or the state of a switch associated with the microphone for a mobile device, wherein the detector comprises a first flag generator for time multiplexing the detection of a signal above a predetermined threshold for each of two comparators, such that for one time period one comparator output is detected and for a second time period the second comparator output is detected to thereby form a first flag; a second flag generator for determining the connection of microphone to thereby generate a second flag; a lookup table for determining the connection of the accessory and/or the state of the microphone switch from the first and second flags.
US08509853B1

A system and method for initiating communications between a first wireless device and a second wireless device. The method includes the steps of detecting the status of the first wireless device, notifying the second wireless device via a scrolling ticker message based on the detecting step and establishing a communication session between the first and second wireless devices. The detecting step includes generating an alert based on a predefined event. The system for establishing a communication path between a first mobile device and a second mobile device includes an IMS core, a presence server communicatively coupled to the IMS core and in communication with the first mobile device, a scrolling ticker server in communication with the presence server and with the second mobile device, wherein the presence server communicates availability of the first mobile device and the scrolling ticker notifies the second mobile device of the availability of the first mobile device.
US08509848B1

Embodiments provide a shell module that accommodates form factors that define operational and aesthetic aspects of a modular device. Operational form factors of the shell module include constituent components that provide functional capabilities of the modular device. These constituent components are manipulated and powered by a core module, upon engagement thereto. In particular, the core module includes a power-source component for supplying power to the shell module and a processing component for managing the constituent components. The process of engagement includes executing a recognition procedure to determine a configuration of the shell module. The recognition procedure includes extracting available properties from the constituent components, utilizing the properties to determine an identity of each of the constituent components, and integrating operational control of the constituent components with the processing component. Accordingly, the core module communicates with the constituent components as if they are native to the core module.
US08509846B2

Wireless devices may contain multiple radio transceivers, each conforming to different communication protocols. A first transceiver conforming to a first communication protocol in a first wireless device may be able to receive, detect, and/or decode messages transmitted by a second transceiver in a second wireless device conforming to a second communication protocol. The first transceiver may communicate received, detected, and/or decoded information to a different transceiver in the same first wireless device, thus enabling the collocated transceivers to work in concert efficiently. A wideband transceiver using a set of multiple sub-channels in parallel may receive, detect, and/or decode messages transmitted by a narrowband transceiver using a set of multiple channels serially, thereby reducing scan time and power consumption.
US08509845B2

The present invention relates to an apparatus for impedance matching in a dual standby portable terminal, and a method thereof. The apparatus for impedance matching is configured with first and second modules. The second module includes an antenna for radiating a radio frequency signal, a radio communication unit having a sending end for outputting a radio frequency signal and a receiving end for receiving a radio frequency signal, an impedance matching circuit unit having a specific impedance value, a switch unit for connecting one of the sending end, the receiving end, and the impedance matching circuit unit, to the antenna and a control unit for controlling the switch unit to selectively connect one of the sending end, the receiving end, and the impedance matching circuit unit, to the antenna.
US08509843B2

In order to transmit data via a plurality of types of communication networks in accordance with the communication environment at the time of data transmission, a mobile telephone, which is capable of being connected to a plurality of types of mobile communication networks, is provided with a detector for detecting the communication status of a mobile communication network based on a control signal transmitted from this mobile communication network; a storage unit for storing the detected communication status; an allocation unit for allocating data to each connected mobile communication network based on the amount of the data addressed to another communication apparatus and the stored communication status; and a transmitter for transmitting the data that has been allocated to each mobile communication network to the respective mobile communication networks.
US08509834B1

A method and computer-readable medium for establishing a push-to-talk social group are provided. According to the method, group setup information is received from a member of the push-to-talk social group, and a data transmission, including an internet address of an internet application that manages push-to-talk social groups, is sent to each member of the push-to-talk social group. Push-to-talk calling may be monitored in a push-to-talk gateway application, based upon the group setup information. When a push-to-talk call is detected in which a first member of the push-to-talk social group is active, other members of the push-to-talk social group are informed that the first member is active on the detected push-to-talk call. Other members of the group may then initiate a push-to-talk call with the first member.
US08509833B2

Methods and apparatus related to control channels in a wireless communications system are described. Different white space bands may be available at different locations. A wireless terminal monitors control information from multiple potentially available communications channels. Control time slots corresponding to some different channels are intentionally time offset from one another. Some embodiments implement predetermined control slot timing synchronized with respect to an external timing source. In other embodiments, a wireless terminal selects a control time slot on a new channel as a function of control slot timing on channels already in use. A wireless terminal selects one of a plurality of communications channels for use in communicating information and determines a position of a control time slot to be used on the selected communications channels. The wireless terminal uses the control time slot on the selected communications channel to transmit and receive control information.
US08509821B1

Disclosed herein is a method that enables a radio access network (RAN) to page more mobile stations concurrently. By reducing the size of the individual page record, more page records can fit within a general page message (GPM), and thus more mobile stations can receive page messages. One method of reducing the size of an individual page record is to reduce the size of the terminal IDs that page records carry. Currently, terminal IDs are globally unique, but they can be shortened if replaced with locally unique IDs. These locally unique IDs are unique for only mobile stations in a given paging area, unique for only mobile stations assigned to a given paging channel time slot, and/or unique for only mobile stations in a subgroup of mobile stations assigned to a given paging channel time slot. The number of mobile stations in any of these groups is smaller than the number of mobile stations in the global network. Therefore, the length of a terminal ID that is unique for only mobile stations in one of these groups can be shorter than a globally unique identifier.
US08509817B2

A system and method for enabling the integration of mobile telephone functions and the UPnP-enabled digital home. In an UPnP control point device, such as a UPnP mobile telephone, implementing the present invention, events such as the receipt of an incoming telephone call or message in the UPnP control point device application program interface can trigger the requesting of different UPnP actions in UPnP devices that relate to the event. In the UPnP environment, the UPnP control point device serves as a control point and transmits instructions to other devices. For example, the receipt of a phone call could cause the volume on a stereo or television to be lowered or muted, it could cause both live and taped television programs to pause, or it could perform other functions. A UPnP control point device of the present invention can also transmit instructions based upon requests received from remote locations.
US08509815B1

Methods and computer-readable media are provided to dynamically update a home agent with location-based information for a mobile device such that a third party, such as a law enforcement agency, may access the information to determine a location associated with the mobile device and, therefore, with the user of the mobile device. A signaling message is sent to a packet-routing component. The signaling message contains location-based information for a communications session. A transaction update is sent from the packet-routing component to the home agent each time the location-based information is updated, such as when the mobile device enters a new coverage area. A binding table is populated with the updated information. An acknowledgment is then sent from the home agent to the packet-routing component indicating that the information has been updated in the binding table. The third party is now able to access the location-based information via the home agent.
US08509813B2

Subscriber authorization information from a wireless communication device is identified. The subscriber authorization information indicates that an identity of a subscriber associated with the wireless communication device is authorized to be shared without sharing information that identifies a location of the wireless communication device. Subsequent to the subscriber authorization information being identified, the identity of the subscriber associated with the wireless communication device is received or retrieved without information that identifies the location of the wireless communication device.
US08509807B2

System(s), apparatus(es), and method(s) provide for reporting of location of wireless equipment based at least on transition amongst motional states of the wireless equipment. Measured data and metrics are employed for detection of at least one movement condition of wireless equipment to identify changes in a mobility profile thereof. Change in the mobility profile can convey change in motional state of the wireless equipment; analysis of the data and metrics enables determination of such change. While idle, the wireless equipment can monitor its mobility profile to identify changes in the motional state of the wireless equipment. Identification of certain changes in the motional state of the wireless equipment enable the wireless equipment to measure, report, and update location thereof at the network platform of a network operator that provides wireless service to the wireless equipment. Reported location of the wireless equipment can be exploited for several location-based services.
US08509804B2

A phone call is enhanced by the addition of localized information. In an example embodiment, a call is placed between a first device and a second wireless device. The call enhancement system is employed to determine a specific geographic location of the second wireless device. The system then abstracts the specific geographic location of the second wireless device into a general geographic location of the second wireless device. The degree of abstraction employed is determined by reference to a configurable privacy setting. The system retrieves content associated with the general geographic location of the second wireless device and packages it for transmission to the first device. The content is transmitted to the first device for presentation on a display of the first device.
US08509803B2

An approach is provided for territory-based actionable events. Positional information corresponding to a location of a device is received over a communication network. The location is correlated to one or more predefined territories. An alert is selectively generated based on the correlation, wherein an event is performed in response to generation of the alert.
US08509791B2

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate handing over mobile device communications in a wireless network from a source base station to a target base station without using a random access channel (RACH). In this regard, the source base station can request shared data bandwidth resources from the target base station on behalf of the mobile device and assign the resources to the mobile device. The mobile device can calculate a timing difference between the source and target base stations and can handover communications by transmitting over the shared data bandwidth using the timing difference to generally provide correct timing for the transmission. To this end, the target base station can have transmission time intervals where it allows transmitting with an extended cyclic prefix to ensure more reliable handover for the mobile device.
US08509787B2

A communication station, such as a base station or access point, has multiple backhaul options and distributes backhaul data between the available backhaul options. The communication station includes a transceiver for transmitting and receiving data with user equipments, multiple backhaul interface modules, and a backhaul distribution module arranged for monitoring demand for backhaul bandwidth and distributing data over the backhauls based on the demand for backhaul bandwidth. Additional modules for user data and control plane processing may be included with the user/control distinction used in distributing data over the backhauls. The backhaul options may include a preferred backhaul and an alternate backhaul. Distributing data over the backhauls may be based, for example, on applications associated with the data, financial cost, delay, robustness, computational resources, and/or additional security associated with using a particular backhaul.
US08509782B2

Methods and apparatus to manage mobile handover are disclosed. An example mobile station includes hardware and software stored on a tangible computer readable medium that, during operation, cause the mobile station to receive from a network controller a response to a network registration request, wherein the response includes an indicator to indicate a type of cell that may be reported by the mobile station during a handover procedure and send a handover message indicating cells permitted by the indicator.
US08509776B2

A method, information processing system, and wireless communication system, initiate a handover scanning procedure with a wireless device. The method includes monitoring a first signal strength measurement (606) transmitted by a wireless device (108). A second signal strength measurement associated with the wireless device (108) that is measured locally is monitored (606). The method also includes determining, in response to monitoring the first signal strength and the second signal strength measurement, if a scan event trigger has been detected (608). A scan initiation message is transmitted (614) to the wireless device (108) in response to a scan event trigger being detected. The scan initiation message signals the wireless device (108) to perform handover scanning procedures.
US08509771B2

Provided is a base station which uses a pilot beacon to prompt a terminal to perform handoff from a macrocell and is capable of avoiding interference with the macrocell. A base station (FAP) of a mobile communication system has a transmission unit (122) for transmitting a pilot beacon to allow a mobile terminal to detect the base station, a registration unit (141) for registering information on a mobile terminal to use the base station or information on a user corresponding to the mobile terminal, and a control unit (110) for controlling a transmission unit (122) to stop transmission of the pilot beacon if a mobile terminal corresponding to the information registered with the registration unit (141) performs handoff to the base station.
US08509770B2

A method, a communication device, and a storage device for controlling communication are provided. The communication controlling method comprises the following steps. A telephone number of a receiver is provided, wherein the telephone number is corresponding to a first area. A second area where the receiver is located is provided. Whether the first and second areas are the same is determined. If the first and second areas are not the same, then a warning message is displayed.
US08509767B2

Various arrangements for permitting a wireless device occasional access to a wireless network are described. Some arrangements for assigning a single MSISDN to multiple wireless devices are described. In such arrangements, the wireless devices may be associated with different visitor location registers. In some arrangements, a wireless device-initiated bearer service is initiated based on input from a remote system. In some arrangements, a wireless device is authenticated based on whether data needs to be sent to and/or received from the wireless device.
US08509759B2

A device for programming user-defined information into an electronic device is provided. The programmer allows a user to program customized information, such as user-selected audio, video, or Internet access information into his or her programmable device. Such electronic devices include wireless telephones, pagers, and personal digital assistants. The programmer allows a user to, among other things, customize the device to suit his or her particular taste.
US08509757B2

