US08622064B2

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.
US08622063B2

A lip substrate applicator kit includes upper and lower applicators adapted to facilitate the application of lip substrates onto the upper and lower lips of a wearer. The lip substrates typically includes an image layer featuring one or more of a variety of colors, graphic designs and text elements. Edges of the applicators may be pre-cut to ensure that the applied substrate presents a symmetrical and clean appearance at the vermillion borders of the wearer's lips. Each applicator includes an adhesive layer, a peel layer and a guide layer. The guide layer has a guide pattern configured to aid a user in trimming excess portions from the applicator generally along a curved pathway, so that the substrate may be customized to fit the lips of the wearer. The kit may include a die cut applicator sheet from which the upper and lower applicators are die cut, suspended and detachable.
US08622061B2

An implanted soft palate support and an implantation method are provided. The implanted soft palate support is a flat implant made of a material capable of being implanted into human tissues for a long time period, and includes a hard palate connecting end and a support. The hard palate connecting end has a connecting structure connected with a hard palate; the support is a flat implant capable of being inserted into a soft palate; and the hard palate connecting end is connected to the support. The implanted soft palate support can achieve the objectives of treating OSAHS and snoring by effectively lifting the collapsed soft palate during sleep and thereby reducing an upper airway obstruction condition. In particular, the soft palate support can be adjusted within a certain range to calibrate its shape and curvature event after the surgery, so as to achieve optimal treatment and comfort.
US08622055B2

A solar collector includes a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite to the upper surface, a sidewall, a transparent cover, and a heat-absorbing layer. The sidewall is arranged on the top surface of the substrate. The transparent cover is disposed on the sidewall opposite to the substrate to form a sealed chamber with the substrate together. The heat-absorbing layer is disposed on the upper surface of the substrate and includes a carbon nanotube structure.
US08622054B1

Methods and systems for reducing combustion emissions generated in, or released from, a combustion chamber are provided. Systems and methods provided herein may be used to modify, for example, an existing fireplace such that combustion emissions resulting from burning a fuel combustion source are reduced. The method involves providing an emission reduction system which includes a casing assembly with at least one panel of a catalyst-coated media and a support structure supporting the casing assembly. The casing assembly is positioned between a fuel combustion source and a flue by associating the support structure with an interior surface of the firebox. The fuel combustion source is burned to create a fire, such that the catalyst-coated media reduces emissions associated with fuel combustion when contacted with combustion exhaust.
US08622052B1

In at least one embodiment, an archery bow grip comprises a body portion comprising a first wall and an opposed second opposed wall. A connecting wall spans between the first wall and the second wall. The body portion defines a groove between an inner surface of said first wall and an inner surface of second wall. The groove defines a central axis, and the connecting wall comprises a ridge having a peak that extends parallel to the central axis of the groove. The peak is desirably straight along its length.
US08622049B1

The present invention is a swing arm pitching machine for throwing a ball in a trajectory comprising a horizontal adjustment system for selectively varying the trajectory of a ball horizontally, a height adjustment system for selectively varying the trajectory of the ball vertically, a speed adjustment system for selectively varying the speed of the ball, and a control panel in communication with the horizontal adjustment system, the height adjustment system, and the speed adjustment system for automatically adjusting the trajectory as desired.
US08622045B2

An air-balanced engine assembly is configured to operate efficiently while producing a reduced level of harmful emissions. The engine assembly includes a two-stroke internal combustion engine with multiple power cylinders and intake and exhaust manifolds that fluidly communicate with the cylinders. The engine assembly also includes an air balancing assembly with valves that control intake air flow from the intake manifold to the cylinders. The valves cooperate to balance intake air flow among the cylinders and are configured to substantially equalize trapped equivalence ratios among the cylinders.
US08622032B2

Improvements in a gas powered engine. Said improvements include use of a piston with a fixed piston arm that extends through a seal in the lower portion of the cylinder. The piston arm operates on an elliptical crank that drives the output shaft. Valves that move air and exhaust into and out of the pistons are lifted by a cam located on the crank. A unique oil injector passes oil to the piston and the cylinder wall. An energy recovery unit recovers energy from the cooling system and from the exhaust system.
US08622031B2

Supply of supplementary fuel is controlled by activation of a valve in response to certain engine operating conditions or parameters. For example, the supplementary fuel may be supplied to facilitate starting and warming up a cold engine, or to cool and/or slow down an engine operating above a threshold speed.
US08622027B1

An apparatus to aid in the cleaning of animal's paws comprises a plastic tub filled with water from a hose attached to a remote faucet and having a side-mounted drain valve. The apparatus also comprises a battery-operated vibrating system that vibrates a floor portion of the tub. Control of the vibrators is provided via a control switch located conveniently along a side panel. During use, the animal is placed or walked into the tub upon returning from the outdoors. The vibrating action along with the water removes all foreign material from the animal's lower legs and paws. Additionally, the vibrating action may be utilized to soothe and comfort the animal's paws.
US08622021B2

A method of increasing mean time between cleans of a plasma etch chamber and chamber parts lifetimes is provided. Semiconductor substrates are plasma etched in the chamber while using at least one sintered silicon nitride component exposed to ion bombardment and/or ionized halogen gas. The sintered silicon nitride component includes high purity silicon nitride and a sintering aid consisting of silicon dioxide. A plasma processing chamber is provided including the sintered silicon nitride component. A method of reducing metallic contamination on the surface of a silicon substrate during plasma processing is provided with a plasma processing apparatus including one or more sintered silicon nitride components. A method of manufacturing a component exposed to ion bombardment and/or plasma erosion in a plasma etch chamber, comprising shaping a powder composition consisting of high purity silicon nitride and silicon dioxide and densifying the shaped component.
US08622018B2

A back bedding glazing compound applicator assembly is disclosed. The back bedding glazing compound applicator assembly comprises a nozzle head that is fluidly connected to a back bedding glazing compound supply source and a stabilizer device for retaining a fixed vertical position of a viewing surface while back bedding glazing compound is being dispensed by the nozzle head. The nozzle head includes a back bedding glazing compound channel fluidly connected to a dispensing opening. The dispensing opening is positioned adjacent a bottom surface of the nozzle head.
US08622017B2

An electroless plating system includes a plating solution, and controlling reducing agents in the plating solution for deposition over outlier features smaller than about five hundred nanometers and isolated by about one thousand nanometers.
US08622010B2

A pneumatic seacock retrofit is provided for convenient closing of all or a portion of the seacocks, whether as a matter of every day convenience or for use in an emergency, in which all of the vessel's seacocks can be pneumatically closed at the same time, leaving the possibility of selectively overriding seacock closure, with all control valves operating to provide a momentary pulse of air to the rotary actuators and then return to a neutral position, leaving the actuators free for further control. Moreover, an operator is free to manually close a valve in the event that the pneumatic system fails.
US08622009B2

A locking mechanism for a bobbin case (5) is provided with a locking lever (35) supported pivotally in the bobbin cover (27). The locking lever is pivotal on a shaft (33). A hook-shaped end (51) is formed at the locking lever (35), which latches in the sleeve (9) in the hook and can hold the bobbin case (3) in the hook (1).
US08621998B2

A remote initiator breaching system for initiating breaching charges over a short range requiring no physical link between the breacher and the demolition charge. The remote initiator breaching system has at least one transmitter, at least one receiver, at least one shock tube connectable to a breaching charge and a power source for each of the transmitter and receiver. The transmitter is able to generate and transmit a coded signal. The transmitter has an input for inputting operational commands into the transmitter for generating the coded signal, The transmitter has a plurality of channels representing different frequency bands, and multiple addresses for each channel such that transmission of the coded signal from the transmitter to the receiver is possible per individual addresses or all addresses simultaneously.
US08621996B2

An optical imaging apparatus (80) for direct engraving of flexographic plates (52) includes at least two laser sources (43), each emitting laser beams (44). A mirror or prism (45) is placed in front of each of the laser sources to alter an optical path of each of the laser beams. The laser beams cut the flexographic plate at different depths and cut out chunks (65) of the flexographic plate.
US08621983B2

A beverage apparatus including a soluble beverage system and a liquid flavor dispensing system. The liquid flavor dispensing system can add liquid flavor to water flowing through a heated water manifold for combination with beverage material dispensed from the soluble beverage system. The liquid flavor dispensing system and soluble beverage system are cooperatively positioned and controlled to combine liquid flavor, water, and soluble beverage material for controllably producing a variety of beverages.
US08621982B2

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to the brewing of beverages from a liquid, such as water, and a flavor base, such as tea, cocoa, or coffee. Specifically, aspects of the present disclosure enable the brewing of beverages with a level of precision that can yield a uniform taste from cup to cup, and at a rapid rate. In one embodiment, a liquid is heated in a reservoir to a predetermined temperature. Prior to brewing a beverage with the liquid, the liquid may be passed through a temperature control unit to cool the liquid to a desired brewing temperature. By utilizing such a temperature control unit, the brewing temperature can be varied on a per-beverage basis. Moreover, utilization of a temperature control unit can enable the liquid to be brought to a desired brewing temperature relatively rapidly.
US08621979B2

A positive displacement pump comprising a lubricant manifold comprising a first fluid pathway, a housing comprising a second fluid pathway in fluid communication with the first pathway, a crosshead slide within the housing and comprising a third fluid pathway in fluid communication with the second pathway; a crosshead configured to reciprocate within the crosshead slide, the crosshead comprising a fourth fluid pathway in fluid communication with the third pathway, the crosshead further comprising a wrist-pin having a fifth fluid pathway in fluid communication with the fourth pathway, a crankshaft within the housing, and a connecting rod disposed between the crosshead and the crankshaft and connected thereto, wherein the connecting rod comprises a sixth fluid pathway displaced from the connecting rod centerline and in fluid communication with the fifth pathway, and wherein the crankshaft end of the connecting rod comprises a seventh fluid pathway in fluid communication with the sixth pathway.
US08621964B2

A cutting tool includes a tool body having a plurality of pockets for receiving cutting inserts. Each pocket includes a bottom support surface, an axial support surface, a radial support surface and a corner relief between the bottom support surface and the radial support surface. A non-circular recess is formed proximate the pocket, and a coolant passage is disposed within the recess. The recess reduces a tensile stress of the cutting tool during a machining operation.
US08621961B2

A tool handle includes a handle body having a first end, a second end, an exterior surface and a bore configured to receive a shaft. A wire stripper is integrated into the exterior surface of the handle and configured to cut and remove the insulating layer of a conductive wire. The wire stripper includes a first sharp edge and a second sharp edge intersecting the first sharp edge to form a v-shaped notch.
US08621960B2

A multi-output transmission assembly includes first and second gears rotatable in opposite directions, an output shaft, first and second collars slidably coupled to the output shaft, and an actuator coupled to the first and second collars. The first collar is rotated by the first gear in a first direction. The second collar is rotated by the second gear in a second direction. The actuator moves the first and second collars along the output shaft. With the actuator in a neutral position, the first and second collars are disengaged from the output shaft and the output shaft does not rotate. With the actuator in a first position, the first collar engages the output shaft and the output shaft rotates in the first direction. With the actuator in a second position, the second collar engages the output shaft and the output shaft rotates in the second direction.
US08621959B2

Power is selectively transferred from a primary actuator to one of a plurality of output shafts with a transmission including a plurality of output members coupled to an input member, the input member being coupled to the primary actuator. A first active material actuator includes a mechanical coupling feature coupling one of the plurality of output shafts to one of the plurality of output members when the active material actuator is activated.
US08621949B2

The invention concerns a safety device (1) for an actuator comprising a connection means (2) allowing a connection to a releasable holding means (5). The connection means (2) is fixed via a sacrificing means (3) to a supporting means (4), and a resilient means (7) is acting between the supporting means (4) and a supporting portion (8). An extension means (9) is fixed to the supporting means (4) via the connection means (2). The sacrificing means (3) has a mechanical strength such that the sacrificing means (3) breaks when subjected to a force exceeding a predetermined force, such that the extension means is no longer fixed to the supporting means and that a re-connection of the supporting means (4) and the releasable holding means (5) is made impossible. The predetermined force is lower than the mechanical strength of the extension means (9) and the supporting means (4). A linear actuator (13) comprising the safety device (1) is also provided.
US08621948B2

The invention relates to a drive device (20) for entrance/exit devices for public transit vehicles, comprising a drive unit (22) disposed in and driving a column (24) that rotates about an axis of rotation Z-Z during opening and closing operations, said column opening and closing an entrance/exit device. The drive unit (22) is supported in the vehicle by way of a support component (40) and the support component (40) acts as a counterbearing for a torque of the drive unit (22). A coupling device (72) is disposed between the drive unit (22) and the support component (40), said coupling device facilitating a rotation of the drive unit (22) about the axis of rotation Z-Z when a limit of the torque acting on the drive unit is exceeded.
US08621945B2

Disclosed herein is a method and system for providing environmental control for a vibration sensitive system such as an interferometric measurement system, while minimizing acoustic noise during data acquisition.
US08621944B2

A device, system, and method for passively sealing a vessel containing a fluid and for sampling the fluid without carry-over or cross-contamination between the fluid sampling device, the sealing septum, and the vessel contents. The device includes an actuated septum having a plurality of septum fingers, to passively seal the vessel, and an actuation device, to open the passive seal without carry-over or cross-contamination. Each of the plurality of septum fingers includes a corresponding rib portion. The actuation device can be an actuation ring having an annulus. The plurality of septum fingers and corresponding rib portions are disposed internal or substantially internal to the vessel, while the actuation device is disposed external to the vessel.
US08621939B2

In one embodiment, a force sensor apparatus is provided including a tube portion having a plurality of radial ribs and a strain gauge positioned over each of the plurality of radial ribs, a proximal end of the tube portion that operably couples to a shaft of a surgical instrument that operably couples to a manipulator arm of a robotic surgical system, and a distal end of the tube portion that proximally couples to a wrist joint coupled to an end effector.
US08621929B2

A micromechanical component comprising a displaceable mass made of a substrate material having at least one actuator plate electrode and one first insulating layer between the displaceable mass and the at least one actuator plate electrode, a mounting having a frame, which at least partially encloses the displaceable mass, at least one contact terminal of the at least one actuator plate electrode, and at least one stator plate electrode, and at least one spring component, via which the displaceable mass is connected to the mounting, one of the actuator plate electrodes being connected to the assigned contact terminal in each case via the assigned spring component, wherein the frame of the mounting is made of the substrate material of the displaceable mass and wherein one of the actuator plate electrodes is configured in one piece with the assigned contact terminal and the assigned spring component in each case.
US08621920B2

Samples of hydrocarbon are obtained with a coring tool. An analysis of some thermal or electrical properties of the core samples may be performed downhole. The core samples may also be preserved in containers sealed and/or refrigerated prior to being brought uphole for analysis. The hydrocarbon trapped in the pore space of the core samples may be extracted from the core samples downhole. The extracted hydrocarbon may be preserved in chambers and/or analyzed downhole.
US08621914B2

A test accessory for testing a variety respirators. The accessory is designed to compliment existing equipment to provide a robust assessment of respirator performance. The accessory may include a head form having an inflatable bladder capable of fitting a variety of sizes of respirator masks. In some embodiments, the inflatable bladder does not rely on adhesives to effect a seal, thereby eliminating manufacturing and quality assurance steps. The test accessory may also include a detachable instrumentation module that may be removed from the accessory, enabling calibration and maintenance at a remote facility without need for transporting the entire unit. The module may also house a memory device that may be upgraded with calibration data and firmware during the calibration process.
US08621912B2

A miniaturized gas analyzer formed onto a micro-chip and a method of separating components from a composite gas using the miniaturized gas analyzer are disclosed. The gas analyzer includes an injector block and two column blocks arranged in series along an analytical path. The injector block receives the composite gas and a carrier gas to create a gas sample. The gas sample is then injected into the column blocks to separate the components of the composite gas. Further, a valve used within the miniaturized gas analyzer is disclosed, in which the valve is formed onto the micro-chip and includes a flexible membrane and a rigid substrate.
US08621909B2

The invention relates to disc-shaped compensation shims for compensating for the shortening of a tool die or a tool stamp due to regrinding. The shim includes a coding indicating a thickness of the tooling shim, the tooling shim being configured for use with a tool die or tool stamp to compensate for shortening of the tool die or tool stamp resulting from regrinding. The invention also relates to tool arrangements having at least one such shim, and to machine tools having such tool arrangements.
US08621902B2

A master key system and method for a reprogrammable lock cylinder with at least one first master pin and one second master pin. The first and second master pins have different bitting configurations. The master key system includes at least a first array of change key cuts corresponding to an input key bitting array and sequence of progression and at least two master key cuts corresponding to the input key bitting array and sequence of progression and each of the change key cuts. The system further comprises at least one master pin matrix including a master pin sequence for each change key cut and at least one rekey matrix including a rekey cut for each change key. Each master pin sequence represents a sequence of master pins configured to achieve the respective change key cut and the at least two master key cuts.
US08621881B2

A system and method to control environmental parameters of pre-defined zones within an environment using an electronic controller. An electronic controller monitors a loop temperature of a loop field of a geo-thermal heat pump as detected by a temperature sensor connected to the loop field. The electronic controller selects a staging combination of the geo-thermal heat pump and an auxiliary HVAC equipment based on at least the loop temperature. The electronic controller activates the selected staging combination, to modify at least a portion of the environmental parameters, using non-proprietary activating signals provided by the electronic controller.
US08621879B2

A method of charging or recharging an air conditioning wherein an initial amount of refrigerant is introduced, followed by additional introductions of refrigerant during injection pulses. The pulse periods are adjusted dynamically during the charging/recharging process based on feedback obtained after each pulse related to how much refrigerant was transferred during the previous pulse. Also, a system for implementing the above-mentioned method.
US08621865B2

Embodiments for cooling a turbine of an engine are provided. In one example embodiment, an internal combustion engine comprises a turbocharger including a turbine having a coolant jacket integrated in a housing of the turbine, and an oil circuit coupled to the coolant jacket of the turbine. By cooling the turbine with the oil circuit, the turbine may be constructed from less-heat resistant materials.
US08621848B2

A method is described for managing vapors generated from an ammonia-containing reductant delivery system. The method may include generating ammonia vapors in a first storage device and storing said generated ammonia vapors in a second storage device. Further, the method may include purging the stored vapors from the second storage device to upstream of a combustion chamber of the engine during a first condition and downstream of the combustion chamber during a second condition.
US08621847B2

An exhaust treatment system for an engine includes a selective catalyst reduction (SCR) treatment module that controls a valve and an air pump to deliver air to an SCR catalyst in response to the engine turning off. An SCR loading module controls the valve and the air pump to deliver air to an exhaust manifold and controls a dosing system to deliver a dosing agent upstream of the SCR catalyst when a temperature of the SCR catalyst is less than a temperature threshold and the SCR catalyst is not saturated with ammonia.
US08621842B2

An example auxiliary power unit (APU) exhaust silencer includes cooling features to protect the outer skin and other components from heat generated by gases passing through an exhaust duct. Cooling air flow through a cooling air passage in thermal contact with the exhaust silencer carries heat away from other nearby components and the aircraft skin.
US08621835B2

A corn head includes a frame, an auger, and a finger. The frame includes a feeder house opening and a trough located in front of the feeder house opening. The auger is rotatably mounted in the trough and includes flighting for directing material into the feeder house opening. The finger is attached to the auger and extends radially outward from the auger. The finger is flexible and rotates along with the auger.
US08621826B2

Prior to assembling mail pieces of which at least a number each comprise a main document and at least one insert of at least one type, one or more mini image files are stored, each defining a mini image of at least a part of a type of insert. The mini image of the respective insert defined by the mini image file is printed on each envelope for a mail piece including that type of insert for one or each of a number of the inserts.
US08621821B1

The combination of a gutter piece and a gauging apparatus. The gutter piece has a length, a front, a rear, a bottom and a top. The gutter piece has an upwardly opening “U” shape, as viewed in cross-section taken transversely to the length of the gutter piece, for accumulating water and guiding accumulated water in a lengthwise direction. The gauging apparatus is operatively attached to the gutter piece and has a front and rear and a projecting portion to abut a surface on a structure to which the gutter piece is attached so as to thereby allow the gutter piece to be consistently aligned with the structure in a direction lengthwise of the gutter piece.
US08621805B2

A system and method for insulating a metal roof include a blanket of insulation laid over at least one purlin. A series of thermal blocks are fastened above the purlin over the blanket of insulation. Each thermal block in the series of thermal blocks has legs that pin the blanket of insulation to a top of each purlin. Gaps are defined between the legs, the gaps enabling regions between the legs wherein the blanket of insulation is only partially compressed between the purlin and an underside of each thermal block. Each thermal block can include a first end, a second end, and a first leg between the first and second ends. The first end includes slots for receiving clip legs of a first roof clip. The second end includes an abutment surface and a landing surface for receiving a next thermal block in a series of thermal blocks.
US08621776B2

An electronic module in a fishing lure in the water is activated to broadcast a pre-recorded actual or simulated sound of a bait creature and or create lifelike bait creature motion. A switch in the module activates a sound chip and a micro speaker, a water sensing automatic on-off switch turns the power on and off, and the battery is charged by an external charging coil. An alternate embodiment automatically activates the fishing lure device to replicate bait animals in size, shape, movement and sound.
US08621760B2

A hands-free measuring instrument is disclosed. The disclosed instrument includes an upright member extending perpendicularly from a base member. At least one magnet is affixed to the instrument to facilitate the mounting thereof on a ferrous workpiece. The disclosed instrument includes at least one level disposed thereupon. Graduations may be provided on the instrument to facilitate measurement of linear distances. Embodiments are disclosed wherein an adjustable ruler arm is provided to facilitate the measurement and inscribing of arbitrary angles relative to the upright member.
US08621759B2

An apparatus comprises a light source which produces a first radiation within a first wavelength range and which produces a second radiation within a second wavelength range when a property of the light source is changed. The apparatus further comprises an optical device which receives the first radiation and attenuates the first radiation to emit a first attenuated radiation having a first perceived brightness. The optical device also receives the second radiation and attenuates the second radiation to emit a second attenuated radiation having a second perceived brightness. The first and second perceived brightnesses are approximately equal.
US08621757B2

In a cutting edge of a razor blade, a non-nitrided layer containing Ti, Al, and Cr formed on opposite surfaces of a base plate as a portion of a coating layer. A remaining layer containing Ti, Al, Cr, and N formed on opposite surfaces of the non-nitrided layer as a portion of a nitrided layer of the coating layer. A surface layer containing Ti, Al, Cr, and N formed on opposite surfaces of the remaining layer as a portion of the nitrided layer of the coating layer. A fluororesin layer formed on opposite surfaces of the surface layer with a bonding layer containing Cr and Al in between. The coating layer further improves the cutting edge, enhances cutting performance of the cutting edge, and maintains the enhanced cutting performance to improve the durability of the cutting edge.
US08621752B1

A pruning clipper includes a pair of handles each having a distal end and a proximal end, with the handles being pivotally connected to each other close to the proximal ends of the handles. A first blade is connected to the proximal end of one of said handles, and a second blade is connected to the proximal end of the other handle. A chemical storage tank may be positioned within the distal end of one of said handles for storing a chemical to be selectively applied to vegetation. A bulb is connected to the proximal end of one of the handles, with the bulb being connected to the tank using a first connecting tube. A dispensing member extends along one of the blades and beyond the blade to a dispersion point, and the dispensing member is connected to the bulb using a second connecting tube. The user will thus cut the vegetation using the clippers, and selectively dispense an herbicide at the precise time and point as desired by the user.
US08621741B2

A pre-assembled pipe coupling for joining and sealing two grooved-ended pipe segments without disassembling the coupling is disclosed. The coupling has a housing with upper and lower arcuate housing segments and left and right bridge segments. Each bridge segment has at least one set of dihedrally angled faces that engage corresponding faces each in the upper and lower housing segments. Drawing the upper and lower segments inwardly together along a first axis, presses each bridge segment inward along a second axis roughly tangential to the first axis. All segments are loosely pre-assembled with bolts and nuts into a coupling and all segments each have radially inwardly projecting lands that mate with end grooves in the pipes to be joined. The coupling also has a one-piece circular sealing gasket that has an inward circumferential and centrally positioned pipe stop that has an inner diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the pipes to be joined. The gasket has two circumferential sealing lips axially outward from the pipe stop, the inner diameter each sealing lip larger than the outer diameter of the pipe segments to be joined.
US08621716B2

An angle positioning device of a rotation shaft includes a first pivot portion and a second pivot portion. The first pivot portion includes a first face having a positioning portion, a first path and a second path divided by the positioning portion. The first pivot portion includes a second face having a returning portion, a third path and a fourth path divided by the returning portion. The second pivot portion can move along the first path, the second path, the third path, and the fourth path. When the second pivot portion moves from the first path to the second path, the pivot angle is increased. When the second pivot portion moves from the third path to the fourth path, the pivot angle is decreased. When the pivot portion moves from the first path to the positioning portion, the pivot angle cannot be decreased. The second pivot portion can move from the third path through the returning portion and back to the first path.
US08621715B2

A riser hinge (10) is disclosed which includes a mounting flange assembly (12) pivotally coupled to a strap assembly (15). The cylindrical portion (52) includes an upper strap bearing (54) and a lower strap bearing (55) which are each mounted partially within the cylindrical portion. The strap cylinder portion has a space (82) which includes an enlarged portion (83) flanked by narrowed portions (84) at stop ledges (85). The upper strap bearing and lower strap bearing each have a vertically oriented, elongated, locking tongue or flange (87) with a narrowed portion (88) extending to an enlarged portion or stop (89), which enables them to be removably mounted within the space.
US08621713B2

In an arrangement for damping and/or retarding a movable part, including a housing with a pressure member slidably supported in the housing and a cylinder piston unit arranged in the pressure member and in the housing wherein the housing includes a mounting flange with a support surface provided with at least two throughbores, the mounting flange has at least two spaced guide surfaces which are oriented at least approximately normal to the support surface, the guide surfaces delimiting an adapter area at several sides thereof. The damping arrangement can be used and installed rapidly and accurately to various types of hinges.
US08621712B2

A self closing enclosed hinge is placed within the tubular structure of a gate. The inventive hidden hinge cannot physically smash fingers. An internal axle physically holds together a first gate hinge connector piece which receives the upper part of the gate, an upper stationary hinge piece, and a midsection outer tubular section, which contains a bushing and a spiral spring to return the gate to a closed position. This internal axle joins the lower stationary hinge piece with the second gate hinge connector piece. The second gate hinge connector piece receives lower part of workpiece gate.
US08621707B2

A vehicle wash system may have a drying station that may have a frame and a blower mounted on the frame. The blower may be used blowing liquid from the surface of a vehicle and may have a plenum with a cavity opening, an exit port, and an interior cavity. An impeller may be positioned inside the cavity, and when driven by a motor, may be operable to draw air into the cavity compress the air, and then emit an airflow from the plenum through the exit port. The blower may have an inlet region formed proximate the cavity opening and be in communication with the cavity. The inlet region may have a generally tubular inlet opening. A movement apparatus may be provided that is movable axially relative to the inlet opening to vary the size of the tubular inlet opening. The system may also include a sensor system operable to detect the presence and/or absence of a vehicle at drying station. A controller may be in communication with the sensor system and be operable to control the position of the movement device dependent upon the presence and/or absence of a vehicle to be dried.
US08621702B1

A tool with a handle (14) that can be used to removed film from printed matter. In addition, there is a small brush (16) used to cleaning film residue from printed matter. Further the toll will have a loop (18) or patch of hook/loop material (20) so that the tool can be attached to a linking device so that the tool can be easily hooked to a key chain, key ring, pant loop or any other item with attachment capability in order to make the tool readily available for immediate use.
US08621701B2

A dental brush assembly includes an elongate handle having first and second coupling ends sized and shaped to couple with at least a first detachable dental brush. The first coupling end is at a first angle relative to a handle longitudinal axis and the second coupling end is at a second different angle relative to the handle longitudinal axis. The first coupling end includes first and second brush facing surfaces. The second coupling end includes third and fourth brush facing surfaces. The first detachable dental brush includes a directional brush surface and a brush end complementary to the first, second, third and fourth brush facing surfaces. The directional brush surface is directed in first, second, third or fourth non-identical orientations relative to the handle longitudinal axis depending on which brush facing surface the first detachable dental brush is oriented with.
US08621700B2

The invention relates to a mobile sweeper comprising a housing, in which a sweeping roller driven by an electric motor is mounted for rotation, and a sweepings container for receiving sweepings, wherein there are mounted on the housing adjacent to the sweeping roller two front supporting wheels and at a distance from these at least one rear supporting wheel, each for rotation about an axis of rotation. In order to further develop the sweeper such that with the occurrence of surface unevennesses, there is no risk of the sweeping roller becoming blocked or of the sweeper tilting, it is proposed in accordance with the invention that the axis of rotation of a first front supporting wheel be arranged coaxially with the axis of rotation of the sweeping roller and, in relation to the main direction of movement of the sweeper, offset from the axis of rotation of the second front supporting wheel.
US08621699B2

The brush head of the toothbrush has filaments that are pointed at one end and led through clearances in the bristle carrier. These filaments have a length of about 10-20 mm. The tips of the pointed filaments produce a height profile other than that of a plane and the ends of the pointed filaments that are remote from the tips are melted.
US08621687B2

According to certain arrangements, a conditioner mat for use with a bed assembly includes an upper layer comprising a plurality of openings, a lower layer being substantially fluid impermeable, at least one interior chamber defined by the upper layer and the lower layer and a spacer material positioned within the interior chamber. In one embodiment, the spacer material is configured to maintain a shape of the interior chamber and to help with the passage of fluids within a portion of interior chamber. The conditioner mat can be configured to releasably secure to a top of a bed assembly.
US08621685B2

