US08899379B2

An adjustable platform assembly for supporting workers and supplies about an elevated work site, the platform assembly being movably supported on an articulable support, the platform comprising a stationary rear bridging panel arrangement having an elongated side platform member comprising a floor and railing assembly at each end thereof, wherein each elongated side platform member floor and railing assembly is independently movable on support members forwardly, rearwardly, transversely and angularly with respect to the bridging panel arrangement, to change the platform assembly back and forth between a generally “H” shape to a generally “U” shape, or any skewed combination thereof, as required.
US08899378B2

A compressor assembly having a high velocity muffler system which produces a particle-free compressor pump feed while reducing noise output from the compressor assembly during compressing operations. The high velocity muffler system is maintenance-free and comprises an inertia filter. The compressor assembly uses a method for producing a compressor pump feed and reducing noise during compressing operations by processing a gas through the high velocity muffler system which has an inertia filter and a muffler chamber to produce a compressor pump feed which can be compressed by a pump assembly.
US08899372B1

A suspension system for a motor vehicle including a frame assembly; a differential supported on the frame assembly; a wheel hub connected to each of two half shaft assemblies engaging the differential and being pivotally connected to the frame assembly; and at least one air spring operatively positioned between the frame assembly and each of the wheel hubs. The air springs are connected to a rotating linkage which maintains a substantially linear axis of compression for the air springs.
US08899370B1

A casing for housing an occupant protection device control unit is mounted to a vehicle body. The casing is composed of a metallic base mounted on the vehicle body with its plate surfaces facing upward and downward, respectively, and a main body that is put on and mounted on the base. The base has a lock portion that is deformable according to a deformation of the vehicle body caused by a collision load from a vehicle front. The lock portion, when deformed, causes a front portion of the base to be locked with at least a part of a front wall of the main body.
US08899359B1

At least one serpentine body is provided for traversing an area under a flexible object. The serpentine body has a front end that is selectively positionable in a desired direction and a plurality of portions. The portions include a first portion and a second portion positioned aft of the first portion. The serpentine body traverses an area when the first portion is in a first configuration and the second portion is in a second configuration.
US08899356B2

A roof-bolt drill bit may have a forward end, a rearward end, and a rotational axis extending between the forward end and the rearward end. A cutting element for the roof-bolt drill bit may include a cutting face and a peripheral surface extending around an outer periphery of the cutting face. The cutting element may include at least one chamfer region and a peripherally extending chamfer extending from the at least one chamfer region along the outer periphery of the cutting element, a width of the at least one chamfer region being greater than a width of the peripherally extending chamfer.
US08899354B1

A drill bit is disclosed, comprising: a drill bit head having a cutting face with one or more fixed cutting elements; a flow passage extending through the drill bit head to the cutting face; a flow interrupter within the drill bit head and positioned to interrupt flow of fluid through the flow passage; and a power section connected to drive the flow interrupter and cause, in operation, variable flow of fluid through the flow passage. A method of drilling is also disclosed comprising: flowing fluid through a flow passage extending through a drill bit head to a cutting face of the drill bit head, the cutting face having one or more fixed cutting elements; and driving a flow interrupter within the drill bit head with a power section to interrupt the flow of fluid through the flow passage and cause variable flow of fluid through the flow passage.
US08899343B2

In an embodiment, a first execution path in a program is determined that has been executed a largest number of times, as compared to at least one other path in the program. Swapped instructions are replaced in the program with breakpoints, wherein the swapped instructions are not on the first execution path. The breakpoints that are not on the first execution path and that are contiguous to each other are replaced in the program with a control word.
US08899327B2

A method for recovering oil from a reservoir comprises performing a first CHOPS process in one or more first wells, performing a second CHOPS process in one or more second wells that are laterally offset from the first wells, and injecting gas and/or steam into the one or more second wells after the CHOPS processes are at least partially completed. A plurality of channels that extend from the one or more first and second wells may be created as a result of the CHOPS processes. The gas and/or steam may be injected into the channels of the one or more second wells via a downhole steam generator that is located in the one or more second wells. The gas and/or steam may form a gas and/or steam front that drives reservoir products into the channels of the one or more first wells. The reservoir products may be recovered to the surface through the one or more first wells.
US08899326B2

An oil recovery process entails recovering an oil-water mixture from an oil bearing formation and separating the oil-water mixture to produce an oil product and produced water. The produced water includes suspended and dissolved solids and is subjected to treatment which removes suspended and dissolved solids therefrom. The treated water is then directed to a forced circulation steam generator that includes a furnace having a burner, water cooled walls and an evaporator unit. The treated water is pumped through the water cooled walls and the evaporator unit. The water passing through the water cooled walls and evaporator unit are heated to produce approximately 10% to approximately 30% quality steam in both the water cooled walls and the evaporator unit. The steam is collected and separated from a water-steam mixture to produce high quality steam, on the order of 95% or greater quality steam. This steam constitutes injection steam which is injected into an injection well to facilitate the recovery of the oil-water mixture.
US08899324B2

A method for sampling fluid in a subterranean formation includes reducing a viscosity of the fluid, pressurizing a portion of the subterranean formation, and collecting a fluid sample. Specifically, a viscosity of the fluid in a portion of the subterranean formation is reduced and a portion of the subterranean formation is pressurized by injecting a displacement fluid into the subterranean formation. A sample of the fluid pressurized by the displacement fluid is then collected.
US08899323B2

Modular pumpouts and flowline architecture are described. An example apparatus includes a downhole tool to sample fluid from a subterranean formation, and a plurality of fluidly coupled pump modules disposed on the downhole tool. Each of the pump modules includes: a pump having a pump inlet and a pump outlet, where the pump inlet is coupled to a first flowline; a first valve assembly having first, second and third ports, wherein the first port is coupled to the first flowline, the second port is coupled to the pump outlet, and the third port is coupled to the first flowline; and a second flowline not fluidly coupled to the first valve assembly or the pump.
US08899320B2

A formation testing method can include interconnecting multiple pressure sensors and multiple perforating guns in a perforating string, the pressure sensors being longitudinally spaced apart along the perforating string, firing the perforating guns and the pressure sensors measuring pressure variations in a wellbore after firing the perforating guns. Another formation testing method can include interconnecting multiple pressure sensors and multiple perforating guns in a perforating string, firing the perforating guns, thereby perforating a wellbore at multiple formation intervals, each of the pressure sensors being positioned proximate a corresponding one of the formation intervals, and each pressure sensor measuring pressure variations in the wellbore proximate the corresponding interval after firing the perforating guns.
US08899319B2

An automated tubular handling system adapted to make-up or break-out tubulars that includes a rotary drive adapted to operatively grip a tubular to be connected to or disconnected from a tubular string, a controller adapted to receive and process data indicative of a rotation, torque, and minimum time value associated with a make-up or a break-out of the tubular string, and a user interface adapted to convey the received data, the predetermined values, or both, of the tubular make-up or break-out to an operator. The controller compares the rotation, torque, and minimum time values to acceptable predetermined values to determine when the make-up or the break-out is complete. Automated methods are also disclosed.
US08899313B2

A cutting unit for a slot-type perforator is mounted in a casing having a specific edge, driven by a piston or plunger. The cutting unit includes cutting tools associated with a first holder immovable relative to the piston, and a second holder, including a recess, cooperating with the casing's edge, immovable relative to the casing. The holders move relative to each other causing extending and retracting the cutting tools in opposite directions, during piston's movements. The cutting unit includes a retractable mechanism to bring its parts into a transportation position and to fix them therein. The retractable mechanism includes a guide groove made in the second holder, and a connecting rod attached to the first holder. The rod moves through the groove ensuring the return of the second holder into the transportation position, wherein it is fixed absent pressure upon the piston, caused by interaction of the edge and recess.
US08899312B2

A plate heat exchanger comprises a plurality of heat exchanger plates provided beside each other to form a plate package with first plate interspaces for a first medium and second plate interspaces for a second medium. The first and second plate interspaces are provided in an alternating order in the plate package. A number of portholes extend through the plate package and form first inlet and outlet channels arranged to convey the first medium into and out from the first plate interspaces. An insert element is provided in one of the portholes for the first medium. The insert element comprises an annular body, an annular flange, projecting from the annular body and provided between two of the heat exchanger plates in the plate package.
US08899309B2

A first element and a second element are disposed in postures such that the length directions of the elements are parallel to each other. The first element is disposed in a posture such that a pair of opposing surfaces where a longitudinal flow passage is open is parallel to one main plate. The second element is disposed in a posture such that a pair of opposing surfaces where a longitudinal flow passage is open is parallel to the one main plate. A mixing flow passage formed as a result of the first element and the second element being disposed with a gap therebetween in a facing direction of side plates is provided between a transverse flow passage of the first element and a transverse flow passage of the second element.
US08899294B2

A labeling machine has a carrousel having a frame at the periphery of which a plurality of mandrels are rotatably mounted, and, at angularly spaced positions around the carrousel, object feeding means, label feeding means and object removing means. Each mandel receives a label strip from the label feeding means, winds it around the body of the mandrel so that a leading end and a trailing end of the label strip overlap. The leading and trailing ends of the label strip are sealed to form a sleeve label. The label strips are sealed by heat sealing means which include a pulse heating bar.
US08899291B2

A laminating apparatus is provided which causes a resin film to completely conform to protruding and recessed portions of a substrate, and which makes the film thickness of the conforming resin film uniform on a stricter level. To this end, the laminating apparatus includes a laminating mechanism including: an enclosed space forming receiver capable of receiving a provisionally laminated body therein; and a pressure laminator for applying pressure to the provisionally laminated body in non-contacting relationship in an enclosed space formed by the enclosed space forming receiver to form an end laminated body from the provisionally laminated body.
US08899285B2

A fuel tank opening-closing device is equipped with a flap valve mechanism 20 and an opening-closing activation mechanism. The opening-closing activation mechanism comprises a nozzle detection mechanism that has a first detection parts and a second detection parts. The first detection parts are linked with the locking member and the locked part so as to move the lock engaging part and the locked engagement part while maintaining each of the overlap widths within the preset range, being pressed by the end of the fueling nozzle. The second detection parts are linked to the locking member so as to move from the locked position to the unlocked position by releasing the overlap width by being pressed by the end of the fueling nozzle.
US08899279B2

This present invention relates to a preparation of gaseous fuel (natural gas for example) for its further transfer under pressure to fuel tank of a vehicle 22. This object is achieved by a method for compressing gas by alternate transfer of gas into two vertically arranged compressing vessels 1 and 2, its compression and forcing into high-pressure vessels by filling the compressing vessels 1 and 2 with working fluid 30 under pressure by means of a hydraulic drive 5. A novelty of this method lies in that, each cycle of gas 29 compressing and its forcing out of the compressing vessels 1 and 2 is performed until these vessels are fully filled with the working fluid 30 contained in the compressing vessels 1 and 2 and alternately forced out of one compressing vessel into the other in response to a signal sent by fluid-level sensor 4.
US08899277B2

An anti-“Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)” chitosan containing antibacterial High Wet Modulus (HWM) rayon fiber textile for medical usage is made of the steps as following: chitin flakes made from natural shrimp or crab shells are deacetylated to generate chitosan with a high deacetylation degree of 90% or more. Next chitosan is dissolved in acetic acid and regenerated by caustic soda to form a chitosan antibacterial nanoparticles slurry, then added to HWM viscose rayon process, and spinning to produce a chitosan containing antibacterial HWM rayon fiber. The antibacterial amino groups of chitosan and the hydroxyl groups of rayon cellulose combine together via hydrogen bonding. Therefore, the fiber becomes the anti-MRSA antibacterial HWM rayon fiber containing amino groups (—NH3+). Finally the resulting HWM rayon fiber is conducted via a yarn spinning or/and weaving process to procure a medical textile with chitosan content.
US08899273B2

An inflatable device for blocking a chimney flue or other duct is in the form of a plastics bag 1 having an inflation tube 2 that opens through the wall of the bag 1 into a flexible, tubular sleeve 4 that is sealed circumferentially to the bag-wall at each of its opposite ends 5,6 within the bag 1. The sleeve 4 is vented into the bag 1 via diametrically-opposed apertures 7 mid-way between its ends 5,6 so that on inflation of the bag 1 the sleeve 4 limits distention of the bag 1 longitudinally of the sleeve 4 to a flatish form. The bag 1 is constructed of two plastics sheets 8,9 that are sealed together in a peripheral rim 10 with the two ends 5,6 of the sleeve 4 sealed centrally to the two sheets 8,9 respectively, and with an open end of the inflation tube 2 sealed through the bag-wall centrally within one end 5 of the sleeve 4. The rim 10 of the bag 1 is bowed inwardly to allow for limited ventilation of the otherwise-blocked chimney flue or duct.
US08899266B2