A cell phone prevents inadvertent dialing or answering of the cell phone by detecting a low light condition consistent with the phone being in a pocket, purse or the like. The ability to use the phone unencumbered in low light situations is provided by using the low-light detection not to disable the phone but to cause a user prompt that requests a user decision on rejecting the phone activity. The user input is tailored to a particular predetermined button for either condition to ensure the results of this prompt are unlikely to be satisfied by an accidental keypress.
US08509752B2

A server, system, and method configured to limit communications. The server includes a processor for executing a set of instructions and a memory for storing the set of instructions. The set of instructions are executed to receive a list of one or more communicating parties that are authorized to communicate with a user at any time, receive a selection to limit communications, determine whether an identifier associated with a communicating party is in the list in response to processing a communication, and connect the communication to a communications device in response to determining the identifier is in the list.
US08509748B2

The reverse path transaction management system enables the subscriber to receive a multicast on their wireless subscriber device via the forward path of a multicast channel or via a unidirectional broadcast channel concurrently with a plurality of other subscribers on the same multicast channel or broadcast channel. The subscribers can simultaneously initiate a transaction to purchase goods and/or services via the reverse path associated with the shared multicast channel or via a separate cellular communication connection associated with the broadcast channel. Typically, goods and/or services are offered to the subscriber as part of the multicast extant on the shared forward channel.
US08509745B2

A voicemail system (18, 24) includes a memory (36, 62) and a processor (32, 60). The memory (36, 62) can store data relating to one or more users. An incoming communication can be handled by the voicemail system (18, 24) and provided with functionality based upon a user's preferences, for example. The voicemail system (18, 24) can include functionality to allow a user to archive a voicemail message, to convert a voicemail message to a desired format, and/or to forward a voicemail message or converted voicemail message file to one or more designated destinations. The voicemail system (18, 24) can operate on a communications network (10), at a communications device (18), or both. Methods for archiving, converting, and/or forwarding voicemail messages are also disclosed.
US08509744B2

A method for establishing wireless communication between a service vendor and a customer accepts entry of a wireless address for a customer communications device and stores the address in a waiting list. Entry of the address is confirmed by transmitting a first wireless message to the customer communications device that displays a hypertext link to a network address. The customer communications device is classified according to information received with the customer selection. A network applications storage location is identified according to the classification. A second wireless message is transmitted to the customer communications device, including a first set of instructions that display a download prompt. The method transmits, to the customer communications device, a second set of programmed instructions associated with the service vendor that generates and displays a user-actuable link for obtaining information that relates to the service vendor on the customer communications device.
US08509742B2

Notification of missed voice calls directed to non-responsive called party devices in a communication network is provided. An incoming call directed to a called party device, when the called party device is in a non-responsive state, are received at a messaging platform. Call data associated with the call is stored at the messaging platform. The stored call data is utilized to generate a notification of the call. The notification of the call is sent from the messaging platform to the called party device or another device associated with the called party. The notification may include an identification of the calling party and a date and time when the call was made.
US08509737B2

For a communication terminal (10), proposed is a security module (1) configured to authenticate a telecommunications network (2). The security module (1) comprises a locking module (12), for disabling usability of an application module (11), an unlocking module (13), for re-enabling usability of the application module (11), and a control module (14) for activating the unlocking module (13), depending on received data that is assignable in an authenticated way to a specific telecommunications network (2). The control module (14) is configured to activate the locking module (12) depending on the selection and usage of the application module (11). The control module (14) is configured to activate the unlocking module (12) depending on the reception of authorization messages, that can be authenticated, or authentication data of the telecommunications network (2). By disabling and re-enabling usability of the application module (11), depending on received data that is assignable in an authenticated way to a specific telecommunications network (2), the usage of network independent applications can be tied to the usage of a specific telecommunications network.
US08509735B2

A correlating receiver is used (102) at a code division multiple access base transceiver station to monitor what may comprise possible multi-path versions of a transmission from an authorized communication system user to provide monitoring results. These monitoring results are then used (103) to detect when one of the possible multi-path versions of the transmission was sourced by an unauthorized communication system user while at least another of the possible multi-path versions of the transmission was, in fact, sourced by an authorized communication system user. In a preferred approach the unauthorized communication system user is then identified (104) as being a clone.
US08509732B1

A list of two or more emergency contact persons and contact information for the two or more emergency contact persons is created. The locations of the emergency contact persons on the emergency contact list are then tracked. When an emergency contact feature is activated by a user, the location of the user/emergency and the locations of the emergency contact persons on the emergency contact list are automatically determined. The emergency contact person that is estimated to be geographically/physically, and/or temporarily, closest to the user, is then automatically identified and automatically contacted.
US08509728B2

This disclosure describes techniques for efficiently handling emergency calls in a wireless communication system. The techniques are executed in a wireless communication device (WCD) that is interoperable between radio access technologies (RATs). For example, the WCD may support interoperability between the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and the Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN). Typically, the emergency call is redirected to another RAT or frequency following an unsuccessful emergency call. However, instead of searching only suitable cells on which to place the emergency call, a WCD that implements the described techniques searches acceptable cells of any public land mobile network and attempts to place the emergency call on the cell with the highest power. By placing the emergency call on the cell with the highest power, the techniques reduce delay in placing emergency calls by reducing the number of attempts required before successfully placing the emergency call.
US08509719B2

In a control of receiving service information, a controller in a radio communication terminal (AT) controls a communication section to receive broadcast data continuously for one cycle while a broadcast service is executed. When a packet among the broadcast data can not be received for some reason, retransmission of the packet is awaited. During the waiting period, transfer rates are respectively calculated based on all previously received data and the latest data received (e.g., during the preceding 30 seconds). Then, a time until the required packet is received for the next time is estimated. Until that time, intermittent reception is performed by the radio communication terminal (AT) at an interval assigned for the radio communication terminal.
US08509711B1

Wireless terminals, systems, and methods use interlaced diplexers. A first diplexer can provide a first pair of bands separated by a first separation band, and a second diplexer can provide a second pair of bands separated by a second separation band. The first separation band and the second separation band can overlap. Transceivers (comprising transmitters and receivers) can be coupled to the diplexers to provide frequency-division duplex communications using one or both of the pairs of bands.
US08509707B2

An integrated circuit includes a millimeter wave transceiver section that is coupled to generate a first modulated RF signal from a first outbound symbol stream and to convert a first inbound RF signal into a first inbound symbol stream. A wireless transceiver section is coupled to generate a second modulated RF signal from a second outbound symbol stream and to convert a second inbound RF signal into a second inbound symbol stream. A processing module is coupled to convert first outbound data into the first outbound symbol stream, convert second outbound data into the second outbound symbol stream, convert the first inbound symbol stream into first inbound data, and to convert the second inbound symbol stream into second inbound data.
US08509704B1

Based on forward signal quality detected by an access terminal, an access network may adjust the transmission rate at which to send power control commands (PCCs) to the access terminal and responsively begin sending PCCs directed to the access terminal at the adjusted transmission rate. For example, in response to determining that the access terminal is detecting a strong forward signal quality, the access network may begin sending PCCs directed to the access terminal at a reduced transmission rate of one PCC in less than every timeslot. In timeslots during which the access network does not send a PCC directed to the access terminal, the access network can then send PCCs directed to other active access terminals at a higher gain, which may in turn increase the percentage of PCCs received by the other active access terminals.
US08509703B2

The present invention is directed to a multiple description transmission system that provides redundancy to combat transmission channel impairments. The multiple description transmission system includes a first and second wireless telephone. The first wireless telephone includes the following: an array of microphones, wherein each microphone in the array of microphones is configured to receive voice input from a user and to produce a voice signal corresponding thereto; an encoder coupled to the microphone array and configured to encode each of the voice signals; and a transmitter coupled to the encoder and configured to transmit each of the encoded voice signals. The second wireless telephone includes the following: a receiver configured to receive the transmitted signals; a decoder coupled to the receiver and configured to decode the signals received by the receiver, thereby producing an output signal; and a loudspeaker that receives the output signal and produces a pressure sound wave corresponding thereto.
US08509701B2

The invention presents methods and corresponding devices for improving cooperative spectrum initiating sensing. A device (61;61.1) first receives an invitation (17;35) to participate in cooperative spectrum sensing. The device performs an autonomous decision (19) on whether or not to participate in the cooperative spectrum sensing in response to the invitation. If it is determined to participate in the cooperative spectrum sensing to which the invitation relates, spectrum sensing is then performed (21;45). With the invention, sensor selection becomes “distributed”, i.e. it is up to the device itself to decide on participation in the cooperative sensing, rather than having, for example, a central entity determining what devices should act as sensors in the cooperative spectrum sensing. One advantage is that the amount of signalling required for sensor selection can be kept at a minimum, thereby saving communication resources.
US08509700B2

The invention relates to a method for testing a mobile radio device comprising at least one first antenna (9) and a second antenna (10), and to a mobile radio device (2) and test equipment (1). A signal generation unit (5) of the test equipment (1) generates a test signal (27). The test signal is transmitted to a mobile radio device (2) to be tested and is received by the mobile radio device (2) and evaluated. The mobile radio device (2) then generates a response signal (31) and a transmission schedule (30) for transmitting the response signal via the first antenna (9) and/or the second antenna (10) is defined. The response signal (33) is transmitted according to the transmission schedule and received by the test equipment (1). The transmission schedule used is determined by the test equipment. The transmission schedule (36) used is then determined.
US08509690B2

Embodiments include method for providing a handsfree service to a user of a wireless, handsfree headset. In an embodiment the method comprises the headset performing service discovery on the audio gateway to determine a method of transferring an application to the audio gateway, wherein the application provides the service, the headset causing the application to be transferred to the audio gateway using a method based on the service discovery; and the audio gateway executing the application, wherein this user issues voice commands that are executed by the audio gateway to provide the service.
US08509689B2

A communication device for communicating with an external device using a human body as a signal transmission path, includes an electric field strength measuring unit configured to measure a noise level from a detected received electric field strength at the time of no signal after the received electric field strength is detected by the communication device when a transmission signal to be output to the external device is absent, a transmission output determination unit configured to determine an output level of the transmission signal to be transmitted to the external device on the basis of the measured noise level, and an output execution unit configured to output a transmission signal of the determined output level to the external device.
US08509686B2

An auxiliary cellular phone module assists in making a local call while a coupled master cellular phone is roaming, wherein the auxiliary cellular phone module consists of processing unit, communication interface, cellular telephony interface, user interfaces and memory. A full-fledged auxiliary cellular phone module consists of a plurality of features that includes user interfaces consisting display, full-fledged keypad, wired and/or wireless interfaces, earpiece and microphones. A simpler version may have simplified or none at all of any of the user interfaces mentioned above. A full-fledged auxiliary cellular phone module may have many additional functionalities that helps a roaming service provider to cut costs of the local calls placed while roaming, that includes audio/visual advertisements, directions as well as many other audio/visual informational data displays. Moreover, many other features that are helpful to the roaming client may also be provided within the auxiliary cellular phone module that includes local phone book facilities, prepaid credit information and other informal data displays.
US08509685B2

Systems and methods for managing power consumption of a transceiver, e.g., Bluetooth, are provided. A representative transceiver includes an antenna that receives analog radio frequency (RF) signals, and a RF analog circuitry that receives and processes the analog RF signals from the antenna. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) receives and converts the processed analog RF signals to digital RF signals. A digital circuitry includes a RF power detector that receives the digital RF signals and determines a RF power of the analog RF signals from the antenna based on the digital RF signals. A computing device instructs the RF analog circuitry to operate in low current drain RF receiver mode during page scanning and/or inquiry scanning. The computing device is designed to receive the RF power of the received analog RF signals and manages the power consumption of the transceiver based on the RF power.
US08509684B2

A microwave frequency converter for a radar receiver is provided in which a frequency of a local oscillator of the microwave frequency converter can be prevented from interfering with an oscillation frequency of a magnetron included in the radar receiver and which can receive a signal from a considerably short distance. A voltage of an RF amplifier connected to the microwave frequency converter is synchronized with an oscillation output of the magnetron. The gate and drain voltages of a FET used in the RF amplifier are simultaneously switched OFF only during times before and after the magnetron performs oscillation, thereby switching an amplification function of the FET to an attenuation function thereof to increase a switching loss of the microwave frequency converter. Thereby, an excessively large power RF signal directly input from the magnetron and an excessively large power RF signal reflected from a short distance are attenuated to prevent the microwave frequency converter from being saturated, and the frequency of the local oscillator from interfering with the oscillation frequency of the magnetron.
US08509682B2