An extendable folding bed frame includes a pair of first sub-frames having a pair of spaced apart and extendable longitudinal bars, each longitudinal bar having a first end and a second end. The opposing longitudinal bars are fixedly connected together by a plurality of lateral support bars. The pair of first sub-frames are pivotally connected together at corresponding longitudinal bar first ends by first pivotal connecting members. The pair of first sub-frames are pivotable from an open configuration whereby each first sub-frame is aligned longitudinally to form a generally rectangular co-planar support surface and a folded configuration whereby each first sub-frame is substantially overlapped and adjacent to each other. The folding bed frame also includes a connecting bracket for attaching additional bed frames to provide a larger mattress support surface.
US08621678B2

Systems and methods for preventing water from freezing in a spa or hot tub featuring a spa pack having a pump, heater and controller connected to a spa power supply through a ground fault circuit interrupter. A sensor is used to monitor an operating condition of the spa pack that is initially electrically connected to the spa power supply in order to activate at least one freeze prevention device if the operating condition of the spa pack changes due to electrical disconnection from the spa power supply by the ground fault circuit interrupter. The freeze prevention device features a heater, a circulating pump or both, and keeps water in the tub and the piping associated therewith from freezing. A switching arrangement is provided for deactivating the system outside the winter season when freeze protection is not required.
US08621677B2

The invention relates to an odor seal for a vacuum toilet drain system whose cross section in the state of no throughflow tapers off in such a way in the downstream direction that the interior walls on the downstream end of the odor seal rest against each other so that the odor seal in a downstream direction allows throughflow while in the opposite direction it blocks throughflow, wherein the downstream end of the odor seal is closed in the state of throughflow and no throughflow of the odor seal. Furthermore, the invention relates to a drainage device comprising such an odor seal and a sieve which is arranged upstream of the odor seal. Moreover, the invention relates to a vacuum toilet system for an aircraft, comprising such an odor seal or a drainage device.
US08621666B2

A garment such as a shirt or pants has a front layer with portions which define a central opening defined by an inner periphery and positionable to overlie a portion of the joint to be protected such as a knee or an elbow. A removable protective insert is larger than the central opening and has a unitary cap sewn thereto. The cap has an upper segment separated from a lower segment by a bending joint defined by at least one groove which extends substantially across the cap. The upper segment and the lower segment are separately fixed to the protective insert by stitching. The upper segment and the lower segment have an outwardly projecting flange which overlies the protective insert, the flange having portions which engage the front layer of the garment between the cap flange and the protective insert. A slot in the insert ventilates through the front layer.
US08621665B1

The present invention is a novelty mitt to be worn on a person's hand at a sporting event such as baseball game. In one embodiment, the novelty mitt comprises a flexible base having inner and outer surfaces, left and right edges, and a bottom edge. The flexible base further comprises a lower portion, a left upper portion, a central upper portion, and a right upper portion. The central upper portion is spaced apart and disposed between the left and right upper portions. The outer surface of the left and right upper portions are removably engaged with the inner surface of the central upper portion to form the curved shape of the novelty mitt. The novelty mitt further comprises first, second, third, fourth and fifth finger pockets removably engaged with the outer surface of the flexible base to accommodate different size hands. The novelty mitt further comprises a wrist strap removably engaged with the lower portion of the flexible base to secure the novelty mitt to the person's hand.
US08627507B2

There is disclosed a media file distribution system and method. An asset management and delivery system and method for the distribution of digital files and data is provided. There are two major functions, with sub-functions within each. The system first serves as a fully automated management system for a company involved in video/file distribution, such as in video on demand (VOD) or other digital file industries. The system can ingest, prepare, schedule, transmit, track and report on any aspect of the business chain. Secondly, it also serves as a product for both content providers and recipients to be able to view, manage and run their entire content offering remotely from anywhere through the Internet.
US08627484B2

A location sentry system is provided for use within a mobile device. The sentry system can be configured to detect unauthorized attempts to locate mobile devices by monitoring messages passed between the mobile device and the wireless network and/or messages passed between components of the mobile device, and determining that one or more of the messages is/are indicative of an attempt to locate the mobile device. In response to a determination that an unauthorized attempt has been detected, the location sentry can be configured to take one or more actions. For example, the location sentry system could prevent location information from being sent back to the wireless network and/or the location sentry system could cause incorrect information to be sent to the wireless network.
US08627479B2

A computer readable storage medium with instructions executable on a host computer. The instructions record a relationship between a partner site and the host computer, substitute a reference to the partner site with a partner site alias referencing the host computer, deliver the partner site alias to a client, replace the partner site alias for the reference to the partner site in response to receiving the partner site alias from the client and augment the address of the client with an address alias. The address alias is sent to the partner site. A partner action and the address alias are received from the partner site. The address is exchanged for the address alias. The partner action is delivered to the client utilizing the address. These operations are monitored to identify client activity that constitutes a security threat at the host computer or the partner site.
US08627475B2

Evidence of attempted malware attacks may be used to identify the location and nature of future attacks. A failed attack may cause a program to crash. Crash data may be sent to an analyzer for analysis. The analysis may reveal information such as the identity of the program that is being exploited, the specific way in which the program is being exploited, and the identity or location of the source of the attack. This information may be used to identify potential sources of attack and to identify the same type of attack from other sources. When the source and/or nature of an attempted attack is known, remedial action may be taken. Filters may warn users who are attempting to visit sites from which attacks have been attempted, and the makers of programs that are being exploited can be notified so that those program makers can release updates.
US08627470B2

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes an intrusion detection arrangement and a location identification arrangement. The intrusion detection arrangement determines when a client without authorization attempts to access a wireless network of which the intrusion detection arrangement is a part. The location identification arrangement identifies at least a first approximate physical location of the client without authorization when the client without authorization attempts to access the wireless network. The location identification arrangement is configured to communicate the first approximate physical location to a surveillance arrangement which monitors the first approximate physical location.
US08627467B2

A system and method for selectively storing one or more web objects in a memory is disclosed. A server response is received at a network traffic management device, wherein the server response is associated with a client request sent from a client device and includes at least one web object. The server response is analyzed using a security module of the network traffic management device which determines if the at least a portion of the server response contains suspicious content in relation to one or more defined policy parameters handled by the security module. An instruction is sent from the security module to a cache module of the network traffic management device upon determining that the at least a portion of the server response contains suspicious information, wherein the cache module does not store the at least one web object upon receiving the instruction.
US08627451B2

A sandbox tool can cooperate with components of a secure operating system to create an isolated execution environment for accessing untrusted content without exposing other processes and resources of the computing system to the untrusted content. The sandbox tool can allocate resources (storage space, memory, etc) of the computing system, which are necessary to access the untrusted content, to the isolated execution environment, and apply security polices of the operating system to the isolated execution environment such that untrusted content running in the isolated execution environment can only access the resources allocated to the isolated execution environment.
US08627446B1

Accessing data includes determining if the data is provided on a local group of servers or on an external group of servers. If the data is provided on a local group of servers, a storage server is used to access the data. If the data is provided on an external group of servers, a proxy server is used to access the data. The proxy server interacts with an entity accessing the data in a manner that is substantially similar to interaction between the entity and the storage server. Using the proxy server may include initially providing an account id and a password. Following providing an account id and a password, using the proxy server may include using an account id and a shared secret. Using the proxy server may include using RSA ID tokens or cryptographic certificates.
US08627443B2

A network adapter system and associated method are provided. Included is a network adapter having a plurality of designated trusted and untrusted ports. The network adapter includes a processor coupled to a computer. Such processor is further coupled to a network via the ports. In use, the processor is configured for conditionally preventing network traffic from accessing the computer from the network via the untrusted ports and/or preventing unauthorized software from accessing the network in an untrusted manner from the computer.
US08627439B2

A method of communicating over a communications system includes determining that a communication event at a user terminal of the communications system requires use of a feature for processing data, the communication event being over the communications system and determining that the feature required by the communication event is not enabled for use at the user terminal when the communication event is initiated. Following the step of determining that the feature is not enabled, the method further includes retrieving a certificate enabling the use of the feature at the user terminal and using the feature at the user terminal to process data of the communication event.
US08627426B2

A cloud computing environment provides the ability to deploy a web application that has been developed using one of a plurality of application frameworks and is configured to execute within one of a plurality of runtime environments. The cloud computing environment receives the web application in a package compatible with the runtime environment (e.g., a WAR file to be launched in an application server, for example) and dynamically binds available services by appropriately inserting service provisioning data (e.g., service network address, login credentials, etc.) into the package. The cloud computing environment then packages an instance of the runtime environment, a start script and the package into a web application deployment package, which is then transmitted to an application (e.g., container virtual machine, etc.). The application container unpacks the web application deployment package, installs the runtime environment, loads the web application package into the runtime environment and starts the start script, thereby deploying the web application in the application container.
US08627412B2

A first computer establishes a logical connection to a second computer for requesting and/or receiving data from a database. A logical connection is independent of the underlying physical network connection used to connect to the database. A context identifier is stored by both computers to enable the context of a logical connection to be persisted between switches from one physical network connection to another within the logical connection thus enabling database transfers to be continued on a second physical network connection when a failure in a first physical network connection occurs.
US08627410B2

A system includes a remote authentication dial in user service (RADIUS) server in communication with a network access server. The network access server provides an authentication request to the RADIUS server. The authentication request includes at least a user identifier and a device identifier. The RADIUS server determines an authentication format utilized by the network access server based on the received authentication request. The system may also determine an authorization level to provide with an authentication response.
US08627401B2

Embodiments of a white space identifier are provided. According to one embodiment, the active channel information of a cable TV can be obtained through receiving and decoding a channel changing operation command from a remote control. The active channel information can then be transmitted to white space devices located within an interference range using a wireless transmitter. The wireless transmitter can be set to utilize a narrow fixed bandwidth.
US08627385B2

Systems and methods are disclosed of a network including a primary device, a plurality of remote devices, and a shared peripheral device. The network allows the remote devices to operate the peripheral device, such as a DVD player, VCR, or camcoder, via the primary device and the network. The peripheral device is typically connected to the primary device and shared among all devices. The network also includes a splitter/isolation module (SIM) that routes the signals between the primary device and the plurality of remote devices.
US08627360B2

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a network device having a controller programmed to store a subscriber selectable preference for advertisements used for selecting advertisements to send to a set top box (STB) and receive a signal from a broadcast stream indicating the location for insertion of an advertisement based on the subscriber selectable preference. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08627349B2

A method of providing access to a block of stored content includes transmitting a general EPG at a content receiver for display on a presentation device, the EPG including a plurality of channels having a plurality of programs available at a plurality of times, receiving input from a user to display a block guide, and transmitting the block guide wherein, the block guide is associated with the block of stored content for accessing the block of stored content, the block guide including a plurality of channels having a plurality of programs available for a selected airing time.
US08627341B2

A method for managing events generated from business objects in a business transactions environment is provided in the illustrative embodiments. A first event being raised by a business object in a plurality of business objects configured in a business entity is detected. The business entity executes in the data processing system and provides a function for processing a request. A determination is made whether a second event has been detected prior to the first event and during the processing of the request. In response to the determining being affirmative, first event data associated with the first event is combined with second event data stored from the second event. The combining results in consolidated event data. The consolidated event data is published in response to the request upon completing the processing of the request.
US08627338B2

A rights objects acquisition method of a mobile terminal in a digital right management system is provided for acquiring multiple rights objects in a composite manner. An objects right acquisition method of a mobile terminal may include generating, in response to a group rights object (RO) acquisition command, a group rights object acquisition request with content identifiers assigned to individual contents corresponding to the rights objects indicated by the group rights object acquisition command, sending the group rights object acquisition request to a rights issuer; and receiving an group rights object acquisition response containing rights object identifiers assigned to the rights objects from the rights issuer. The present invention streamlines the RO acquisition process, especially when acquiring multiple ROs.
US08627337B2

A message flow within a message broker can be identified. The message flow can include nodes and connections. The nodes can include a reflective node, a pre-defined node and a user-defined node. The message broker can be an intermediary computer program code able to translate a message from a first formal messaging protocol to a second formal messaging protocol. The code can be stored within a computer readable medium. The reflective node within the message flow can be selected. The reflective node can be associated with an external resource which can be an executable code. The external resource can be executed which can result in the modifying of the structure of the message flow. The modification can occur during runtime. The modification can include node and/or connection adding, altering, and deleting.
US08627336B2

System, methods, and apparatuses are provided for processing incoming data using a plurality of mapper modules and at least one reducer module. Incoming data may be processed to provide mapped data. The mapped data may be processed to provide reduced data. A feedback message may be generated. The feedback message may include data describing a suggestive configuration value to be applied when processing the incoming data.
US08627335B2

A system and method for profiling a network application may provide for operating on context-specific data and costs. The system may include an apparatus for associating local extended address elements with a message sent from a first computing system to a second computing system across a network. The second computing system may store the received information as remote extended address information and may store its own local extended address information. An event agent may capture values of local and/or remote extended address elements in response to detecting the message or another system event and may associate the extended address elements with the message or system event in an event set accessible by a data space profiler. The extended address information may include time stamps. An event agent may determine network latency dependent on time stamps of messages and may generate an event if the latency exceeds a predetermined threshold.
US08627330B2

Described herein is a workload manager for managing a workload in a database that includes: an admission controller operating to divide the workload into a plurality of batches, with each batch having at least one workload process to be performed in the database, and each batch having a memory requirement based on the available memory for processing workloads in the database; a scheduler operating to assign a unique priority to each of the at least one workload process in each of the plurality of batches, the unique priority provides an order in which each workload process is executed in the database; and an execution manager operating to execute the at least one workload process in each of the plurality of batches in accordance with the unique priority assigned to each workload process.
US08627317B2

Execution states of tasks are inferred from collection of information associated with runtime execution of a computer system. Collection of information may include infrequent samples of executing tasks, the samples which may provide inaccurate executing states. One or more tasks may be aggregated by one or more execution states for determining execution time, idle time, or system policy violations, or combinations thereof.
US08627306B2

The present disclosure is directed toward a computer-readable medium configured with executable instructions for reconfiguring an information management system of a machine. The executable instructions may include providing a configuration file and an executable file for a machine. The executable instructions may also include updating the configuration file in accordance with a modification of the machine, without recompiling the executable file. The executable instructions may further include processing the data received from sensors associated with the machine, based on the executable file and the updated configuration file, in order to generate information management system data.
US08627305B1

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for hooking code inserted into an address space of a new process. In use, creation of a process is identified. Additionally, code is inserted into an address space of the process. Still yet, at least one module being loaded in association with the process is identified. Further, the code is hooked at an entry point of the at least one module based on a determination of whether the at least one module includes a predefined module.
US08627299B2

A virtual machine supports execution of compiler-generated code and provides an execution environment for code that may correspond to any of several different event-driven or message-driven programming models (such as state machines, rules for complex event processing and event correlation, monitoring contexts, processes, and mediations). The programming models may be used in business monitoring and/or business integration environments. A programming language is defined for execution using the virtual machine, which contains a relatively small number of instructions and which is preferably generated by a compiler from a higher-level, event-driven or message-driven model.
US08627289B2

Detecting configuration problems in an ECLIPSE-based software application can be detected. Such a method can begin with the receipt of a user-command to test a configuration of an ECLIPSE-based software application or with a detection of a feature addition/update when an auto-testing feature is enabled. Information about the available sites for the ECLIPSE-based application can then be obtained. Then, a list of software elements required to operate the ECLIPSE-based software application can be compiled. At least one data attribute can be extracted from the meta data of each software element in the compiled list. The extracted data attributes can then be analyzed. When the analysis identifies a configuration problem, the existence of the configuration problem can be validated.
US08627287B2

An exemplary method includes receiving source code having a plurality of code segments, providing a desired level of quality for the source code, analyzing the source code to assign a complexity measure to each of the plurality of code segments and assigning a level of code coverage to each of the plurality of code segments based at least in part on the desired level of quality and the complexity measures. An exemplary system prioritizes quality improvements to source code based, in part, on a quality assessment. Such a system can improve code quality by assigning higher test coverage levels to modules with higher complexity.
US08627281B2

The present invention provides a method for converting source code written in a dynamically typed language into target code written in a statically typed language. The method includes the step of generating in a storage device the target code from the source code, the step of generating the target code including storing in a buffer a signature of a function/method used by a caller in the source code. In this step, generation of an interface class is delayed to a time point immediately before execution of a part of the target code corresponding to the function/method call by the caller, the interface class being needed to generate the caller and serving as an interface in the statically typed language. The method also includes the step of generating in the storage device a consolidated interface class for all signatures stored in the buffer, and loading the generated consolidated interface class from the storage device. In this step, all the signatures in the buffer are deleted upon generation of the consolidated interface class.
US08627270B2

A computer system is provided, comprising: a transceiver; and a processor configured to facilitate: collecting and storing information related to a software project having one or more software artifacts, the information including: a project identifier, artifact identifiers for the artifacts used by the project, information about the temporal version for the artifacts, and contact information for a project user; collecting, from a repository, artifact metadata associated with the software artifacts, the artifact metadata including: information identifying the artifact, information about security risks associated with the artifact, information about a license associated with the artifact, or information indicative of a level of use or user rating of the artifact; periodically monitoring the metadata to determine whether there has been any actionable change in the artifact metadata; and notifying the project user using the contact information if it is determined that there has been an actionable change in the artifact metadata.
US08627268B2

A system and method for a non-sequential undo mechanism is presented. An action removal manager stores program states and action descriptions that it receives from a user in a program log corresponding to a software application. In turn, the action removal manager allows the user to remove an action from the program log without first removing actions subsequent to the action that, as a result, undoes an action to a file without undoing subsequent actions to the file. In one embodiment, the undo request includes a request to remove two or more actions from the program log. In this embodiment, the action removal manager evaluates the earliest action description to remove in the program log and then proceeds to evaluate subsequent action descriptions for removal.
US08627267B2

An apparatus and method for initializing system global variables by using a multiple load/store instruction is disclosed. The apparatus includes: a first storing unit for storing a system global variable initialization function and initialization functions using multiple load/store instruction; a second storing unit for storing a return address; a control unit for storing a first return address to the second storing unit when the system global variable initialization function is called for initializing the system global variable, initializing the system global variables by calling the initialization functions using multiple load/store instruction while performing the system global variable function and performing a rest of system global variable initialization function by finding and executing an execution sequence based on the first return address stored in the second storing unit; and a third storing unit for storing the system global variables initialized according to the control unit.
US08627257B2

In a computer-implemented method of designing a nonvolatile memory device, first parameters associated with external environmental conditions are set. Second parameters associated with structural characteristics and internal environmental conditions are set. A first initial operation condition associated with an erase operation is determined based on the first and second parameters. A second initial operation condition associated with a program operation is determined based on the first and second parameters and the first initial operation condition. A final operation condition associated with reliability is determined based on the first and second parameters, and the first and second initial operation condition.
US08627249B1

A method and system for generating design constraints for an electronic circuit design is disclosed. The method and system include reading a design description and an existing design constraint file, configuring design constraint integration rules, writing a new design constraint file, evaluating results of the new design constraint file, and replacing existing design constraint file with the new design constraint file.
US08627247B1

Approaches are provided for fixing pin mismatches from swapping library cells in layout migration. Specifically, a method is provided that includes collecting information about a first technology pin from a library cell in a first technology. The method further includes swapping the library cell in the first technology with a library cell in a second technology. The method further includes collecting information about a second technology pin from the library cell in the second technology. The method further includes building a pin-mapping table that is configured to map the first technology pin to the second technology pin. The method further includes scaling a layout from the first technology to the second technology. The method further includes modifying the layout based on the pin-mapping table to match the at least one first technology pin to the at least one second technology pin while satisfying ground rules of the second technology.
US08627246B2

The process of implementing a belief propagation network in software and/or hardware can begin with a factor-graph-designer who designs a factor graph that implements that network. A development system provides a user with a way to specify a factor graph at a high or abstract level, and then solve the factor graph, or make an instance of the factor graph in software and/or hardware based on the specification. Factor graphs enable designers to create a graphical model of complicated belief propagation networks such as Markov chains, hidden Markov models, and Bayesian networks.
US08627241B2

The present disclosure provides one embodiment of an integrated circuit (IC) method. The method includes receiving an IC design layout having a plurality of IC regions each including an IC pattern; performing a dissection process to the IC design layout; and performing a correction process to the IC design layout using a correction model that includes proximity effect and location effect. The correction process includes performing a first correction step to a first IC region of the IC regions, resulting in a first corrected IC pattern in the first IC region; and performing a second correction step to a second IC region of the IC regions, starting with the first corrected IC pattern, resulting in a second corrected IC pattern.
US08627240B1

Methods for integrated electronic and photonic design include laying out electronic and photonic design components in a design environment; adjusting photonic components according to photonic design requirements using a processor; checking design rules for electronic and photonic components according to manufacturing requirements; and adjusting component positioning and size to reconcile conflicts between electronic and photonic components.
US08627239B2

A mask blank is provided by forming a plurality of films, including at least a thin film to be a transfer pattern, on a board. At the time of patterning a resist film of the mask blank according to pattern data, film information to check with a pattern is obtained for each of a plurality of the films.
US08627238B2

A method for designing a photolithography mask and a light source may include designing an initial photolithography mask and an initial light source using an initial target pattern corresponding to a desired target pattern in a resist layer. The method may also include designing a new target pattern and designing a new photolithography mask and/or a new light source using the new target pattern.
US08627234B2

Enabling users to select a subset of elements represented by a rendered topology view, and in response, a new view comprising the selected elements is automatically created. Preferred embodiments render this subset view, referred to herein as a “tear-away view”, alongside the topology view from which the elements were selected, thereby enabling the user to focus on the selected elements in context of the bigger picture. An active correlation is preferably maintained between the views, such that various updates to one view are also reflected in the other view. Preferred embodiments automatically create a new data model underlying the tear-away view, and in one aspect, this data model and/or tear-away view may be persisted.
US08627231B2

A method, system, and medium are provided for efficiently locating a desired item within an ordered list of items, such as a list of contacts, pictures, or football teams. An illustrative method includes presenting a selectable option on a mobile device's display, presenting a positional indicator on the display when the selectable option has been selected that indicates to the user its position within the ordered list of items, and if the selectable option is moved, dynamically indicating the positional indicator's position among the list of items. The selection of the selectable option may be made by any object, such as a finger or stylus. Further, releasing the selection of the selectable option, such as removing the object used from the display, allows for a display of an item in the ordered list of items that corresponds to the position of the positional indicator.
US08627218B2

There is provided a host implemented method for redefining at least one user interface element on a secondary device. The method may include connecting the secondary device to the host for communication between the host and the secondary device; redefining the at least one user interface element using an application running on the host; reviewing the at least one user interface element as redefined using the application (possibly including a visual preview of the at least one user interface element as redefined when viewed on the secondary device); determining whether the secondary device is able to support the at least one user interface element as redefined using the application; and incorporating the at least one user interface element redefined using the application onto the secondary device.
US08627217B2

Provided is a window display system and the like, in which plural window structures are switched to be displayed on a single window. An event processing program is associated with a first window structure, and this first window structure is assigned to a basic window. By executing an event processing program, a second window structure is assigned to the basic window. By changing or updating the basic window, or by assigning the second window structure to the basic window, a drawing window is drawn. On the single drawing window, the first and second window structures and are switched to be displayed. The drawing of the drawing window is caused by window size change, window movement, change of overlapping window position, window visualization, invalidation of window drawing area, or window color change.
US08627214B2

A session invitation can be received from a first communicator for a first communication session. The session invitation can be for a temporary participant to join a sub-session of the first communication session for a sub-session duration specified by the first communicator. The sub-session duration can be less than a duration of the first communication session. The session information can be conveyed to the temporary participant within a session invitation so that the sub-session duration is able to be presented to the temporary participant. Thus, the temporary participant is able to accept or deny the session invitation with full knowledge of the sub-session duration.
US08627212B2

A system and method for providing a view of a virtual space to a user in a banner ad of a webpage. This enables an advertiser to provide content that is not merely static or scripted, but instead enabled provision of content through a web ad that represents activity within a virtual space (e.g., interactions of other users with the virtual space, content that changes based on current or recent events, etc.) in real time (or near real time). The provision of a virtual space in a web ad may be more effective than conventional web ad content.
US08627211B2

Systems, apparatus and methods related to multiple-party communications conducted between client computers in a computer network. For example, a system for supporting multiple-party communications on a client computer in communication with a server in a computer network is disclosed. The system includes a client processor circuit operably configured to transmit a first cursor message to the server to elicit a first pointer message from the server, the first cursor message representing a change in a position of a first cursor associated with the client computer in response to user input received from a user of the client computer. The system also includes a server processor circuit operably configured to receive the first cursor message from the client computer, transmit the first pointer message to the client computer in response to the first cursor message, the first pointer message representing the change in the position of the first cursor provided by the first cursor message. The client processor circuit is operably configured to receive the first pointer message from the server and to cause a corresponding change in a position of a first pointer associated with the first cursor and displayed on a display area of the client computer, in response to the first pointer message.
US08627208B2

A utility is provided for generating applications for a variety of data conversion or handling application environments. A user can use a graphical user interface to purpose application adaptable modules to define a desired application. In one implementation, the user interface (1500) includes a node tree panel (1502) and a process assembly panel (1504). The node tree panel (1502) lists tool sets (1508) including transformations, maps and input-output tools. These tools can then be assembled together with identified data sources and then elements using the assembly panel (1504) to define an application. In this manner, an application is generated from a number of generic modules simply by linking the modules to perform a purpose of the desired application. In this manner, an application is generated from a number of generic modules simply by linking the modules to perform a purpose of the desired application.
US08627204B2

Web page optimization systems and methods are disclosed herein. In one implementation, a number of master pages and page layouts used to generate the web pages are defined. A number of channels are then defined to be associated with certain ones of the master pages and the page layouts. User device generating the request, a browser used to generate the request, and other suitable components of a user agent string in a web page request is then identified. A web page is rendered in response to the identified components of the user agent string using the master page and the page layout associated with a channel identified by such components of the web page request.
US08627203B2

Methods and apparatus for capturing, analyzing, and converting documents are provided. Provided in some embodiments is a method that includes obtaining a script document comprising script elements, assessing a layout of the script document, wherein the layout comprises a physical location of the script elements within the script document, determining an identification of one or more of the script elements based at least in part on the physical location of the one or more script elements within the script document, and assessing the one of the script elements using a finite state machine, wherein the finite state machine assesses one or more of the script elements preceding or following the one of the script elements to determine an accuracy of the identification of the one or more of the script elements determined.
US08627202B2

A method, system, and computer program product for updating and serialization of a document, includes: assigning a unique ID to each node created in the document; materializing a root element start tag of the document; materializing a start tag for a child element of the root element; determining whether a change to the child element is required; in response to determining that the change to the child element is not required, skipping content of the child element; in response to determining that the change to the child element is required, updating the child element to form an updated element; pushing updated information for the child element into a mutation map; and serializing the document using the mutation map.
US08627196B1

An electronic input device such as an electronic pen may be used to input an electronic instruction. In some implementations, the device may include a tip for contacting a physical document. A sensor may record movement of the tip relative to the physical document. A recognition component may recognize an electronically-executable instruction from the recorded movement of the tip, and a processing component may automatically cause execution of the electronically-executable instruction recognized from the recorded movement of the tip. In some examples, the electronic input device may locally execute the electronically-executable instruction, while in other examples, the electronic input device may communicate the electronically-executable instruction to a separate device for remote execution.
US08627193B2

Selection and presentation of media streams, in which presentation is not limited by order imposed by the digital content representative of those media streams, in response to bookmarks and watchpoints settable and usable by a user. Bookmarks reference a location within the media stream, not necessarily pre-selected and possibly dynamically selected, in which a presentation can be started or restarted therefrom. Watchpoints reference a location within the media stream, or a presentation state for the media stream, in which an action can be triggered thereby. Bookmarks and watchpoints provide a general technique for presenting selections from media streams in response to metadata.
US08627192B2

A method for automatic media population of a style presentation comprises collecting presentation media; positioning the collected presentation media on a storyboard; and selecting a style presentation; wherein the selection of the style presentation results in the automatic population of the style presentation with the presentation media positioned on the storyboard is described herein.
US08627187B2

Embodiments of the invention provide a decoder arrangement (400), wherein a decoder (420) which is adapted to decode a bitstream which has been encoded with a non-recursive convolutional encoder is used to at least partially perform the decoding of a recursive convolutionally encoded bitstream, with pre-or post-processing (410) of the bitstream being performed to complete the decoding. More particularly, in one embodiment of the invention a recursively encoded bitstream is input into a conventional decoder (420) which is adapted to decode a non-recursively encoded bitstream. The resulting intermediate output does not represent the correct decoded bitstream, but can then be subject to a post-processing step in the form of a non-recursive encoding operation (410), which effectively completes the decoding operation and provides as its output the correct decoded bitstream. Both hard decision or soft decision inputs can be used.
US08627168B2

A multistage difference cyclic permutation unit (106) for performing multistage cyclic permutation, an address administration unit (104) for administering addresses of the cumulative LLR memory (101), a received value arrangement unit (103) for generating records during writing of received values to the cumulative LLR memory (101), and a control unit (110) for generating parameters to control each unit from information of a parity check matrix and the current cyclic permutation size are prepared. The address administration unit (104) controls reading/writing addresses of the cumulative LLR memory (101) based on a reading start address from the cumulative LLR memory (101) corresponding to the column block. After the start of reading of a column block, the control unit (110) generates a reading start address in the next decoding of the column block and stores it into the address administration unit (104). In this manner, a device configuration capable of reducing a device size of a decoding device for pseudo-cyclic LDPC codes composed of cyclic permutation matrix blocks with a fixed degree of parallelism and an arbitrary cyclic permutation size is provided.
US08627165B2

A system uses multi-level encoding where each symbol of a plurality of symbols represents more than one bit of information in a user data symbol stream for transfer using a multilevel transmission channel. The user data symbols are represented in a digital bitwise form such that each symbol is presented as a plurality of bits and each bit is subject to a different probability of error. An error correction procedure is applied based on the different error probability that is associated with each bit in the plurality. The channel can be configured to support a mosaic tile structure, each tile containing a channel symbol such that a selected tile has a collective error probability that is different from other tiles. Customized coding can be applied to the tile structure to allocate a selected amount of error correction power to the selected tile based on an overall available correction power.
US08627164B2