A transmission is provided including a sump at least partially defining a sump volume and operable to contain a fluid. The transmission further includes a hydraulic pump. An inlet tube is disposed at least partially within the fluid and is operable to communicate the fluid from the sump volume to the hydraulic pump. A fluid displacement reservoir defining a reservoir volume and disposed at least partially within the sump volume is also provided. The fluid displacement reservoir is operable to selectively displace or impede the movement of at least a portion of the fluid when the fluid within the transmission is subject to acceleration, such that the amount of the fluid required within the sump volume to maintain the inlet tube disposed within the fluid is reduced. The fluid displacement reservoir is also operable to selectively contain or receive at least a portion of the fluid.
US08899264B2

This disclosure relates generally to valves, and more particularly, to gas valve assemblies. In one illustrative but non-limiting example, a valve assembly may include a valve body having an interior and an exterior, a valve or valve sealing member positioned in the valve body, a sensor element (e.g., a magnet and/or a ferrous core) secured relative to the valve sealing member and a sensor (e.g., a magnetic field sensor) positioned outside of the interior of the valve body. The valve sealing member may be movable between an opened position and a closed position, and the sense element may move with the valve sealing member. The sensor may be configured to detect a position of the valve sealing member and communicate that position to a valve controller.
US08899263B2

The invention relates to a fuel injection system having a return line connector, having a return inlet and at least two return outlets. To improve the service life of the fuel injection system, a check valve device, which prevents the passage of a fluid from the return outlets to the return inlet is integrated with the return line connector. A return line connector is provided for each fuel injector in the fuel injection system.
US08899262B2

A gas cylinder valve 2 is able to be opened by application of a pilot gas pressure. In certain embodiments the gas cylinder valve 2 is usable with a yoke 8 for engaging with a valve assembly of a gas cylinder 1, the yoke comprising a pilot gas passage 28 able to connect a pilot gas chamber 37 in the cylinder valve assembly to a source of pressurized pilot gas and the cylinder gas port of the gas cylinder valve to an external cylinder gas passage. The valve and yoke enable the tamper-resistance of a gas cylinder to be improved.
US08899257B2

A shutoff valve, e.g., an engine shutoff valve, is provided which includes a valve body having a fluid, e.g., air, passage and a disc assembly. The disc assembly is pivotable within the fluid passage from an open position to provide for free flow of fluid through the passage, to a closed position to provide a substantially closed off the fluid passage. The disc assembly includes a front disc, a rear disc, and a seal, e.g., a spring energized PTFE seal, disposed between the front disc and the rear disc. The front disc is permanently secured, e.g., welded, soldered or brazed, to the rear disc such that the seal is captured between the front disc and the rear disc.
US08899253B1

A picnic table cover system, Lock-N-Leave Coverall™, that can be locked to a picnic table and provide a lockable storage volume for picnic articles and personal items thus protecting them from possible theft while also protecting them from flying insects, pests and ambient weather.
US08899250B1

A tiltable sunshade (12) includes a pole (111) rotatably receiving a rod (573) around which a helical spring (579) is mounted. The helical spring (579) can be rotated by operating a handle (213) to cause movement of a follower (599) in the pole (111) between a folded position and an unfolded position and an optional tilted position to fold ribs (451), unfold the ribs (451), and optionally tilt the ribs (451), respectively. When the follower (599) is in the unfolded position or the tilted position, if a canopy (475), the ribs (475), or stretchers (451) of the tiltable sunshade (12) is subjected to an external force causing the runner (297) to move along the longitudinal axis of the pole (111), the helical spring (579) is compressed by the follower (599) and undergoes elastic deformation, providing a buffering effect to the external force.
US08899249B2

A lifting device for an umbrella includes a base, a plurality of fixing seats secured on the base, a plurality of movable members each movably mounted in the respective fixing seat, a pressing module movably mounted on the base and pressing the movable members, a threaded rod mounted on the base and connected with the pressing module, and a drive handle connected with the threaded rod. The pressing module includes a driven rod and two pressing rods. Each of the pressing rods is provided with a straight pressing portion that is movable to press the respective movable member and at least one recessed release portion that is movable to receive the respective movable member. Thus, each of the movable members is rotatable freely so that the lifting device is moved on the ground easily.
US08899242B2

An eye make-up application machine is provided, which includes a cosmetics provider in an eyeshade. The control device can control the cosmetics provider to move to a make-up application utility into position in order to spray or apply cosmetic materials to a contour corresponding to a human eye. Thus, the invention can provide an automatic make-up application utility for variously and accurately carrying out a makeup-application on eyes selected or emulated by one or more users. An eye contour image in the invention can be provided by an internal or external storage device or image recognition device. A plurality of makeup-application profiles can be provided by an internal or external storage device or be edited by the user as an option.
US08899235B2

Various embodiments of tracheostomy tube assemblies including a cannula, a cap, and a flange are provided. The cannula includes a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end being adapted to be inserted into a patient's trachea. The annular cap includes an annular body having a first surface adapted to be received into the proximal end of the cannula to retain a portion of the cap in the annular body. The flange member includes a second surface that engages the proximal end of the cannula such that the proximal end of the cannula is retained between the second surface of the flange member and the first surface of the annular cap. The flange member also includes a third surface adapted to engage an inner surface of the annular body of the annular cap to retain the flange member between the annular cap and the proximal end of the cannula.
US08899228B2

A method according to an embodiments includes administering at least two Cyclic Variations in Altitude Condition (CVAC) sessions to a mammal disposed in a pressure vessel unit. The at least two CVAC sessions each have a duration of at least twenty minutes. The at least two CVAC sessions each include a start point of ambient pressure at a delivery site, an end point of ambient pressure at the delivery site, and a plurality of atmospheric pressure targets executed between the start point and the end point. The administering is configured to treat at least one of loss of sensation and chronic pain.
US08899226B2

An apparatus or system is provided for withdrawing a cryogenic liquid from a container. The liquid may be drawn from the container independent of the orientation of the container. The apparatus includes a conduit having a flexible metallic hose portion and a metallic head. The flexible hose portion has a first end in fluid communication with an outlet portal of the container and a second end to which the head is attached.
US08899224B2

A burner apparatus includes a first tube having a first longitudinal bore and a second tube having a second longitudinal bore. The second tube is disposed within the first longitudinal bore such that an annular space is defined between the second tube and the first tube. The burner apparatus further includes a nozzle formed at a tip of the second tube. A plurality of side holes are formed in the nozzle. The side holes are slanted relative to a longitudinal axis of the nozzle and are in communication with the second longitudinal bore.
US08899222B2

A combustion chamber, having an upper part and a lower part, may include an annular constriction, in combination with the combustion chamber, to aid in directing partially combusted gases such as carbon monoxide away from the periphery of the combustion chamber back toward its center, and into the flame front. The annular constriction may also impede the flow of partially combusted gases located at the periphery, thus increasing the time these gases spend within the combustion chamber and increasing the likelihood that any products of incomplete combustion will undergo combustion. The combustion chamber may further comprise a dual burner cooktop for directing combustion gases and exhaust to multiple cooking vessels. In further embodiments, the combustion chamber may be made of, lined, or clad with a metal alloy comprising iron, chromium, and aluminum.
US08899220B2

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for automatically activating and/or controlling one or more accessory devices for an archery apparatus, including circuitry for automatically activating and/or controlling one or more electrical or electronic accessory devices in response to, for example, the bow string of the archery apparatus being drawn. The electrical or electronic accessory devices can include a sight light, a stabilizing light, a spot light, a video recorder, a photographic camera, an audio enhancement pickup, a fishing reel, a range finder, sights, a lighted quiver, and a game call.
US08899218B2

A trigger assembly for a crossbow or other weapon system. The trigger assembly includes a trigger arm coupled between a trigger and a sear. The trigger arm is not parallel to the line of fire, thereby allowing for increased mechanical advantage and a smoother, safer trigger pull. The trigger assembly incorporates various safety measures, including a dry fire mechanism which prevents the unintentional damaging and potentially dangerous release of the bowstring before an arrow is positioned on the rail of the crossbow. The trigger assembly allows for various adjustments to vary the trigger length and pull, while maintaining smoothness and preventing the unintentional or inadvertent release of the bowstring.
US08899216B2

A machine for launching disk-shaped targets has two faces located on each side of an edge. The machine includes means for loading a target into a launch area, an arm for launching the target placed in the launch area and a surface guiding the target by means of contact with at least one of the aforementioned faces thereof. The guiding surface has at least one portion wherein the areas that come into contact with the face of the target are not continuous. The machine is particularly suitable for shooting practice, such as archery.
US08899210B2

A drive circuit for driving an electromagnetic fuel-injection valve, the drive circuit varying an application sequence of a drive voltage, which is supplied from a step-up power supply to a fuel-injection valve for conducting injection multiple times in a single stroke of an internal-combustion engine, between the first injection and the second and subsequent injections, and setting the application sequence such that the consumption of power from the step-up power supply in the first injection becomes smaller than the power consumption in one of the second and subsequent injections.
US08899208B2

The present invention relates to a piston (10) for an internal combustion engine, comprising a piston head (11) and a piston skirt (16), wherein the piston head (11) has a circumferential ring part (15) and a circumferential cooling channel (23) in the region of the ring part (15), wherein the piston skirt (16) has piston bosses (17), which are provided with boss bores (18) and which are arranged on the underside (11a) of the piston head (11) by means of boss connections (19), wherein the piston bosses (17) are connected to each other by means of running surfaces (21, 22). According to the invention, at least one axial bore (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d), which is closed to the outside and which is arranged between a running surface (21, 22) and a boss bore (18), is provided inside a piston boss (17), the at least one bore (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d) opens into the cooling channel (23), and the cooling channel (23) and the at least one bore (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d) contain a filling (27) of sodium and/or potassium.
US08899207B2

A cylinder head for an engine is provided comprising a monolithic structure forming an upper deck, a fire deck, at least one coolant jacket and a cavity to accommodate a fuel injector or an ignitor therein, the cavity defined by a wall connecting the fire deck with the upper deck. The wall connecting the fire deck with the upper deck, as well as other features of the cylinder head, are preferably arranged to support the fire deck against a deflection thereof by transmitting a mechanical load introduced on a flame face of the fire deck to the upper deck. A method of increasing the stiffness of the cylinder head is also provided.
US08899201B2

A starting system for a hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft rotatably supported within an engine block. The starting system includes a pinion gear driven by a starter motor, a drive plate having a set of teeth in constant meshed engagement with the pinion gear, and a one-way clutch. The one-way clutch is adapted to selectively drivingly interconnect the drive plate and the crankshaft. The clutch includes an inner race adapted to be fixed for rotation with the crankshaft, an outer race coupled for rotation with the drive plate, and a plurality of roller elements positioned radially therebetween. A fastener couples the drive plate to the outer race and compresses an elastomeric damper between the drive plate and the outer race.
US08899197B2

A valve-timing control apparatus includes a drive rotator configured to receive a rotation from a crankshaft; a driven rotator fixed to a cam shaft; and an electric motor. The electric motor includes a stator fixed to the driven rotator, a rotor that rotates relative to the stator, a coil provided to at least one of the stator and the rotor, and a motor output shaft fixed to the rotor. The valve-timing control apparatus further includes a speed-reduction mechanism; a slip ring provided to one of the drive rotator and a fixed member, and configured to feed power to the coil; a power-feeding brush provided to another of the drive rotator and the fixed member, and abutting on the slip ring; a detection-target section provided to one of the fixed member and the motor output shaft, and located on an inner circumferential side beyond a contact portion between the slip ring and the power-feeding brush; and a detecting section provided to another of the fixed member and the motor output shaft, and configured to detect a rotational position of the motor output shaft by detecting a position of the detection-target section.
US08899189B2