A switch element includes a switch device having a drain, a source and a plurality of gates, and at least one additional interconnect located between the plurality of gates, the additional interconnect operative to establish a constant potential between the at least two gates.
US08509680B2

A method of retrieving data from broadcast programming on a communication device, the method comprising: mixing a data stream with media to be broadcast; broadcasting the media including the data stream; and processing the data stream on an electronic card.
US08509679B2

A receiving device receives one or more signals, each signal including transponder identifying information. The receiving device processes the transponder identifying information to determine which signals are receivable by the receiving device. Based upon the receivable signals, the receiving device modifies its operational behavior accordingly.
US08509676B2

The above perforation device is equipped with a plurality of punches to punch holes on a sheet by a reciprocation motion; a holding board to hold the above punches in a line in the width direction of a sheet; a plurality of dies being arranged opposing to the above plurality of punches; two cranks being arranged at a drive shaft, rotate together with the above drive shaft, and being arranged with phases of an angle being displaced with each other in the shaft rotating direction; and two connection poles connecting with the above two cranks and the above holding board, wherein a differential perforation is carried out in such a manner that rotation of the above two cranks reciprocates the above punches, and during perforating cut-outs on a sheet, the above holding board reciprocates with phases at both ends being displaced, and the above plurality of punches carry out perforation of cut-outs with time difference from a punch at either end of the both ends to a punch at the other end successively.
US08509669B2

The present teachings disclose a surface coating. The surface coating includes a fluoroplastic having dispersed therein aerogel particles wherein the aerogel particles comprise from about 0.1 weight percent to about 25 weight percent of the surface coating. The surface coating is useful as an out layer for fuser members.
US08509666B2

A fixing device includes: a first rotating member; a second rotating member that extends along the first rotating member, sandwiches a recording medium with a toner image formed thereon between the first and second rotating members, rotates together with the first rotating member, and heats the recording medium to fix the toner image on the recording medium; a heating device whose circumferential surface circularly moves while contacting an external circumferential surface of the second rotating member, and the heating device heats the second rotating member; a temperature detecting device disposed to face the external circumferential surface of the second rotating member without contacting the external circumferential surface to detect a temperature thereof; and a cleaning device cleaning the circumferential surface of the heating device and disposed between the heating device and the temperature detecting device along the surface of the second rotating member.
US08509659B2

The image forming apparatus is provided with first spacing members having an outer diameter larger than that of a first developing roller, which first spacing members are disposed at two ends of the first developing roller coaxially with the first developing roller, second spacing members having an outer diameter larger than that of a second developing roller, which second spacing rollers are disposed at two ends of the second developing roller coaxially with the second developing roller, a first retaining member, a second retaining member, a first biasing member, a second biasing member.
US08509653B2

A fixing device includes a fixing roller, a heat roller, an endless fixing belt wound around the two rollers to be driven to rotate, a nip forming member to form a nip while contacting the fixing belt at a position opposite the fixing roller, a pressing member to press the heat roller to separate it from the fixing roller, and a temperature detector to detect a temperature of the fixing belt at a position opposite the heat roller. The temperature detector is provided opposite or in contact with the fixing belt at a position, in parallel with the moving direction of the heat roller, on the outermost periphery of the displacement area of a surface of the fixing belt which displaces according to the approaching and departing movement of the heat roller. With such a simple structure, the temperature detector can detect the temperature of the fixing belt accurately.
US08509650B2

An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet includes a transfer member for transferring a developed image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive drum onto the sheet; a cartridge mounting portion for demountably mounting a cartridge accommodating the developer; an image forming unit movable, relative to a main assembly of the apparatus in a state that the cartridge is mounted to the mounting portion, between an image forming position for effecting image formation and a mounting and demounting position, away from the image formation position, for mounting and demounting the cartridge to the mounting portion; a cleaning member for removing a developer remaining on a surface of the drum; a residual developer container, demountably mounted to the image forming unit, for accommodating the developer removed by the cleaning member; wherein the residual developer container and the cartridge are detachably mountable individually relative to the image forming unit when the image forming unit is placed in the mounting and demounting position.
US08509647B2

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section, a paper supply section, a housing member and an ion generating unit. The housing member is disposed at least below the image forming section, and has the same shape in plane view as the image forming section and the paper supply section. The ion generating unit is contained in the housing member. The ion generating unit includes a duct forming a pathway that guides a flow of air that is sucked in from outside of the housing member, and that is discharged back outside of the housing member. An ion generating device is disposed inside the duct, along with a fan for generating an air current in the duct.
US08509646B2

An image forming apparatus such as a color printer including a fixing device and air supply and exhaust members, capable of effectively exhausting hot, moist air and preventing condensation from forming in and around a sheet conveyance path. The image forming apparatus includes an exhaust fan mounted at a predetermined angle to the sheet conveyance path above the fixing device, with an exhaust airflow path of the exhaust fan narrowing toward a downstream side in the air exhaust direction.
US08509640B2

An image forming apparatus includes a fixing member; a pressing member abutting against the fixing member; a first temperature detection unit for detecting a temperature of the fixing member; a heating member for heating the fixing member; a power control unit for controlling power supplied to the heating member; a drive unit for rotating the fixing member; and a control unit for controlling the power control unit and the drive unit according to the temperature of the fixing member and a temperature of the pressing member before the fixing member rotates.
US08509637B2

A metering skive for a dry electrophotographic (EP) printer is mounted on a retractable skive mount. The skive mount is spring-loaded to a mounting block, and a stop pin sets the distance between the skive mount and the mounting block. A movable spacer with a plurality of laterally-separated regions of respective, different thicknesses is mounted between the head of the stop pin and the mounting block. A retractor can be operated to pull the skive mount towards the mounting block so the spacer can be moved to select a desired spacing between the mounting block and the skive mount, and thus a desired gap between the metering skive and the toning member in the printer.
US08509636B2

An image forming apparatus includes a color image forming portion for forming a color toner image on an image bearing member and a transparent image forming portion for forming a transparent toner image on the image bearing member. The color and transparent image forming portions form test color and test transparent toner images on the image bearing member. A detecting portion detects a density of each of the test color and test transparent toner images and a control portion controls an image forming condition for an image to be formed on a recording material, on the basis of a result of the detection. The test transparent and test color toner images are formed on the image bearing member between operations for forming the images on the recording material. A frequency of formations of the test transparent toner images is lower than that of the formations of the test color toner images.
US08509619B2

A communication control method performing Discovery processing, which is a procedure at an OLT to detect an ONU newly connected, in a PON system, the method includes: a transmission-permission-signal transmitting step of transmitting, by the OLT, a transmission permission signal for discovery, which includes an individual number of an ONU that is permitted to respond and mask information for designating a match-detection target bit for the individual number; and a registration-request-signal transmitting step of comparing, by an ONU, which is not registered in the OLT, a match-detection target bit for the individual number designated in the mask information with an individual number of the ONU based on a received transmission permission signal, and when the target bit and the individual number match each other, transmitting a registration request signal to the OLT.
US08509608B2

A photographing method displays a photographed object and displays a graphic for the user to estimate the real size of the object based on a calculated real size of the object. Accordingly, the user can evaluate the real size of the object, which is being photographed by the user.
US08509603B2

This invention provides an information processing method and apparatus, which can set all extent sizes of data divisionally recorded on a disk to be equal to or larger than the minimum recording unit, and can guarantee continuous reproduction of the divisionally recorded data. Of data divisionally recorded on a recording medium (5), data which corresponds to an end portion of that data and cannot be recorded as a recording area equal to or larger than a minimum recording unit specified in the recording medium (5) due to the presence of a recording area (6) of another data, that has already been recorded on the recording medium (5), is re-recorded on a recording area equal to or larger than the minimum recording unit. At this time, new data is generated by combining data less than the minimum recording unit, and data recorded in another recording area, and the new data is re-recorded on a new recording area.
US08509602B2

A recording control apparatus for controlling the recording of content of broadcast programs includes the following elements. An acquisition unit acquires electronic program guide data concerning the broadcast programs. A detector detects the title of a broadcast program from reserve-recording data indicating a recording reservation of the broadcast program. A calculator calculates the similarity between the title of the broadcast program detected by the detector and the title of the broadcast program indicated in the electronic program guide data acquired by the acquisition unit. A changing unit changes the reserve-recording data by using the electronic program guide data on the basis of the similarity calculated by the calculator.
US08509600B2

A method for detecting whether query video data appears in a reference video, comprising determining a measure of depth from a portion of the query video data, comparing the measure against a measure of depth for the reference video to perform a depth match and, if a match is determined; comparing a visual signature derived from the query video data against a visual signature of the reference video to perform a visual match to determine a measure representing the likelihood that the query video data derives from the reference video.
US08509597B2

Disclosed herein is a recording apparatus including: an input section configured to input data to be recorded; a data placement section configured to suffix write complete information indicating that a written state of the data written to recording media is normal, to the data; and a recording control section configured to transfer a predetermined amount of the data to which the write completion information is suffixed by the data placement section, to the recording media successively for recording thereto from a start block of the data.
US08509595B2

An information storage medium for storing multi angle data, and a recording method and a reproducing apparatus thereof. The information storage medium stores data for a plurality of angles of a scene in interleaved blocks. Sizes of the interleaved blocks are integral multiples of sizes of integral numbered aligned units that include packets. Angle change points are included in each of the interleaved blocks which allows a reproducing apparatus to seamlessly jump from one angle to another angle during reproduction of the multi angle data. A number of the angle points recorded on the information storage medium is computed so that a jumping distance required by the data during reproduction does not exceed a maximum jumping distance of a reproducing apparatus.
US08509594B2

Disclosed herein is an editing apparatus including: a recording control section, which, when a predetermined command is received, exercises recording control as a process for the received command; and a recording section configured to record data on a predetermined recording medium under control of the recording control section, wherein the recording control section judges whether the recording should finish at a time point of finishing the recording of the data, when the result of judgment indicates that the recording should finish, the recording control section controls the recording section so as to finish the recording, and when the result of judgment indicates that the recording should not finish, the recording control section controls the recording section so as to record a predetermined time period of data and finish the recording.
US08509591B2

According to one embodiment, a transmission apparatus includes a transmission module, a controller, a signal transmission module, and a selection module. The transmission module is configured to output a video signal or an audio signal to a TMDS line of an HDMI cable in a form based on the HDMI standard. The controller is configured to input/output an HEAC signal of the HDMI standard. The signal transmission module is configured to perform signal transmission based on a method other than the HDMI standard. The selection module is configured to selectively switch the HEAC line of the HDMI cable to either a state used for transmission of the HEAC signal that is input/output to/from the controller or a state used for transmission of a signal that is input/output to/from the signal transmission module.
US08509587B2

A portable optical fiber processing apparatus is disclosed. The portable optical fiber processing apparatus of the present invention includes a base (1), which provides a space in which components are installed, and a sheathing stripping unit (10), which is provided on the base and strips sheathing from an optical fiber (R). The apparatus further includes an optical fiber cutting unit (40), which is provided on the base and cuts a portion of the optical fiber, from which the sheathing has been stripped, using a sliding cutter (43) in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber, and a welding unit (50), which is provided on the base and welds junction portions of two optical fibers. The present invention is characterized in that a process of stripping sheathing from an optical fiber and cutting, cleaning and welding processes can be conducted using a single apparatus.
US08509584B2

A nano-electron fluidic logic (NFL) device for controlling launching and propagation of at least one surface plasma wave (SPW) is disclosed. The NFL device comprises a metallic gate patterned with a plurality of terminals at which SPWs may be launched and a plurality of drain terminals a which the SPWs may be detected. A wave guiding structure such as a 2 DEG EF facilitates propagation of the SPW within the structure so as to scatter/steer the SPW in a direction different from a pre-scattering direction. A bias SPW is excited by an application of a control SPW with a momentum vector at an angle to the bias SPW and a control current with a wavevector which scatters the bias SPW in the direction of at least one output SPW, towards a drain terminal. The NFL device is rendered with device speed as a function of SPW propagation velocity.
US08509581B2

An embodiment of an apparatus includes an optical fiber for which a complete orthogonal basis of propagating modes at an optical telecommunication frequency includes ones of the propagating modes with different angular momenta. The optical fiber has a tubular optical core and an outer optical cladding in contact with and surrounding the tubular optical core. The tubular optical core has a larger refractive index than the optical cladding. The tubular optical core is configured such that those of the propagating modes whose angular momenta have the lowest magnitude for the propagating modes have substantially the same radial intensity profile.
US08509571B2