A wireless communication apparatus that uses a communication protocol to transmit and receive data with a data check bit, including a received data determining section that performs a data check for received data by using the data check bit to determine whether the data is error; a received result transmitting section that, when determined to be error, discards the data and transmits a retransmission request to other wireless communication apparatus of the transmitting origin, whereas determined to be not error, transmits a message indicating that the data is normal to the other wireless communication apparatus of the transmitting origin; and a retransmission asking section that determines whether a format of the data is incorrect or normal, and when determined to be normal, passes the data to predetermined processing, whereas when determined to be incorrect, discards the data and asks the received result transmitting section to request retransmission of the data.
US08627162B2

A method and circuits for implementing aperture function calibration for Logic Built In Self Test (LBIST) diagnostics, and a design structure on which the subject circuit resides are provided. The aperture function calibration uses aperture calibration data, and an LBIST calibration channel having a predefined number of scan inversions between the aperture calibration data and a multiple input signature register (MISR). LBIST is run selecting the LBIST calibration channel and masking other LBIST channels to the MISR. A change in the MISR value, for example, from zero to a non-zero value, is identified and an aperture adjustment is calculated and used to identify any needed adjustment of aperture edges.
US08627151B2

This disclosure describes methods, systems and software that can be used to calculate the estimated mean time to data loss for a particular configuration of a disk group. For example, a system can be used to evaluate a plurality of configurations, and/or to select (and/or allow a user to select) an optimal configuration of the disk group, based, in some cases, on the relative estimated mean times to data loss of the various configurations. This can allow, if desired, the configuration of the disk group to minimize the likelihood of data loss in the disk group.
US08627149B2

Techniques for improving application server performance and availability are provided. In one aspect, a method of monitoring the health of one or more application servers comprises the following steps. One or more health classes are specified, each of the one or more health classes defining one or more health policies for the one or more application servers. At least one of the one or more health policies is monitored. Violations, if any, of the one or more health policies are detected.
US08627147B2

According to one embodiment, a test system includes a data collection module adapted for collecting data from a test system, a storage module adapted for storing the collected data in an organized format, the data including problem data, associated configuration information, associated performance information, and activity data, an analysis module adapted for analyzing the collected data to define at least two activity zones by correlating the problem data, the associated configuration information, the associated performance information, and the activity data, the at least two activity zones including a safe zone where the test system operates normally and a danger zone where the test system is susceptible to operational problems, and an adjustment module adapted for adjusting available resources and/or workload of the test system to cause the test system to operate in the danger zone thereby increasing a likelihood of fault occurrence for testing purposes.
US08627145B2

This invention is an apparatus and method for monitoring an electronic apparatus. At least one capture unit captures data to be monitored. A repeater corresponding to each capture unit repeats the captured data. A first-in-first-out buffer corresponding to each capture unit temporarily stores the captured data. The buffered data supplies a utilization unit. Captured data may be merged after repeating. The capture unit may be in a different voltage domain than the repeater, buffer and utilization unit.
US08627144B2

A method for commanding and performing network entry is disclosed. The method for commanding network entry using a non-periodic message in a Base Station (BS) includes broadcasting a first pattern indicating ready for restart once or more times to a Mobile Station (MS), when the BS determines to restart due to a serious error of the BS, and performing a restart procedure, and broadcasting a second pattern indicating network entry to the MS, upon completion of the restart procedure.
US08627141B2

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, an information handling system may include a processor and an access controller communicatively coupled to the processor. The access controller may include a memory having a bootloader portion including a first memory address and a second memory address a second processor communicatively coupled to the memory. The second processor may be configured to: (i) attempt to execute the a first copy of a bootloader stored at the first memory address; (ii) in the event of a failure to execute the first copy of the bootloader, copy a second copy of the bootloader stored at the second memory address to the first memory address; and (iii) subsequent to copying the second copy to the first memory address, attempt to execute the second copy of the bootloader stored at the first memory address.
US08627139B2

A method, a recording terminal, a server, and a system for repairing media file recording errors are disclosed in embodiments of the present invention. The method includes: generating description information about a recording error when a recording terminal identifies the recording error in live recording of a media file; sending a recording error repair request that carries the description information to a network device; and repairing the media file recorded by the recording terminal according to repair information when receiving the repair information sent by the network device according to the description information. With the present invention, the recording errors are repaired through a bidirectional network between the recording terminal and the network device, and reliability of repairing the recording errors is ensured.
US08627125B2

Power management systems and methods are presented. In one embodiment, implementation of a method for context specific power management of a resource, comprises: defining a context within which a resource operates, wherein the context is defined by one or more parameters; tracking a usage history of the resource operating within the context to determine passive user feedback related to a plurality of timeout values; and determining a timeout value for a current operation of the resource within the context based on the usage history.
US08627120B2

In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for performing power management. A computer process that requires, to be performed, substantial portions of battery storage on the mobile computing device is identified. Execution of the identified process can be deferred while the mobile computing device is not connected to a power source that is for charging the battery storage and that is external to the mobile computing device. Connection of the mobile computing device to the power source is sensed. Performance of the process is triggered in response to sensing that the mobile computing device has been connected to the power source.
US08627117B2

Power-backup capabilities are provided by implementing a variety of different methods, systems and devices. According to one such implementation, an energy storage device such as a capacitive storage circuit is powered relative to the powering of one or more additional circuits from a common power supply to limit the draw upon the power supply. Certain applications involve delaying or otherwise modifying the powering of the capacitive storage circuit, which may involve an initial startup of the capacitive storage circuit.
US08627114B2

A method to authenticate a data access request begins by a data accessing module sending the data access request to a data storage module and continues with the data storage module sending an authentication request to an authenticating module. The method continues with the authenticating module outputting a verification request destined for the data accessing module, where the verification request includes a verification code that is generated based on the authentication request. The method continues with the data accessing module outputting a verification response that includes a modified verification code that is generated based on the verification code and a credential. The method continues with the authenticating module outputting an authentication response to the data storage module, where the authentication response is generated based on the verification response, and continues with the data storage module facilitating the data access request when the authentication response is favorable.
US08627084B1

A system is provided that uses cryptographic techniques to support secure messaging between senders and recipients. A sender may encrypt a message for a recipient using the recipient's public key. The sender may send the encrypted message to the message address of a given recipient. A server may be used to decrypt the encrypted message for the recipient, so that the recipient need not install a decryption engine on the recipient's equipment.
US08627083B2

One or more servers are provided including a session manager, authentication module, authorization module, encryption module, database, and protocol handler. The session manager is configured to receive requests for new identity data from network-enabled devices. Each request is authenticated first by the update server via its authentication module by validating the signature of the request message as well as the certificate chain trusted by the update server. The authorization module is configured to determine if the network-enabled devices specified on a whitelist are authorized to be provisioned with new identity data. The database is configured to receive new identity records generated by an identity data generation system. Each of the new identity records includes a new identifier. The new identifier is not associated or linked to any previously assigned/used identifiers and identity data, thus all the new identity records are generated independently and then loaded to the update server.
US08627080B2

Methods and systems for mutual authentication and personalizing a transaction device, such as a payment, transaction, or identity card. Successively generated one time codes are calculated by a first and second entity. One of the codes is transmitted to the second entity, which verifies the code is proper, then encrypts a second one time code using a third one time code and transmits the encrypted data to the first entity. The first entity decrypts the data using the third one time code, verifies the encrypted second one time code is proper, thereby mutually authenticating, and establishing a shared encryption key for subsequent communications, including transmission of personalization data.
US08627073B2

A method for improving the reliability and performance of Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) networks where digital certificates are necessary for message authentication and some messages may be lost in transmission. The method uses Forward Error Correcting (FEC) codes to encode a digital certificate into multiple segments, and attaches one or more segment to each message transmitted. Nodes receiving the messages can reconstruct the certificate as long as they successfully receive a minimum number of the transmitted messages, where the minimum number is less than the total number of messages transmitted. This allows message authentication to continue uninterrupted, even in a network environment where some messages are lost in transmission. Two different types of FEC codes are described, and adaptive schemes are included to optimize message throughput based on such network conditions as node density.
US08627066B2

A method begins by a processing module receiving a dispersed storage network (DSN) access request that includes a requester identifier (ID), wherein the requester ID is associated with a certificate chain. When the certificate chain is valid, the method continues with the processing module accessing registry information for the DSN. The method continues with the processing module identifying one of a plurality of access control lists based on at least one of information associated with the requester ID and information associated with the certificate chain, identifying one or more entries of the one of the plurality of access control lists based on the information associated with the certificate chain to produce one or more identified entries, and generating, for the DSN access request, permissions from one or more sets of permissions associated with the one or more identified entries.
US08627063B2

The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for batching OCSP requests and caching corresponding responses. An intermediary between a plurality of clients and one or more servers receives a first client certificate during a first SSL handshake with a first client and a second client certificate during a second SSL handshake with a second client. The intermediary may identify that the statuses of the client certificates are not in a cache of the intermediary. An OCSP responder of the intermediary may transmit a single request to an OCSP server to determine the statuses. The intermediary may determine, from a single response received from the OCSP server, whether to establish SSL connections with the clients based on the statuses. The intermediary may store the statuses to the cache for determining whether to establish a SSL connection in response to receiving a client certificate from the first client.
US08627054B2

According to one aspect, a computer-implemented method for managing a computer system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the computer system includes a processor that is programmed to cause the computer system to perform specific functions. The functions include: initializing a management controller operating on a management platform; detecting preloaded identification data containing a predetermined manufacturer-specific platform identifier; if no preloaded identification data is detected, determining the platform identifier based on GPIO settings, firmware data, EEPROM data, and/or sensor detection; detecting preloaded hardware data containing operating parameters for hardware components operating on the management platform and operatively coupled to the management controller; if no preloaded hardware data is detected, determining the operating parameters according to the platform identifier; causing the management controller to initialize the hardware components according to the platform identifier and operating parameters; and, flashing initialization data containing the platform identifier and operating parameters to a system memory.
US08627052B2

A system and method of enabling a function within a module configured to be used with an information handling system is disclosed. In one form, the method of enabling functions includes detecting whether to install a custom install routine within a module configured to enable access to a hash function, and accessing a lock bit configured to lock access to the hash function. The method can further include detecting whether to set the lock bit to lock access to the hash function.
US08627038B2

A storage controller having a plurality of storage devices and a control circuit providing a plurality of virtual volumes, to each of which a storage area in a plurality of pool volumes provided with the plurality of storage devices can be mapped for writing data in response to a write access sent from an information processing apparatus to a logical area in one of the plurality of virtual volumes, respectively. The control circuit, according to a search of the plurality of pool volumes for a certain storage area in which a certain data pattern is written, releases the certain storage area from mapping to a logical area in the plurality of virtual volumes, so that the control circuit can use the released certain storage area for mapping to a virtual volume of the plurality of virtual volumes as a destination of another write access from the information processing apparatus.
US08627034B2

In one of the storage control apparatuses in the remote copy system which performs asynchronous remote copy between the storage control apparatuses, virtual logical volumes complying with Thin Provisioning are adopted as journal volumes to which journals are written. The controller in the one of the storage control apparatuses assigns a smaller actual area based on the storage apparatus than in case of assignment to the entire area of the journal volume, and adds a journal to the assigned actual area. If a new journal cannot be added, the controller performs wraparound, that is, overwrites the oldest journal in the assigned actual area by the new journal.
US08627027B2

When an accessible state of an external memory unit is instructed to be canceled and data is not storing in the external memory unit, a data processing apparatus cancels the accessible state of the external memory unit if the external memory unit is not set as a backup destination, and does not cancel the accessible state of the external memory unit if the external memory unit is set as the backup destination.
US08627021B2

A load state of a slave memory is detected and provided to a master device. The master device communicates prefetch access requests to the slave memory based, at least in part, on the detected load state. Optionally, the master device communicates prefetch requests to the slave memory according to a schedule based, at least in part, on the detected load state.
US08627020B2

Secure erase of files and unallocated sectors on storage media such that any previous data is non-recoverable. The database contains sets of data patterns used to overwrite the data on different physical media. The software programs manage the overwriting process automatically when a file has been deleted. When de-allocated sectors in the file system are pruned from a file or escaped the file deletion process also finds them. Data will never be found on deleted sectors or on pruned sectors is overwritten.
US08627014B2

A method and apparatus for providing a memory model for hardware attributes to support transactional execution is herein described. Upon encountering a load of a hardware attribute, such as a test monitor operation to load a read monitor, write monitor, or buffering attribute, a fault is issued in response to a loss field indicating the hardware attribute has been lost. Furthermore, dependency actions, such as blocking and forwarding, are provided for the attribute access operations based on address dependency and access type dependency. As a result, different scenarios for attribute loss and testing thereof are allowed and restricted in a memory model.
US08627012B1

A method, computer program product, and computing system for receiving, on a cache system, a plurality of data write requests, wherein each data write request identifies a data portion to be written to a data array associated with the cache system. The data portions associated with the data write requests are written to the cache system. The data portions associated with the data write requests are queued until the occurrence of a commit event. Upon the occurrence of the commit event, a consolidated write operation is performed to write the data portions associated with the data write requests to the data array.
US08627001B2

Provided are a method, system, and program for creating at least one volume in a disk storage system. A request is received to create at least one volume on the disk storage system indicating a volume size and number of volumes to create. Selection is made of a storage pool object representing one of a plurality of storage pools having available storage space to create the requested number of volumes. retrieving a storage configuration service of the disk storage system using an association of a disk storage system object representing the disk storage system and the selected storage pool object. The disk storage system object representing the disk storage system is associated with the retrieved storage configuration service. A volume size of the volume to create is set to a calculated size. The storage pool is set as the selected storage pool object. A method is invoked through the retrieved storage configuration service for each volume in the requested number of volumes to create.
US08626997B2

Subject matter disclosed herein relates to management of a memory device.
US08626995B1

In some implementations, a method includes receiving commands from a host device, sending the commands to one or more flash memory devices, receiving information associated with at least one of the commands from the one or more flash memory devices, and selectively sending the information to the host device based on whether one or more parameters in the at least one command include a request to receive the information from the one or more flash memory devices.
US08626992B2

According to one embodiment, a storage device includes identification information storage module, location information storage module, determination module, and control module. The identification information storage module stores identification information identifying nonvolatile memories. The location information storage module stores location information identifying bad area in the nonvolatile memories. The determination module determines whether each of pieces of identification information stored in each of the nonvolatile memories matches with any one of the pieces of identification information stored in the identification information storage module. The control module controls one of the nonvolatile memories to prevent one of the pieces of location information from being used, and to prevent access from the host, when the determination module determines that the one of the pieces of identification information of the one of the nonvolatile memories does not match with any one of the pieces of identification information stored in the identification information storage module.
US08626990B2

Example embodiments for configuring a serial non-volatile memory device may comprise a non-volatile configuration register to store a configuration value received from the processor, the configuration value to specify one or more attributes of a memory access operation. The configuration value may be read at least in part in response to power being applied to the memory device.
US08626989B2

A read/write arrangement is described for use in accessing at least one nonvolatile memory device in read/write operations with the memory device being made up of a plurality of memory cells which memory cells are organized as a set of pages that are physically and sequentially addressable with each page having a page length such that a page boundary is defined between successive ones of the pages in the set. The read/write arrangement includes a control arrangement that is configured to store and access a group of data blocks that is associated with a given write operation in a successive series of pages of the memory such that at least an initial page in the series is filled and each block includes a block length that is different than the page length.
US08626988B2

A device, method, and computer readable medium for programming a codeword are presented. The method includes writing a first codeword portion to portions of nonvolatile memory rows, and writing a second codeword portion to portions of nonvolatile memory rows, wherein the first group of memory rows and the second group belong to non-overlapping groups. The device includes multiple nonvolatile memory rows, and a controller receiving a codeword comprising a first codeword portion and a second codeword portion. The controller writing the first codeword portion to portions of nonvolatile memory rows, and writing the second codeword portion to portions of nonvolatile memory rows, wherein the first group of nonvolatile memory rows differs and the second group of nonvolatile memory rows belong to non-overlapping groups, and the first and second groups of memory rows belong to multiple rows. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions performing methods described herein.
US08626987B2

Provided is a flash memory system supporting flash defragmentation. The flash memory system includes a host and a flash storage device. In response to a flash defragmentation command by the host, the flash storage device performs flash defragmentation by grouping fragments stored in fragmented blocks of a flash memory on a flash memory management unit basis. The flash memory management unit may be a memory block or page. The flash storage device performs the flash defragmentation regardless of the arrangement order of fragmented files stored in the flash memory.
US08626985B2

Provided are a hybrid optical disk drive, a method of driving the hybrid optical disk drive, and an electronic system including the hybrid optical disk drive. The hybrid optical disk drive may include an optical disk drive unit for recording/storing data in an optical disk and a solid-state drive (SSD) unit having a storage capacity that is equal to or greater than a maximum storage capacity of the optical disk, which is compatible with the hybrid optical disk drive.
US08626984B2

A device, methods and systems that provide device independence in storage device wear algorithms are disclosed. A storage device that provides such device independence includes a device-specific wear algorithm, and may also include an integrated wear algorithm. The device-specific wear algorithm is configured to be loaded into a wear algorithm space and is at least a portion of a wear algorithm. The device-specific wear algorithm is stored in the storage device. The integrated wear algorithm, if employed, is resident in the storage device. A method that provides such device independence is also disclosed. The method includes loading a device-specific wear algorithm from a storage device into a wear algorithm space. The device-specific wear algorithm is configured to be stored in the storage device and loaded into the wear algorithm space. The device-specific wear algorithm is at least a portion of a wear algorithm.
US08626978B2

To obtain a computer that can change over from the active system to the standby system without reconnecting the I/O adapters. The computer according to the present invention carries over the identifiers logically identifying connection paths between computer modules and I/O adapters from active computers to standby computers.
US08626977B2

A computer system for multi-processing purposes. The computer system has a console comprising a first coupling site and a second coupling site. Each coupling site comprises a connector. The console is an enclosure that is capable of housing each coupling site. The system also has a plurality of computer modules, where each of the computer modules is coupled to a connector. Each of the computer modules has a processing unit, a main memory coupled to the processing unit, a graphics controller coupled to the processing unit, and a mass storage device coupled to the processing unit. Each of the computer modules is substantially similar in design to each other to provide independent processing of each of the computer modules in the computer system.
US08626975B1

Communication interfaces having reduced signal lines. In one aspect, a physical layer circuit, set forth by way of example and not limitation, interfaces a link controller and a device communication bus, and includes a wrapper coupled to a first interface bus having only six or less communication lines and coupled to a second interface bus having a larger number of communication lines than the first interface bus. The wrapper can communicate first signals with the link controller over the first interface bus and perform conversion between the first signals and second signals communicated on the second interface bus. A core, coupled to the wrapper by the second interface bus, can communicate device signals with the device communication bus by performing conversion between the second signals and the device signals.
US08626965B2

The disclosed embodiments provide a system that uses a DMA engine to automatically validate DMA data paths for a computing device. During operation, the system configures the DMA engine to perform a programmable DMA operation that generates a sequence of memory accesses which validate the memory subsystem and DMA paths of the computing device. For instance, the operation may include a sequence of reads and/or writes that generate sufficient data traffic to exercise the computing device's I/O controller interface and DMA data paths to memory to a specified level. The system initiates this programmable DMA operation, and then checks outputs for the operation to confirm that the operation executed successfully.
US08626960B2

An interface for an industrial controller is provided that enables connection of different types of plug-in I/O modules to the industrial controller. The interface includes several mechanisms, which can be implemented through control logic, circuitry, and/or software, that enable the control/monitoring device to operate in conjunction with different types of plug-in I/O modules. According to certain embodiments, the interface includes setup mechanisms that enable initial communications between the plug-in I/O modules and the control/monitoring device. The interface also may include operational mechanisms that facilitate communication between the plug-in I/O modules and the control/monitoring device during operation. The interface further may include registers that store data for the plug-in I/O modules.
US08626959B2

An approach is provided in which a device is detected when it has been added to an operating system partition. The detecting occurs during a dynamic reconfiguration process, and the device is associated with a device type. A parent device is identified that corresponds to the added device. The identifying of the parent device is performed during the dynamic reconfiguration process and the identification of the parent device is based on the device type of the added device with the identified parent device corresponding to a parent device name. A unit address corresponding to the added device is retrieved and this retrieved unit address and the identified parent device name are passed to a configuration manager process. The added device is then configured based on the identified parent device name.
US08626950B1

Generally described, the present disclosure is directed to managing request routing functionality corresponding to resource requests for one or more resources associated with a content provider. A service provider can assign a set of DNS servers corresponding to a distributed set of network addresses, or portions of network addresses, for one or more identifiable domains. If the service provider receives requests to assign DNS server to conflicting domains, the set of DNS servers for each identifiable are assigned such that there are no matching network addresses between the sets of domains associated with the conflicting domains.
US08626933B2

A service is provided to users of communication devices present in a geographic service area. Each device is associated with a specific user. The service comprises conditionally alerting a user, via his/her communication device, to a presence of another device of another user. The alerting occurs if the other user is registered as a buddy of the user and if a geographical distance between the user's device and the buddy's device is smaller than a pre-determined threshold. A succession of polling cycles is run. In each polling cycle, the mobile devices are sequentially polled based on location and according to a ranking determined in a preceding polling cycle that minimizes a value of a sum of terms. Each respective term indicates a respective difference between rankings of the mobile device of the respective user and of the mobile device of the buddy of the respective user.
US08626927B2

A system for and method for distributing data to a plurality of work stations is presented. The system and method may include determining reception of new or updated data, initiating a first data distribution session to distribute the new or updated data to a first work station of a plurality of work stations via a communication network, determining whether the first work station of the plurality of work stations is active, determining whether a second data distribution session is in progress, and establishing the first data distribution session with the first work station of the plurality of work stations via the communication network in response to a determination that the second data distribution session is not in progress.
US08626916B2

A method of interacting with a process control system is provided. The method includes bringing a mobile electronic device into physical proximity of a field device. The mobile electronic device is coupled to a digital process communication channel of the field device. A client software application is initiated on the mobile electronic device. The digital process communication channel is used to communicatively couple the client software application to a host application remote from both the mobile electronic device and the field device.
US08626913B1

A method of analyzing website nurturing data while compensating for test visitor profiles may include tracking interactions between visitors and the website including test visitors, and computing a score for each of the visitors based on the interactions. The method may also include storing the score for each of the visitors in visitor profiles, where test visitor profiles correspond to the test visitors. The method may additionally include assigning a discrete profile state to each of the plurality of visitor profiles from a hierarchy of profile states based at least in part on the corresponding score, and storing a test indicator in each of the test visitor profiles. The method may further include computing reporting data based on the plurality of visitor profiles, where the one or more test visitor profiles are excluded at least in part from the reporting data.
US08626910B1

Some embodiments provide systems and methods for performing localized and real-time server-side network performance monitoring. These systems and methods leverage the distributed architecture of a content delivery network (CDN) so as to perform distributed monitoring with each Point-of-Presence of the CDN responsible for monitoring performance to a localized set of end users. These systems and methods also leverage existing traffic flows from a server to a particular end user in order to perform real-time server-side network performance monitoring without the injection of specialized monitoring packets and without active involvement of the end user in deriving the performance measurements. The performance measurements are then used to optimize delivery of existing and future traffic flows to the end user.
US08626893B2

Methods and systems providing application layer support for one or more sleeping nodes in constrained networks are contemplated. Embodiments contemplate inserting sleep information in a header option or payload of an application layer message. The application layer message may be conveyed in a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) or a constrained application protocol (CoAP). Embodiments contemplate communicating the application layer message to a server, which may serve as a caching and/or buffering proxy.
US08626891B2

An approach is provided that configures a management-as-a-service (MaaS) connect process at a MaaS provider. The MaaS connect process is configured based on a request received from a MaaS tenant. The configured MaaS connect process is transmitted to the MaaS tenant. MaaS services are provided from the MaaS provider to the MaaS tenant. These MaaS services interact with the configured MaaS connect process installed at the MaaS tenant.
US08626880B2

An information handling system includes a connection via a network interface to a network, an embedded service processor, and a storage device. The connection via a network interface is adapted to receive data representing configuration settings of a baseline information handling system. The embedded service processor is adapted to compare the data representing the configuration settings of the information handling system to the data representing the configuration settings of the baseline information handling system. The storage device is adapted to store the data representing the differences between the configuration settings of the information handling system and the configuration settings of the baseline information handling system.
US08626879B2

Systems and methods facilitate communication between clients, servers or other nodes located on separate local area networks (LANs) or sub-networks within a home, office, campus or other environment using one or more mediation servers located within the local network environment. The server establishes a persistent connection to each available mediation service. The client requests a connection to the server by providing addresses or other connection information associated with the client to one or more of the mediation servers in communication with the server. The mediation server(s) send network information associated with the client to the server via the persistent connections. The server responds to the mediation server(s) by providing network information that can be relayed to the client. When the client and server have exchanged network information, communications between the client and server can be established using conventional or proprietary network address translation (NAT) or other techniques.
US08626876B1

An intermediate server for handling content requests received from edge servers in a Content Delivery Network (CDN) and accessing and processing content distributed throughout the CDN may include a port that receives a content request from an edge server in a same Point-of-Presence (POP) including a URI. The ICPS may also include a content processor communicatively coupled to the port and configured to perform a processing function on the requested content to produce processed content for delivery to the edge server. The ICPS may further include a CDN content interface that provides virtualized access to content files accessible using URIs throughout the CDN and configured to receive a portion of the requested content using the URI stored in a second POP, and provide the requested content to the content processor, wherein the requested content comprises the portion of the requested content.
US08626875B2

A technique for selecting a media streaming engine, such as a stream server, to source a media stream to a client involves receiving feedback information from a client that indicates a quality of service experienced by the client and then selecting a media streaming engine, from a set of media streaming engines, in response to the feedback information. In an embodiment, the feedback information is provided in Real-Time Control Protocol (RTCP) messages. For example, the RTCP messages are Receiver Report (RR) messages that contain packet loss and/or inter-arrival jitter information. Feedback information such as packet loss and/or inter-arrival jitter information represents the actual quality of service experienced by a client for a media stream. Because a media streaming engine is selected based on the actual quality of service experienced by a client, the selection process can be configured to optimize the quality of service of the media streaming.
US08626874B2

The present invention provides for a four dimensional (4D) information distribution system and method which allows on-demand and real-time transmission of time-sensitive and useful self-help data or instructional materials to user. The transmission of the 4D information can be initiated at the user's request or it can be automatically carried out based on a set of established rules, such as a schedule of events. The 4D information distribution system includes a processing device for generating the 4D information, a distribution device for transmission of the 4D information, a receiving device for accepting the 4D information, and a display device for outputting the received 4D information.
US08626868B2

A method and apparatus are provided for transmitting multimedia data between terminals during a call. In response to a request for multimedia data transmission initiated from one of the terminals in the call, a communication device may transmit the multimedia data to one or more of the terminals in the call. The communication device may comprise a reception unit for receiving the multimedia data transmission request initiated from one of the terminals in the call, a transmission unit to transmit the multimedia data to one or more of the terminals in the call, a storage unit to store multimedia data, and a recording unit to record information for a terminal.
US08626861B1

A method of detecting a compromised machine on a network. The method receives an email message from a machine on the network and classifies it as either spam or non-spam. A probability ratio is then updated, according to whether the message was spam or non-spam, by applying a sequential probability ratio test. If the probability ratio is greater than or equal to a first threshold, then the machine is compromised. If the probability ratio is less than or equal to a second threshold, then the machine is normal. The operations of receiving a message, classifying the message, updating the probability ratio, and indicating the machine is normal or compromised until the probability ratio is greater than or equal to the first threshold are repeated for a plurality of messages. Such repeated operations are performed on each of the messages one at a time, as each of the messages is received.
US08626854B2

Provided is a method for localizing peer-to-peer traffic. The method includes transmitting, by a first node of a peer-to-peer network, a first message to one or more other nodes associated with the peer-to-peer network. The message includes a request for content and a deadline for when the content is to be received by the first node.
US08626847B2

Various embodiments of systems, methods, and computer programs are disclosed for transferring a conference session with a conferencing system from a first client device to a second client device. One such method comprises: a conferencing system establishing a first conference session for an online conference with a first client device via a communication network; presenting a conference interface via a graphical user interface to the first client device, the conference interface displaying a participant object corresponding to a participant identifier associated with a first participant operating the first client device; the participant initiating a transfer request comprising the participant identifier; sending the transfer request to a second client device; the second client device acknowledging the transfer request; and the second client device establishing a second conference session with the conferencing system using the participant identifier.
US08626842B2

A content transaction management server device includes: a memory storing decryption keys used in decryption of encrypted content data; a communication unit for information; a payment-request reception unit receiving, through the communication unit, a first storage address indicating a storage area where the decryption keys of encrypted content data in the memory are stored and user identifiers identifying users who are purchasers of the encrypted content data; a payment-procedure processing unit implementing payment-procedure processes related to purchase transactions of encrypted content data by a user identified by user identifiers in the payment request; and a decryption-key transmission unit that, after payment-procedure processing based on the payment-procedure processing unit is completed, reads out, from the memory, decryption keys stored in the storage area indicated by the first storage address included in the payment request and transmits, through the communication unit, the decryption keys to the transmission source of the payment request.
US08626840B2

In a method and system for generating a referencing secondary electronic mail message from a primary electronic mail message, a reference to accompanying data in the primary electronic mail message is obtained that allows reconstitution of the accompanying data from the reference. The referencing secondary electronic mail message is composed with the reference embedded therein instead of the accompanying data. Conversely, a non-referencing electronic mail message is reconstituted from a referencing electronic mail message that includes at least one reference indicative of respective accompanying data by accessing a copy of the respective accompanying data pertaining to each reference in the referencing electronic mail message. The referencing electronic mail message is augmented with the respective copy of the accompanying data relating to each reference.
US08626836B2

A system and method to interact with business systems through the use of automated agents and provide context for an automated agent to service multiple avatars within a virtual universe. The system comprises a chat engine, a communications subsystem, and a channelizer configured to mediate one or more communications between the chat engine and the communications subsystem. The channelizer is further configured to map at least one channel to an application.
US08626833B2