A garment to reduce an animal's anxiety, fearfulness, overexcitement, or a combination thereof. The garment may include a central portion, flaps extending from opposite sides of the central portion, and, in some cases, a cinching member that extends from a central area of the central portion. The flaps may be fastened together around the chest and stomach of the animal, and the cinching member may be fastened to the central portion or one or more flaps to tighten the garment further, applying pressure to reduce anxiety, fearfulness, or over-excitement. Straps may be provided to secure the garment to the animal's neck. One material that may be used in making the garment is a fabric made of 55% cotton, 35% polyester, and 10% spandex. The animal may generally be any animal with four legs, for example, a dog or cat, or two arms and two legs, for example, a monkey.
US08899185B2

The present invention relates to a positioning device (10) that encourages animals to stand in a desired position to enable efficient and effective treatment of a part of their body. The positioning device (10) of the invention may optionally comprise one or more spraying nozzles (56) adapted for spraying the teats of the animal with a treatment chemical either pre- or post-milking.
US08899182B2

A pet drinking fountain assembly having a pump forming part of a fountain mounting arrangement that includes a lift tube coupling a cover to the pump coupled to a lower basin by a mount. The mount and lift tube attenuate pump noise and vibration by providing isolation from the basin and cover and can function as dampeners. In a preferred embodiment the pump is part of a pump module that includes a module housing to which the pump is attached by another noise-attenuating mount. Each mount is formed by one or more suction cups with the cups and lift tube made of vibration dampening material, such as a resilient vibration dampening or isolating material that can be an elastomeric material. The module includes a lift tube coupling discharge that registers in fluid flow communication with a pump outlet and can include a ring or bushing therebetween providing additional noise attenuation.
US08899173B2

A nozzle assembly configured to form one or more adhesive lines extending in a machine direction on an upper surface of a fibrous web continuously running in the machine direction has first, second and third working regions arranged in this order from upstream toward downstream in the machine direction. The first working region is adapted to come in close contact with the fibrous web fully in a width direction of the fibrous web. The second working region including first partitioning regions is arranged intermittently in a cross direction orthogonal to the machine direction and adhesive outlets each defined between each pair of the adjacent first partitioning regions. The third working region includes second partitioning regions arranged intermittently in the cross direction downstream of the first partitioning regions and stepped regions each defined between each pair of the adjacent second partitioning regions.
US08899170B2

An illustrative embodiment of an object locating apparatus includes a cartridge having a cartridge interior; a float in the cartridge interior; a float attachment line attached to the float and the cartridge; a water-dissolvable float retainer tablet retained in the cartridge interior; a cartridge cap in the cartridge interior; and a spring normally sandwiched and compressed between the cartridge cap and the float retainer tablet and adapted to expand and push the float from the container interior upon dissolving of the float from the retainer tablet.
US08899168B1

The present invention provides a motor box for a sea-faring vessel, comprising a skirt, a lid, and a lid cushion. The lid is pivotably attached to the skirt and the lid cushion is pivotably attached to the lid. Accordingly, the lid opens to provide access to the inboard motor of which the motor box encases. The lid cushion pivots to reveal the top surface of the lid, which may be textured. The forward side of the skirt and the lid include a step which allows a user to step onto and over the motor box for easier ingress/egress. An aft step may be disposed adjacent to the aft of the motor box at the transom to provide additional footing when stepping off of or onto the motor box.
US08899164B2

An embroidery frame transport device includes a carriage, a first drive portion, a drive switching portion, and a rotary drive portion. The carriage is provided with an embroidery frame that is rotatable. The first drive portion includes a first transport mechanism and a first drive source. The first transport mechanism transports the carriage in a first direction. The first drive source drives the first transport mechanism. The drive switching portion shuts off transmission of drive power to the first transport mechanism from the first drive source when the first drive portion transports the carriage to a specified position in the first direction. The rotary drive portion causes the embroidery frame to rotate using the drive power of the first drive source, in a state in which the transmission of the drive power from the first drive source to the first transport mechanism is shut off by the drive switching portion.
US08899157B2

An aerial transport installation with back-and-forth movement includes two carrying-hauling ropes extending in two individual closed loops between two end terminals separated from one another by an intermediate station which is provided with a double pulley. The latter is provided with two grooves having different groove root diameters, such that the ratio of the diameters is equal to the ratio respectively of the axial distance between the first bull-wheel and the double pulley and of the axial distance between the second bull-wheel and the double pulley. The speeds of the vehicles are also different in the two loops.
US08899155B2

The present disclosure describes various embodiments of nitroguanidine-based consumable ammunition assemblies and methods of producing and using these assemblies. In one embodiment, for example, a nitroguanidine-based consumable ammunition assembly can include a projectile, a Combustible Cartridge Cased body using nitroguanidine as the primary energetic material, and a composite case base interfacing with the CCC body.
US08899144B2

A popcorn popping machine is provided including a cabinet, a popcorn popping kettle mounted within the cabinet, and a pump mounted at a height above a height of the kettle that is configured to pump oil from a container of oil and deliver the oil to the kettle. Control circuitry is provided for operating the pump to deliver oil to the kettle.
US08899140B2

A system is for evacuating cartridges, applied to a firearm 1. The firearm includes a breech 14, a firing chamber 12 in which the projectile that will come out through a barrel 13 is fired. The evacuation system includes an evacuation tray 2, adapted to receive the cartridge following deflagration of an ammunition, and a movement mechanism 3, adapted to move the tray 2. The movement mechanism 3 turns the evacuation tray 2 about an axis “X”, parallel to the axis of the barrel 13 of the firearm 1, in a preset and appropriately cadenced way, passing from a first position, where the cartridge is received, to a second position, where the cartridge is expelled by the expulsion mechanism 5, and vice versa.
US08899126B2

A robot according to the present disclosure includes a support structure and at least three main arms mounted to be movable relative to the support structure, wherein the outer ends facing away from the support structure are movable to different spatial positions relative to the support structure and relative to each other. The robot further comprises connecting elements having the same lengths by means of which the outer end of each main arm can be connected at a defined distance from the outer end of the two adjacent main arms. The present disclosure also provides a method of calibrating a robot.
US08899116B2

An ultrasonic transducer for an ultrasonic flow measuring device, comprising a first housing part and a second housing part. The second housing part is axially guided in the first housing part and is so biased relative to the first housing part that, in a first state of the ultrasonic transducer, a first axial stop of the second housing part rests on a first axial stop of the first housing part, wherein, by applying, counter to the bias, a predetermined force on a second axial stop of the second housing part, the second housing part is axially shiftable, so that, in a second state of the ultrasonic transducer, the first axial stop of the second housing part is moved out of the first state.
US08899108B2

A flow sensor includes a main flow body, a laminar flow element, and first and second bypass channels. The first bypass channel is formed in, and extends at least partially around, the outer surface of the laminar flow element, and is in fluid communication with the main flow channel and defines a first bypass flow passage between the laminar flow element and the main flow body. The second bypass channel is formed in, and extends at least partially around, the outer surface of the laminar flow element, and is in fluid communication with the main flow channel and defines a second bypass flow passage between the laminar flow element and the main flow body.
US08899098B2

A semiconductor gas sensor is provided that has a gas-sensitive gate electrode separated by a gap from a channel region and is embodied as a suspended gate field effect transistor or the gate electrode is arranged as a first plate of a capacitor with gap and a second plate of the capacitor is connected to a gate of the field effect transistor embodied as capacitively controlled and the gate electrode has a conductive carrier layer with a bearing adhesion promoter layer and a gas-sensitive layer bearing on the adhesion promoter layer, wherein the gate electrode as a gas-sensitive layer has a platinum/gold alloy with a gold proportion in a range of 1% to 20% and a polymer layer with a thickness of less than 100 nm is embodied on the surface of the platinum/gold alloy and the gap is filled with an oxygen-free gas mixture.
US08899087B2

The present invention provides a method which enables a steel wire to be highly strengthened with maintaining good ductility. Specifically, the present invention provides a method comprising: subjecting a high carbon steel wire material having carbon content of 0.85 to 1.10 mass % to a pre-stage drawing process with a predetermined magnitude of drawing, to form an intermediate wire material; subjecting the intermediate wire material formed by the pre-stage drawing process to a patenting treatment in which tensile strength of the wire material is adjusted to a range of 1323 to 1666 MPa; then subjecting the patented steel wire material to a subsequent drawing process including the final drawing.
US08899084B2

A method of welding two workpieces together is described. A conductor in electrical communication with a pulse circuit is provided. A portion of the second workpiece is located adjacent the conductor. The two workpieces are also located together. A portion, or all, of one workpiece is welded to the other by applying a pulse current to one of the workpieces. A method of forming a workpiece is disclosed using a pulse current to move the workpiece into a desired shape.
US08899079B2

A knitting machine includes a take-down assembly that includes a first take-down roller and a second take-down roller. The first take-down roller is configured to rotatably contact and apply tension to a first portion of a knit component. The second take-down roller is configured to rotatably contact and apply tension to a second portion of the knit component. The knitting machine further includes a first actuator that actuates to selectively adjust tension applied by the first take-down roller on the first portion of the knit component. Furthermore, the knitting machine includes a second actuator that actuates to selectively adjust tension applied by the second take-down roller on the second portion of the knit component. Additionally, the knitting machine includes a controller that is operably coupled to the first actuator and the second actuator to selectively and independently control actuation of the first actuator and the second actuator.
US08899074B2

A method of natural gas liquefaction may include cooling a gaseous NG process stream to form a liquid NG process stream. The method may further include directing the first tail gas stream out of a plant at a first pressure and directing a second tail gas stream out of the plant at a second pressure. An additional method of natural gas liquefaction may include separating CO2 from a liquid NG process stream and processing the CO2 to provide a CO2 product stream. Another method of natural gas liquefaction may include combining a marginal gaseous NG process stream with a secondary substantially pure NG stream to provide an improved gaseous NG process stream. Additionally, a NG liquefaction plant may include a first tail gas outlet, and at least a second tail gas outlet, the at least a second tail gas outlet separate from the first tail gas outlet.
US08899073B2

A refrigerant storage device that arranges two end plates to form a cavity and includes a turbulator plate within the cavity. The turbulator plate is arranged within the cavity to reinforce the cavity by providing a plurality of reinforcement portions between the end plates. The cavity is sized and the turbulator plate is configured so a liquid portion of refrigerant flowing through the cavity collects onto the turbulator plate. The device has a rectangular shape that simplifies vehicle packaging and allows the device to be readily integrated into a plate-type refrigerant-to-liquid coolant heat exchanger. The device is formed by a stacking arrangement of parts that provides for a readily scalable design.
US08899071B2

A soft sided insulated container assembly includes a first portion having an insulated, soft sided external wall structure, and an internal, substantially rigid molded plastic receptacle mounted therein. It has a cover structure that includes a reinforcement member for engaging a land region of the molded receptacle, thereby tending to yield an interface tending to have a sealing relationship. Both the receptacle and the engaging seal member of the lid may be outwardly splayed. The container may also include a thermal storage element, and the container may have an accommodation for receiving the thermal storage element.
US08899070B2

A method for preventing condensation on a surface of a domestic refrigeration device and a corresponding domestic refrigeration device having a refrigerated chamber, a refrigerant line, and a refrigerant circulation system structured to transfer heat energy from the refrigerated chamber into the refrigerant circulation system via the refrigerant line. The refrigerant line may include a heat-emitting section in heat-conducting contact with a trim strip of the refrigeration device running below the refrigerated chamber.
US08899064B2

An ice bank for a refrigerator, comprises: an ice bank body having an ice-crushing unit and a discharging passage; and a mode conversion apparatus disposed in the ice bank body for guiding ice cubes to the ice-crushing unit, or guiding the ice cubes to the discharging passage for discharge in a non-crushed state, wherein the mode conversion apparatus comprises: a guide member rotatably disposed in the ice bank body for guiding ice cubes to the ice-crushing unit, or to the discharging passage for discharge in a non-crushed state; an elastic member for elastically supporting the guide member; and a driving unit for generating a driving force so as to rotate the guide member. Accordingly, ice cubes can be dispensed in a non-crushed state or in a crushed state, and limitations in installation places of the ice bank can be reduced.
US08899058B2

Heating equipment, including a first heat exchanger, a compressor, a second heat exchanger, and a first expansion valve that decompresses a refrigerant flowing from the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger, are connected so as to circulate the refrigerant. A third heat exchanger provides heat of the refrigerant flowing from the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger to the refrigerant flowing from the first heat exchanger toward the compressor. An injection circuit merges part of the refrigerant flowing from the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger with the refrigerant that is sucked by the compressor. An injection expansion valve is installed in the injection circuit and decompresses the refrigerant flowing in the injection circuit. A fourth heat exchanger is installed in the injection circuit to supply heat of the refrigerant flowing from the second heat exchanger toward the first heat exchanger to the refrigerant flowing in the injection circuit.
US08899055B2