A task of the present invention is that even when a plurality of images exists in which the positions or sizes of character patterns indicating the identical object are different from each other, they can be treated as character patterns indicating the identical object. An image and supplementary information of the image, such as a photographing point and time, are input by an image input section (101) and are stored in an image data storage section (102). Character recognition in the image is performed by a character recognition section (103), and the recognition result is stored in a character recognition result storage section (104). An analysis section (106) extracts object character information relevant to an object from the image, the supplementary information, and the character recognition result on the basis of the analysis conditions input in a designation section (105) to thereby analyze an object, and the analysis result is output to a result output section (107). Accordingly, a change in the object can be analyzed by analyzing a change in character patterns indicating the identical object.
US08509569B2

Some embodiments provide an image editing application that utilizes at least two processing units to efficiently process an image with multiple effects after at least one of the effects modified from the image. Some such embodiments maintain a queue for identifying each of the effects to reprocess. Some embodiments determine a modified ordering for the effects in the queue based on criteria that is related to reducing data exchanges between the processing units when applying the effects. From the modified ordering, a first processing unit applies a first set of the effects before passing resulting data to a second processing unit for application of a second set of the effects. The second processing unit applies a second set of effects to produce the image with the multiple effects and the at least one effect removed or modified.
US08509564B2

A graphic arrangement deciding method includes the steps of: acquiring, by an information processing apparatus, photographed region information corresponding to information which identifies a photographed region and unphotographed region information corresponding to information which identifies an unphotographed region, from a wide-angle image; setting, by the information processing apparatus, order of priority of a partial region which is located at a desired position and has a desired size within the photographed region identified by the photographed region information, on the basis of an attribute of the partial region; and deciding, by the information processing apparatus, arrangement of one or a plurality of graphics associated with the wide-angle image, on the basis of the unphotographed region information and the order of priority of the partial region. Thus, a more attractive photo book is created with the use of an unphotographed part of an image having an uneven boundary region.
US08509561B2

A technique for determining a characteristic of a face or certain other object within a scene captured in a digital image including acquiring an image and applying a linear texture model that is constructed based on a training data set and that includes a class of objects including a first subset of model components that exhibit a dependency on directional lighting variations and a second subset of model components which are independent of directional lighting variations. A fit of the model to the face or certain other object is obtained including adjusting one or more individual values of one or more of the model components of the linear texture model. Based on the obtained fit of the model to the face or certain other object in the scene, a characteristic of the face or certain other object is determined.
US08509548B2

This invention provides a technique of speeding up decoding processing by omitting several processes while reducing the influence of omission of processes on image quality in accordance with the variable magnification ratios at which images are to be decoded and displayed. For this purpose, an apparatus according to the invention analyzes the header of decoding target encoded image data. The apparatus then obtains information indicating how many times distortion suppression processing has been executed at the time of the generation of the encoded image data. The apparatus decides which process can be omitted, based on the set variable magnification ratio and the information extracted from the header, and generates an image on which an output is based, by executing the processes which are not to be omitted. The apparatus then re-sizes the image in accordance with the set magnification ratio.
US08509538B2

Machine-readable media, methods, apparatus and system for obtaining and processing image features are described. In some embodiments, a Gabor representation of an image may be obtained by using a Gabor filter. A region may be determined from the Gabor representation, wherein the region comprises a plurality of Gabor pixels of the Gabor representation; and, a sub-region may be determined from the region, wherein the sub-region comprises more than one of the plurality of Gabor pixels. Then, a Gabor feature may be calculated based upon a magnitude calculation related to the sub-region and the region.
US08509537B2

A wordspotting system and method are disclosed. The method includes receiving a keyword and, for each of a set of typographical fonts, synthesizing a word image based on the keyword. A keyword model is trained based on the synthesized word images and the respective weights for each of the set of typographical fonts. Using the trained keyword model, handwritten word images of a collection of handwritten word images which match the keyword are identified. The weights allow a large set of fonts to be considered, with the weights indicating the relative relevance of each font for modeling a set of handwritten word images.
US08509534B2

Page segmentation in an optical character recognition process is performed to detect textual objects and/or image objects. Textual objects in an input gray scale image are detected by selecting candidates for native lines which are sets of horizontally neighboring connected components (i.e., subsets of image pixels where each pixel from the set is connected with all remaining pixels from the set) having similar vertical statistics defined by values of baseline (the line upon which most text characters “sit”) and mean line (the line under which most of the characters “hang”). Binary classification is performed on the native line candidates to classify them as textual or non-textual through examination of any embedded regularity. Image objects are indirectly detected by detecting the image's background using the detected text to define the background. Once the background is detected, what remains (i.e., the non-background) is an image object.
US08509533B2

An image processing device that converts a first image captured via an optical system in which at least one of a plurality of color components is missing in one pixel and MTF characteristics are different between a reference color component and at least one missing color component at an imaging plane, into a second image in which MTF characteristics are matched, includes: an image creation unit that acquires information concerning differences in MTF characteristics between the missing color component and the reference color component in a pixel having the missing color component of the first image and creates the second image by using the acquired information.
US08509530B2

The compression processing unit 30 of the image processing apparatus makes the color conversion process section 50 to the layout analysis processing section 53 extract the text string region, and makes the foreground layer generating section 54 extract the foreground pixel from the text string region to generate the foreground layer. The line detection process section 52 extracts the line art from the input image data, and removes the pixel block configuring the line art from the foreground pixel-block mask generated by the foreground extracting section 51. The layout analysis processing section 53 estimates the direction of the text string in accordance with the distance of the foreground regions and the number of connected foreground regions, and merges the foreground regions connected in the estimated direction, to extract the text string region.
US08509529B2

A color that readily leaves an impression is adopted as the representative color of a color image. Pixels that form a color image are distributed in L*a*b* color space and are projected onto the a*b* plane. The pixels are grouped and the color at the centroid position of each group is adopted as a representative candidate color. A first score is calculated based upon the distance from the origin, which is indicative of gray, to the representative candidate color, and a second score is calculated from the number of pixels contained in the group. A final score is calculated from the first and second scores and representative candidate colors that provide the three highest final scores are decided upon as representative colors.
US08509523B2

A plurality of features determined from at least a portion of an image containing information about an object are processed with an inclusive neural network, and with a plurality of exclusive neural networks, so as to provide a plurality of inclusive probability values representing probabilities that the portion of the image corresponds to at least one of at least two different classes of objects, and for each exclusive neural network, so as to provide first and second exclusive probability values representing probabilities that the portion of the image respectively corresponds. or not. to at least one class of objects. The plurality of inclusive probability values, and the first and second exclusive probability values from each of the exclusive neural networks, provide for identifying whether the portion of the image corresponds, or not, to any of the at least two different classes of objects.
US08509518B2

A method for generating combined images from images taken separately with the same or a similar background, comprising the steps of: a) capturing a first image containing one or more selected items; b) capturing a second image containing one or more selected items that were not included in the first image; c) generating a preview image that combines the selected items of the first image and the selected items of the second image, the relative positioning of said selected items being effected using elements in the background; d) combining the images as shown in the preview or as corrected by a user, on receipt of an input from said user; and e) optionally, repeating steps a) through d) with a third image, using the combined image obtained in step d) as one of the two images.
US08509515B2

A bill identification apparatus accurately identifying an authenticity with a folding line formed in a watermark. The bill identification apparatus includes: bill reading means; a converter which converts the watermarked image read by the bill reading means for each pixel containing color information having brightness; a image correction processing part which calculates an average density value for each pixel array in one direction, an average density value for each pixel array in the other direction, and an average density value of an entire watermarked image and corrects density values of respective pixels so as to approximate or match the average density value of the entire watermarked image; a reference data storage part which stores a reference watermarked image; an identification processing part which compares the corrected image by the image correction processing part with the reference watermarked image and identifies an authenticity.
US08509510B2

The invention relates to the processing of a series of images. A multi-dimensional data set is formed from the series of images, for example, by stacking the images in order of succession. A cut plane is taken through the stack, that is, in the direction of succession and a slice through the stack is taken along the cut plane. A region of interest is derived from the slice. The invention is particularly useful for cardiology where a stack of successive MR images of a moving heart is formed. The ventricles of the heart are accurately segmented while using the slice in the direction of the time axis.
US08509504B2

Point spread function (PSF) radial filtering in a line of response space. Modeling a radial component, R, of a point spread filter as a function of at least a radial projection index ρ, a radial image space coordinate r, and an azimuth θ. The index ρ is characterized by an asymmetrical Gaussian distribution having where σleft(r) and σright(r) derived from point source measurements, and an adjustment σJ(r, θ) estimated from point source sinogram by Josephs' projector.
US08509501B2

A biometrics system captures and processes a handprint image using a structured light illumination to create a 2D representation equivalent of a rolled inked handprint. A processing unit calculates 3D coordinates of the hand from the plurality of images and maps the 3D coordinates to a 2D flat surface to create a 2D representation equivalent of a rolled inked handprint.
US08509489B2

A computer based method for estimating surface velocity based on a time series of at least two images of a same portion of the ocean surface by solving a heat equation having unknown parameters of heat source s and surface velocity components u and v. The images can be infrared or thermal images from the AVHRR or other images. Assign a pattern of sub-arrays with number of pixels in each sub-array sufficient to overdetermine the heat equation without the need to apply divergence and vorticity constraints. Define the heat equation for each interior pixel using bilinear interpolation at each interior based on solutions at the corner pixels. Use linear regression to solve for the unknown parameters u, v, and s for each corner pixel by minimizing total error of the heat equation in finite difference form at all pixels, and find the parameters at each remaining point with bilinear interpolation.
US08509487B2

A system and method for optically measuring a parameter of an object uses a first segment of the object captured as a first frame of image data using a first imaging region of an image sensor array and a second segment of the object as a second frame of image data using a second imaging region of the image sensor array, which is larger than the first imaging region, to determine a displaced distance of the object relative to the image sensor array.
US08509483B2

A mobile platform renders different augmented reality objects based on the spatial relationship, such as the proximity and/or relative positions between real-world objects. The mobile platform detects and tracks a first object and a second object in one or more captured images. The mobile platform determines the spatial relationship of the objects, e.g., the proximity or distance between objects and/or the relative positions between objects. The proximity may be based on whether the objects appear in the same image or the distance between the objects. Based on the spatial relationship of the objects, the augmentation object to be rendered is determined, e.g., by searching a database. The selected augmentation object is rendered and displayed.
US08509482B2

A subject tracking apparatus which performs subject tracking based on the degree of correlation between a reference image and an input image is disclosed. The degree of correlation between each of a plurality of reference images based on images input at different times, and the input image is obtained. If the maximum degree of correlation between a reference image based on a first input image among the plurality of reference images and the input image is equal to or higher than a threshold, a region with a maximum degree of correlation with a first reference image is determined as a subject region. Otherwise, a region with a maximum degree of correlation with a reference image based on an image input later than the first input image is determined as a subject region.
US08509480B2

When a mobile is detected using an imaging device installed in the mobile, the image of a partial area is enlarged/reduced depending on variation in distance to the detection object mobile and then it is compared under a fixed scale thus causing increase in computation cost. In order to eliminate the need for an enlargement/reduction processing or a deformation correction processing every time when collation is performed, an input image is converted into a virtual plane image having a size or a shape on the image of a detection object mobile which does not vary depending on the distance between the mobiles. Using a pair of virtual plane images obtained at two different times, points are made to correspond and the mobile is detected based on the gap of corresponding points.
US08509473B2

A control unit may automatically enable and/or disable a washing apparatus based on processing of an image of wares to be washed by the washing apparatus. In one example, a system includes a camera configured to capture an image of one or more wares to be washed by a washing apparatus, a computer-readable medium comprising a plurality of item profiles, each of the item profiles comprising a visual signature and one or more wash cycle characteristics, and a control unit configured to retrieve the image, detect one of the visual signatures of the plurality of item profiles in the image, select the one of the item profiles corresponding to the detected visual signature, enable the washing apparatus, and automatically disable the washing apparatus after the ware is determined to be clean in accordance with the selected one of the item profiles.
US08509471B2