A communication network in which a plurality of terminals are connected to a common bus is a vehicle-mounted communication system which connects a plurality of ECUs though the bus, transmits messages at predetermined communication intervals between the ECUs, and receives the transmitted messages. The messages transmitted/received between the ECUs through a CAN communication line are divided into a plurality of groups such as a first group, a second group to an Nth group according to the type of message information. Each of the ECUs is provided with a transmission timing operation part for computing the transmission timing for each message group to be transmitted. The transmission timing operation part adjusts so as to bring the transmission timing of message belonging to the first group transmitted from its own ECU closer to the transmission timing of message belonging to the first group received from another electronic control unit.
US08626827B1

Systems and methods are provided for programmatically simulating one or more system conditions for a network resource using one or more services. In one implementation, a server receives a request to initiate a treatment. The request identifies a treatment definition. The server determines, based on the treatment definition, the one or more services and deploys the one or more services to the network resource. The one or more services simulate the one or more system conditions.
US08626824B2

A local system receives a graphics structure generated from an application hosted within the local system, where the application is accessed by a remote system. The graphics structure represents a display output from the application, where the graphics structure is generated in response to a change of display characteristics of the local system. A hash generator generates a first hash from the graphics structure according to a hash algorithm. It is determining whether there is an existing hash maintained by the local system that matches the first hash. The local system transmits the first hash to the remote system without sending the graphics structure if there is an existing hash matching the first hash. The first hash is used by the remote system to identify a graphics structure maintained by the remote system for rendering a display of the remote system.
US08626822B2

An Open Network Adapter (ONA) provides an interface that provides network resource access functions to application writers and network users while hiding the implementation details from those writers and users. The ONA accepts high-level network resource access function requests and coordinates the lower-level actions necessary to accomplish the high-level requests. These network resource access requests may, for example, be provided via a user interface which may be implemented by a personal computer, telephone, or other device capable of providing a display and receiving user input.
US08626804B2

This invention disclosed a system and method for resource based virtual communities. Any resources that can be shared or used by multiple people, including Internet resources, software or other resources can be the basis for the community, whose members are users of the resource. Web resources include web sites, web pages news groups or discussion forums. Other types of resources include software products, bulletin boards, games or other products. The community composes of the current resource users such as web page readers, bulletin board posters, game players, software users. Whenever a person accesses or uses the resource, the user is automatically joined as part of the community. At the same time they are using the resource, they can access all services provided by the community, such as talking with other members, collaborating with others, publishing comments, or even adding new community services. A universal virtual community server is disclosed to support all virtual communities based on all resources in the world and all users in the Internet. There are 6 methods disclosed for individual users to connect to this resource based communities.
US08626796B2

A database, system and related method for storing, retrieving, manipulating and presenting nutritional information about food items includes functions and data tables arranged to enable nutritional value scoring and rating. The database, system and method are arranged to enable users to input nutritional information deemed pertinent to assessing the nutritional value of food items. The tables of the database include entities representing food item designations, and arrangements of nutritional information. The nutritional information may be acquired from external sources or generated internally, including for prepared foods. The system is arranged to enable users to generate customized reports based on all product and/or company information of interest or any selectable portions of such information.
US08626793B2

In one embodiment, a method is provided that may include determining, at least in part, by a device comprised, at least in part, in storage, whether to request that the storage perform, at least in part, at least one operation. The at least one operation may involve, at least in part, at least one object stored in the storage. The determining may be based, at least in part, upon metadata associated with the at least one object. The metadata may be stored in the storage, and may indicate an earliest permitted deletion time for the at least one object and/or a latest permitted access time for the at least one object. Of course, many modifications, variations, and alternatives are possible without departing from this embodiment.
US08626792B2

A method in a data processing system and apparatus for organizing files, web pages, or web site members organized in a traditional first hierarchical file structure that is on a recordable medium of a data processing system. A user-defined metalabel is assigned to each of the electronic files, web pages, or web site members. The electronic files, web pages, or web site members are organized as a function of the metalabels into a second hierarchical file structure existing simultaneously with the first hierarchical file structure on the recordable medium of the data processing system. The files, web pages, or web site members can be organized or grouped by the metalabels for efficient searching or following conversations of group members on social networking sites.
US08626784B2

Computer-readable media and methods for model-based searching to provide search results of relevance to a search topic are provided. A model describing a search framework for generating a plurality of search queries is provided. A number of search topics are identified and attributes are assigned to each search topic. Attribute data elements and values are provided to describe each to the assigned attributes for each search topic. The attributes inform the search framework in order to compile a plurality of search queries for the search topic. A search term is received from a user and a corresponding search topic is identified. The plurality of search queries are executed to obtain search results for the corresponding search topic. The search queries may be pre-executed and the search results cached in a computer memory for later retrieval. The search results are organized based on the model and are presented to the user.
US08626780B2

A multimedia playing system, an apparatus for identifying a file, and a method thereof are provided. The multimedia playing system comprises a display device, a sensing device, and an identification device. The display device is configured to display the file and has a predetermined area. A plurality of color tags adapted to be displayed on the predetermined area is attached to the file. The sensing device continuously senses the predetermined area to generate a sensed datum. The identification device is connected to the sensing device and receives the sensed data from the sensing device to determine a sensed color code representing each of the sensed data. The identification device further forms a sensed sequence by the sensed color codes and determines a piece of display information corresponding to the sensed sequence.
US08626779B2

A method and system for managing database is disclosed, which is capable of simultaneously performing a data selection procedure and a data click-count update procedure when specific data is selected, the method comprising receiving and analyzing a query in which both a fetch request for a record included in a specific database table and an update request for at least one of columns included in the record are defined together; generating an execution plan to execute the analyzed query; and executing the execution plan by fetching the record and updating at least one of the columns according to the execution plan.
US08626777B2

Embodiments of methods and/or systems of manipulating tree expressions are disclosed.
US08626771B2

A method of creating a reputation for a container that contains data is disclosed. A user reviews a container that is stored on a network and the user posts an opinion rating of the container. The opinion rating is stored along with an user identification. The opinion rating and the user identification are added to a database and the data in the database is used to calculate a reputation for the container.
US08626767B2

A computer-implemented system and method for identifying near duplicate messages is provided. Messages each including a content body are grouped by conversation thread. One or more of the messages also includes an attachment. The messages for each conversation thread are sorted in order of message length. At least one of the messages is selected from one of the threads and the body of the selected message is compared with the body of one such shorter message in that thread. A determination is made that the body of the shorter message is included in the body of the selected message. Hash codes of the attachments for the selected message and the shorter message are compared. The shorter message is marked as a near duplicate message of the selected message when the hash codes of the attachments match.
US08626759B2

A method and system for searching an information retrieval system for items of interest that are in proximity to geographical locations provided by the user. The information retrieval system can perform a search for specified types of businesses or items of interest that surround or are in close proximity to the user's present geographical location, or a geographical location that the user has pre-configured in a database. The system receives geographical location information concerning the user's position from the wireless network carrier, which tracks the location of the user's mobile communications device. When the user desires to store a geographical location and geographical name for a future search, the information is entered into the pre-configured database. When conducting an information search at a later time, the user can narrow a search request to a geographical area in the vicinity of the stored geographical location.
US08626755B2

An electronic album editing system for editing an electronic album in consideration of categories into which images are classifies is provided. The electronic album editing system includes: a first storage section for classifying a plurality of images included in a first electronic album into a plurality of categories; a second storage section for classifying a plurality of images included in a second electronic album into a plurality of categories; a category selection section for selecting one category of the images stored in the second storage section; a range acquiring section for acquiring the range of the image information corresponding to the one category; a category detection section for detecting a category corresponding to the range similar to the acquired range using range information previously stored in the first storage section; and an editing section for storing the image classified into the detected category in the second storage section.
US08626754B2

A system for ranking geospatial entities is described. In one embodiment, the system comprises an interface for receiving ranking data about a plurality of geospatial entities and an entity ranking module. The module uses a ranking mechanism to generate place ranks for the geospatial entities based on the ranking data. Ranked entity data generated by the entity ranking module is stored in a database. The entity ranking module may be configured to evaluate a plurality of diverse attributes to determine a total score for a geospatial entity. The entity ranking module may be configured to organize ranked entity data into placemark layers.
US08626753B1

Methods and apparatus provide for a personalization search engine that receives a search query from a first user and identifies multiple portions of indexed content—where each respective portion of indexed content has metadata that matches at least one characteristic of the search query. The personalization search engine determines a relevance of each respective portion of indexed content to the first user who provided the search query. It is understood that, in various embodiments, the relevance of a portion of indexed content has to the first user who provided the search query can be based on user feedback associated with an online version of that portion of indexed content. The personalization search engine ranks the multiple portions of indexed content according to their respective relevance to the first user who provided the search query and creates a search result based on ranking the multiple portions of indexed content.
US08626743B2

Techniques are presented that include defining one or more personalized categories, wherein each personalized category comprises one or more terms, identifying one or more of said personalized categories that are associated with a user query, identifying one or more terms that are associated with said user query and with said personalized category, and adding said identified one or more terms to said user query.
US08626736B2

A system for targeting advertising content includes the steps of: (a) receiving respective requests for advertising content corresponding to a plurality of mobile communication facilities operated by a group of users, wherein the plurality includes first and second types of mobile communication facilities with different rendering capabilities; (b) receiving a datum corresponding to the group; (c) selecting from a first and second sponsor respective content based on a relevancy to the datum, wherein each content includes a first and second item requiring respective rendering capabilities; (d) receiving bids from the first and second sponsors; (e) attributing a priority to the content of the first sponsor based upon a determination that a yield associated with the first sponsor is greater than a yield associated with the second sponsor; and (f) transmitting the first and second items of the first sponsor to the first and second types of mobile communication facilities respectively.
US08626735B2

Techniques are presented that include sending a query to one or more information sources associated with a category comprising one or more terms, wherein said one or more information sources are identified by a ranked list of information sources, and wherein said ranked list is generated by ranking a plurality of information sources based on scores for results returned by said plurality of information sources in response to a ranking query generated from said category, and obtaining results from said one or more information sources.
US08626734B2

Application launching on a computer via indexed data. Based on a search term entered by a user, the computer searches an index containing metadata representative of one or more applications installed on the computer. A user interface on the computer's display has a window for displaying the results of searching the index. In addition, the user interface receives user input to select an application from the search results to be initiated. The computer is responsive to the user input via the user interface for initiating the selected application installed on the computer. A computer-readable medium including a persistent component, an index component, a query component, and an execution component embodies further aspects of the invention.
US08626729B2

An index monitoring system for selectively removing an index, where the index is used in a computerized database search. An example method implemented by the system includes displaying a list of indexes on the display device; providing an indication of an index usage criterion associated with each of two or more of the indexes, where the index usage criterion is derived at least in part from prior execution of a particular database query statement; displaying on the display device an indication of the particular database query statement; and optionally accepting a signal from a user-input device to remove an index.
US08626725B2

The subject disclosure relates to efficient query processing over large scale data storage. An exemplary process includes retrieving a subset of columns implicated by a query as integer encoded and compressed sequences of values corresponding to different columns of data, defining query processing buckets that span over the subset of columns based on changes of compression type occurring in the integer encoded and compressed sequences of values of the subset of data and processing the query in memory on a bucket by bucket basis and processing the query based on type of current bucket when processing the integer encoded and compressed sequences of values. The column based organization of the data, and the application of a hybrid run length encoding and bit packing technique, enable a highly efficient and speedy query response in real-time.
US08626722B2

Provided are a method, system, and program for consolidating session information for a cluster of sessions in a coupled session environment. Information for each of a plurality of sessions comprising a cluster is stored in a memory of a processor session. Each session associates at least one primary system and at least one secondary system, wherein within each session, updates are copied from the at least one primary system to the at least one secondary system. The session information in the memory for the plurality of sessions is processed to generate consolidated session information for the cluster based on the session information for the sessions in the cluster. The consolidated session information for the cluster is written to a master data set maintaining information for sessions.
US08626719B2

Methods and systems for managing e-mails involve an e-mail server that maintains a data set identifying e-mails, and that implements a shortcut feature whereby at least a portion of an e-mail identified in the data set is identified by a shortcut identifier, so that the at least a portion of the e-mail is not stored in the data set. One method involves replicating a copy of at least some of the e-mails onto the client computer when the client computer is coupled to the e-mail server. Another method involves accessing a full copy of an e-mail while a client computer is not in communication with the e-mail server. Another method involves maintaining the shortcut identifier for an e-mail in the data set so that the data set is not updated with a full copy of the e-mail when a user requests the e-mail.
US08626717B2

A mechanism is provided for reorganizing a source index tree of a database table resulting in a target index tree of the database table is provided. A backup process reads source leaf pages of the source index tree in a logical order defined by a sequence of index keys. The logical order can be different from a physical order of the source leaf pages defined by a sequence of respective storage locations. The backup process constructs target leaf pages of the target index tree maintaining the logical order. A restore process constructs target non-leaf pages of the target index tree based on the distribution of the index keys among the constructed leaf pages and stores the target leaf and non-leaf pages.
US08626715B2

Facilitating generic database editing to allow for data to be received from a user for entry into a database without requiring the data to conform to schema constraints for the database. A method includes examining a first schema for a first database. The first schema including a first set of constraints specified in the first schema on data to be entered into the first database. The method further includes, based on the examination, constructing a second database corresponding to the first database. The second database is associated with a second schema with a second set of constraints. The second set of constraints is a relaxed version of the first set of constraints specified in the first schema.
US08626712B2

A facility for logging context attributes is described. For each of a set of selected context attributes, the facility, determines a target frequency with which values of the selected context attribute are to be logged. For each of the set of selected context attributes, the facility obtains values of the selected context attribute at a frequency approximating the target frequency determined for the selected context attribute. Then, for each obtained context attribute value, the facility writes the obtained value to a storage device in a manner that identifies its context attribute.
US08626692B2

A system and method that utilizes knowledge representation system to express relationships among consumers, between consumers and businesses, within a specific business, and across businesses. The system and method supports defining which businesses consumers patronize, which locations they prefer, interactions with other consumers, and what products and services they intend to secure from what businesses. The system supports defining how businesses are structured, what businesses are similar, and how businesses relate both to consumers and to other businesses. By combining this consumer knowledge and business knowledge the system enables a number of mutually compatible applications across a matrix of consumer and business interactions (consumer-to-consumer, consumer-to-business, and business-to-business.).
US08626683B2

Systems and methods for achieving PLMN continuity when moving between networks of different types through network selection are provided. When a mobile station moves from a first network type, such as cellular, to a second network type, such as GAN, if there is a PLMN discontinuity, this may result in a dropped call. In order to avoid this, networks for the first network type and the second network type are selected such that there is PLMN continuity. This can involve reselection of a different cellular network than one currently providing service to the mobile station.
US08626682B2

Systems and techniques for improving the training of machine learning classifiers are disclosed. A classifier is trained using a set of validated documents that are accurately associated with a set of class labels. A subset of non-validated documents is also identified and is used to further train and improve accuracy of the classifier.
US08626671B2

Computer-implemented methods and systems for data breach compliance are disclosed. Organization related information may be received. Breach information relating to a data breach event of the organization may be received. The breach information may include, for example, breach event description information, compromised personally identifiable information, and remediation action information. A breach report may be generated based on the breach information, the organization related information, and one or more rules related to data breach. At least one reporting entity may be determined based on the organization related information, the breach information, and the one or more rules. The breach report may be output.
US08626666B2

The presently claimed invention relates generally to confirming that a user has physical custody of an article (e.g., credit card, identification document, etc.). One claim recites a method reciting: at a user's home, presenting a physical article to an input device; and, after the presenting, receiving device data at a CPU at said user's home; deriving a reduced-bit representation of the device data; by reference to at least some of said reduced-bit representation of the device data, confirming that the user has physical custody of the physical article, the physical article having an identifier associated therewith; and providing said identifier to a remote terminal once physical custody of the physical article is confirmed. Of course, additional combinations and claims are provided as well.
US08626665B2

A computer-implemented service integrates with merchant sites to enable registered users of the service to perform purchase transactions on the merchant sites. In one embodiment, a merchant can incorporate a reference to a display object served by the service into coding of a page of the merchant's site. When the page is loaded by a user's browser, the reference causes the browser to request the display object from the service for display on the page. If the user is recognized by the service, the service may return a personalized display object that includes functionality for the user to perform a purchase transaction using the service. Also disclosed are embodiments that enable users to initiate transfers of personal account information to the merchant sites.
US08626658B1

Systems, methods and articles of manufacture for displaying a list of a plurality of accounts of a user in an online financial services website are provided. A relevance index is determined for each account accessible by the user at the website which is based upon a number of account factors related to the expected level of interest for each account. The website displays a list of the accounts in an order from of relevance based upon the relevance index for each account so that the accounts of most interest to the user are displayed at the top of the list.
US08626654B2

This disclosure describes a payment and disbursement system, wherein an initiator authorizes a payment and disbursement to a collector and the collector processes the payment and disbursement through an accumulator agency. The accumulator agency processes the payment as a debit-based transaction and processes the disbursement as an addendum-based transaction. The processing of a debit-based transaction generally occurs by electronic funds transfer (EFT) or by financial electronic data interchange (FEDI). The processing of an addendum-based transaction generally occurs by electronic data interchange (EDI).
US08626645B1

Some embodiments disclosed herein are directed to systems and methods for assessing mortgage lender and broker compliance. The systems and methods may receive loan pricing data, underwriting data, and/or borrower data from mortgage brokers and/or lenders, reconstruct the underwriting processes performed by lenders and brokers, and monitor many aspects of these processes. The reconstructed results may then be compared to the actual results to detect potential non-compliance of laws and/or regulations, including the practice of upstreaming and/or downstreaming. Because some embodiments of the invention greatly enhance the monitoring capability of mortgage regulators, they would motivate mortgage lenders and brokers to better conform their underwriting practice to existing laws and regulations.
US08626630B2

Some demonstrative embodiments include methods, devices and systems of pricing financial instruments. In one embodiment, a pricing module may be configured to receive first input data corresponding to at least one parameter defining a first option on an underlying asset and second input data corresponding to at least one current market condition relating to said underlying asset, and, based on said first and second input data, to determine a price of the first option according to a volatility smile satisfying a first criterion relating to a sum of a first correction corresponding to the first option and a second correction corresponding to a second option representing a position opposite to a position of a the first option and having substantially a same absolute delta value as the first option, wherein the first correction relates to a difference between a theoretical price of the first option and the price of the first option according to the volatility smile, and wherein the second correction relates to a difference between a theoretical price of the second option and the price of the second option according to the volatility smile. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08626626B2

Method of capturing interest associated with a whole or partial amount of money possessed or controlled by an owner/holder and held in a first account maintained by a home financial institution, associated with a monetary rights transfer (MRT) network operably connected to the infrastructure of the Internet and a real-time gross settlement (RTGS) system, and the home financial institution or an external financial institution associated with the MRT network, maintaining a second account, interest bearing, for the owner/holder of the amount of money to capture interest.
US08626620B2

Methods and devices for charging a user for access to a service accessible via a communication network are disclosed. At least two charging-related states are defined for the communication network. A tariff proposal entity associated with the user determines one or more tariff proposals for charging the user for accessing the service and sends the one or more tariff proposals to a rating entity. The rating entity analyzes the one or more tariff proposals in relation to a current charging-related state of the at least two charging-related states, wherein it is determined if at least one of the one or more tariff proposals complies with at least one tariff setting associated with the current charging-related state. The rating entity further selects a tariff of the at least one complying tariff proposals for charging the user for access to the service and initiates a charging of the user for access to the service according to the selected tariff.
US08626616B2

A method and apparatus for managing installation information. In one embodiment the method comprises obtaining, via an installation application on a mobile device comprising at least one processor, identification information for at least one component of an installation; obtaining, via the installation application, position information for the at least one component; and generating, via the installation application, a template for indicating a physical layout of at least a portion of the installation based on the identification information and the position information.
US08626611B2

An augmented reality shopping system in one embodiment includes a store communication network, a memory including program instructions for receiving a product location request, associating the received request with product information stored in a product database, determining the location of the product within the store, receiving shopper location information, determining a route between the determined location of the product and the shopper location based upon the shopper location information, generating route rendering data based upon the determined route, and transmitting the route rendering data through the store communication network. The system further includes a processor operably connected to the store communication network and to the memory for executing the program instructions and a mobile display device operably connected to the processor through the store communication network for rendering an overlay image using the transmitted route rendering data.
US08626607B1

Disclosed are various embodiments relating to generating media item recommendations based upon determining a beats per minute value. A media recommendation application determines a beats per minute value based upon the activity of a user. The media recommendation application then identifies one or more media item candidates having a number of beats per minute within a predefined delta of the beats per minute value. The media recommendation application then filters out the media items possessed and information associated with the user to identify a subset of the media item candidates to surface as recommendations.
US08626603B2

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, transmitting registration information over a network to a registration server for registration of first media content housed in a physical medium where the first registration information is associated with a purchase of the first media content from a point of sale device of a retailer and responsive to the registration, obtaining authorization for electronic access to second media content provided by a media source, where the second media content is associated with the first media content. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08626600B2

Methods and systems to generate and manage an item trading card are provided. A method may include providing an interface to access an item trading card associated with an item, and generating the item trading card including an item identifier associated with the item, a trading card identifier associated with the trading card, item data about the item, and market data about the item. The method further includes sharing the item trading card.
US08626597B2

A method includes receiving a menu of items offered for sale by a merchant, where the menu of items permits a user, of a user device, to place an order with an attendant, associated with the merchant, that includes an item of the menu of items; receiving information associated with the order that was placed with the attendant, where the information associated with the order includes the item and a price associated with the item; receiving an instruction to pay for the order; retrieving, in response to the instruction, payment information to be used to pay the price associated with the item; sending, to a server device, the payment information to permit the server device to process the payment information to pay for the order, where the sending is performed in a manner that does not permit the attendant to access the payment information; and receiving an indication that the payment information was processed.
US08626593B2

Described herein are apparatus and methods for collecting and manipulating transaction data. For example, presented herein is an apparatus including: a first I/O port; a second I/O port of a same type as the first I/O port, wherein the second I/O port is connected to the first I/O port such that data passed into the first I/O port is allowed to pass through the apparatus to the second I/O port unimpeded in at least a first operating mode; a processor; and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions thereon wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to: collect information passed from a first computing device connected to the first I/O port to a second computing device connected to the second I/O port, identify, from the information, transaction data; and provide, to a third computing device, the transaction data.
US08626592B2

Novel features to be used in a proxy card payment system include a real-time request to override a declined transaction or to select a different financial account and the insertion of user identification information into the transaction approval message sent to the merchant. A payment request is forwarded to the payment system, which maintains the proxy card account and determines whether the transaction violates a user-defined rule. If the transaction is declined by the issuer that maintains the financial account, or the payment system for violation of a user-defined rule, the payment system sends a real-time message to the user. The user is prompted to override the rule causing the transaction to be declined or to select a new account to process the transaction. Once the payment system receives authorization for the transaction, it inserts the user identification information in an approval message before transmitting the approval to the merchant.
US08626591B2

Methods, systems, and computer program products for storing usual order preferences associated with a point of sale transaction involving an identification article. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving an initial order involving the use of an identification article for purchasing at least one good or service. As part of receiving the initial order, a query asking if the initial order is to be designated as a usual order is issued. The method also includes registering the initial order as the usual order if a received response to the query indicates a usual order designation and storing an indication of the usual order in a storage medium.
US08626589B2

Methods and systems for providing applications are provided. A method for providing applications may include determining a ranking for each of a plurality of applications based on an auction value of each corresponding application. In some cases, auction values may be determined by application provider bids. The method may also include determining a ranked placement of the applications based on the application rankings. The method may further include displaying the ranked placement according to a first user selection associated with the applications. The method may then include launching a selected application of the ranked placement in response to a second user selection. A system for providing applications may include an application ranker, an application placer and an application launcher.
US08626576B1

A system for marketing distribution over a computer data network includes at least one advertising client computer, at least one affiliate service provider computer coupled to the data network, a query client computer and a server computer which are coupled to the data network. The server computer maintains an advertiser account database and an advertiser keywords database which has a number of keyword entries and bids which are associated with advertising content pages of the advertising client computers. The server also includes a query processing subsection which is responsive to a search term entered on a query client computer provided to the server computer via one of the affiliate service provider computers. The query processing subsection returns search results to the query client which are ordered in accordance with the bid associated with the entries in the advertiser keyword database and have a link to the associated content pages.
US08626575B1

Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer program products are described for providing temporally relevant targeted content items. A set of user data is used to determine current user interests as indicated by one or more recent events. Content items relevant to those events are identified and ranked based on a time that the corresponding event occurred. One or more of the top ranked content items can be delivered to a user.
US08626574B2

In a system that provides an open exchange environment to connect business entities through a network, methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for performing a revenue adjustment process to distribute one of a revenue surplus or a revenue deficit amongst business entities involved in one or more transactions from which the one of the revenue surplus or the revenue deficit originates over a predefined time interval, the performing including identifying a set of business entities involved in the one or more transactions to which the one of the revenue surplus or the revenue deficit is to be distributed; and determining a proportion of the one of the revenue surplus or the revenue deficit to which each business entity of the set is distributed.
US08626561B2

A system and method is provided that provides an early indication of consensus of opinion among a number of users regarding an event or observation indicated by a user. Such an opinion may be interesting to an information consumer, who may be interested in determining the outcome of the consensus relating to the event or observation, or may otherwise desire to perform surveillance or survey of a particular issue or subject. Such recognition of early events or observations may be useful in different areas, such as healthcare, finance, etc., where initial observations, if provided early, allow resulting decisions to be made much earlier. The opinion may, for instance, be used as an early indicator of problem with a product, company, etc. that would permit an information consumer to perform an action at a much earlier point than if he/she relied on traditional sources of information. Thus, such opinion information may be invaluable as a tool for monitoring events.
US08626558B2

The invention comprises a device for and method of managing supply chain risk at a computer system device comprising a processor, a memory subsystem in communication with the processor, and computer executable instructions storable in the memory subsystem and executable by the processor to perform the method, the method comprising determining a degree of supply chain risk to an enterprise as a function of an effect of a disruption of delivery of the production input to the enterprise on a financial performance metric of the enterprise.
US08626557B2

A workflow management system and method that includes approval of workflow changes. A workflow management system is disclosed that includes: a mapping system for mapping tier types to workflows; a modification system for changing tier types, wherein a tier type change causes a new workflow to replace an original workflow; a workflow snapshot system for taking a snapshot of the original workflow when the tier type change occurs; and an approval system for approving tier type changes.
US08626550B2

A method, system and apparatus for scheduling subsidiary meeting locations can include sending an invitation to a selection of invitees to a meeting in a collaborative environment for at least one primary location. The method further can include processing both complete acceptances and declinations to the meeting from individual ones of the invitees for the primary location, and also partial acceptances to the meeting from a set of the invitees in the selection. In respect to the partial acceptances, an alternative location to the primary location can be determined which has not already been designated as an acceptable subsidiary location to the meeting. In response, when a number of invitees in the set of invitees exceed a threshold value, the alternative location can be designated as an acceptable subsidiary location to the meeting. Consequently, acceptances can be processed for the set of invitees.
US08626548B2

Systems, methods, and machine-readable media are disclosed to assign one or more tasks to a plurality of warehouse employees. In one embodiment, a method is provided which comprises receiving an order for an item stored in a warehouse. A location of the item in the warehouse can be determined. A current location of each of the warehouse employees can be determined based on a strength of a signal from a wireless device assigned to each of the warehouse employees. The signal can be detected by at least two wireless access points at different location in the warehouse. At least one of the warehouse employees can be selected to fill the order based on the current location of each of the warehouse employees and the locations of the item.
US08626546B2

A process and system for the computer-implemented management of one or more target agreements with one or more parties to the agreement by means of a target agreement computer system are provided. Each of the target agreements may comprise at least one performance target, the performance target being a measurable target value to be achieved within a given or predetermined time span, where at the start of the time span an individual target agreement is defined and at the end of the time span the degree of achievement of each measurable target value and hence of each performance target is automatically determined and an incentive payment dependent thereon is calculated and distributed. A calculation module may be provided in which the definition of an assessment scale for determining the degree of achievement of the values is laid down, and a remuneration module may be provided in which the incentive payment belonging to an assessment resulting from the assessment module is laid down. Further, an interface to a performance objective management computer system may be provided in which one or more target values for the performance target are managed. In one embodiment, the interface is used to import target values forming the basis for a comparison of target values and actual values to be carried out in the target agreement computer system.
US08626544B2

A control methodology and component in Business Performance Management (BPM) Systems. This enables firms to exploit control theoretic techniques for Business Performance Management. Information from BPM systems is used to calibrate models of the business process. This model is then used to assess and optimize control actions to manage business performance, on the basis of which a control action is selected for business process execution.
US08626542B1

Methods and apparatuses are described for creating and using full-kit tasks, monitoring the progress of full-kit tasks, determining full-kit dates, checking compliance of release conditions associated with full-kit tasks, and/or computing and reporting full-kit task delays. A full-kit task can be used in the project plan to represent the preparations that are required or recommended to be performed before executing a set of tasks. The full-kit task can be a zero-duration task that has a full-kit date and that includes a list of items which need to be completed by the full-kit date. The full-kit task is capable of being in one of the following states: not started, in progress, released, and completed. In some embodiments, the set of tasks associated with the full-kit task can only be started if the full-kit task is either in the released state or the completed state.
US08626536B2

One or more servers (70) are configured to periodically format (90, 92) and send (94) payments (26) to a payee in an order of preference (62) and a specified payment method until accepted (96). The payments (26) include a consolidated financial instrument (73) and at least one explanation of explanation of benefit (75) associated with the consolidated financial instrument. The consolidated financial instrument (73) transfers accumulated monies without co-mingling funds in compliance with ERISA regulations. The at least one associated explanation of benefit (75) includes a patient identification, a payer identification, a service provider identification, a date of service, a service identification, a patient obligation, and an amount paid. Acceptance of the payment to each payee is recorded (100) in a data store (102).
US08626534B2