The invention relates to a system and method for cooling and dehumidifying air in a room. The system includes a processing unit structured and arranged to process a coolant to achieve a cooling that exceeds cold due to evaporation, wherein the coolant cools and dehumidifies air coming into contact with the coolant. The system also comprises a distribution unit arranged to expose the coolant to the air and a collecting unit structured to feed the coolant that has come into contact with the air into the processing unit.
US08899046B2

The present invention relates to a method of converting thermal energy into mechanical energy using a non-gaseous working medium present in an apparatus comprising a plurality of heat exchangers and an outgoing shaft. In accordance with the invention, the apparatus used comprises a multitude of chamber units, a chamber unit comprising an inlet for introducing heat exchange medium and an outlet for discharging heat exchange medium as well as a closed chamber having a heat exchanger wall for exchanging heat between working medium inside the closed chamber and the heat exchange medium introduced into the chamber unit via said inlet for introducing heat exchange medium and heat exchange medium is passed around so as to do work when it is giving off heat to a chamber unit containing relatively cool working medium and recuperate heat when it is passed through a chamber unit containing relatively warm working medium. The invention also relates to an apparatus for performing the method.
US08899032B2

A stator assembly for a torque converter includes first and second blade plates, a one-way clutch assembly disposed axially between the blade plates and a centering plate. The one-way clutch assembly has an inner race with an outer circumferential surface, an outer race with an outer circumferential surface, and a plurality of blocking elements disposed radially between the inner race and the outer race. The centering plate includes a ring portion grippingly engaged with the outer race outer circumferential surface and an annular portion with an inner circumferential surface arranged to radially position the inner race outer circumferential surface. In an example embodiment, at least one of the blade plates is made by stamping.
US08899029B1

Apparatuses for marine propulsion systems having an internal combustion engine comprise an exhaust conduit conveying exhaust from the internal combustion engine; a cooling jacket on the exhaust conduit; and a cooling passage between the exhaust conduit and the cooling jacket. The cooling passage guides flow of cooling liquid from upstream to downstream towards a location where the cooling liquid is mixed with exhaust in the exhaust conduit. First and second baffles are axially spaced apart and extend transversely with respect to the cooling passage so as to disperse the flow of cooling liquid at the location where the cooling liquid is mixed with the exhaust, thereby reducing reversion of cooling liquid in the exhaust conduit. At least one catalyst and at least one oxygen sensor are disposed in the exhaust conduit. The oxygen sensor is adjacent to and oriented parallel to a downstream face of the catalyst so that exhaust flows perpendicularly across the sensor.
US08899017B2

An exhaust treatment unit treats exhaust gas from an engine of a work vehicle. The exhaust treatment unit includes a diesel particulate filter device, a selective catalytic reduction device, a first support component and a second support component. The diesel particulate filter device treats the exhaust gas. The selective catalytic reduction device treats the exhaust gas. The first support component supports the diesel particulate filter device. The second support component supports the selective catalytic reduction device and the first support component. The first support component is detachable from the second support component.
US08899002B1

An apparatus and method is provided for loading objects having a first degree of hardness onto a tray having a different degree of hardness where sliding contact between the objects and the tray would cause damage. The tray loading is accomplished by engaging and holding objects in a carrier. The carrier carries the objects to a position over the tray and lowers the objects onto the tray surface, avoiding abrasion between the objects and the tray. The carrier includes sensors for verifying the presence of the objects.
US08898995B2

A dual stage plug assembly 10 which provides a first sealing stage which is cooperatively provided by the insertion members 12, 14 (including the unexpanded portion 24) and a second sealing stage which is provided by selectively expandable member 24. The plug assembly 10 is selectively inserted into a hole, such as hole 80, which is formed in a tangible entity, such as basement wall 82, and the members 12 and 14 cooperates with member 24 to seal the hole 80, thereby preventing water and/or other liquid from entering and passing through the hole 80.
US08898994B1

A method of applying a flooring system on a wood subfloor, including providing a sealer for direct application to the wood subfloor; applying the sealer to the wood subfloor; and allowing the sealer to dry and cure, forming a sealed and stable wood subfloor.
US08898989B2

Gusset Block Construction deals with a block that is cored from all sides. The blocks are cubes and elongated cubes with a pyramid or elongated pyramid shaped cavity on each side resulting in a block in which each of the twelve edges is central on a gusset shape extending from said edge to the central axis of the block. With the use of a second octahedron block that fits within the pyramid shaped cavities a wall that requires no fastening can be built by placing octahedrons in the top cavities of a layer of blocks and placing another layer of blocks on it. These blocks will be able to come apart at the joints during an earthquake without completely disassembling and can return to original position when the earthquake stops. They can be molded in a two piece split mold and are scaleable; tapered piers could be made.
US08898988B2

Floor panels (1b, 1c) provided with a mechanical locking system made of a separate material in order to reduce snapping resistance during vertical displacement.
US08898979B2

A modular panel unit according to one embodiment includes a major subunit adapted for being secured to a keyed backing panel, and at least one minor subunit. The major subunit includes at least one connector adapted for coupling to a corresponding connection feature of the keyed backing panel in order to secure the major subunit to the keyed backing panel; and one or more coupling features. Each minor subunit includes: one or more couplers adapted for coupling to the one or more coupling features of the major subunit in order to secure the minor subunit to the major subunit. Additional systems and methods are also disclosed.
US08898976B2

A corner bead strip is provided for finishing a wallboard corner joint, includes a flexible plastic body having a first flange and a second flange, each flange with a corner edge and an opposite free edge. The corner edges are joined by a central flex zone formed by a plastic composition distinct from a plastic composition used for forming the flanges. A web of paper covers a surface of the body.
US08898973B2

A system for ventilating the cavity of a fixed or movable window or door construction of a building, the window or door having an upper sill or header and a low sill provided with weep holes and a pair of jamb elements, the system comprising a vent member operative associated with the upper sill portion, the vent member is in fluid communication with the upper sill at one end thereof and also with the interior of the building at an opposite end thereof, the vent member extends vertically above the upper sill a distance sufficient to vent pressure within the cavity to the interior of the building so that water is caused to be readily conveyed out of the weep holes regardless of any pressure differential between the interior and exterior of the building.
US08898971B2

An apparatus for mounting a photovoltaic (PV) module on a surface, including a support with an upper surface, a lower surface, tabs, one or more openings, and a clip comprising an arm and a notch, where the apparatus resists wind forces and seismic forces and creates a grounding electrical bond between the PV module, support, and clip. The invention further includes a method for installing PV modules on a surface that includes arranging supports in rows along an X axis and in columns along a Y axis on a surface such that in each row the distance between two neighboring supports does not exceed the length of the longest side of a PV module and in each column the distance between two neighboring supports does not exceed the length of the shortest side of a PV module.
US08898967B2

Disclosed is a fixture for external frame sections (1) of solar modules on a profiled support (2). Said fixture comprises a clamping piece support (3) which can be moved in a guided manner on the profiled support (2) in the longitudinal direction of the profiled support (2) and can be braced with the profiled support (2) so as to enclose a frame section (1) of the solar module and a clamping piece (4) that is guided within the clamping piece support (3). The clamping piece (4) is designed as a double-angled profiled element which has legs (4.1, 4.2) extending in opposite directions. The upper leg (4.1) embraces the frame section (1) of the solar module while the lower leg (4.2) is disposed in and on the clamping piece support (3) so as to be vertically adjustable in a guided manner in the moving direction (7).
US08898961B1

Snow guards and mounts for attaching to seams of metal roofs have tops, spaced sides and inward and downward extending holes for elliptical tipped set screws. Square recesses opposite inner extremities of the holes form square bends in the seams. One screw and recess deform two layers below a rolled seam. Another screw and recess deform five layers in the rolled seam. Bottom lobes near one support provide a lowered hole and a lowered opposite recess. Snow blades extend upward and outward from the top and sides and downward to near a level of the bottoms of the sides.
US08898936B1

A shoe having a sole and an upper extending from the sole. The upper having an eyelet which carries a strap. The strap extends between a first end and a second end. The second end is attached to the upper and the first end includes a catch. The catch is adapted for manipulation with a dressing stick, such that the dressing stick enables a user to fasten the shoe with the aid of the catch.
US08898919B2

A portable articulated arm coordinate measuring machine includes a distance meter to measure 3D coordinates of at least three targets to establish a position and orientation of the articulated arm within a frame of reference established by the at least three targets.
US08898918B2

The invention relates, in particular, to an instrument for measuring length, comprising an inductive sensor comprising an elongate body and a tip that is movable along a longitudinal axis. The body contains windings and defines a first cavity receiving a magnetic core. The instrument further comprises a casing which extends the body along the longitudinal axis, and which defines, together with the body, a second sealed cavity containing the tip. The capacity of the casing to resiliently deform along the longitudinal axis is greater than the capacity of said casing to resiliently deform along axes that are orthogonal to said longitudinal axis.
US08898914B2

This disclosure relates to a long-range sighting device for an archer's bow. The long-range sighting device including a strip of material having a length, a width, a perimeter and a plurality of holes disposed therein, wherein the strip of material is supportable by a string of a bow.
US08898905B2

A method of manufacturing a filtering screen includes: attaching handle members (3) to edges of at least one wire cloth (1); providing a jig comprising tensioning means (23); placing the at least one wire cloth (1) in the jig and engaging the handle members (3) with handle member engagement portions (15) of the tensioning means (23). The tensioning means (23) are operated to drive the handle members (3) outwardly to tension the wire cloth (1) in orthogonal directions. The method also includes pressing the tensioned wire cloth (1) against a screen frame (6); bonding the wire cloth (1) to the screen frame (6); and trimming the wire cloth.
US08898904B2

A method for coating a steering wheel and a corresponding steering wheel having a steering wheel rim comprising a steering wheel skeleton having a foam layer applied thereto and intended to be encompassed by a cover layer made of leather or plastic are provided. In order to simplify production, the cover layer is positioned on the steering wheel rim as a strip and is fixed to the foam layer on one end. The cover layer strip is then glued onto the foam layer and the lateral edges of the cover layer strip are sewed together in a known manner.
US08898900B2

A turbine engine includes a housing supporting compressor, turbine sections, and an epicyclic gear train including a carrier. Sun gear and intermediate gears are arranged about and intermeshing with the sun gear. The intermediate gears are supported by the carrier. A baffle includes a lubrication passage near at least one of the sun gear and intermediate gears for directing a lubrication on the at least one of the sun gear and intermediate gears.
US08898896B2

The invention relates to a method for making a connection component that comprises a set of conducting inserts to be electrically connected with another component, said inserts being hollow.
US08898893B2

Disclosed herein is a method for applying a fluid to a component during a placement cycle. The method includes providing a component placement machine including a housing having a frame attached thereto, the frame having a pick and place head. The method includes providing a fluid application station contiguous with the housing and adapted to apply fluid to the component, moving the housing to a pick location, picking the component from a supply of components using the pick and place head, moving the housing to a location, applying fluid to the picked component, and placing the picked component with the fluid applied onto the printed circuit board at the location. The fluid application step is accomplished during the moving step or placing step. The method may further include repeating the steps for another component where the fluid application step is accomplished during the repeated picking step of the additional component.
US08898890B2

According to the present invention, an apparatus for manufacturing a multichannel electrode array for cranial nerve stimulation comprises: an electrode support supporting a plurality of electric wires, and having a plurality of platinum rings inserted therein; a frame member including a base, a pair of vertical frames, and a horizontal frame to fix the electrode support; a rotating member into the center of which the electrode support is inserted, and which rotates such that electric wires are twisted, pair by pair, at the electrode support so as to form a grid, when bobbins that are wound with the electric wires slide; an elevating plate rotatably and slidably supporting the rotating member; and a pair of left-side and right-side control units and which rotate the rotating member such that the rotating member slides along a length equal to that the grid.
US08898888B2

