US08645771B2
A method of performing forward error correction with configurable latency, where a configurable latency algorithm evaluates a target Bit Error Rate (BER) against an actual BER and adjusts the size of a configurable buffer such that the target BER may be achieved when utilizing the smallest buffer size possible. When errors are corrected without the utilization of each of the configurable buffer locations, the algorithm reduces the size of the buffer by y buffer locations; the algorithm may continue to successively reduce the size of said buffer until the minimum number of buffer locations are utilized to achieve the target BER. If the buffer locations have been reduced such that the buffer size is too small and the target BER cannot be achieved, the algorithm may increase the size of the buffer until the minimum number of buffer locations are utilized to achieve the target BER.
US08645762B2
A method and apparatus for retrieving a state of a processor at a time at which failure is detected. More specifically, the detection of one or more protocol errors results in the halting of operations of one or more system elements, and the retrieving of the state of the processor at the time of the failure.
US08645758B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to page faulting of memory operations in a subject code block. An aspect of the invention concerns an apparatus comprising a component for identifying a first object node having a first dependency path and second object node having a second dependency path, and a component for calculating a numerical difference between a first addressing value and a second addressing value, where the first and second addressing values are respectively associated with the first and second dependency paths. The apparatus may include a dependency generator for ordering a subject order list of the subject code block in an object dependency non-page-faulting order when the numerical difference is equal to or less than an assigned memory page size.
US08645757B2
Administering incident pools including receiving, by an incident analyzer from an incident queue, a plurality of incidents from one or more components of the distributed processing system; assigning, by the incident analyzer, each received incident to a pool of incidents; assigning, by the incident analyzer, to each incident a particular combined minimum time for inclusion in one or more pools, each particular combined minimum time corresponding to a particular incident; in response to the pool closing, determining, by the incident analyzer, for each incident in the pool whether the incident has met its combined minimum time for inclusion in one or more pools; and if the incident has been in the pool for its combined minimum time, including, by the incident analyzer, the incident in the closed pool; and if the incident has not been in the pool for its combined minimum time, including the incident in a next pool.
US08645740B2
Methods and apparatuses to dynamically manage a performance state of a data processing system are described. The data processing system includes a plurality of components; one or more buses coupled to the plurality of components, and a dynamic performance state manager unit coupled to the components. The dynamic performance state manager unit is configured to receive information about a first plurality of current states of components of the system. The dynamic performance state manager unit is configured to determine a second plurality of required system performance states for the components; and to determine a current system performance state based on the first plurality and the second plurality.
US08645735B1
The invention relates to a secure device, and more particularly, to systems, devices and methods of reducing power consumption of the secure device by limiting the amount of secure volatile memory that needs to be supplied by a battery. In a transport power mode, a sensitive data originally stored in a volatile memory is backed up in an encrypted format to a non-volatile memory, such that none or only a small area of the secure volatile memory has to be retained and powered by the battery for preserving cryptographic keys that are used to backup and recover the sensitive data. This secure device is applied in high security applications such as secure financial terminals.
US08645731B2
An electronic device is described comprising connecting means configured to establish a connection to another device, and configured to receive electrical power from the connection and configured to receive information from the other device via the connection and comprising determining means configured to determine a set of limitations, wherein for at least one electronic unit configured to receive electrical power, the set of limitations comprises a limitation of electrical power to be distributed to the at least electronic unit and wherein the determining means is further configured to determine the set of limitations based on the information received from the other device, wherein the received information comprises a request for a reduced power consumption of the electronic device.
US08645716B1
The present disclosure describes apparatuses and techniques for fail-safe key zeroization. In some aspects a periodic counter is activated that is configured to indicate an amount of time that content of a one-time-programmable (OTP) memory is accessible and overwriting of the content of the OTP is caused when the periodic counter reaches a predetermined value effective to zeroize the content. In other aspects a periodic counter is started in response to a power event and one or more encryption keys stored in OTP memory are zeroized if an indication of media drive security is not received within a predetermined amount of time.
US08645715B2
Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for configuring host settings to specify encryption and a key label referencing a key encrypting key to use to encrypt an encryption key provided to a storage drive to use to encrypt data from the host. User settings are received to configure a data class having data attributes with encryption settings. The data class is stored with the received user encryption settings. A job is received indicating a data set to store to a removable storage medium. A data class is determined having data class attributes matching data attributes of the data set indicated in the job. A determination is made from the determined data class whether to encrypt the data. The data set and a command to encrypt the data set are transmitted to a storage drive in response to determining that the determined data class indicates to encrypt the data, wherein the command to encrypt the data set causes the storage drive to encrypt the data sets written to the removable storage medium with an encryption key.
US08645714B2
A branch target address cache (BTAC) caches history information associated with branch and switch key instructions previously executed by a microprocessor. The history information includes a target address and an identifier (index into a register file) for identifying key values associated with each of the previous branch and switch key instructions. A fetch unit receives from the BTAC a prediction that the fetch unit fetched a previous branch and switch key instruction and receives the target address and identifier associated with the fetched branch and switch key instruction. The fetch unit also fetches encrypted instruction data at the associated target address and decrypts (via XOR) the fetched encrypted instruction data based on the key values identified by the identifier, in response to receiving the prediction. If the BTAC predicts correctly, a pipeline flush normally associated with the branch and switch key instruction is avoided.
US08645709B2
The present application provides methods and corresponding systems for accessing services on a gaming device which, in certain embodiments, include the step or steps of obtaining at least one item of identity verification data from a user of a gaming device; encrypting the at least one item of identity verification data; comparing the at least one item of encrypted identity verification data received and at least one item of encrypted identity verification data obtained and stored previously on an authentication device; enabling at least one service on the gaming device based on a match between the encrypted identity verification data, the at least one service comprising a wager-type game; and displaying an interface screen comprising graphic objects associated with the wager-type game and at least one selectable element for the user to submit a gaming command and a wagering command during game play.
US08645701B2
Methods and systems for signing a DNS zone file and managing zone file signing are provided. An indication of a first DNS zone to be signed is received from one of several remote users, where each such remote user has control over a separate DNS zone. Unsigned zone data is retrieved for the first DNS zone to be signed and is cryptographically signed. The signed zone data is provided to a signed zone master for propagation to one or more DNS servers.
US08645693B2
In the fields of data security and system reliability and qualification, this disclosure is of a method, system and apparatus for verifying or authenticating a device to a host using a zero-knowledge based authentication technique which includes a keyed message authentication code such as an HMAC or keyed cipher function and which operates on secret information shared between the host and the device. This is useful both for security purposes and also to make sure that a device such as a computer peripheral or accessory or component is qualified to be interoperable with the host.
US08645691B2
Systems and methods for securing data are disclosed. A method for securing data can comprise processing a data block to generate a signature, processing the signature to generate a reduced signature, transmitting the data block to a recipient, and transmitting the reduced signature to the recipient.
US08645676B2
A system and method for setting up an operating configuration of a portable electronic device is used for a server. The server includes a device database and is provided to the portable electronic device for logging in through a communication network and operating software. The method includes the steps of: accepting the portable electronic device login; determining whether the device database is a device profile of the portable electronic device; and if yes, generating operating configuration information. The operating configuration information includes the operating configuration of altering the operating configuration of the portable electronic device.
US08645667B2
An approach is provided in a hypervised computer system where a page table request is at an operating system running in the hypervised computer system. The operating system determines whether the page table request requires the hypervisor to process. If the determination reveals that the page table request requires the hypervisor, then the hypervisor is used to handle the request. However, if the determination reveals that the page table request does not require the hypervisor, then an indicator included in a page table entry corresponding to the request is read to determine if the page table entry is controlled by the operating system or the hypervisor. The operating system is able to update the page table entry if the indicator identifies the page table entry as being operating system controlled.
US08645664B1
A system and method for efficiently performing user storage virtualization for data stored in a storage system including a plurality of solid-state storage devices. A data storage subsystem supports multiple mapping tables. Records within a mapping table are arranged in multiple levels. Each level stores pairs of a key value and a pointer value. The levels are sorted by time. New records are inserted in a created newest (youngest) level. No edits are performed in-place. All levels other than the youngest may be read only. The system may further include an overlay table which identifies those keys within the mapping table that are invalid.
US08645662B2
Embodiments of the invention include systems and methods for auto-tiering multiple file systems across a common resource pool. Storage resources are allocated as a sub-LUN auto-tiering (SLAT) sub-pool. The sub-pool is managed as a single virtual address space (VAS) with a virtual block address (VBA) for each logical block address of each data block in the sub-pool, and a portion of those VBAs can be allocated to each of a number of file systems. Mappings are maintained between each logical block address in which file system data is physically stored and a VBA in the file system's portion of the virtual address space. As data moves (e.g., is added, auto-tiered, etc.), the mappings can be updated. In this way, multiple SLAT file systems can exploit the full resources of the common SLAT sub-pool and maximize the resource options available to auto-tiering functions.
US08645659B1
A method for managing resources in a storage pool of external virtual memory, that includes a host manager being associated with a storage pool by a storage manager. The host manager manages the resources, the managing including creating resources in the storage pool and/or deleting resources in the storage pool. The host manager further accesses the resource in the pool, such accessing including reading data to or writing data to the resource.
US08645658B2
A plurality of modules (1) and (2) comprise a plurality of virtual volumes with which the same volume identification number is associated. A module (2), which receives a write request from a computer, searches for an unallocated real area from among a plurality of real areas in the module (2) rather than from among a plurality of real areas in the other module (1) if a real area has not been allocated to a write-targeted virtual area in accordance with the write request. The module (2) allocates the real area retrieved from the module (2) to the write-targeted virtual area, and writes data according to the write request to this real area.
US08645654B1
A method is used in selecting physical storage in data storage systems. A request for allocation of a portion of storage area of a data storage system is received from a requesting entity. The data storage system is comprised of a set of storage entities and a set of data buses for transferring data to and from the set of storage entities. The set of storage entities are organized into a set of logical units. Each logical unit of the set of logical units is subdivided into a set of slices. A slice is selected from a logical unit of the set of logical units for allocation for use by the requesting entity in response to receiving the request for allocation. The selection is based on an optimum value indicating physical location of the logical unit within the set of storage entities during access to data to be stored in the data storage system.
US08645652B2
A mechanism is provided for moving control of storage devices from one adapter pair to another. In a trunked disk array configuration, moving the storage devices from one disk array to another disk array begins by attaching the downstream ports of the two independent disk arrays together. The mechanism redefines one set of the ports as upstream ports and through switch zoning makes a set of devices available to the second disk array adapters. By controlling zoning access and performing discovery one device port at a time, the mechanism transfers access and ownership of the RAID group from one adapter pair to another.
US08645645B2
There is provided a file management method of a hierarchy management file system capable of preventing an access performance from dropping when a user accesses to a file. According to the method, a server creates file systems in high-speed and low-speed volumes and a file-sharing server virtually integrates those file systems into one system as a pseudo file system. Then, the server moves a file to be moved to the file system created in the low-speed volume in advance, not when an access is made to the file. When a user accesses to the file after that, the user directly accesses to destination without requiring to copy the file, so that the accessing performance may be prevented from dropping.
US08645640B2
An apparatus for providing system memory usage throttling within a data processing system having multiple chiplets is disclosed. The apparatus includes a system memory, a memory access collection module, a memory credit accounting module and a memory throttle counter. The memory access collection module receives a first set of signals from a first cache memory within a chiplet and a second set of signals from a second cache memory within the chiplet. The memory credit accounting module tracks the usage of the system memory on a per user virtual partition basis according to the results of cache accesses extracted from the first and second set of signals from the first and second cache memories within the chiplet. The memory throttle counter for provides a throttle control signal to prevent any access to the system memory when the system memory usage has exceeded a predetermined value.
US08645635B2
A method and apparatus for detecting and preemptively ameliorating potential logic unit thrashing in a storage system having multiple I/O requesters is disclosed. In response to detecting that each of two requesters has usable access to both of the active-passive pair of controllers, one of the active-passive pair of controllers is selected to be designated as an active resource controller. In response to detecting that one of the two requesters has usable access to only one of the active-passive pair of controllers, only one of the active-passive pair of controllers is selected to be designated as an active resource controller. In response to detecting that each of the two requesters has usable access only to different ones of the active-passive pair of controllers, one of the active-passive pair of controllers is selected to be designated as an active resource controller.
US08645634B1
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for reducing the copying of data between memory allocated to a primary processor and a coprocessor is disclosed. The system memory is aliased as device memory to allow the coprocessor and the primary processor to share the same portion of memory. Either device may write and/or read the shared portion of memory to transfer data between the devices rather than copying data from a portion of memory that is only accessible by one device to a different portion of memory that is only accessible by the other device. Removal of the need for explicit primary processor memory to coprocessor memory and coprocessor memory to primary processor memory copies improves the performance of the application and reduces physical memory requirements for the application since one portion of memory is shared rather than allocating separate private portions of memory.
US08645633B2
Fine-grained detection of data modification of original data is provided by associating separate guard bits with granules of memory storing the original data from which translated data has been obtained. The guard bits facilitate indicating whether the original data stored in the associated granule is indicated as protected. The guard bits are set and cleared by special-purpose instructions. Responsive to initiating a data store operation to modify the original data, the associated guard bit(s) are checked to determine whether the original data is indicated as protected. Responsive to the checking indicating that a guard bit is set for the associated original data, the data store operation to modify the original data is faulted and the translated data is discarded, thereby facilitating data coherency between the original data and the translated data.
US08645632B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system that performs a speculative writestream transaction. The system starts by receiving, at a home node, a writestream ordered (WSO) request to start a WSO transaction from a processing subsystem. The WSO request identifies a cache line to be written during the WSO transaction. The system then sends an acknowledge signal to the processing subsystem to enable the processing subsystem to proceed with the WSO transaction. During the WSO transaction, the system receives a second WSO request to start a WSO transaction. The second WSO request identifies the same cache line as to be written during the subsequent WSO transaction. In response to receiving the second WSO request, the system sends an abort signal to cause the processing subsystem to abort the WSO transaction.
US08645625B2
Embodiments of archival storage system are disclosed. The archival storage system includes one or more removable disk drives that provide random access and are readily expandable. In embodiments, some or all of the data within the removable disk drive(s) is immutable. The archiving system creates a designation for the data representing the data as having Write Once Read Many (WORM) protection. Actions associated with the data may be received and determined to be read accesses. If the actions are something other than a read access, the archiving system, in embodiments, prevents the action on the data.
US08645624B2
A smartcard includes a write unit that writes data to be written to a data memory according to a write command supplied from an external device, a determining unit that determines whether important data is contained in the data to be written specified by the write command supplied from the external device, a calculating unit that calculates a head address of the important data in the data memory based on data length from a head of the data to be written to a head of the important data and an address on the data memory at which a process of writing the data to be written is started when the determining unit determines that important data is contained in the data to be written, and a position table that stores information indicating a head address of the important data in correspondence to information indicating the important data.
US08645623B1
A data storage system having protocol controller for converting packets between PCIE format used by a storage processor and Rapid IO format used by a packet switching network. The controller includes a PCIE end point for transferring atomic operation (DSA) requests, a data pipe section having a plurality of data pipes for passing user data; and a message engine section for passing messages among the plurality of storage processors. An acceleration path controller bypasses a DSA buffer in the absence of congestion on the network. Packets fed to the PCIE end point include an address portion having code indicating an atomic operation. An encoder converts the code from a PCIE format into the same atomic operation in SRIO format. Each one of a plurality of CPUs is adapted to perform a second DSA request during execution of a first DSA request.
US08645620B2
An interfacing apparatus and related method is provided for configuring to couple a plurality of memory devices being addressable by means of an address space to a processing unit. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a first memory access unit being adapted for receiving a memory address from said processing unit and for accessing said memory devices accordingly based on the address provided. It also comprises a second memory access unit being adapted for receiving content data from the processing unit and for controlling a search or update function accordingly for the received content data in one or more of the memory devices. In addition, an allocation unit is also provided for allocating a first part of the address space of the memory devices to said first memory access unit and allocating a second part of the address space of said memory devices to the second memory access unit, each of the memory access units being assigned to corresponding memory devices of the plurality of memory devices.
US08645614B2
A method of managing data of a flash memory is provided. The method comprises: assigning a logical area of the flash memory as a user block area in which user storage data is stored, and a free block area in which the user storage data is temporarily stored when changing the user storage data; and, when a first data unit of user storage data received from a host is different from a second data unit used while mapping a physical address and a logical address of the flash memory where the user storage data is stored, assigning a predetermined logical area of the flash memory as a cache block area in which the user storage data received from the host is temporarily stored.
US08645613B2
A data writing method for a flash memory and a control circuit and a storage system using the same are provided. The data writing method includes determining whether the size of data to be stored by a host system is smaller than a predetermined value according to a write command received from the host system, when the size of the data is smaller than the predetermined value, the data is written into a corresponding buffer physical block or a corresponding spare buffer physical block. The data writing method further includes combining valid data belonging to the same logical block during the executions of several write commands. Accordingly, the response time during the execution of each write command is shortened, and the problem of timeout is avoided.
US08645603B2
In one embodiment, a main circuit board includes a plurality of expansion slots that are operative to receive a corresponding plurality of expansion cards. The plurality of expansion slots include at least one first expansion slot configured at a first position on the main circuit board, that is operative to connect to at least one corresponding first expansion card. At least one second expansion slot configured at a second position on the main circuit board, and the second expansion slot is operative to connect to at least one corresponding second expansion card. The plurality of expansion cards includes at least one secondary expansion card that is different from the main circuit board and that is configured to be operatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of expansion slots. One or more particular expansion slots are selected for connecting one or more corresponding particular expansion cards, based on the size, dimensions, and/or function of the particular expansion cards to be connected. A programmable processor is operative to selectively regulate power supplied to particular expansion slots.
US08645599B2
A consumer media player is configured to be electronically coupled to various different types of media source devices, extract media files from those media source devices, and play the extracted media files to a consumer. The consumer media player is also configured to physically hold all or part of one or more media source devices in a manner that facilitates electronic coupling of the media source device to the consumer media player and that provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the consumer. In particular, the consumer media player includes a cavity that can hold at least a portion of the media source device. In one of the embodiments described herein, at least some types of media source devices can be entirely physically stored within the cavity in the consumer media player.
US08645582B2
A network node well suited for use in a distributed control network includes a housing containing the node electronics, and an external port for receiving a detachable plug-in module. The plug-in module contains a programmable memory which, when the plug-in module is attached, allows electronic interconnection between the electronics of the network node and the readable memory. The readable memory stores a unique node identifier which becomes associated with the node, and can also store functional program code for the particular node. Thus, a node can be easily and rapidly replaced or reprogrammed, without the need for specialized equipment to download the node identifier or functional program code, and without the possibility of erroneous manual entry of the node identifier. The plug-in module further includes a writable memory portion which can be used to store data during operation of the node, for later retrieval.
US08645580B2
An integrated circuit includes a first configuration terminal, a second configuration terminal, a bus terminal, and an auto addressing circuit coupled to the first and second configuration terminals. The auto addressing circuit is responsive to a data pattern received at the first configuration terminal to assign a node address to an operational circuit, and subsequently to couple the first configuration terminal to the second configuration terminal. The integrated circuit is subsequently responsive to the node address when the node address is received.
US08645574B2
The present technology provides a method, system and computer program product for managing the synchronization of a mobile electronic device, wherein management and adjustment of the synchronization process can be provided at least in part on a session by session basis. The synchronization process may be configurable via a user interface. Aspects of the user interface, such as prompts or degree of user configurability, may be adjusted depending on one or more factors, such as link effective speed or expected synchronization time.
US08645572B2
A service gateway provides a proxy between a client protocol and a plurality of standard communication protocols. The service gateway provides asymmetrical routing, data compression and encryption to optimize client processing power and communication link bandwidth. The service gateway enables content translation between clients and service providers. The service gateway keeps track of client available memory and sequence numbers in messages to generate error codes when applicable. A store and forward message capability is provided along with abstract session identifiers. The service gateway supports user datagram protocol.
US08645571B2
A system and a method manage and use data related to a wellbore or a drill string. The system and the method may provide remote access to tools in a drill string using a network. In addition, the tools have access to the data. In a disclosed embodiment, the tools are able to automatically access the data needed to optimize or improve function of the tools. An example of the network is a wireless network where the tools may be monitored and/or controlled remotely by an application. A linking tool is optionally provided to communicate with the network and one or more of the tools.
US08645570B2
A system and method to issue a text alert message in response to a website deflection. DNS inquires for a website resource may be deflected to a new IP address for a website prior to or after the occurrence of a natural disaster, emergency event, attack, or other event that damages the computer infrastructure of an organization or causes interruption in website administration, thereby interrupting the organization's ability to continue to offer or update its website information. Alternatively, the system can be used to issue marketing alerts in response to a website deflection. The text alert may be issued responsive to deflection or responsive to an automated process that alters a zone file on a controlling DNS server.
US08645566B2
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.
US08645556B1
A method and system for reducing memory required to maintain connection states in a traffic manager. A network device receives a message from a client in which at least a portion of the message is to be forward to a first server. If the network device is maintaining information for facilitating a first connection with a second server, the network device maintains a subset of the information for use in restoring the first connection and frees memory associated with information that is not needed for restoring the first connection. The network device then employs other previously stored information to restore the state of a second connection to the first server. The network device then sends at least a portion of the message to the first server using the second connection.
US08645554B2
Techniques for identifying network functions include determining first data that indicates a concept represented in content provided by a device. A function provided by a network service is determined based on the first data. In some embodiments, techniques include forming a data structure that associates each function of a plurality of functions provided by a plurality of network services with at least one identifier for a concept.
US08645553B2
Controlling access to a file includes selecting, by a first network node in a peer to peer file sharing system, a file to make available for sharing with a second network node in the peer to peer file sharing system, the file being stored on the first network node. The first network node sends index information associated with the selected file to the second network node. The second network node subsequently performs a local search of a set of index information associated with a set of files stored in the peer to peer file sharing system to locate the index information for the selected file; and requests a copy of the selected file from the first network node using the index information.
US08645550B2
Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate database virtualization. In aspects, clusters of database servers may be located at various locations of the Internet. When a client seeks to access a logical database, the client may send a logical server and logical database name in a data structure. These names may be used to find a physical server(s) and database(s) that correspond to the logical database. Once the location is determined, a proxy component is used to intercept and/or forward communications between the client and the physical server(s) and database(s) corresponding to the logical database. Using this system, a client may access data from a logical database without knowing the physical address of the logical user database.
US08645548B2
A mobile computing device comprising memory components, a wireless transmitter/receiver, and one or more applications. The mobile computing device utilizes HTTP via the wireless transmitter/receiver to request and receive information from a remote device, wherein the information is to be used by the one or more applications. However, an Accept-Encoding header is not sent with a HTTP GET request when the information comprises one of, an image, audio, video, and flash data.
US08645546B2
Disclosed is an apparatus comprising: a cloud service control gateway (CSCG) positioned in an application stratum, wherein the CSCG is configured to couple to a network control gateway (NCG) positioned in a network stratum, and wherein the CSCG is configured to transmit a destination address list and a first network resource requirement to the NCG. Also disclosed is an apparatus comprising: a network control gateway (NCG) positioned in a network stratum, wherein the NCG is configured to couple to a cloud service control gateway (CSCG) positioned in an application stratum, and wherein the NCG is configured to receive a communication from the CSCG comprising a destination address list comprising a plurality of destination addresses and a network resource requirement.
US08645536B2
A method of setting network information of an image forming apparatus connected via a network includes receiving network information of a new application to be installed on the image forming apparatus, and if network information of an existing application is the same as the network information of the new application, setting network information of one of the existing application and the new application to have priority.
US08645534B2
A method of processing peer-to-peer requests is provided. The method may include; storing, at a network element, peer information in a database for each peer of a plurality of peers, the peer information indicating at least one ISP associated with the peer and the content contained by the peer, receiving a request for content from a requester, and sending a response to the content requester based on the ISP with which the requester is associated and the stored peer information.
US08645531B2
A manner of extending a home network to a remote TMA service. A TMA in the TMA service acquires and stores a UID (unique identifier) and a MS-UID (monitoring service UID), than registers with an SG (signaling gateway) and is then redirected to an MA-SG (monitoring application SG). The MA-SG may be dedicated to the TMA service or may host communications for more than one service. When an HA that subscribes to the monitoring service registers, it is also redirected to the MA-SG, and a secure tunnel is established between the TMA and the HA and maintained by heartbeat messages. The secure tunnel may be redirected to an MA-PS (monitoring application proxy server) depending on the bandwidth consumed in the monitoring process and traffic conditions.
US08645529B2
Automated service level management of applications can include automated deployment, monitoring, forecasting, and/or predicting based on a plurality of service levels comprising application level, application server platform level, virtual machine level, and/or infrastructure level, and optimizations at multiple levels using a plurality of techniques including automated dynamic application migration. Automated deployment of applications in a cloud computing environment using deployment descriptors comprises receiving values for service level parameters for an application, creating a deployment descriptor based on the parameters, identifying application servers that satisfy the deployment descriptors, and deploying the application to the identified application servers. Automated dynamic migration of applications in a cloud computing environment comprises deciding to migrate an application, obtaining application resource requirements, identifying application server candidates, selecting an application server from one of the candidates, and migrating the application.
US08645525B2
For managing partitioning in a cluster of nodes, each node is assigned a prime number for use in determining which partition should be activated following partitioning of the cluster. The cluster is monitored for partitioning. If partitioning is detected, a partition value is calculated from the product of the prime numbers assigned to each node in each partition. A node is activated only if it is within the partition having the greatest partition value.
US08645519B2
A method for interacting messages based on a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is disclosed by the present invention. The method includes: when receiving an SNMP message sent from an SNMP management station, an SNMP proxy estimating a suggested timeout value of the SNMP message and feeding the suggested timeout value back to the SNMP management station; and the SNMP management station waiting for a response of the above SNMP message according to the suggested timeout value. A corresponding SNMP proxy is further disclosed by the present invention. Since the method of the present invention adopts the technical measure of dynamically determining the timeout period of the management station in an interaction manner between the SNMP management station and the SNMP proxy, the drawbacks of manually setting timeout period are overcome, occurrences of timeout event are effectively reduced, and the efficiency of implementing network management using SNMP is improved.
US08645518B2
A computer-implemented method for compensating ancillary use of a wireless service device for excess transmission bandwidth is provided. Wireless service devices are discovered. Each wireless service device is interoperable on a wireless service network operated by a service provider. For each wireless service device, a primary function performable by a subscriber through the wireless service network and an ancillary function performable by a third party through the wireless service network based on availability of capacity for excess transmission bandwidth are determined. The wireless service devices include an available capacity to perform the ancillary function over the service network is identified. The ancillary function is performed over the excess transmission bandwidth using the identified wireless service devices through combination, modification and integration of data from the two or more other such identified wireless service devices. Participants of the ancillary function in exchange for the performance of the ancillary function are compensated.
US08645509B2
A method of automatic hostname configuration includes receiving a request from a client device. A location detection module may be utilized for determining a location identifier representing a location at which the client device is located. A hostname is formed including at least the location identifier, and a control server assigns the hostname to the client device by sending an acknowledgement including the hostname to the client device. The request and acknowledgement may be communicated using DHCP. Simple network management protocol messages may be sent to one or more switches to query for a MAC address of the client device to determine the source switch and port from which the request originated. The switch-port-to-location table may include several ports that map to a same location identifier. The hostname may further be formed by including a device type identifier associated with the client device.
US08645504B2
Systems and methods for dynamically chunking for delivery instances are provided that automatically implement chunking strategies based on one or more chunking considerations related to a request for a media file. These systems and methods may be part of a larger media servicing network that can be used to, among other things, process uploaded media content, provide it for streaming/downloading, and collect metric information regarding the streaming/downloading. The disclosed systems and methods provide for receiving a request having a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and providing an index file to implement chunking strategies based on chunking considerations associated with the request.
US08645503B1
A method and system are provided for accelerated data uploading to a remote service device destination. An on-line (third party) storage device receives an upload request message from a network-connected client device. A unique first descriptor in a descriptor field of the upload request message is accessed and compared to a list of descriptors maintained by the on-line storage device. If the accessed first descriptor is on the list, a first file is read that is stored in the on-line storage device and associated with the accessed first descriptor. The first file is then sent to a network-connected remote service device.
US08645495B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatuses and methods for that provide for a central command and control center that controls, monitors, and analyzes the systems and components of various remote facilities. Generally, the system comprises a control panel installed at each of a plurality of remote facilities. The control panel is connected through a wide area network to the command and control center. The control panel is also connected through a local area network to the facility's lighting systems, single point devices, HVAC systems, and/or other power-using systems and devices for monitoring these systems. The single point devices may include but are not limited to people counters, outside air temperature sensors, space/CO2 humidity sensors, space temperature sensors, branch power meters, and, in some cases, motion detectors and outside photocells. The command and control center can control the lighting systems, HVAC systems, and other facility systems, as well as receive information relating to the operation of the facility and its power-using systems.
US08645493B2
Methods, apparatuses, and articles for receiving a search request associated with a transportation service from a client device, the search request including a plurality of search criteria, are described herein. Additionally, the methods, apparatuses, and articles further return to the client device an answer page having a plurality of answers potentially associated with the transportation service, the plurality of answers identifying a plurality of information locations having information potentially associated with at least a one of the plurality of search criteria, where at least one of the answers includes at least one input field of a query answer page for entry of at least one feature of the transportation service, the query answer page to be dynamically generated by one of the information locations in response to a query.
US08645492B2
A method for managing wireless data communication links includes establishing first and second wireless data communication links between a host system and a wireless display adapter. The first wireless data communication link is associated with a high data rate of data traffic between the host system and the wireless display adapter, and the second wireless data communication link is associated with a low data rate of data traffic. The method further includes determining that information is to be transmitted between the host system and the wireless display adapter using the low data rate, turning off a first data radio associated with the first wireless data communication link, and transmitting the information over the second wireless data communication link.
US08645490B2
Web sites are modeled using mappings from paths to expressions. A mapping data structure of expressions represents a web site's hierarchical structure, and an enumerator, an array of characters, or an array of bytes represents the web site's content. Expressions are written in a declarative programming language, and are lazily evaluated to provide results used in HTTP responses. A mapping may be recursive. An expression may contain a function call which returns contents of a file named in the HTTP request path, or the expression may evaluate to a text string, for example. Expressions may call functions which produce side-effects. An expression may recursively map a directory name to a mapping of a file name. Scalability is promoted by concurrently evaluating expression(s) on different machines in a stateless middle tier, and by streaming results. An arbitrarily large web site may be implemented in this manner.
US08645487B2
A method and apparatus of requesting service between network devices in which the range of service between network devices can be flexibly managed, a network device capable of performing the method, and a storage medium thereof are provided. The network devices includes: a network device requesting a partner network device to send service information; and if service information of the partner network device is received, requesting a service to the partner network device based on the received service information.
US08645485B1
Systems and methods for media aggregation are disclosed herein. The system includes a media system that can transform user generated media items into at least one aggregated media item. A synchronization component can synchronize media items with respect to time. Synchronized media items can be analyzed and transformed into an aggregated media item for storage and/or display. In addition, the aggregated media item is capable of being manipulated to create an enhanced and customizable viewing and/or listening experience. Accordingly, media item aggregation can be accomplished.
US08645482B2
A method may include obtaining a source file at a node in peer-to-peer network and dividing the source file into a plurality of pieces. The pieces of the source file may be encoded using network coding principles. A last-modified-date (LMD) value may be appended to each of the encoded pieces, the LMD value being the same for each of the encoded pieces of the source file. The encoded pieces with the LMD values may be sent to one or more other nodes in the peer-to-peer network.