An apparatus for communicating health care data from a sender to a receiver is provided. The apparatus has a first computer system, a second computer system, and a rules engine. The first computer system has health care data stored therein. The second computer system is in operable communication with, and is configured to extract the health care data from, the first computer system. The rules engine normalizes the extracted health care data to a predefined format. The rules engine defines a plurality of health care data fields in the predefined format, as well as a plurality of relationships between fields of normalized data.
US08626520B2

An interactive voice and data response system that directs input to a voice, text, and web-capable software-based router, which is able to intelligently respond to the input by drawing on a combination of human agents, advanced speech recognition and expert systems, connected to the router via a TCP/IP network. The digitized input is broken down into components so that the customer interaction is managed as a series of small tasks performed by a pool of human agents, rather than one ongoing conversation between the customer and a single agent. The router manages the interactions and keeps pace with a real-time conversation. The system utilizes both speech recognition and human intelligence for purposes of interpreting customer utterances or customer text, where the role of the human agent(s) is to input the intent of caller utterances, and where the computer system—not the human agent—determines which response to provide given the customer's stated intent (as interpreted/captured by the human agents). The system may use more than one human agent, or both human agents and speech recognition software, to interpret simultaneously the same component for error-checking and interpretation accuracy.
US08626519B1

A method and apparatus for allowing a customer to conduct or initiate a transaction for purchasing, renting, leasing, etc. a product or a service during which the customer will provide one or more transaction inputs. One or more transaction outcomes or outputs will be determined, based at least in part on or using one or more transaction inputs. The transaction outcomes are provided to the customer via an entertainment interface into which one or more of the transaction outputs are integrated.
US08626515B2

The present invention relates to an apparatus for processing a media signal and method thereof. A method of processing a media signal according to the present invention includes extracting a downmix signal from a bitstream, extracting at least one of first spatial information and second spatial information from the bitstream, and generating multi-channels using the extracted spatial information and the downmix signal. And, the present invention provides a decoding method and apparatus for generating various kinds of multi-channels.
US08626513B2

A communications system includes a receiver and at least one transmitter. The receiver receives, from different intermediate systems, biometric samples from parties attempting to obtain services from the intermediate systems and information characterizing the expected identifies of the parties. The at least one transmitter transmits, to the intermediate systems, verification that the biometric samples match pre-registered biometric information obtained from a storage device such that the expected identities of the parties is verified as the identities of the parties.
US08626505B2

A computer implemented method, system, and/or computer program product generates an audio cohort. Audio data from a set of audio sensors is received by an audio analysis engine. The audio data, which is associated with a plurality of objects, comprises a set of audio patterns. The audio data is processed to identify audio attributes associated with the plurality of objects to form digital audio data. This digital audio data comprises metadata that describes the audio attributes of the set of objects. A set of audio cohorts is generated using the audio attributes associated with the digital audio data and cohort criteria, where each audio cohort in the set of audio cohorts is a cohort of accompanied customers in a store, and where processing the audio data identifies a type of zoological creature that is accompanying each of the accompanied customers.
US08626501B2

An encoding apparatus includes a time-frequency transform unit that performs a time-frequency transform on an audio signal, a normalization unit that normalizes a frequency spectral coefficient obtained by the time-frequency transform in order to generate encoded data of the audio signal, a level calculation unit that calculates a level of the audio signal, a scale factor changing unit that changes a concealment scale factor included in encoded concealment data obtained by performing, on the basis of the level of the audio signal, a time-frequency transform and normalization on a minute noise signal, the concealment scale factor being a scale factor relating to a coefficient used for the normalization, and an output unit that outputs the encoded data of the audio signal generated by the normalization unit or outputs, as encoded data of the audio signal, the encoded concealment data whose concealment scale factor has been changed.
US08626500B2

A sound recording apparatus having a driving unit generates a sound signal from an input sound, detects the level of the sound signal, adjusts the level of the generated sound signal at an amplification factor corresponding to the detected level, and processes the adjusted sound signal to prevent an amplified sound signal from containing a sound signal generated upon driving the driving unit. The sound recording apparatus controls to replace a sound signal in a predetermined period after instructing driving of the driving unit with a signal calculated from a sound signal in the first period after the predetermined period, and to substantially equalize an amplification factor when driving of the driving unit is instructed and that in the first period.
US08626498B2

A voice activity detection (VAD) system includes a first voice activity detector, a second voice activity detector and control logic. The first voice activity detector is included in a device and produces a first VAD signal. The second voice activity detector is located externally to the device and produces a second VAD signal. The control logic combines the first and second VAD signals into a VAD output signal. Voice activity may be detected based on the VAD output signal. The second VAD signal can be represented as a flag included in a packet containing digitized audio. The packet can be transmitted to the device from the externally located VAD over a wireless link.
US08626494B2

An encoder for compressing a plurality of independent mono audio channels into a recording and generating a restricted set of additional parameters used to master an audio track of a storage device is described. The plurality of independent mono audio channels are constructed such that the storage device can be played using solid state disk player so that in a first mode all of the plurality of independent mono audio channels are played as the recording and in a second mode the original channels are reconstructed using a higher sample rate. A corresponding decoder and an audio system comprising such encoder and decoder are also described.
US08626491B2

Determining a mapping between a textual representation in a document and a concept is disclosed. A document is received. A set of candidate textual representations in the document is identified. For at least one candidate textual representation included in the set, an associated concept included in a taxonomy of concepts is determined. The candidate textual representation and the associated concept are provided as output.
US08626490B2

A dialogue system uses an extended domain in order to have a dialogue with a user using natural language. If a dialogue pattern actually input by the user is different from a dialogue pattern predicted by an expert, an extended domain generated in real time based on user input is used and an extended domain generated in advance is used to have a dialogue with the user.
US08626480B2

A system, method and computer program product for implementing a quiescent current leakage specific model into semiconductor device design and circuit design flows. The leakage model covers all device geometries with wide temperature and voltage ranges and, without the need for stacking factor calculations nor spread sheet based IDDQ calculations. The leakage model for IDDQ calculation incorporates further parasitic and proximity effects. The leakage model implements leakage calculations at different levels of testing, e.g., from a single device to a full chip design, and are integrated within one single model. The leakage model implements leakage calculations at different levels of testing with the leverage of a single switch setting. The implementation is via a hardware definition language code or object oriented code that can be compiled and operated using a netlist of interest, e.g., for conducting a performance analysis.
US08626468B2

A MEMS apparatus is provided for scanning an optical beam which comprises: a. at least one mirror operative to perform am oscillation motion to a pre-defined rotation angle around a mirror rotation axis; b. a sound sensing means; and c. a conversion means operative to convert sound vibrations detected by the sound sensing means into one or more electrical signals, and wherein the sound sensing means is located at the vicinity of the at least one mirror whereby the movement of the at least one mirror is sensed by the sound sensing means and converted by the conversion means into the one or more electrical signals characterizing the oscillating motion of the at least one mirror.
US08626466B2

Flow meter validation techniques are herein disclosed. An illustrative system includes a flow meter and display logic coupled to the flow meter. The flow meter is configured to provide information indicative of a parameter of fluid flow through the meter. The display logic is configured to provide a display of the information. The display includes an indication of a possible range of values of the parameter. An indication of a baseline portion of the range is also provided. The baseline portion of the range designates preferred values of the parameter. The display further includes an indicator designating the value of the parameter.
US08626464B2

A method for performing a dimensional inspection of a fabricated composite part (9), comprising steps of: a) Providing a number of points (Iij, Oij) to be inspected in its inner and outer surface; b) Obtaining the positional data of said points (Iij, Oij) from the fabricated composite part (9) hold in a position that allows the access to its outer and inner surfaces as a first set of positional data (WIij, WOij); c) Using said first set of positional data (WIij, WOij) and a second set of positional data (TIij, TOij) of the same points (Iij, Oij) obtained from an analytical model defining its theoretical geometry for calculating the deviations between them taking into account the deformations suffered by the fabricated composite part (9) in said position. The invention also refers to a workstation (11) for performing the method.
US08626462B2

A phase identification system is proposed. The system includes a sensor coupled to a terminal of a distribution transformer. A processor is coupled to the sensor for processing phase information of the terminal, wherein the sensor and the processor are embedded within a bushing unit on the distribution transformer. The processor is further configured to identify and display phase information at the distribution transformer.
US08626457B2

Methods of and devices for testing medical pumps via tracking induced single or multiple bubble trajectories within a fluid flow conduit by detecting a periodic synchronization event, via bubble tracking of a signal processor unit comprising a central processing unit and addressable memory and methods of synchronized corrections of fluid flow data estimates based on the detected periodic synchronization events.
US08626456B2

A method is provided herein for determining a remaining useful life of an air filter. The method includes, but is not limited to, measuring a first airflow rate and a first air pressure (P1) in an air cleaner assembly downstream of the air filter, wherein P1 corresponds to the first airflow rate. The method further includes measuring a second airflow rate and a second air pressure (P2) in the air cleaner assembly downstream of the air filter, wherein P2 corresponds to the second airflow rate. The method further includes obtaining pressure differentials A1, A2, B1, and B2 from a data storage device. The method also includes calculating with a processor a result indicative of a useful life remaining for the air filter by taking into account P1, P2, A1, A2, B1, and B2. The method also includes reporting the result to a user.
US08626454B2

A method and system for determining the potential friction between a tire and a rolling surface wherein: the tire is rotated on the rolling surface so as to subject a crown portion of the tire to an acceleration radial component; data are obtained which are representative of the acceleration radial component to which the crown portion is subjected during at least one tire revolution; starting from the data, data are selected which are representative of at least one transition region of the acceleration radial component; the selected data are processed so as to obtain information correlated with the steepness of transition of the at least one transition region; and the potential friction is estimated on the basis of the information correlated with the steepness of transition.
US08626453B2

A blood glucose level information processing apparatus, method and program provide blood glucose values and blood glucose value information within a period or range desired by a user without imposing cumbersome operation on the user. The apparatus, method and program provide blood glucose values and blood glucose value information within a period or desired range by acquiring blood glucose levels measured by a blood glucose level measuring device and date/time of measurement at which the blood glucose levels are measured, displaying a line graph obtained by plotting the blood glucose values within a predetermined period. A slide bar can also be provided, for example on a graph display screen image, whereupon if the slide bar is moved, only the blood glucose values corresponding to a preceding period backdating in response to the amount of movement of the slide bar are plotted on a line graph along a time series.
US08626450B2

A method for determining carbon emissions from a steam generation system is disclosed. It includes measuring a first energy of feedwater entering into a steam generation system and measuring a second energy of steam exiting the steam generation system. The first energy is subtracted from the second energy to determine a total energy absorbed by the steam generation system. The total energy absorbed by the steam generation system is divided by the total energy to determine a heat input to the steam generation system. The heat input is used to determine the carbon emissions from the steam generation system.
US08626449B2

Among other things, methods, systems, apparatus for performing on-the-fly apportionment are described. In particular, spectrum data associated with a particle is acquired in real-time. The acquired real-time spectrum data is analyzing in real-time to classify the particle. Analyzing the data in real-time includes comparing the acquired spectrum data with a library of known mass spectral fingerprints to obtain a match.
US08626441B2

An enhanced vehicle guidance system comprising a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver and a data processor with a memory component and a computing device. The method of enhancing a vehicle's guidance system may comprise calculating the altitude, latitude, and longitude of a GNSS receiver for each of a plurality of positions; calculating the incline angle between adjacent points; and using the calculated incline angles to infer the attitude of the vehicle at any of the plurality of positions. The attitude may be used to calculated an inertial correction factor to compensate for GNSS position inaccuracies induced as a result of the vehicle rolling and pitching on uneven terrain. The altitude, latitude, longitude, and attitude of the plurality of positions may be stored in the memory such that the system may look-up the attitude for a given position without recalculating the attitude and without using an inertial sensor.
US08626440B2

Traffic flow data representing traffic conditions on a road system is obtained. A user selects a start geographical location and an end geographical location. An animated flythrough 3D graphical map is then created and displayed beginning at the start geographical location and navigating toward the end geographical location. The traffic flow data is continuously displayed during the flythrough.
US08626433B2

An information delivery system comprises a receiver component that receives information about the movement, velocity, acceleration, and/or locations over time of a user. A computation component using a predictive model generates a probability distribution relating to one or more of when the user will next be stopped, how long the user will be stopped, how long a pattern of motion, such as walking, driving in stop and go traffic, and smooth highway motion will last, based at least in part upon signals about motion over time. The system can further comprise an alerting component that determines when to provide the user with information based at least in part upon the probability distribution over some aspect of motion or cessation of motion, and optionally the content, or tagged or inferred urgency or importance, of a message or communication.
US08626432B2

A distance sensor detects a target distance from a vehicle to a target in front of the vehicle, and a vehicle speed sensor detects a vehicle speed. A controller calculates a stopping distance of the vehicle from the vehicle speed. The controller calculates a collision possibility index from the target distance and the stopping distance, and calculates a kinetic energy of the vehicle immediately before a collision with the target from the vehicle speed and the target distance. The controller warns a driver of the vehicle of the possibility of a collision and the scale of damage to be caused by the collision on the basis of the collision possibility index and the kinetic energy of the vehicle immediately before the collision. As a result, the driver is provided with information promoting safe driving which appeals to the driver forcefully.
US08626427B2

A user interface method for a terminal for a vehicle is provided. The terminal obtains position information to detect a point of a road. A road image of a driving direction is obtained, a lanes of the road represented on the obtained road image is recognized, and a point of a road and lane in which the vehicle having the terminal arranged therein is detected. A virtual road image regarding the recognized lanes is generated, and the generated virtual lanes are added to the road image of the driving direction of the vehicle, and displayed. Traffic information for each lane and surrounding information (i.e. lane closure, construction, accident, etc.) at the detected point of the relevant road are obtained, and the obtained information is displayed for each virtual lane.
US08626419B2

A system and method and system flow for processing GPS event data to identify frequent stop location in accord with embodiments as described herein. The method comprises identifying a stop location for a vehicle. The method comprises recording vehicle stops for an entity associated with the vehicle over a predetermined period of time. For example, stops are collected or processed for a predetermined time period. If the number of stops meets the threshold number of stops, the area is identified as a frequent stop location.
US08626416B2

A traction controlling apparatus is configured such that if a slip of a driving wheel is detected, then a throttle valve opening is reduced to a first predetermined value. If failure is detected while the throttle valve opening is reduced to the first predetermined value, then the throttle valve opening is further reduced to a second predetermined value. If the acceleration grip is manipulated to a fully closed position while the throttle valve opening is reduced to the second predetermined value, then the control is ended and throttle control by a direct manipulation of the acceleration grip is enabled.
US08626412B2

When a vehicle electric power source is turned on, and when a target mode position is other than a parking (P)-mode position and a driving (D)-mode position or the target mode position is unfixed, a shift-by-wire electronic control unit (SBW-ECU) does not drive the actuator so that the current actual mode position is maintained. The SBW-ECU accepts only the driver's requirement for changing the mode position to the P-mode position or the D-mode position. When it is required to change the mode position to the P-mode position, a first position learning portion learns a first reference position. When it is required to change the mode position to the D-mode position, a second position learning portion learns a second reference position.
US08626411B2

A control system for a vehicle, comprises a torque determination module, a control module, and a transmission control module. The torque determination module determines torque produced by an internal combustion engine. The control module sets a signal to an active state when the torque is greater than a predetermined torque and a slip amount between an engine output speed and a transmission input speed is zero. The predetermined torque corresponds to a potential vibration amount when the slip amount is zero. The transmission control module selectively increases the slip amount above zero in response to the setting of the signal to the active state.
US08626408B1

An integrated system for row-producing in agriculture fields comprises several implements each having an elevated central frame, an undercarriage assembly with a rear active steering system and the undercarriage assembly is rear located and being behind the structures of toolbar and row units. The rear active steering system controlled by a GPS system comprises a steer angle sensor and a closed loop continuous feedback system, with the purpose of keeping a precise lateral location. This integrated system also comprises an active toolbar height controlling system. When needed, the undercarriage assembly can be disconnected from the implement. This integrated system functions to reduce compactions in the field and ensure lateral accuracy of the implement movement. The integrated system works as a strip tiller, and as a planter.
US08626407B2

A work vehicle is disclosed with an information displaying device preventing set information corresponding to a setting screen displayed on a display from being erroneously changed even while permitting an operation for switching to and displaying one among a plurality of set screens on the display. A setting information processing unit of the information displaying device includes setting screen displaying means for switching the setting screen by the input of a first operation information item and displaying same in a transition display mode, and setting information changing means for performing a process in an information change mode for permitting a change to the set information corresponding to the setting screen, by inputting of a second operation information item. When it is determined that the second operation information item is inputted in the information change mode, a process for restoring the transition display mode from the information change mode is performed.
US08626404B2

The described system and method are implemented within a motor grader or other machine for grading of surfaces, wherein the machine includes a ground engaging element, as well as one or more blades for removing surface material. In this context, the described system and method prevent slippage of the ground engaging element against the underlying surface. In an embodiment, a torque limit is applied, wherein the torque limit corresponds to a torque that is less than that required for slippage under the current operating conditions, thus avoiding the problems caused by both overly aggressive and overly conservative cut depth strategies.
US08626402B2

A drive arrangement for a work machine is provided, having a first internal combustion engine and a second internal combustion engine. A controller is allocated to the internal combustion engines, and a drive train is selectively connected to both internal combustion engines for driving elements of the work machine. In the case of a double-engine mode, the controller specifies a maximum single power (P1) of the internal combustion engines that is less than the maximum power (P2) that can be specified by the controller for an internal combustion engine operating in the single-engine mode.
US08626391B2

A Lane-keeping control method and system of a vehicle include an estimated control entry boundary arrival time setting controller for setting an estimated control entry boundary arrival time to arrive at a control entry boundary and a look-ahead distance calculator for calculating a look-ahead distance on the basis of the estimated control entry boundary arrival time and vehicle velocity. A lane-keeping control entry determiner determines whether to enter the lane-keeping control on the basis of the control entry boundary, a lane-keeping control torque producer produces a lane-keeping control torque in a direction opposite to a lane-departure direction whether to enter lane-keeping control, and a torque releasing controller releases the lane-keeping control torque when the vehicle has returned to the inside of a control release boundary after the lane-keeping control torque was produced.
US08626390B2

A method for disabling the implement steering system of a towed implement includes monitoring a speed of the implement and if the speed exceeds a predefined limit, automatically disabling the implement steering system.
US08626378B2

A method is provided for determining and providing information for the transport of an object with a passenger car. A determining of the first parameter of the object to be transported takes place, where the at least one first parameter is selected from the group consisting of dimensions of the object and the mass of the object. In addition, a determining of a current transport capacity of the passenger car takes place. Furthermore, a determining of a probable loading state of the passenger car based on the determined first parameter and the determined current transport capacity of the passenger car takes place. In addition, an outputting of information regarding the determined probable loading state takes place.
US08626374B2

An in-vehicle device includes: a memory for storing a gadget corresponding to an icon, a display content of which is changed with time, wherein the gadget provides a process; a display having a screen, on which the icon is displayed; an operation receiver for receiving an operation to the icon; a controller for executing the process when the controller determines that the operation receiver receives the operation to the icon under a condition that the display displays the icon; and a driving condition information obtaining element for obtaining driving condition information of a vehicle. The controller controls the display to change a display mode of the icon based on the driving condition information when the display displays the icon.
US08626373B2

Provided are a fuel cell system and a control method thereof capable of inhibiting the occurrence of problems caused by surplus electrical power even in cases where the torque able to be generated by the motor is limited due to a low motor drive voltage. A fuel cell system provided with a fuel cell and a motor is further provided with required output torque calculation means for calculating a required output torque based on an output requirement, torque upper limit value calculation means for calculating a torque upper limit value of torque able to be generated by the motor based on a drive voltage of the motor, required motor torque calculation means for calculating a required motor torque based on the required output torque and the torque upper limit value, required motor power calculation means for calculating a required motor power based on the required motor torque, and required generated power calculation means for calculating a required generated power of the fuel cell based on the required motor power.
US08626371B2

Diagnosing auxiliary equipment associated with an engine. A condition of the auxiliary equipment is diagnosed based on information provided by signals from a generator operationally connected to the auxiliary equipment or other signals associated with the engine. Different types of degradation are distinguished based on discerning characteristics within the information. Thus, a degraded auxiliary equipment component can be identified in a manner that reduces service induced delay.
US08626367B2

An exemplary method for operating a hybrid vehicle in the event that there is a problem with an auxiliary power source, such as an internal combustion engine or a fuel cell. According to one embodiment, the method provides a power management scheme for a variety of situations where an auxiliary power source experiences a problem; this may include situations where an internal combustion engine runs out of fuel, where there is a mechanical or electrical malfunction, or any other instance where the auxiliary power source is unable to generate and/or provide electrical energy for the hybrid vehicle. The power management scheme conserves the vehicle's primary power source, which is typically a battery, in order to provide the hybrid vehicle with an extended driving range.
US08626364B2

The invention relates to method characterized in that said method comprises steps of acquiring movements, calculating the mean position, calculating position predictions, and calculating minimum grid (5) movement speeds, and a step of acquiring the position of the drone (4) so that, if the drone cannot follow the movements of the grid and the movements of the grid are small, i.e. smaller than the radius of the latter, it is possible to apply a landing strategy by monitoring the mean position of the grid, and if the movements of the grid are large, i.e. larger than the radius of the grid, it is possible to apply a landing strategy by positioning at the minimum speeds of the grid, and if the drone (4) can follow the movements of the grid (5) and the movements of the grid are small, i.e. smaller than the radius of the grid, it is possible to apply a landing strategy according to the mean position of the grid, and if the movements of the grid are large, i.e. larger than the radius of the grid, it is possible to apply a landing strategy by following the position of the grid predicted at the instant of landing.
US08626358B2

A system to reduce head-down time for a flight crew is provided. The system includes a functional module including a set of screens used to receive and send controller pilot data link communications (CPDLC) messages between an aircraft and a ground system; a message composition screen communicatively coupled to the functional module; and a shortcut interface communicatively coupled to the functional module, wherein a shortcut prompt is automatically displayed when a confirm-response message received responsive to a previously-sent downlink request message is viewed, and wherein the previously-sent downlink request message is displayed when the shortcut interface is implemented.
US08626355B2

In a method for managing cooling provisioning in a three-dimensional package containing a plurality of stacked die with a cooling system having at least one active cooling mechanism, at least one of workload on and an environmental condition at or around one of the plurality of stacked die is identified. In addition, at least one of the active cooling mechanism and the one of the plurality of stacked die is controlled based upon at least one of the identified workload and environmental condition.
US08626352B2

A non-linear power equation may be solved in linear form by locking a variable or variables and iteratively solving to provide a Web service for accurately and quickly estimating optimized power solutions for hydroelectric power stations. Additionally, these iterative calculations may provide for long term water resource planning and more accurate estimation models. Further, such optimized power solutions may be usable to create accurate and timely water management models for the operation and planning of hydroelectric power stations.
US08626351B2

In various energy systems which handle a plurality of types of energy, a method and device for operation scheduling for energy storage equipment are provided, which determines optimal operation of an energy storage equipment and improves the efficiency of the energy system overall. An energy storage equipment operation scheduling part 13 creates an energy storage equipment operation schedule, an energy generation equipment modified operation schedule, and an energy storage equipment modified operation schedule, based on three information items, which are the energy demand forecast information stored in a storage part D1, the energy generation equipment operation schedule stored in a storage part D2, and equipment connection information, and sends the created schedules to the equipment controller 20.
US08626342B2

The present invention comprises devices, systems, methods, and computer program products for managing data related to the dispensing of contrast media as part of a medical procedure. The device and system provide a controller that is capable of communicating with a dispensing device so as to extract, arrange, process, and present a data set (e.g., a usage data set) from the dispensing device to a user such that the user may selectively monitor statistics related to the administration of contrast media, saline, or other consumables used during one or more dispensing operations. The method and computer program product for managing data related to the dispensing of contrast media may further allow for extraction, arrangement, processing, and presentation of the data set via the controller, via a user interface that is operably engaged with the dispensing device and/or via a computer network that may be in communication with the dispensing device.
US08626334B2

A method for manually configuring an order-picking warehouse by using a guidance system comprises equipping at least some of the storage locations with respective storage-location displays; connecting the associated storage-location displays to a master computer via a controller, and allocating to each controller a dedicated controller address; and configuring the order-picking warehouse by assigning respectively dedicated storage-location addresses to the equipped storage locations. All of the displays, which have not yet been assigned a dedicated storage-location address, are visually activated. At least one visually activated display is selected, thereby selecting the associated storage location and causing visual deactivation of the selected storage-location display. Each of the selected storage locations is assigned one dedicated storage-location address. The steps are repeated until all of the associated storage locations have been assigned a dedicated storage-location address, or until the user no longer wishes to assign dedicated storage-location addresses.
US08626327B2

A system for optimizing blending. The system can include a processor configured to aggregate material information, aggregate production information, model consumer liking of the at least one product, and provide plan information for controlling production resources based on the material information, the production information, and the consumer liking. The material information can be associated with a product input of the at least one product. The production information can be associated with the production resources of the at least one product.
US08626320B2

A process in an electro-mechanical system having a plurality of controllable components, is controlled by: (a) storing component objects each corresponding to a component and having activation and/or feedback data for that component; (b) storing operation objects each referencing an operation to be carried out on a component and a pointer to the relevant component object; (c) storing process steps each referring to operation objects; and (d) sequentially processing process steps, by: following each reference to an operation object to determine the operation type and the component object, and performing a data operation to be component object to cause the operation to be carried out on the relevant component. In this way, a system controller can be used to activate components in dependence on the activation state of corresponding component objects and to update the feedback states of component objects in dependence on signals received from the components.
US08626311B2

Embodiments of the invention are related to systems for interfacing with implantable medical devices, amongst other things. In an embodiment, the invention includes an external medical system including a processor and a telemetry circuit in communication with the processor, the processor configured to communicate with an implanted medical device. The system can be configured to query a system user after a first period of time in which indicators of system use are not detected. The system can be further configured to deactivate one or more data transmission features of the implanted medical device after a second period of time in which one or more indicators of system use are not detected. Other embodiments are also included herein.
US08626310B2

An implantable medical device (“IMD”) is provided having an antenna and an RF telemetry module for far field telemetry communications arranged on an exterior of the IMD housing, such that telemetry signal processing may be performed on the exterior of the housing. One or more feedthrough conductive paths extend through the housing to communicatively couple the RF module to circuitry within the housing. In this manner RF module is arranged entirely external to the housing, such that only power and/or low frequency data bit signals are required to be passed through the feedthrough conductive path. This allows the feedthrough conductive path to be filtered to prevent undesired interference signals (e.g., electromagnetic interference (EMI) signals) from entering the housing through the feedthrough conductive path coupled to the RF module. In some embodiments, the antenna and RF module are formed in an integrated assembly attachable to an exterior portion of the housing.
US08626309B1

The implantable medical device is configured as a cochlear implant or the like. The implantable medical device includes a stimulator unit, an elongate electrode carrier in electrical communication with said stimulator unit, and an internal receiver unit. The internal receiver unit is configured as a suction cup having first and second convex cup portions. The first convex cup portion is adapted for mounting against a bone surface. Preferably, each of the first and second convex cup portions is formed from a resilient, flexible, biocompatible material. The second convex cup portion has a central bore formed therein. When the second convex cup portion is mated against the first convex cup portion, a threaded screw extends through the bore to contact the first convex cup portion and is tightened, thus compressing the first convex cup portion against the bone surface for suctional adhesion thereto.
US08626307B2

An electronic system is provided which includes a number of components. Each component includes one or more integrated circuits. During normal operation of the system, each integrated circuit provides individual operating functionality for its respective component. At least one of the integrated circuits is installed as a generic integrated circuit capable of providing any one of a number of potential operating functionalities. The generic integrated circuit is arranged to determine where in the system it has been installed upon system initialization, and, based upon the determination, configure itself to provide the required individual operating functionality for normal operation of the system.
US08626304B2

In one embodiment, a method of treating an upper airway may include delivering a first electrical stimulation to a first portion of a nerve innervating a first upper airway muscle via a plurality of electrodes adjacent the nerve. The method may further include delivering a second electrical stimulation to a second portion of the nerve innervating a second upper airway muscle via the plurality of electrodes, wherein the second muscle is different from the first muscle.
US08626290B2

Apparatus and methods are described including identifying a subject as suffering from a condition selected from the group consisting of congestive heart failure, diastolic heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, and hypertension. In response to the identifying, an electrode is placed on the subject's aorta at an aortic site that is between a bifurcation of the aorta with the subject's left subclavian artery and a bifurcation of the aorta with the subject's fifth intercostal artery. The subject is treated by electrically stimulating the aortic site by driving a current into the aortic site, via the electrode. Other applications are also described.
US08626271B2

A system for examining an area of a patient's anatomy that comprises a probe capable of fluorescing, and a scanning beam assembly that scans the probe with a beam of excitation radiation and detects the probe's fluorescence. The scanning beam assembly including a radiation source capable of emitting one or more wavelengths of radiation that are capable of exciting the probe and causing the probe to fluoresce, a scanning device that directs the radiation onto a field-of-view to create a scan of the field-of-view, a detector to detect radiation returned from the field-of-view, and a controller to convert the detected radiation into a displayable fluorescence image.
US08626268B2

A system and method for detection of colorimetric abnormalities within a body lumen includes an image receiver for receiving images from within the body lumen. Also included are a transmitter for transmitting the images to a receiver, and a processor for generating a probability indication of presence of colorimetric abnormalities on comparison of color content of the images and at least one reference value.
US08626267B2

The present invention provides a method for determining a position of a joint prosthesis using a computer assisted orthopedic surgery system in support of an arthroplasty surgery. The method includes attaching a first locatable element to a first bone on one side of a joint, providing a sensor having a second locatable element and moving the sensor in proximity of the joint to locate a plurality of positions of the sensor relative to the first locatable element using a tracking device. The method further includes selecting a generic model of a joint, determining the generic model in response to the plurality of positions located using the tracking device to generate a deformed model, determining a position for a joint prosthesis on the deformed model, and outputting on a display the determined position upon the deformed model.
US08626262B2