A system for the manufacture of an end effector assembly which is configured for use with an electrosurgical instrument configured for performing an electrosurgical procedure is provided. The system includes a photolithography module that is configured to etch one or more pockets on a seal surface of the seal plate. A vacuum module is configured to raise, transfer and lower a spacer from a location remote from the pocket(s) on the seal plate to the pocket on the seal plate(s). An adhesive dispensing module is configured to dispense an adhesive into the pocket on the seal plate. An optical module is configured to monitor a volume of the adhesive dispensed within the pocket and monitor placement of the spacer within the pocket.
US08898885B2

A structure for wireless communication having a plurality of conductor layers, an insulator layer separating each of the conductor layers, and at least one connector connecting two of the conductor layers wherein an electrical resistance is reduced when an electrical signal is induced in the resonator at a predetermined frequency.
US08898880B2

A method for forming a joint using a self-piercing rivet includes the steps of: positioning the sheet material over a die and providing a rivet having a substantially cylindrical shank and a head, the shank having a central blind bore and an annular piercing end spaced from said head. The ratio of the difference between the outside and inside diameters of the shank in the region around the bore to the outside diameter of the shank is in the range 0.47 to 0.52. The method also includes positioning a rivet over the sheet material at a position opposite the die and using a punch to set the rivet and force it into the sheet material such that it pierces the upper surface thereof and such that the shank deforms outwardly to interlock with the material but without penetration to the die side of the material.
US08898867B2

A mounting device with one metallic base plate, from which a plurality of mounting eyelets protrude. The mounting device is obtainable by incising a plurality of arc-shaped eyelet blanks while leaving two connection sections per eyelet blank into the surface of the base plate and production of the mounting eyelets by bending the eyelet blanks out of the base plate around a bending edge in the area of the connection sections. At least part of the eyelet blanks are arranged as groups of eyelet blanks with the latter being nested to each other. Preferably, the groups of eyelet blanks are arranged rotated relative to each other.
US08898862B1

A push-button, locking hinge assembly includes a base element, a push-button element, a cap element, an assembly to lock these three elements about a central axis, and a release assembly allowing the cap element to pivot 360 degrees transversely to the central axis and in relation to the base element. Geometric ends of the hinge assembly allow insertion into any two components to be so releasably pivoted and repositioned, and then locked into a desired position relative one to the other.
US08898855B2

A cleaning appliance includes a substantially spherical surface engaging rolling assembly having a fluid inlet for receiving a fluid flow and a system for drawing the fluid flow through the inlet, and a plurality of support members for supporting the rolling assembly as it is maneuvered over a surface. The center of gravity of the cleaning appliance is located within the rolling assembly.
US08898854B2

An plug storage structure of a cleaning robot is presented. A charging structure includes a charging base and a main body of an electronic device. The charging base includes a charging terminal and a projecting portion. The main body has an external housing, charging plugs and an plug storage device. When the main body reaches the charging base, the projecting portion triggers the plug storage device, so that the charging plugs protrude from the external housing, so as to be connected to the charging terminal. When the main body leaves the charging base, the plug storage device automatically receives the charging plugs inside the external housing, so as to keep the plugs of the cleaning robot received inside the external housing during cleaning, thereby preventing the plugs of the cleaning robot from colliding with and damaging adjacent furniture.
US08898848B1

A disposable skin cleansing finger sleeve cleans and maintains a clean face, removes facial make up, and applies medicine to the face in the treatment of skin conditions. The skin cleansing finger sleeve includes an elongated body formed from water impermeable material wherein the body has an open proximal end and a closed distal end capable of being removably positioned about a user finger. A viscous skin cleansing agent may be pre-applied (impregnate, coated, soaked, etc.) or applied after-the-fact (applied by the user) to the body for treating the user skin. Advantageously, the finger sleeve is capable of cleaning a user face by applying the skin cleansing agent to the user face and removing facial makeup therefrom.
US08898844B1

A robot cleaning system for mopping floors is disclosed. The mopping assembly includes a reservoir with a dispenser for outputting fluid to a cleaning cloth. The rate at which fluid is dispensed is regulated with an air inlet in contact with the cleaning cloth. When the cloth is dry, more fluid is dispensed. When the cloth is damp, less fluid is dispensed. The dispenser in the exemplary embodiment also includes a wick configured to conduct the cleaning fluid directly to the cleaning cloth.
US08898841B2

An encounter and contact mattress or pillow, is made up of at least one cloth-like or blanket-like base body having two functional sides that are configured to be the same, similar, or different, and serve for support, wherein the one side is suitable for facing toward a contact person and the other side is suitable for offering a premature or newborn baby or infant a support surface. The base body is divided up into at least three regions, namely into an edge zone region (8), a transition region (6), and an encounter region (5), and the encounter region (5) is configured in such a manner that a transfer of tactile and/or acoustic stimuli and/or heat from one side to the other side of the encounter and contact mattress (1) is possible.
US08898830B2

A patient support and transport system for a multi-modality medical suite includes a track system with one track in one room aligned with another track in another room. A support carriage coupled to the track system and configured to move between the two rooms. A duplex socket interface module attached to the support carriage and flexible raceway including a first conduit management system coupled to the support carriage and configured to automatically couple with and decouple with the duplex socket interface module. A second conduit management system is coupled to electrical and data ports and include a conduit interface module configured to automatically couple with and decouple with the duplex socket interface module. The patient support and transport system also includes a vertical support member coupled to the support carriage and a support assembly coupled to the vertical support member configured to selectively articulate a patient bed.
US08898813B2

A one-piece garments employing a drop seat panel configured or modified to permit the wearer to have restroom breaks or attend to other individual needs without being required to partially or fully remove the garment is disclosed. The garment has creates a horizontal separation at the back waistband that goes from side seam to side seam; vertical separation of the front of the garment from the back of the garment beginning at the waistband and running down both side seams to the desired length. The garment includes a closures to close the vertical separation of the garment from the waistband down each side seam the length of the opening; and closures to attach the back bottom part of the one piece garment to the top back part of the one piece garment in the region where the separation of the garment runs horizontally between the side seams.
US08904557B2

Extracting data from a source system includes generating an authorization model of the data protection controls applied to the extracted data by the source system. The authorization model is used to map the data protection control applied to the extracted data to generate corresponding data protection controls provided in target system. The extracted data is imported to the target system including implementing the corresponding data protection controls.
US08904552B2

A system and method are provided for protecting data information stored in a storage medium. The system includes a memory unit which is divided into a plurality of storage regions in which data information is stored; a domain unit which includes a plurality of OS domains, which are access subjects, and loads the data information stored in the storage regions that are accessed by the OS domains; and a control unit which controls access of the domain unit to the memory unit.
US08904548B2

There is provided an information terminal apparatus including a detecting unit that detects whether authentication information has been input within a given period of time or not, a determining unit that determines whether the authentication information agrees with given authentication information or not, a processing unit that performs processing in a first mode if the authentication information is not detected by the detecting unit within the given period of time or if the authentication information is detected by the detecting unit within the given period of time but the determining unit determines that it does not agree with the given authentication information, and a log processing unit that memorizes/stores operation history information operated while the processing in the first mode is being performed.
US08904545B2

A method, system, and device for verifying authorized issuance of a statement or expression, including determining if a statement or expression is associated with a statement of trusted issuance; determining if the statement of trusted issuance applies; determining if issuance of the statement of trusted issuance is authorized; and verifying that the issuance of the statement or expression was authorized, if the statement of trusted issuance applies, and the issuance of the statement of trusted issuance is authorized.
US08904539B2

A system and method for limiting access to one or more forms based on a location constraint is described. A form access module retrieves one or more forms on a portable computing device, determines a location of the portable computing device, determines whether the location of the portable computing device is within a region where form access is granted, granting access to the one or more forms responsive to the location of the portable computing device being within the region, receiving strokes from a first user in at least one field on the one or more forms and storing the one or more forms and the strokes received on the one or more forms.
US08904533B2

A data traffic monitor for determining a heavy distinct hitter (HDH) in a data stream, the data stream comprising a plurality of element-value (e,v) pairs, includes a HDH module, the HDH module configured to receive the plurality of (e,v) pairs from the data stream; and a counter block in communication with the HDH module, the counter block comprising a plurality of hash functions, and further comprising a respective pair of distinct counting primitives associated with each hash function of the plurality of hash functions, wherein each of the plurality of (e,v) pairs is added to one of the distinct counting primitives of the respective pair of distinct counting primitives for each of the plurality of hash functions in each of the plurality of counter blocks.
US08904527B2

A centralized security management system (CSMS) is provided to monitor a network to detect and mitigate attacks in or to the network. The CSMS includes a variety of devices located throughout the network to collect and synthesize data collected or obtained from devices operating in the network. The collected data is analyzed using behavioral engines or other software algorithms to develop trends for a normal and abnormal operating condition. The abnormal operating conditions are analyzed further to determine attacks to the devices or the network. Based on the attacks, a mitigation scheme is implemented to remove or reduce the attacks.
US08904524B1

Improved techniques of identifying a malicious communication involve a lightweight evaluator obtaining a domain name directly from a network transmission. The lightweight evaluator performs a query of the domain name on a database of known network transactions. Results of the query include IP addresses to which the domain name has resolved in prior transactions and Time To Live (TTL) values for each of those IP addresses. To such results of the query, the lightweight evaluator applies a set of heuristics which are arranged to determine whether the domain name could plausibly be a FFDN. Based on the result of the application of the heuristics to the domain name, the lightweight evaluator sends to a backend evaluator the domain name and a command to confirm whether the domain name is a FFDN.
US08904523B2

The invention is directed to a security module deployed in a host device, which provides a secondary agent that operates in coordination with the host agent in the host device, but operates independent of the host operating system of the host device to independently access an existing communication network interface in the host device or a separate dedicated network interface, if available. In one aspect, the present invention enables robust theft recovery and asset tracking services. The system comprises a monitoring center; one or more monitored devices; a security module in the monitored devices; and one or more active communications networks. Monitored devices may be stand alone devices, such as computers (e.g., portable or desktop computers), or a device or a subsystem included in a system. A monitored device comprises a security module, a host agent and software to support the host agent that runs in the monitored device's OS.
US08904507B2

According to one aspect, a system for managing user access to a service processor is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a computer-executable management access module for performing functions to authenticate a user. A management computer that is communicatively coupled to the service processor is operative to perform management functions for at least one target computer. User authentication functions include receiving a first set of login data from a user of the management computer and verifying whether the received login data corresponds to an approved user. If the first set of login data corresponds to an approved user, a code is generated and then displayed on the management computer. When recognized by the personal computing device, data from the code is used for providing a second set of login information to the user, for permitting the user to access the service processor via the management computer.
US08904494B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a third-party system that allows parents or authorized guardians to continually grant permissions to several websites and online services and provides a one-time-authentication process of the parent-child relationship. Through this system, the need to re-authenticate the parent-child relationship or for each online company to build their own authentication system and COPPA record keeping mechanisms can be reduced or eliminated. In addition, the embodiments provided herein may afford a service for managing COPPA compliance that is relatively easy for online companies to integrate into their online services and websites.
US08904485B2

A system and method are disclosed which may include receiving an activation request from a first subscriber device at a communication convergence platform; identifying a service provider associated the first subscriber device; composing a service activation request compatible with a communication protocol for the identified service provider; and transmitting the service activation request from the platform to the identified service provider.
US08904482B1

A token apparatus is described, including (a) a controller, the controller being configured to generate an OTP in synchronization with a remote authentication server, (b) a display, the display being constructed and arranged to display the OTP, and (c) an input apparatus, the input apparatus being constructed and arranged to receive a user-input alteration code, the user-input alteration code being used to alter the OTP in a standardized manner. A method of operating a token device which displays an OTP in synchronization with a remote authentication server is described, including (a) receiving an alteration code, (b) entering the alteration code onto the token device, and (c) causing an altered OTP to be entered into an application that seeks to authenticate a user, the altered OTP having been generated from the OTP in a standardized manner based on the alteration code. An authentication system is also described.
US08904481B2

A method is disclosed, which includes receiving a message including an account identifier and a first verification value. The method uses the account identifier to select a dynamic verification value process from at least two dynamic verification value processes. Then, using the selected dynamic verification value process, a second verification value is determined. Next, the method determines if the first verification value and the second verification value match or are within an expected range.
US08904464B1

A computer-implemented method comprising the steps of receiving, by a computer system including at least one computer, a media work; receiving, by the computer system, a tag associated with the media work having a media work identifier; storing, by the computer system, the media work identifier and the associated tag; obtaining, by the computer system from a user electronic device, a query related to the associated tag; correlating, by the computer system, the query with associated information related to an action to be performed; and providing, from the computer system to the user electronic device, the associated information to be used in performing the action.
US08904462B2