US08645480B1
In some embodiments, techniques for determining a reputation associated with an electronic document may include receiving a reference image, receiving an electronic document, determining a trustworthiness factor associated with the electronic document, creating a modified reference image, wherein creating the modified reference image includes modifying the reference image to a degree corresponding to the trustworthiness factor, wherein a lower trustworthiness factor corresponds to a greater modification relative to a higher trustworthiness factor; and displaying the modified reference image.
US08645479B2
Embodiments of the present invention provides a chatting system for a virtual pet, including a pet client, configured to receive a natural language sentence of a pet master, and send the natural language sentence to a virtual pet server; the virtual pet server, configured to forward the natural language sentence to a questioning and answering server, and return a natural language response to the pet client; the questioning and answering server, configured to perform processing of natural language understanding on the natural language sentence, obtain language characteristics of the pet master, generate the natural language response according to a natural language understanding result and the language characteristics of the pet master, and return the natural language response to the virtual pet server. Embodiments of the present invention further provide a chatting method for a virtual pet and a questioning and answering server.
US08645472B2
A system and method for controlling the content of a message transmitted from a transmitting device to a receiving device. When a message is sent from the transmitting device, it is determined whether the receiving device is capable of exhibiting the message without adaptation of the message's content. If the receiving device is capable of exhibiting the message without adaptation of the message's content, the receiving device exhibits the message. If the receiving device is not capable of exhibiting the message without adaptation of the message's content, the transmitting device is informed that the message could not be exhibited on the receiving device without adaptation of the message's content. The receiving device can also be informed what portions cannot be exhibited by the receiving device, and instructions can be provided so that the receiving device does not display the message at all if the message must be adapted.
US08645471B2
A method and system for managing email or other messaging and attachments to messages which are forwarded to devices having limited processing and memory capacity. The method includes the steps of: receiving a user configuration categorizing messages for the user by elements of the message; accessing the user message datastore upon receipt of at least one new message for the user to a user data store; comparing said at least one new message to a set of user specific rules; rendering a message summary including at least one link accessible by the processing device, the link enabling action with respect to the message when selected by the user; and outputting the message summary to a user device.
US08645470B2
A system, method and computer program product are provided for delivering media content. The system includes at least one recipient that may be associated with at least one recipient rule. The system also includes a sending entity capable of transmitting a multimedia message addressed to the recipients. The sending entity can also specify delivery rules in the message. In this regard, the multimedia message includes media content. The system further includes a network entity capable of receiving the multimedia message and identifying any recipient rules, sending entity rules and/or network rules associated with the multimedia message. The network entity can then deliver the media content to the recipients based upon respective rules. The network entity can also be capable of processing the media content based upon the rules before delivering the media content, such as by transcoding or truncating at least a portion of the media content prior to delivery.
US08645460B2
A method for managing an object-based storage system is provided. The object-based storage system includes root objects, partition objects, collection objects, user objects and function objects. The function objects include user function objects and system function objects. The user function objects respond to the client request, so that the existing data-processing tasks requested by the client are moved to the OBSD to be completed, so as to achieve the purposes for saving the network storage bandwidth and improving the security of the stored data, etc. The system function objects execute the system management function, so that the management of the bottom of disks management of the file system and database system is completed by the OBSD. That can be easily realized in automatic data backup, load balancing and other functions in the storage system. The user function objects and system function objects can be customized by the user.
US08645458B2
Certain embodiments provide systems and methods for image delivery in a picture archiving and communication system. Certain embodiments provide a method for transferring image data via a delivery chain for display at a client workstation. The method includes creating a data list describing image data to be delivered to implement an imaging workflow. The method includes establishing a general loading plan to specify a recommended priority for delivery of the image data in the data list. The method includes generating a node loading plan for each node in the delivery chain based on the general loading plan. The method includes reconciling at least one of the general loading plan and the node loading plan. The method includes delivering the image data via the nodes of the delivery chain based on the general loading plan, the node loading plan for each node in the delivery chain, and the data list.
US08645455B2
Workloads that are and are not appropriate for transformation and processing on a cloud computing environment are identified. A user entity is provided with a measurement of at least one of the value which will be realized, and the effort which will be required. A plurality of attributes is specified. Input data represents the extent to which the user entity processing system possesses the given attribute. The input data for each attribute is employed to derive a corresponding numerical parameter value, which are to compute a final score.
US08645454B2
Work is distributed amongst a plurality of nodes. A first plurality of tasks is extracted, where the number of tasks is selected in correspondence to the number of nodes, and where sizes of the tasks are sized based on a job load metric. The first plurality of tasks is distributed. A determination is made whether a time difference between a response from a node that is first to complete its task and a response from a node that is last to complete its task exceeds a predefined threshold. In response to a determination that the time difference exceeds the predefined threshold, the job load metric is adjusted. A second plurality of tasks is extracted, where the number of tasks is selected in correspondence to the number of nodes, and wherein sizes of the tasks are sized based on the adjusted job load metric. The second plurality of tasks is distributed.
US08645452B2
A control section of a distribution apparatus decides whether data included in message has been stored by own DB or not, when distributing the message to an onboard apparatus based on transmitted information registered by second transmitted information table. From own DB, the control section of the distribution apparatus reads out data having been stored by the DB. For data that has not been stored by own DB, the control section of the distribution apparatus identifies another distribution apparatus having stored this data, and obtains this data from the identified another distribution apparatus. The control section of the distribution apparatus creates message including the data read out from own DB and the obtained data, and transmits the created message to an onboard apparatus which is a destination.
US08645451B2
Circuitry for increasing the precision of multipliers by a desired factor while limiting the increase in arithmetic complexity of the multiplier to that factor can be provided in a fixed logic device, or can be configured into a programmable integrated circuit device such as a programmable logic device (PLD). The smaller increase in arithmetic complexity, so that the increase is proportional to the increase in precision, rather than to the square of the increase in precision, is achieved by using specialized processing block components differently on alternating clock cycles. For example, to implement double precision, the same multiplier components are used in each of two clock cycles, but some specialized processing block internal structures (e.g., shifters and adders) are used differently in the two cycles, so that over the two cycles, a larger multiplication may be calculated from smaller partial products.
US08645450B1
Multiplier-accumulator circuitry includes circuitry for forming a plurality of partial products of multiplier and multiplicand inputs, carry-save adder circuitry for adding together the partial products and another input to produce intermediate sum and carry outputs, final adder circuitry for adding together the intermediate sum and carry outputs to produce a final output, and feedback circuitry for applying the final output (typically after some delay, e.g., due to registration of the final output) to the carry-save adder circuitry as said another input. The above circuitry may be implemented in so-called “hard IP” (intellectual property) of a field-programmable gate array (“FPGA”) integrated circuit device. If desired, any overflow from the accumulation performed by the above circuitry may be accumulated in “soft” accumulator-overflow circuitry that is implemented in the general-purpose programmable logic of the FPGA.
US08645446B2
Methods and systems for multi-input IIR filters with error feedback are disclosed. By using multiple-inputs to generate multiple outputs during each iteration, a multi-input IIR filter in accordance with the present invention has greatly increased throughput. Furthermore, the addition of a multi-variable error feedback unit in accordance with the present invention in a multiple-input IIR filter can greatly increase the accuracy of the multi-variable IIR Filter.
US08645437B2
A file delivery system includes a disk file system, a solid state drive file system, and an interface module. The disk file system includes a disk drive that stores a plurality of files for download by a user device. The solid state drive file system includes a solid state drive that stores a first block of data for each of the files stored on the disk drive. The interface module is in communication with the disk file system and with the solid state drive file system, and is configured to retrieve the first block of data of one of the files from the solid state drive in response to a request from the user device for one of the files, to send a read command to the disk drive for a next block of the one of the files at substantially the same time as the first block is retrieved from the solid state drive and sent to the user device, and to store the next block in a buffer.
US08645436B2
The invention relates to a method, a computer system, a computer readable medium and a document management system for repairing references of files. The computer system comprises a first location and a second location and one or more files stored in the first location. A command is received to transfer at least one file from the first location to the second location the at least one file referring to at least one other file. The at least one file and the at least one other file being referred to are transferred into the second location, and information on original locations of the transferred files is stored into the second location. After the transfer, one or more references appearing in the at least one file are automatically repaired by utilizing the information on the original locations of the transferred files.
US08645432B2
A method for customizing a mail history including generating a mail tree composed of all received mails belonging to a same topic; receiving a user input indicating a mail to be replied to and a mail to be referred to which are selected by the user, the mail to be replied to and the mail to be referred to being located on different branches of the mail tree; acquiring a first plurality of mails on a first path from a root mail of the mail tree to a child mail of the mail to be replied to, and a second plurality of mails on a second path from the root mail to a child mail of the mail to be referred to; and merging the first plurality of mails and the second plurality of mails to generate a merging result as the mail history.
US08645428B2
A computer-implemented method and system for encoding (and decoding) nodes of a tree structure are provided. The method includes receiving nodes of a tree structure into memory and, with a processor, for each node of at least one node in the tree structure, creating a numeric encoding by assigning an encoding value to the node, a root node N0 having a fixed encoding value and any other node Nj having an encoding value which is a function of an encoding value of its parent node and an integer k, where Nj is the kth child of the parent node. The encoding enables a path from the node to be traversed to the root node of the tree by applying a decomposition function to the encoding.
US08645423B2
The invention is directed towards a method of partitioning data in a database. The database is configured to be accessed by an entity. The method comprises the steps of defining a first partition within the database, defining a second partition within the database and assigning selected data in the database to the first partition and the second partition, wherein data assigned to both the first partition and the second partition may only be accessed by an entity assigned to both said first partition and said second partition.
US08645421B2
Computer-implemented systems and methods generate forecasts or estimates with respect to one or more attributes contained in an attribute-based hierarchy. Physical hierarchical data and attribute input data are received so that an attribute-based hierarchy can be created. A mapping table is created that indicates relationships between the attribute-based hierarchy and the physical hierarchy, wherein the attribute-based hierarchy is accessed during model forecasting analysis or model estimation analysis.
US08645413B2
A system and method enabling the search for a three-dimensional virtual world object across the universe of virtual worlds by utilizing a two-step search process to first identify the object and second, to actively locate and generate a URI to all presently manifest instances of that object.
US08645403B2
A method, apparatus, system, and article of manufacture provide the ability to track image processing data in a collaborative environment in a database. Non-creative information is received that relates to image processing. The non-creative information is generated by a computer pursuant to a rendering operation performed by the computer. The non-creative information is stored in a database that is accessible across a network to multiple users. Once stored, the non-creative information may be evaluated (e.g., to provide a profitability or cost/benefit analysis).
US08645402B1
Trip data that includes points traversed during corresponding trips is received. Transportation network data that describes geographic locations and links between the geographic locations is received. The trip data and transportation network data are partitioned across a plurality of processing units executing on one or more processors. At each of the plurality of processing units, a subset of the trip data at the corresponding processing unit is locally matched to a subset of the transportation network data at the corresponding processing unit to identify a subset of paths of the transportation network data traversed by one or more of the trips.
US08645395B2
A system for evaluating a review having unstructured text comprises a segment splitter for separating at least a portion of the unstructured text into one or more segments, each segment comprising one or more words; a segment parser coupled to the segment splitter for assigning one or more lexical categories to one or more of the one or more words of each segment; an information extractor coupled to the segment parser for identifying a feature word and an opinion word contained in the one or more segments; and a sentiment rating engine coupled to the information extractor for calculating an opinion score based upon an opinion grouping, the opinion grouping including at least the feature word and the opinion word identified by the information extractor.
US08645387B2
An illustrative embodiment of a computer-implemented method to identify expertise using interaction metrics receives a user identity to form an identified user, receives usage information associated with the identified user to form received information and identifies usage patterns in the received information to form identified usage patterns. The computer-implemented method further applies assessment factors to the identified usage patterns and received information, calculates a ranking for the identified user to form a calculated ranking and assigns the calculated ranking to the identified user.
US08645384B1
According to an example implementation, a computer-implemented method may include extracting, by a computing device, structured content from a website, determining a recent taxonomy by applying category rules to the structured content, the recent taxonomy including multiple categories and a new category, and updating a stored taxonomy based on the determined recent taxonomy by adding the new category to the stored taxonomy.
US08645381B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for generating a document taxonomy based upon tag data in groupings of tags. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for generating a document taxonomy based upon tag data in groupings of tags has been claimed. The method includes retrieving into memory of a host computer different groupings of tags for correspondingly different documents providing a bottom-up view of the documents. The method further includes deriving a folksonomy from the groupings of tags for the documents and organizing the folksonomy into a hierarchy of nodes. Of note, each of the nodes can be associated with a different subject in the folksonomy. Finally, the method includes publishing the hierarchy of nodes as a taxonomy for the documents to provide a top-down view of the documents.
US08645379B2
A conceptual tagging and message matching system and method are provided. In one example, the system and method generate web pages or third party web pages with pieces of content combined with the message.
US08645378B2
A system and method for displaying relationships between concepts to provide classification suggestions via nearest neighbor is provided. Reference concepts previously classified and a set of uncoded concepts are provided. At least one uncoded concept is compared with the reference concepts. One or more of the reference concepts that are similar to the at least one uncoded concept are identified. Relationships between the at least one uncoded concept and the similar reference concept are depicted on a display for classifying the at least one uncoded concept.
US08645377B2
One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed herein for aggregating web-based data stored in a distributed data store so that it can be retrieved in a first-in, first-out (FIFO) manner. A unique aggregation key is generated for respective one or more data generated from a web-based event, where the one or more data are added to the distributed data store, and the aggregation key corresponds merely to the data generated from the web-based event. The one or more data from the web based event is aggregated in a FIFO queue and stored in a same partition of the distributed data store, based on the aggregation key.
US08645363B2
A server device is configured to receive a comment associated with a first document, the comment corresponding to a first portion of the first document; identify a second document that includes a second portion that matches the first portion of the first document; and store the comment in association with the first document and the second document. The server device is further configured to receive, from a client device, information that the client device is accessing the second document, and transmit the comment for presentation in connection with the second document on a display associated with the client device.
US08645361B2
A query received from a user is directed to a particular search application (e.g. an Enterprise search portal) that is associated with a result source from which to retrieve results. The received query may be federated to additional result sources when the received query is determined to be a popular query in a result source. Query logs associated with the additional result sources are analyzed to determine when a query is popular as compared to the original result source. The query may be altered before being executed that uses one or more of the additional result sources. When the query (altered/unaltered) is determined to be popular for any of the additional result sources as compared to the original result source, the query is executed using that additional result source.
US08645360B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for previewing search results. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a query from a client device. One or more image search results are provided to the client device, each of the one or more image search results identifying a corresponding image resource and each of the one or more image search results including an image representation of the corresponding image resource. One or more related queries are provided to the client device, the one or more related queries having been determined to be related to the query, wherein each of the one or more related queries includes a preview image to be displayed at the client device, the preview image representing an image search result responsive to the related query.
US08645352B2
Embodiments of search using network addresses are presented herein. For example, a search may take into account one or more network addresses to focus a search for particular content. In another example, functionality may be provided such that when a user selects a network address, a search is performed for network addresses that are similar to the selected address.
US08645348B2
A method of enabling a real entity to access a service on a communication network using a virtual entity, the method including the steps of establishing a user account including at least first data corresponding to the identity of the real entity and second data corresponding to the virtual entity and not identifying the real entity, storing the first and second data in a first database, linking between the first and second data in the first database, storing the second data at a second database, associating the second database with a communication network site, connecting the communication network site to the communication network, receiving the second data from an unidentified user on the communication network site, identifying the unidentified user as the virtual entity based on receiving the second data, and allowing the virtual entity to access the service.
US08645341B2
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for automatically updating a software QA test repository in a database system. These mechanisms and methods for automatically updating a QA test repository can enable embodiments to quickly and accurately update a test repository without requiring a user to repeatedly enter test case documentation data. These mechanisms and methods for automatically updating a QA test repository can also enable embodiments to extract plain language descriptions of test cases in the test repository. The ability of embodiments to automatically update the test repository and provide descriptions for the test cases stored in the test repository allows developers to efficiently update and share the contents of the test repository.
US08645338B2
Techniques are described for estimating and managing memory compression for query processing. Embodiments of the invention may generally include receiving a query to be executed, ascertaining indicatory data about the retrieved data, and selectively compressing a portion of the data in memory according to the indicatory data. In one embodiment, the amount of compression performed during each query execution is recorded and outputted to assist in adjusting the selective compression process.
US08645323B2
An approach for replicating data is provided. A job that modifies data objects in a first system to generate a first set of changed data objects is determined to be a candidate for a job replication. Based on the job being a candidate for job replication, attributes of the job are retrieved, the retrieved attributes are sent to a second system, and an execution of the job by the second system is initiated as part of the job replication. The execution of the job causes data objects included in the second system to be modified to generate a second set of changed data objects as a replication of the first set of changed data objects.
US08645318B2
The present invention provides a system and method for file synchronization. One embodiment of the system of this invention includes a software program stored on a computer readable medium. The software program can be executed by a computer processor to receive a file from a server; store the file as a cached file in a cache; determine if the cached file has been modified; and if the cached file has been modified, communicate the cached file directly to the database.
US08645317B1
Exemplary embodiments involve a content management application executed by a processor modifying a taxonomy hierarchy of tags. A content repository includes at least one content item having a primary reference identifying a first tag of the taxonomy hierarchy. The first tag includes a first description. Modifying the taxonomy hierarchy invalidates the primary reference. The processor generates a secondary reference in the taxonomy hierarchy. The secondary reference is identified by the primary reference and identifies a second tag including the first description. The processor receives an input referencing the first tag by the primary reference. The processor directs the input to the second tag via the secondary reference.
US08645308B2
A sound-volume prediction apparatus acquires model information on an electronic device and positional information on an air intake section and/or an air-exhaust section of the electronic device. Furthermore, by using the model information and the positional information, the sound-volume prediction apparatus extends a sound ray that indicates a transmission route of sound generated by a sound source inside the electronic device toward the air-intake section and/or the air-exhaust section from the position of the sound source until the sound ray reaches the outside of the electronic device. The sound-volume prediction apparatus predicts sound transmission characteristics inside the electronic device by using geometric information on the flow path of the extended sound ray.
US08645298B2
Machine learning techniques may be used to train computing devices to understand a variety of documents (e.g., text files, web pages, articles, spreadsheets, etc.). Machine learning techniques may be used to address the issue that computing devices may lack the human intellect used to understand such documents, such as their semantic meaning. Accordingly, a topic model may be trained by sequentially processing documents and/or their features (e.g., document author, geographical location of author, creation date, social network information of author, and/or document metadata). Additionally, as provided herein, the topic model may be used to predict probabilities that words, features, documents, and/or document corpora, for example, are indicative of particular topics.
US08645291B2
A spatial and temporal memory system (STMS) processes input data to detect whether spatial patterns and/or temporal sequences of spatial patterns exist within the data, and to make predictions about future data. The data processed by the STMS may be retrieved from, for example, one or more database fields and is encoded into a distributed representation format using a coding scheme. The performance of the STMS in predicting future data is evaluated for the coding scheme used to process the data as performance data. The selection and prioritization of STMS experiments to perform may be based on the performance data for an experiment. The best fields, encodings, and time aggregations for generating predictions can be determined by an automated search and evaluation of multiple STMS systems.
US08645288B2
Some implementations provide techniques for selecting web pages for inclusion in an index. For example, some implementations apply regularization to select a subset of the crawled web pages for indexing based on link relationships between the crawled web pages, features extracted from the crawled web pages, and user behavior information determined for at least some of the crawled web pages. Further, in some implementations, the user behavior information may be used to sort a training set of crawled web pages into a plurality of labeled groups. The labeled groups may be represented in a directed graph that indicates relative priorities for being selected for indexing.
US08645287B2
A method described herein includes receiving a digital image, wherein the digital image includes a first element that corresponds to a first domain and a second element that corresponds to a second domain. The method also includes automatically assigning a label to the first element in the digital image based at least in part upon a computed probability that the label corresponds to the first element, wherein the probability is computed through utilization of a first model that is configured to infer labels for elements in the first domain and a second model that is configured to infer labels for elements in the second domain. The first model receives data that identifies learned relationships between elements in the first domain and elements in the second domain, and the probability is computed by the first model based at least in part upon the learned relationships.
US08645286B2
Techniques described herein may be used to solve a stochastic problem by dividing the stochastic problem into multiple fragments. In some cases, each fragment may be related to a random variable that forms a part of the problem, such that each fragment may produce samples from a probability distribution for that variable. Each fragment of the stochastic problem may then be assigned to a configurable circuit to solve the stochastic fragment. Configurable circuits may be implemented using any suitable combination of hardware and/or software, including using stochastic circuitry. In some embodiments, stochastic circuitry may include a stochastic tile and/or a stochastic memory.
US08645275B2
A method for verifying the identity of one party on behalf of another party is provided. The method includes providing a money-transfer system and a communication system that communicates with the money-transfer system; receiving at the money-transfer system from the first party certain verification criteria for confirming the identity of a second party; and storing the verification criteria in the host computer system of the money-transfer system. When an ID is received from the second party at a money-transfer location; the verification criteria is retrieved from the host computer system; and the acceptability of the ID is determined in accordance with the verification criteria. If the identification device is acceptable, identification information is obtained from the identification device; and the identification information is processed to verify the identity of the second party. In other embodiments, a method for pre-verifying the identity of a party and a system for performing the method of the invention are provided.
US08645267B2
Processing transactions involving participants that do not support the same currency generally involves incrementing and decrementing currencies associated with the participants. This allows the participants to participate in transactions where they would not ordinarily be able to do so. A request is received from a first participant to process a transaction using a first currency that is not recognized by a second participant in the transaction. In response to receiving the request from the first participant, an amount of the first currency associated with the first participant is decremented. Also in response to receiving the request from the first participant, an amount of second currency associated with the first participant is incremented. The second participant recognizes the second currency. The transaction is processed using the amount of second currency associated with the first participant.
US08645266B2
A method of processing of a transaction between a first and second party is provided. The first party accepts payment via a plurality of different payment options selectable by the second party, and the plurality of different payment options are associated with a plurality of different authentication protocols prescribed therefor. The method includes: receiving payment information over a communications network at a server operatively connected to the communications network, the payment information identifying a particular payment option used by the second party for the transaction, and the server being equipped to format and route messages over the communications network in different manners to accommodate the plurality of different authentication protocols; determining from the payment information received at the server which of the different authentication protocols is prescribed for the type of payment option identified in the payment information; selecting, in accordance with the determination, a particular authentication protocol from the plurality of different authentication protocols supported by the server; obtaining an authentication determination for the transaction in accordance with the selected authentication protocol, including formatting messages and routing the formatted messages over the communications network in accordance with one or more mandates of the selected authentication protocol; and generating a one-time number to be sent back to the first party.
US08645264B2
Apparatus and methods for processing a loan application. The apparatus and methods may involve accessing a financial institution customer account that includes a plurality of transactions; identifying those transactions that belong to a predetermined transaction category; and summarizing the transactions. Summary information may be presented as part of an income and expenses flow report that at least partially characterizes the account or the applicant. A financial institution representative may query a database for the summary information and, optionally, initiate an underwriting process based on the loan application and the summary information.
US08645257B2
A computer system for administering investment funds holding shares of funds includes a processor and a memory storage device in communication with the processor. The processor is adapted to access from the memory storage device data indicative of allocation targets for allocating invested funds among two or more funds in two or more investment categories; receive data indicative of current holdings of shares, subscriptions and redemptions, and including security values, prices and fund value data; calculate the current allocations among investment categories and determine any differences between the current allocations and the allocation targets; allocate cash from the subscriptions to funds having allocations below their target allocations, commencing with a fund ranked at a greatest level below its target allocation; and allocate the cash to be withdrawn via redemptions to funds having allocations above their target allocations, commencing with a fund ranked at a greatest level above its target allocation.
US08645251B2
A method and a system to assist wireless telecom service providers to make strategic investment decisions in their wireless networks is provided. Geographical profitability information in a wireless network is determined to decide where to invest capital funds in order to increase the revenue and profit for wireless service providers. The profitability of a geographical area or a sector is calculated based on network Operation Measurements and subscriber CDR (Call Detail Record) data. The system prioritizes the geographical areas and sectors for capital investments based on the profitability of the areas and sites. Similar information may be determined to assist wireless service providers in developing a decommissioning strategy. Embodiments of the present invention may also be used to reduce network churn by understanding where dissatisfied subscribers experience poor service and where network investments need to be made to improve the services and reduce churn.
US08645250B2
Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems and methods for implementing a rules suggestion engine that suggests rules to a user for lowering fraud in future transactions. Embodiments of the invention segment the transaction data based on at least one attribute defined by the user. One or more key indicators are identified corresponding to the segmented data. A correlation is performed between the user defined attribute and one or more key indicators. One or more transaction rules are generated based on the correlation that are suggested to the user for future transactions. The user can customize the rule, a field of rule, a prioritization of the rules, and even create categories of rules.
US08645248B2
An integrated customer communications computer system is configured to provide outbound customer communications. The communications computer system generates documents associated with the communications in a predefined format, in real-time or in batch, by merging templates comprising static data received from a template repository, dynamic data received from at least one component of an account opening system, and static content for the templates received from a content repository. The communications computer system includes a communication manager, a plurality of transmission channels, an interface for managing the templates and the content, and a document repository. Various embodiments are described, including a computer implemented method of providing customer communications using an integrated customer communications component and/or module.
US08645244B2
In an approach to financial management, a data representation is formed that defines a number of data elements and relationships between the data elements according to one or more regulatory requirements. Data characterizing availability of particular ones of the data elements for a financial institution are accepted, and actual or potential compliance by the financial institution with at least some of the regulatory requirements is then analyzed. The analysis can include identifying gaps in collection of values associated with the data elements for the regulator requirements, which can relate to calculation requirements and/or to reporting requirements for the regulations. Data representing computations associated with the regulatory requirements can be stored and the computations can then be executed to validate other implementations of the calculation.
US08645239B2
In accordance with one embodiment, a system is provided that uses historical and current energy usage data generated by advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) meters to allow users conduct an analysis of energy usage via a portal. In accordance with one embodiment, a tool is provided to allow customers to display an estimated next month bill.
US08645238B1
A system is provided. An application determines a consolidated cycle date for a master prepaid account where a cycle date comprises the first day of usage periods for prepaid accounts. The application determines that a first prepaid account is associated with a first cycle date and a second prepaid account is associated with a second cycle date where the first, second, and consolidated cycle date differ from each other. A first and second prorated amount is determined by multiplying a remaining fraction of a current first and second usage period times a first and second periodic payment, respectively. The first prorated amount is added to the second prorated amount to determine a first credit. Individual billing is discontinued for the first and second prepaid account. The first credit is applied to a first master payment amount payable on the consolidated cycle date under the master prepaid account.
US08645234B2
A web-service for validating or invalidating accounts from a general ledger (GL) chart of accounts is described. Upon a request from an application for whether an account value corresponding to a department and a product is valid, the service indicates whether the combination of account value/department/product is valid for the chart of accounts. The system can be extensible markup language (XML)-based and can indicate validity down to the line level of a request.
US08645232B1
A system, a method, and computer readable medium for threshold billing of returned items. Billing threshold rules are established and stored in a computer memory and are associated with returned items. A returned item is identified and a computer processor determines if a billing threshold rule has been associated with the returned item. If so, the processor assigns the returned item to a container based on a billing threshold rule associated with the returned item. Information indicating the container to which the returned item has been assigned is stored in the computer memory. The processor determines if the billing threshold amount for the returned item has been reached. If so, the processor determines the status of the container to which the returned item has been assigned. If the container to which the returned item has been assigned is not closed, the processor generates a notification to physically close the container and also generates an invoice to the product vendor for the returned items for which the billing threshold amount has been reached.
US08645230B2
A virtual closet stores and presents virtual representations of physical items. The virtual representations may include virtual representations of items owned by a user, items the user would like to own, and memorabilia items for the user. The virtual closet may provide a number of functions. In some embodiments, the virtual closet may be used to facilitate selling items on online selling platforms by providing information (including virtual representations of the items) from the virtual closet to the online selling platforms to place the items for sale. The virtual closet may also be used in some embodiments to facilitate providing advertising targeted to the user based on information available to the virtual closet.
US08645221B1
Disclosed are various embodiments for ranking items in an electronic commerce system. A subset of a plurality of items is identified in at least one computing device, where the items are sold through an electronic commerce system. The items in the subset are ranked relative to each other based, at least in part, on the virtual shopping cart activity of a plurality of users with respect to the items.
US08645220B2
A method and system for creating an augmented reality experience in connection with a stored value token comprises augmented reality software which can be loaded on a general purpose computer. This augmented reality software can be downloaded from an external source, such as the Internet. The augmented reality software may monitor camera signals in order to detect a marker on a stored value token. The augmented reality software tracks the position of this marker relative to camera. The augmented reality software can produce an object which is projected on the image captured by the camera and adjacent to the image of the marker. The projected object can have three dimensions as it is projected on a two dimensional display. In response to certain conditions, the projected object may later be changed so that it contains a graphical item related to the value associated with the stored value token.
US08645219B2
A request is received from a first consumer to sell at least one ticket, in which a provider of the ticket has authorized the ticket to be sold. Information regarding the ticket may then be presented to at least a second consumer, who may make an indication to purchase the ticket.
US08645217B2
Systems and methods are described for enabling electronic transactions using self-contained transaction components displayed in a portion of a web page. A method comprises: displaying, in a portion of a web page, a self-contained transaction component; receiving, via the self-contained transaction component, input from a user; transmitting, from the self-contained transaction component to a server, information corresponding to the user and the input; and transmitting, from the self-contained transaction component to the server, an indication to complete a transaction corresponding to the user and the previous input. In one embodiment, the self-contained transaction component comprises an e-cart. Corresponding systems are also described.
US08645213B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for transactions associated with a mobile device. A method includes, in a merchant device linked to a server by a first network, sending a registration to the server, sending a transaction message to the server, receiving a unique identifier from the server in response to the transaction message, broadcasting the unique identifier, in response to the broadcasted unique identifier, receiving instructions in the server from a mobile application residing in a memory of a mobile device over a second network, processing a transaction in response to the instructions, and notifying the merchant device of the processed transaction.
US08645208B2
Methods, machine-readable media, apparatuses and systems provide reminders about saved electronic advertisements. A plurality of electronic advertisements selected by a user to be saved is stored. Content of the plurality of electronic advertisements is analyzed. Contextual factors to determine whether at least one predetermined rule is satisfied are assessed. Satisfaction of the predetermined rule is determined. An electronic advertisement from the plurality of electronic advertisements based on satisfaction of the predetermined rule is identified. A reminder about the electronic advertisement is provided to a device of the user. The electronic advertisements may include any type of incentive or offer, including coupons.
US08645207B2
In one aspect, a database in which target subscribers of different subscriber classes that can be reached via a communications system are allocated, and one respective marketer is assigned to each of the subscriber classes. When the communications system establishes a first communications relation between a first subscriber and a target subscriber while using a destination address given by the first subscriber, the subscriber class of the target subscriber is determined based on the destination address. The determination of the subscriber class results in the establishment of a second communications relation between the first subscriber and a marketer assigned to the determined subscriber class.