A speaker device, wherein vibration of a magnetic circuit section is suppressed with a magnetic influence on the magnetic circuit section suppressed. A speaker device having a vibration section and generating an audio sound by vibration of the vibration section is provided with a magnetic circuit section for forming a magnetic field for vibrating the vibration section and also with a weight section fixed to the magnetic circuit section and suppressing vibration of the magnetic circuit section subjected to reaction force caused by vibration of the vibration section. The weight section is fixed to the magnetic circuit section through a joint section for joining the magnetic circuit section and the weight section to each other, and this forms between the magnetic circuit section and the weight section a predetermined space for magnetically separating the magnetic circuit section and the weight section from each other.
US08509466B2

A system and method provides optimization of the strength and orientation of the inductive field of a hearing aid compatible (“HAC”) device, relative to a telecoil in a user's hearing aid. One aspect provides control of the drive level of a transmitting telecoil contained in the HAC device. Other aspects provide steering of the inductive field of the device by using a telecoil array and controlling the amplitude or phase of the signals transmitted by each telecoil in the array to create a composite field. Another aspect provides a plurality of transmitting telecoils arranged such that each telecoil has a different orientation, and a plurality of switches for controlling which transmitting telecoil is active. The user may then select the telecoil having a preferred orientation. Another aspect allows a transmitting telecoil to be physically oriented to an optimal position by embedding the telecoil in a substantially spherical element.
US08509460B2

A sound mixing apparatus includes mixing processing units 11 to 1k provided according to sampling frequencies and speaker detector 400 that selects at least one speaker sound signal out of plural sound signals inputted to mixing processing units 11 to 1k. Each of mixing processing units 11 to 1k adds up speaker sound signals having the same sampling frequency selected by speaker detector 400 to generate a first added-up sound signal, converts the sampling frequency of the first added-up sound signal into a sampling frequency processable by the other mixing processing units, and further adds up the first added-up sound signal and the first added-up sound signal converted into a sampling frequency processable by the processing unit and supplied from the other mixing processing units.
US08509455B2

Two or more acoustic transducers share the same acoustic port in a device. The acoustic properties—such as acoustic impedance and frequency response—of the shared acoustic port are matched to each of the two or more acoustic transducers. To accomplish acoustic impedance matching, a separate back volume is provided for each of the acoustic transducers, matched to that transducer. Frequency response matching can be accomplished by the design of the transducer itself, but also by providing an adjacent element in the acoustic system of the transducer. One transducer may serve as an element in the acoustic system of another transducer. Frequency response adjustment of an individual element may also affect acoustic impedance of the entire port-transducer system.
US08509441B2

A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system and method are provided that includes a reader and a tag which share a predetermined secret key. The reader transmits an authentication request random number to the tag. The reader and the tag generate a Pseudorandom Noise (PN) sequence formed of a series of binary codes from an exclusive disjunction of the authentication request random number and the predetermined secret key. The tag produces an authentication response random number by performing a predetermined conversion operation for the PN sequence and transmits the authentication response random number to the reader. The reader authenticates the tag by analyzing the PN sequence and the authentication response random number.
US08509440B2

A network component comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising deriving a Master Session Key (MSK) using a secret key and at least one parameter obtained from an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) sequence, deriving a first Pairwise Master Key (PMK) and a second PMK from the MSK, authenticating with a home gateway (HG) using the first PMK, and authenticating with an end point using the second PMK. Included is an apparatus comprising a node comprising an access controller (AC) and a protocol for carrying authentication for network access (PANA) Authentication Agent (PAA), wherein the AC is configured to manage authentication for a UE, and wherein the PAA is configured to implement a PANA to forward authentication information related to the UE.
US08509436B2

A method and apparatus for remotely controlling access to the components of an optically interconnected information processing infrastructure is presented. Access to the infrastructure is controlled independently of the infrastructure operating system.
US08509407B2

A system and method for event notification and access control for Distributed Hash Tables (DHTs) using an event triggering mechanism for DHT-based Peer-to-Peer (P2P) overlay networks is described. According to an embodiment of the invention, a user interested in certain event can insert a trigger into the DHT. When the event occurs, the trigger fires and causes a pre-defined action to be executed. According to another embodiment of the invention, a user peer inserts a trigger resource record, which includes instructions to execute a specified action upon occurrence of the event, into the DHT. A monitored resource record, with which the event is or will be associated, is identified. A monitoring peer, responsible for maintaining the monitored resource record, is then identified. The trigger resource record is maintained at the monitoring peer.
US08509403B2

An advertisement delivery system for publishing a voice-enabled advertisement chosen among multiple voice-enabled advertisements to a specific voice application version chosen among multiple voice application versions available to the system has a telephony interface for enabling voice interactive access to at least one running version of the chosen voice application; and a matching service application for determining selection of the advertisement, the voice application version to host the advertisement, and at least one advertisement position in the voice application version for presenting the advertisement.
US08509398B2

Various embodiments of systems and methods to implement a voice scratchpad for deriving data from a voice communication are provided. The system may include a voice scratchpad module configured to detect an audio connection between an on-board vehicle computing device and a communications device, and present a selector on a voice scratchpad graphical user interface, which upon selection by a user causes the voice scratchpad module to process voice data received via the audio connection to obtain recognized speech data. The system may further include an annotation engine configured to annotate the recognized speech data to produce structured data in one of a plurality of predetermined formats. The voice scratchpad module may be configured to receive the structured data from the annotation engine, and display the structured data on voice scratchpad graphical user interface.
US08509395B1

A message greeting system receives a notification that a party is unavailable in response to a communication initiated by a contacting party. In response to receiving the notification, the message greeting system acquires contextual data associated with the contacting party, determines a message greeting that is appropriate for the contacting party based upon the contextual data, acquires the appropriate message greeting, and sends the appropriate message greeting to a contacting party device associated with the contacting party. The appropriate message greeting includes a message greeting that is usable by the contacting party given a context in which the contacting party is involved as identified by the contextual data. In some embodiments, the message greeting system acquires the appropriate message greeting by adapting an inappropriate message greeting for the context in which the contacting party is involved, thereby creating the appropriate message greeting.
US08509386B2

In one example, an x-ray target comprises a target track, a substrate, and an optional backing. The target track includes a base material and a grain growth inhibitor to reduce or prevent microstructure grain growth in the base material. The target track can be included as part of an x-ray tube anode, either of a rotary form or a stationary form.
US08509384B2

A method for enhanced visualization of objects in interventional angiographic examinations is provided. X-ray images are recorded during the system dose regulation phase with pure anatomy and during the filling phase with the vessels filled with contrast agent. A mask image is produced from both of the images. Native X-ray images are produced during a working or intervention phase with an object, for example a wire, a catheter or a “coil”, moved in the vessel. The images have a matrix-shaped array of pixels. The pure anatomy images are subtracted from the filling images and from the native images for generating a first subtraction image and a second subtraction image respectively. The first and the second subtraction image are processed for generating a vessel image and an object image respectively. The vessel image and the object image are processed for generating a roadmap image which is played back on a monitor.
US08509383B2

A system and method of optimizing delivery of a radiation therapy treatment. The system optimizes treatment delivery in real-time to take into account a variety of factors, such as patient anatomical and physiological changes (e.g., respiration and other movement, etc.), and machine configuration changes (e.g., beam output factors, couch error, leaf error, etc.).
US08509373B2

An apparatus and method for generating a small-size spread spectrum clock signal that can include generating a reference clock signal by dividing an external clock signal, detecting frequency and phase differences between a reference clock signal and a comparison clock signal as error signals, modulating a controlled voltage corresponding to the current in accordance with a modulation control signal, outputting an oscillation clock signal having a frequency oscillated according to the modulated controlled voltage as a spectrum-spread version of the external clock signal, and generating the comparison clock signal by dividing the oscillation clock signal, and then compensating for the modulation of the controlled voltage in accordance with a demodulation magnitude that is generated for use in compensating for the modulation magnitude.
US08509371B2

A continuous-rate clock and data recovery circuit includes a delay locked loop with a first integrator and a phase locked loop with a separate integrator. The delay locked loop and the phase locked loop are in a dual loop architecture. The first integrator is a digital accumulator that wraps upon exceeding a maximum or minimum value. The second integrator is a digital accumulator that saturates at its maximum or minimum value.
US08509352B2

Diversity techniques are commonly used in wireless communications to combat multipath fading. Recent interests in ultra-wideband technology focus on multi-band OFDM systems that can explore the high diversity due to the independent frequency bands. To achieve full diversity with high data rate, a system, apparatus and method that uses coded modulation with spreading rotation of transmitted signals. A 2×2 integer rotation matrix for QAM signals, 3×3 and 4×4 integer rotation matrices for QAM signals are provided. Compared with the non-regular QAM shape for real rotation matrices, each of these integer rotation matrices makes the regular QAM shape after rotation.
US08509335B2

In a transceiver module, a micro wave analog signal interface is provided between the transceiver module and an antenna element, and all the signal interfaces except a power supply are digital signal interfaces, and the interfaces are configured as one chip on a semiconductor. An internal reference signal generates a local signal serving as a reference by multiplying a high frequency digital clock signal supplied from the outside, and simultaneously generates a reference signal capable of synchronous operation by a lower frequency digital clock signal supplied from the outside, in the clock generator. The frequency of the generated reference local signal can be varied by controlling the inner multiplication number or the frequency of the higher frequency digital clock signal supplied from the outside. In addition, both transmission and reception can be executed with an arbitrary frequency by varying the frequency of the transmission waveform generator.
US08509307B2

When a prediction is made between fields with different parity, the predicative efficiency of a chrominance vector is improved by adaptively switching the generation of a chrominance motion vector depending on a encoding/decoding field parity (top/bottom) and a reference field parity (top/bottom), and the coding efficiency is improved accordingly.
US08509305B2

A device including a two-dimensional convolution unit to perform spatial image filtering. A reference frame mirroring unit is connected to the two-dimensional convolution unit. A mean square error (MSE) decision unit is connected to the two-dimensional convolution unit to perform motion estimation by selecting the displacement that minimizes MSE.
US08509296B2

There is provided a spectrum analyzer and a spectrum analysis method capable of promptly performing measurement while preventing the spectrum waveform caused by the fractional spurious components from being displayed.When the width of a designated span (analysis target frequency range) is larger than a boundary value, a reference signal frequency is set to a predetermined reference value, and a loop filter band narrower than a RBW (resolution bandwidth) is selected to thereby make the fractional spurious components be within the RBW and prevent it from being displayed as a spectrum waveform. Further, when the width of the designated span is smaller than a boundary value, the reference signal frequency is shifted from the reference value by a predetermined value so as to increase the frequency differences between the fractional spurious components and the main signal component of a VCO output signal by an amount equal to the product between the shift amount and the integer part of the frequency division ratio, and the band of the loop filter is set in accordance with the region including the RBW in a range narrower than the increased frequency difference so as to suppress the levels of the fractional spurious components.
US08509291B2

In a wireless communication system, SFBC-based (Space-Frequency Block-Code) transmission diversity schemes provide enhancement for multiple antennas, such as the illustrative four, in order to achieve better performance than SFBC-FSTD (SFBC-Frequency Switching Transmit Diversity) alone. SFBC-PFSTD (Precoded Frequency Switching Transmit), which is multiplying a precoding matrix to the SFBC-FSTD signals, opens up the possibility of utilizing the pilot tones in synchronization channels (SSC and/or PSC) to enhance the channel estimation performance for antenna 2 and 3 that have only the half as many pilot tones as antenna 0 and 1. Further improvements are disclosed for use of Frequency Time Switching Transmit Diversity (FTSTD) and Precoding Vector Switch.
US08509289B2

A relay device for relaying wireless communication between a transmission device and a reception device includes a buffer configured to temporarily store first data that is a relay object so that the first data is retransmitted to the reception device, a buffer control unit configured to restrict the first data from being stored in the buffer when, based on information acquired using a signal fed back from the reception device, it is determined that a chance of retransmitting the first data is low, and a retransmission request unit configured to request the transmission device to retransmit the first data when the first data is not stored in the buffer and the first data is to be retransmitted to the reception device.
US08509288B2

Multiple cooperative relays operate in a highly mobile environment and form a virtual antenna array. Multiple independent streams of data can be simultaneously, transmitted in parallel to the destination receiver. Thus a higher spatial multiplexing gain can be obtained. Each relay device that receives the information without errors splits it into multiple streams. For example, if the relay devices receive B symbols and the number of streams is K, each stream contains B/K symbols. Each relay device then generates a random linear combination of all the streams and transmits this output simultaneously with the other relay devices.
US08509286B2