A physiological data collection system facilitates acquiring, recording, transferring and analyzing physiological signals generated from the skin of a human subject that may be used in generating an electrocardiogram for a patient in a continuous manner over an extended period of time of twenty four to forty eight hours. The physiological data collection system is an assembly of a disposable physiological sensor device and a reusable data collection module. Collected physiological data may be transmitted for analysis via either a cable or a wireless communication system.
US08626260B2

An expandable electrode pad having a flexible and stretchable base member that may be either expanded or compressed to provide proper positioning for a plurality of electrode distal contacts. Portions of the base member may have perforations that allow one or more sections of the base member to be separated and positioned a greater, non-stretchable distance away from the remaining strip of distal contacts. Additionally, the circuit body may comprise a distal cut zone that provides for freedom of movement of the plurality of distal contacts and a proximal perforated zone that eliminates lead wire entanglements while also allowing for the tearing of perforations between adjacent conductive circuits when a greater reach is required for the proper placement of a distal contact.
US08626248B2

The display of a mobile device is managed during a voice communication session using a proximity sensor and an accelerometer. In one example, the display of a mobile device is turned off during a phone call on the mobile device when a proximity sensor detects an object is proximate the device and an accelerometer determines the device is in a first orientation.
US08626242B2

To provide an adaptive array antenna capable of increasing resolution of a variable beam direction of the antenna without increasing a calculation amount in arithmetic processing unit for optimally controlling a variable phase shifter. A parasitic element-equipped adaptive array antenna (100) includes n (n is an integer equal to or greater than 2) parasitic antenna elements (1011 to 101n), (n−1) fed antenna elements (1021 to 102n−1) which are coupled to the parasitic antenna elements (1011 to 101n) by electromagnetic fields, and (n−1) variable phase shifters (1041 to 104n−1) which change the phases of radio frequency signals to be supplied to the respective fed antenna elements (1021 to 102n−1). Each of the fed antenna elements (1021 to 102n−1) is arranged astride at least two of the parasitic antenna elements (1011 to 101n).
US08626228B1

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for an access-provisioning node, which may help mobile stations utilize network resources more efficiently when accessing a radio access network. An exemplary method involves: (a) at an access-provisioning node installed in a coverage area of a radio access network, determining a verified transmit power for reverse-link communications from the system-information node to a base station in the radio access network, wherein the reverse link communications are carried out under a first wireless protocol; and (b) the access-provisioning node transmitting a transmit-power message under a second wireless protocol, wherein the second wireless protocol is a short-range wireless protocol, and wherein the transmit-power message comprises an indication of the verified transmit power for use by a mobile station to set an initial transmit power of the mobile station.
US08626226B2

A method and system for determining synchronization status in a wide band CDMA (WCDMA) network may comprise calculating a signal to noise ratio (SNR) of a downlink dedicated physical channel (DPCH) based on a plurality of transmit power control (TPC) bits received via the downlink dedicated physical channel (DPCH), wherein the value of at least one of the plurality of TPC bits is not known when at least one of the plurality of TPC bits is received. The transmit circuitry may be controlled based on the calculated signal to noise ratio. The transmit circuitry may be disabled if the calculated SNR of the plurality of TPC bits is below a first channel threshold. The transmit circuitry may be enabled if the calculated SNR of the plurality of TPC bits is above a second channel threshold.
US08626218B2

Methods for allocating a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to reduce a number of PDCCH candidates in a search space for carrier aggregation on a user equipment (UE) are disclosed. The method comprises the step of selecting a control channel element (CCE) aggregation level for a PDCCH allocation for each of a plurality of user equipments (UEs) at an evolved NodeB (eNB). The operation of identifying a transmission mode for each of a plurality of component carriers (CCs) associated with the PDCCH at the eNB follows. The next operation of the method is assigning each CC's downlink control information (DCI) into CCEs in a PDCCH search space in the PDCCH starting at a CCE location based on the CC's transmission mode and the CCE aggregation level for the UE receiving the CC.
US08626212B2

A method for group messaging at a mobile terminal in autonomous network includes acquiring a message and a list of target identifiers, containing the identifiers of multiple mobile terminals to which the message is to be sent; transmitting the message via the autonomous network to any mobile terminal of the multiple mobile terminals that locates in the autonomous network, and removing the identifier of the mobile terminal from the list of target identifiers to obtain an updated list of target identifiers; generating an aggregate message, wherein the aggregate message contains the message and the identifiers in the updated list; sending the aggregate message to a base station if the length of the aggregate message does not exceed a threshold; dividing the aggregate message into multiple fragment messages and sending the multiple fragment messages to the base station if the length of the aggregate message exceeds the threshold.
US08626207B2

A method of checking for modification of a message transmitted by a transmitting mobile terminal comprises transmitting an original message to a receiving mobile terminal, receiving a report message comprising information about any modification of the original message, and displaying information about the modification of the original message.
US08626205B2

Embodiments of the invention provide methods, devices and computer programs arranged to control access to a cell in a communication network. One embodiment comprises an apparatus comprising a processing system arranged to cause the apparatus to: receive a plurality of Closed Subscriber Group identifiers (CSG IDs) assigned to the cell; select and transmit a first CSG ID from the plurality of CSG IDs on the basis of a first load condition on the cell; and select and transmit a second, different, CSG ID from the plurality of CSG IDs on the basis of a second, different, load condition on the cell.
US08626197B1

A method and system for linking information from a mobile telephony device with an electronic file are disclosed. At least some of the illustrative embodiments may be a method comprising a computer system performing an operation on an electronic file and determining that the computer system is proximate to a first mobile telephony device. The method also comprises determining information about the first mobile telephony device, linking at least some of the information from the first mobile telephony device with the electronic file on the computer system, and storing the electronic file and the information linked with the electronic file in a memory device.
US08626189B2

Described are computer-based methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for position determination. In some examples, the method includes receiving, by a device, position information from at least one other device. The method further includes modifying, by the device, an initial position based on the position information from the at least one other device to form a refined position. The method further includes transmitting, by the device, the refined position to the at least one other device. The method further includes revising, by the device, the refined position based on refined position information received from the at least one other device to form a final position.
US08626188B2

A position estimation server estimates the position of a target mobile node by using position information of a minimum number of anchor nodes knowing their position, distance information estimated between mobile nodes or between the anchor nodes and the mobile nodes, and connectivity information.
US08626183B2

In a GPS or GSM system using DSSS signals, accurate and robust time-of-flight signal processing is achieved by selection of leading-edge or correlation techniques based on a variety of tests and environmental conditions.
US08626179B2

A particular method includes receiving multiple requests to access a signal processing resource of a device that supports multiple subscriptions during a first time period. During the first time period, a first subscription is granted access to the signal processing resource, and a second subscription is denied access to the signal processing resource. A remedial action policy and historical information related to subscription access to the signal processing resource may be used to determine whether to grant access to the signal processing resource to the second subscription during a second time period. When access to the signal processing resource is granted to the second subscription during the second time period, hysteresis may be used to determine whether to grant access to the first subscription during a third time period after the second time period in order to preserve paging performance of the first subscription.
US08626175B2

The invention relates a method and system for assessing coverage of a wireless access network within a desired area via cooperating wireless access networks and terminals capable of measurement and reporting across the different wireless access networks. The cooperation refers to, among other things, the ability of obtaining coverage assessment for one of the wireless access networks using results of the measurements collected at one of the other wireless access networks. In this manner, more accurate and complete coverage assessment may be obtained, relative to the prior art approaches.
US08626171B2

It is judged whether a mobile node 11 exists at a boundary A overlapped with a different sector of the base station for use in communication or at a boundary B overlapped with an area of another base station or at an area fringe C. In accordance with the application in use and the results thus judged, a handover is performed between base stations in a wireless communication system, or switching to the another wireless communication system is made, or simultaneous communication with the another wireless communication system is performed, or either the uplink or the downlink is switched to the another wireless communication system.
US08626164B2

A method of operating a mobile wireless network comprising: receiving, by a provisioning server, a signal from a mobile wireless network specifying a location of a first mobile device having a first International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) and operating in the mobile wireless network under a first condition, the mobile wireless network including a plurality of mobile switching centers (MSCs) and a plurality of mobile devices operating in the mobile wireless network; provisioning the first IMSI in the first HLR based on a state transition rule from a first provisioning state to a second provisioning state; provisioning a second IMSI in the first HLR based on the state transition rule from a third provisioning state to the first provisioning state; and transmitting data identifying the second IMSI to the first mobile device to allow the first mobile device to operate in the mobile wireless network under a second condition.
US08626158B2

A method and system for providing a subscriber with an intelligent service provides the subscriber of an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) domain with special intelligent services of multiple intelligent platforms or convergent services. In the present invention an IP Multimedia Service Switching Function (IM-SSF) that supports an intelligent control protocol other than a Customized Application for Mobile network Enhanced Logic (CAMEL) Application Part (CAP) protocol is added into the IMS. The IM-SSF triggers the intelligent services through the protocol other than CAP to a Service Control Function (SCF) of corresponding intelligent platform according to obtained subscription information upon receipt of a session establish request related to a served subscriber; the subscription information can be pre-configured in the IM-SSF, or downloaded by the IM-SSF from a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) of the subscriber.
US08626156B2

According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for modifying policy information associated with a roaming subscriber. The method includes receiving a first signaling message. The first signaling message includes a policy or quality of service (QoS) attribute associated with a roaming subscriber and originating from a home network of the roaming subscriber. The method also includes determining, using information associated with the roaming subscriber or a provider network, that the policy or QoS attribute should be modified and modifying the policy or QoS attribute for application in the provider network.
US08626155B2

Systems and methods according to these exemplary embodiments provide for communications systems which use closed subscriber groups (CSG). More particularly, systems and methods for CSG roaming as well as transmitting information associated with CSG White lists are described herein.
US08626142B2

A method, mobile device and activation server for wirelessly activating a mobile communication device at an activation server sends an activation summary to the mobile communication device in response to receiving a request for activation. The activation summary provides notification of a number of services that can be activated on the mobile communication device. Responsive to receiving a selection of at least one of the services, the method downloads at least one of configuration information and routing information for the selected service to the mobile communication device.
US08626135B1

In general, techniques for using short range communication, such as near-field communication (NFC), to redirect the communication of a computing device to receive digital items selected at a kiosk may include receiving, by a computing device and from a kiosk computing device via a first communication pathway comprising short-range wireless communication, a device identifier associated with the kiosk computing device, wherein the kiosk computing device is operable to receive a selection of a digital item. The techniques may further include sending, by the computing device, a request for access to the digital item based at least in part on the device identifier associated with the kiosk computing device. The techniques may further include receiving, by the computing device via a second communication pathway, access to the digital item based at least in part on the device identifier.
US08626130B2

A system in which a user controls the log-in, transaction, and log-out process with respect to a merchant. The user's presence at the merchant's facility triggers the log-in process, such that the merchant's systems become aware of the user's presence. Once the user is registered with the merchant, information and services become available to the user without further action required by the user. Transactions are facilitated, specials are brought to the user's attention, personal shopping becomes available while the user remains in the facility. Upon leaving the facility, or after a certain elapsed time with a transaction being consummated, the user is logged-out of the system.
US08626127B2

A computing device implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product to generate dynamic voice response messages in a mobile computing device. In response to receiving an incoming call from a caller, the process displays a list of response messages in a set of response messages. In response to receiving a selection of a response message from the list of response messages, the process sends the selected response message to the caller.
US08626122B2

The present invention relates to a solution for handling security issues of non access stratum (NAS) signaling in a telecommunications network (100) The NAS signaling is performed between a user equipment (UE) and a mobility management node, e.g. a mobility management entity (MME) The solution is realized in a device and in a method comprising steps of receiving an initial non access stratum message from the UE (101) communicating wirelessly (105) with the telecommunications network, determining security context status for the UE, determining if un-ciphered mode is to be used in the security context, set ciphering algorithm to a null ciphering algorithm, transmitting a security context and activation message to the UE, comprising information indicating ciphering algorithm, and receiving a security context activation acknowledge message from the UE.
US08626111B2

A technique where mobile devices can receive configuration settings tailored to a situation to avoid embarrassing disruptions of meetings and other events through a Mobile Device Situational Awareness Protocol (MDSAP). The MDSAP could also provide location-specific information to the mobile devices that would include presentations and multimedia files or maps and other physical location detail that could be useful in emergencies.
US08626105B2

A mixer-amplifier of an RF signal including at least an amplifier circuit and a mixing circuit controlled at a local oscillator frequency, for amplifying a signal applied on at least one input terminal and converting a first frequency of this signal into a second, lower, frequency, and including a reverse feedback loop switched at the local oscillator frequency.
US08626102B1

Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with radio coexistence using clock rate adaptation are described. According to one embodiment, a device includes a system bus configured to transmit and receive data at a clock rate. The device also includes a radio logic configured to receive radio frequency signals. The device further includes a clock logic configured to adjust the clock rate of the system bus when the radio logic is receiving the radio frequency signals.
US08626101B2

A wireless electronic device may contain multiple antennas. Control circuitry in the wireless electronic device may adjust antenna switching circuitry so that the device repeatedly cycles through use of each of the antennas. In a device with first and second antennas, the device may repeatedly toggle between the first and second antennas. During each toggling cycle time period, the first antenna may transmit for a fraction of the time period and the second antenna may transmit for a fraction of the time period. The wireless device may control the average power emitted by each antenna by adjusting the fractions of time assigned to each antenna. By performing antenna toggling, the average transmit power produced by each antenna may be reduced while maintaining the average transmit power produced by the device at a desired level.
US08626096B2

A method for combining signals coming from multiple diversity sources may include performing maximal-ratio combining (MRC) based equalization and combining for receiver antenna diversity. The method may also include performing MRC-based equalization and combining for repetition diversity. The method may also include performing MRC-based equalization and combining for duplication diversity. The MRC-based equalization and combining for receiver antenna diversity, the MRC-based equalization and combining for repetition diversity, and the MRC-based equalization and combining for duplication diversity may each be performed separately.
US08626094B2

It has now been found that in some transmitter implementations which transmit multiple code channels, for example CDMA transmitters, the observed power for each code channel at the output relative to the other code channels is dependent upon the total transmit power due to non-linearities in the transmitter. Methods and apparatus are provided which use pre-set digital gains or digital gain adjustments to compensate for the non-linearities as a function of total transmit power such that at the output, the desired relative powers are observed.
US08626092B2

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a current multiplier that can generate an output current with high linearity and/or high temperature compensation. Such current multipliers can be implemented by complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuit elements. In one embodiment, the current multiplier can include a current divider and a core current multiplier. The current divider can generate a divided current by dividing an input current by an adjustable division ratio. The division ratio can be adjusted, for example, based on a comparison of the input current with a reference current. The core current multiplier can generate the output current based on multiplying the divided current and a different current. According to certain embodiments, the output current can be maintained within a predetermined range as the input current to the current divider varies within a relatively wide range.
US08626084B2

An integrated circuit for transmit and receive matching is described. The integrated circuit includes a transmit amplifier. The transmit amplifier includes a first transistor, a second transistor and a first inductor. The first inductor couples the first transistor to the second transistor. The integrated circuit also includes a low noise amplifier. The low noise amplifier includes a third transistor, a fourth transistor, the first inductor, a second inductor, a third inductor and a transformer. The second inductor couples the first inductor to the third transistor. The third inductor couples the third transistor to ground.
US08626080B2

Bidirectional iterative beam forming techniques are described. An apparatus may include a wireless device having an antenna control module operative to initiate beam formation operations using an iterative training scheme to form a pair of communications channels for a wireless network, the antenna control module to communicate training signals and feedback information with a peer device via the transceiver and phased antenna array using partially or fully formed high rate channels, and iteratively determine antenna-array weight vectors for a directional transmit beam pattern for the phased antenna array using feedback information from the peer device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08626072B2

Methods and apparatus are described for mitigating intercell interference in wireless communication systems utilizing substantially the same operating frequency band across multiple neighboring coverage areas. The operating frequency band may be shared across multiple neighboring or otherwise adjacent cells, such as in a frequency reuse one configuration. The wireless communication system can synchronize one or more resource allocation regions or zones across the multiple base stations, and can coordinate a permutation type within each resource allocation zone. The base stations can coordinate a pilot configuration in each of a plurality of coordinated resource allocation regions. Subscriber stations can be assigned resources in a coordinated resource allocation region based on interference levels. A subscriber station can determine a channel estimate for each of multiple base stations in the coordinated resource allocation region to mitigate interference.
US08626071B2

A method and apparatus provide interference mitigation in a heterogeneous network using beamforming. In the method, a macro Mobile Station (MS) receives a broadcast message including a Precoding Matrix Index (PMI) set restricted in a macro cell, measures a Signal-to-Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR) and a channel power from an adjacent femto Base Station (BS) and calculates a PMI, determines whether to request a dedicated frequency resource for a macro MS on the basis of the measured SINR, the channel power from the adjacent femto BS, and the calculated PMI, and requests the dedicated frequency resource for the macro MS from a macro BS.
US08626068B2

An embodiment of the present invention provides a method for communicating in a millimeter wave (MMWAVE) wireless personal area network (WPAN) system using a reliable low-rate omni-directional communications mode implemented as TX-RX space scanning using directional antennas; and using a high-rate directional communications mode with beamformed directional antennas.
US08626064B2

An interactive communication device, wherein the device is in communication with a second remotely located device, preferably through the use of high-speed wireless technology such as Bluetooth™, and wherein the instant invention is capable of sending and/or receiving a plurality of signals to and from the second remotely located device.
US08626061B2

Provided is a method and apparatus for calculating an isolation distance that is a distance where an interference phenomenon does not occur between wireless repeater apparatuses. The isolation distance calculating apparatus may include: an interference signal calculator to calculate a magnitude of an interference signal included in a particular band by detecting a signal of the particular band extracted from a received radio signal of a wireless repeater apparatus; and an isolation distance calculator to calculate a necessary isolation distance for cancelling interference between the wireless repeater apparatus and another wireless repeater apparatus, based on a predetermined allowable interference signal level and the magnitude of the interference signal.
US08626054B2

To automatically annotate an essay, a sentence of the essay is identified and a feature associated with the sentence is determined. In addition, a probability of the sentence being a discourse element is determined by mapping the feature to a model. The model having been generated by a machine learning application based on at least one annotated essay. Furthermore, the essay is annotated based on the probability.
US08626043B2

An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier that is rotatably arranged and carries an image on an outer circumferential surface thereof; a transfer member that is rotatably arranged to face the image carrier and transfers the image carried on the image carrier onto a sheet held between the transfer member and the image carrier; a leading edge gripping member that is secured to the transfer member and grips a leading edge side of the sheet in a transport direction thereof on an outer circumferential surface of the transfer member; and a trailing edge holding member that is arranged to be rotatable around the transfer member, holds a trailing edge side of the sheet in the transport direction thereof between the trailing edge holding member and the outer circumferential surface of the transfer member, and bends to release the trailing edge side of the sheet in the transport direction thereof.
US08626032B2

An image forming apparatus includes a first rotating unit, an image carrier, an electrostatic latent image forming unit, a third rotating unit, an intermediate transfer body, first and second transfer units, and the following elements. A developing device includes a rotating body, a second rotating unit, plural developing units. A supply unit supplies a bias to a developer carrying member of each developing unit. A setting unit sets the bias to a first condition to develop the latent image of a first color at least while the latent image is being located at the developing position, and sets the bias to a second condition to suppress transferring of the toner in the subsequent developing unit to the image carrier after the second rotating unit starts rotating the rotating body from a waiting position and before stopping rotating the rotating body and locates the subsequent developing unit at the developing position.
US08626025B2

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.
US08626016B2

A charge bias causing the surface potential of a photosensitive drum to be lower than that in image formation is applied to a charge roller during a period in which the stop position of a rotary is moved from an unknown state to a home position to cause a developing bias to be applied to a developing roller to be smaller than that in the image formation.
US08626012B2

An image forming apparatus includes a toner image forming device that forms a toner image by using at least one of a plurality of toners that include a color toner and a first transparent toner; an intermediate transfer body to which the toner image is transferred; a second transfer unit that transfers the toner image to a recording medium; and a controller that acquires characteristic information that represents a characteristic of in-plane resistance variation of a currently-used recording medium before the toner image forming device forms the toner image, and if the characteristic information indicates that the in-plane resistance variation of the currently-used recording medium is larger than a predetermined value, controls the toner image forming device so that the toner image forming device forms a transparent toner image in such a way that a color toner image is superimposed on the transparent toner image on the intermediate transfer body.
US08626010B2

An electric power relaying unit of an image forming apparatus which includes an electric power blocking unit which selectively blocks the alternating current electric power output from the electric power input unit to be input to the electric power output unit, the electric power blocking unit including: a switching unit which switches an input of the alternating current electric power with respect to the electric power output unit; an electric power detecting unit which detects an electric power property; a memory unit in which a predetermined electric power property information is stored; and a control unit which controls a switching operation of the switching unit if determining that the detected electric power property corresponds to a predetermined electric power property in a failure of the image forming apparatus main body from a comparison result.
US08625996B2

An optical transmitter is provided for transmitting a wavelength multiplexed signal comprising an intensity modulation optical signal and a phase modulation optical signal through a transmission line. The optical transmitter includes a bit time difference given signal generator for generating at least two optical signals having a bit time difference therebetween, from the wavelength multiplexed signal. The optical transmitter further includes a wavelength multiplexed signal output unit to which at least two optical signals are input from the bit time difference given signal generator, and which generates and outputs a wavelength multiplexed signal in which the bit time difference was given between the phase modulation optical signal and the phase modulation optical signal.
US08625993B2

The present invention provides a wavelength-switched reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (R-OADM) with wavelength broadcasting capability, such that asymmetric video signal distribution and the like can be performed without sacrificing with respect to component complexity and expense. The present invention utilizes an optical splitting and combining device with the wavelength-switched R-OADM to allow the R-OADM to support network-wide wavelength broadcasts without requiring external regeneration and extra optical transceiver equipment.
US08625991B1

A laser system includes an array of lasers that emit light at a number of different, fixed wavelengths. A group of optical transport systems connect to the laser system. Each of the optical transport systems is configured to modulate data signals onto the light from the laser system to create optical signals and transmit the optical signals on one or more optical fibers.
US08625987B2

The invention relates to a method for monitoring a passive optical network having a tree-like structure with a main line and a plurality of branches. The method includes transmitting a wake-up signal from an optical line termination (OLT) arranged in the main line to a plurality of monitoring units arranged in the branches. The method also includes detecting the wake-up signal and listening to information requests from the OLT in the monitoring units during a listening time interval after the detection of the wake-up signal. The method further includes transmitting an information request to be received in the listening time interval from the OLT to the monitoring units. The method additionally includes receiving the information request in the monitoring units during the listening time interval, one of the monitoring units which is addressed by the information request transmitting a response message back to the OLT.
US08625985B2

A router comprising an interface module (IM), having an optical path and an electrical path and a speed sensor coupled between an input of the router and an input of the IM. The speed sensor is adapted to receive a packet and detect a speed of the IM connection and in response to the speed of the IM connection being above a threshold value, the speed sensor provides the packet to the optical path of the IM and in response to the relative speed being below the threshold value, the speed sensor provides the packet to the electrical path of the IM.
US08625978B2

Urea tank and base plate with an integrated heating element in which the heating element comprises at least one flexible part which is preferably a flexible heater comprising at least one resistive track affixed to one flexible film and/or placed between two flexible films.
US08625977B2

A fragrance emitting apparatus includes a casing having an interior region, a USB connector attached to the casing and configured for connection to a USB port, and a heating element positioned in the interior region of the casing and electrically connected to the USB connector. The heating element generates heat when the USB connector is connected to a USB port. The fragrance emitting apparatus includes a fragrance cartridge slidably and removably attached to the casing. The fragrance cartridge has a fragrance member that provides a fragrance, scent or aroma when the fragrance member is heated. The fragrance member is positioned near the heating element when the fragrance cartridge is slidably attached to the casing.
US08625974B1

Various methods, systems, and apparatuses can be used to obscure advertisements during trick mode operations. In some implementations, the trick mode stream can be selected so as to not include advertisement frames within the trick mode stream. Upon resuming normal operation, the advertisements can be included within the normal playback stream.
US08625972B2

A recording system includes a transmission apparatus and a recording apparatus. The transmission apparatus includes a storage unit that stores content data, a generating unit that generates recording destination information, and a transmission control unit that transmits the recording destination information and the content data. The recording apparatus includes a first recording unit that records content data, a second recording unit that records content data at a lower recording speed, and a recording control unit that controls the first and second recording units. The transmission control unit continuously transmits a plurality of pieces of recording destination information and content data. The recording control unit records, when the recording destination is a recording medium, the content data and the recording destination information in the first recording unit, and records the content data on the recording medium based on the recording destination information.
US08625969B2

Disclosed herein is an image processing apparatus for editing a three-dimensional video, including, a switching section configured to switch a video to be used as an editing result from a first three-dimensional video to a second three-dimensional video by any one of a plurality of switching methods, a parallax measuring section configured to measure a parallax in a three-dimensional video to compute a depth of the three-dimensional video on the basis of a measured parallax, a comparing section configured to compare a difference between a first depth computed on the first three-dimensional video and a second depth computed on the second three-dimensional video that is different from the first three-dimensional video with a predetermined threshold, and a restricting section configured to restrict an operation of the switching section in accordance with a comparison result obtained by the comparing section.
US08625965B2

A digital cinema management device includes a control unit that manages schedules of contents exhibited by playback devices and controls a representation of a management window for performing the schedule management, in which the control unit determines an urgent level in accordance with the number of days left until an exhibition day when the requirements for exhibiting contents with the playback devices in accordance with an exhibition schedule are not satisfied and switches the properties of the representation on the management window in accordance with the determined urgent level.
US08625958B2

A computer-readable medium has data stored thereon for processing by an image decoding apparatus so that multimedia content is presented in an intended manner by a display. A data recording area contains data representing a converted video stream, at least another stream, and multimedia coding data for controlling display of the video stream and the at least another stream on a common display device. The converted video stream is generated by performing a predetermined conversion process on an original video stream. The predetermined conversion process is controlled by additional information such that a display mismatch between the converted video stream and the at least another stream is avoided. The additional information is based on the multimedia coding data.
US08625949B2

Disclosed is an optical head, including a hollow micro-pipe and a stuffing member, the micro-pipe having a diameter-extended portion and a diameter-diminishing portion adapted allowing the incident light to transmit from the diameter-extended portion to the diameter-diminishing portion to emerge from its tip, and the stuffing member being disposed inside of the micro-pipe compared to prior techniques. The optical head of the invention is easier to be made, and it has a better focus for achieving optical exposure of sub-wave length focal spot and deep depth of focus.
US08625937B2

Embodiments of the invention provide optical lenses comprised of layers of material each having a different index of refraction from that of the other layers wherein the layers of material are arranged in order of increasing index of refraction. The lens region is capable of causing an optical beam that enters the lens region to be focused into an output beam that is smaller in at least one dimension. A waveguide is optically coupled to the optical lens and a photodetector is optically coupled to the waveguide. The optical lens is capable of being manufactured using semiconductor processing techniques and is capable of being integrated into an integrated circuit chip.
US08625936B1

A system, e.g. an optical modulator, includes an optical waveguide and a plurality of optical resonators. The optical waveguide is located along a surface of a planar substrate. The plurality of optical resonators is also located along the surface and coupled to the optical waveguide. Each of said optical resonators is configured to resonantly couple to the optical waveguide at a different optical frequency.
US08625932B2

Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for resizing images using seam carving techniques are disclosed. The methods may facilitate efficient re-computation of the energy of an image between seam carving iterations in a resizing operation by re-computing only the energy of pixels and/or seams in the neighborhood of removed and/or replicated seams. The neighborhood and pixels for which energy values are updated may be dependent on the energy function employed by the seam carving techniques. The efficient re-computation of image energy may facilitate the use of seam carving techniques in user-interactive environments. The methods may also be used to pre-compute a retargeting matrix, usable in performing retargeting operations on an input image without re-computing the energy and/or the lowest cost seam(s) of the image between iterations. The methods may be implemented as stand-alone applications or as program instructions implementing components of a graphics application, executable by a CPU and/or GPU.
US08625929B2

An image processing apparatus includes a first synthesizing unit that determines a first synthesis ratio of a plurality of images based on correlation amounts between a reference image and the plurality of images excluding the reference image and synthesizes a first image from a plurality of images based on the first synthesis ratio, a noise reducing unit that reduces noise of a plurality of images including the first image using a plurality of parameters and generates a plurality of noise-reduced first images including at least an image obtained by reducing noise of the first image, and a second synthesizing unit that determines a second synthesis ratio according to the first synthesis ratio and synthesizes a second image from the plurality of noise-reduced images based on the second synthesis ratio.
US08625923B2

An image processing apparatus includes an edge emphasizing unit configured to form an edge emphasized image by emphasizing an edge of an input image, a range setting unit configured to set a pixel value range of a target pixel value of a target pixel of the input image based on a pixel value difference between the target pixel value and a neighboring pixel value of a neighboring pixel of the input image, and based on an edge emphasized neighboring pixel value of an edge emphasized neighboring pixel of the edge emphasized image, and a ringing control unit configured to restrict an edge emphasized target pixel value of an edge emphasized target pixel of the edge emphasized image in the pixel value range. The edge emphasized neighboring pixel corresponds to the neighboring pixel position of the input image.
US08625922B2

There is provided an image processing device including an acquisition portion that acquires image data of an image, a dividing portion that divides the acquired image into a number of blocks N (N>1), a specification portion that sequentially specifies, each time the image data of the image is newly acquired, a number of the blocks M (N≧M>1) from among the number of the blocks N, as the blocks to be updated, a filtering portion that performs filtering using a predetermined filter on the image data of the specified number of the blocks M, a counting portion that counts a number of pixels for which a filtering result is larger than a predetermined value, a first determination portion that determines whether there is an abnormality in the blocks, and a second determination portion that determines whether sabotage has occurred.
US08625921B1