US08645195B1
Systems and methods of determining environmental sustainability of a piece of real estate or real estate portfolio are presented. The systems and methods may include identifying a plurality of sustainability inputs, such as recycling, carpet recycling, water use reduction, LEED certified space, renewable energy generation, green cleaning and environmental compliance. Values for each of the inputs may be determined and combined to determine a sustainability index for the property or portfolio. The index may be calculated monthly, quarterly, annually, etc. to track performance of the property and/or portfolio and to identify areas needing improvement.
US08645192B1
An advertiser may be provided with fast and accurate estimates of the future performance of at least one of their advertisements. These estimates may be broken down by keyword, thereby providing, up-front, useful information to the advertiser about how different keywords will affect the performance and cost of their ad campaign. Estimates and/or suggestions for a set of keywords, given additional campaign parameters, may be generated by using historical search traffic (or some other ad serving trigger) data to predict future inventory and to find useful keyword (or some other serving constraint) variations. Current data on competing ads may be used to simulate the competitions (e.g., real-time auctions) that the given ads will participate in.
US08645187B1
An embodiment of the invention is directed to retaining customers for a wireless-service provider (“carrier”). A ratio is calculated based on a number of incoming calls received by a mobile device and a number of outgoing calls originating from the mobile device. The ratio is also based on locations of callers that originated the incoming calls. The ratio is compared to an influencer threshold. When the ratio is greater than the influencer threshold, then a subscriber associated with the mobile device is indicated to be an influencer that potentially affects decisions of other subscribers regarding whether to cancel or maintain their subscriptions with the wireless service. An incentive is provided to the influencer to increase the likelihood that the influencer will retain a subscription with the wireless service, thereby increasing the likelihood that other subscribers who might be influenced by the influencer will retain their respective subscriptions.
US08645186B2
A mobile marketing campaign platform and method including: a planning module including: a definition module for setting budget and objectives; and a design module for designing the campaign utilizing a plurality of templates; an execution module including: design tools for designing an executable campaign from the campaign design made from the templates; and operating tools for causing the executable campaign to execute over multiple mobile services; and a reporting module including: tracking means for tracking at least one of a campaign activity, the campaign performance objectives; and the brand performance objectives.
US08645181B2
The invention relates to a method for integrating services in a calendar application via the meeting request functionality of calendar programs comprising: initiating one or multiple services, wherein the initiation may involve the transmission of calendar event information from the calendar application to the service, the service requests being sent as meeting request e-mails to one or more service e-mail addresses, each service e-mail address representing a service, receiving the update requests generated by the one or multiple services, the update requests being meeting request response e-mails or one or multiple second meeting request e-mails processing the received update requests, and updating the calendar application.
US08645179B2
Systems and methods of partial shift swapping are disclosed. An exemplary method comprises the steps of: receiving a partial shift swap request from an agent; determining a disposition of the partial shift swap request by applying a set of criteria associated with a validation rule to the partial shift swap request; and if the disposition indicates the partial shift swap request is approved, updating a schedule to reflect the partial shift swap request. An exemplary computer-readable medium has a computer program stored thereon. The computer program comprises computer-executable instructions for performing a computer-executed method of requesting a partial shift swap. The method comprises the steps of: receiving a partial shift swap request from an agent; determining a disposition of the partial shift swap request by applying a set of criteria associated with a validation rule to the partial shift swap request; and if the disposition indicates the partial shift swap request is approved, updating a schedule to reflect the partial shift swap request.
US08645175B1
Vector-based record handling by a workflow facility may be performed in association with performing a step from a workflow model that requires more than one input. The workflow facility retrieves the records needed to complete the step as a collection of records comprising a single input unit. Various components of the workflow facility, including components that operate within a runtime environment provided by the facility, perform processing of the collection of records so that the step from the workflow model can be completed.
US08645174B2
A computer-implemented method for managing stakeholder impact on sustainability for an organization is disclosed. The method may include storing a plurality of instances of a stakeholder object. Each instance may define a plurality of characteristics of a stakeholder of the organization. In certain embodiments, the characteristics may be selected from the group consisting of: a description of the stakeholder, a category of the stakeholder, a description of a relationship with the stakeholder, an owner of the relationship with the stakeholder, a description of a stakeholder investment in the organization, a first indication of an extent to which a stakeholder interest actually aligns with an organizational interest, a second indication of an extent to which the stakeholder interest is optimally aligned with the organizational interest, a description of an approval power granted to the stakeholder, an importance rating of the stakeholder relationship from a perspective of the organization; and an anticipated effect of a sustainability project of the organization on the stakeholder relationship. The method may further include establishing a computer-based logical link between at least one instance of the stakeholder object to at least one sustainability project of the organization. The method may also include generating a progress report of the sustainability project and determining that a particular stakeholder of the organization is logically linked to the sustainability project. In certain embodiments, the method may include, automatically transferring the progress report to the stakeholder of the organization, wherein the progress report is transferred in a desired format.
US08645173B2
A computer based system for maximizing revenue by determining an optimal quantity of a product to be sold is disclosed. The system determines the optimal number of seats to be sold for a flight based upon the flight's capacity and forecasted costs associated with the flight. The forecasting is based upon probabilistic distribution models takes into account passenger itinerary data, passenger and market historical data, whether a passenger has flown on a previous leg of an itinerary, the ripple denied boarding effect of reaccommodating a denied passenger. The system evaluates the potential effect of double selling a unit of inventory (e.g., seats). Downstream inventory control, revenue management and reservations systems may use the optimization data to affect the operation of the airline.
US08645171B2
A computer implemented system and method for matching drugs and diseases involves matching drugs identified in a specific patient's prescription claim records with diseases identified in the patient's medical claims. A weighted relationship is generated between the matched drugs and diseases by calculating a link weight in accordance with a preprogrammed formula for each of the diagnosis codes identified in the patient's medical claims that is identified as associated with the disease identified and the drug. The link weight provides a statistical match association value to each of the matched diseases identified by way of a diagnosis code in the patient's medical claim and the drug identified in the prescription claim.
US08645159B1
Embodiments provide for tracking and notifying healthcare providers of financially delinquent patients. A platform includes or is coupled to a database including identifying data of patient debtors who have been financially delinquent in a healthcare transaction with a healthcare provider. The identifying data includes patient and financial identification data of the transaction. A fee is received from a subscriber (healthcare provider) that enables the subscriber to electronically access the platform. The identifying data of patient debtors is provided to the subscriber via the platform. New identifying data of patient debtors is received at the platform from a contributing subscriber (healthcare provider). The new identifying data is identifying data of a new patient debtor and/or a new healthcare transaction of an existing patient debtor. A discount is automatically applied to the fee of the contributing subscriber in response to the new identifying data.
US08645155B2
A method of automatic loading of medical data in an integrated information system is disclosed herein. The method comprises steps of triggering a data acquisition unit to acquire medical data from at least one medical information system, acquiring the medical data from the medical information system, and displaying the medical data in a video display unit in a selected format. Also disclosed is an integrated information system configured for automatic loading of medical data. The integrated information system comprises a medical workstation and at least one medical information system coupled to the medical workstation. The medical workstation is configured for automatic loading of the medical data concerning a medical object from the medical information system.
US08645139B2
An apparatus and method for extending a pronunciation dictionary for speech recognition are provided. The apparatus and the method may segment speech information of an input utterance into at least one phoneme, collect segmentation information of the at least one segmented phoneme, analyze a pronunciation variation of the at least one segmented phoneme based on the collected segmentation information, and select a substitutable phoneme group for the at least one phoneme where the pronunciation variation occurs, and extend the pronunciation dictionary.
US08645132B2
Embodiments of the present invention improve content manipulation systems and methods using speech recognition. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method comprising configuring a recognizer to recognize utterances in the presence of a background audio signal having particular audio characteristics. A composite signal comprising a first audio signal and a spoken utterance of a user is received by the recognizer, where the first audio signal comprises the particular audio characteristics used to configure the recognizer so that the recognizer is desensitized to the first audio signal. The spoke utterance is recognized in the presence of the first audio signal when the spoken utterance is one of the predetermined utterances. An operation is performed on the first audio signal.
US08645131B2
The disclosure describes a speech detection system for detecting one or more desired speech segments in an audio stream. The speech detection system includes an audio stream input and a speech detection technique. The speech detection technique may be performed in various ways, such as using pattern matching and/or signal processing. The pattern matching implementation may extract features representing types of sounds as in phrases, words, syllables, phonemes and so on. The signal processing implementation may extract spectrally-localized frequency-based features, amplitude-based features, and combinations of the frequency-based and amplitude-based features. Metrics may be obtained and used to determine a desired word in the audio stream. In addition, a keypad stream having keypad entries may be used in determining the desired word.
US08645120B2
A method of prioritizing the automated translation of communications includes capturing and inputting into a data processing system a translation-candidate communication rendered in a first human language. A first data set representative of the translation-candidate communication is stored in computer memory and parsed into communication sub-portions. Communication sub-portions are algorithmically selected for translation depending on their relatedness to a predetermined topic as determined by first-language extraction rules. Each selected communication sub-portion is translated to a translated-data-set sub-portion representative of that selected communication sub-portion in the second human language. Translated-data-set sub-portions are subjected to a secondary filtration process in accordance with which their relatedness to the predetermined topic is determined by second-language extraction rules. Translated-data-set sub-portions determined to contain information sufficiently related to the predetermined topic are converted to converted-data-set sub-portions representative of the translated-data-set sub-portions in a human-intelligible format and outputted through a machine-to-human interface.
US08645117B2
A pulse width of a simulated external system clock is set by determining a least common multiple of the frequency of selected internal clock signals relative to the frequency of the external system clock. The pulse width can be further adjusted based on the frequency of simulated external clocks. By setting the pulse width of the simulated external system clock based on the least common multiple value, the time required to complete the simulation can be reduced while ensuring proper operation of the simulated clock signals during the simulation.
US08645111B2
Modification of a model in situations, where one end of several parts should be transferred for the same distance, for instance, has posed a problem in modeling systems. The problem can be solved by defining a magnetic control plane to which model part handles locating thereon will adhere without separate definitions given by the user and they move (406) along with the plane. The only thing the user needs to do is to create a plane and to define the plane type to be a magnetic control plane. On the basis of these data given by the user the modeling system knows what to transfer when the magnetic control plane is transferred.
US08645110B1
A method of configuring a composite laminate may include selecting at least two different material systems for the laminate. Each one of the material systems may have material properties and corresponding material invariants. The laminate may be comprised of a stack of plies having a stacking sequence. The method may include characterizing the stacking sequence using lamination parameters for each material system. The method may further include calculating a transverse shear stiffness of the laminate using the material invariants and the lamination parameters.
US08645109B2
Numerical calculation of electromagnetic scattering properties and structural parameters of periodic structures is disclosed. A reflection coefficient has a representation as a bilinear or sesquilinear form. Computations of reflection coefficients and their derivatives for a single outgoing direction can benefit from an adjoint-state variable. Because the linear operator is identical for all angles of incidence that contribute to the same outgoing wave direction, there exists a single adjoint-state variable that generates all reflection coefficients from all incident waves that contribute to the outgoing wave. This adjoint-state variable can be obtained by numerically solving a single linear system, whereas one otherwise would need to solve a number of linear systems equal to the number of angles of incidence.
US08645100B2
An inspection system for detecting anomalies on a substrate. The inspection system has a sensor array for generating image data. A first high speed network is coupled to the sensor array and receives and communicates the image data. An array of process nodes is coupled to the first high speed network, and receives and processes the image data to produce anomaly reports. Each process node has an interface card coupled to the first high speed network, that receives the image data from the first high speed network and formats the image data according to a high speed interface bus protocol. The interface card sets a register indicating whether a predetermined amount of image data has been stored in a memory, and the process node reads the register to determine whether the predetermined amount of image data has been stored in the memory, and initiates image processing when the register indicates that the predetermined amount of image data has been stored in the memory.
US08645089B2
Disclosed herein is an information processing device including a voltage measuring unit and a determining unit. The voltage measuring unit measures a voltage across the positive and negative terminals of a set of a plurality of dye-sensitized solar cells connected in series. The determining unit determines the number of the dye-sensitized solar cells not generating electricity according to the amount of voltage drop across the positive and negative terminals from the voltage across the positive and negative terminals in the initial state in which all the dye-sensitized solar cells of the set generate electricity at the voltage measured by the voltage measuring unit.
US08645084B1
A non-contact/non-destructive technique for determining the mechanical properties of coated drug tablets is presented. One method is to detect, monitor and characterize a drug tablet during compaction by means of transmitting and receiving acoustic waves into the powder core, as it is formed in a press (compactor), via transducers embedded in the compactor die and punches. An iterative computational procedure is shown that extracts the mechanical properties of the coated tablet from a subset of its measured resonance frequencies. Sensitivities of the resonance frequencies to changes in the tablet mechanical properties is illustrated and discussed. These non-destructive techniques require no physical contact with the tablet and operate in the microsecond time-scale. Therefore, they can be employed for rapid monitoring and characterization applications.
US08645083B2
The current invention reports a method for producing an antibody comprising the steps of a) providing a plurality of hybridoma cells each expressing an antibody, b) determining the time dependent amount of said antibody bound to the respective antigen by surface plasmon resonance at different temperatures and different antibody concentrations, c) calculating with the time dependent amount determined in b) based on equations (II) to (XIII) at least the thermodynamic parameters (i) standard association binding entropy formula (A), (ii) standard dissociation binding entropy formula (B), (iii) standard binding entropy (ΔS°), (iv) free standard binding enthalpy (ΔG°), (v) standard dissociation free binding enthalpy formula (C), (vi) standard association free binding enthalpy formula (D), (vii) −TΔS°, (viii) dissociation rate constant kd, (ix) equilibrium binding constant KD, and (x) association rate constant ka, d) selecting a hybridoma cell producing an antibody with at least two of the following: i) a standard association binding entropy of less than 10 J/K*mol, ii) an absolute standard dissociation binding entropy of 100 J/mol*K or more, iii) an absolute standard binding entropy of 100 J/mol*K or more, e) producing an antibody by cultivating said selected cell under conditions suitable for the expression of said antibody and recovering said antibody from the cells or/and the cultivation medium.
US08645080B2
A testing method for the bolt to be used under the conditions of excessive wind force by which bolts made of Cr—Mo steel can be separated into a group of bolts usable in cold areas and a group of bolts unusable in cold areas without conducting Charpy impact test involving complicated operation, specifically, a testing method for determining whether bolts made of heat-treated Cr—Mo steel are usable or unusable in cold areas, wherein the determination is conducted on the basis of both J parameter calculated by formula: J=(Si %+Mn %) (P %+Sn %) 104 (wherein P %, Si %, Mn % and Sn % are contents (mass %) of phosphorus (P), silicon (Si), manganese (Mn) and tin (Sn) respectively as disclosed in the inspection certificate of the Cr—Mo steel) and bolt diameter.
US08645073B2
Analysis of DNA is critical to many applications including identifying perpetrators of crimes based on genetic evidence left at crime scenes. An initial step to analyzing DNA data is detection, identification, and quantization of allele peaks in the DNA data. The invention provides a method and apparatus for accurately and expeditiously performing this initial step by sequentially checking unfitted peaks against various models including a default model, a hybrid peak model, a dual fit model and, in special situations, a narrow fit function and a saturated fit function.
US08645069B2
A simple, applicable in the field, and extra-equipment free method is provided for determining steam dryness directly in a thermal recovery of high-viscosity oil. A non-condensable gas is added into a saturated steam being injected into a well. The presence of non-condensable gas changes partial steam pressure. Correspondingly the steam condensation temperature also changes. The borehole temperature or pressure measurements can be used to evaluate the steam dryness.
US08645067B2
A road data apparatus is disclosed that predicts road conditions comprising a land surface data generator which derives a land surface data output from a plurality of current and forecast weather and location data, said current and forecast weather and location data comprising surface temperature, subsurface temperature, and precipitation depth, a pavement data generator which derives a road temperature and a road condition from said land surface data output and a plurality of pavement generator input data, said plurality of pavement generator input data comprising road layer data; and a roadway status indicator generator which derives a roadway status indicator from said road temperature, road condition and precipitation data. In one embodiment, the roadway status indicator is communicated to an end user through a distribution network.
US08645066B2
The described method and system provide for GPS navigation utilizing variable route corridors. The method may be implemented at a GPS-capable device (e.g. a telematics unit in one implementation) or through a call center that provides navigation services to a telecommunications device (e.g. a telematics unit in another implementation). A user input corresponding to an intended destination is received and a route to the intended destination is calculated with a variable route corridor. The variable route corridor is calculated based on map features, such as other streets not on the route, the width of streets on the route, and map data inaccuracies. In preferred implementations, the system and method are implemented within the context of a GPS unit that is part of a telematics unit in a vehicle.
US08645065B2
A navigation device and a traffic line display method which make a user reliably recognize the relationships between traffic lines and roads when the traffic lines are displayed so as to correspond to the roads which are positioned near one another in a concentrated manner or connected to one another are provided. When the roads currently displayed include roads which belong to a certain road type and which are positioned near one another within a predetermined distance or connected to one another and when at least one of the roads has heavy traffic, the vicinity/connection roads positioned near one another within a predetermined distance or connected to one another and the corresponding traffic lines are clearly distinguished from one another by displaying the roads and the corresponding traffic lines so as to be visually separate from one another. Accordingly, the relationships between the traffic lines and roads are reliably recognized.
US08645059B2
There is provided an electronic device, comprising: a receiving unit configured to receive location data generated by a navigation unit of a positioning system, and to receive performance data from a measuring unit, wherein performance parameters of the performance data are associated to corresponding route points included in the received location data; and a graphic generator configured to generate graphical data associated to the received location data. The graphic generator is further configured to generate graphical data associated to the performance parameters; and to adjust the spatial dimension of the generated graphical data associated to the performance parameters in proportion to the corresponding route points of the received location data on the basis of the values of the performance parameters.
US08645053B2
The relative position of one vehicle vs. another vehicle, both driving in a vehicular environment, is determined using vehicular communications based on the IEEE 802.11 standard. The relative position determination is performed in a measuring vehicle using data provided by a measured vehicle through IEEE 802.11 communications carried through beacons as well as GPS or other location data and local map information.
US08645050B2
An exemplary method includes determining whether real-time vehicle location information deviates from at least one of historical real-time vehicle location information or scheduled vehicle location information. The exemplary method further includes generating a schedule degradation mode based on a deviation of real-time vehicle location information from at least one of historical real-time vehicle location information or scheduled vehicle location information. The exemplary method also includes generating first scheduling information for a user based on the user data and public transportation data when the deviation does not exceed a threshold. The exemplary method farther includes generating second scheduling information, different from the first scheduling information, that includes an indication of the schedule degradation mode for the user based on user data, public transportation data, and the deviation when the deviation exceeds the threshold.
US08645047B2
System and method for optimizing vehicle performance in presence of changing optimization parameters
A method for controlling operations of a power system having at least one internal combustion power unit includes: (a) identifying a plurality of discrete potential dynamic events; (b) for each potential dynamic event, computing an optimization profile which describes power settings for the power system to follow in order to optimize at least one operating parameter of the at least one power unit; (c) selecting one of the optimization profiles based on the potential dynamic event with the highest current probability; and (d) operating the system in accordance with the selected optimization profile.
US08645037B2
When the condition for starting an engine (50) is satisfied, the controller (90) executes the lock switching control in which the wheels (88) are forcibly locked by the brake device (86) and the parking lock mechanism (200) is released to unlock the driveshaft (step S4, step S5), and then the controller (90) executes the cranking control (step S6) in which the engine (50) is started by the motor-generator (MG1).
US08645036B2
A method for controlling a clutch unit for a drive train of a motor vehicle wherein the temperature in the friction clutch is ascertained and a characteristic curve of the friction clutch is adapted as a function of the ascertained temperature.
US08645035B2
A method of controlling a hydraulic CVT of a vehicle includes: determining a speed of rotation of a driving shaft; determining a speed of rotation of a driven shaft; determining a ratio of the speed of rotation of the driving shaft versus the speed of rotation of the driven shaft; determining an engine torque; determining a base clamping force to be applied by the driving pulley onto the belt based on the ratio and the engine torque; determining a desired speed of rotation of the driving shaft; determining a corrective clamping force by comparing the speed of rotation of the driving shaft to the desired speed of rotation of the driving shaft; and controlling a hydraulic pressure applied to a movable sheave to apply a sum of the base and corrective clamping forces onto the belt. A vehicle having a CVT controlled by the method is also disclosed.
US08645032B2
A method for electronically controlling a bicycle gearshift by detecting a first actual command value of an actuator such as to position a motion transmission chain in engagement with a first of at least three coaxial toothed wheels, and a second actual command value of the actuator such as to position the chain in engagement with a second of said toothed wheels. For each toothed wheel, there is determined a nominal command value of the actuator theoretically such as to position the chain in engagement with said toothed wheel. Computing an actual command value of said actuator at least for each of said toothed wheels other than the first and second toothed wheel, based on said nominal command values and on said first and second actual command value. An electronically servo-assisted bicycle gearshift having modules adapted to implement the above method is also disclosed.
US08645028B2
A grille control mechanism for a vehicle includes a movable member being switchable between an opened position for allowing air to flow into a radiator of the vehicle and a closed position for inhibiting the air from flowing into the radiator, an electric motor actuating the movable member, and a control device controlling an electric current to be supplied to the electric motor to execute an opening operation or a closing operation of the movable member in a case where an opening operation condition or a closing operation condition is satisfied, wherein the control device controlling the electric current to be intermittently supplied in response to one of the opening operation condition and the closing operation condition maintained until the other one of the opening operation condition and the closing operation condition is satisfied after the opening operation or the closing operation corresponding to the maintained operation condition is executed.
US08645014B1
A mobile computerized apparatus for use with a roadside assistance program to assist in identifying a service provider, such as a tow truck, is disclosed. The apparatus transmits relevant information to a remote server. The server in turn provides information about a plurality of service providers available to service the vehicle.
US08645009B2
A method of flying an aircraft, where the aircraft has an associated performance envelope, along a flight path based determining an altitude profile for a cruise-climb along the flight path based on the performance envelope of the aircraft and flying the aircraft along the flight path to approximate the altitude profile.
US08645003B2
Provided are a braking control system for a vehicle which is controlled in a priority order, and a method of the same. A braking control system for a vehicle equipped with an electronic brake at each wheel includes a first control unit controlling the operation of a first electronic brake mounted at a front-left wheel and a second electronic brake mounted at a front-right wheel in response to braking signals, and a second control unit controlling the operation of a third electronic brake mounted at a rear-left wheel and a fourth electronic brake mounted at a rear-right wheel in response to the braking signals. In this configuration, when a fail occurs in any one of the first and second control units, the other control unit selectively controls at least one or more of the first to fourth electronic brakes, in accordance with predetermined logic.
US08644995B2
Various methods and apparatus are described for a photovoltaic system. In an embodiment, a method for performing auto-configuration of a concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) array installed in a solar site having multiple CPV arrays. The central backend management system sends auto-configuration files over the Internet to each of the two-axis tracking mechanisms installed at the solar site based upon the GPS coordinates of each of the two-axis tracking mechanisms and that two-axis tracking mechanism's relative position in the layout of the two-axis tracking mechanisms located at the solar site.
US08644994B2
A spatial correlation system and method is disclosed to infer and anticipate the environmental and other conditions of an energy park from individual energy collector information. Individual collector information is acquired and formatted into a pixelized image according to the spatial location of the collector. Image processing and other spatial correlating algorithms are applied to generate spatially correlated descriptions of the energy park. The descriptions are of the current and anticipated conditions. The collectors are made to respond to the descriptions in order to maximize energy collection, avoid disruptive conditions, and reduce stress loading. The system combines locally acquired collection information in a manner that replaces costly collector instrumentation.
US08644993B1
Integrated, stand-alone, multiple-purpose pump stands are provided for controlled pumping of different liquids from a stand-mounted tank to a downstream use location, e.g., a seed treating device. The pump stands are equipped with an operating assembly including a liquid tank, a powered pump, a liquid flow line equipped with a flow meter from the tank and pump to the use location, and a programmable digital control device. During operation, the control device serves to approach and maintain the flow rate from the pump stand at or about a desired setpoint flow rate.
US08644981B2
Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus in which a target substrate is taken out from a slot of a cassette having a plurality of slots and processed. The substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate processing unit that processes the target substrate, a transfer unit that transfers the target substrate from the cassette to the substrate processing unit and transfers the target substrate processed in the substrate processing unit from the substrate processing unit to the cassette, and a confirming unit that determines whether or not the slot is empty. The substrate processing apparatus further includes a control unit that reads the slot designated to the target substrate and makes the confirming unit to determine whether or not the slot is empty, after the target substrate has been processed in the substrate processing unit but before the target substrate is disposed in the cassette.
US08644979B2
A method for optimizing the location of heating elements within a mold for a rubber article. The position of one or more heating elements, e.g., curing pins or sipes, within the tread mold for a tire can be determined using a 3-D temperature profile so as to improve the efficiency of the curing process. For purposes of the optimization, the number of possible locations for such heating elements can be varied depending upon e.g., the computational time and accuracy desired.
US08644975B2
A system and method allows a consumer to custom-order an item, such as footwear. The system is capable of accepting a designation for the design of the item by a consumer wherein the item is custom-manufactured according to designation of a characteristic made by the consumer. A display card is associated with the system and has a card member having indicia thereon. The indicia correspond to the designation of the characteristic provided by the consumer.
US08644968B2
A content reproduction apparatus includes: a partial reproduction unit for partially reproducing only a predetermined partial reproduction range in an entire reproduction range of contents before switching to next contents to partially reproduce only a predetermined partial reproduction range in an entire reproduction range of the next contents; a creation unit for creating a status bar by superimposing a partial reproduction range bar indicating the partial reproduction range on an entire reproduction range bar indicating the entire reproduction range; a display unit for displaying a reproduction screen when the partial reproduction is performed by the partial reproduction unit; and a control unit for displaying the status bar as superimposed on the reproduction screen.
US08644967B2
A footwear device for enhancing an entertainment experience in accordance with an embodiment of the present application includes a first actuator mounted in the footwear device and operable to impart a vibration to the footwear device based on an indication of reproduced sound included in the entertainment experience. A vibration signal is provided to drive the vibration of the footwear device and may be based on reproduced audible information and/or enhanced information optimized to maximize vibration. The present application also relates to an entertainment system for use with the vibrating footwear device.
US08644965B2
Docking stations and docking methods are provided for use with marking devices used for marking the presence or absence of an underground facility in a dig area. The docking station may serve as a home base for storage of a marking device, for charging the battery of a marking device, for transferring data to and from a marking device, and for securing a marking device against unauthorized use and/or theft. The docking station may be a mobile docking station that is installed in a vehicle or may be a fixed docking station that is installed at a central location in the field, at a central office, at a home base facility, and the like.
US08644953B1
A therapy delivery element configured for at least partial insertion in a living body. A braided structure surrounds the conductor assembly. A distal end of the braided structure is attached to an electrode assembly and a free floating proximal end is located near a connector assembly. An outer tubing surrounds the braided structure. The outer tubing includes a proximal end attached to the connector assembly and a distal end attached to the braided structure near the electrode assembly. A proximal tension force applied to the connector assembly acts substantially on the outer tubing and the conductor assembly and a proximal tension force applied to the free floating proximal end acts substantially on the braided structure.
US08644949B2
An improved external charger for an implantable medical device is disclosed in which charging is at least partially controlled based on a sensed pressure impingent on its case, which pressure is indicative of the pressure between the external charger and a patient's tissue. The improved external charger includes pressure detection circuitry coupled to one or more pressure sensors for controlling the external device in accordance with the sensed impingent pressure. The sensed pressure can be used to control charging, for example, by suspending charging, by adjusting a maximum set point temperature for the external charger based on the measured pressure, or by issuing an alert via a suitable user interface. By so controlling the external charger on the basis of the measured pressure, the external charger is less likely to create potentially problematic or uncomfortable conditions for the user.
US08644945B2
In general, the disclosure relates to the delivery of therapy according to a detected posture state of a patient. The disclosure contemplates a variety of techniques for managing therapy delivered to a patient, including patient and clinician interaction with a medical device configured to deliver therapy according to posture state. In one example, the disclosure relates to a technique including delivering a first therapy to a patient via a medical device, the first therapy associated with a first posture state of the patient; receiving an indication from a user indicating that a second therapy should be delivered, the second therapy associated with a second posture state of the patient; and delivering the second therapy to the patient instead of the first therapy based on the indication.
US08644941B2
Delivery of peripheral nerve field stimulation (PNFS) in combination with one or more other therapies is described. The other therapy delivered in combination with PNFS may be, for example, a different type of neurostimulation, such as spinal cord stimulation (SCS), or a drug. PNFS and the other therapy may be delivered simultaneously, in an alternating fashion, according to a schedule, and/or selectively, e.g., in response to a request received from a patient or clinician. A combination therapy that includes PNFS may be able to more completely address complex or multifocal pain than would be possible through delivery of either PNFS or other therapies alone. Further, the combination of PNFS with one or more other therapies may reduce the likelihood that neural accommodation will impair the perceived effectiveness PNFS or the other therapies.
US08644934B2
An implantable cardiac tissue excitation system includes an implantable pacing controller unit with a pulse generation circuit. The system also includes a lead with a lead body extending between a proximal lead end attachable to the pacing controller unit and a distal lead end configured to be implanted within a heart. A lead conductor extends within the lead body. The system also includes a transmitter assembly located near the distal lead end that is electrically connected to the pulse generation circuit through the lead conductor to wirelessly transmit pacing control information and pacing energy. The system also includes a leadless electrode assembly configured to be implanted within the heart that includes a receiver to receive the wireless transmission, a charge storage unit to store the charge energy, and an electrical stimulation circuit to deliver an electrical stimulus to cardiac tissue using the pacing control information and the charge energy.
US08644924B2
A pacing device and method for operating same is disclosed in which the point of origin of an arrhythmia is estimated in order to more provide more effective treatment. The origin of an arrhythmia may be estimated by analyzing the timing of electrical events as detected at different electrode sites and/or using different sensing vectors. Anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP) may then be delivered to the most appropriate location.
US08644910B2
Protocols for radioimaging an event or disorder are provided. An exemplary protocol comprises a method of radioimaging a myocardial perfusion, the method comprising in sequence: (a) administering to a subject about 3 mCi Tl201 thallous chloride; (b) allowing said subject to rest; (c) radioimaging a heart of said subject; (d) subjecting said subject to a physical stress; (e) administering to said subject at a peak of said physical stress about 20-30 mCi Tc99m sestamibi; and (f) radioimaging said heart of said subject, thereby radioimaging a myocardial perfusion.
US08644908B2
An apparatus for use in performing imaging a region of a patient's body including a first imaging system for acquiring first imaging information including a first region of interest using a first imaging modality, a second imaging system for acquiring second imaging information including a second region of interest using a second imaging modality, a first drive system for selectively moving at least a portion of one of the first and second imaging systems relative to an imaging reference frame, wherein the first drive system is operative to move one of the first and second imaging systems independent of movement of the other of the first and second imaging systems. A method for imaging a region of a patient's body including acquiring first imaging information corresponding to a first region of interest using a first imaging modality, acquiring second imaging information corresponding to a second region of interest using a second imaging modality, selectively moving at least a portion of one of a first and/or second imaging system relative to an imaging reference frame, wherein selectively moving comprises operating moving one of the first and second imaging systems independent of movement of the other of the first and second imaging systems.
US08644904B2
A flexible dry electrode and the manufacturing method thereof are provided. The electrode has an electroplated uneven surface and at least one hole and is made of porous material.