A system for communicating resource information may include a resource reservation proxy module to receive a first signal including resource request information. The resource reservation proxy module may be associated with a first environment associated with a requesting application. The resource reservation proxy module may process the received resource request information into a resource request packet, and communicate the resource request packet utilizing an environmentally independent communication protocol. A resource reservation handler module may receive the communicated resource request packet. The resource reservation handler module may be associated with a second environment associated with a resource management application. The resource reservation handler module may process the received resource request packet into a second signal including the resource request information.
US08904461B2

A broadcast signal receiving device includes a profile management module that manages user profile information indicating whether to execute a data broadcasting application received via a channel, an application filtering module that filters data composing a data broadcasting application from data signals of broadcast signals, and an application management module that executes a data broadcasting application composed of the filtered data and according to the user profile information.
US08904456B2

The present invention relates to broadcasting/multicasting of media content over a communication network using shared bandwidth available from peer-to-peer networking. The system of the present invention includes a plurality of broadcast devices, a plurality of receiving devices, a plurality of databases, and a control center. The control center is the central nerve of the network, and provides a number of services, including but not limited to channel control, ad insertion, conditional access, program guide services, and the like. The broadcast device converts media content, which can be television, radio, and other data, received from various content providers, into digital data packets, having a suitable format for transmission over the Internet. Each receiving device will request the relevant packets, decode the received packets, and display or present the media content contained in the packets via an associated device. Packets may be received directly from the broadcast devices or from peers (other receiving devices) on the network.
US08904453B2

Systems and methods for switching between encoded media streams are disclosed. A system may be configured to receive at least two media streams of differing qualities that are associated with an identical media asset. The system can seamlessly switch between a first media stream and a second media stream using an algorithm that can determine which frames of a second stream must be discarded to sync the second stream with the first media stream. The two media streams can then be cross faded to switch from the first media stream to the second media stream.
US08904444B2

A method of acquiring and accumulating data from a server via a network is provided. A request is transmitted for a plurality of items of data and includes at least one ingestion marker associated with the data. The at least one ingestion marker represents a last occurrence of when a change was made to the data. Data is received with a transfer protocol in response to the request. The data has at least one associated ingestion marker different than the at least one associated ingestion marker transmitted with the request. The received data and the at least one associated ingestion marker is stored in memory. The request is transmitted and the data is received and stored electronically by an electronic client device communicating with the server over the network. A system of acquiring and accumulating Electronic Program Guide (EPG) data from a web-server over a network is also disclosed.
US08904442B2

Methods and systems for information querying are described. At least one recent image of a video signal may be accessed. Recent text associated with the at least one recent image may be accessed. A presentation image may be provided from the at least one recent image for presentation on a display. An original portion of the recent text may be identified within the presentation image. A selection of a user portion of the recent text may be received. An information source may be queried with the selection of the user portion of the recent text. The information source may be capable of using the selection to provide a result.
US08904435B2

A system and method for providing an electronic program guide for television or radio programs includes presenting listing of present or future programs on-screen, presenting listings of past programs on-screen and indicating whether the past program is available again at a future time. Also, a system and method for handling information controllable from an electronic program guide for television or radio programs comprises receiving information in a user's system, storing the received information in the user's system, displaying access to the stored information by means of a user interface and enabling the user to select one of a plurality of management options for controlling the operation of the stored information through the user interface.
US08904431B2

In embodiments of current device location advertisement distribution, a mobile network operator receives television content from a content service and can then communicate the television content to a client device via a wireless distribution point. A device location service determines that a current location of the client device is not within a geographic region associated with the client device, and updates the current location of the client device from location data that identifies the current location of the client device. The television content can then be updated for distribution to the client device along with advertisements that correspond to an advertising locale, which includes the current location of the client device.
US08904429B2

The method of providing information about service providers according to the present invention for achieving the technical goals includes setting regional information of the electronic device based on regional information received through a user interface unit or location information obtained by a location information module, transmitting the set regional information to a server, receiving information about a service provider related to the transmitted regional information from the server, and displaying the received information about the service provider.
US08904419B2

A system and method are disclosed that measures audience engagement with a program based on the time a user spends viewing the program. A program's ability to retain viewers is referred to as the “stickiness” of the program. The viewership for a program is determined by the system and then compared to viewership of various other programs in order to assess the audience retention for the analyzed program as compared to the retention of the other programs. The system calculates a “stickiness index” for the program, which is a numerical representation of the analyzed program's stickiness as compared to the average of the other programs. The system may generate a report including the analyzed data and calculated stickiness index for advertisers, agencies, media sellers, or other parties that are interested in assessing viewership of the analyzed program.
US08904403B2

A method for dynamic optimization of thread assignments for application workloads in an simultaneous multi-threading (SMT) computing environment includes monitoring and periodically recording an operational status of different processor cores each supporting a number of threads of the thread pool of the SMT computing environment and also operational characteristics of different workloads of a computing application executing in the SMT computing environment. The method further can include identifying by way of the recorded operational characteristics a particular one of the workloads demonstrating a threshold level of activity. Finally, the method can include matching a recorded operational characteristic of the particular one of the workloads to a recorded status of a processor core best able amongst the different processor cores to host execution in one or more threads of the particular one of the workloads and directing the matched processor core to host execution of the particular one of the workloads.
US08904391B2

A computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer program product for dynamically binding business process activities to human entities at deployment time. Identification information about a staff activity in a business process is received from a process server at an access control system external to the process server. Responsive to initiation of the business process, the staff activity is resolved at the access control system at runtime by assigning the staff activity to a user based on an access policy of the access control system to form a staff activity assignment. The staff activity assignment is communicated from the access control system to the process server. The process allows the development of the business process to be entirely decoupled from staff activity resolution at runtime.
US08904390B2

Input/output (I/O) operation requests from pageable storage mode guests are interpreted without host intervention. In a pageable mode virtual environment, requests issued by pageable storage mode guests are processed by one or more processors of the environment absent intervention from one or more hosts of the environment. Processing of the requests includes manipulating, by at least one processor on behalf of the guests, buffer state information stored in host storage. The manipulating is performed via instructions initiated by the guests and processed by one or more of the processors.
US08904379B2

An illustrative embodiment of a computer-implemented process for a centrally controlled proximity based software installation receives a request to install a software package, sends a list of machines associated with the received request to a rules engine and generates a set of proximity groups using the list of machines. The computer-implemented process uploads the software package of the received request to a selected machine within a proximity group of the set of proximity groups, instructs the selected machine to install the software package and instructs the remaining machines associated with the proximity group of the selected machine to download the software package from the selected machine and to install the software package. Responsive to a determination that no more requests exist, the computer-implemented process reports to a central installer.
US08904371B2

Processing a dataflow program by a program development tool includes detecting a pair of actors defined by dataflow program instructions, wherein the pair of actors include a producer actor and a consumer actor, the producer actor supplying a data structure to the consumer actor via a path that comprises at least one connection and possibly also intervening other actors. An analysis is performed including analyzing one or more operations of the producer actor that involve the data structure and/or analyzing one or more operations of the consumer actor that involve the data structure. A result of the analysis is used as a basis for selecting a minimal amount of information from among a plurality of data handling possibilities concerning the data structure. A transformed program is produced in which the selected minimal amount of information is caused to be passed from the producer actor to the consumer actor.
US08904370B2

An illustrative embodiment provides a computer-implemented method for an alternate type system for optimizing the evaluation and use of meta-template instantiations. The computer-implemented method obtains a source code, instantiates an element of the source code to form an instantiated element and identifies a meta-template within the instantiated element to form an identified meta-template. The computer-implemented method creates an entry for the identified meta-template in a first data structure, wherein the entry comprises a set of mapped entries, creates an associated entry in a second data structure linked to the entry comprising the set of mapped entries, wherein the associated entry represents the set of mapped entries, and uses the associated entry of the second data structure in combination with the entry of the first data structure.
US08904359B2

A method, system, and computer usable program product for on-demand monitoring of memory usage are provided in the illustrative embodiments. An indication of a memory leak in an application is detected where the application is operating in a data processing system and using a memory associated with the data processing system. An instruction to begin monitoring a memory usage of the application is received responsive to the detection. Responsive to receiving the instruction to begin, the memory usage of the application is monitored. An instruction to dump a data related to the monitoring is received and the data is dumped. An instruction to end the monitoring is received and the monitoring is ended. The detecting, the beginning, the dumping, and the ending may occur while the application remains in operation and while the application uses the memory. The memory leak is confirmed using the data.
US08904356B2

In a distributed system that includes a debug server and debug clients coupled for data communications through a data communications network, where the debug server includes a debug administrator, a message router, a back-end debugger, and a debuggee, collaborative software debugging includes receiving application-level messages, including a request from a requesting debug client to notify other debug clients of an expansion of a multi-member variable; routing the application-level messages among the debug clients, the debug administrator, and the back-end debugger, including providing distributed control of the back-end debugger to the debug clients and distributing, to the other debug clients, a notification of the expansion of the multi-member variable; and returning to the debug clients in response to the application-level messages routed to the back-end debugger, client-specific debug results.
US08904350B2

Embodiments of the invention relate to maintaining a repository of subroutines used by a software program under test based on an analysis of subroutine usage logs. One aspect of the invention concerns a system for analyzing a log of subroutine usage by an application under test to identify subroutines used by the application based on actions in the subroutines, and comparing the identified subroutines against a repository of subroutines applicable to the application. The system may further designate a subroutine in the repository as a matching subroutine, modify or delete a subroutine, or add a new subroutine to the repository.
US08904349B2

Controlling how changes made to a version of a reusable component (e.g., for displaying in a graphical user interface) are applied, or not applied, to another version or versions of that component. A variation is defined, the variation comprising a set of overridden property values for the component. The variation is derived from a version of the component, and inherits property values from the version and also from its ancestors, if applicable. To reuse the component, the reuse may be derived from the variation, in which case the reuse inherits the overridden property values through the variation, provided the variation is turned on, and through the version from which the variation was derived if the variation is turned off. A particular variation may be turned on and off within an inheritance chain.
US08904325B2

Aspects of the invention provide for the maintenance of user modified portions of a map between a test bench and a test set generator during an iterative electronic design process. Various implementations of the invention provide for matching sections within a design for an electronic device with corresponding sections in a map between the elements in the design to elements in a graph representation of the design. The matched sections are then compared to determine if any discrepancies exists, such as, for example, if the design has been recently changed. If any discrepancies do exist, then it is determined whether the section of the map can be updated or must be replaced entirely to resolve the discrepancies. Various implementations of the invention provide that the process can be repeated during an iterative design flow such that as the design is modified during the iterative design flow, the map can be updated to reflect the changes.
US08904324B2

A parameterized cell for planar and finFET designs is provided. A parameterized cell (Pcell) describing a planar design is integrated with fin-based design criteria, including fin pitch. For material regions in a planar design that have a corresponding region in a fin design, a quantized value based on the fin pitch is computed. The material can include regions such as active area silicon, contact regions, and local interconnect regions.
US08904311B2

Various methods for implementing a variable content movable control are provided. One example method includes receiving an indication that a movable control is located at a second position along a defined path on a touch screen display. A first position, the second position, and at least a third position may defined along the defined path such that the movable control being located at the first position causes first content to be presented and the movable control being located at the third position causes a transition from a locked mode to an unlocked mode. The example method may further include causing second content to be presented on the touch screen display in response to at least receiving the indication that the movable control is located at the second position. Similar and related example methods, example apparatuses, and example computer program products are also provided.
US08904301B2

The present invention discloses a mobile terminal data refreshing method and a mobile terminal. The above method comprises: updating interface image data of a HOME User Interface (HOME UI) and/or a local top bar, synthesizing interface image of the HOME UI and the local top bar into top bar image data with transparency; and displaying the top bar image data in the top bar window of the desktop of the mobile terminal. According to the technical solution provided in the present invention, the local top bar can be easily integrated into the HOME UI to implement translucent display style, and all functions of the top bar of the HOME UI can not be affected.
US08904300B2

A system including a view creation unit for creating a view for displaying schedule data on at least one of a weekly basis, a monthly basis, and a yearly basis and a view for displaying schedule data on a daily basis; and a display control unit for displaying, on a display unit, a weekly, monthly, or yearly first view created by the view creation unit, displaying, in a position corresponding to a predetermined date in the displayed first view, a daily second view corresponding to the date, and displaying schedule data with respect to the second view in a manner that a display position and displayed time periods are associated with each other.
US08904299B1