A method for filtering a digital image, comprising segmenting the digital image into a plurality of tiles; computing tile histograms corresponding to each of the plurality of tiles; deriving a plurality of tile transfer functions from the tile histograms preferably using 1D convolutions; interpolating a tile transfer function from the plurality of tile transfer functions; and filtering the digital image with the interpolated tile transfer function. Many filters otherwise difficult to conceive or to implement are possible with this method, including an edge-preserving smoothing filter, HDR tone mapping, edge invariant gradient or entropy detection, image upsampling, and mapping coarse data to fine data.
US08625919B2

According to this method, for the formulation and recording of the retrieval data, each of the images (2) taking the form of a two-dimensional array of rows and columns of pixels, the image is divided into blocks (4) of pixels, each block (4) comprising pixels of at least two rows and two columns, retrieval data are calculated for each block (4) on the basis of at least the image data contained in the pixels of this block (4) and the retrieval data calculated is recorded in the form of at least one pixel (5) exhibiting a value dependent on the retrieval data.
US08625912B2

Compound document images are usually high resolution and high quality images that include color, graphics, and images in addition to text. The need for good compression is important for storage and transmission. Due to the large size, even compressed, it is often difficult to access document images quickly and efficiently for display on monitors. The nascent JPM file format enables the best compound document image compression in terms of rate-distortion. However, the access into a JPM file is limited by the access features of the coders used. JPEG 2000 is an image coding system that allows access to lower resolutions, progressive bit-rates, and regions of interest.
US08625910B2

Image content may be compressed using a plurality of block truncation coding schemes resulting in a plurality of compressed versions of the image content. The plurality of compressed versions may be combined together into a single data structure. Prior to combining the plurality of compressed versions, each compressed version may be further compressed. In one embodiment, a data structure containing a plurality of block truncation encoded format versions of image content may be received. Rendering hardware-compatible block truncation encoded content from the plurality of compressed versions may be determined and provided to rendering hardware. The hardware may then decode the selected one block truncation encoded format for display. In one embodiment, each of the received plurality of block truncation encoded content versions may be further compressed. Before providing the selected version to the hardware for decoding, the further compression may be decompressed.
US08625905B2

A method for classifying objects in motion that includes providing, to a processor, feature data for one or more classes of objects to be classified, wherein the feature data is indexed by object class, orientation, and sensor. The method also includes providing, to the processor, one or more representative models for characterizing one or more orientation motion profiles for the one or more classes of objects in motion. The method also include acquiring, via a processor, feature data for a target object in motion from multiple sensors and/or for multiple times and trajectory of the target object in motion to classify the target object based on the feature data, the one or more orientation motion profiles and the trajectory of the target object in motion.
US08625904B2

A method of identifying groups of related digital images in a digital image collection, comprising: analyzing each of the digital images to generate associated feature descriptors related to image content or image capture conditions; storing the feature descriptors associated with the digital images in a metadata database; automatically analyzing the metadata database to identify a plurality of frequent itemsets, wherein each of the frequent itemsets is a co-occurring feature descriptor group that occurs in at least a predefined fraction of the digital images; determining a probability of occurrence for each the identified frequent itemsets; determining a quality score for each of the identified frequent itemsets responsive to the determined probability of occurrence; ranking the frequent itemsets based at least on the determined quality scores; and identifying one or more groups of related digital images corresponding to one or more of the top ranked frequent itemsets.
US08625900B2

Video-based handwriting input for biometric signature data collection is provided. The invention is implemented by finding all of the relative positions among all light points of light sources when all light sources mounted on a stylus are turned ON. An image is captured including effective strokes and digital data of pen pressure with a digital camera when a user writes on a writing surface with a stylus having a light source indicating x-y coordinates of strokes. The images are time-stamped. The stylus includes a micro-switch. When the stylus touches the writing surface, the micro-switch is turned on to let the light source indicating x-y coordinates of strokes turn ON and generate a light point. Effective stroke images and digital data of pen pressure are extracted by comparing the captured images with the light point on the stylus.
US08625899B2

A method for recognizing an image photographed by a camera and translating characters in connection with an electronic dictionary is provided. The method includes directly selecting an area to be recognized from the photographed character image and performing character recognition, translating and recognizing characters of a user's selected word in connection with dictionary data, and displaying translation result information of user's selected character or word in connection with dictionary data on a screen device. The recognition includes providing information on location of the selected character image area and location of the recognized character string words to the user, and then translating a character string or word in a location area selected by the user. The electronic dictionary-connected search and translation is for searching the character or word selected in connection with the electronic dictionary database, and providing translation result to the user.
US08625894B2

An image display device capable of supporting brightness enhancement and power control and a method thereof, in which the brightness and contrast are enhanced and the power of a light source is controlled in accordance with the image characteristic. In the image display method, a parameter representative of an input image is calculated from a histogram of the input image, a model corresponding to the input image is selected from a plurality of representative models by analyzing the parameter, and then a brightness controlling function matched with the selected model is selected. The size of each component of a pixel constituting the input image is controlled using the brightness controlling function, and the output image of the pixel whose component size has been controlled is displayed.
US08625870B2

The image reconstruction method and system reconstructs a multi-scale image using a set of predetermined nested 3D grids, and a zoomed image is reconstructed without losing details. The multiple steps uses a decreasing grid size to reconstruct an ultimately zoomed image in region of interest without degrading image quality.
US08625866B2

A system for admitting medical imaging data comprising image data and associated metadata comprises input means arranged to received image data from at least one source, a memory having stored therein consistency data defining at least one consistency criterion, and processing means arranged to analyze the imaging data to determined whether it meets the consistency criterion, and if it does not to amend the imaging data so that it does.
US08625861B2

Techniques for generating a gradient characterization for a first fingerprint image are provided. One or more fingerprint feature points are selected from the first fingerprint image. A region is obtained for each of the one or more selected fingerprint feature points. The region is a representation of an area proximate a given fingerprint feature point. Each of the obtained regions is divided into a plurality of sub-regions. A histogram is generated for each of the plurality of sub-regions. For each of the one or more selected fingerprint feature points, the one or more generated histograms are combined into a concatenated histogram. The concatenated histogram is used for identification purposes.
US08625859B2

An information processing apparatus including an image acquisition unit that acquires a target image; a face part extraction unit that extracts a face region including a face part from the target image; an identification unit that identifies a model face part by comparing the face part to a plurality of model face parts stored in a storage unit; and an illustration image determination unit that determines an illustration image corresponding to the identified model face part.
US08625854B2

A hand-held mobile 3D scanner (10) for scanning a scene. The scanner (10) comprises a range sensor (11) that is arranged to sense the location of surface points in the scene relative to the scanner (10) and generate representative location information, a texture sensor (12) that is arranged to sense the texture of each surface point in the scan of the scene and generate representative texture information, and a position and orientation sensor (13) that is arranged to sense the position and orientation of the scanner (10) during the scan of the scene and generate representative position and orientation information. A control system (14) is also provided that is arranged to receive the information from each of the sensors and generate data representing the scan of the scene.
US08625846B2

Motions, positions or configurations off, for example a human hand can be recognized by transmitting a plurality of transmit signals in respective time frames; receiving a plurality of receive signals; determining a plurality of channel impulse responses using the transmit and receive signals; defining a matrix of impulse responses, with impulse responses for adjacent time frames adjacent each other; and analyzing the matrix for patterns (22) corresponding to the motion position or configuration.
US08625845B2

A video stream of people within a venue like a movie theater is received. The people within the video stream are analyzed. Based on analysis of the people within the video stream, virtual content is overlaid onto the video stream. The video stream, with the virtual content overlaid thereon, is then displayed onto a screen within the venue. As such, the virtual content and one or more of the people within the venue can appear to be interacting with one another as if the virtual content were real and present within the venue.
US08625841B2

A nontransitory computer readable medium having stored thereon software instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations. The operations can include intercepting a request for manual processing of a mail piece image. The request can be transmitted by an originating MPE having failed to resolve the mail piece image. The request can be ignored and the mail piece scan image can be forwarded to an automated mail recognition system (AMRS). If the AMRS successfully resolved the image, a response, including a plurality of addressing data corresponding to the mail piece scan image, can be received from the AMRS. If the AMRS successfully resolved the image, at least a portion of the plurality of addressing data can be transmitted to the originating MPE. If the AMRS did not successfully resolve the image, the request can be forwarded to a manual mail recognition processing system.
US08625839B2

An embedder for embedding a watermark to be embedded into an input information representation comprises an information adder, which is implemented to provide the input information representation with the watermark and additional information to be added to obtain an input information representation provided with the watermark and the additional information. The additional information to be added comprises descriptive information describing the embedding of the at least one watermark into the input information representation.
US08625835B2

The present invention provides for the embodiments for a combined apparel and conductive extension wire assembly to bridge connectivity between a portable audio listening devices and transducers that emit audio sounds. The combined garment and extension wire assembly comprises of a garment (such as a shirt, jacket, cap, etc.) having an electrical wire with a connector on one end positioned within the interior of a garment pocket for conductive connectivity to the audio output of a portable listening device held within said pocket. The extension wire assembly shall channel through the interior of the garment through passageways or within garment seams, extending to garment apertures wherein a left and right channel wire shall respectively pass through and exit the apparel fabric having each wire ending with a connector enabling further conductive connectivity respectively to left and right channel transducers emitting audio sounds.
US08625830B2

The hearing device comprises an outer part to be worn behind a hearing device user's ear, an inner part to be worn within the hearing device user's ear, and a connecting portion operationally interconnecting said outer part and said inner part. An output transducer is comprised in said outer part or in said connecting portion. Said inner part comprises an input transducer and, operationally interconnected between said input transducer and said output transducer, a signal processing unit .
US08625829B2

A partially implantable hearing aid is provided, comprising an external audio signal unit to be worn at least in part in a user's ear canal, an implantable unit and external means for transmitting power transcutaneously to the implantable unit via an inductive link, the external audio signal unit comprising audio signal processing means for producing processed audio signals from input audio signals and means for transmitting the processed audio signals via an optical link through an ear drum to an optical receiver of the implantable unit, the implantable unit comprising an actuator for stimulating the user's hearing, a power receiving means and a driver unit for transforming the received audio signals into an input signal to the actuator.
US08625828B2

A hearing prosthesis comprising an external component having an integrated user interface, a sound processor configured to process received sounds based on predefined fitting data, and an on-board fitting system configured to set the fitting data in response to control inputs received via the integrated user interface.
US08625823B2

A MEMS microphone. The MEMS microphone includes a membrane, a spring, and a first layer having a backplate, and a first OTS structure. The spring has a first end coupled to the membrane, and a second end mounted to a support. The first OTS structure is released from the backplate and coupled to a structure other than the backplate, and is configured to stop movement of the membrane in a first direction after the membrane has moved a predetermined distance.
US08625812B2

An acoustic management system configured to compensate for acoustical dampening is provided. The system includes a microphone configured to detect a first acoustic signal from an acoustic environment and a logic circuit. The logic circuit detects an onset of the acoustical dampening between the acoustic environment and the microphone. The logic circuit generates an acoustic damping compensation filter, which is applied to the first acoustic signal to generate a drive signal.
US08625810B2

An encoding method and apparatus and a decoding method and apparatus are provided. The decoding method includes extracting a down-mix signal and spatial information regarding a plurality of channels from an input bitstream, and generating a three-dimensional (3D) down-mix signal by performing a 3D rendering operation on the down-mix signal using the spatial information and a filter, wherein the sum of the number of valid signals of the down-mix signal, the number of valid signals of the spatial information, and the number of valid signals of co-efficients of the filter is less than the number of valid signals of the 3D down-mix signal. Accordingly, it is possible to efficiently encode multi-channel signals with 3D effects and to adaptively restore and reproduce audio signals with optimum sound quality according to the characteristics of an audio reproduction environment.
US08625806B2

A data-processing apparatus has a data provider for providing an input datum encrypted by an encryption key. In addition, the data-processing apparatus has a key stream generator for generating a key stream in a predetermined deterministic manner such that the key stream has a decryption key corresponding to the encryption key. Furthermore, the data-processing apparatus has a data processor for processing the encrypted input datum in a masked manner using the decryption key as a temporary key to obtain an output datum encrypted by an output key such that the encrypted output datum corresponds to a result, encrypted by the output key, of a predetermined operation on the encrypted input datum having been decrypted by the decryption key.
US08625800B2

Transferring control of a secure element between TSMs comprises a zone master key established between the TSMs that facilitates encryption of a temporary key. The TSMs create the zone master key prior to initiation of transfer of control. Once transfer of control is initiated, the first TSM establishes a communication channel and deletes its key from the secure element. The first TSM creates a temporary key that is encrypted with the zone master key established between the first TSM and the second TSM. The encrypted temporary key is communicated to the second TSM with a device identifier. The second TSM decrypts the temporary key using the zone master key and identifies the user device using the device identifier. The new TSM establishes a communication channel and deletes the temporary key from the secure element. The new TSM then inputs and saves its key into the secure element.
US08625787B2

A method performed in a third computing device comprises: receiving a request from one of a first computing device and a second computing device; and in response to the request, facilitating establishment of a security association between the first computing device and the second computing device such that the first computing device and the second computing device can then facilitate establishment of a security association between first user equipment and second user equipment. The first computing device, the second computing device and the third computing device comprise at least a part of a key management hierarchy wherein the first computing device and the second computing device are on a lower level of the hierarchy and the third computing device is on a higher level of the hierarchy. The first and second computing devices are configured to perform a key management function for respective first and second user equipment.
US08625781B2

An Encryption processor is disclosed comprising an S-box unit, a byte permutation unit, a MixColumns unit and a key expansion unit. In an embodiment the byte permutation unit comprises a data input terminal for receiving input data, two or more row processors, each row processor having an input coupled to the input terminal and an output, and a clock gating circuit for generating for each of the two or more row processors a gated clock signal. Furthermore, a clock gated key expansion unit is disclosed. By clock gating, the power consumption of the processor is reduced which extends the battery life time in battery powered devices.
US08625778B2

A method of authentication and an image display apparatus incorporating the method are provided. The method of authentication includes determining whether or not an error is generated in an authentication with an externally-connected multimedia source, and upon determination that the authentication error is generated, changing a reset signal to re-attempt the authentication and output to the multimedia source. As a result, successful High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) authentication can be provided at all times.
US08625769B1

This invention relates to a conferencing and data collaboration operation and management system and method and, more particularly, to a managing, system and method for scheduling, monitoring and controlling of audio and video communication and data collaboration.
US08625767B2

A conference diagnosis system can correlate information about a current teleconference with information about past conferences to make an intelligent assessment as to the potential cause of a poor audio or other condition. A conference bridge conducting the conference can then change various configuration settings on the conference bridge to resolve the problem. A running average of the results of past adjustments can be measured and direct future configuration changes. Thus, past successful adjustments can provide a starting point for changes to a new conference and real-time digital signal processing (DSP) adjustments can help tailor changes to the specific conference.
US08625753B1

A method, system, and medium are provided for delivering recallable messages via Internet or telephony paths. A sender may configure a message as a recallable message on a communication device that is communicatively connected to a messaging alert platform. The request is delivered to a messaging alert platform, which then delivers the recallable message on the Internet or telephony paths. The messages are formatted by the messaging alert platform based to comply with the requirements of the selected communication path. The messaging alert platform attempts delivery until all paths are exhausted or a response, not an auto-reply, is received from the recipient of the message. The responses are filtered by the messaging alert platform before delivering the response from the recipient to the user.
US08625745B2

A portable signal testing system includes a transmitter, a first dynamically tunable receiver, a second dynamically tunable receiver, a first indicator and a second indicator. The transmitter transmits over a wired communications link a first signal having a corresponding first frequency representative of a first frequency range of the wired communications link, and transmits over the wired communications link a second signal having a corresponding second frequency representative of a second frequency range of the wired communications link. Signal losses for the first signal and second signal are measured, and indicators indicate whether the signal losses are acceptable.
US08625733B2

A neutron source rodlet assembly having a separate source capsule assembly that is not encapsulated within the neutron source rodlet assembly. The neutron source rodlet assembly is made up, at least in part, of a neutron source positioning rodlet assembly and the source capsule assembly configured such that assembly together is feasible at a remote site and they can be shipped separately. The source capsule assembly has outer and inner capsules with the outer capsule having a threaded stud at one end that mates with a complimentary threaded recess on the neutron source positioning rodlet assembly. The inner capsule contains a neutron source. The neutron source positioning rodlet assembly and the source capsule assembly are locked together at their interface when the threaded joint is completely tightened. A secondary neutron source material may also be encapsulated within a hollow portion of the neutron source positioning rodlet assembly.
US08625732B2

Systems and methods for storing radioactive materials that afford adequate ventilation of the cavity in which the radioactive materials are stored. In one aspect, the invention is a method of storing radioactive materials comprising: a) positioning a system comprising a shell forming a cavity and at least one inlet ventilation duct extending from an inlet to an outlet at a bottom portion of the cavity in a below grade hole so that the inlet of the inlet ventilation duct is above grade and the outlet of the inlet ventilation duct into the cavity is below grade; b) introducing engineered till into the hole to circumferentially surround the shell; c) lowering a canister containing radioactive materials into the cavity; and d) subsequent to the canister being lowered into the cavity, placing a lid on the shell.
US08625731B2

A neutron generator and isotope production apparatus and method of using the same to produce commercially and medically useful neutrons. The gamma,n reaction produces neutrons in beryllium and deuterium and the spectrum of the neutrons generated is shaped to optimize capture of the neutrons in a gamma emitting isotope. The gammas interact with target materials to produce large quantities of neutrons.
US08625730B2

In a phase locked loop, frequency-divided clocks each of which is given a phase difference of at least one cycle of a feedback clock are inputted to a first phase comparator and a second phase comparator, respectively, which are made to perform phase comparison with a reference clock. Then, outputs of the first and second phase comparators are weighted by a result of the phase comparison of a receive signal and the feedback clock, and phase adjustment of the feedback clock is phase adjusted using the weighted outputs. Thereby, it is possible to lower a frequency of the reference clock and consequently to suppress power consumption.
US08625727B2

A demodulator includes a sampler and a trigger unit. The sampler is configured to sample a carrier signal based on a trigger signal to obtain a demodulated signal. The trigger unit is configured to detect a zero crossing of the carrier signal or an extreme value of an amplitude of the carrier signal. Further, the trigger unit is configured to provide the trigger signal based on the detected zero crossing or the detected extreme value, so that the carrier signal is sampled by the sampler with a predefined phase shift to the detected zero crossing or the detected extreme value. The predefined phase shift is larger than 30° plus an integer multiple of 90° and lower than 60° plus the same integer multiple of 90° in reference to the carrier signal.
US08625721B2

A broadcast receiving apparatus receives digital broadcast and analog broadcast including same broadcast contents simultaneously, and outputs the analog broadcast while the reception state of the digital broadcast worsens, thereby reduces uncomfortable auditory sensations caused by output switching from one type of broadcast to another type of broadcast. The broadcast receiving apparatus is configured to perform control to bring the acoustic characteristic of pre-switching broadcast closer to the acoustic characteristic of post-switching broadcast based on received field strength of analog broadcast signals when the output is switched from one broadcast to another broadcast.
US08625719B2

Disclosed are various embodiments for dividing workload in a digital signal processing system. In one embodiment, the system includes at least one analog-to-digital converter configured to receive a three phase analog waveform and a digital waveform. The system can also include a first DSP configured to interface with an external computer and a second DSP configured to receive the digital waveform and isolate a specified frequency range. The system can also include a plurality of DSP's configured to extract specified channels from the specified frequency range and output the extracted channel data.
US08625718B2

A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) transmission and reception apparatus is provided which allows high accuracy estimation of frequency offset, high accuracy estimation of a transmission path fluctuation and high accuracy synchronization/signal detection. A mapping section generates a plurality of OFDM signals. In these OFDM signals, some pilot carriers are assigned to the same carrier position, and orthogonal sequences are assigned to the same time slot in the same carrier position.
US08625714B2

An amount of delay between a digital reference signal and a digital derived signal is measured, wherein the derived signal is derived from the reference signal. Measurement involves ascertaining a sign of a slope of the derived signal over a first time interval and producing a set of time-associated reference signs by ascertaining a sign of a slope of the reference signal over each of a plurality of different time intervals leading up to the first time interval. A first set of coincidence results is produced by detecting coincidence between the sign of the slope of the derived signal and each one of the time-associated reference signs in the set of time-associated reference signs. The first set of coincidence results is used alone or in combination with other coincidence results as an indicator of the amount of delay between the reference signal and the derived signal.
US08625708B2

The disclosed polar modulation transmitter circuit is configured to generate an output signal having a transmission frequency that minimizes crosstalk effects between different transmission bands (e.g., Bluetooth, GSM, UMTS, etc.). In particular, a polar modulation transceiver circuit, having an amplitude modulated (AM) signal and a phase modulated (PM) signal, comprises a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) configured to generate a DCO signal having a DCO frequency. The DCO signal is provided to one or more frequency dividers that are configured to selectively divide the DCO signal to generate various lower frequency signals, used to select a sampling rate for a DAC operating on the AM signal and an RF carrier signal frequency, which result in an output signal having a frequency that does not interfere with other RF systems on the same IC (e.g., that falls outside of the downlink frequency of other RF systems). Other systems and methods are also disclosed.
US08625702B2

A transmitting apparatus and method transmits different modulated signals from a plurality of antennas, and employs a configuration that includes a modulation section that obtains a modulated signal by performing signal point mapping of transmit bits using a signal point arrangement that is divided into a plurality of signal point sets on the IQ plane, whereby the minimum distance between signal points within a signal point set is smaller than the minimum signal point distance between signal point sets; and an antenna that transmits a modulated signal obtained by the modulation section. A signal point generating apparatus generates a first and second symbols to be transmitted by first and second antennas, respectively.
US08625701B2

Channel sounding information is received by a first communication device during an antenna selection training procedure. Antenna selection computations are performed, and the computations (i) assume that a second communication device uses a first Nss columns of a full-dimensional spatial spreading matrix to transmit the channel sounding information during the antenna selection training procedure, and (ii) accounts for the use, by the second communication device, of the first Nss columns of the full-dimensional spatial spreading matrix when transmitting Nss spatial streams. The full dimensional channel spatial spreading matrix has components i) a number of rows equal to a number, NT, of transmission chains to be used by the second communication device to transmit spatial data streams, and ii) a column dimension having a number of columns equal to NT, and Nss is less than both NT and NR, the number of receiving chains of the first communication device.
US08625695B2

Systems and methods for conveying wireless transmission allocation information are disclosed. In accordance with one method, an index indicating selected data stream parameters is received. In addition, an indication of a number of transmit antennas at a transmitter from which the data stream is transmitted is also received. Further, the selected parameters are determined from the index based on the number of transmit antennas at the transmitter. Moreover, data signals are received and processed with a processor in accordance with the selected data stream parameters.
US08625691B2

This inventions provides techniques for estimating both temporal and spectral channel fluctuations with the duration of a data symbol. Certain pulse shaping functions are Discrete Prolate Spheroidal Sequences (DPSSs) and are used primarily because of their relatively limited Inter-Symbol Interference (ISI) properties. During reception, these properties allow one or more parameters of a joint time-frequency channel model to be more easily determined. Once the one or more parameters are determined, they can be applied to received symbols to correct the temporal fluctuations, spectral fluctuations, or both of the channel over which a communication took place. The techniques may be adapted for the Multiple-In, Multiple-Out communication situation.
US08625690B2

Systems, methods, and devices for wireless communication. In one aspect, an apparatus for wireless communication is provided. The apparatus includes a receiver configured to receive a wireless signal comprising a packet. At least a portion of the wireless signal is configured to be received over a bandwidth lower than or equal to 1.25 MHz. The packet is formed from at least one orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol comprising thirty-two tones. The thirty-two tones correspond to frequency subcarriers within the bandwidth. The thirty-two tones of the at least one OFDM symbol are allocated as: twenty-four data tones, two pilot tones, five guard tones, and one direct current (DC) tone. The apparatus includes a processor configured to evaluate the wireless signal. The processor includes a transform module configured to convert the at least one OFDM symbol into a frequency domain signal using a thirty-two point mode.
US08625678B2

A method for estimating motion for the scalable video coding, includes the step of estimating the motion field of a sequence of photograms which can be represented with a plurality of space resolution levels including computing the motion field for the minimum resolution level and, until the maximum resolution level is reached, repeating the steps of: rising by one resolution level; extracting the photograms for such resolution level; and computing the motion field for such resolution level. The motion field is computed through an optical flow equation which contains, for every higher level than the minimum resolution level, a regularization factor between levels which points out the difference between the solution for the considered level and the solution for the immediately lower resolution level. A more or less high value of the regularization factor implies more or less relevant changes of the component at the considered resolution during the following process iterations.
US08625671B2

A look-ahead system and method for pan and zoom detection in video sequences is disclosed. The system and method use motion vectors in a reference coordinate system to identify pans and zooms in video sequences. The identification of pans and zooms enables parameter switching for improved encoding in various video standards (e.g., H.264) and improved video retrieval of documentary movies and other video sequences in video databases or other storage devices.
US08625667B2

A method is provided to efficiently transport video signals on a wireless network when resources are scarce. In an embodiment, a user's mobile terminal codes the video in multiple layers. If resources are scarce, the mobile terminal reduces current bandwidth requirements by streaming a subset, i.e., one or more of the lower coded video layers only. This streamed video can be viewed by peers and saved on a server. Meanwhile, the higher layers that were not sent are saved on the mobile device. When network resources eventually become available, the saved higher layers only are sent to the destination server that saved the lower layers. The entire video can then be reconstructed on the destination server.
US08625661B2

Systems and methods for the pulse edge modulation of digital carrier signals for communications systems. A digital carrier signal is generated and the carrier is pulse edge modulated with digital data. A pulse edge modulated signal is generated by either retarding or advancing each pulse edge of a carrier to be modulated relative to its original position in time, depending on the state of the digital bit to be modulated on that edge.
US08625652B2

Techniques for supporting data transmission with little or no control overhead are described. In an aspect, data may be sent based on a hybrid scheme that utilizes a combination of group hopping for transmissions of new packets and static grouping for retransmissions of pending packets. For the hybrid scheme, a user equipment (UE) may be assigned different resource blocks in different transmission intervals based on a hopping pattern. The first transmission of new packets may be sent on resource blocks determined based on the hopping pattern. Retransmissions of each packet, if any, may be sent on the resource block used for the first transmission of the packet. The UE may perform blind decoding to recover packets sent to the UE. In another aspect, semi-static group assignment may be used, and the UE may be assigned a group of resource blocks that may change periodically or based on trigger events.
US08625650B2

A swept wavelength light source is provided, the light source includes a semiconductor gain device operable to provide amplification, an optical retarding device, the retarding device having a block of material, a beam path with a well-defined beam path length being defined for light within the block of material produced by the gain device, a wavelength selector, and the gain device, the retarding device and wavelength selector being mutually arranged on the base so that a resonator is established for light portions emitted by the gain device and selected by wavelength selector; this does not exclude the presence of further elements contributing to the resonator, such as additional mirrors (including resonator end mirrors), lenses, polarization selective elements, other passive optical components, etc.; wherein the beam path in the retarding device is a part of a beam path of the resonator.
US08625645B2

A solid-state laser apparatus may include: a master oscillator configured to output laser light having at least one longitudinal mode, the master oscillator being capable of changing the spectral linewidth of the laser light output therefrom; at least one amplifier located downstream of the master oscillator on an optical path; a wavelength converter located downstream of the amplifier on the optical path; a detector configured to detect the spectrum of the laser light; and a controller configured to control the spectral linewidth of the laser light output from the master oscillator based on a detection result of the detector.
US08625637B2

A method begins by a processing module generating a payload of a dispersed storage network frame regarding a conclusive write request operation by generating one or more slice name fields of a payload to include one or more slice names corresponding to one or more write commit responses of a write request operation, wherein the conclusive write request operation is a conclusive phase of the write request operation. The method continues with the processing module generating one or more slice revision numbering fields of the payload, wherein each slice revision numbering field includes a slice revision number corresponding to an associated slice name of the one or more slice names. The method continues with the processing module generating a protocol header of the DSN frame by generating a payload length field of the protocol header to include a payload length and generating remaining fields of the protocol header.
US08625626B2

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for sharing a transmission control protocol (TCP) port by a plurality of applications are provided. Embodiments include receiving, by a transmission controller from a client, a first TCP packet that includes an indication of a new TCP connection for a TCP port; determining, by the transmission controller, an origination of the first TCP packet; identifying, by the transmission controller, a TCP sequence number range associated with the determined origination; selecting, by the transmission controller, an initial sequence number (ISN) within the identified TCP sequence number range; and sending, by the transmission controller to the client, a second TCP packet that includes the selected ISN.
US08625625B2

A data interface for transferring digital data between a host and a client over a communication path using packet structures linked together to form a communication protocol for communicating a pre-selected set of digital control and presentation data. The signal protocol is used by link controllers configured to generate, transmit, and receive packets forming the communications protocol, and to form digital data into one or more types of data packets, with at least one residing in the host device and being coupled to the client through the communications path. The interface provides a cost-effective, low power, bi-directional, high-speed data transfer mechanism over a short-range “serial” type data link, which lends itself to implementation with miniature connectors and thin flexible cables which are especially useful in connecting display elements such as wearable micro-displays to portable computers and wireless communication devices.
US08625624B1

A self-adjusting load balancing among multiple fabric ports. A plurality of first values is received in response to receiving a first frame, wherein each of the first values is related to a quantity of data stored in a respective one of a plurality of buffers of fabric ports. First identifiers are also received, each of which corresponds to a respective one of a first subset of the plurality of buffers. A subset of the first identifiers is selected based on one or more of the first values. Thereafter one of the first identifiers contained in the selected subset is selected. Ultimately the first frame is transmitted to the buffer that corresponds to the selected one of the first identifiers.
US08625615B2