US08644902B2
A method for sensing multiple local electric voltages from endocardial surface of a heart, includes: providing a system for sensing multiple local electric voltages from endocardial surface of a heart, including: a first elongate tubular member having a lumen, a proximal end and a distal end; a basket assembly including: a plurality of flexible splines for guiding a plurality of exposed electrodes, the splines having proximal portions, distal portions and medial portions therein between, wherein the electrodes are substantially flat electrodes and are substantially unidirectionally oriented towards a direction outside of the basket.
US08644899B2
A coated conductor with a substantially round cross section has a high temperature superconductor layer which is sandwiched between an inner substrate layer and an outer substrate layer to place the high temperature superconductor layer in the region of neutral strain axis.
US08644890B2
Disclosed herein are exemplary techniques for managing power in a direct wireless link between two wireless devices. The present invention provides at least three direct link power management techniques: Fast Resumption Mode (FRM) wherein the direct link is resumed automatically at a specified timing synchronization function (TSF); Slow Resumption Mode (SRM) wherein the direct link may be resumed by sending a Resume-Request via the access point; and Reverse Polling (RP), wherein one peer station of the direct link is continually awake and the other peer station uses reverse polling to start a service period. Thus, a method for power management of a direct wireless link between two wireless devices is disclosed. The method comprising the steps of establishing a direct wireless link between the first wireless device and the second wireless device; transmitting, from a first wireless device, a frame having a time value; receiving, at the second wireless device, the frame from the first wireless device; suspending the direct wireless link a duration determined based on the time value; and resuming the direct wireless link at a time determined based on the time value.
US08644886B1
An improved system and method to provide important information either, as voice, text, picture, holographic image or video from the calling party to a called party before the called party answers a telephone. The information may be a live or recorded voice, text, image or video message. The calling party may send a voice message, for example, and send it along with a call set-up message. The voice message may be recorded beforehand, recorded as part of the dialing process, or sent live before the call is answered. Instead of the called party's telephone ringing, the recorded voice message is played or the real-time data/bearer stream is heard. The called party hears the voice message instead of the ring tone normally heard when there is an incoming telephone call. If the telephone is not answered, the calling party is sent to voicemail or mms-storage system, where the calling party is given the option to record a voice message which may or may not include the original recorded or live voice message sent along with the call set-up message. Alternatively if the called party has a follow me service, the other contact numbers are attempted as directed in the user preferences before sending the calling party to voicemail. If the calling and called party have telephones, such as mobile phones, IP phones, IP softphones, PDA with telephony capabilities, etc., which allow for multimedia messages such as text, images and video messages, the calling party's recorded voice message may include text, images or video.
US08644885B1
Systems and techniques for substantially wrapping a mobile electronic device in a display are provided. A method for displaying elements on displays of a computing device is described that includes displaying user-selectable elements on a primary display that is located on a portion of an exterior surface of a mobile electronic device and displaying content to the user on a secondary display comprising substantially an entire exterior surface of the mobile electronic device excluding the primary display region. The method may further include receiving user input through a primary user input mechanism operable to receive user selections in coordination with the primary display of user-selectable elements; and receiving user input through a secondary user input mechanism operable to receive user selections in coordination with the secondary display of content, where the content includes user-selectable elements.
US08644880B2
A contactless smart card imbedded in a communication mobile substrate connected to a wireless communication network, and a contactless smart card reader in the vicinity of the communication mobile substrate for radiofrequency communication with the contactless smart card, are disclosed. On one hand, a first antenna is provided on the contactless smart card imbedded in the communication mobile substrate and, on the other hand, a second antenna is attached to the communication mobile substrate and connected by inductive coupling to the first antenna, so that the contactless smart card can directly communicate by radiofrequency with the contactless smart card reader without using the wireless communication network.
US08644871B2
The present invention relates to an arrangement, a communication network node and a user equipment allowing for maintaining cell coverage in a communication network system as well as a method for such maintained cell coverage. The communication network system comprising a plurality of communication network nodes (15a, 15b) communicating with one or more user equipments (18), where each network node (15a, 15b) is serving at least one cell (19) in which the user equipments (18) are situated. The method comprises the steps of: collecting (51) measurement reports from the user equipments (18) within the at least one cell (19); analyzing (52) collected measurement reports from at least some of the user equipments (18) for determining the proximity of these user equipments (18) to an uplink cove rage limit (20); setting (53) a noise rise threshold based on the determined proximity of these user equipments (18) to the uplink coverage limit (20); implementing (55) the set noise rise threshold in the network node (15a, 15b) serving the at least one cell (19).
US08644854B2
The functionality of smartphone applications may be extended to a basic phone, i.e., a phone lacking a particular smartphone capability, by providing a data synthesizer in the basic phone that synthesizers required data points. The data synthesizer may communicate with nearby smartphones to collect relevant data points such as location or motion data. Data points for the basic phone may be calculated from the collected data points. When an application on the basic phone requests data, a data provider proxy may retrieve a synthesized data point from the data synthesizer. In one example, a basic phone without a GPS or similar location module may execute a mapping application by averaging location data from nearby smartphones.
US08644849B2
A system and method for anticipating wireless signal loss and providing location based services in view of the anticipated wireless signal loss is disclosed.
US08644845B2
The present invention is provided to report a loss of a terminal in a wireless communication system. A method of detecting the loss of the terminal includes comparing information elements that change depending on geographical movement of a primary terminal and a secondary terminal when a time for detecting the loss arrives. The loss of the secondary terminal is detected based on the comparison result of the information elements that change depending on the geographical movement of the terminals. The loss of the secondary terminal is reported to the primary terminal.
US08644840B2
A cellular network system comprises a device identifier comparator and a connection enable indicator. A device identifier comparator for comparing a received device identifier with one of a plurality of stored device identifiers, wherein the one of the stored plurality of stored device identifiers is associated with a stored subscriber identifier. A connection enable indicator for indicating whether a connection from a cellular device associated with the received device identifier to a data network associated with the cellular network system should be enabled.
US08644836B2
Routing an incoming call for an IP phone system is disclosed. A location data for a mobile device is received. A way point based at least in part on the location data is determined. A state for a user of the IP phone system is determined based at least in part on the way point. An incoming call is routed to the IP phone system based at least in part on the state.
US08644834B2
A system is proposed to provide handover in a mobile telecommunications environment, particularly applicable to 3GPP networks, in which a user device, such as a mobile telephone, receives signalling for persistently allocated resources generated by a target base station via a source base station.
US08644832B2
The disclosed subject matter relates to an architecture that can redirect communications upon detection of a handover failure in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. In particular, the architecture can obtain information indicative of a handover failure that is available in a first portion of the LTE network that has no control over the communication path. Furthermore, the architecture can utilize the information to instruct a second portion of the LTE network, one that can control the communication path but conventionally has no access to the information, to reroute the communication path to avoid unresponsive or failing network entities.
US08644831B2
A redirection method of a femto cell is provided together with a communication system based thereon. A serving gateway, connected with a specific femto cell, or an additional server determines whether there is a need for a redirection of the femto cell by using a load condition of the serving gateway or a target gateway. If the redirection is determined, the femto cell receives redirection instructions from the serving gateway to the target gateway and then the redirection is performed. Since the femto cell is redirected from the overloaded femto gateway to another femto gateway, the femto cell can continuously provide a communication service to user terminals.
US08644830B2
In a mobile communication system including a certain user targeted base station (Home eNB), fast cell search and handover are achieved without unnecessary signaling and without increasing interference with other cells. In the mobile communication system, when it is detected that a mobile station permitted to access the certain user targeted base station has entered or exists within a location registration area associated with the certain user targeted base station, connection information including at least frequency information being presently used by the certain user targeted base station and ID information for the certain user targeted base station is transmitted to the mobile station in a dedicated manner. The mobile station performs cell search based on the transmitted connection information. In a preferred embodiment, the mobile station receives adjacent cell frequency information broadcast from a resident public targeted base station and performs the cell search based on the frequency information in the transmitted connection information as well as the adjacent cell frequency information.
US08644828B2
A method and system for selecting alternative wireless networks to establish a connection to, based on pattern information concerning determined relationships between the wireless user and the wireless network location. By monitoring location information and available wireless networks within range of a wireless user terminal, patterns of frequent and recurring locations and available wireless access points can be used to identify the wireless access points for alternative wireless networks that provide the best opportunity for offloading. People tend to frequent certain locations during their daily lives, such as their home and their place of employ, as well as the homes of relatives and friends and other favorite places like restaurants, coffee shops, shopping and sporting venues. Assumptions can be derived by monitoring available wireless networks to identify those wireless networks that provide a beneficial opportunity to offload primary (e.g., cellular) network services onto other local networks.
US08644823B2
The present disclosure provides a system and method for shared binding maintenance. In accordance with one example embodiment, there is provided a method for use on a network component for updating bindings, comprising: receiving a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message concerning a particular Address-of-Record (AOR); and updating a list of one or more bindings for the particular AOR in a registration repository.
US08644818B1
Techniques are provided to detect when a radio access point device in a wireless cellular communication network is operating at a location other than its expected location. Roaming history data is obtained for wireless user devices in a wireless cellular communication network with respect to base transceiver stations each configured to serve a corresponding coverage area at a fixed known location and with respect to radio access point devices each configured to serve a corresponding relatively smaller coverage area in the wireless cellular communication network than a macro base transceiver station. Radio access point devices are also readily movable from one location to another location. The roaming history data of wireless user devices is analyzed against expected locations of radio access point devices to determine when a radio access point device is operating at a location other than its expected location.
US08644804B2
A method and a system for collection of meter readings from meter reading and transmitting devices (12, 14) and for viewing on a web-enabled wireless communication device (28) comprises addressing at least one receiver (15) through the Internet (21) and obtaining a data file of meter data for a plurality of meter reading devices (12, 14) that have previously communicated with the receiver (15). The receiver (15) can then re-transmit the meter data through a wide area network such as the Internet (21) to a web site (10) operated by an organization marketing AMR systems. The meter data is then accessed and displayed at a customer demonstration site using a handheld wireless smart phone (28) which receives a web page (22) that is reduced in size for transmission through the cellular network to the smart phone (28).
US08644802B2
A method, system and gateway for control of calls unanswered by a roaming user roaming on a roaming network, comprises monitoring outward bound calls to roaming users, monitoring subsequent inward forwarding of those calls terminated without answering at said roaming users, and matching between the outward bound and inward forwarding. Matching confers control of processing of the terminated call in two ways. One is that it allows call details, typically lost over International networks, to be obtained regarding the terminated call. Secondly, it allows the originating call to be connected directly to the voicemail or other forwarding destination without involving any International connections.
US08644799B2
The present invention provides a charging method, including: a mobility management network element obtaining charging policy information of a terminal from a user subscription data network element; an access network element obtaining the charging policy information of the terminal from the mobility management network element; and the access network element storing the charging policy information of the terminal, and charging for services of the terminal according to the charging policy information. Accordingly, the present invention also provides a charging system, an access network element and a mobility management network element. The technical scheme of the present invention can send the charging policy information to the radio side network element in the LIPA structure to realize the dynamic charging based on users of services; and it can cover the LTE network and the 3G network at the same time.
US08644792B2
An emergency device or emergency system is configured for operation within a fire safety system, or a fire safety portion of a building automation system (BAS). For example, wireless devices, emergency devices and/or automation components within the fire safety system, or the fire safety portion of the BAS may be configured to automatically provide or otherwise communicate emergency information to an emergency device or system. The emergency information may, in turn, be utilized by emergency personnel or first responders to determine conditions with the structure. A heads-up display is configured to present the display data based on the received emergency communication to a user.
US08644787B1
A method of separating individual channels from a composite or broadband RF signal that carries the channels on respective frequencies. An RF signal is received from an antenna at a high impedance input port of a plurality of mixers. A local oscillator (LO) signal is received at a high impedance port of the plurality of mixers. The plurality of mixers separately mix the RF signal to produce a plurality of common intermediate frequency (IF) signals. The plurality of common IF signals are output to filters corresponding to the individual isolated channels then processed to derive their information content.
US08644785B2
This disclosure relates to low noise amplifiers (LNAs) and more particularly to LNAs integrated on integrated circuit (IC) chips along with radio frequency (RF) amplifiers. In one implementation, an impedance translator is coupled to an amplifier, the impedance translator to cause the amplifier to selectively amplify the one or more components of a received signal.
US08644777B2
A system for power amplifier over-voltage protection includes a power amplifier configured to receive a system voltage, a bias circuit configured to provide a bias signal to the power amplifier, and a power amplifier over-voltage circuit configured to interrupt the bias signal when the system voltage exceeds a predetermined value, while the system voltage remains coupled to the power amplifier.
US08644775B2
A transmission apparatus includes a case including first, second, and third stages, each stage having one slot, each slot allowing free insertion and removal of a board; a first control board; a first communication unit connected with the first control board and performing radio communication; and a second communication unit connected with the first control board and performing communication faster than the radio communication. The first control board is mounted in the slot of the first stage. The first communication unit is mounted in the slot of the second stage, and the second stage is provided on one side of the first stage. The second communication unit is mounted in the slot of the third stage, and the third stage is provided on a side opposite to the first communication unit with respect to the first stage. The second communication unit is arranged adjacent to the first control board.
US08644765B1
In one or more aspects data packets are iteratively transmitted to a receiver using predefined spatial mapping matrices, channel estimates are received from the receiver responsive to the iteratively transmitted data packets, and one of the predefined spatial mapping matrices is selected for transmitting additional data packets to the receiver based on the received channel estimates.
US08644761B2
A communication apparatus including a first storage unit, a second storage unit logically or physically discriminated from the first storage unit, a first communication unit, a second communication unit for transmitting data stored in the second storage unit through electric field coupling or magnetic field coupling, and a selecting unit for selecting at least either the first storage unit or the second storage unit as a storage destination of the data received by the first communication unit.
US08644760B2
An arrangement for an NFC compatible mobile device for delayed transfer of an established friend connection and a related method. The arrangement is suitable, for example, for delaying the transmission of information about a friend connection established over the NFC relative to another NFC compatible device to a remote device, such as a server, in that case the network connection is not available or does not fulfill a predetermined criterion.
US08644759B2
Offset voltages developed on floating nodes on inputs to high-performance amplifiers that are DC isolated from the data signals input to amplifiers are cancelled by connecting a highly resistive element between the input node and a predetermined potential, particularly useful in proximity communication systems in which two chips are connected through capacitive or inductive coupling circuits formed jointly in the two chips. The resistive element may be an off MOS transistor connected between the node and a desired bias voltage or a MOS transistor with its gate and drain connected to the potential. Multiple bias voltages may be distributed to all receivers and locally selected by a multiplexer for application to one or two input nodes of the receiver. The receiver output can also serve as a predetermined potential when the resistive element has a long time constant compared to the data rate or the resistive element is non-linear.
US08644755B2
Managing offline presentation of learning material may include associating identification strings with various portions of the learning material. When a learner is presented with the learning materials, identification strings associated with the learning materials may also be presented to the learner. The progress of the learner with respect to the learning materials may be identified based on the identification strings.
US08644752B2
An image processing device has an image forming portion, a heating portion and a supplying portion. The image forming portion forms an image on a sheet. The heating portion heats the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming portion at a predetermined temperature, to thereby fix the image on the sheet. The supplying portion supplies the sheet on which an image is fixed previously. Further, the heating portion heats the sheet on which the image is fixed and which is supplied from the supplying portion at a temperature higher than the predetermined temperature to thereby remove the image.
US08644748B2
A belt-roll fuser system includes a belt-roll fuser apparatus wherein a belt is entrained about at least a first internal pressure roll and a second internal pressure roll. The first internal pressure roll and the second internal pressure roll are configured to force a belt against an external pressure roll at a fusing nip, the belt conforming to the external pressure roll across substantially a length of the fusing nip. A passive belt support may interpose internal pressure rolls for ensuring a consistent fusing pressure across the length of the nip. A pressure belt may interpose the fuser belt and the internal pressure rolls.
US08644743B2
According to aspects of the embodiments, there is provided apparatus and methods of improving the self-stripping capabilities of a printing system employing a belt roll fuser structure. An exemplary embodiment apparatus comprises a pressure roll; a fuser belt; a nip formed by the fuser belt contacting the pressure roll, the nip including an inlet end where a medium enters the nip, an outlet end where the medium exits the nip, and a first nip width defined between the inlet end and the outlet end; and a striping shoe coupled to a controller that uses a lookup table to incrementally move the stripping shoe to some defined optimum position to compensate for at least one of belt degradation, media weight, and media coating to gain stripping latitude.
US08644735B2
A cartridge includes a developing roller, supply roller, input rotary body, developing roller rotary body, and supply roller rotary body. The developing roller/supply roller rotary bodies transmit the drive force inputted from the input rotary body to the developing roller/supply roller, respectively. The developing roller rotary body includes first and second drive input parts having different diameters. The input rotary body includes first and second drive output parts engaged with the first and second drive input part, respectively and having different diameters. The first drive output part is movable between a first position and second position. The first drive input part and the first drive output part are engaged when the first drive output part is in the first position. The second drive input part and the second drive output part are engaged when the first drive output part is in the second position.
US08644733B2
Image recording devices, such as electrophotographic devices, laser printers, copiers, and fax machines, often have a cartridge that utilizes a drive gear to transmit rotational force from the printer to the print cartridge. Also, it is desirable to remanufacture print cartridge both to reduce waste and to save resources. Therefore, it may be desirable to provide a drive gear mechanism that is easily replaced or reused when a print cartridge is remanufactured.
US08644731B2
A charging device includes a charger facing a rotatably supported image carrier and configured to charge the image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed, and a movement mechanism configured to move the charger between a charging position at which the charger is close to the image carrier and a retracted position at which the charger is retracted away from the image carrier. The movement mechanism includes a support member supporting the charger that has been moved to the retracted position by the movement mechanism, and a movable member configured to move when a driving force from a drive source is transmitted thereto. The movable member moves to the charging position or the retracted position when the movable member is moved in a direction of a rotational axis of the image carrier while being in contact with the support member.
US08644729B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image holding body unit having a first supported portion and an image holding body that is rotated while holding an image on a surface of the image holding body; and a conveying unit that is disposed below the image holding body unit and has conveying members for conveying a medium on which the image formed on the surface of the image holding body is to be recorded, image holding body support portions that supports both end portions, in an axial direction, of the image holding body, and a first support portion that supports the first supported portion.
US08644726B2
A remanufactured toner cartridge includes a wall defining a fill hole that is used to refill the cartridge with toner. A patch covers the fill hole, and a heat activated adhesive non-removably attaches the patch to the wall. The fill hole can be formed with a heat knife such that when the heat knife is withdrawn it forms a raised ridge of material extending around the perimeter of the fill hole. The patch is attached to the wall by applying heat and pressure to the patch, which also softens and at least partially flattens the ridge of material surrounding the fill hole such that the patch is substantially flush with the wall upon completion of the operation.
US08644724B2
An image forming device, comprising: an endless belt stretched by a plurality of rollers; and a detection sensor located to face one of the plurality of rollers while sandwiching the endless belt between the detection sensor and the one of the plurality of rollers, the detection sensor reading information formed on the endless belt through use of reflection of light. A recessed part is formed, to catch foreign particles, on the one of the plurality of rollers at a position which is shifted in an axis direction of the one of the plurality of rollers with respect to a detection area on the endless belt to which light from the detection sensor is irradiated.
US08644717B2
An image forming apparatus and a method are provided. The apparatus includes an image forming unit that discharges ink; a transfer unit that performs a first conveying operation of conveying the sheet in a state in which a first surface thereof faces the image forming unit, and a second conveying operation of conveying the sheet in a state in which a second surface thereof faces the image forming unit after the first conveying operation; a detecting unit that detects a jam of the sheet subjected to the second conveying operation; a setting unit that sets a dry time for drying the ink; and a control unit that controls the transfer unit to start the second conveying operation after the dry time has elapsed after the first conveying operation, wherein the setting unit sets the dry time for a current sheet based on the detection result of a previous sheet.
US08644705B2
A system for a re-configurable optical de-multiplexer, multiplexer or add/drop multiplexer is provided. A re-configurable de-multiplexer system comprises a wavelength selective switch having an input port, an output port and an internal port; a wavelength division de-multiplexer (WDM) optically coupled to the internal port and a plurality of dropped-channel ports optically coupled to the WDM. The wavelength selective switch receives a plurality of input wavelength-division multiplexed channels from the input port and routes a first subset of the channels to the output port and a second subset of channels to the internal port and then to the WDM. The WDM separates each of the dropped channels to a different respective one of the channel ports.
US08644699B2
An apparatus has a light emitting diode module that has one or more light emitting diodes each with a light emitting circuitry. The apparatus further has a controller functionally connected with the one or more light emitting circuitries; a housing surrounding the controller and the one or more light emitting circuitries; and a pair of power supply connectors extending outside of the housing and functionally connected with the controller. The controller receives operating power from the pair of power supply connectors and uses the received operating power to control operation of the one or more light emitting circuitries.
US08644687B2
In a recording apparatus (camcorders, optical disc recorders, etc.), the operator presses down priority designating buttons for designating priorities when recording input image data. An additional information generating section records and holds, in a storage section, additional information indicating priorities of data to be recorded (e.g., “low”, “intermediate”, “high”, or “highest”) which are set, depending on what priority designating button has been pressed down. If recordable remaining space in the storage section detected by the remaining amount detecting section falls below a predetermined value before the start of or during recording of data, a control section overwrites regions in order of priority of data which is stored therein, the lowest first, with data which is about to be recorded or is being recorded, based on the additional information generated by the additional information generating section. Therefore, even if free space in the storage medium becomes small, a decisive moment can be recoded, for example.
US08644685B2
An image editing device includes: a display controller that outputs a video signal to a display device; an input interface that receives from a user settings information about a plurality of candidate images, about a total play time of a sequence of images to be created, and about displaying effects of the respective images used in the sequence of images; and an image sequence creating unit that creates the sequence of images using a plurality of images that are selected from the plurality of candidate images. When the total play time and the displaying effects are set, or when at least one of the total play time and the displaying effects is changed, a total count of images planned to be used in the sequence of images, or an estimated value of the total count, is determined and displayed on the display device.
US08644684B2
In order to provide a recording and reproducing device that allows a user to select and manage arbitrary play lists, a unit of management for managing all registered play list information and an upper management hierarchical level are added. The unit of management is adapted to be handled on the same level with unified information that indicates a reproduction range of all AV data. User-defined unified information is adapted to be handled on the added management hierarchical level. The user-defined unified information is formed to allow arbitrary reproduction ranges contained on a lower hierarchical level to be registered.
US08644679B2
An approach provides control of digital media. A stream of digital media that includes an advertisement is received. The stream is selectively skipped to avoid the advertisement. In addition, the amount of advertisement played back is tracked. Further, tracking information is generated based on the tracking.
US08644674B2
A method and system for controlling a playback experience for one or more videos is disclosed. Actions are specified in control documents for the one or more videos. The actions specify start time and duration for each action, optional introductory or confirmation messages or interface controls, optional gestures, and/or intents that are triggered by the actions. The various control documents are compiled into a single control document that includes a link to the one or more videos and the actions various. Multiple parties can control the playback experience with multiple control documents to provide a multi-layered control experience.
US08644673B2
Computer-implemented techniques for viewing a recorded presentation are described. The techniques include receiving by one or more computers a request from a user to view a recorded presentation, retrieving, by one or more computing systems, a segment of the recorded presentation that is comprised of plural segments and information specifying times of occurrences of trigger events associated with corresponding segments in the recorded presentation, retrieving by the one or more computers private information of the user relevant to a first segment of the recorded presentation based on a first trigger event, generating, by the one or more computing systems, a re-cast first segment of the recorded presentation, with the re-cast first segment including the private information of the user, and sending by the one or more computing systems, the re-cast segment to a computing device associated with the user.
US08644672B2
A multiplexed stream is inputted, and a video stream is separated therefrom. A predetermined conversion process is performed on the separated video stream. Whether multimedia coding data is contained in the multiplexed stream is determined. Coding control information for instructing the predetermined conversion process to not change a display format of the video stream is generated when the multimedia coding data is contained in the multiplexed stream. A multiplexed stream is generated which includes the converted video stream.
US08644666B2
An apparatus may include a waveguide. The waveguide may include a distal end surface which may be substantially normal to a centerline of a distal end portion of the waveguide. The apparatus may further include a cover which may be coupled to a portion of the waveguide. The cover may include a portion distal to the distal end surface of the waveguide, and the portion of the cover may be made of a material which may be configured to be removed when exposed to electromagnetic radiation emitted from a portion of the distal end surface of the waveguide.
US08644663B2
An imaging device including an illumination module including at least one emitter for emitting at least one excitation beam, a scanning and injection module including an image guide, a proximal end and a distal end of which are linked by a plurality of optical fibers, and a scanning and injection optical system configured to alternately inject the at least one excitation beam into an optical fiber of the image guide from the proximal end of the image guide, and a detection module including at least one detector for detecting at least one luminous flux collected at the distal end of the image guide. At least one of the illumination module and the detection module is optically conjugated with the scanning and injection module by a conjugating optical fiber.
US08644662B2
An optical connection structure which permits easy and automatic alignment between the optical axes of optical fibers and the optical axes of cores of an optical waveguide, and a production method which ensures that an optical waveguide for the optical connection structure can be efficiently produced with higher dimensional accuracy are provided. An over-cladding layer of the optical waveguide includes an extension portion provided in a longitudinal end portion thereof, and optical fiber fixing grooves are provided in the extension portion as extending along extension lines of cores coaxially with the cores and each having opposite ends, one of which is open in an end face of the extension portion and the other of which is closed. Optical fibers are fitted and fixed in the respective optical fiber fixing grooves. The over-cladding layer further includes a boundary portion (6) provided between the other closed ends of the optical fiber fixing grooves and the cores.
US08644650B2
Consistent with the present disclosure, MZ drive signal electrodes may be provided relatively close to and parallel to one another, such that the underlying waveguide arms may also be provided close to and parallel to one another. As a result, common mode performance of an MZ modulator may be obtained. In one example, an electrode wiring configuration consistent with the present disclosure may permit a waveguide arm separation of 40 microns or less.
US08644643B2
Techniques for performing convolution filtering using hardware normally available in a graphics processor are described. Convolution filtering of an arbitrary H×W grid of pixels is achieved by partitioning the grid into smaller sections, performing computation for each section, and combining the intermediate results for all sections to obtain a final result. In one design, a command to perform convolution filtering on a grid of pixels with a kernel of coefficients is received, e.g., from a graphics application. The grid is partitioned into multiple sections, where each section may be 2×2 or smaller. Multiple instructions are generated for the multiple sections, with each instruction performing convolution computation on at least one pixel in one section. Each instruction may include pixel position information and applicable kernel coefficients. Instructions to combine the intermediate results from the multiple instructions are also generated.
US08644633B2
Using scan conversion processing of changing the scan order for each block, parallel scan conversion processing is executed if possible. A scan status holding unit holds statistical information based on the appearance frequency values of coefficients in a block. A scan order holding unit holds coefficient position information in which the coefficient positions in a block are arranged based on the scan order. A significant data position information generation unit scans one block data in accordance with coefficient position information, and generates information representing nonzero/zero for each data position. Based on the statistical information and the information generated by the significant data position information generation unit, a parallel number determination unit determines whether to process two blocks in parallel or process one block. In accordance with the determination, a scan conversion unit scan-converts two input blocks in parallel or scan-converts only one of the blocks.
US08644603B2
The present invention relates to spectral image sampling. An image is projected onto an array of optical transformation devices. Image intensity values transmitted by said array of optical transformation devices are detected at each sensor element of an image sensor. The image sensor comprises a plurality of photosensitive sensor elements configured to detect a magnitude of incident light, wherein said sensor elements are shaped as regular polygons whose aspect ratio is controlled to minimize sensor element count while obtaining a desired image quality. The detected image intensity values are processed to infer the image.
US08644601B2
One or more implementations access a digital image containing one or more bands. Adjacent bands of the one or more bands have a difference in color resulting in a contour between the adjacent bands. The one or more implementations apply an algorithm to at least a portion of the digital image for reducing visibility of a contour. The algorithm is based on a value representing the fraction of pixels in a region of the digital image having a particular color value.
US08644597B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for generating 3D image files based on 2D image media standards. First and second image data are photographed, pre-processed, and stored. The first and second image data are encoded. A 3D image file is generated. The 3D image file includes a first area having the first and second image data synchronized with the first image data so as to be used for generating a 3D image, a second area including at least information on a number of frames and a size of each frame for the first image data, and a third area, separate from the second area, having information on a number of frames and a size of each frame for the second image data. Information stored in third area is for regenerating the 3D image and not for regenerating a 2D image.
US08644595B2
In one aspect, a method of displaying data is provided. The method comprises obtaining projection data of an object by exposing an object to radiation at a plurality of view angles and detecting at least some of the radiation exiting the object to form the projection data, operating a computer to reconstruct the projection data at a reconstruction resolution to form image data comprising a plurality of voxels representing locations within the object, each of the plurality of voxels being assigned an associated intensity indicative of a density of the subject matter at the respective location, determining a maximum resolution for display, above which variation in intensity between adjacent voxels is not supported by information in the projection data, the maximum resolution being less than the reconstruction resolution, and displaying the image data at or below the maximum resolution.
US08644587B2
A method of detecting optical defects in a transparency may comprise the steps of providing a digital image of the transparency having a plurality of image pixels and detecting at least one candidate defect. The candidate defect may be detected by determining a grayscale intensity of each one of the image pixels and calculating an intensity gradient across adjacent pairs of the image pixels. Each image pixel may be assigned a gradient value comprising a maximum of the absolute value of the intensity gradients associated with the image pixel. A gradient image may be constructed comprising the gradient values assigned to corresponding ones of the image pixels. Image pixels may be identified as candidate pixels if such image pixels have a gradient value exceeding a gradient threshold. The candidate pixels may comprise the optical defect.
US08644582B2
A support system for histopathological diagnosis includes a cell nucleus uniformity evaluation unit evaluating a uniformity of a plurality of cell nuclei included in a ductal region in an image. With this configuration, there is provided a support system, a support method and a support program for histopathological diagnosis, which enables realization of highly accurate cancer differentiation in a pathological diagnosis.
US08644574B2
A method for reconstructing an image includes receiving tomographic data representative of an image signal; deriving, from the image signal, a plurality of components; identifying a spatial location associated with maximum phase congruency of the components; incorporating, into an image, an edge at the spatial location; and providing an output representative of the image.
US08644569B2
A novel and useful mechanism for generating a fly-through review for digital images such as tissue sample scans. A fly-through path based on the sample image is determined and one or more fly-through curves are generated. Two-dimensional image manipulations are applied to the sample image in accordance with the one or more fly-through curves and any user preferences to generate a sequence of frame images to be displayed.
US08644567B2
The present invention relates to a method for acquiring a 3-Dimensional (3D) image of a set of teeth, and, in particular, to a method for acquiring a 3D image of a set of teeth which can continuously acquire a plurality of 3D images of a set of teeth which show the change of dentition of a patient using only a single Computed Tomography (CT) scan.
US08644559B2
An image processing device comprises: a tracking area setting unit that sets a tracking area in an input moving image obtained by photographing an object; a following feature point setting unit that detects a feature point that exhibits a motion in correlation with the motion of the tracking area and sets the detected feature point as a following feature point; a motion detection unit that detects movement over time of the following feature point within the input image; and a clip area setting unit that sets a clip area of an image to be employed when a partial image including the tracking area is clipped out of the input image for either recording or displaying or both recording and displaying, and that sets a size and a position of the clip area on the basis of a motion detection result obtained by the motion detection unit.