A tool for analyzing a sequence of data in an object-oriented environment is disclosed. In an embodiment, the sequence of data may include time-indexed sequence of data (“time series data”). The tool may provide graphical user interfaces that enable a user to analyze the time series data encapsulated in a time series object or time series collection object. The graphical user interfaces may enable a user to create a time series object and manipulate the data in the time series object or time series collection object. The graphical user interfaces may also display the data in the time series object or time series collection object in various types of plots, such as time plots, spectral plots, x-y plots, correlation plots and histograms.
US08904297B2

In an information providing system, a virtual three-dimensional space is established by an information management server. A user of a mobile communication terminal moves in the virtual space, and browses, posts, and searches message information items by manipulating an avatar. The information management server manages the message information items and responds to searches requested from mobile communication terminals. The information management server specifies an area where the number of message information items relevant to a search word specified by a user of a mobile communication terminal is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. The information management server outputs a guide information item for indicating a direction or route toward the specified area from the position of an avatar. Based on the guide information item, the mobile communication terminal displays an image of an arrow pointing a direction or route toward the specified area as a target area.
US08904296B2

A method and apparatus for presenting a participant engagement index in an online interaction conducted by at least one host for at least one participant is disclosed. The method comprises monitoring a plurality of activities of at least one participant of an online meeting; computing an attentiveness level in response to each activity in the plurality of activities; and displaying a meeting engagement level, wherein the meeting engagement level is an average of the computed attentiveness level for the at least one participant since the start of the online interaction.
US08904292B2

A method and system for processing email messages are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the method includes receiving a first signal input indicative of a request that contents of a selected email message be displayed on a display associated with a client computer device, wherein the contents are stored in a memory device associated with a server computer device and include contents of at least one other email message. The method further includes causing displaying of the contents of the selected email message for reviewing by the user. The method additionally includes making a determination of whether the contents of the at least one other email message have been reviewed by the user during the user's review of the contents of the selected email message, and providing an indication regarding whether or to what extent the at least one other email message has been read based upon the determination.
US08904290B2

A method for supporting versions of a menu includes identifying menu items for an application. The menu items are in a first menu and have state data used by functions to perform operations. The method includes generating indices from the menu items, generating a first table that includes the indices and the functions, and generating a second table that includes a portion of the indices. The indices in the first table correspond to the functions, the portion defines a subset of menu items for a second menu, and the portion of the indices corresponds to a portion of the state data. When an operation is to be performed, an index for the subset of menu items is used to determine state data corresponding to the index in the second table, and the index is used to determine a function corresponding to the index in the first table.
US08904289B2

A system for presenting and controlling content on a display device includes a network, a server system coupled to the network and comprising one or more servers, a display device coupled to the network and having a display, and a personal computing device operable to transmit a first message according to a specified format over the network to the server system. The server system stores an association between the personal computing device and the display device. The first message identifies user-selected content and a media player to play the content. The server system is operable, in response to receiving the first message from the personal computing device, to provide to the display device a second message identifying the user-selected content and the media player to play the content. In response to receiving the second message, the display device is operable to obtain a first media player needed to play the content, to load the media player and to present the content on the display.
US08904282B2

An electronic device operates including a method for interpreting user input within an electronic device, the method comprising steps of receiving a first character via a user input (105), concurrently displaying a plurality of modal interpretations associated with the first character (110), selecting one of the plurality of modal interpretations (115), and displaying one of a first character result in response to the selection of the one of the plurality of modal interpretations (120).
US08904273B2

A value formatting system for determining format specifications in reports is provided. The value formatting system comprises a format collection unit for collecting data value attributes and patterns for a data item in a report, and a format merging unit for merging the collected data value attributes and patterns into a format specification for the data item.
US08904260B2

The invention is a memory system having two memory banks which can store and recall with memory error detection and correction on data of two different sizes. For writing separate parity generators form parity bits for respective memory banks. For reading separate parity detector/generators operate on data of separate memory banks.
US08904233B2

A failure caused by a soft-error including MNU, of an electronic apparatus is prevented, while suppressing increase of a mounting area, power consumption, and processing time. The electronic apparatus stores data indicating the state of a flip-flop included in a sequential logic circuit within an arithmetic unit, each time when execution is performed on a check point provided for every predetermined number of instructions. When a symptom of a soft-error is detected, the apparatus sets the state of the flip-flop included in the sequential logic circuit within the arithmetic unit, based on the data stored after execution of the instruction at the immediately preceding check point, and restarts execution from the next instruction, being subsequent to the instruction associated with the immediately preceding check point.
US08904228B2

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may comprise identifying one or more portions of the memory having defects. The method may also include storing one or more addresses in the memory defect list, each of the one or more addresses associated with a portion of the one or more identified portions. The method may further include indicating to components of an information handling system that the one or more identified portions are unusable such that the other components are prevented from allocating and using the one or more identified portions.
US08904219B2

An apparatus and method for reducing power consumption in a portable terminal are provided. The apparatus includes a display unit for displaying at least one indicator that indicates status information measured by a slave processor, a master processor for controlling one of ON and OFF of the display unit and for providing image data to the display unit, and the slave processor for transmitting to the master processor indicator update information for updating the at least one indicator, wherein transmission to the master processor of the indicator update information is discontinued if the status of the display unit is OFF.
US08904218B2

A portable device and a method for controlling the device are disclosed. The portable device includes sensors configured to sense user inputs; a sensor hub configured to activate a main processor and control the sensors including a touch sensor, the touch sensor sensing touch inputs while the portable device is in a standby mode; and the main processor configured to execute an application and control the portable device, wherein, when the portable device is in the standby mode, the touch sensor is in an active state and at least one of the sensors except the touch sensor is in an inactive state, and when the touch sensor detects a first touch input which corresponds to a pre-stored pattern, the sensor hub activates the main processor and switches the portable device from the standby mode to an active mode.
US08904215B2

An embodiment is directed to an electronic device, including a power management device, the power management device generating a plurality of powers according to power management information, and a processor, the processor including a plurality of power blocks supplied with the plurality of powers through a plurality of power lines, and including a power consumption measurement block that measures power consumption of respective power blocks of the plurality of power blocks.
US08904209B2

Power consumption of computing devices are monitored with performance counters and used to generate a power model for each computing device. The power models are used to estimate the power consumption of each computing device based on the performance counters. Each computing device is assigned a power cap, and a software-based power control at each computing device monitors the performance counters, estimates the power consumption using the performance counters and the model, and compares the estimated power consumption with the power cap. Depending on whether the estimated power consumption violates the power cap, the power control may transition the computing device to a lower power state to prevent a violation of the power cap or a higher power state if the computing device is below the power cap.
US08904206B2

A method of maintaining application continuity (900) and mobile computing device (200) are described. The method involves a mobile device running an application in synchronous communication with an application server. The application has a threshold communication null period for maintaining application continuity. The method (900) can include the steps of: operating (910) the application in synchronous communication with an application server, defining an active mode, wherein the synchronous communication is automatically enabled; providing (920) a dormant mode wherein the synchronous communication is automatically disabled in the mobile device for a predetermined duration; and interrupting (930) the dormant mode by momentarily communicating with the application server prior to a threshold communication null period, for maintaining application continuity. Advantageously, prior to a threshold period of communication inactivity, the dormant mode can be interrupted to maintain application connectivity, so the server will not stop the application and data will not be lost.
US08904192B2

A programmable cryptography circuit includes memory-based cells defining the logic function of each cell, integrating a differential network capable of carrying out calculations on pairs of binary variables, including a first network of cells implementing logic functions on the first component of the pairs and a second network of dual cells operating in complementary logic on the second component of the pair. A calculation step includes a precharge phase, in which the variables are put into a known state at the output of the cells, and an evaluation phase in which a calculation is made by the cells. A phase of synchronizing the variables is inserted before the evaluation phase or the precharge phase in each cell capable of receiving several signals conveying input variables, the synchronization being carried out on the most delayed signal.
US08904185B2

A method, system and apparatus for presence sensing security. A presence sensing security method can include the step of securing access to only a portion of a computing device based upon the presence of at least one of an authorized user and an unauthorized user. The securing step can include securing content of selected applications of the computing device based upon the presence of at least one of an authorized user and an unauthorized user. Additionally, the securing step can include securing access to selected files in the computing device based upon the presence of at least one of an authorized user and an unauthorized user.
US08904181B1

A system and method for communicating information between a first party and a second party, comprising the steps of receiving, by an intermediary, an identifier of desired information and accounting information for a transaction involving the information from the first party, transmitting an identifier of the first party to the second party, and negotiating, by the intermediary, a comprehension function for obscuring at least a portion of the information communicated between the first party and the second party. The data transmission may be made secure with respect to the intermediary by providing an asymmetric key or direct key exchange for encryption of the communication between the first and second party. The data transmission may be made secure with respect to the second party by maintaining the information in encrypted format at the second party, with the decryption key held only by the intermediary, and transmitting a secure composite of the decryption key and a new encryption key to the second party for transcoding of the data record, and providing the new decryption key to the first party, so that the information transmitted to the first party can be comprehended by it.
US08904180B2

A key management system includes secured data stored on a first system secured by a control key stored securely on a key server. The secured data is secured against attacks such as unauthorized use, modification or access, where authorization to access the secured data is determined by knowledge of an access private key of an access key pair. When an authorized user is to access the secured data, the first system generates a request to the key server, signed with the access private key, wherein the request is for a decryption control key and the request includes a one-time public key of a key pair generated by the first system for the request. The first system can decrypt the decryption control key from the response, using a one-time private key. The first system can then decrypt the secured data with the decryption control key remaining secured in transport.
US08904176B2

Illustrated is a system and method that includes identifying data stored as an entry in a list. The system and method also includes truncating the entry to create a truncated entry. It further includes transforming the truncated entry into a hash, the hash used to set an index position value within a Bloom filter. The system and method also includes an interface module to transmit the Bloom filter.
US08904172B2

A method for registering a first device with a second device over a wireless network includes receiving a registration request from the first device and sending one or more user input choices to the first device. The user input choices each specify a user input action available though a user interface associated with the second device. A device description describing the second device is sent to the first device in a manner that allows it to be presented to the user by the first device. At least one of the user input actions are sequentially received through the user interface in response to instructions provided to the user by the first device. The first device is registered with the second device if the user input actions received by the second device correctly reflect the instructions provided to the user by the first device.
US08904166B2

Methods and systems for secure client-side communication between multiple domains is provided. Such methods and systems can provide for decreased communication latency particularly effective for dynamic multi-domain and/or multi-tenant environments while allowing for granular security or specific security of messages and operations with regard to users, user sessions, groups, organizations, permissions sets, applications, or any other logical delineation. Such methods and systems may involve a variety of security components, for example, at least one set of instructions including a plurality of defined instruction to be utilized by users of the set of instructions to communicate, and cryptographic construct data in order to verify the data integrity and the authenticity of messages sent and received using the secure client-side communication between multiple domains.
US08904159B2

A method for enabling control in a cloud computing environment includes initializing a portion of computing resources identified for enabling service to a user system in a cloud computing environment. The method may also include enabling service to the user system. Further, the method may include initializing another portion of the computing resources. After the service in the cloud computing environment has been enabled, cloud computing services may be provided by the host system to one or more user systems.
US08904138B2

Embodiments are directed to reshaping a partitioned data array. In an embodiment, a computer system identifies a block length parameter that describes the number of data blocks in the range-partitioned flattened representation of the array that appear consecutively in each locale. The computer system then identifies a stride parameter that describes the amount of separation between data blocks in the range-partitioned flattened representation of the array that appear consecutively in a plurality of locales. Based on the identified block length parameter and the stride parameter, the computer system determines which of the data blocks on the plurality of locales are to be sent to other locales to produce a local version of the reshaped array. The computer system then receives data blocks from the different locales in the distributed system and reconstructs the array based on the received blocks to create a local version of the reshaped array.
US08904135B2

A system implements a method to non-disruptive restoration of storage services provided by a storage volume of the system. Upon detecting a disruption of storage services at the storage volume, the method freezes the input/output (I/O) operations of applications that are accessing the storage volume. The disrupted storage services are restored. And the configurations of the storage volume are maintained during restoration of the disrupted storage services. Afterward, the frozen I/O operations are activated, allowing the applications to continue their accessing of the storage volume.
US08904129B2