Provided are a first PCI-PCI bridge that handles Multi Root to connect to a plurality of root complexes; a second PCI-PCI bridge that connects to an endpoint; a virtual PCI Express switch that performs a switching process between the first and second PCI-PCI bridges; and a network control device that transfers data that is to be processed in the virtual PCI Express switch to an external switch through a network without passing through a PCI-PCI bridge.
US08625612B2

Various embodiments relate to a system and related method for managing a connection of a user device to a communications network. Various embodiments relate to a Policy and Charging Rules Node (PCRN) receiving a user requests through multiple serving gateways. The PCRN may assign one of the serving gateways as a primary serving gateway when the serving gateway sends a Gateway Control Session that binds to an IP-CAN session established in the PCRN. When the PCRN receives a subsequent message from another serving gateway, the PCRN may reassign the new serving gateway as primary when its Gateway Control Session matches. The PCRN may then mark the former serving gateway as pending termination and signal the marked gateway to terminate. After sending rules to serving gateways not pending termination, the PCRN may delete those serving gateways marked for termination.
US08625611B2

A multi-path router includes an interface module (IM) having a time-sensitive logical processing path and a non-time-sensitive logical processing path and a special needs logical processing path and a filter for receiving a packet header and determining the needs of the packet header and for selecting one of: the time-sensitive logical processing path, the non-time sensitive logical processing path and the special needs logical processing path in response to the needs of the packet header. The multi-path router further includes a router special needs agent (RSNA), adapted to receive a packet header having special needs services. The multi-path router can be used in a network which includes first and second networks coupled to the multi-path router and wherein the RSNA receives information from the special needs logical processing path and provides information to the IM on a return path.
US08625608B2

The invention relates to a method for controlling a bit-rate of a session in a packet-switched communications system where multiple sessions are set-up via a shared resource. A current bit-rate of the session is compared to a bit-rate range valid for the session to determine a distance from the position of the current bit-rate to one of the end-points of the bit-rate range. The current bit-rate is then adapted differently depending on the distance to the selected end-point. By controlling the bit-rate of each session that is set-up via the shared resource for applications that provide delay-sensitive services to users in this way the method and corresponding system and sender-receiver arrangements have the effect that rate adaptations can be distributed among the applications so that users share responsibility for rate adaptations.
US08625607B2

Methods and apparatus for utilizing information (e.g., metadata) relating to content in a multimedia distribution network. In one embodiment, the network comprises a hybrid fiber coax (HFC) cable network, and the information comprises metadata relating to the bitrate profile of deterministic content such as stored video. Content sources, or the network operator themselves, generate the metadata which may then be used by the operator to adjust or optimize the operation of the network; e.g., more efficiently allocate the program to a multiplex. Network apparatus adapted to implement the metadata functionality and related business methods are also disclosed.
US08625605B2

A method, apparatus and computer program product for non-uniform per-packet priority marking for use with adaptive protocols is presented. A packet is received at a first network device, the packet assigned to a priority band. A priority is determined for the packet between a lowest priority of the priority band and a highest priority of the priority band, the priority for the packet selected based on a target distribution of priorities within the priority band, the target distribution comprising a distribution selected to achieve a desired capacity relationship among groups of packets assigned to different priority bands. The selected priority is assigned to the packet.
US08625603B1

A Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD) protocol query and/or report snooping process is modified to appropriately map secondary PVLAN identifiers to corresponding primary PVLAN identifiers, thereby accommodating other system elements that are otherwise unaware of primary/secondary PVLAN distinctions. Special cases are also accommodated where reverse path forwarding (RPF) checks in support of multicast operation might otherwise fail due to primary/secondary PVLAN distinctions. Additional steps are taken to ensure that PVLAN information properly accounts for changes in configuration and/or location of various network hosts.
US08625594B2

A network device comprises a plurality of physical ports, and a packet processing pipeline coupled to the plurality of physical ports. The packet processing pipeline is configured to assign a virtual port from a plurality of virtual ports to a packet received via one of the physical ports, wherein a quantity of the plurality of virtual ports is larger than a quantity of the plurality of physical ports, and wherein, for each of at least some of the physical ports, multiple virtual ports correspond to one physical port. The packet processing pipeline is also configured to assign a virtual domain from a plurality of virtual domains to the packet based on the assigned virtual port, and process the packet based on one or more of i) the assigned virtual port, ii) the assigned virtual domain, and iii) a header field of the packet, including determining zero, one, or more physical ports to which the packet is to be forwarded.
US08625593B2

A method for processing a packet having a header and a payload, the method including filtering the header to determine needs indicated by the packet header, selecting one of a time sensitive logical processing path, a non-time-sensitive logical processing path and a special needs logical processing path in response to the needs indicated by the packet header and processing the filtered packet header on the selected logical processing path.
US08625590B2

Methods, systems and apparatus for reducing apparent latency in content-delivery networks are provided. Sources multicast certain ‘preview multicast streams’ to multiple subscribers. These preview multicast streams provide pre-recorded content of multicast streams. When a subscriber switches to a desired multicast stream, pre-recorded content of the desired multicast stream is reconstructed from a preview multicast stream. Thereafter, the pre-recorded content is played during the setup of the new multicast distribution tree to minimize latency. Once the distribution tree is setup, live content of the desired multicast stream is made available to the subscriber.
US08625586B2

A circuit comprising: a device determiner configured to, in a first mode of operation, receive a device selection signal via at least one of: at least one control line and at least one signal line; and a device router configured to, in a second mode of operation, route signals between the at least one of: at least one control line and at least one signal line and at least one device dependent on the device selection signal.
US08625585B2

A switch apparatus includes: a first switch circuit for receiving data from external, sending first data including the received data, and sending second data including the received data after a predetermined time period from sending of the first data; a first controller for outputting the first data received from the first switch circuit; a second controller for outputting the second data received from the first switch circuit; and a second switch circuit for receiving the first data from the first controller and second data received from the second controller, sending the first data to external when the first data is free from an error, and sending the second data to external when the first data has an error and when the second data is free from an error.
US08625581B2

Methods for Enhancing the Scalability of IMS in VoIP Service Deployment lower the number of messages transmitted between functions of an IMS network. The number of messages transmitted between functions of an IMS network are lowered by storing and utilizing predetermined configuration information pertaining to the calling and called parties including the media and codecs the parties support. The predetermined configuration information, which may be based on a prior peering business agreement, supports the implementation of a one round procedure for establishing an IMS communication session.
US08625576B2

A telecommunication method, server and system that route an outbound telephone communication initiated by a wireless remote device through an enterprise communication network. The system also routes an incoming call to a device associated with an enterprise communication network to a plurality of telephony devices including wireless devices and other remote devices.
US08625562B2

A method of allocating a channel in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system is provided. The method includes generating a MAC protocol data unit (MPDU) to be transmitted to a target station (STA), generating a PLCP protocol data unit (PPDU) by attaching a physical layer convergence procedure (PLCP) header to the MPDU, and transmitting the PPDU to the STA, wherein the PLCP header includes channel allocation information for transmission of the PPDU.
US08625559B2

One or more embodiments of the present invention disclose a system and method for enhancing the communication capabilities of a personal electronic device by modifying its existing battery module, adding communication circuitry to the modified module, and providing for the personal device to communicate in a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) via this modified battery module. The system and method consists of a personal device's existing battery pack modified to contain one or more wireless communication circuits, the wireless communication circuitry included in the modified battery module, and the method by which the personal device will communicate to the WWAN using the modified battery module. The system can also be used to re-distribute WWAN communication from the modified battery module, to one or more external personal devices, using near-field communications.
US08625557B2

Provided is a communication device including a first communication unit for performing communication by a communication scheme, the communication scheme being for applying voltage from a signal electrode that is in contact with or that is brought into proximity of a human body, generating an electric near field on a human body surface and performing transmission, a second communication unit different from the first communication unit, a switching signal detection unit for detecting, from signals intermittently received by the first communication unit, a mode switching signal for switching the second communication unit from a power save mode to a normal mode, and a switching control unit for switching the second communication unit from the power save mode to the normal mode in a case the mode switching signal is detected by the switching signal detection unit.
US08625553B2

A method and an apparatus for providing communication over a white space channel without causing interference are disclosed. The method generates a first request to identify at least one available white space channel, and applies a spreading sequence to the first request to generate a second request. The method applies a modulation to the second request to generate a third request in the time domain, and transmits the third request via a wireless communication to at least one other user. Alternatively, the method receives a request wirelessly, wherein the request comprises a request for availability of at least one white space channel, and applies a demodulation on the request to generate a demodulated request. The method applies a spreading sequence on the demodulated request to generate a de-spread request, and processes the de-spread request by determining availability of at least one white space channel.
US08625547B1

A wireless access network is based on a two-tier access point (AP) structure to provide effective and efficient wireless communication into an individual home/office building. A first tier of the network utilizes “neighborhood” APs, relatively low power, and utilized to provide wireless communication with a “nanocell” boundary (e.g., 300-1000 feet). A second tier of the network utilizes a set of “network concatenation devices” (window bridge), with a separate network concatenation device at each permanent facility in the nanocell that houses wireless devices. The network concatenation device is attached to a window, for example, of a home in communication with the neighborhood AP. The network concatenation device functions as a bridge to couple to each of the wireless devices within the home. This communication is then relayed in an efficient manner between the network concatenation device and the neighborhood AP. By using a number of neighborhood APs, rather extensive wireless coverage can be obtained.
US08625546B2

This invention defines a medium access protocol for the support of mesh networking in wireless communications. It defines a phase for intra-cell and a phase for inter-cell traffic. During the inter-cell traffic a beacon phase is used for the reservation of transmissions. In this phase also information about the mesh topology is included and parallel transmission are supported.Even though this medium access protocol is intended to be proposed in standardization of IEEE 802.11 mesh networks (802.11) it could be used in any wireless mesh network.
US08625534B2

Aspects describe renegotiation of quality of service parameters to resolve maximum bit rate mismatches and/or other quality of service parameter mismatching issues that might arise during an inter-radio access technology handover. At about the same time as a mobile device moves from a source network to a target network, the target network dynamically initiates a quality of service modification procedure. The quality of service modification procedure can help resolve the maximum bit rate mismatches and/or the other quality of service parameter mismatching issues.
US08625529B2

A system for and method of dynamic home agent allocation is presented. The system and method may include receiving, via a network, a request for allocation of a Logical Home Agent for a mobile node, selecting a Logical Home Agent for the mobile node based on one or more performance metrics, and communicating Logical Home Agent selection to the selected Logical Home Agent and the mobile node.
US08625528B2

A terminal for handover using channel characteristics and a control method thereof are provided. Reception level information is received from a neighboring base station. A state of the neighboring base station having transmitted the reception level information is measured. A corresponding neighboring base station to which the handover is possible is selected using a corrected reception level value by computing the corrected reception level value using a value of the reception level information received from the neighboring base station and a channel characteristic value of the neighboring base station. A better neighboring base station for the handover can be selected by applying a reception level based on detected channel characteristics (quality) of a corresponding neighboring base station even when an actually measured reception level of the neighboring base station is high.
US08625521B2

Provided are an apparatus and a method for monitoring a control channel in a multi-carrier system. A plurality of sub-search spaces within an extended search space corresponds to a plurality of scheduled component carriers, respectively. Each of the plurality of sub-search spaces includes a plurality of control channel elements (CCEs), and the CCEs of the plurality of sub-search spaces are interleaved with each another within the extended search space.
US08625515B2

A method and apparatus are described for determining a route, channel assignment, multiple-in, multiple out stream control and a transmission schedule in a network, including determining the route responsive to long term network conditions and long term traffic conditions of the network, determining the channel assignment, the multiple-in multiple-out stream control, and the transmission schedule responsive to local channel conditions, local link conditions and local traffic conditions of the network and determining if there has been a change in one of the long tem network conditions and the long term traffic conditions of the network.
US08625514B2

A method for transmitting a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) Identifier (ID) in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The method includes information about a number of one or more CSG IDs that the BS has and information about a list of the one or more CSG IDs in a Secondary-SuperFrame Header (S-SFH), and transmitting the S-SFH.
US08625507B1

An apparatus and method for operating a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO)-capable subscriber node are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a MIMO-capable physical layer transceiver and a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer block that measures a received transmission to determine channel conditions. Upon receiving a transmission wherein said channel conditions meet specified conditions, the MAC layer block transmits a message to an access point indicating that the apparatus wants to switch between a non-MIMO mode and a MIMO mode, and upon receiving an acknowledgement, the MAC layer block switches between the non-MIMO mode and the MIMO mode. An apparatus for operating an access node is also disclosed.
US08625501B2

Aspects of regulating broadcast overhead messages within a wireless communications network are disclosed. In an example, an access network periodically sends a message advertising an announced multicast session on each of a plurality of carriers, the message indicating that the announced multicast session is being carried on a target carrier among the plurality of carriers. The access network determines whether to cease transmission of the periodic message within each non-target carrier based on a number of times the periodic message has been sent in each of the plurality of carriers, and ceases transmission of the periodic message within each non-target carrier based on the determining step.
US08625500B2

A method includes allocating channels in a fast-feedback channel region for a plurality of devices, and transmitting to the plurality of devices at least one bitmap defining fast-feedback uplink channel allocations for individual ones of the plurality of devices. In one embodiment a plurality of bitmaps are transmitted, the plurality of bit maps together informing individual ones of the plurality of devices of permission to use none, one or more than one particular fast-feedback channel. In this case each bitmap includes a plurality n of bit positions corresponding to n indices, where each device is identified by an associated one of the n indices, and where a bit at an index value p in a first bitmap and a bit at the same index value p in a second bitmap, when concatenated together, equal a number of fast-feedback uplink channels that are allocated to a particular device associated with the index value p.
US08625499B2

A method of improving configurations of serving grants for a user equipment in a wireless communications system includes providing a scheduling grant table for configuring a serving grant value according to a reference value when a relative grant message is received. The reference value is determined according to a previously received absolute grant message. The method then includes setting a maximum scheduled grant value of the scheduling grant table to be equal to or greater than a maximum absolute grant value capable of being indicated by the absolute grant message.
US08625494B2

The invention discloses a portable router and a power saving control method thereof. The portable router is capable of routing a signal among the network end and at least one electronic device. Each of the at least one electronic device has a wireless data transmitting function. The portable router comprises a first network module, a second network module, a sensing module and a data processing module. The first network module and the second network module can be switched on or off independently, the first network module is capable of exchanging signal to the network end by the first format, the second module is capable of exchanging the signal to the at least one electronic device by the second format. The sensing module is electronically connected with the network end for generating a status signal in accordance with the pre-determined state. The data processing module is capable of determining and processing a pre-determined function in accordance with the status signal and the pre-determined order.
US08625487B2

A system, method, and computer readable medium that facilitates processing of a mobile-originated voice call for a mobile station attached with a femtocell system are provided. The femtocell system may broadcast a notification that authentication is required for all system access, e.g., via an overhead message train. The femtocell system receives a call origination request from the mobile station and, in turn, issues a service request message to a convergence server deployed in a core network. The convergence server then engages in an authentication procedure with the mobile station's mobile core network and returns a global challenge response to the femtocell system. Then convergence server may then determine if the mobile station is to be validated and, if so, may continue call set up for the call origination request.
US08625482B2

The traffic of wireless communication between wireless access points can be lowered without requiring a change in the access point to which an associated station belongs, to thereby efficiently use a band for the wireless communication. For this purpose, (1) a station sends a packet, and a wireless access point and a wired access point receives the packet; (2) the wired access point stores an identifier indicating proxy transmission in an ACK packet and then transmits the ACK packet, and (3) the wireless access point confirms the proxy processing identifier of the ACK packet from wired access point and stops delivery of packets to the backhaul. The wired access point delivers the packet to a destination of the packet.
US08625477B2

A coexistence central entity CCE receives deployment messages from each of a plurality of N access nodes. Each deployment message has an identifier of an access node of the plurality and an identifier of a channel in a license-exempt band. From the received deployment messages the CCE compiles and maintains a database which associates each channel with a multicast group. Each multicast group includes all of the access nodes from which was received at least one deployment message identifying a said channel corresponding thereto. When the CCE receives a multicast message from one of the access nodes identifying a given channel, it checks the database to find members of a multicast group associated with the given channel, and notifies at least some of those members of the received multicast message. In this manner the access node's multicast message is forwarded among the whole group.
US08625469B2

According to embodiments of the present invention, there are provided a method, system and apparatus for participant verification in a multi-party call environment. A method for verifying a participant in a multi-party call environment comprises receiving an indication of the user's desire to join the multi-party call. The method further comprises determining a user identifier associated with the user. The user identifier associated with the user is then compared with at least one allowed participant identifier associated with at least one allowed participant for the multi-party call; the at least one allowed participant identifier stored in association with scheduling data for the multi-party call. Responsive to the comparing rendering a positive outcome, the communication device associated with the user is caused to join the multi-party call.
US08625446B2

Both a first profile that represents relationships between delay times premeasured over transmission paths and occurrence frequencies of the delay times and measurement periods of time for which the delay times over the transmission paths are measured are stored such that the first profile and the measurement period of time are correlated; a measurement period of time correlated with the first profile is obtained from the storage section if a second profile that represents relationships between delay times measured to obtain the measurement period of time and occurrence frequencies of the delay times is the same profile as the first profile; the delay times over the transmission paths are measured; and a mean value of the delay times measured for the measurement period of time is computed.
US08625439B2

A system and method for communicating failures in a metro Ethernet network (MEN). Packets are communicated through multiple maintenance entities. A determination is made that there is a failure between or at one of the multiple maintenance entities. An alarm is generated at a maintenance entity nearest the failure in response to determining there is a failure. The alarm indicates a location of the failure. The alarm is communicated back through one or more of the multiple maintenance entities to a maintenance end point. The alarm is routed at least two a communications service provider determined to be associated with the failure.
US08625438B1

Approaches for selecting a field of data from a packet of data in an n-bit data path. A first selector circuit has m inputs and an output. The m inputs receive respective overlapping subsets of bits of the data path. The first selector selects one of the subsets of bits. Each stage of two or more shift-and-select stages includes a respective second selector circuit having up to m inputs. One of the inputs of the respective second selector circuit inputs an un-shifted version of the subset of bits, one or more others of the up to m inputs of the respective second selector circuit input different shifted versions of the subset of bits, and the respective second selector circuit outputs a selected one of the un-shifted or shifted versions of the subset of bits. The last shift-and-select stage outputs the field of data aligned to the least significant bit.
US08625435B2

A method includes monitoring, by a first network device, traffic from a customer device, wherein the traffic is to be forwarded via a provider's network. The method also includes identifying a traffic pattern associated with the traffic, identifying a link on which the identified traffic pattern was transmitted and generating performance monitoring traffic. The method further includes forwarding, by the first network device, the performance monitoring traffic to the provider's network via the link on which the identified traffic pattern was transmitted.
US08625432B2

A network includes a number of nodes interconnected by communication links. The nodes include pairs of nodes configured as maintenance end points. Each maintenance end point of each pair is configured to transmit continuity check messages to the other maintenance end point of the pair. Each maintenance end point is arranged to transmit a continuity check message according to a schedule such that an impact of transmission of the continuity check message on the network resources is reduced.
US08625431B2

A method for notifying a packet destination that includes receiving a packet by a network interface card (NIC), where the packet destination is a destination of the packet, classifying the packet, forwarding the packet to one of a plurality of receive rings on the NIC, determining whether the one of the plurality of receive rings comprises space to store the packet, dropping the packet if the receive ring does not comprise the space to store the packet, and sending a notification message to the packet destination, where the notification message indicates that the packet was dropped by the receive ring.
US08625414B1

Failover of VPN traffic between MPLS tunnels may be accelerated by determining a main and a standby MPLS tunnel for each VPN and passing both the main and standby MPLS tunnel information to the forwarding plane of a network element configured to implement the VPN. In the event of failover of a main MPLS tunnel interface, the forwarding plane may be instructed to use the standby MPLS tunnel instead of the main MPLS tunnel. Since the standby MPLS tunnel has already been determined, and information associated with the standby MPLS tunnel has already been provided to the forwarding plane, it is not necessary to recompute a new MPLS tunnel or reprogram the forwarding plane using the new MPLS tunnel information. By removing control plane operations and control plane-forwarding plane interaction from the handling of failovers, the failover recovery time may be accelerated to under 50 ms, to thereby enable VPN connections to handle time sensitive traffic.
US08625402B2

Provided are a method of optical writing on a disc and a device adopting the method. The method of optical writing includes initially driving a laser diode (LD) at a preset reference value corresponding to a target output, detecting an actual output power by monitoring light output by the LD, and comparing the actual output power to the target output power. The method further includes compensating the reference value and writing data to the optical disc using the compensated reference value.
US08625396B2

An optical pick-up is provided. The optical pick-up includes a light source, a first objective lens configured to focus light emitted from the light source on a high-density optical information storage medium, a photo-detector configured to detect a signal by receiving light reflected from the high-density optical information storage medium, an optical-path changer configured to convert a travel path of incident light to allow the light emitted from the light source to proceed toward the high-density optical information storage medium, and to allow the light reflected from the high-density optical information storage medium to proceed toward the photo-detector, and a blocking device disposed in an optical path of signal light reflected from a target reproducing/recording layer of the high-density optical information storage medium, passes through the first objective lens, and proceeds toward the photo-detector.
US08625388B2

A seismic survey apparatus includes a plurality of serially connected electrical nodes; a power supply capable of supplying power to the electrical nodes and detecting a voltage leakage among the electrical nodes; and a software component capable of locating the leakage upon its detection. A method for use in seismic surveying includes powering a plurality of serially connected electrical nodes in a seismic surveying system; automatically detecting a voltage leakage among the electrical nodes on the power domain; and automatically locating the detected voltage leakage.
US08625370B2

A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a P-type MOS transistor and two or more N-type MOS transistors connected together in series between a first and a second power supply, an input terminal connected to a gate terminal of the P-type MOS transistor and gate terminals of the two or more N-type MOS transistors, an output terminal which is a connection node between the P-type MOS transistor and one of the two or more N-type MOS transistors connected to the P-type MOS transistor, and one or more capacitors connected to the output terminal. The drive capability of the P-type MOS transistor is higher than the overall drive capability of the two or more N-type MOS transistors connected together in series. Therefore, a semiconductor integrated circuit is provided in which fluctuations in the delay time of a delay circuit caused by variations in transistor characteristics can be reduced.
US08625361B2

A circuit and a method for controlling the write timing of a non-volatile memory are provided. The method includes the following steps. First, a resistance state switching of at least one memory cell of the non-volatile memory executing a writing operation is monitored to output a control signal. The memory cell stores data states with different resistance states. A write timing is input to the memory cell through a timing control line. Next, the write timing is generated based on a clock signal and the control signal. The write timing is enabled at the beginning of a cycle of the clock signal, and is disabled when the memory cell finishes the resistance state switching.
US08625356B2

A memory cell stores several data using n (n: natural number more than 1) threshold voltages. A voltage supply circuit supplies a predetermined voltage to a gate of the memory cell in a verify operation of verifying whether or not the memory cell reaches a predetermined threshold voltage. A detection circuit connected to one terminal of the memory cell charges one terminal of the memory cell to a predetermined potential. The detection circuit detects the voltage of one terminal of the memory cell based on a first detection timing, and further, detects the voltage of one terminal of the memory cell based on a second detection timing.
US08625348B2

Provided are nonvolatile memory devices and methods of forming the same. The nonvolatile memory device includes a plurality of word lines, a ground select line, string select line, and a dummy word line. Each of distances between the dummy word line and the ground select line and between the dummy word line and the word line is greater than a distance between a pair of the word lines adjacent to each other.
US08625339B2

A write circuit is adapted to provide a same logical bit to each of a multitude of memory cells for storage. Each of the multitude of memory cells stores either the bit or a complement of the bit in response to the write circuit. A read circuit is adapted to receive the bits stored in the multitude of memory cells and to generate an output value defined by the stored bits in accordance with a predefined rule. The predefined rule may be characterized by a statistical mode of the bits stored in the plurality of memory cells. Storage errors in a minority of the multitude of memory cells may be ignored at the cost of lower memory density. The predefined rule may be characterized by a first weight assigned to bits 1 and a second weight assigned to bits 0.
US08625336B2

A memory device includes magnetic random access memory (“MRAM”) cells that are electrically connected in series, each one of the MRAM cells having a storage magnetization direction and a sense magnetization direction. During a write operation, multiple ones of the MRAM cells are written in parallel by switching the storage magnetization directions of the MRAM cells. During a read operation, a particular one of the MRAM cells is read by varying the sense magnetization direction of the particular one of the MRAM cells, relative to the storage magnetization direction of the particular one of the MRAM cells.
US08625334B2

A memory cell and array and a method of forming a memory cell and array are described. A memory cell includes first and second pull-up transistors, first and second pull-down transistors, first and second pass-gate transistors, and first and second isolation transistors. Drains of the first pull-up and first pull-down transistors are electrically coupled together at a first node. Drains of the second pull-up and second pull-down transistors are electrically coupled together at a second node. Gates of the second pull-up and second pull-down transistors are electrically coupled to the first node, and gates of the first pull-up and first pull-down transistors are electrically coupled to the second node. The first and second pass-gate transistors are electrically coupled to the first and second nodes, respectively. The first and second isolation transistors are electrically coupled to the first and second nodes, respectively.
US08625328B2

The variable resistance nonvolatile storage device reduces variations in a resistance value of a variable resistance element (100) in the low resistance state, performs stable operations, and includes an LR write circuit (500) (i) applying a voltage to a memory cell (102) so that a resistance state of the variable resistance element included in the memory cell is changed from high to low, and (ii) including a first driving circuit (510) and a second driving circuit (520) which apply voltages to the memory cell and which have connected output terminals. When applying a voltage to the memory cell, the first driving circuit supplies a first current, and the second driving circuit (i) supplies a second current when a voltage at the output terminal of the first driving circuit is higher than a reference voltage VREF, and (ii) is in a high impedance state when the voltage is lower than the VREF.
US08625316B2

A neutral point clamped (NPC) power converter fault protection system is provided, and include a DC bus, a switching network, and a control module. The switching network is connected to the DC bus. The switching network includes at least two leg circuits. Each of the at least two leg circuits includes at least two switches connected in series and two NPC diodes. Each of the two NPC diodes corresponds to one of the at least two switches. Each of the at least two switches has an open position. The two NPC diodes are connected between a corresponding one of the at least two leg circuits and the DC bus. The control module is in communication with the switching network. The control module includes control logic for monitoring the switching network to detect a fault condition.
US08625314B2

A switching power supply apparatus includes a low-side switching control unit and a high-side switching control unit. The low-side switching control unit includes a low-side turn-off circuit that turns off a low-side switching element behind a delay time when reversal of the polarity of a winding voltage of a transformer is detected during a period in which a drive voltage signal is supplied to the low-side switching element. The high-side switching control unit includes a high-side turn-on delay circuit that delays a time from the time when the polarity of the winding voltage of the transformer is reversed to a time when a high-side switching element is turned on. The delay time of the low-side turn-off delay circuit is set so as to be shorter than the delay time of the high-side turn-on delay circuit.
US08625313B2

A control circuit for a switching power converter is provided. The control circuit is installed between a secondary side and an output of the power converter and coupled to control a switching device. The control circuit includes a linear predict circuit, a reset circuit, a charge/discharge circuit, and a PWM circuit. The linear predict circuit is coupled to receive a linear predict signal from the secondary side for generating a charging signal. The reset circuit is couple to receive a resetting signal for generating a discharging signal. The charge/discharge circuit is coupled to receive the charging signal and the discharging signal for generating a ramp signal. The PWM circuit is coupled to receive the linear predict signal for enabling a switching signal and receive the ramp signal for resetting the switching signal.
US08625310B2

A power supply apparatus includes an AC-DC rectifier, a transformer, a feedback inductor, a resonant unit, and a primary and auxiliary switch. The AC-DC rectifier rectifies an input voltage. The transformer includes a primary coil having a first primary coil and an isolated second primary coil, and transforms a first voltage of the primary coil into a second voltage of the secondary coil. The feedback inductor is connected to a tap between the first primary coil and second primary coil and an output of the AC-DC rectifier. The resonance unit is connected in parallel with the secondary coil and is configured to output an output voltage by rectifying the second voltage provided from the secondary coil. The primary switch and secondary switch are connected in parallel between the transformer and AC-DC rectifier.
US08625305B2

A portable electric device such as a mobile phone is disclosed. The portable electric device comprises a first chassis and a second chassis, and the first chassis and the second chassis are foldably coupled. The first chassis comprises a case member that comprises a coupling recess, a first recess and a second recess. The coupling recess and the first recess face a same side of the case member. The second recess faces an opposite side of the case member to the coupling recess and the first recess. The second recess is located at a rear side of the coupling recess. The first recess and the second recess accommodate a first electronic component and a second electronic component, respectively.
US08625298B2

A system has a circuit board, an integrated circuit being mounted on the circuit board by external contacts, and a cover irreversibly connected to the circuit board. The cover covers the external contacts so that external access to the external contacts is prohibited by the cover.
US08625287B2

A portable electronic device includes a housing defining an opening and a chip card ejecting mechanism. The chip card ejecting mechanism includes a pin slidably retained to the cover, a hinged carrier retained to the housing, and a spring. The hinge carrier includes a biasing plate resisting the cover, and the hinge includes a latching block and a resisting block. The latching block is latched with the hook to hold the cover in the opening. Depressing the pin against spring pressure exposes the chip card for easy removal.
US08625278B2

An electronic device comprises a cooler comprises a plurality of first locking members, a backboard defining pluralities of first and second positioning holes, and a circuit board. The backboard is attached to the cooler through the first locking members engaged with the second positioning holes. A first mounting member and a second mounting member are adapted to receive the heat generating component. The first mounting member defines a plurality of locking holes. The first positioning holes are among the second positioning holes. The second mounting member receives the heat generating component, the circuit board is between the second mounting member and the backboard, the first mounting member is secured to the circuit board; when the first mounting member receives the heat generating component, the circuit board is between the first mounting member and the backboard, the first mounting member is secured to the backboard.
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