A receiver for receiving a navigation signal comprising a carrier modulated by a code modulation function of a given code rate and further modulated by a composite sub-carrier modulation function having first and second components with two different rates both of which arc different to the code rate, the receiver comprising processing means arranged to: generate a first estimate of delay based on the code modulation only; generate a second estimate of delay based on the first component of the sub-carrier modulation only; and generate a third estimate of delay based on the second component of the sub-carrier modulation only; and determine a further delay estimate from the first second and third delay estimates.
US08509282B2

An improved melting furnace including a crucible and a plurality of parallel conductors of identical height surrounding the crucible having at least one descending portion (9) and one ascending portion (10). The benefit from this arrangement is that the conductors all have a portion located at each heating height which guarantees density uniformity of the currents flowing in the conductors even if the load of the crucible has superimposed regions for which the electrical resistivity is different.
US08509281B2

The different advantageous embodiments provide an apparatus and method comprising a substrate configured to increase an intensity of light at a desired wavelength. The substrate has a front side, a back side, and an outer edge. The substrate is configured to reflect the light received on the front side of the substrate. The substrate comprises ceramic. The substrate comprises a plurality of sections. The method and apparatus also comprise a material configured to attenuate the light passing between the plurality of sections. The material surrounds an edge of each section of the plurality of sections. The apparatus and method also comprise a cooling system configured to allow liquid nitrogen to be transmitted through the cooling system and receive heat generated in the substrate from the back side of the substrate.
US08509279B2

The present invention relates to a solid dye resonator, and to a solid dye laser hand piece comprising same. The solid dye resonator comprises: solid dye; a high-reflection mirror; an output coupler; a first mounting plate on which the high-reflection mirror is mounted; a second mounting plate which is spaced apart from the first mounting plate and which has a surface on which the output coupler is mounted; a driving motor mounted on the first mounting plate, such that a motor shaft is directed toward the second mounting plate; and a rotary shaft interposed between the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate, and connected to the motor shaft of the driving motor such that the rotary shaft interlockingly rotates with the rotation of the driving motor.
US08509278B2

A light emitting device includes: a support base; a first light emitting element which is provided at one surface side of the support base and has a first substrate; and a second light emitting element which is provided between the first light emitting element and the support base and has a second substrate, which has a light emitting section as a semiconductor layer and a peripheral section other than the light emitting section at the first light emitting element side of the second substrate, and which has an embedded layer formed of a material with higher heat conductivity than the semiconductor layer in the peripheral section.
US08509277B2

A multiwavelength optical device includes a substrate; a first mirror section including a plurality of first mirror layers stacked on the substrate; an active layer stacked on the first mirror section, the active layer including a light emission portion; a second mirror section including a plurality of second mirror layers stacked on the active layer; a first electrode disposed between the active layer and the second mirror section; and a second electrode disposed between the first mirror section and the active layer.
US08509275B1

A laser dazzler device and method. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide laser dazzling devices power by one or more green laser diodes characterized by a wavelength of about 500 nm to 540 nm. In various embodiments, laser dazzling devices according to the present invention include non-polar and/or semi-polar green laser diodes. In a specific embodiment, a single laser dazzling device includes a plurality of green laser diodes. There are other embodiments as well.
US08509273B2

A thermal management apparatus and method for a solid-state laser system enabling the laser system to have near isothermal temperatures across and throughout a solid-state gain material, by mechanically controlling an oscillating heat pipe having effective thermal conductivity of 10-20,000 W/m*K; bonding a solid-state lasing crystal or ceramic to the mechanically controlled oscillating heat pipe; and providing a supporting structure including a surface bonded to the solid-state lasing crystal or ceramic that matches the coefficient of thermal expansion of both the solid-state lasing crystal or ceramic and the mechanically controlled oscillating heat pipe.
US08509271B2

A method for manufacturing an optical fiber grating that includes first and second gratings that configure an optical resonator, the method including: forming the first grating by radiating ultraviolet light to an optical fiber so that a irradiation intensity Z satisfies the following Equation 1: Z≦(ΔλS/x+0.04556Y2+1.2225Y)/(0.05625Y2+1.6125Y) . . . Equation 1, where, Z represents an irradiation intensity (mJ/mm2) of the ultraviolet light, ΔλS represents the maximum shift amount of a reflection center wavelength of the first grating that is allowed as long as reflection wavelengths of the first grating and second grating overlap each other, x represents a shift amount of the reflection center wavelength per temperature change of 1° C. (nm/° C.) in the first grating, and Y represents an intensity (W) of the wave-guided light.
US08509269B2

Cylindrical optical components of quartz glass are known, which have an inner zone made of an inner zone glass, which extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis and is surrounded by a jacket zone made of a jacket zone glass, the average wall thickness thereof varying at least over a part of its length in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the component. The aim of the invention is to provide a method that allows a simple and cost-effective production of such an optical component from quartz glass. A method is proposed according to the invention, comprising the following method steps: (a) providing a first parison made of an inner zone glass, which has a first contact surface on the end face, said contact surface having a conical external contour; (b) providing a second parison from the jacket zone glass; (c) embedding the contact surface with a conical external contour into the jacket zone glass and welding the contact surface to the jacket zone glass, thereby forming a composite parison which has a cone-shaped inner zone area of inner zone glass in a contact area, said inner zone area being surrounded by a jacket zone area having the shape of an inner cone; and (d) elongation of the composite parison to form the optical component or a preproduct of the component.
US08509265B2

A system for signaling an application when a requested data rate and Quality of Service cannot be achieved using OFDM wireless data transmission, and the application proceeds by either renegotiating QoS and data rate, or waiting until they requested rate and QoS are met.
US08509264B2

A radio receiving apparatus for receiving the variable-length RLC PDU data in an RLC layer includes the buffer memory sectioned into a plurality of areas having a predetermined maximum data length of the RLC PDU data. By referring to a sequence number SN included in each received RLC PDU data, the radio receiving apparatus stores the RLC PDU data having an identical sequence number SN into an identical area, and assembles an RLC SDU data on a basis of the RLC PDU data stored in each area.
US08509241B2

A computer readable medium includes code to provide network address translation tables. One table includes entries for low priority network traffic and the other table includes entries for high priority network traffic. The code also enforces limits on processor cycles used for maintenance of the tables, receives a packet of a first network traffic type, determines the first packet is low priority traffic based upon the packet being of a first network traffic type, adds an entry to the low priority table, and removes the entry from the low priority table after a first timeout interval and a second entry from the second network address translation table after a second timeout interval.
US08509234B2

An improved system and method for implementing communications hand over in a simple manner. RTP is used to signal to other terminals that an IP address has been changed for a particular. The receiving communications application notices from the RTP data flow that the other party in a communications session has changed its IP address. Based on this information, the communications application adjusts the communications session without having to perform any session signaling.
US08509231B2

Techniques are described for managing communications between multiple intercommunicating computing nodes, such as multiple virtual machine nodes hosted on one or more physical computing machines or systems. In some situations, users may specify groups of computing nodes and optionally associated access policies for use in the managing of the communications for those groups, such as by specifying which source nodes are allowed to transmit data to particular destinations nodes. In addition, determinations of whether initiated data transmissions from source nodes to destination nodes are authorized may be dynamically negotiated for and recorded for later use in automatically authorizing future such data transmissions without negotiation. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
US08509230B2

A method for streaming software may include downloading blocks associated with a software title until an executable threshold is reached, initiating execution of the software title, and continuing to download blocks of the software title while the software title is executed. Another method for streaming software may include sending to a client data sufficient for the client to build a virtual directory structure for use in executing a software title, streaming a subset of blocks associated with the software title to the client, and streaming additional blocks associated with the software title to the client on demand. A system for streaming software may include a server computer and a client computer. The server computer may include a program database and a streaming engine. In operation the streaming engine may stream an executable streaming application from the program database to the client.
US08509219B2

There is described a transmission of user data from a source communications device provided with a first encoder for encoding users data to a target communications device provided with a first decoder for decoding said user data via a communication network which is provided with several converting devices comprising additional encoders and additional decoders for carrying out a verification of the converting devices. Via the verification it is determined, whether the first encoder is compatible with the decoder of a given converting device and, whether the first decoder is compatible with the encoder of said converting device. One of the converting devices for which the compatibility is ascertained by the verification is selected for transmitting user data. During transmission of the user data, said user data encoded with the aid of the first encoder is decoded with the aid of the compatible decoder of the converting device and the user data decodable with the aid of the first decoder is encoded with the aid of the compatible encoder of the selected converting device.
US08509215B2

A method for programming the delay for a node in a communication system is disclosed. The node receives a selected delay value and a signal path delay value indicating a delay for signals communicated to the node. The signal path delay comprises an aggregation of transport delays calculated by each node for segments of the communication system between the node and a host node. The method further calculates an additional delay necessary to meet the selected delay value.
US08509214B2

A relay station and a backhaul connection method thereof are provided. The relay station adopts an NAS mechanism. A wireless communication system comprises the relay station, a base station, and a core network. The relay station comprises a processing unit and a transceiver. The processing unit enters a first state of the NAS mechanism after the relay station creates a radio connection with the core network. The transceiver transmits a backhaul connection request to the base station after the relay station enters the first state. The processing unit then enters a second state of the NAS mechanism after the transmission of the backhaul connection request. The transceiver then receives a backhaul connection response from the base station after the transmission of the backhaul connection request. The processing unit then enters the first state after the receipt of the backhaul connection response.
US08509207B2

A wireless device (24) receives a reference signal over a radio channel (21). The reference signal may be Positioning Reference Signals (PRS) and/or Common Referencing Signals (CRS), and may be transmitted from a transmitter (22). The wireless device (24) comprises a correlator (100); a reference signal detector (102); a threshold selector (106); and a reference signal analyzer (108). The correlator (100) use a signal received from the radio channel (21) and a replica of the reference signal to provide a correlator output value. The reference signal detector (102) compares the correlator output value with a threshold value to detect presence of a reference signal, and to estimate an arrival time of the reference signal. The threshold selector (106) adapts the threshold value to at least an estimate of a relative amount of noise and interference power in the received signal.
US08509198B2

A method for communicating with a network is presented. The method includes receiving an assignment of first timeslots for uplink communications, and receiving an instruction to reduce monitoring to a set of timeslots. The set of timeslots has a number of timeslots less than a number of timeslots to be monitored in accordance with the assignment. The method includes receiving a negative acknowledgement of a data block previously transmitted to the network, and, after receiving the instruction to reduce monitoring and the negative acknowledgement, transmitting a new data block to the network before retransmitting the data block previously transmitted to the network.
US08509196B1

Disclosed is a method and system for allocating power among concurrent transmission attempts from a radio access network (RAN). In practice, the RAN encounters a situation where the RAN is going to engage concurrently in at least a transmission attempt of a first message and a transmission attempt of a second message. The RAN then determines an attempt number of the first transmission attempt and an attempt number of the second transmission attempt. The RAN then compares the determined attempt numbers and, based on the comparison, allocated a limited quantity of transmission power among the first transmission attempt and the second transmission attempt. For instance, based the comparison a greater portion of the transmission power may be allocated to one of the transmission attempts and a correspondingly lesser portion of the transmission power may be allocated to the other transmission attempt.
US08509194B2

A method of wireless communication includes receiving a signal comprising an encoded downlink reference signal (DL-RS) modified by an effective channel. The encoded DL-RS is encoded based on crosstalk interference. The method further includes estimating the effective channel.
US08509193B2

Methods and apparatus for improving the efficient use of a wireless channel. Flows of compatible packets to be transmitted are processed in separate queues based on characteristics of the packets, destination and quality of service (QoS) requirements. Aggregation parameters selected for each flow define when packets aggregated on a flow are to be sent. The aggregation parameters may reflect packet type, such as QoS requirements, an application type and/or wireless channel conditions. In some embodiments, the aggregation parameters indicate a threshold frame size or include a threshold time to buffer a packet while waiting for other packets on that flow to fill a frame. When an aggregation parameter for a queue is met, the aggregated packets are transmitted as a frame. The queue is cleared and subsequent packets may begin aggregating. Some types of packets, such as acknowledgment packets, may be sent without aggregation.
US08509186B2