US08644557B2
An apparatus of estimating a position of a moving vehicle such as a robot includes a feature point matching unit which generates vectors connecting feature points of a previous image frame and feature points of a current image frame, corresponding to the feature points of the previous image frame, and determines spatial correlations between the feature points of the current image frame, a clustering unit which configures at least one motion cluster by grouping at least one vector among the vectors based on the spatial correlations in a feature space, and a noise removal unit removing noise from each motion cluster, wherein the position of the moving vehicle is estimated based on the at least one motion cluster.
US08644554B2
Disclosed are a method and a device for detecting an object in a display area. The method comprises a step of generating a first image prepared to be displayed; a step of displaying the generated first image on a screen; a step of capturing a second image of the screen including the display area; and a step of comparing the generated first image with the captured second image so as to detect the object in the display area.
US08644553B2
According to one embodiment, an image display device that displays acquired image frames includes: an image processing unit that detects a location of a target in a first image frame among the image frames and generates a first predicted location of the target in a second image frame acquired at a first time when a predetermined number of frames or predetermined period of time has passed since the first image frame is acquired; a script processing unit that generates at least one tracking image that starts from the location of the target in the first image frame and heads toward the first predicted location in the second image frame; a synthesis unit that generates combined images where the at least one tracking image is put on image frames between the first and second image frame; and a display unit that displays the combined images.
US08644547B2
A High-resolution Image Acquisition and Processing Instrument (HIAPI) performs at least five simultaneous measurements in a noninvasive fashion, namely: (a) determining the volume of a liquid sample in well (or microtubes) containing liquid sample, (b) detection of precipitate, objects or artifacts within microliter plate wells, (c) classification of colored samples in microliter plate wells or microtubes; (dl determination of contaminant (e.g. wafer concentration}; (e) air bubbles; (f) problems with the actual plate. Remediation of contaminant is also possible.
US08644538B2
Method for improving the comprehensibility of speech with a hearing aid, together with a hearing aid
The understanding of speech is to be improved in cases of hearing loss in which certain frequency ranges can no longer be perceived even at high volume or amplification, as applicable. A frequency transposition is performed on an input signal coming into a hearing aid and specific features of an electrical input signal are detected and a transposed signal is filtered as a function of the specific features detected in the electrical input signal. The hearing aid provides appropriate facilities for detecting specific features of the electrical input signal and filtering facilities for filtering the transposed signal. The objective of this is to detect particular properties of the input signal, in particular signal properties which are characteristic of fricatives, which may possibly be lost as a result of the frequency transposition, and at least partially to restore them in the transposed signal.
US08644537B1
Provided herein is a system for adjusting parameters for binaural hearing assistance devices. A graphical user interface (GUI) control is provided for adjusting at least one parameter for at least one hearing assistance device. In various embodiments, the control is indicative of status of at least one parameter for at least one device. When a pointer, controlled by a mouse or other selecting device, is placed over the control, the control expands. In various applications the control expands to display options for adjusting at least one parameter for at least one device. In some applications, the control provides options to adjust at least one parameter of a left and a right device individually.
US08644535B2
A method for adjusting a hearing device, in particular a hearing aid, to an individual user, includes firstly recording data relating to at least one setting of the hearing device together with direct or indirect temporal information. Thereupon, a period of time during which the at least one setting was/is active is automatically determined. Finally, at least one parameter of the hearing device is automatically adapted as a function of the determined period of time and the at least one setting. This affords the possibility of adapting, for example, time constants according to individual usage. A corresponding hearing device is also provided.
US08644534B2
A recording medium is provided that records a separating step of separating a mixed sound signal in which a plurality of excitations are mixed into the respective excitations, and a step of performing speech detection on the plurality of separated excitation signals, judging whether or not the plurality of excitation signals are speech and generating speech section information indicating speech/non-speech information for each excitation signal. The recording medium also includes at least one of a step of calculating and analyzing an utterance overlap duration using the speech section information for combinations of the plurality of excitation signals and a step of calculating and analyzing a silence duration. The recording medium further includes a step of calculating a degree of establishment of a conversation indicating the degree of establishment of a conversation based on the extracted utterance overlap duration or the silence duration.
US08644531B2
An information processing system includes a display, a display sensor that detects a movement or a rotation of the display, a transducer unit as an earphone unit or a headphone unit, a sound processing part that processes an audio signal so as to localize a sound image in a position outside a head of a listener wearing the transducer unit and listening to sound, and an operation controller that computes an output from the display sensor to obtain a moving direction and a moving distance, or a rotation direction and a rotation angle of the display, and controls sound processing performed by the sound processing part in accordance with a result of the computation so that a positional relation between the display and the head of the listener is mapped as a positional relation between an image display surface and the head of the listener in a virtual viewing space.
US08644528B2
The present invention provides a microfabricated microphone that can mitigate negative effects caused by residual stress in its sensing diaphragm. In particular, a center-supported diaphragm is provided to allow residual stress to relax through the radial expansion or contraction of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is suspended by an anchor that is attached to a supporting beam. The supporting beam is situated in between one or more sections of a back-plate electrode. The supporting beam is mechanically and electrically separated from the back-plate electrode. Various mechanical dimensions of the aforementioned components are also disclosed to optimize performance of a microfabricated microphone in different operational conditions. Further, a method and system for fabricating a microfabricated microphone with a center-supported diaphragm is also disclosed.
US08644522B2
A method and system are provided in which a device, such as an acoustic echo canceller, may reduce the residual echo that may be heard at the far end of a conversation when an external speaker volume is changed. The device may compute a gain based on an echo estimate produced by a filter and on a near-end signal comprising audio information. The gain may be based on a correlation of the echo estimate and the near-end signal that tracks the changes in volume. Once computed, the gain may be validated to ensure that it is being applied when appropriate. The echo estimate may be adjusted by first applying the gain to an output of the filter and subsequently scaling a value of each of the coefficients of the filter based on the gain. The gain may be smoothed out over consecutive frames based on several adaptation schemes.
US08644518B2
An audio broadcast collecting method includes a plurality of steps. In one step, an audio broadcast collecting system simultaneously receives a single audio broadcast in a plurality of audio systems. In another step, the audio broadcast collecting system outputs from each of the plurality of audio systems separate audio performances corresponding to the single audio broadcast. In yet another step, the audio broadcast collecting system records an audio sample of the separate audio performances outputted by the plurality of audio systems simultaneously to obtain recorded samples from the plurality of audio systems.
US08644515B2
A system and method for establishing a mutual entity authentication and a shared secret between two devices using displayed values on each device. Unique first private keys and first public keys are assigned to both devices. The public keys are exchanged between the two devices. Both devices compute a shared secret from their own private keys and the received public keys. Both devices compute, exchange, and verify their key authentication codes of the shared secret. If verification is successful, both devices use the shared secret to generate a displayed value. One or more users compare the displayed values and provide an indication to the devices verifying whether the displays match. If the displays match, then the devices compute a shared master key, which is used either directly or via a later-generated session key for securing message communications between the two devices.
US08644505B2
There is provided a remote entitlement processing module integration processing device. The remote entitlement processing module integration processing device includes: a remote entitlement processing module generating and managing remote smart cards (RSCs) having the number corresponding to the number of host terminals managed by the remote entitlement processing module integration processing device; and a descrambler transferring channel selection information in response to a selection of a pay channel by a user to the remote entitlement processing module and descrambling a scrambled channel signal using a control word (CW) received as a response to the channel selection information, thereby making it possible to minimize dependency between a subscriber device and a conditional access system.
US08644503B2
A content server system includes a remote content server including content license information and a local content player coupled to the remote content server by a network, the local content player requiring verification of a license by a user of the local content player as administered by the remote content server. In an alternate embodiment the network includes a local area network. In another alternate embodiment, the network includes the Internet.
US08644501B2
A system, method and program product for utilizing a steganographic process to hide data element in a carrier object. A system is disclosed that includes: a pivot object generator that generates a pivot object having a key hidden therein, wherein the key is hidden in the pivot object based on an inputted salt; and a carrier object generator that generates a carrier object having a data element hidden therein using a steganographic hiding system, wherein the steganographic hiding system requires utilization of the key to extract the data element from the carrier object.
US08644497B2
Methods for adding a communication connection to a vectored group of communication connections and corresponding apparatuses are disclosed.
US08644488B2
A system and method for providing an adaptive Interaction Logging functionality to help agents reduce the time spent documenting contact center interactions. In a preferred embodiment the system uses a pipeline comprising audio capture of a telephone conversation, automatic speech transcription, text normalization, transcript generation and candidate call log generation based on Real-time and Global Models. The contact center agent edits the candidate call log to create the final call log. The models are updated based on analysis of user feedback in the form of the editing of the candidate call log done by the contact center agents or supervisors. The pipeline yields a candidate call log which the agents can edit in less time than it would take them to generate a call log manually.
US08644484B2
A communication system is provided that uses loosely-coupled client-server architectures to improve the efficiency of communications. The communication system includes client and facilitator applications. The client application is a component of processor-based mobile communication devices. The facilitator application is hosted on one or more servers or other processor-based devices, and communicates with the client application via one or more couplings. The facilitator application can also be distributed among one or more portable processor-based devices including the communication devices hosting the client application. The communication system improves efficiency of voice communications by allowing communication device users to dynamically manage how and when mobile calls take place, intelligently screen calls based on caller identity, urgency, and subject matter, determine which contacts in a directory are available to talk and which ones choose not to be disturbed, and increase accessibility of enterprise and personal contact information from mobile phones.
US08644478B2
System for providing telephonic access to an audio stream comprises an audio transmitting apparatus for transmitting the audio stream from its audio source output to a telephone network, and providing more and more control signals for operating more and more audio source controls. A system for providing telephonic access to an audio stream comprises a computer connected to or integral with a first telephone modem, an internet connection, an accessor, an audio stream generator, an audio source output, a controller, and a DTMF interface device for passing the audio stream from the audio connection to a telephone network. System for providing telephonic access to an audio stream comprises one or more audio transmitting apparatuses, a multi switch, a telephone switch, and an audio stream server.
US08644477B2
The invention provides a digital automixer system that includes a master processing unit and at least one non-master processing unit that are interconnected. The non-master processing unit obtains a first microphone signal and determines a first basic level measurement and a network submix audio signal. The master processing unit obtains a second microphone signal and determines a second basic level measurement, and obtains the first basic level measurement and the network submix audio signal from the non-master processing unit. The master processing unit further forms a final mix audio signal from the second microphone signal and the network submix audio signal and determines a gating control signal for the digital automixer system. The master processing unit may also delay the second basic level measurement to compensate for a network delay. The invention also provides a digital automixer system that includes a plurality of master processing units.
US08644476B2
Method and communication system for providing a value added service, such as an intelligent network (IN) service, which is available in a first network (5), to a subscriber (3) in a second network (7). The first network (5) comprises a first network node (11) for executing the value added service. The method comprises detecting in a terminating call to the subscriber (3) that the subscriber (3) desires to use the value added service, forwarding control of the call towards the first network node (11) associated with a forwarding number in the first network (5), executing the value added service by the first network node (11), and, when necessary, further directing the call towards the subscriber (3) associated with the terminating call. The present method can also be applied to originating calls from a subscriber. In this case, the call is further directed towards a destination associated with the call.
US08644465B2
A method of processing a data stream comprising audio data exchanged over a network between a server (SERV) and at least one telephone terminal, the data stream corresponding to a telephone call from said terminal during which a user has produced at least one event. The method comprises a step a) consisting in extracting from the stream audio data (INST2) corresponding to each event, and a step b) consisting in executing at least one task relating to the extracted audio data (INST2) and executable by a software application (AL), the software application being designed to interact with the network by using a data transmission protocol that is not specifically audio. The method further comprises a step c) of introducing into said software application (AL) at least one instruction (INST2′) relating to the extracted audio data (INST2) and adapted to activate the step b).
US08644455B2
Systems, method, and media for providing communication services between an application and a computer telephony interface server are provided. One of a plurality of computer telephony interface drivers is launched as a primary computer telephony interface driver to interface the application with the computer telephony interface server. The computer telephony interface drivers are monitored with a plurality of monitors. Each of the monitors is associated with one of the computer telephony interface drivers and monitors a status of another of the computer telephony interface drivers. A failure of the primary computer telephony interface driver is detected with a secondary monitor. The secondary monitor monitors the primary computer telephony interface driver and is associated with a secondary computer telephony interface driver. The secondary computer telephony interface driver is launched with the secondary monitor in response to the secondary monitor detecting the failure of the primary computer telephony interface driver.
US08644447B2
A digital frequency divider including a parallel output register, a presettable asynchronous counter and a decoder. The parallel output register contains a desired count value. The presettable asynchronous counter has its preset data inputs coupled to the output of the parallel output register. The decoder receives its input from the data outputs of the presettable asynchronous divider and its output coupled to the load input of the presettable asynchronous counter.
US08644439B2
In certain embodiments, a circuit for transferring signals from a source clock domain to a destination clock domain comprises a first pulse generation circuit, a hold flip-flop circuit, a clocked synchronizer circuit and a second pulse generation circuit. The first pulse generation circuit, operable in the source clock domain, generates a source data pulse from a source data signal. The hold flip-flop circuit, operable in the source clock domain, is configured to hold the source data pulse. The clocked synchronizer circuit, operable in the destination clock domain, samples the source data pulse received from the hold flip-flop circuit, where source data pulse held at the output of the hold flip-flop circuit is cleared when the source data pulse is sampled by the clocked synchronizer circuit. The second pulse generation circuit, operable in the destination clock domain, is configured to generate a destination data pulse from the sampled source data pulse.
US08644434B2
An apparatus for performing sequence detection on a stream of incoming bits comprises a memory and circuitry coupled to the memory. The circuitry is operative, for each bit of the stream of incoming bits, to overwrite a first binary number presently stored in the memory with a second binary number, and to provide an output indicative of when the second binary number is equal to a predetermined value. The output indicative of when the second binary number is equal to the predetermined value is, in turn, indicative of when a binary number constructed by the stream of incoming bits is divisible by a prescribed integer.
US08644429B2
A wide band receiver to select and demodulate an input signal with single scan spectrum sensing by performing filtering on the input signal in digital domain to achieve improved selectivity and sensitivity is provided. The input signal includes one or more narrowband radio frequency (RF) signals. The wide band receiver includes a wide band tuner that down converts the one or more narrowband RF signals to one or more IF signals. An analog to digital converter (ADC) converts the one or more IF signals to one or more digital signals. A filter rejects out-of-band signals from the one or more digital signals to achieve the improved selectivity. A numeric controlled oscillator (NCO) selects at least one narrowband digital signal from the digital signals based on a phase value obtained from a spectrum selection control unit. A demodulator demodulates the narrowband digital signal to obtain a demodulated digital signal.
US08644425B2
A wireless communications device includes a receiver, and a demodulator coupled downstream from the receiver and configured to use a continuous phase modulation (CPM) waveform to non-coherently demodulate a received signal. The demodulator is configured to generate waveform banks, each waveform bank having a respective different frequency offset associated therewith, determine a correlation output metric for each waveform bank, select a waveform bank for demodulating the received signal based upon the correlation output metrics of the waveform banks, and demodulate the received signal using the selected waveform bank and the associated frequency offset.
US08644424B2
A receiver apparatus receiving a quadrature-modulated, modulated wave, includes: a real-zero signal generator for adding a sinusoidal wave to the modulated wave to generate a real-zero signal; an in-phase and quadrature component detector for extracting an in-phase component signal and a quadrature component signal from the real-zero signal; a real-zero sequence generator for generating a real-zero sequence as a sequence of time points at which the in-phase component and quadrature component signals become zero; and a signal reconstruction unit for reproducing the in-phase component and quadrature component from the real-zero sequence. It is possible to provide a receiving apparatus that enables decoding of a received signal with high precision even when sufficient linearity cannot be secured in the analog circuit of the receiver apparatus.
US08644422B2
A method is provided for searching for a pairing PMI including estimating a MIMO wireless propagation channel from an access point transmitter to a receiver at a UE; quantizing the estimated channel with a codebook consisting of a plurality of codewords, the result being an actual SU-MIMO PMI currently applicable to the UE; estimating the channel quality corresponding to the actual SU-MIMO PMI, resulting in at least one CQI for the UE; constructing a plurality of subsets from a codebook of codewords, wherein each subset comprises potential MU-MIMO PMIs that represent channels that have reduced interference with a channel represented by one of the potential SU-MIMO PMIs; associating each potential SU-MIMO PMI with the subset that comprises the potential MU-MIMO PMIs that represent channels that have reduced interference with the channel represented by that potential SU-MIMO PMI; searching for an appropriate pairing PMI and the associated CQI for the UE.
US08644416B1
A transmitter transmits to a receiver a training sequence having symbols belonging to a single modulation scheme. At least 90% of symbols have low symbol amplitude, and at most 10% of the symbols have high symbol amplitude. A first symbol estimator estimates the symbols using substantially only the sign of the received symbols, and substantially disregarding symbol amplitudes. A timing recovery mechanism estimates the received symbols in order to continuously reduce a frequency drift between the receiver and the transmitter. The first symbol estimator is switched off and a second symbol estimator is switched on according to a certain criterion. The second symbol estimator estimates symbols belonging to the training sequence. Each of the symbols is estimated to either the low symbol amplitude or the high symbol amplitude. An equalizer uses the symbols estimated by the second symbol estimator to converge, achieve signal equalization, and eliminate inter-symbol interference.
US08644413B2
A system and a method for applying a blind tuning process to M antennas coupled via N beamformers to a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) receiving system having N channels, wherein M>N, are provided herein. The method includes the following steps: Periodically measuring channel fading rate at a baseband level to determine the number of antennas L out of K antennas connected to each one of the beamformers, to be combined at each one of the N beamformers; assigning the antennas to the subset L according to some criteria such as best quality indicator; repeatedly applying a tuning process to L antennas in each one of the N beamformers.
US08644408B2
A communication system comprises evolved base nodes (eNBs) communicating via an over-the-air (OTA) link with low mobility user equipment (UE). A network can utilize the eNBs for cooperative beam shaping for interference nulling based upon a number of factors UE (e.g., coordinated multi-point (COMP) optimization for feedback, quality of service (QoS), fairness, etc.). The UE advantageously transmits adaptive rate and payload channel state feedback, trading accuracy versus delay based upon mobility of the UE. Channel coherence across a transmission interval (frequency and/or time invariance) provides an opportunity with sufficiently low mobility for transmitting a larger accuracy feedback report over one or more feedback reports for decoding at the eNB. Reduced quantization error can be realized via multi-level coding, one codebook multiple description coding (MDC), and use of N-best code representations from one codebook with MDC.
US08644400B2
An apparatus and method for processing a valid bit operation in a wireless communication system are provided. The method includes analyzing input data and generating valid bit information representing a start position of valid bits, generating operation data comprised of the valid bits and valid bit information by eliminating extra bits from the input data, and, after performing an operation process using the generated operation data, restoring the operation data to data that is the same data as the input data.
US08644394B2
The invention is related to decoding of block wise coded video pictures. The determination of using de-blocking filtering between coded blocks is based on alternative characteristics compared to the characteristics used in H.264/AVC.
US08644393B2
A single compression engine transmits first and second discrete cosine transform (DCT)-encoded signals. The first DCT-encoded signal uses at most t coefficient bits to represent each of a plurality of DCT coefficients. The second DCT-encoded signal uses at most u coefficient bits, where u is less than t, to represent each of the plurality of DCT coefficients.
US08644389B2
A video processing device includes a video preprocessor and a video processor. The video processor is configured to facilitate inputting preprocessed digital video data ready for further processing by an encoder or a transcoder, compressing the preprocessed digital video data to form compressed digital video data, and outputting the compressed digital video data. The video preprocessor operable to receive digital video raw data, configured to facilitate preprocessing a macroblock of the digital video raw data so as to output the preprocessed digital video data ready for an encoder or transcoder of the video processor when the macroblock does not indicate SKIP, and not preprocessing the macroblock of the digital video raw data when the macroblock is a SKIP macroblock indicating SKIP, but jumping to process the SKIP macroblock by an entropy encoder of the video processor instead.
US08644387B2
For de-interlacing a current interlaced field using a prior interlaced field and a subsequent interlaced field, a motion estimation method is performed with a group of motion-vector sets. Each motion-vector set includes at least two motion vectors. According to the two motion vectors and a specified block of the current interlaced field, which contains a missing pixel to be estimated, a pair of candidate blocks are defined in the prior and subsequent interlaced fields, respectively. By comparing a plurality of pairs of candidate blocks with the specified block, the best matching block pair can be found and used for de-interlacing.
US08644385B2
A method and apparatus for decoding a video and a method and apparatus for encoding a video are provided. The method for decoding the video includes: receiving and parsing a bitstream of an encoded video; extracting, from the bitstream, encoded image data of a current picture of the encoded video assigned to a maximum coding unit, and information about a coded depth and an encoding mode according to the maximum coding unit; and decoding the encoded image data for the maximum coding unit based on the information about the coded depth and the encoding mode for the maximum coding unit, in consideration of a raster scanning order for the maximum coding unit and a zigzag scanning order for coding units of the maximum coding unit according to depths.
US08644381B2
The exemplary embodiments of the present invention are direct to a method for generating a resampling reference picture and an apparatus and video decoding system using this method. The video image decoding system is used to decode a bit stream, so as to obtain a current frame. The method for generating a resampling reference picture includes following steps: (a) looking ahead specific information of next x frames of the current frame in the bit stream; (b) determining whether to generate a resampling reference picture according to the specific information of the next x frames.
US08644379B2
A luminance compensating method of compensating a de-interlaced pixel in a current block of a current frame with reference to a reference block of a reference frame is provided. First, calculate an average luminance of the current block and an average luminance of the reference block. Next, adjust the luminance of the de-interlaced pixel by a luminance difference between the average luminance of the current block and the average luminance of the reference block, such that the luminance of the de-interlaced pixel is more appropriate and the display quality is improved.
US08644378B2
A digital video communication device is provided. The digital video communication device includes a transmitter providing a spread-spectrum video signal including a predetermined frequency spread value and a frequency ratio and a receiver receiving the spread-spectrum video signal. The receiver includes a frequency synthesizer, a free-running clock generator configured to generate a free-running clock signal, wherein the free-running clock signal is used as a reference clock signal input to the frequency synthesizer. The receiver further includes a digital control logic circuit configured to separate the frequency ratio from the spread-spectrum video signal, and a line buffer coupled to the digital control logic circuit and the frequency synthesizer, the line buffer adjusting the frequency ratio and sending the adjusted frequency ratio to the frequency synthesizer, wherein the frequency synthesizer combines the free-running clock signal and the adjusted frequency ratio, and outputs a de-spread clock signal.
US08644370B2
In one embodiment, a method can provide for dynamic updating of slope values used in determining a soft decision for a demodulated signal obtained in a receiver from a broadcast signal received by the receiver. The method includes generating a channel estimate for a channel traversed by the signal, computing channel state information from the channel estimate, computing statistical information from the channel state information, determining a slope value based at least in part on the statistical information, calculating a log-likelihood ratio (LLR) value for the signal, and applying the slope value to the LLR value to obtain a weighted LLR value.
US08644362B1
A method and system for covert communication is provided by using a hybrid approach of pseudo-random noise (PN) sequencing with chaotic signals to make a transmitted waveform both hard to detect and hard to intercept by an unintended receiver. The method and system makes a covert communication system with chaotic signals practical for in-field use, including operation in a high noise power environment and allowing for easily changing between different security keys to maintain covertness.
US08644350B2
A slave communication device may transmit a packet to the master communication device, with the packet including a transmission time field and a correction field. The transmission time field may contain a value indicative of an approximate time of transmission of the packet by the slave communication device, and the correction field may contain a value indicative of a difference between the approximate time of transmission and an actual time of transmission of the packet by the slave communication device.
US08644348B2
High accuracy timing over packet networks is achieved by generating correction factors from multiple separation intervals and timing information contained in packets in both directions between a master and a slave. The methods are based on evaluating the weighted average of short-term, medium-term, and long-term measurements of local clock offset. Weighted averages are used to develop robust correction terms that are modified with an α-shaping factor to provide additional immunity to packet network instabilities.
US08644334B2
Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to messaging to provide data link integrity. An embodiment of a method includes transmitting a data stream over a data link from a first device to a second device, the data stream including multiple frames, the data stream being transmitted in a first mode. The method further includes determining a data transmission mode change from the first mode to a second mode for the transmission of the data stream from the first device to the second device, generating mode packets, each mode packet including fields to define a plurality of mode elements, the fields of the mode packet being set to indicate the data transmission mode change, and transmitting the mode packets to the second device prior to implementing the data transmission mode change.
US08644329B2
A power aware Point-Of-Presence design and auto-configuration method is disclosed for configuring which network elements within a point-of-presence are powered so as to accommodate anticipated traffic while minimizing power consumption. The IP power aware Point-Of-Presence design and auto-configuration method includes a set of activation thresholds associated with each port in the Point-of-Presence that indicates that the port should be activated when the traffic demand exceeds the threshold. The power aware Point-Of-Presence design and auto-configuration method is particularly useful for providing a configuration which accounts for both external and internal link traffic demand and has the further advantage of ordering the port activation such that only a minimum number of activation and deactivation operations to satisfy a new demand is required. This property is advantageous for limiting the routing instabilities caused by topological changes in response to varying demand.
US08644319B2
In a method of data transmission in a data communication network, data packets may be tormatted according to different transmission protocols (“secondary data packets”) that are received for transmission through the data communication network and may be packed into one or more “primary data packets” formatted according to the transmission protocol of the data communication network. In addition to a sequence number, the primary data packets may include a first packet offset to identify the location of a first new secondary data packet that is packed into the primary data packet. A first packet offset field length may be determined during connection negotiation. The data transmission method of the invention may include packing one or more secondary data packets, or a portion thereof, in a primary data packet to fill the primary data packet, thus minimizing unused data bits in the primary data packet.
US08644314B2
As SIP usage becomes prolific in 3G wireless communications, challenges are presented to using the current SIP protocols for real-time communications due to the limited signaling compression offered via SIP become. Signaling introduces unwanted delays on limited bandwidth and increases the call setup time. Additionally, SIP messages are large—from a few hundred bytes to several kilobytes—and compression is not offered on all available fields. The invention provides for compression of the VIA field of SIP messages through several techniques and thereby achieves lower signaling delays that reduce complex call setup delays and reduce the loss of bandwidth to necessary in-call signaling.
US08644312B2
A system that facilitate broadcast of a device discovery beacon by a dynamic physical device wishing to bind to one or more control systems are provided. If the dynamic physical device comprises of server that is configured to bind to multiple master controllers, the dynamic physical device may include a device Type Flag and set the value of the device Type Flag to indicate the dynamic physical device comprises a server. On detection of the beacon, a master controller evaluates the device Type Flag if it is present in the device discovery beacon. If the device Type Flag is present and indicates the dynamic physical device comprise a server which may bind to multiple master controllers, the master controller may automatically load a device Module for the dynamic physical device and commence commutations with the dynamic physical device with no manual intervention.
US08644311B2
Methods and systems are provided for hardware-accelerated packet multicasting in a virtual routing system. According to one embodiment, a virtual routing engine (VRE) including virtual routing processors and corresponding memory systems are provided. The VRE implements virtual routers (VRs) operable on the virtual routing processors and associated routing contexts utilizing potentially overlapping multicast address spaces resident in the memory systems. Multicasting of multicast flows originated by subscribers of a service provider is simultaneously performed on behalf of the subscribers. A VR is selected to handle multicast packets associated with a multicast flow. A routing context of the VRE is switched to one associated with the VR. A packet of the multicast flow is forwarded to multiple destinations by reading a portion of the packet from a common buffer for each instance of multicasting and applying transform control instructions to the packet for each instance of multicasting.
US08644310B2
In one implementation a method is provided that involves receiving in a network interface of a first router one or more PIM type messages from one or more second routers requesting one or more types of multicast traffic, storing in the first router a record for each network interface and each type of multicast traffic information that individually identifies the one or more second routers requesting the type of multicast traffic, and determining in the first router whether to transmit from the interface the one or more types of multicast traffic by use of the record. A method is also provided that involves individually tracking in an upstream PIM router the join membership of one or more individual downstream PIM routers that are coupled to a network interface of the upstream PIM router via a multi-access network without disabling Join message suppression in all the individual downstream PIM routers.
US08644303B2
In a communications system, a first packet network is provided. Packetized data is transferred between the system and one or more packet-based devices. A TDM network is provided, and data is transmitted in frames having slots. Data transmitted via the TDM network includes data for voice communications for telephony devices. The TDM network is selectively coupled to the first packet network and a WAN. A processor and a control bus interface circuit control transfer of packetized data and transmittal of data for voice communications. The processor controls processing of packetized data and data for voice communications. A switch/multiplexer selectively controls providing data to/from particular slots. The processor selectively controls voice communications from telephony devices over the TDM network and packet-based communications over the packet network. Voice communications that stay in a circuit-switched form occur over the TDM network and the WAN.
US08644294B2
Methods and apparatus to use window alignment information to process acknowledgment information associated with transmitted data blocks are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein comprises receiving acknowledgment information piggy-backed with data when a first previously transmitted block is associated with at least one of a tentative acknowledgment state or a pending acknowledgment state, and advancing a transmit window when the acknowledgment information indicates that all previously transmitted data blocks including the first previously transmitted block have been positively acknowledged.
US08644293B2
Briefly, a wireless communication system that includes an Initiator and a Responder to transmit an aggregation of data units in a reverse direction is provided. The Initiator includes a medium access controller capable of allocating a time slot for exchanging one or more transmissions of aggregation of data units with the Responder. The medium access controller includes a channel access scheme, which is able to allocate the time slot for the Responder to transmit the aggregation of data units in the reverse direction, and to grant Originator rights of the Initiator to the Responder within said time slot.
US08644291B2
In directional antennas, spatial reuse involves enabling two communications to occur on the same link at the same time. The communications may be in the same or opposite directions. If no link of sufficient bandwidth is available that does not already have an active communication, a link with an active communication of sufficient bandwidth is located. Then an antenna training sequence may be implemented. A check determines whether the antenna training sequence was successful. If there was interference during the antenna training sequence, then the spatial reuse is not permitted. Otherwise, spatial reuse may be permitted.
US08644288B2
A method, system and communication network for transmitting information signals via uplink (UL) collaborative SDMA, in a wireless communication system. Base station receiver estimates a channel gain associated with the transmission path(s) of each user and keeps a matrix of normalized covariance, between users. Based on the estimated channel gain and the normalized covariance, ULS utility is able to compute channel capacity. Based on capacity estimates of (1) the multiplexed user signals and (2) the individual user signals, signals are either multiplexed for UL SDMA or are transmitted individually. An optimal selection of multiplexed signals may be based upon: (1) a cross user interface measurement; and (2) a selection mechanism based on eigen-decomposition techniques. The ULS utility enables a UL scheduler to pair information signals with clear spatial distinction and minimal correlation, based on capacity evaluations.
US08644285B2
A multi-mode user equipment is provided. The multi-mode user equipment includes a processor configured to promote measurement of a signal strength of a microtechnology based communication during a portion of a macrotechnology based communication, wherein the portion is assigned by a macrotechnology based network component.
US08644281B2
A method and apparatus of accessing a channel in a wireless local area network is provided. The method includes receiving, by a device, an operation element for setting up or switching at least one channel from an access point (AP), the operation element including a channel type field indicating whether the at least one channel is either a single channel or multiple channels, and the operation element including two channel center frequency segment fields indicating channel center frequency of a primary channel and a secondary channel respectively if the channel type field indicates that the at least one channel is multiple channels, determining whether the primary channel is idle during a first interval, determining whether the secondary channel is idle during a second interval if the primary channel is idle, and transmitting data by using the primary channel and the secondary channel to the AP or at least one station in a basic service set (BSS) if the primary channel and the secondary channel are idle.