A system and method implemented at a communication device for providing access to telephony services over one or more of a number of communication networks, including cellular networks and IP-based fixed and wireless networks. A mobile device may be configurable for voice communication over both a cellular network and a LAN (e.g. a wireless LAN), and may be adapted to place and receive calls via a PBX over one of the cellular network and the LAN. When it is determined that the mobile device is configured for voice communication using one or both of the cellular network connection and the LAN connection, the mobile device may automatically adapt its user interface to reflect the availability of voice communication only over those connections that are available.
US08509182B2

When handover is performed from a first network to a second network, a home agent transmits a reply request message to a terminal through the first network after new configuration of a tunnel for transmitting and receiving a packet through the second network. If the home agent receives a reply message corresponding to the reply request message through the first network, the home agent detects that the configuration of the tunnel for transmitting and receiving the packet through the first network can be deleted, and deletes the configuration of the tunnel.
US08509177B2

A method is provided for transmitting combined frequency reuse communications in a wireless network. The communications are transmitted along sub-channels associated with given frequency channel partitions. At least one of the combined frequency reuse frames comprises at least one sub-channel operative according to a first reuse scheme and at least one other sub-channel operative according to another reuse scheme. Preferably, the transmission power level for conveying communications along at least one sub-channel assigned in each of the sectors according to the first reuse scheme, is substantially equal to that used in all other sectors, the transmission power level of another sub-channel operative according to another reuse scheme is higher than a first threshold in at least one of the sectors and the transmission power level in at least one other of the sectors is lower than the first threshold but higher than a second threshold.
US08509169B2

Methods and apparatus to configure virtual private mobile networks are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving a request at a wireless network provider from a client, the request instructing the wireless network provider to create the virtual private mobile network for the client, identifying available network elements within a wireless network of the wireless network provider based on the request from the client, configuring a portion of a control plane and a portion of a data plane of the identified network elements for the virtual private mobile network, and enabling user equipment associated with the client to wirelessly communicatively couple to the virtual private mobile network.
US08509168B2

A method of transmitting a channel quality indicator (CQI) in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes receiving an uplink grant on a downlink channel, the uplink grant comprising a CQI report indicator, a transport format field and a resource assignment field, the CQI report indicator indicating whether a CQI is reported, the transport format filed indicating a transport format of the CQI, the resource assignment field indicating the number of resource blocks used for reporting the CQI and transmitting the CQI on an uplink channel by using the uplink grant.
US08509164B2

Disclosed is a radio (wireless) communication system providing a radio communication service and the terminal, and more particularly, to a method for re-attempting a rapid random access when a problem occurs in the random access procedure in an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (E-UMTS) evolved from the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) or a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system.
US08509161B2

A method for selecting an uplink modulation scheme may include receiving downlink control information (DCI). The format of the DCI may be decoded. The uplink modulation scheme may be determined according to the format of the DCI. The uplink modulation scheme may be selected. An uplink signal may be transmitted according to the uplink modulation scheme.
US08509158B2

Systems and methods for communication are disclosed. A system in accordance with the present invention comprises a communications system, comprising at least one transmitter station and at least one receiver station, the transmitter station and receiver station communicating using an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) schema, wherein OFDM signals are transmitted in a notched frequency band arrangement such that at least one other transmission within a notch of the notched frequency band is used outside of the communications system.
US08509145B1

A first serving system controls a first group of sectors that transmit pilot signals having pseudonoise (PN) offsets corresponding to a first PN increment, and a second serving system controls a second group of sectors that transmit pilot signals having PN offsets corresponding to a second PN increment. The first serving system serves a mobile station via a sector in the first group and determines that the mobile station is likely to be in a communication range of at least one sector in the second group. In response, the first serving system instructs the mobile station to use the second PN increment when scanning for pilot signals. Thereafter, the mobile station may use the first PN increment to scan for pilot signals to add to its remaining set and, if the remaining set is not large enough, may then use the second PN increment to scan for additional pilot signals.
US08509133B2

Methods and devices are described herein for prioritizing a plurality of packets for potential transmission and in an iterative fashion: i) determining power requirements for control channel signalling associated with a highest priority packet not yet analyzed for resource assignment; and ii) assigning resources for said highest priority packet if sufficient power for control channel signalling is available and sufficient resources for said highest priority packet are available. A further method includes assigning a plurality of users to one of a plurality of signalling groups, wherein said plurality of users within said one of a plurality of groups use a first of a plurality of HARQ interlace offsets for their first respective HARQ transmissions.
US08509130B2

A method includes generating a first data unit to be transmitted during a first time period, including generating a field that specifies a first number of beamforming training data units that can be communicated during a first training session; processing a second data unit received during a second time period, including determining whether the first training session was accepted based on a first field of the second data unit, and determining a second number of beamforming training data units that can be communicated during a second training session based on a second field of the second data unit; and if the first training session was accepted, causing the specified first number of beamforming training data units to be communicated during the first training session.
US08509129B2

A system for setting WLAN node operating parameters includes at least one access point (AP) radio and a plurality of nodes in wireless communication with the AP radio according to media access control (MAC) parameters. Each of the plurality of nodes has a quality of service (QoS) threshold for wireless communication with the AP radio that is a function of the MAC parameters and includes a controller configured to provide individualized control of the MAC parameters. The controller is programmed to measure current settings for at least a portion of the MAC parameters for the node, input the current settings for those MAC parameters of the node into a WLAN system model to generate a system model output, and adapt a setting of at least one of the MAC parameters for the node to meet the QoS threshold for the node based on the system model output.
US08509126B2

Aspects of a method and system for utilization of an reserved and/or out of band channel for maintaining a network connection are provided. In this regard, information relating to training of one or more link partners communicatively coupled to an Ethernet link may be exchanged via a reserved and/or out of band channel on the Ethernet link. The reserved and/or out of band channel may be an auxiliary channel as specified by the IEEE802.1AN standard. The reserved and/or out of band channel may be utilized for scheduling training of one or more of the link partners, determining which of the link partners require training, synchronizing training of the link partners, training the link partners based on changes in environmental conditions. The training may comprise configuring an echo canceller a far-end crosstalk canceller, and/or a near-end crosstalk canceller.
US08509113B2

The present invention provides methods and systems for managing matrices of connections within digital switching fabrics. The methods and systems include means for defining one or more of sources and sinks in a matrix of connections as one or more of unidirectional connection termination points and novel unidirectional virtual connection points, where each of the unidirectional virtual connection points is a logical object that is maintained in software that defines connections between one or more of network resources and logical objects. The virtual connection points selectively act as origination points for one or more of other virtual connection points and termination points in a cross-connect; termination points for one or more of other virtual connection points and origination points in a cross-connect; origination points for a multicast set of connections; intermediate points within a cross-connect for the addition of new connections; selectors for two or more inputs; simultaneously as selectors for two or more inputs and as origination points for a multicast set of connections; one or more of bridges, selectors, and bridge/selectors in a protection application; one or more of origination points and termination points in a signaled network connection; local test access points; and/or remote test access points.
US08509111B2

A method for a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes receiving a maximum compression rate or a maximum decompression rate of a first device and reserving a rate of a medium communicatively linking the first device and a second device based on the maximum compression rate or the maximum decompression rate. The method also includes communicating between the first device and the second device based on the reserved rate of the medium.
US08509109B2

A set of routes are discovered in a network including concentrators, smart meters and an imaginary node. Each concentrator node, a source, broadcasts a route request (RREQ) packet to the imaginary destination node. Intermediate nodes store a route as a node list (NL) in the RREQ packet and as a route table (RT) in the node. Then, each smart meter node can select a primary route and a secondary route from the smart meter node to any concentrator from the route table.
US08509105B2

In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, a method comprises broadcasting from a user equipment (UE) having means for device to device (D2D) communication a beacon comprising an OFDM beacon frame comprising a plurality of beacon fields; receiving at least one random access request from at least one neighbor device to trigger handshake signaling for establishment of a D2D connection; responding to one of the at least one random access request with an acknowledgement beacon including at least an identifier of the UE to confirm the D2D connection with the selected neighbor device; discovering available resources; and exchanging said resource information in the handshake signaling with the neighbor devices.
US08509103B2

Embodiments of a method and an apparatus for improving the performance of coexisting wireless radio signals are described. In one embodiment, the method includes detecting burst-type interference based on a packet error rate and a transmission rate associated with a transmitter. The method further includes setting the transmission rate in accordance with a burst-type rate-adaptation mode to increase data throughput.
US08509099B2

A technique for resource allocation in a wireless network (for example, an access point type wireless network), which supports concurrent communication on a band of channels, is provided. The technique includes accepting connectivity information for the network that supports concurrent communication on the band of channels. A conflict graph is generated from the connectivity information. The generated conflict graph models concurrent communication on the band of channels. A linear programming approach, which incorporates information form the conflict graph and rate requirements for nodes of the network, can be utilized to maximize throughput of the network.
US08509095B2

Testing of Internet-Protocol packet network perimeter protection devices, e.g., Border Gateways such as Session Border Controllers, including dynamic pinhole capable firewalls are discussed. Analysis and testing of these network perimeter protection devices is performed to evaluate the ability of such device to perform at carrier class levels while being subjected to many different protocol test cases. The efficiency of state look table functions as well as call signaling processing capacity, implemented in a particular perimeter protection device, are determined and evaluated. Proper performance and efficiency of such perimeter protection devices are evaluated as a function of: incoming call rate, total pre-existing active calls, and different protocol test cases. Various different network perimeter protection devices, e.g., of different types and/or from different manufactures, can be benchmarked for degree of protocol stack implementation/suitability to carrier class environments and comparatively evaluated. Test equipment devices, e.g., Integrated Intelligent End Points (IIEPs), for fault testing, evaluating and stressing the network perimeter protection devices in a system environment are described. Typically these specialized test devices are used in pairs, one on each side of the firewall under test. These test equipment devices include a traffic generator module, a protocol compliance testing module, monitoring and analysis capability including a CPU utilization analysis module, a protocol analysis module, and a graphical output capability.
US08509094B2

Systems and methods are provided for edge-based loss-of-signal (LOS) detection. In a receiver, a receiver port receives a data signal. A clock and data recovery (CDR) mechanism coupled to the receive port derives one or more clock signals. An LOS signal generation mechanism generates an LOS signal based on edge glitches which occur when the receive port does not receive usable data.
US08509080B2

In a packet communication system with large bandwidth delay product (BDP) and employing Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), the reported advertised window size as advertised by a receiver is employed only as an indication of window size and not as a throughput limit so that more data is sent than the amount specified by the advertised window size. Since the receiver can process all incoming TCP packets, the receiving buffer is consistently near empty. Since the TCP's advertised window size is not accepted as the absolute amount of buffer space available at the receiver, the sender is not constrained by the absolute value of the receiver's advertised window size and instead can transmit more data than the absolute value of the advertised window, enabling the system to increase the actual window size without modifying the link ends. This improved large-BDP-capable protocol is denoted TCP-SC.
US08509079B2

A method and apparatus for transmitting a signal whereby it is determined if a Bandwidth Expansion Factor (BEF) Q is an integer, the BEF being determined as N/M according to a number N of subcarriers of a system band and a number M of subcarriers of an allocated band, an input signal to be transmitted Q times in a time domain when the Q is an integer is expanded, a Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiplexing Access (SC-FDMA) signal is generated, and the SC-FDMA signal is transmitted.
US08509068B2

A system for sending a data packet from a messaging device to a receiving device in a signalling network (210) is described. The system comprises a distributed service center (255) a message receiving service center (290), a plurality of signalling units (260, 270) for passing the data packet to the receiving device, a central routing logic (280) for routing the data packets and a closed network connecting at least the central routing logic (280) and the plurality of signalling units (260, 270). Also disclosed is a corresponding method for sending a data packet from a messaging device to a receiving device.
US08509067B2

A method for controlling network congestion includes estimating a queue size, entering a first mode of operation if the estimated queue size is below a first threshold, and entering a second mode of operation if the estimated queue size is above a second threshold.
US08509058B2

An example method involves rerouting a logical circuit from a first set of switches to a second set of switches to communicate data between network devices without breaking the logical circuit. The logical circuit includes variable communication paths, and the second set of switches are to form a route associated with the variable communication paths that is not predefined and that is dynamically defined at a time of automatic rerouting. The example method also involves detecting a failure of the logical circuit based on at least one of a committed information rate or a committed burst size having been exceeded. In addition, the data is rerouted from the logical circuit to a logical failover circuit in the data network in response to detecting the failure of the logical circuit. The logical failover circuit includes an alternative communication path to communicate the data.
US08509043B2

A write-once disc includes: a plurality of update areas in which a predetermined kind of updated information is recorded; at least one main access information area in which main access information is recorded, the main access information indicating a final update area in which finally updated information is recorded among the plurality of update areas; and at least one sub access information area in which sub access information is recorded, the sub access information indicating a location of the finally updated information recorded in the final update area. Accordingly, an access time for reading a predetermined kind of information required to use the write-once disc can be reduced.
US08509042B2

An optical disc apparatus has: a spherical aberration correction unit (7) which corrects the spherical aberration generated in a light spot on a recording layer; a control unit (52) which focuses a light beam on a predetermined recording layer, and shifts the focal point position of the light beam from the current recording layer to another recording layer; and a focus jump control unit (60) which controls correction of spherical aberration and shift of the focal point position based on the interlayer distance between the current recording layer and a recording layer which adjoins in a direction opposite to a direction of shifting the focal point position of the light beam. By this configuration, focus jump is stably executed.
US08509041B2

Provided is a recording apparatus including a light irradiation and receiving unit configured to irradiate recording light for performing mark recording to a recording layer and an adjacent servo light for an adjacent track servo onto an optical disc recording medium having the recording layer through a common objective lens, and to receive reflected light from the recording layer of the adjacent servo light, a tracking mechanism configured to drive the objective lens in a tracking direction which is the disc radial direction, a tracking servo signal generation unit configured to obtain a corrected servo error signal as a servo error signal based on a light receiving signal for the adjacent servo light, and to generate a tracking servo signal using the corrected servo error signal, and a tracking driving unit configured to drive the tracking mechanism based on the tracking servo signal.
US08509038B1

A near-field light generator includes a waveguide and a plasmon generator. The waveguide has a core and a cladding. The core has first and second evanescent light generating surfaces disposed such that the plasmon generator is interposed therebetween. The plasmon generator has an outer surface, the outer surface including: a front end face; a first plasmon exciting part that is opposed to the first evanescent light generating surface with a predetermined spacing therebetween; and a second plasmon exciting part that is opposed to the second evanescent light generating surface with a predetermined spacing therebetween.
US08509034B2

A hydrophone for recording underwater sound includes a housing having an outer surface designed to serve as a boundary surface for an incident sound wave and at least one vibration sensor having a sensor surface for recording sound waves and for preparing a sensor signal. The sensor surface of the vibration sensor is in an opening of the housing. A hydrophone assembly includes a plurality of the hydrophones.
US08509033B2

A marine air gun generates an acoustic signal in water, for example, during a marine seismic survey. The marine air gun includes digital electronic circuitry. The digital electronic circuitry may control an actuator of the marine air gun, digitize and store data from sensors located on or near the marine air gun, send and/or receive digital communications, store and/or output electrical energy, and/or perform other functions. A marine seismic source system that includes multiple air gun clusters may have a separate digital communication link between a command center and each air gun cluster. Each communication link may provide power and digital communication between the command center and one of the air gun clusters.
US08509029B2

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes: a plurality of vibration elements (1) that transmit and receive an ultrasonic beam; a plurality of transmission circuits (2) that are connected to the respective vibration elements and output a transmission driving signal to be used for driving the vibration elements; and a transmission power source (3) that supplies electric power to the transmission circuits. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus further includes: a pulse detection unit (21) that detects a transmission signal to be used for generating the transmission driving signal; an electric power measurement unit (20) that detects an amount of electric power supplied to the transmission circuits as a whole; a distribution calculation unit (24) that calculates an amount of electric power distributed into each of the vibration elements based on outputs of the pulse detection unit and the electric power measurement unit; and a power distribution derivation unit (22) that derives electric power having been supplied to each of the plurality of vibration elements based on an output of the distribution calculation unit, wherein the transmission driving signal is controlled based on the power distribution derived in the power distribution derivation unit. With this configuration, it is possible to provide a more compact and highly reliable ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of performing a temperature monitoring that detects local heat generation of the vibration elements based on the actual transmission power by using a circuit with a reduced number of components.
US08509021B2

Embodiments for selecting regions of memory are described. For example, in one embodiment a memory device having an array of memory cells includes an array selection block. The array selection block receives an input signal indicative of a region in the array of memory cells. The array selection block generates a selection signal to map the region to at least one physical location in the array of memory cells, based on the detection of the number of defects in that location.
US08509018B2

A circuit having a sensing circuit and at least one of a first node and a second node is described. The sensing circuit includes a pair of a first type transistors and a pair of a second type transistors. Each transistor of the pair of the first type transistors is coupled in series with a transistor of the pair of the second type transistors. The first node has a first voltage and is coupled to each bulk of each transistor of the pair of the first type transistors. The second node has a second voltage and is coupled to each bulk of each transistor of the pair of the second type transistors.
US08509011B2

Command paths, apparatuses, memories, and methods for providing an internal command to a data path are disclosed. In an example method, a command is received and propagated through a command path to provide an internal command. Further included in the method is determining a difference between a latency value and a path delay difference, the path delay difference representing a modeled path delay difference between the command path and the data path measured in terms of a number of clock periods. The propagation of the command through the command path to the data path is delayed by a delay based at least in part on the difference between the latency value and the path delay difference. The internal command is provided to the data path responsive to an internal clock signal.
US08509006B2

A semiconductor device includes: a plurality of word lines; a word line driver; a first detection circuit; and a control circuit. The plurality of word lines is connected to gates of a plurality of memory cell transistors, respectively. The word line driver supplies one of a selection voltage and a non-selection voltage to each of the plurality of word lines. The first detection circuit detects a first current flowing into the word line driver through a wiring supplying the selection voltage when the selection voltage is supplied to one of the plurality of word lines through the word line driver. The control circuit detects abnormality of the plurality of word lines and the word line driver based on the first current.
US08509005B2

A data strobe signal generating device includes a preamble controller configured to generate a preamble signal enabled in synchronization with a first clock signal and disabled in synchronization with a second clock signal after an output enable signal is enabled, and a data strobe signal output unit configured to generate a data strobe signal in response to the preamble signal.
US08509002B2

A semiconductor memory device is provided. The semiconductor memory device supplies to a sense amplifier a first voltage and a second voltage during data sensing, so that data sensing margin and a data sensing speed increase.
US08509001B2

A method includes performing a write operation on memory cells of a memory array to a first logic state using a voltage of a charge pump. A portion of the write operation is performed on the memory cells of the memory array using the voltage of the charge pump. A level of the voltage is compared to a reference. If the level of the voltage is below the reference, the write operation is continued with an increased level of the voltage by reducing load on the charge pump by providing the voltage on a reduced number of memory cells, wherein the reduced number of memory cells is a first subset of the memory cells.
US08509000B2

Methods and devices for simultaneously verifying or reading multiple states in non-volatile storage are disclosed. Methods and devices for efficiently reducing or eliminating cross-coupling effects in non-volatile storage are disclosed. Methods and devices for efficiently performing reads at a number of voltages to search for the threshold voltage of a memory cell are disclosed. Memory cells on different NAND strings that are read at the same time may be tested for different threshold voltage levels. Memory cells may be tested for different threshold voltages by applying different gate-to-source voltages to memory cells being tested for different threshold voltages. Memory cells may be tested for different threshold voltages by applying different drain to source voltages to the memory cells. Different amounts of compensation for cross-coupling affects may be applied to memory cells on different NAND strings that are read or programmed at the same time.
US08508999B2

A vertical NAND structure includes one or more mid-string devices having at least two functional modes. In the first mode, the one or more mid-string devices couple the bodies of stacks of NAND memory cells to the substrate for erase operations. In the second mode, the one or more mid-string devices couple the body of a first stack of NAND memory cells to a body of a second stack of memory NAND memory cells, allowing the two stacks operate as a single NAND string for read and programming operations.
US08508994B2

Techniques for providing floating body memory devices are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a semiconductor device comprising a floating gate, a control gate disposed over the floating gate, a body region that is electrically floating, wherein the body region is configured so that material forming the body region is contained under at least one lateral boundary of the floating gate, and a source region and a drain region adjacent the body region.
US08508993B2

Various discussed approaches improve the over erase issue and the coupling effect, and include (A) multilevel contacts between (i) the first outer selected word line of an erase group, and (ii) the first unselected word line outside the ease group neighboring the first outer selected word line; (B) a sufficient separation distance between (i) the first outer selected word line of an erase group, and (ii) the first unselected word line outside the ease group neighboring the first outer selected word line. These are examples of electrically isolating (i) the first outer selected word line of an erase group, from (ii) the first unselected word line outside the ease group neighboring the first outer selected word line.
US08508981B2

Variable resistive punchthrough access methods are described. The methods include switching a variable resistive data cell from a high resistance state to a low resistance state by passing a write current through the magnetic tunnel junction data cell in a first direction. The write current is provided by a transistor being electrically coupled to the variable resistive data cell and a source line. The write current passes through the transistor in punchthrough mode.
US08508980B2

A memory unit includes a resistive sense memory cell configured to switch between a high resistance state and a low resistance state upon passing a current through the resistive sense memory cell and a semiconductor transistor in electrical connection with the resistive sense memory cell. The semiconductor transistor includes a gate element formed on a substrate. The semiconductor transistor includes a source contact and a bit contact. The gate element electrically connects the source contact and the bit contact. The resistive sense memory cell electrically is connected to the bit contact. The source contact is more heavily implanted with dopant material then the bit contact.
US08508978B2

A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array in which a plurality of memory cells is aligned in a matrix shape, each memory cell including a two-terminal memory element and a transistor for selection connected in series; a first voltage applying circuit that applies a writing voltage pulse to first bit lines; and a second voltage applying circuit that applies a pre-charge voltage to the first bit lines and second bit lines, wherein in a writing of a memory cell, after the second voltage applying circuit has pre-charged both ends of the memory cell to a same voltage, the first voltage applying circuit applies the writing voltage pulse via the first bit line that is directly connected to the transistor for selection, and the second voltage applying circuit applies the pre-charge voltage to the second bit line directly connected to the memory element.
US08508974B2

A ferroelectric memory device includes a shunt switch configured to short both sides of the ferroelectric capacitor of the ferroelectric memory device. The shunt switch is configured therefore to remove excess charge from around the ferroelectric capacitor prior to or after reading data from the ferroelectric capacitor. By one approach, the shunt switch is connected to operate in reaction to signals from the same line that controls accessing the ferroelectric capacitor. So configured, the high performance cycle time of the ferroelectric memory device is reduced by eliminating delays used to otherwise drain excess charge from around the ferroelectric capacitor, for example by applying a precharge voltage. The shunt switch also improves reliability of the ferroelectric memory device by ensuring that excess charge does not affect the reading of the ferroelectric capacitor during a read cycle.
US08508973B2

A method of switching the magnetization orientation of a ferromagnetic free layer of an out-of-plane magnetic tunnel junction cell, the method including: passing an AC switching current through the out-of-plane magnetic tunnel junction cell, wherein the AC switching current switches the magnetization orientation of the ferromagnetic free layer.
US08508969B2

A device includes a first sense amplifier array including a plurality of first sense amplifiers arranged in a first direction, each of the first sense amplifiers including first and second nodes, a plurality of first global bit lines extending in a second direction crossing the first direction, the first global bit lines being arranged in the first direction on a left side of the first sense amplifier array so that the first global bit lines being operatively connected to the first node of an associated one of the first sense amplifiers, and a plurality of second global bit lines extending in the second direction, the second global bit lines being arranged in the first direction on a right side of the first sense amplifier array so that the second global bit lines being operatively connected to the second node of the associated one of the first sense amplifiers.
US08508968B2

The need for mediation operation is eliminated by adoption of a connection topology in which a circuit for executing one transmission (TR—00T), and a circuit for executing a plurality of receptions (TR—10R, TR—20R, TR—30R) are connected to one penetration-electrode group (for example, TSVGL—0). In order to implement the connection topology even in the case of piling up a plurality of LSIs one after another, in particular, a programmable memory element for designating respective penetration-electrode ports for use in transmit, or for us in receive, and address allocation of the respective penetration-electrode ports is mounted in stacked LSIs.
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