US08644280B2
A method (10) of establishing an alternate HRPD signaling link between and HRPD access network and an access terminal over a non-HRPD access is disclosed. It includes: providing (12) a signal forwarding function (SFF) (22) between an access terminal (AT) (24) and a high rate packet data (HRPD) access network (AN) (26); establishing (14) a data tunnel (28) between the access terminal (24) and the SFF (22); exchanging (16) HRPD signaling messages and HRPD data via the data tunnel (28); identifying (18) the HRPD access network (26) and the access terminal (24) over non-HRPD access by the SFF (22), by reading a header with certain identifiers and mapping the header to an address of the access terminal or network; and forwarding (20) the HRPD signaling messages and the HRPD data that arrive at the SFF (22) from the access terminal (24) and the HRPD access network (26) to the HRPD access network (26) and the access terminal (24), respectively. The method (10) performs an initiation and session establishment procedure, minimizes the time, disruption and packet loss during handoff to a HRPD access network and enables seamless mobility.
US08644274B2
The invention relates to method and structures for mobility policy e.g. in a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, WiMAX, based communication. According to embodiments, a method and devices for mobility control of a terminal are provided wherein a mobility policy parameter defines the mobility control of the terminal. The mobility policy parameter preferably is part of a mobility policy or subscription record stored for a subscriber of the terminal in a subscriber data base. The mobility policy parameter may include at least one of an indication of mobility restriction, possibly indicating included or excluded cells or areas etc; an indication of fixed access, indicating a fixed base station to which the subscriber has to request access; nomadicity, indicating that no handover is allowed for that particular subscriber; and restricted mobility limited to a group of base stations or areas. Embodiments allow to deploy mobile WiMAX for fixed access applications, enabling reuse of existing technology and further development towards full mobility.
US08644263B2
The present invention relates to a method and arrangement to enhance the communication performance in wireless communication systems. The method of the invention provides better adjustment of reported SINR in MIMO, and PARC-MIMO based communication systems. According to the method information relating to signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio is determined by the user equipment and reported to the base station. The base station adjust reported SINRs using a model of the SINR dependences of power and code allocation. The dependences is modeled by a function comprising a first parameter relating only to power allocation and a second parameter relating only to code allocation. The first parameter has a power allocation exponent and the second parameter has a code allocation exponent. Both the power allocation exponent and the code allocation exponent are data stream dependent.
US08644262B1
Systems and methods are provided for determining a channel quality indicator (CQI) in a transmission system associated with a diversity transmission scheme. A plurality of independent diversity branches are identified in the diversity transmission scheme. Each one of the independent diversity branches may correspond to a different portion of the effective channel and may include any suitable combination of frequency, time, and/or spatial components of the effective channel or of any wired or wireless paths or combinations of the same. An effective Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) value is computed for each one of the identified independent diversity branches. The computed effective SNR values are combined for the identified independent diversity branches to generate a CQI value.
US08644258B2
The invention proposes a method and an apparatus for reducing break duration in handover of a VoIP conversation from a packet switch domain to a circuit switch domain. The main idea is that a synchronization mechanism is introduced between the session handover procedure at IP multimedia subsystem IMS layer and a cell handover procedure at layer 2, so that enable the two handover procedures to start at or almost at the same time. When a Mobile Switching Center MSC server receives a request of handover from the source Mobility Management Entity MME, the time required from the time the MSC server transmitting a message to this message arriving at a remote end user equipment UE is computed first, and then is compared with a predetermined time required from the time the MSC server transmitting a message to this message arriving at the local UE. According to the comparison result, determining an order and time for the MSC server transmitting a request of session handover to the Service Centralization and Continuity Application Server (SCC AS) and transmitting a request of cell handover to the source MME, and transmitting above two requests in according to the order and time, to ensure that the time that the request of session handover arrives at the remote end communication terminal is the same or almost same as the time that the request of cell handover arrives at the local communication terminal.
US08644256B2
A method of forwarding IP packets, sent to an old care-of-address of a mobile node, to the mobile node following a handover of the mobile node from a first old access router to a second new access router. The method comprises, prior to completion of said handover, providing said first router or another proxy node with information necessary to determine the new IP care-of address to be used by the mobile node when the mobile node is transferred to the second access router. At said first router or said proxy node, the new care-of-address for the mobile node is determined using said information and ownership of the new care-of-address by the mobile node confirmed, and subsequently packets received at said first access network and destined for said old care-of-address are forwarded to the predicted care-of-address address.
US08644249B2
A user terminal is switched between a cellular network and a worldwide interoperability for microwave access radio network within a telecommunication system. An authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) server which is designed for use with both of these networks is disposed in the telecommunication system in such a way that user data of the user terminal stored in the AAA server can be accessed from both of these networks, thereby advantageously ensuring uninterrupted switching between the two networks free of loss.
US08644246B2
The invention provides, according to one aspect, a method of scheduling information in a communication system at serving cell change. When a serving cell changes for a user equipment (UE), it is determined whether the new serving cell belonged to the previous serving enhanced data channel (EDCH) radio link set (RLS). The user equipment then sends scheduling information (SI) in the first MAC-e protocol data unit (PDU) sent in uplink after completion of the serving cell change only when it is determined that the new serving cell did not belong to the previous serving EDCH RLS. In other words, the UE sends the SI at serving cell change only when the base station (node B) has also changed.
US08644243B2
A mobile communication system in which a mobile station apparatus transmits, to a base station apparatus, uplink data using a physical uplink shared channel assigned by an uplink data transmission permission signal, wherein the base station apparatus: transmits, to the mobile station apparatus, a radio resource control signal including information for specifying a physical format in transmitting reception quality information together with uplink data; and transmits, to the mobile station apparatus, the uplink data transmission permission signal including a transmission instruction of reception quality information, and wherein the mobile station apparatus transmits, to the base station apparatus, reception quality information together with uplink data using the physical uplink shared channel according to information for specifying the physical format in case that a transmission instruction of the reception quality information is included in the uplink data transmission permission signal.
US08644219B2
A communication repeater comprises a transmitting and receiving that performs wireless communication with a communication device, a power-line carrier communication unit that performs power-line carrier communication with the communication device, and a control unit. The control unit selects either one of the wireless communication and the power-line carrier communication according to conditions.
US08644215B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to wireless communications. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to generic discovery mechanisms that may be utilized in wireless communications.
US08644209B2
A method of relaying data in a relay station of a wireless communication system based on a radio frame consisting of a plurality of downlink subframes and a plurality of uplink subframes is provided. The method includes receiving, from a base station, a scheduling message at a downlink subframe and transmitting, to the base station, uplink data at a first uplink subframe or a second uplink subframe according to the scheduling message, wherein the first uplink subframe is an uplink subframe shifted by 4 subframes from the downlink subframe, and wherein when the scheduling message includes a scheduling field which indicates decreasing or increasing a time interval between a time of receiving the scheduling message and a time of transmitting the uplink data, the uplink data is transmitted at a second uplink subframe indicated by the scheduling field.
US08644208B2
In relaying signals in a multi-hop network, two-way transmission signals are received at the relay device via at least two antenna elements. The received two-way transmission signals are separated and subjected to a transmit processing at the relay device. Thereby, transmit and receive processing can be restricted to the relay device and signalling load between the transmitting end and the receiving end can be reduced.
US08644207B1
Active devices in communication with an access node of the wireless communication system through a mixed carrier are determined. Based on determined channel conditions, a determined RF load, and a determined load ratio of the at least one mixed carrier, a modulation and coding scheme and a frequency band are selected. Using the selected modulation and coding scheme and frequency band, a mixed broadcast is transmitted on the mixed carrier.
US08644203B2
A power reduction method for a first communication device that can communicate with a second communication device in a synchronized fashion. The first communication device has an electronic module and the method includes generating a communication device shut down signal by the electronic module in order to shut down the communication device apart from the electronic module at a first moment in time, generating a communication device wake-up signal by the electronic module in order to switch on and start booting of the communication device at a second moment in time after the first moment in time, and generating a communication device synchronization signal by the electronic module in order to allow the communication device to restart communicating with the second communication device in the synchronized fashion at a third moment in time after the second moment in time.
US08644200B2
A remote station, for a wireless communication system, includes a receiver configured to receive on a first downlink a synchronization control channel on a first carrier frequency and on a second downlink a shared physical channel on a second carrier frequency different than the first carrier frequency. The shared physical channel includes a first physical shared channel having a unicast signal and a second physical shared channel having a multicast or broadcast signal, the unicast signal being multiplexed in time with the multicast or broadcast signal. The remote station includes a control processor configured to generate an acknowledgement signal on an uplink based on the unicast signal.
US08644198B2
A front end radio architecture (FERA) is disclosed that includes a transmitter block coupled to a power amplifier (PA) via first and second input terminals. A first split-band duplexer is coupled to a first output terminal of the PA and a second split-band duplexer is coupled to a second output terminal of the PA. The PA includes a first amplifier cell and a second amplifier cell that when coupled to the first and second split-band duplexers makes up first and second transmitter chains. Only one of the first and the second transmitter chains is active when a first carrier and a second carrier have a frequency offset that is less than an associated half duplex frequency within a same split-band duplex band, thus preventing third order inter-modulation (IMD) products from falling within an associated receive channel. Otherwise, the first and the second transmitter chains are both active.
US08644190B2
A method is provided for use in a communications network in which a plurality of accesses are available to a user entity for accessing a network resource, comprising: determining a set of active rules, each rule specifying respective preferences, at least relatively, for at least some of the plurality of accesses, with potential for conflict between the rules of the set concerning which access is most preferred; deriving from the set of active rules network discovery and selection rules a new rule specifying respective preferences, at least relatively, for at least some of the plurality of accesses; and selecting an access for use by the user entity based on the new rule.
US08644187B2
The present disclosure generally pertains to systems and methods for disabling routing table purges in wireless networks. In one exemplary embodiment, a node is for use in a wireless sensor network and comprises memory that is configured to store a routing table specifying at least one data route through the wireless sensor network. The node also comprises logic that is configured to track time and to automatically purge at least one entry of the routing table based on the tracked time thereby forcing a rediscovery of a data route for the purged entry. The logic is further configured to selectively disable automatic routing table purges based on user input.
US08644181B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for channel temporal correlation estimation and MIMO mode selection. An embodiment of the invention under LTE system utilizes SRS symbols for temporal correlation estimation and performs MIMO mode selection based on the said temporal correlation estimation.
US08644178B1
A radio access network (RAN) may limit the number of channel assignment messages that it transmits to a wireless communication device (WCD) when the quality of one or more wireless coverage areas available to the WCD is impaired. For example, if the paging channel utilization of a given wireless coverage area is high, or if the WCD receives a signal strength from the given wireless coverage area that is low, the RAN may refrain from transmitting a channel assignment message via the given wireless coverage area. Similarly, if the aggregate paging channel utilization of a plurality of such wireless coverage areas is high, or if the WCD receives an aggregate signal strength from the one or more wireless coverage areas that is high, the RAN may transmit channel assignment messages via a limited number of wireless coverage areas.
US08644175B2
A radio communication system, scheduling method, radio base station device, and radio communication terminal all enabling improvement of the system throughput. The radio base station device (400) comprises a signal demultiplexing section (420), an interference/noise power measuring section (425), and scheduler section (430). The signal demultiplexing section (420) acquires information representing the net reception power of the signal which is transmitted from a mobile terminal and from which the influences of the interference and the noise power are removed. The interference/noise power measuring section (425) measures the interference and noise power components of the uplink. The scheduler section (430) carries out uplink band allocation and MCS selection according to the information representing the net reception power and the uplink interference and noise power components. On the basis of the net reception power and the uplink interference and noise power components, the uplink communication environment can be accurately grasped, and the uplink band allocation can be carried out according to these parameters. Hence, since the uplink scheduling can be precisely carried out, the system throughput can be improved.
US08644174B2
The disclosed embodiments support improvements in network performance in networks such as storage area networks. This is particularly important in networks such as those implementing virtualization. These improvements, therefore, support improved mechanisms for performing processing in network devices such as switches, routers, or hosts. These improvements include various different mechanisms which may be used separately or in combination with one another. These mechanisms include methods and apparatus for processing traffic in an arbitrated loop, performing striping to support fairness and/or loop tenancy, performing configuration of network devices such as switches to enable virtualization to be performed closest to the storage device (e.g., disk), ascertaining a CPU efficiency that quantifies the impact of virtualization on a processor, and configuring or accessing a striped volume to account for metadata stored in each storage partition.
US08644163B2
A system with a wireless network device is provided. The system includes a wireless network device and an electrical device. A storage unit of the electrical device stores a wireless network profile. A second processing unit of the electrical device detects if the wireless network device is connected to the electrical device. When the wireless network device is connected to the electrical device, the second processing unit of the electrical device transmits the wireless network profile to the wireless network device. When the wireless network device obtains the wireless network profile, a first processing unit of the wireless network device drives a first wireless network unit of the wireless network device to transmit data wirelessly according to the wireless network profile. A method for processing a wireless network profile is also disclosed.
US08644160B2
A method for controlling a number of user equipments in a cellular network, the network comprises at least one user equipment (4), a first interface (1) comprising a probability algorithm capable of connecting the user equipment to a second interface (2). The second interface (2) comprises the probability algorithm and is capable of connecting the user equipment (4) to a third interface (3) comprising the probability algorithm. The user equipment (4) sends an attach request to the first interface (1), the first interface (1) sends a create session request to the second interface (2) and the second interface (2) sends an authentication request to the third interface (3). The load on the third interface (3) is indicated by a first flag set in the response from the second interface (2) to the first interface (1). The value of the first flag in the response is calculated by the probability algorithm in the second interface (2). The first flag in the response from the second interface (2) to the first interface (1) is submitted to the first interface (1) and if the first flag indicates that the load on the third interface (3) is too high, one or several actions from the group comprising, the first interface (1) disconnecting the user equipment (4), aborting the procedure, delaying the procedure, and retrying the procedure towards a different secondary interface, are carried out.
US08644159B2
System and method for location, time-of-day, and quality-of-service based prioritized access control
A priority server for a provider network includes a traffic volume detection module, a traffic analyzer module, and a rules module. The traffic volume detection module receives operational information from the provider network and determines that a host is experiencing a flash event based upon the operational information. The traffic analyzer module determines that the flash event is not a distributed denial of service attack on the host. When it is determined that the flash event is not a distributed denial of service attack, the rules module provides a priority rule to an access router that is coupled to the host.
US08644153B2
Methods and apparatus for providing a mediation device infrastructure that allows a mobile node to be tapped while roaming among and within service providers are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes determining when a node that is tapped by a first mediation device has moved from a first domain associated with the first mediation device into a second domain associated with a second mediation device. A first packet is sent to the second mediation device if the node has moved. The first packet provides an indication that the second mediation device is to tap the node. The method also includes opening a call data channel to the second mediation device, and receiving information from the second mediation device on the call data channel that is obtained by the second mediation device from the node. Finally, the method includes providing the information to the first mediation device.
US08644145B2
In order to minimize traffic on a Zigbee network, a gateway of the Zigbee network represents end devices in communications with peripheral networks. The gateway receives messages, such as status request messages, from the peripheral network intended for an end device on the Zigbee network. The Zigbee network generates a response message by retrieving stored data for the end device instead of communicating the received message to the end device.
US08644141B2
A method and system for optimizing network coverage and capacity are provided. The method comprises that: judging whether there is a problem of coverage and capacity according to the threshold set in a NodeB for the collected coverage and capacity optimizing data; if yes, the NodeB provides a solution strategy according to the problem of coverage and capacity as well as the coverage and capacity optimizing data causing the problem. The method achieves the automation of network coverage and capacity, saves a great deal of manpower and material resource needed by the traditional optimizing method, and decreases the cost of network operation and maintenance.
US08644140B2
A communication apparatus includes a plurality of switch ports, each switch port including one or more port buffers for buffering data that traverses the switch port. A switch fabric is coupled to transfer the data between the switch ports. A switch control unit is configured to reassign at least one port buffer of a given switch port to buffer a part of the data that does not enter or exit the apparatus via the given switch port, and to cause the switch fabric to forward the part of the data to a destination switch port via the at least one reassigned port buffer.
US08644136B2
Fast error reporting is provided in networks that have an architected delayed error reporting capability. Errors are detected and reported without having to wait for a timeout period to expire. Further, failures of other components caused by the delay are avoided, since the delay is bypassed.
US08644134B2
Techniques are described which provide mechanisms for dual-homing an access ring for virtual private wire service (VPWS) Ethernet line (E-Line) services. The mechanism may provide resiliency against access ring failures and offer a restoration time of 50 msec upon failure. A method to provide such resiliency may generally include determining, at a first ring port of an access node, a ring failure in an Ethernet ring. Upon determining the first ring port of the access node is not situated on a same side of the Ethernet ring as a node designated as a ring protection link (RPL) owner, a message is transmitted on a second ring port of the access node towards a provider edge (PE) node. The message is used to activate pseudowires (PWs) at the PE node for virtual local area networks (VLANs) of the access node.
US08644125B2
A seek-scan probe (SSP) memory involves multiple-wafer bonding needing precision small gaps in between. Solder reflow bonding is typically used to join the wafers due to its reliability and ability to hermetically seal. However, solder reflow bonding may not provide a consistently controllable gap due to flowing solder during the bonding process. Thus, a bond stop technique and process is used to provide accurate cantilever to media gap control.
US08644115B2
A sound sensor, a hydrophone including the sound sensor, and a pressure balancing device for using for the hydrophone are provided. The hydrophone includes: a sensor including a sensing part and a pressure balancing part; a printed circuit board (PCB) that is electrically connected to the sensor; a case that houses the sensor and the PCB and that has an opening at one side thereof; an elastic membrane that covers the opening of the case; and a signal line that is electrically connected to the PCB to be extended to the outside of the case. The pressure balancing part includes a diaphragm of a thin film and a support that supports the diaphragm. A pressure balancing hole is formed at one side of the pressure balancing part, and at the inside of the pressure balancing part, a channel that is connected to the pressure balancing hole is formed, and a compressible gas is filled in the channel.
US08644110B2
Methods and systems utilizing seismic sensors configured or designed for use in seismic signal detection are provided so as to reduce the occurrence of spurious responses of the sensors. A method of seismic surveying using a seismic sensor may include the steps of deploying the seismic sensor at a location for seismic signal detection and acquiring seismic signals. The seismic signals may include high frequency response signals containing spurious response signals at an identifiable bandwith. The method may further include applying spurious response cancellation based on the bandwidth location of the spurious response signals and generating modified seismic waveforms having extended frequency bandwidth.
US08644108B2
A clock mode configuration circuit for a memory device is described. A memory system includes any number of memory devices serially connected to each other, where each memory device receives a clock signal. The clock signal can be provided either in parallel to all the memory devices or serially from memory device to memory device through a common clock input. The clock mode configuration circuit in each memory device is set to a parallel mode for receiving the parallel clock signal, and to a serial mode for receiving a source synchronous clock signal from a prior memory device. Depending on the set operating mode, the data input circuits will be configured for the corresponding data signal format, and the corresponding clock input circuits will be either enabled or disabled. The parallel mode and the serial mode is set by sensing a voltage level of a reference voltage provided to each memory device.
US08644106B2
A shift circuit of a semiconductor device reduces the power consumption of the semiconductor device. The shift circuit comprises a plurality of shifters and a plurality of clock controllers. The plurality of shifters shifts an input signal in sequence in response to a clock. The plurality of clock each supply the clock to a corresponding shifter before an input of the corresponding shifter is activated and stop the supply of the clock to the corresponding shifter when an output of the corresponding shifter is activated.
US08644098B2
Verification of the address connections of a memory (14) having multiplexed banks rows and columns commences by selecting a first address location having a bank/row/column value and then writing a pattern to a second location corresponding to the first location where one of the column, row, bank addresses could become stuck high or low. A second pattern gets written to the first location and a comparison occurs between the second pattern and first pattern written to the second location. If the data is the same, then that particular row/column/bank addresses is stuck.
US08644092B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array including first memory cells for storing data and second memory cells for storing chip identification (ID) information, a data comparison circuit configured to compare input data and the stored data of the first memory cells and to output comparison data, and output circuits configured to output the comparison data received in parallel from the data comparison circuit. The comparison data is outputted through a selected one of the output circuits according to an enable signal generated based on the chip ID information.
US08644090B2
A data input buffer is changed from an inactive to an active state after the reception of instruction for a write operation effected on a memory unit. The input buffer is a differential input buffer having interface specs based on SSTL, for example, which is brought to an active state by turning on a power switch to cause a through current to flow and receives a signal therein while immediately following a small change in small-amplitude signal. Since the input buffer is brought to the active state only when the write operation's instruction for the memory unit is provided, it is rendered inactive in advance before the instruction is provided, whereby wasteful power consumption is reduced. In another aspect, power consumption is reduced by changing from the active to the inactive state in a time period from a write command issuing to a next command issuing.
US08644074B2
A nonvolatile memory device preventing a program disturb, a program method thereof and a memory system including the nonvolatile memory device and the program method. The nonvolatile memory device includes a memory cell array; first and second word lines connected to a NAND string in the memory cell array; a third word line connected to the NAND string, the third word line being disposed between the first and second word lines; a temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of the nonvolatile memory device; and a voltage generator configured to generate first and second pass voltages and a program voltage, and the voltage level of at least one of the first and second pass voltages is controlled according to the measured temperature. When a program operation is performed, the program voltage is applied to the third word line, the first pass voltage is applied to the first word line, the second pass voltage is applied to the second word line.
US08644071B2
The invention provides a flash memory apparatus. In one embodiment, the flash memory apparatus comprises a flash memory and a flash memory controller. The flash memory comprises a write circuit and a memory cell array comprising a plurality of memory cells, wherein the write circuit is coupled to the memory cell array to write data in the memory cells. The flash memory controller is coupled to the write circuit, obtains a total capacity and a used data amount of the flash memory, and directs the write circuit to perform data writing in a one-bit mode when a ratio of the user data amount to the total capacity is less than a first predetermined value.
US08644069B2
According to one embodiment, there is provided a semiconductor memory device including a memory cell array, a plurality of signal lines, and a plurality of signal-line-lead-out portions. In the memory cell array, a plurality of memory cells are arranged. The plurality of signal lines connected to the plurality of memory cells. The plurality of signal-line-lead-out portions are arranged in a periphery of the memory cell array and are connected to the plurality of signal lines. Each of the plurality of signal-line-lead-out portions includes a plug as an electrode whose upper surface and side surface are covered with a passivation film.
US08644064B2
In a read step or a program (write) verification step of a semiconductor memory device, read voltages different from one another are applied to a pair of word lines respectively disposed on both sides of a selected word line to suppress the enlargement of program distribution.
US08644052B2
Some embodiments include methods and apparatus having a module configured to program a memory cell using a signal to cause the memory cell to have a programmed resistance value, to adjust a programming parameter value of the signal if the programmed resistance value is outside a target resistance value range, and to repeat at least one of the programming and the adjusting if the programmed resistance value is outside the target resistance value range, the signal including a different programming parameter value each time the programming is repeated.
US08644043B2
A switching branch for a three-level rectifier and a method for controlling a switching branch for a three-level rectifier are provided. The switching branch includes a first diode and a second diode connected in series, a third diode and a fourth diode connected in series, a first controllable switch connected between a neutral DC output pole and a connection point between the first and the second diode, and a second controllable switch connected between the neutral DC output pole and a connection point between the third and the fourth diode. The switching branch controls the first controllable switch to be in a conductive state during a reverse blocking state of the first diode and the second diode, and controls the second controllable switch to be in a conductive state during a reverse blocking state of the third diode and the fourth diode.
US08644034B2
A shield is adapted be locked to a casing. The casing is formed with an inserting space, an opening, and two engaging holes. The shield includes a shell body, two engaging members and two biasing springs. The shell body is inserted into the inserting space, and shields the opening. The shell body includes a base plate formed with a slot, and two side plates each formed with a through-hole. Each of the engaging members is slidable relative to the base plate, and includes an engaging portion extending through the corresponding through-hole and releasably engageable with the corresponding engaging hole. Each of the biasing springs biases the corresponding engaging member to move in a direction toward the corresponding through-hole.
US08644032B2
An electronic device includes a housing and an installation assembly. The housing defines an opening. The installation assembly includes a fixing member and a holding member. The fixing member includes a base and a fixing portion protruding from the base. The base defines an entrance corresponding to the opening. The holding member comprising a holding portion and an engaging portion formed on an end of the holding portion. The fixing portion runs through the opening, and the base abuts against an outer surface of the housing with the entrance corresponding to the first opening. The engaging portion is engaged with the fixing portion to fix the holding member to the fixing member in the housing, and the engaging portion abuts against an inner surface of the housing, such that the installation assembly is fixed the housing surrounding the first opening.
US08644030B2
Computer modules with small thicknesses and associated methods of manufacturing are disclosed. In one embodiment, the computer modules can include a module substrate having a module material and an aperture extending at least partially into the module material. The computer modules can also include a microelectronic package carried by the module substrate. The microelectronic package includes a semiconductor die carried by a package substrate. At least a portion of the semiconductor die extends into the substrate material via the aperture.
US08644028B2
One design aspect in electronic systems, such as communication systems, is noise suppression. More particularly, this relates to microphonics suppression in high-speed communication systems, such as microwave wireless radio systems. The present invention contemplates system design for substantially eliminating microphonic behavior created by mechanical stimulus such as vibrations and the drum effect. A preferred approach includes isolating the motherboard from its mounting harnesses (mechanical interconnection) and adding an echo damping and shock absorption pad to the underside of the enclosure cover to stiffen the enclosure cover while maintaining its light weight. Preferably also, this approach isolates the entire motherboard rather than a particular component. A design using this approach is particularly useful in an outdoor unit (ODU) of a split-mount microwave radio system.
US08644017B2
Apparatus and devices for carrying a storage device and adapting it to a slot for a storage device having a different form factor. The system comprises an opening means for elastically deforming a shape of the system from an original shape so that the carrier may receive the storage device. The system also comprises restraining means for constraining the motion of the storage device within the system when the system returns to the original shape. Furthermore, the system comprises a spacing means for aligning the storage device with the slot while the storage device is restrained within the system.
US08644016B2
A hard disk drive (HDD) module includes a bracket with two opposite sidewalls, an HDD, and a positioning element rotatably mounted between the sidewalls of the bracket. Each sidewall defines a leading slot and a latching slot communicating with the leading slot. Two blocks extend from opposite sides of the HDD. When the blocks enter the corresponding leading slots, the latching element is rotated to push the HDD to move, with the blocks moving into engagement with the corresponding latching slots, to assemble the HDD in the bracket.
US08643998B2
By means of a series of parameters taken by the plurality of sensors, the system of the invention makes it possible, via a central control unit provided with complementary programming firmware, to activate an electric-field compensating device (7) whenever there is a risk of lightning discharging over the wind turbine, in such a manner that, in the contrary case, said device remains inoperative. The electric-field compensating device (7) is associated not only with the nacelle (2) but also with the tower (1) and the blades (4) in such a manner that, between the rotor (3) and the nacelle unit (2) there is a first pair of rings (14), which are conducting, concentric and the dielectric of which is air, whilst, in the lower zone of the nacelle unit (2) there is a second pair of conducting rings (15) with similar features.
US08643994B2
If a power supply path is in an abnormal state, a power-supply-path protection circuit of a power supply controller inhibits a switching circuit that switches on/off power supply from a power source to a load from power supply, using data related to a protection-current temperature characteristic line set by a characteristic setting circuit. The protection-current temperature characteristic line has a characteristic in which a protection current value is constant corresponding to increase in an ambient temperature or a negative characteristic in which the protection current value reduces corresponding to increase in the ambient temperature. Within a temperature range equal to or lower than an supposed maximum ambient temperature around the power-supply-path, the protection-current temperature characteristic line and a power-supply-path temperature characteristic line have a relation that the protection-current value is equal to or lower than an allowable current value at an identical ambient temperature.
US08643993B2
The present invention discloses a short-circuit detection circuit and a short-circuit detection method. The short-circuit detection circuit detects whether an output node is short-circuited to a first predetermined level. A first switch circuit which is controlled by a control signal is coupled between the output node and a second predetermined level. The short-circuit detection circuit includes: a determination circuit, which is coupled between the output node and the second predetermined level, wherein when the determination circuit is enabled, it generates a determination signal according to whether the output node is short-circuited to the first predetermined level; and a second switch circuit, which generates a short-circuit detection signal according to the determination signal.
US08643989B2
Active current surge limiters and methods of use are disclosed. One exemplary system, among others, comprises a current limiter, including an interface configured to be connected between a power supply and a load; a disturbance sensor, configured to monitor the power supply for a disturbance during operation of the load; and an activator, configured to receive a control signal from the disturbance sensor and to activate the current limiter based on the control signal.
US08643979B2
Magnetic recording techniques, devices, and systems under a tilted perpendicular recording configuration. An implementation of such a system may include a magnetic head having a single pole to produce a magnetic field along a perpendicular direction; and a storage medium having a top surface to be substantially perpendicular to the perpendicular direction and positioned to interact with the magnetic field, wherein the storage medium includes (1) a magnetic medium layer that has anisotropy easy axes tilted at a tilting angle with respect to the perpendicular direction, (2) a growth layer beneath the magnetic medium layer, and (3) a soft under layer beneath the growth layer.
US08643977B1
A tape drive that passes first and second sides of a storage tape by respective first and second tape head assemblies disposed on a common side of a tape path of the tape to allow for dual-sided recording and/or reading of the tape by the tape head assemblies. Tape leaving a cartridge/supply reel within the tape drive may be wound over one or more tape path guides (e.g., rollers) to face a first side of the tape (e.g., with a first magnetic layer) towards a first tape head assembly. The tape may subsequently be wound over one or more additional guides and then passed in front of a second tape head assembly such that the opposing side of the tape (e.g., with a second magnetic layer) faces the second tape head assembly. After passing by the second tape head assembly, the tape may be wrapped onto a take-up reel.
US08643963B2
A permanent magnet electric motor includes a rotor and a stator magnetically coupled to the rotor. The rotor includes a shaft, a rotor core fixed to the shaft and having n teeth, n being an integer, a commutator fixed to the shaft adjacent the rotor core and having m segments, m being an even number less than n. Rotor windings are wound about the teeth and connected to the segments. The stator includes a plurality of permanent magnets surrounding the rotor core and brushes in sliding electrical contact with the commutator.
US08643958B2
A wide angle lens whose field angle exceeds 160 degrees, includes a front group, an aperture stop, and a rear group arranged in this order from an object-side toward an image-side. The front group includes a first lens (negative meniscus) whose convex surface faces the object, a second lens (negative), a third lens (negative), and a fourth lens (positive), arranged in this order from the object-side toward the image-side. The rear group includes a fifth lens (positive), a sixth lens (negative), and a seventh lens (positive), arranged in this order from an aperture-side toward the image-side. The fifth and sixth lenses are combined, forming a cemented lens having positive refractive power. The fifth and sixth lenses are made of materials having Abbe numbers of greater than or equal to 50 and less than or equal to 30, respectively. A surface of the seventh lens facing the image is aspheric.
US08643949B2
Disclosed is a polarization conversion apparatus, the apparatus including a first optical device capable of angle-converting incident unpolarized light to allow a polarization direction to be emitted in mutually different first and second linear polarizations, an FEL (Fly Eye Lens) including first and second MLAs (Micro Lens Arrays) arrayed with first and second micro lenses, where first and second linear polarizations of the first optical device incident on the first micro lenses are divided and condensed on an upper side and a bottom side of the second micro lenses of the second MLA, and a second optical device converting the first and second linear polarizations condensed on the upper side or the bottom side of the second MLA at the FEL to any one polarization of the first and second linear polarizations and emitting the polarization.
US08643941B2
Apparatus and method for gain measurement and control of a Distributed Raman Amplifier (DRA). Various embodiments of the apparatus include a detection unit operative to measure, during operation of the DRA, the optical power of a filtered component of the light entering the DRA from the transmission fiber and a gain calculation and control unit coupled to the detection unit and operative to calculate a signal Raman gain property from the measured optical power. The filtered component may exemplarily be a result of passing the light through a band pass filter, a spectral filter with a given spectral shape or a notch filter. The signal Raman gain property may be an average on-off signal Raman gain, an average net signal Raman gain or a signal Raman gain tilt within a communication band. The apparatus and method may be used to operate the DRA in Automatic Gain Control, i.e. to maintain a required constant signal Raman gain and/or signal Raman gain tilt.
US08643940B2
A system for generating polychromatic light, which includes: an optical pumping device suitable for continuously or quasi-continuously emitting a monochromatic or quasi-monochromatic radiation according to a pumping wavelength; a device for guiding light arranged such as to emit polychromatic radiation continuously or quasi continuously, at the output thereof, and a device for coupling between the pumping and coupling device. In the system, the guiding device, includes a microstructured optical fiber in which the core is at least partially doped with a material having a high intrinsic non-linear response, and the geometry of the optical fiber and the doping rate of the core thereof are predetermined such as to adapt the zero dispersion length of the optical fiber to the pumping wavelength.
US08643938B2
The invention relates to a microcapsule, a system comprising microcapsules, and a corresponding method and apparatus, the microcapsule (11) comprising a core (12) which is encapsulated by an envelope (14) and in which at least one particle (16) having a motion component (17) and an indication component (18) is provided, the substance of the core (12) being capable of being transferred, at least for a short time, by an input of energy from a solid state or higher-viscosity state to a low-viscosity state, the at least one particle (16) being capable of undergoing a change in its position and/or orientation due to an input of energy occurring during the low-viscosity state of the substance of the core (12), and the substance of the core (12) reverting back, upon completion of the energy input, to the solid state or higher-viscosity state, thereby immobilizing the at least one particle (16) in its new position and/or orientation.
US08643937B2
A DND device is disclosed. In one aspect, the device includes a nano-mirror (21), and an actuating module configured to move the nano-mirror in an upward and/or downward position. The actuating module has a cantilever mounted to a fixed structure, and at least one first electrode for moving the cantilever in an upward and/or downward position. Such DND devices may be arranged in a 2D array.
US08643935B2
An interference modulator (IMod) incorporates anti-reflection coatings and/or micro-fabricated supplemental lighting sources. An efficient drive scheme is provided for matrix addressed arrays of IMods or other micromechanical devices. An improved color scheme provides greater flexibility. Electronic hardware can be field reconfigured to accommodate different display formats and/or application functions. An IMod's electromechanical behavior can be decoupled from its optical behavior. An improved actuation means is provided, some one of which may be hidden from view. An IMod or IMod array is fabricated and used in conjunction with a MEMS switch or switch array. An IMod can be used for optical switching and modulation. Some IMods incorporate 2-D and 3-D photonic structures. A variety of applications for modulation of light are discussed. A MEMS manufacturing and packaging approach is provided based on continuous web fed process. IMods can be used as test structures for evaluation of residual stress in deposited materials.
US08643923B2
An optical scanning device includes: a first scanning; a first scanning mirror driving unit; a light emission signal output unit; a light receiving unit; and a phase control unit which controls the first scanning mirror driving unit so as to delay a phase of the oscillation of the first scanning mirror when the light receiving unit outputs the detection signal before intermediate time in a case where the light receiving unit does not output the detection signal during a predetermined period of time, the phase control unit controlling the first scanning mirror driving unit so as to advance a phase of the oscillation of the first scanning mirror when the light receiving unit outputs the detection signal after the intermediate time in the case where the light receiving unit does not output the detection signal during the predetermined period of time.
US08643919B2
A aspect of the invention is an image scanning apparatus including: a document feeder configured to sequentially feed document sheets stacked in the document feeder; an image scanning unit configured to scan the document sheets fed by the document feeder and to output image data thereof; a memory configured to store therein the image data; a detector configured to detect a failure of feeding the document sheets by the document feeder; a notifier configured to report the feeding failure when the detector detects the feeding failure; and a display unit configured to display the image data stored in the memory, upon detection of the feeding failure.
US08643914B2
A first light intensity curve is defined as a relationship between a first light intensity and a distance from a first reading unit. The first light intensity represents intensity of light that is part of a reflected light reflected off a first irradiated subject positioned at a distance from the first reading unit and is received by a first light-receiving unit. The first light intensity curve has a first intensity value at a first distance and a second intensity value at a second distance. The first intensity value is equivalent to the second intensity value. The first distance is different from the second distance. A distance between the first reading unit and a first read position is set to the first distance. A distance between the first reading unit and a first reference member is set to the second distance.
US08643913B2
An image forming apparatus includes: an internal storage device; an attachment portion to which an external storage device can be attached; an image reading unit that reads contents of an original as an image and converts the image into an electronic signal; a first image processing unit that generates image data from the electronic signal; and a second image processing unit that separates the image data thus generated into character data that is recognized as characters and data that is recognized as different data from the character data and, when the external storage device is attached to the attachment portion, stores data composed of an entirety or a part of the character data that is recognized as characters as first data in the external storage device and the data that is recognized as different data from the character data as second data in the internal storage device.
US08643908B2
A color adjustment device includes: a conversion unit that converts color values of a second color space stored in a color conversion table, which defines a correspondence relation between color values of a first color space and color values of the second color space, into color values of a third color space independent from a device outputting an image; a storage unit that stores tables that define different input-output characteristics depending on color values of the third color space; and a change unit that selects at least one table from the tables according to a specified adjustment method, and executes a change process that changes color values of the second color space stored in the color conversion table by using the at least one table.
US08643897B2
A plurality of grid points for forming a quadrangle is quasi-formed on a medium prior to deformation, after which position information is acquired that relates to the positions of the grid points moved in conjunction with deformation of the medium. The area difference of two triangles divided by a first diagonal is computed in a quadrangle formed by the grid points after deformation of the medium, and the area difference of two triangles divided by a second diagonal different from the first diagonal is computed in the quadrangle. The quadrangle quasi-formed on the medium prior to deformation is divided using one of the first and second diagonals that yields the larger area difference, and the formation amount of colorant formed on the medium is corrected according to the deformation ratio after deformation for the triangles formed by the division.
US08643892B2
A method and system for determining chromatic content of a page of an electronic document. Object level color analysis is performed on a page of the electronic document to determine whether the page is chromatic, achromatic or has highlight color, based on the object level color analysis. The page is then classified as chromatic, achromatic or highlight color, based on the results of the determination.
US08643889B2
An image reader is provided, which includes a controller that when a PC-scan mode is set as an output mode, the controller controls an image output unit to output second read data of a second side of a document sheet at each time when a storage unit stores the second read data output from a second image reading unit on a line-by-line basis, controls the storage device to store first read data of a first side of the document sheet during a time period from a time when a leading end of the document sheet reaches a reading position of a first image reading unit to a time when a trailing end of the document sheet passes through a reading position of the second image reading unit, and controls the image output unit to sequentially output the first read data stored on the storage unit, after completely outputting the second read data.
US08643887B2
Image processing restriction information that defines time of day restrictions of a first function and time of day restrictions of a second function is stored in a memory unit. An image processing request for image processing of one of the first and second functions is received. Based on time managed by a time management unit, a time of the image processing request and the image processing restriction information, an image processing restriction corresponding to the first function or the second function is determined based on the received image processing request for image processing of the corresponding function. An image processing restriction is performed based on the determining of the image processing restriction corresponding to the first function and the determining of the image processing restriction corresponding to the second function.
US08643886B2
Disclosed is a database management device that has a transmitting facsimile device and a receiving facsimile device to select between a default communications network and an alternate communications network based on advertised communication network capability and by a selection logic, this selection logic determined by color, resolution, baud rate, compression format; the communications network can be the public switched telephone network, the internet, or other networks.
US08643880B2
A printing control apparatus including: a file obtaining section that obtains a specified file including one or more sub-files of a first type and a sub-file of a second type; and a print control section that controls a print section, wherein when a first sub-file of the first type includes M (M being equal to or greater than 1) sets of selected image data and a second sub-file of the first type includes N (N being equal to or greater than 1) sets of selected image data, the print control section controls the print section to obtain a first printing result in which M images based on the M sets of selected image data are printed on a first print medium, and N images based on the N sets of selected image data are printed on a second print medium, which is different from the first print medium.
US08643871B2
A system and method of controlling printing of a print job in a printing system is provided. The print job includes a first section and a second section, with each one of the first and second sections including copyrighted content for which copyright clearance is required prior to printing. In one example of operation, the first and second sections are stored in memory and it is determined that copyright clearance is unavailable for one of the first and second sections. In response to such determining, either (1) printing of the one of the first and second sections is prohibited until it can be determined that a selected condition has been met, or (2) at least one operation is performed with respect to the one of the first and second sections so that only pages for which copyright clearance has been obtained can be printed.
US08643866B2
An electric energy consumption control system that is capable of maximizing convenience to users while controlling the system so that the electric energy consumption of the entire system in a period falls within a target electric energy. An electrical apparatus transmits electric energy consumption of a job with a user name to a control apparatus through the network. A restrictive period setting unit of the control apparatus starts a restrictive period when the electric energy consumption of the entire system is beyond a restriction starting value, and finishes it when the electric energy consumption of the entire system is below a restriction release value. A job restriction unit restricts the job of the user concerned when the accumulated electric energy consumption of the user is beyond the reference value in the restrictive period.
US08643865B2
According to one embodiment, a management apparatus includes an acquisition unit, a determination unit, a storage unit, a selection unit, and an output unit. The acquisition unit acquires any one of simple data or detailed data including the simple data from a plurality of image processing apparatuses. If the detailed data is acquired, the determination unit determines maintenance data to be applied to the image processing apparatus which is an output source of the detailed data. The storage unit stores the maintenance data in association with related data included in the detailed data. If the acquisition unit acquires the simple data, the selection unit selects the maintenance data associated with the related data similar to the acquired simple data. The output unit outputs the maintenance data as the data for update with respect to the image processing apparatus which is an output source of the simple data.
US08643864B2
An error guide offering method of an image forming apparatus which includes a display unit to display a user interface (UI) offering an error guide to an error, the method including: detecting the error from the image forming apparatus; determining whether the error occurs from a plurality of locations; determining whether error guides to the error occurring from the plurality of locations have a common procedure; displaying a first error guide to a first error; displaying a second error guide to a second error instead of returning to a standby mode upon a completion of the processing of the error according to the first error guide; processing the second error according to the second error guide, the displaying the second error guide including displaying a common procedure in the first and second error guides. With this, an error guide integrating a common procedure to a plurality of errors occurring from the image forming apparatus efficiently processes the error and reduces waste of time.
US08643861B2
An image processing apparatus includes a determination unit configured to determine whether a predetermined communication protocol is a type of communication protocol that requires a response to an inquiry command, and a control unit configured not to switch a multitask mode setting if the determination unit determines that the predetermined communication protocol is not a type that requires a response, and to switch, if the determination unit determines that the predetermined communication protocol is a type that requires a response, a multitasking mode setting on the interpretation unit to a single-tasking mode setting to cause the interpretation unit to interpret PDL data by performing single-task processing.
US08643860B2
An image forming apparatus having at least a normal mode and an energy saving mode of less energy consumption than the normal mode includes: a main controller executing image processing in the normal mode and stopping operation in the energy saving mode; energy saving controller controlling the image forming apparatus in the energy saving mode; nonvolatile storage unit connected to the main controller; volatile storage unit connected to the main controller and the energy saving controller; and network communication unit connected to the energy saving controller to perform network communication. The nonvolatile storage unit stores a MAC address with which the energy saving controller controls the network communication unit. The main controller writes the MAC address stored in the nonvolatile storage unit into the volatile storage unit during startup of the apparatus. The energy saving controller controls the network communication unit based on the transferred MAC address.
US08643852B2
A color sensor monitors the output of a color producing process and produces a signal representative of a color produced by the color producing process. The signal can be used as feedback signal to control the process. Occasionally, the color sensor signal includes a component representing a transient error. A system model of the color producing process is used to predict reasonable sensor signals. A comparison of the sensor signal with the predicted sensor signals is used to determine if the sensor signal is reasonable. If the sensor signal is unreasonable, a substitute signal is used as the feedback signal to the control process. The substitute signal can be a predicted sensor signal or a signal based on historical system performance data.
US08643834B2
When size of a defect on an increasingly miniaturized pattern is obtained by defect inspection apparatus in the related art, a value is inconveniently given, which is different from a measured value of the same defect by SEM. Thus, a dimension value of a defect detected by defect inspection apparatus needs to be accurately calculated to be approximated to a value measured by SEM. To this end, size of the defect detected by the defect inspection apparatus is corrected depending on feature quantity or type of the defect, thereby defect size can be accurately calculated.
US08643830B2
The present process adjusts the amount of flattener added to the coating composition, the gloss of a coating resulting therefrom can be controlled from glossy to flat (matte) finish. The process includes measuring reflectance (L-value) of a layer of the coating composition applied over a test substrate by using gloss prediction device of the present invention. The metallic gloss of a coating resulting from the layer is then measured. The process is repeated with varying amounts of one or more flatteners added to the composition and the metallic gloss vs. reflectance is plotted on a graph. Then by means of a curve fitting equation, a metallic gloss prediction curve is plotted. By measuring the reflectance of a wet layer of a target coating composition, the metallic gloss that would be produced by a coating from that target coating composition can then be predicted by using the gloss prediction curve.
US08643817B2
A display panel includes a first substrate including a plurality of pixels, a second substrate facing the first substrate, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates. Each pixel includes a data line, a gate line insulated from the data line, a first signal line insulated from the data line, a second signal line insulated from the data line, a switching device connected to the data line and the gate line, a first pixel electrode connected to the switching device, and a second pixel electrode connected either the first signal line or the second signal line. The display panel displays an image according to an electric field generated between the first and second pixel electrodes.
US08643806B2
A liquid crystal display device is provided. The liquid crystal display device includes a light-shielding member to prevent light irradiated upward from a light-emitting surface of a plurality of light-emitting diodes from being incident on a lower edge of an incident surface of a light-guide portion. As a result, a bezel surrounding a liquid crystal display panel may be made thinner, and a bright line defect, hot spot, may be prevented.
US08643804B2
A light generating device which may be used as a backlight unit and a display device including the light generating device are discussed. According to an embodiment, the light generating device can include a base layer; light source devices disposed on the base layer and configured to emit light, the light source devices being spaced apart from each other, at least one of the light source devices including a light emitting diode for generating the light; and a light shielding layer covering the light source devices and configured to control an amount of the light being transmitted through the light shielding layer, wherein the light shielding layer includes slits disposed spaced apart from each other.
US08643799B2
A TFT-LCD array substrate comprising a transparent substrate and a gate line, a data line, a thin film transistor, a pixel electrode and a passivation layer that are formed on the transparent substrate. The passivation layer includes a first region corresponding to the pixel electrode, a second region corresponding to the gate line and a third region corresponding to the data line, the first region has a first thickness, the second region has the second thickness, and the third region has the third region. The first thickness is smaller than the second thickness, the second thickness is smaller or equal to the third thickness.
US08643797B2
A liquid crystal display panel including a first substrate, a second substrate, a liquid crystal layer, a scan line, a data line intersects the scan line, an active device, a pixel electrode, an insulating layer covering the pixel electrode, an auxiliary electrode, a shielding electrode, and a first polymer stabilized alignment (PSA) layer is provided.The liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate includes liquid crystal molecules and a monomer material. The active device includes three terminals coupled to the scan line, the data line, and the pixel electrode. The auxiliary electrode on the insulating layer is electrically connected to the pixel electrode. The shielding electrode on the insulating layer located at peripheries of the pixel electrode surrounds the auxiliary electrode. The first PSA layer between the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer is polymerized from the monomer material in the liquid crystal layer.
US08643796B2
In one embodiment, a liquid crystal display device having a plurality of pixels includes a first substrate having an insulating substrate, a first detection element extending in a first direction above the insulating substrate, a second detection element extending in a second direction crossing the first direction and an insulating film provided between the first and second detection circuits. A second substrate is arranged opposing to the first substrate so as to hold a liquid crystal layer therebetween. A detection circuit is provided on the first substrate to detect change of electrostatic capacitance between the first and second detection elements. At least one of the first and second detection elements is an element required for operating the liquid crystal layer.
US08643793B2
A projector includes: an illumination optical system which emits first light (green light); a reflection type first liquid crystal panel which modulates the first light emitted from the illumination optical system; a first wire grid element which is disposed at a position at which the first light modulated and reflected by the first liquid crystal panel is incident, which includes a plurality of metal wires extending so as to be almost parallel to a light-exit surface of the first liquid crystal panel, and in which the surface on which the first light is incident is inclined by an angle equal to or greater than 37° and less than 45° with respect to a normal direction of the light-exit surface of the first liquid crystal panel; a projection optical system which projects the first light modulated by the first liquid crystal panel and reflected from the first wire grid element.
US08643789B2
A television receiver for receiving TV signals when unknown interference is present in a predetermined bandwidth in which the TV signals are transmitted. The TV receiver comprises an input, a tuner, a configurable filter and a controller circuitry. The input receives a radio frequency (RF) signal comprising the terrestrial TV signals. The tuner is configured to detect the terrestrial TV signals, where the terrestrial TV signals include a plurality of frequency channels within a predetermined bandwidth and the plurality of frequency channels provide TV signals which communicate TV channels. The configurable filter is configurable to suppress signals received from one or more of the plurality of frequency channels within the predetermined bandwidth. The controller circuitry is operable to form a channel map of the TV channels detected by the tuner for selection by a user of the television set and consequent upon a TV channel not being detected on a frequency channel, configure the frequency domain filter to suppress signals received from the frequency channel.
US08643788B2
An image processing apparatus and method for generating a wide angle image from received images. Using an image signal of a received image, a scene change detection unit detects scene change of the received images. A movement detection unit detects a movement in each of the received images. A display position determination unit determines a display position of each of the received images based on the movement in each of the received images detected in a period of continuous scene. A wide field angle image generation unit superimposes the received images in said period of said continuous scene, a display position of which has been determined, to generate an image signal of the wide field angle image. A received image slide unit generates image signal wherein the received images are slid to the display positions. An image superimposition unit superimposes the received images whose display positions have been slid on the wide field angle image, to generate an image signal of a wide field angle display image in which the display position of each of the received images is slid in response to the movement in each of the received images.
US08643784B2
In response to an operation such as power-on or power-off, channel change and sound volume change, a television set combined with a personal computer automatically makes e-mail with information in a predetermined format indicative of the operation attached. The e-mail is automatically sent to another television set to inform the other television set of operation of the own television set. On the other hand, the e-mail can be sent to a rating company for audience share survey. The television set automatically reads the received e-mail and attachment to change the indication of display. The television set has storage of the received information for analysis of an abnormality. Abnormality can be also sensed through abnormal act on the remote controller apt to be taken by a person in panic or off the truck. The television set refuses information from unknown address for blocking an attack of a stranger.
US08643782B2
An image display device including a receiving section acquiring a synchronizing signal superimposed on a digital signal, an image generating section outputting image data based on a digital signal, a control section controlling the image generating section, an adjusting section making an adjustment to the digital signal based on setting information, and an information inputting section to which a display instruction to display a setting image for assisting the change of the setting information is input, wherein the image generating section generates a second synchronizing signal different from the first synchronizing signal, and the control section controls the image generating section.
US08643774B2
The present invention is a camera system which is usable with a mobile terminal. The camera system includes a lens module and at least one mechanism for changing optical properties by interacting with the lens module. The camera system may be built into the mobile terminal or attached thereto as an external module.
US08643773B2
A manufacturing method of a solid-state imaging apparatus includes the steps of: preparing a solid-state imaging device having a light receiving region at a main surface thereof; preparing a light transmitting member having an extending portion extending from the solid-state imaging device; preparing a holding member having a space for holding the solid-state imaging device therein, and having a positioning portion for positioning the solid-state imaging device; fixing the light transmitting member to the main surface of the solid-state imaging device in parallel to each other to keep a constant interval therebetween; bringing a side of the solid-state imaging device to meet the positioning portion of the holding member; and fixing the extending portion of the light transmitting member to the holding member.
US08643764B2
An image pickup apparatus includes a zoom lens having a first positive lens unit, and a first negative lens unit disposed on an object side of the first positive lens unit. A distance between the first positive lens unit and the first negative lens unit is narrowed at the time of zooming from a wide angle end to a telephoto end. The zoom lens includes an aperture stop disposed between a lens nearest to an image side in the first negative lens unit and a lens nearest to the image side in the first positive lens unit, and a light-amount reducing filter made of a resin material which is disposed on the image side of the lens nearest to the image side in the first positive lens unit, and which can be inserted in an optical path and withdrawn from the optical path. The zoom lens satisfies predetermined conditional expressions.
US08643755B2
A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel circuit including a photoelectric conversion device and an amp device that outputs electric charges, which are photoelectrically converted by the photoelectric conversion device, through electric potential modulation of an output signal line; and a reading section including an AD (analog digital) conversion circuit that compares an output level of the signal line with a reference signal which changes with a regular slope and digitalizes an output signal on the basis of a timing at which a previously-defined relationship is satisfied between the output signal and the reference signal.
US08643746B2
A digital video camera system that provides a video summary using a method that includes: designating a reference image containing a particular person; capturing a video sequence of the scene using the image sensor, the video sequence including a time sequence of image frames; processing the captured video sequence using a video processing path to form a digital video file; during the capturing of the video sequence, analyzing the captured image frames using a person recognition algorithm to identify a subset of the image frames that contain the particular person; forming the video summary including fewer than all of the image frames in the captured video sequence, wherein the video summary includes at least part of the identified subset of image frames containing the particular person; storing the digital video file in the storage memory; and storing a representation of the video summary in the storage memory.
US08643739B2
An image recognition apparatus includes: a storage unit configured to store a dictionary used to recognize a predetermined pattern; a recognition unit configured to detect in image data using the dictionary, as recognition results, a plurality of partial regions having a likelihood of being the predetermined pattern greater than a predetermined threshold; a display unit configured to display the image data, and also display information indicating the partial regions that were detected by the recognition unit; a determination unit configured to determine, based on an instruction by a user, a negative region from among the plurality of partial regions that were detected by the recognition unit; a generation unit configured to generate a learning image based on the determined negative region; and an update unit configured to update the dictionary based on the learning image that was generated by the generation unit.
US08643729B2
An image search device includes: a shooting unit configured to photographically shoot a subject; a display unit; a control unit configured to display a search key for image search on the display unit according to a shooting situation at the time of a shooting mode whereby the subject can photographically be shot by the shooting unit; a specifying unit which is used for specifying the search key displayed on the display unit; and a searching unit configured to search, in the event of the search key being specified via the specifying unit, an image based on the search key thus specified; with the control unit displaying, in the event of the image being searched by the searching unit, this search result on the display unit.
US08643728B2
Provided is a method of controlling a digital photographing device, the method including: removing high-frequency components from a first input image and a second input image; calculating a differential image between the first input image and the second input image from which the high-frequency components are removed; calculating the frequency of each of the pixel values of the differential image; determining at lease one pixel value of the differential image having a frequency greater than a frequency threshold as a target motion range among the pixel values of the differential image greater than a motion threshold; and determining photographing settings corresponding to the target motion range.
US08643717B2
An optical system for measuring an irregularly shaped object includes a dimensioning station having a base, a first wall extending from the base, and a second wall extending from the base. A collimated light is passed from each of first and second collimated light sources arranged generally parallel to the base, illuminating the first and second walls and defining first and second shadows, respectively. A camera is arranged to obtain image data representing each of the first and second shadows. The system is configured to collect the image data for determining at least one dimension of an object from each of the first and second shadows. Each of the first and second collimated light sources may be a light with a collimating lens arranged between the light and the respective wall. The light source may be an LED and the collimating lens may be a collimating Fresnel lens.
US08643716B1
A method and system for steam leak detection. The method comprises obtaining real-time temperature data representing a heat dissipation of a steam pipe along a steam pipe route, processing the real-time temperature data in real-time to determine at least one indication of a potential steam leak based on the real-time temperature data and to generate a processed image for display, and displaying the processed image to depict the heat dissipation of the steam pipe.
US08643715B2
Vehicle-mounted video cameras, if and when wirelessly connected via a hybrid transceiver of satellite and terrestrial links and either through a randomly-formed vehicle-to-vehicle network, or via mobile web links, may enable motorists behind the wheel to remotely see either on a navigator screen, or on a screen of mobile equipment, inclusive of handsets and tablet PCs, any real-time video images of traffic and/or street scenes, far beyond physical limits of human eyesight. In pursuing the said peer-to-peer advantages, the real-time street views targeted in any directions can be picked at the discretion of motorists, by transmitting the location-based inquiry to the targeted on-vehicle cameras, by tapping on an in-vehicle touchscreen or a mobile device screen and also by activating voice commands, if necessary. The viewable range and directions are only affected or limited by the signal strength based on the density of moving vehicles in between and the availability of interconnected roadside stationary surveillance fixtures as well as the availability of target vehicles equipped with video cameras.
US08643713B2
An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit for capturing a subject and generating image data of the subject, an operation input unit for receiving inputs of operation signals containing a release signal for instructing the imaging unit to shoot, an acceleration detector for detecting an acceleration of the imaging apparatus, a state detector for separately detecting a case in which the imaging apparatus is overland, a case in which the imaging apparatus is underwater and a photographer shoots while swimming, and a case in which the imaging apparatus is underwater and the photographer shoots while changing a water depth, and a control unit for performing operation control depending on an input into the operation input unit and/or into the acceleration detector according to a state detection result by the state detector.
US08643703B1
Image information displayed on an electronic device can be adjusted based at least in part upon a relative position of a viewer with respect to a device. In some embodiments, image stabilization can be provided such that an image remains substantially consistent from the point of view of the viewer, not the display element of the device. The image can be stretched, rotated, compressed, or otherwise manipulated based at least in part upon the relative viewing position. Similarly, the viewer can move relative to the device to obtain different views, but views that are consistent with the viewer looking at an object, for example, through a piece of glass. The device can overlay information on the image that will adjust with the adjusted image. Three-dimensional modeling and display can be used to offset parallax and focus point effects.
US08643702B2
A camera arrangement comprising a 3 dimensional image capture portion arranged to capture a first stereoscopic image composed of a first and a second image and a further camera element spaced apart from the 3 dimensional capture portion, the further camera element arranged to capture a third image, whereby the third image, when viewed with either the first or second image forms a second stereoscopic image is described. A corresponding method and camera system is also described.
US08643693B2
A system and method for providing television video conferencing using a remote computing device is disclosed. The system may comprise an input module of a media manager configured to receive an invite message from a video hub office (VHO) server to enter a video conferencing session with a remote computing device communicatively coupled to at least one of a set-top box and a television. The input module may also be configured to receive video data and audio data from a local input device. The system may comprise a processor module of a media manager configured to convert the video data into a video stream and the audio data into an audio stream and to combine the video stream and the audio stream to form at least one multimedia transport stream. The system may also comprise an output module of a media manager configured to transmit an acceptance of the invite message to the video hub office (VHO) server, and to transmit the multimedia transport stream to the remote computing device to establish the video conferencing session.
US08643692B2
Video conferencing using a set-top box in a cable television services system is provided. A video call may be received over a network connection from a calling party device at a receiving set-top box in the cable television services system. The video call may be displayed on a display device connected to the receiving set-top box.
US08643689B2
An image processing method including: measuring a distance between a medium where an image is to be recorded and an image processing apparatus which stores a relation between irradiation energy and distance previously measured; calculating an irradiation energy from the distance measured in the measuring based on the relation stored in the image processing apparatus; and irradiating and heating the medium with laser beams having the irradiation energy obtained in the calculating to record an image in the medium.
US08643688B1
A printing device includes a casing, an upper cover, plural light sources, and a sensing module. The plural light sources are used for emitting plural light beams. The upper cover is connected with the casing, and rotatable relative the casing. The plural light sources are disposed on the upper cover, and arranged in a row. The sensing module is disposed under the plural light sources, and movable relative to the casing along a specified direction. After the light beams transmitted through a gap of the transfer paper are received by the sensing module, the gap is detected by the sensing module. The plural light beams emitted by the plural light sources can be projected onto any movable position of the sensing module. In other words, it is not necessary to align the sensing module and the plural light beams.
US08643683B2
A driver of a field sequential display is provided. The driver includes a first power device, a second power device, and a driving waveform generator. The first power device generates a first power when the field sequential display is in a color mode. The second power device generates a second power when the field sequential display is in a monochrome mode. The voltage and current of the second power are respectively smaller than the voltage and the current of the first power. The driving waveform generator coupled to the first power device and the second power device and generates a plurality of scan signals and a plurality of display signals according to the first power or the second power, so as to drive a display panel of the field sequential display.
US08643682B2
A method of driving a light source includes: determining a location of pixel data of a display relative to a plurality of light-emitting blocks of a light source, obtaining a plurality of luminance values of the light-emitting blocks corresponding to the location by using a lookup table (LUT) storing the luminance values of the light-emitting blocks, generating a plurality of histograms corresponding to the light-emitting blocks, determining a plurality of target luminance values of the light-emitting blocks using the histograms, and driving the light-emitting blocks using the determined target luminance values. The luminance values of the light-emitting blocks are based on the location of the pixel data within an image block of the display corresponding to each light-emitting block. Each of the histograms indicates a frequency of each of the luminance values of a respective one of the light-emitting blocks.
US08643678B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for generating shadows. In one aspect, a method includes identifying a two-dimensional image representing an icon and a two-dimensional image representing a light source, applying an affine transformation to a transparency channel of the image representing the icon, the affine transformation projecting pixels of the transparency channel into three-dimensional space, and generating a field of pixels representing a shadow cast by the icon by computing a portion of the light source that is visible to pixels of the field by subtracting rows of a matrix that represents the affine transformation from rows of a matrix that represents the transparency channel of the light source image, and computing brightness of each of the generated pixels of the field based at least partly on the computed portion of the visible light source.
US08643676B2
A mixed reality space image providing apparatus configured to provide a user with a mixed reality space image in which a virtual object image is superimposed on a real space image is provided includes a selection unit configured to select simulation processing from among a plurality of types of simulation processing based on an instruction from the user, a simulation processing unit configured to perform the simulation processing selected by the selection unit with respect to the virtual object image, and a providing unit configured to generate a mixed reality space image by superimposing the simulation-processed virtual object image on the real space image and to provide the generated mixed reality space image to the user.
US08643675B2
A method (100) of and a system (800) for probing a data of interest on the basis of an object comprised in a related image data, includes an instantiating step (105) for instantiating a probe, an applying step (115) for applying the probe to a location on a surface of the object, and a determining step (120) for determining a profile from the data of interest on the basis of the location of the probe. The probe is a virtual tool for extracting information from the data of interest. This tool is navigated on the basis of a view rendered from the related image data. The probe further determines the scope of probing. Thus, the method (100) and the system (800) enable the user to extract the desired information from the data of interest.
US08643668B2
A medical imaging viewer application processes and interactively displays grayscale images having a higher grayscale range (bit depth) on a platform optimized for a lower grayscale range. The application additionally provides pixel calculations based on the user's selection of a window center and a window width.
US08643663B2
Disclosed is a method of rendering a radial gradient blend defined by a gradient function. The method identifies respective first and second radial limits for a point of the radial gradient blend, the respective first and second radial limits having known blend values and receives an estimated value of the gradient function for the point. The method determines a direction from the estimated value to an ideal value, wherein the ideal value is a value of the gradient function for the point and modifies the estimated value, based on the direction of the ideal value. The method checks the ideal value is within a predetermined threshold of the estimated value and stores a determined blend value for the point by interpolating between the known blend values of the respective first and second radial limits on the basis of the modified estimated value of the gradient function, to render the radial gradient blend.
US08643656B2
A method includes configuring a shared library, stored in a memory, to be loaded into applications to intercept graphics processing unit (GPU) computation requests for different types of workload kernals corresponding to the applications. The method further includes generating a power prediction and a performance prediction for at least one candidate kernel combination for execution on a GPU responsive to the GPU computations requests. The at least one candidate kernel combination pertains to at least two of the workload kernals. The method also includes rendering a decision of whether to execute the at least one candidate kernel combination or to execute the at least two of the workload kernals pertaining thereto separately, based on the power prediction and the performance prediction.
US08643655B2
The present invention sets forth a method and system for communicating with an external device through a processing unit in a graphics system of a computing device. In one embodiment, the method comprises allocating a first set of memory buffers having a first memory buffer and a second memory buffer in the graphics system based on an identification information of the external device, and invoking a first thread processor of the processing unit of the graphics system to perform services associated with a physical layer according to the identification information of the external device by storing a first data stream received from the external device through an I/O interface of the processing unit of the graphics system in the first memory buffer and retrieving a second data stream from the second memory buffer for transmission to the external device through the I/O interface.
US08643652B2
A font subset is received that includes one or more glyphs of a master font which has a master ordering that establishes an order of precedence on the glyphs of the master font. When the font subset is received, one or more glyphs already exist in a consecutive sequence in an extensible data structure. In response to receiving the font subset, at least one existing glyph is repositioned in the extensible data structure and each received glyph of the received font subset is positioned in the extensible data structure. The repositioning of the at least one existing glyph and the positioning of each received glyph jointly establish a new consecutive sequential ordering on the glyphs in the extensible data structure, such that the new consecutive sequential ordering preserves on the glyphs in the extensible data structure the order of precedence established by the master ordering.
US08643651B2
The present invention discloses a type-setting method for a text image file, which comprises steps of: dividing the text image file into a plurality of character-string images along a first direction according to the reading sequence; dividing each character-string image into a plurality of independent and individual character images along a second direction; type-setting and line-feeding the independent and individual character images in light of the dimension of a reading interface. Thereby, the present invention efficiently shows text images according to the reading interface and provides the reading convenience without often dragging both the horizontal and vertical scrollbars to adjust the shown texts on the screen of the reading interface.
US08643646B2
To construct at least one cluster of data records of a scatter plot, cells representing the data records are placed in a visualization screen according to values of a first attribute and a second attribute of the data records. Visual indicators are assigned to the cells according to values of a third attribute of the data records. In response to detecting data records having a particular pair of first attribute and second attribute values, cells representing the data records having the particular pair of first attribute and second attribute values are placed in nearby positions according to similarity of values of the third attribute to form the at least one cluster of cells having similar visual indicators.
US08643643B2
An image depth information refreshing method applied to an image depth information refreshing device is disclosed. The image depth information refreshing device includes a storage unit and an arithmetic logic unit. The storage unit stores a previous depth diagram corresponding to a previous image. The image depth information refreshing method includes the following steps. The arithmetic logic unit divides a current image captured by an image capturing unit into multiple image blocks. The arithmetic logic unit calculates a depth reference value of each image block according to the previous depth diagram, and determines a weight of each image block according to the depth reference values. The arithmetic logic unit determines a refreshing frequency of each image block according to the weights. The arithmetic logic unit respectively refreshes the image block according to the refreshing frequencies of the image blocks, and generates a current depth diagram corresponding to the current image.
US08643641B2
System and method for periodic body scan differencing for detecting changes in surface and subsurface body scans over time. May include use of a scanner and a computer system configured to scan a portion of body at first point in time to yield first scan, scan the portion of the body at second point in time to yield second scan, difference the two scans to produce a morphological difference image, and display the morphological difference image. May utilize surface or subsurface scans. Any type of scanner may be utilized that scans to the desired resolution of morphological testing. Can morph scan(s), geometrically, visually or both, to account for age, weight or color differences that have occurred between scans. Can display morphological surface or subsurface differences between scans in multiple images or atlas view. Differences can be displayed independently or overlaid onto scan(s). Differences may be highlighted to make more readily viewable.
US08643640B2
An operation region is defined as being divided into at least two types of areas of a first area and a second area bordering on the first area. An indicated coordinate set is detected, and it is determined whether the indicated coordinate set is encompassed in the first area or the second area. When the indicated coordinate set is encompassed in the first area, the indicated coordinate set is set as the reference coordinate set. When the indicated coordinate set is encompassed in the second area, a predetermined coordinate set closer to the first area than the indicated coordinate set is set as the reference coordinate set. Based on the positional relationship between the reference coordinate set and the indicated coordinate set, an operation on an object in a virtual space is controlled.
US08643630B2
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of displaying an image includes alternating an active state of each of a plurality of light sources. The light sources each generate a light beam when active. The alternating includes deactivating an active light source before an output of a light beam from the active light sources falls below a first predetermined threshold. The alternating further includes activating an inactive light source only after an output of the inactive light source reaches a second predetermined threshold. The method further includes receiving each of the light beams at a modulator. The modulator includes an array of micro-mirror devices.
US08643624B2
An integrated display and touch sensor device comprises a plurality of display pixels and a processing system communicatively coupled with a plurality of common voltage electrode segments and with a plurality of receiver sensor electrodes. The plurality of display pixels is configured for displaying information on the display. The processing system is configured for driving a voltage transition onto a common voltage electrode segment of the plurality of common voltage electrode segments. The voltage transition provides a common voltage for refreshing at least one display pixel of the plurality of display pixels, and generates a first electrical signal on at least one receiver sensor electrode of the plurality of receiver sensor electrodes. The processing system is also configured for acquiring a first measurement of a capacitive coupling between the driven common voltage electrode segment and the at least one receiver sensor electrode by measuring the first electrical signal.
US08643622B2
A method for controlling a graphics design application executing on a computing device is disclosed. A user interface touch sensor is configured to be responsive to at least one angle of contact with at least one finger. A change in an angle of the finger with respect to the surface of the touch sensor is measured by the touch sensor to produce measured data. Real-time calculations on the measured data are performed to produce a measured-angle value. The measured-angle value is used to control the value of at least one user interface parameter of the graphics design application. At least one aspect of the graphics design application changes in response to the angle of the position of the finger with respect to the surface of the touch sensor.
US08643619B2
An analog front end circuit utilizes coherent detection within a capacitance measurement application. The analog front end circuit uses coherent detection to measure capacitance of a touch screen display. An analog excitation signal is modulated by a capacitor to be measured. The modulated signal is synchronously demodulated using a correlator, which includes an integrated mixing and integration circuit. The correlator includes a programmable impedance element that generates a time-varying conductance according to a controlling digitized waveform.
US08643616B1
In one embodiment, a method for positioning a cursor displayed on a touch-sensitive display screen is provided. The method may comprise detecting a body member touching the touch-sensitive display screen and identifying an offset between the body member and the cursor. Movement of the body member relative to the touch-sensitive display screen can also be detected. Upon detection of the movement, the cursor is also moved from the offset to match the movement of the body member. The body member may then be released and repositioned to a different position on the touch-sensitive display screen. Upon detection of the repositioning, a different offset between the body member at the different position and the cursor is identified. Additional movement of the body member after the detection of the reposition is detected and thereafter, the cursor is moved from the different offset to match the additional movement of the body member.
US08643615B2
Briefly, a method and apparatus for recognizing multi-shape, multi-touch gestures including finger and non-finger touches input to a touch panel interface is disclosed. The method may include receiving user input with a touch panel interface, recognizing a multi-shape, multi-touch gesture including finger and non-finger touches in the user input, and performing an action associated with the multi-touch gesture including finger and non-finger touches.
US08643607B2
A touch panel includes a first support, a second support, a first resistive layer formed on the first support, a second resistive layer formed on the second support, a first conductor pattern including a first electrode portion that extends in a first direction, and a first end portion and a second end portion opposite thereto, a second conductor pattern including a second electrode portion that extends in a second direction that intersects with the first direction, and a first end portion and a second end portion opposite thereto, a first structure layer that is formed on the first resistive layer adjacently to the first end portion of the first conductor pattern, and has a thickness that is gradually reduced in proportion to a distance from the first end portion, and a bonding layer including a first bonding surface and a second bonding surface.
US08643588B2
A display device includes a display module for displaying information, a light module for emitting light to the display module, and a display control system. The display control system includes a storage module for storing display control parameters, and a system controller for setting the display module by using the display control parameters when an operation time of the light module equals to a predetermined time point, to compensate for a brightness deterioration of the light module. A related display control method is also provided.
US08643585B2
A data driver includes two data processing circuits for respectively providing positive and negative pixel voltages according to first and second pixel data, and a multiplexer circuit including multiplexer units. Each multiplexer unit has first and second input terminals respectively receiving the positive and negative pixel voltages, and an output terminal coupled to a data line. A first switching device has first and second switches serially coupled between the first input and output terminals. A node between the first and second switches is selectively grounded via a third switch. A second switching device has fourth and fifth switches serially coupled between the second input and output terminals. A node between the fourth and fifth switches is selectively grounded via a sixth switch. When the first and second switches turn on, the sixth switch turns on. When the fourth and fifth switches turn on, the third switch turns on.
US08643580B2
A method for driving a liquid crystal display device includes the steps of supplying a first image signal used to apply a positive voltage to liquid crystal to pixels via a first and second data lines during a first period; deselecting the pixels with scan lines to supply a second image signal used to apply a negative voltage to liquid crystal which is to be supplied to the pixels in the first row to first data lines and supply the second image signal used to apply a negative voltage to the liquid crystal which is to be supplied to the pixels in the (n+1)-th row to second data lines during a second period; and supplying the second image signal used to apply a negative voltage to the liquid crystal to the pixels via the first and second data lines during a third period.
US08643578B2
A method of driving a display apparatus having first and second data lines includes applying a first data signal (to which a first gamma curve has been applied) and a first inverted data signal (having a phase opposite to a phase of the first data signal) to the first data line and the second data line, respectively, during a first frame interval. The method further includes applying a second data signal (to which a second gamma curve has been applied) and a second inverted data signal (having a phase opposite to a phase of the second data signal) to the first data line and the second data line, respectively, during a second frame interval temporally subsequent to the first frame interval.
US08643577B2
A display electrode structure and the repairing method thereof are described. The display electrode structure includes a display electrode and at least one opening formed on the display electrode and extending toward the inside of the display electrode so as to easily repair a display electrode defect thereon. The display electrode repairing method uses a laser beam to cut a display electrode from the opening and along the metal line to separate the display electrode from an adjacent display electrode so as to remove a short circuit between the display electrode and the adjacent display electrode.
US08643576B2
A method of driving a plurality of pixel circuits. The pixel circuits are disposed corresponding to intersections between a plurality of scanning lines and a plurality of signal lines. Each of the pixel circuits includes: a light emitting element; a driving transistor; a holding capacitor; and a selection switch electrically interconnecting the signal line and the gate of the driving transistor at the time of the selection of the scanning line. The method includes: supplying a gradation potential to each signal line during a first period, selecting the scanning line during a second period, and supplying the gradation potential to the gate of the driving transistor; controlling the driving transistor of each of the pixel circuits to be in an ON state, supplying a reference potential to the gate of the corresponding driving transistor, and executing a first compensation operation and supplying driving current to the light emitting element.
US08643575B2
A pixel circuit for an organic light emitting display is disclosed. The pixel uses both current and voltage driving methods. A voltage based on an input current and on an input voltage is stored, and current for an organic light emitting diode is generated based on the stored current.
US08643565B2
An antenna subsystem includes an antenna and a radio frequency (RF) feed structure. The antenna subsystem includes a signal layer, a ground plane layer, and a middle layer arranged therebetween. The RF feed includes a substrate, a port, and a conductive layer. The port is arranged and configured for selective coupling with a transmission line. A conductive layer includes a first portion electrically connected to the port, which transfers an RF signal between the transmission line and a signal layer. The conductive layer also includes a second portion electrically connected to the port, which electrically couples a ground conductor of the transmission line to the ground plane.
US08643564B2
A triplate line inter-layer connector and a planar array antenna are provided. The triplate line inter-layer connector has an electrical connection structure between a first triplate line and a second triplate line, a first patch pattern formed at a connection-side terminal end of a first feeder line, a first feed substrate having a first shield spacer disposed therebeneath, and a second shield spacer disposed thereabove. Each of the first and second shield spacers has a hollow portion hollowed out to a size encompassing the first feeder line and the first patch pattern so as to define a corresponding one of first and second dielectrics. A second feeder line is provided on a second feed substrate together with a second patch pattern, and a second ground conductor has a first slit formed in a portion thereof located approximately intermediate between the first and second patch patterns.
US08643563B2
An antenna with electromagnetic interference (EMI) shelter is disclosed, which comprises: an EMI shelter, mounted on a substrate while covering the same; a radiation unit; an induction current steering unit, disposed at a position between the EMI shelter and the radiation unit; and a signal feed-in unit, electrically connected with the radiation unit; wherein, the induction current generated by the radiation unit when it is activating is guided to the EMI shelter through the guidance of the induction current steering unit, and then to be feed into a ground connection (GND), thereby, preventing the operation of radio circuit elements that are mounted on the substrate from being interfered by the electric wave resulting from the induction current. With the aforesaid configuration, not only the EMI effect can be significantly suppressed and the overall manufacturing cost of the antenna can be effectively reduced, but also the signal transmission efficiency is improved.
US08643559B2
A variably controlled stagger antenna array architecture is disclosed. The array employs a plurality of driven radiating elements that are spatially arranged having each radiating element or element groups orthogonally movable relative to a main vertical axis. This provides a controlled variation of the antenna array's azimuth radiation pattern without excessive side lobe radiation over full range of settings.
US08643557B2
An antenna apparatus and a radio communication apparatus are capable of separately controlling a resonance frequency in a basic mode and a resonance frequency in a higher mode and have a wide bandwidth in which the resonance frequency in the basic mode is variable. The antenna apparatus includes a feeding electrode 2, a loop-shaped radiation electrode 3, a capacitance portion 4, and inductors 5 and 6. The capacitance portion 4 is formed by a gap between an open end 3a of the loop-shaped radiation electrode 3 and the feeding electrode 2. The inductor 5 is disposed at a position where a large current is obtained in the basic mode and a small current is obtained in the higher mode. The inductor 6 is disposed at a position where a large current is obtained in the higher mode and a small current is obtained in the basic mode.
US08643553B2
Provided is a technique capable of accurately calculating the radiation power of an object to be measured using a spheroidal coupler even when there is a non-negligible loss in a measurement system.A phase rotating unit including a variable phase shifter, a two-branch circuit, and a reflective element that is connected to one of the branched outputs of the two-branch circuit is inserted between a receiving antenna and a power measuring device. The maximum value and the minimum value of power measured by a power measuring device when the variable phase shifter changes a phase are calculated. An output reflection coefficient of a coupler is calculated from the ratio of the maximum value to the minimum value, and an input reflection coefficient of an object to be measured which is approximate to the output reflection coefficient is estimated. In addition, an input reflection coefficient of a reference antenna which is used instead of the object to be measured is estimated in the same way. The total radiated power of the object to be measured is calculated on the basis of the estimated input reflection coefficients and the reception power when the power measuring device directly measures the output of the receiving antenna.
US08643545B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for determining and representing a location or position of a node in a network. When the node receives position measurement information from a reference node, the node generates, based on the position measurement information, a position probability space (PPS) which defines a space that encompasses possible positions where the node is possibly positioned in the network. The PPS includes a centroid (i.e., a set of coordinates), and a set of vectors which originate from the centroid and define the space around the centroid. The magnitude of each vector reflects the accuracy of the position in the direction of the vector.
US08643541B2
A method and apparatus for determining a location of a remote receiver is described. The remote receiver receives satellite tracking data from a server, which it stores in memory. This satellite tracking data has a predetermined validity time period associated with it. When a connection cannot be established between the remote receiver and the server and the predetermine validity time period of the satellite tracking data has expired, the remote receiver calculates acquisition assistance data using the expired satellite tracking data for use with obtaining ephemeris data from a satellite. The remote receiver then calculates its position using the receiver ephemeris data.
US08643535B2
A radar device capable of removing noise signals before digital conversion and detecting an object with high precision by a simple configuration is provided. In a transmitting RF unit 110, a signal switch 141 is switched so that the noise signal generated by the operation of a first switch 111 passes through a signal delaying device 142. The signal switch 141 is switched so that the noise signal generated by the operation of a second switch 112 passes through a signal delaying device 143. Furthermore, the signal switch 141 is switched so that a baseband pulse signal obtained when the first switch 111 and the second switch 112 are operated at the same time passes through a signal delaying device 144. In a signal synthesizer 145, synthesizing is carried out so that the noise signals mixed in pulse signals are cancelled out.
US08643533B1
A weather radar system improves electronics for receiving radar returns. The weather radar system determines an altitude above ground level using return data derived from the weather radar returns. The weather radar system can utilize movement data related to movement of the aircraft to calculate the altitude. In addition, the weather radar system can utilize previous calculations of the altitude to determine the current altitude underneath the aircraft. The weather radar system can reduce the need for a radio altimeter.
US08643529B2
A method for operating a SAR assisted pipelined ADC includes enabling a SAR ADC in a current stage circuit for converting an input analog voltage into a digital code during a first time interval, resetting an operational amplifier of an MDAC in the current stage circuit during the first time interval, maintaining the SAR ADC of the current stage circuit in an enabled state for outputting during a second time interval, and enabling the MDAC in the current stage circuit during the second time interval. The method also includes enabling the SAR ADC in the current stage circuit for sampling during a third time interval and connecting the output terminal of the MDAC in the current stage circuit to the input terminal of the next stage circuit during the third time interval. The first, second, and third time intervals are continuous and do not overlap each other.
US08643510B2
A vehicle key for radio communication with a vehicle. The vehicle key has a radio transmitter for transmitting radio signals to the vehicle. The vehicle key has a radio receiver and/or audio receiver to be able to locate the vehicle within close range. A bidirectional communication with a transceiver of the vehicle is set up by the radio receiver and/or the audio receiver and the radio transmitter. Furthermore, a corresponding method for locating the vehicle by using the vehicle key is described.
US08643509B1
A method is described for providing an alert when the motion of a ship indicates a potential of sloshing damage from liquid cargo being transported by the ship. The method includes calculating, with a processing device, a natural period for the tanks holding the liquid cargo based on the configuration and fill levels of the tanks, receiving, at the processing device, data describing the actual or predicted motion of the ship with respect to three orthogonal axes, determining, with the processing device, a proximity of the natural period of the tanks to a period defined by the actual or predicted motion of the ship, and providing an alert to a user if the proximity in periods is within a threshold value.
US08643506B2
In a driving assisting device in which a receiver acquires the time-series traffic signal information regarding a lighting state of the traffic signal and a display and a speaker provide the lighting time information regarding a time remaining until a red signal of the traffic signal changes, the display and the speaker provide the lighting time information regarding the time remaining until the red signal of the traffic signal changes only when it is confirmed from the traffic signal information that a signal after change of the red signal permits traveling of the host vehicle. Accordingly, for example, for a light color change or the like in which an arrow lamp other than the traveling direction lights up after a red signal, a red signal waiting time is not displayed. This makes it possible to suppress factors inducing a careless driver to start driving.
US08643497B2
Disclosed are integral and/or portable, easy-to-install apparatuses for detecting and containing fluid leaked or otherwise discharged from a fluid-filled device and for facilitating testing and maintenance of the apparatus and fluid-filled devices. In one aspect of the disclosed invention, upon sensing a fluid discharge, the apparatus activates audible and/or visual alarms and directs the discharged fluid to a predetermined drainage area to prevent damage to areas surrounding the fluid-filled device. In another aspect of the present invention, no plumbing or electrical wiring is required to install the apparatus, thereby allowing an unskilled individual to easily and inexpensively install the apparatus. In yet another aspect of the present invention, the apparatus may be easily located since it is not dependent on gravity or a drainage pipe for discharge of the fluid. Furthermore, the apparatus optionally includes an integral leveling mechanism to accommodate leveling of the apparatus when placed on uneven surfaces.
US08643494B1
A postural state attitude monitoring, caution, and warning system includes a multiple axis accelerometer carried by a node for generating output signals that are a function of positional orientation of the node along a path of attitude displacement of the node extending from a reference position of the node to a caution position of the node, and from the caution position of the node to a warning position of the node, and a signal device operatively coupled to the multiple axis accelerometer for issuing a caution signal in response to a caution positional state of the node at the caution position of the node and distally therebeyond to inside of the warning position of the node, and for issuing a warning signal different from the caution signal in response to a warning positional state of the node at the warning position of the node and distally therebeyond.
US08643492B2
Encapsulated radio frequency identification (RFID) articles having enhanced break strength and/or temperature resistance and methods of making these articles. The RFID articles include an RFID tag embedded within a thermoplastic substrate to form the RFID article. In one embodiment, the RFID article includes an over-molded barrier material that enables the RFID article to have enhanced temperature resistance such that the articles are able top sustain repeated exposure to high temperatures and/or sterilization procedures, thereby enabling the RFID articles to be utilized in applications heretofore unavailable. In other embodiments, the RFID articles are made using an injection molding process that provides very thin encapsulated RFID tags that also exhibit an increased level of temperature resistance.
US08643488B2
A plurality of RFIDs is installed on aircraft or other structure. The RFIDs can query one another upon original installation and in response to predetermined event detection, and determine their relative locations within a mesh. The determined location data and other information are stored within the respect memories of the RFIDs. The stored data can be later accessed and used in analyzing damage or structural failure of the aircraft. Corrective measures are thus expedited because before-and-after structural comparisons can be readily made, with or without reference to original engineering data for the aircraft.
US08643487B2
A security system with a security container and an electronic lock circuit is used to securely store mechanical keys or other valuable items. Items to be protected are placed in a secured location in the security container. A detector of the security system detects whether the items are indeed in the secured location, such as by means of receiving signals from a transponder attached to the items. The security container is locked only if the items are detected to be in the secured location. Audit trail records for the locking and unlocking events of the security container may be transmitted to a device remote to the security container for analysis. A monitoring device with a location identification device, such as a GPS sensor, may be attached to items to be monitored for tracking locations and activities of the items.
US08643472B2
A method and apparatus for locating a transponder is provided. A carrier signal is transmitted by a base station and a transponder transmits a locating signal that is generated through phase modulation and backscattering of the carrier signal sent by the base station when the transponder is within a transmission range of the base station, whereby the transponder is located on the basis of the locating signal.
US08643465B2
A security code transmitter is provided to transmit a control signal to a barrier movement operator to controlling movement of a movable barrier. The barrier movement operator is proximate to a wireless communication network having a network ID. A receiver of the security code transmitter receives a transmitted network signal comprising the network ID from the wireless communication network. A memory of the security code transmitter stores a predetermined ID. A processor of the security code transmitter determines whether the wireless network ID of the transmitted network signal matches the predetermined wireless network ID. When a match is determined, the security code transmitter is controlled to transmit the control signal to the barrier movement operator.
US08643464B2
A liquid-cooled resistor device including a block having a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, and a cavity. The cavity is provided with a liquid flow path between the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet. The cavity can have an open side which is closed by a thermally conductive, electrically insulating flat layer. The flat layer can further support a flat resistor, the main plane of each being in parallel. The device can further include an electrically insulating blocking plate, fastenable to the block. The blocking plate can face the resistor to block the resistor on the flat layer. The device can also include a elastic pressing device positioned and configured to force the flat layer against the resistor.
US08643462B2
A switch module applied for a power supply system is disclosed. The switch module comprises a power switch, an insulating member, a surge absorber and a pyrocondensation belt. The power switch is connected with the power supply system, the insulating member is set on the power switch, the surge absorber is electrically connected with the power switch and adjacent to the power switch, the pyrocondensation belt is connected with the surge absorber and the insulating member. The pyrocondensation belt shrinks with a temperature of the surge absorber. When the insulating member is in the initial state, the insulating member does not affect the power switch. The insulating member makes the power switch off when the shrinkage degree of the pyrocondensation belt develops enough to block the power switch from being on.
US08643449B2
In accordance with a representative embodiment, an impedance matching circuit for use at an output stage of a power amplifier is disclosed. The impedance matching circuit comprises: an input port for receiving a frequency band signal; and a plurality of paths, each path being allocated with a principal band signal to be transmitted therethrough and including a path on-off network and a fixed-value impedance matching network. Depending on a type of the received frequency band signal, the path on-off network is configured to activate a selected one of the plurality of paths by rendering an input impedance of the selected path to have a lower absolute magnitude so that the signal is transmitted therethrough, and to deactivate the remaining paths of the plurality of paths by rendering the input impedance thereof to have a higher absolute magnitude so that the signal is not transmitted therethrough. The fixed-value impedance matching network matches a load impedance of the output port of each path to the input impedance thereof, thereby rendering the input impedance thereof to have a prescribed reference value with respect to the principal band signal when said path is activated by the path on-off network.
US08643447B2
A terminal circuit is applied to a bi-directional coupler. The terminal circuit includes a transmission line having a first end and a second end, a first resistor connecting the first end and a first ground and a second resistor connecting the second end and a second ground. A resistance value of the first resistor is substantially identical to that of the second resistor.
US08643439B2
An oscillation circuit of a semiconductor apparatus includes a first level regulation unit configured to regulate an output voltage at an output node according to a difference between a reference voltage and the output voltage, and a second level regulation unit coupled between a power supply voltage terminal and a source voltage terminal.
US08643435B2
An apparatus and a method for expanding an operation region in an envelope tracking power amplifier are provided. The apparatus for amplifying power of a transmission signal includes an amplitude component determination unit, a supply modulator, and a power amplify module. The amplitude component determination unit determines an amplitude component of a transmission signal. The supply modulator generates a supply voltage to be provided to the power amplify module depending on the amplitude component of the transmission signal determined by the amplitude component determination unit. The power amplify module amplifies power of the transmission signal depending on the supply voltage generated by the supply modulator.
US08643421B1
A method and elastic buffer circuit are provided for implementing low power, single master-slave elastic buffers in a network chip design to provide a continuous stream of data to multiple sinks from multiple sources, and a design structure on which the subject circuit resides. An elastic buffer only uses a single master-slave register. The circuit includes a finite state machine, and a latch control block (LCB) to implement the single master-slave elastic buffer removing all ½ cycle paths between buffer locations enabling usage of the single master-slave register.
US08643417B1
A method and apparatus for scaling a DLL code for a slave DLL operating at a different frequency than a master DLL is disclosed. An apparatus includes a master DLL coupled to receive a first clock signal and a group of series-coupled slave DLLs coupled to receive a second clock signal. The master DLL may provide a specified fraction of a cycle of the first clock signal. Scaling circuitry coupled between the master DLL and the group of slave DLLs may determine a ratio of frequencies of the first clock signal to the second clock signal. Based on the ratio and a delay code from the first DLL, the scaling circuitry may generate an adjusted delay code received by the group of slave DLLs to set a delay for the second clock signal to the specified fraction.
US08643414B1
A phase-locked loop is placed in a low-power mode. The input to the variable-frequency oscillator is stored before the low-power mode is entered. Then, when the phase-locked loop is awakened, the previous input to variable-frequency oscillator is held at the input to the variable-frequency oscillator. While the input to variable-frequency oscillator is being held, the phase of the feedback signal is calibrated to the reference signal. Once the phase difference between the feedback signal and the reference signal is minimized, the normal feedback operation of the phase-locked loop is enabled.
US08643412B2
Provided is a test apparatus that tests a device under test, comprising a phase comparing section that compares a phase of an internal clock generated in the test apparatus and a phase of a clock superimposed on a device signal output by the device under test; an adjusting section that adjusts a phase shift amount of the internal clock with respect to the device signal, based on the phase comparison result; an acquiring section that acquires the device signal according to the internal clock whose phase shift amount with respect to the device signal is adjusted; and an inhibiting section that inhibits change of the phase shift amount based on the phase comparison result, for at least a portion of a period during which the clock is not superimposed on the device signal. Also provided is a test method relating to the test apparatus.
US08643408B2
In response to a first level of the clock signal, an inverting output of a flip-flop circuit is connected, via a non-inverting input thereof, to a first intermediate node of the flip-flop circuit and a non-inverting output of the flip-flop circuit is connected, via an inverting input thereof, to a second intermediate node of the flip-flop circuit. In response to a second level of the clock signal, the first intermediate node is connected, via a third intermediate node of the flip-flop circuit, to the non-inverting output and the second intermediate node is connected, via a fourth intermediate node of the flip-flop circuit, to the inverting output. A first cross-coupled gates arrangement of the flip-flop circuit is coupled between the first and second intermediate nodes. A second cross-coupled gates arrangement of the flip-flop circuit is coupled between the third and fourth intermediate nodes.
US08643407B2
A half bridge gate driving circuit for providing gate driving circuits in a bi-hecto celcius (200 degrees celcius) operating environment having multiple functions including combinations of multiple level logic inputs, noise immunity, fault protection, overlap protection, pulse modulation, high-frequency modulation with transformer based isolation, high-frequency demodulation back to pulse width modulation, deadtime generator, level shifter for high side transistor, overcurrent protection, and undervoltage lockout.
US08643393B2
An embodiment of an electrical connecting apparatus enables reliable identification of a mark and enables accurate and easy determination of a coordinate position of the mark. The electrical connecting apparatus comprises a supporting body having a lower surface, a plurality of contacts arranged on the lower surface of the supporting body, a mark that is provided on a lower side of the supporting body and whose light passing feature differs from that of an area adjacent to the mark, and a light source provided to the supporting body to irradiate light to the mark from an upper side of the mark.
US08643390B2
Corrosion sensor apparatus for detection of contamination affecting metal based components and devices. For example, an apparatus includes: a set of corrosion sensor elements, wherein a width of a first corrosion sensor element is different than a width of a second corrosion sensor element, wherein each corrosion sensor element is susceptible to corrosion caused by an operating environment of the corrosion sensor elements; and a set of reference elements wherein a width of a first reference sensor element is substantially equal to the width of the first corrosion sensor element and a width of a second reference sensor element is substantially equal to the width of the second corrosion sensor element, wherein each reference sensor element is not substantially susceptible to corrosion caused by the operating environment of the corrosion sensor elements.
US08643389B2
A corrosion sensor includes a plurality of conductive portions and at least one non-conductive portion between adjacent conductive portions, wherein the at least one non-conductive portion has a dimension less than approximately 500 microns. A method for manufacturing a corrosion sensor includes applying a non-conductive material to a substrate and applying a conductive material to discrete locations on the non-conductive material. The method further includes applying a brazing material around each discrete location of the conductive material.