Backup and restore operations are made possible in a storage system that has dynamic chunk allocation (DCA) capability. In a DCA storage system, a chunk of physical storage area is not allocated to a segment of a volume until a write command is received targeting the segment of the volume. During a restore operation of the volume in the DCA storage system, the wasting of storage capacity when a backup image of the volume is restored is mitigated by preventing allocation of physical storage areas to segments of restore data that are only void data.
US08904125B1

A computer-implemented method for creating reference-based synthetic backups. The method may include identifying a first set of references that identify data of a first backup. The first backup may represent at least a portion of a data set at a first time. The method may also include identifying a second set of references that identify data of a second backup. The second backup may represent changes made to the data set between the first time and a second time. The method may further include creating a synthetic backup that represents at least a portion of the data set at the second time by aggregating one or more references from the first set of references and one or more references from the second set of references. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08904110B2

This invention permits user controlled cache coherence operations with the flexibility to do these operations on all levels of cache together or each level independently. In the case of an all level operation, the user does not have to monitor and sequence each phase of the operation. This invention also provides a way for users to track completion of these operations. This is critical for multi-core/multi-processor devices. Multiple cores may be accessing the end point and the user/application needs to be able to identify when the operation from one core is complete, before permitting other cores access that data or code.
US08904103B2

A data processing apparatus includes a calculating unit configured to calculate a compression ratio when a block selected from among the plurality of blocks is compressed; a determining unit configured to determine whether a block is to be compressed by comparing the calculated compression ratio with a threshold; a recording unit configured to record the block on the storage device in a compressed or uncompressed state on a basis of a result of the determination; a management information creating unit configured to create a management information in association with data identification information for identifying the data, state information indicating a compressed or uncompressed state is recorded to the management information in association with each block, when the each block is recorded on the storage device; and a storage processing unit configured to store the management information created by the management information creating unit on a memory.
US08904101B2

In one embodiment, multiple content-addressable memory entries are associated with each other to effectively form a batch content-addressable memory entry that spans multiple physical entries of the content-addressable memory device. To match against this content-addressable memory entry, multiple lookup operations are required—i.e., one lookup operation for each combined physical entry. Further, one embodiment provides that a batch content-addressable memory entry can span one, two, three, or more physical content-addressable memory entries, and batch content-addressable memory entries of varying sizes could be programmed into a single content-addressable memory device. Thus, a lookup operation might take two lookup iterations on the physical entries of the content-addressable memory device, with a next lookup operation taking a different number of lookup iterations (e.g., one, three or more).
US08904091B1

A data storage system is disclosed that utilizes high performance media manager transport architecture. In one embodiment, solid-state memory is connected via a bridge interface and media manager transport architecture optimizes the transfer and throughput of data communicated across the bridge. Media transport manager architecture can support reordering and interleaving of storage access commands by using priority and staging mechanisms. Balanced load of solid-state memory, parallel execution of storage access operations, improved concurrency, and increased performance can be attained.
US08904090B2

A flash memory and a method of writing data to a flash memory during garbage collection of the flash memory is provided. First, a garbage collection process on a victim block of flash memory may be initiated. A garbage collection process may comprise a plurality of garbage collection operation. A program command and corresponding program data may be received. After a first garbage collection operation has finished and a portion of flash data from the victim block has been written to a free block, a portion of the program data may be written to that free block. If data remains in the victim block, a second garbage collection operation may be performed.
US08904089B2

A method for performing block management is provided. The method is applied to a controller of a Flash memory having multiple channels. The Flash memory includes a plurality of blocks respectively corresponding to the channels. The method includes: selecting at least one meta block having at least one valid page as at least one candidate meta block for being cleaned, and accumulating respective valid page counts of blocks respectively corresponding to the channels within the at least one candidate meta block, in order to generate a plurality of accumulated values respectively corresponding to the channels; and when it is detected that all of the accumulated values reach a threshold value, triggering a cleaning operation with regard to all candidate meta blocks, in order to simultaneously move/copy valid data respectively corresponding to the channels during the cleaning operation. An associated memory device and a controller thereof are also provided.
US08904084B2

The solid state drive device includes a memory device including a plurality of flash memories and a memory controller connected with a host and configured to control the memory device. The memory controller includes first and second cores, a host interface configured to interface with the host, and a flash memory controller configured to control the plurality of flash memories. The first core is configured to control transmission and reception of data to and from the host. The second core is configured to control transmission and reception of data to and from the memory device.
US08904075B2

A motor vehicle has a FlexRay bus. Values for operating parameters are stipulated for the FlexRay bus. The value for at least one selected operating parameter is obtained from an optimization method in which, on the basis of prescribed messages to be transmitted via the FlexRay, a plurality of values for the at least one selected operating parameter have an allocation—associated with these values—of slots to the prescribed messages provided for them according to a predetermined rule, and a predetermined sequence of the allocation is rated according to a predetermined criterion.
US08904073B2

An apparatus for processing and tracking the progress of coherency transactions in a computing system is disclosed. The apparatus may include a finite-element state machine, a processor, and a scoreboard circuit. The finite-element state machine may be configured to track the progress of a transaction as well as detect errors during the processing of the transaction. The processor may be configured to transmit coherence requests dependent upon the transaction. The scoreboard circuit may be configured to track the requests and associate responses.
US08904044B2

Techniques for selecting a new compression technique or altering the currently instantiated compression technique employed over a data stream in data collection system are provided. At least one change to at least one external contextual condition is detected. One or more modifications to a defined compression technique is generated, either independently or in conjunction with one or more modifications to the event processing operators that operate on the data stream and whose output provides the values that are compressed by the defined compression technique, in response to the at least one change to the at least one external contextual condition. The defined compression technique of the at least one client device is altered in accordance with the one or more modifications to form a modified compression technique through which the unmodified or processed data stream will be compressed before being sent to the server.
US08904036B1

Described are a secure geo-location obscurity network and ingress nodes, transit nodes and egress nodes used in such a network. In particular, a novel device is provided and comprises: a node for a network, the node comprising: a private portion for allowing high bandwidth secure private traffic to be received and transmitted by the node on a private pathway through the node; and a public portion for allowing low bandwidth secure public traffic to be received and transmitted by the node on a plurality of public pathways through the node.
US08904033B2

Media content is downloaded on a media device. Portions of the media content are buffered successively during the download in a buffer on the device. During the buffering, the buffered portions are read for playback. In the buffer, a non-write buffer region trails behind a current playback read position. Upon the buffering reaching an end of the buffer, the buffering of media content is continued between a buffer beginning and the non-write buffer region.
US08904027B2

An adaptive bit rate system for use in transmitting data at adaptable bit rates. The bit rate may be adjusted according to historical behaviors and/or past operational settings, such as but not limited to adjusting a requested bit rate to a different bit rate depending the historical behavior.
US08904009B1

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to the generation and delivery of content including unique and shared components. A content delivery network service provider can obtain requests for content from client computing devices. Based on information provided in the request or otherwise managed by executable code on the client computing device, the CDN service provider obtains one or more pieces of content that may be shared by more than one user or client computing devices. Additionally, the CDN service provider obtains one or more pieces of content that will not be shared by more than one user or more than one client computing device. Responsive to the content request, the CDN service provider can combine the one or more pieces of shared content and the one or more pieces of unique content and deliver the combined content to the requested client computing device.
US08904005B2

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for identifying service dependencies in a cloud deployment. In particular, a deployment module can receive usage data from a host cloud comprising data related to end user operation of a set of services in the host cloud as well as service dependencies among the set of services. In embodiments, the deployment module can determine candidate target clouds in which to deploy the set of services. Further, in embodiments, the deployment module can determine whether the candidate target clouds have a capacity to support the set of services, as well as whether services within the candidate target clouds are compatible based on the service dependencies.
US08903998B2

Provided are an apparatus and method for monitoring web application telecommunication data by user. An information identification apparatus includes a collector collecting web application telecommunication data transmitted and received between a web server and a web client; a storage storing an identification information profile about a method of extracting user identification information by web server; and an extractor selecting user login-related web application telecommunication data among the web application telecommunication data with reference to the identification information profile, extracting a [web server address, login session identification information, and user identification information] list from the selected web application telecommunication data, extracting at least one piece of information of the web server address and the login session identification information from the web application telecommunication data after the user login, and determining whether the extracted information is matched with at least one piece of information in the list.
US08903996B2

A cloud computing information system includes a first collection unit that collects node status information from a cloud computing node, a second collection unit that collects cloud service status information indicative of an attribute of a cloud computing service being executed in the cloud computing node, a third collection unit that collects environmental data sets from a plurality of computing systems where each data set corresponds to attribute values of one of the computing systems, a group building unit that builds a group of computing systems, where the group includes computing systems of the plurality of computing systems with an identical attribute value, a storage unit that stores the node and cloud service status information, environmental data sets, and the identical attribute value, and a selection unit that selects characteristic data from the node and cloud service status information and environmental data sets and sends it to a computing system.
US08903994B2

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, read throttled input/output scheduler applications and methods are provided. A read-throttling input/output scheduler takes write requests for data captured from a network, provides this data to a system that persists the captured data, and takes read requests from external user systems. The rate of read and write requests is determined by maintaining two sliding windows over previous write requests, with the second window being longer then the first. The read-throttling input/output scheduler is configured such that, when write requests activity exceeds a threshold as determined over the first window, the read-throttling input/output scheduler throttles the flow of read requests. A storage medium is provided onto which the read and write requests are forwarded. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
US08903990B2

A method and apparatus enabling performance monitoring in packet-switched IP networks such as those configured according to an IP multimedia subsystem, IMS, architecture. Performance is monitored by reconstructing selected control signaling sequences. The control signaling sequences, which are typically executed according a signaling protocol such as the Session Initiation Protocol, SIP, are reconstructed by parsing the contents of monitoring request headers configured, modified, and attached to control messages according to the present invention. The header includes at least an IMS monitoring ID field (510) for identifying the signaling sequence to be reconstructed, a processing node ID field (520) for representing the entities processing the messages, and a requester ID field (530) for identifying a requesting entity. It may also specify a monitoring level (540) indicative of the monitoring tasks required. The monitoring may be requested by an IMS node, or by an entity outside the IMS.
US08903987B2

A first communication apparatus for use in a network established by a plurality of communication apparatuses to implement a predetermined system function includes a sending unit configured to send, to the network, information on an apparatus function for implementing the predetermined system function to accommodate a communication apparatus having the apparatus function in the network, and an execution unit configured to execute processing for accommodating a second communication apparatus having the apparatus function sent by the sending unit in the network according to a request from the second communication apparatus.
US08903985B2

A method and system for sharing status information across a plurality of communication networks is presented. Such a method and system is adapted to collect and make available network session status information and to collect and make available network user status information.
US08903984B2

A flexible logging system is described herein that operates with a web server to provide activity logging in a way that is customizable to include a variety of data fields, can capture both client and server log information to a single location, and can provide data to an analysis engine directly to provide near real-time reporting. The system captures events within the web server as they occur and can provide reporting before the final response occurs. During request processing in the web server, server extension modules raise log events whenever an event occurs. The system matches the received data to a log definition and writes the data to any log that matches. Thus, the flexible logging system provides a rich, flexible, and fast platform for content providers and administrators to get a real-time view of the state of requests to their web servers.
US08903982B2

A computer system includes a management server which includes an acquisition unit for acquiring the configuration information and performance information of the storage apparatus and the host computer respectively at different timings, and a comparison unit for comparing, when a configuration change of the storage apparatus is commanded externally, a performance value of components in the storage apparatus subject to the configuration change and a performance value of components in a connection relationship with the components. The acquisition unit determines that an unknown component has been added in the storage apparatus when the difference in the performance values compared with the comparison unit exceeds a predetermined threshold, and reacquires configuration information from the storage apparatus.
US08903977B2

Provided is a data supply apparatus including a transmission device that sends data to another data supply apparatus; a reception device that receives data from another data supply apparatus; a data storing device that stores data in a storage device; and a data storage determination device that determines whether or not the received data should be stored in the storage device, based on a predetermined supply probability. In a typical example, the reception device receives the data to which supply probability information which indicates the supply probability has been appended; and the data storage determination device determines whether or not the received data should be stored in the storage device, based on the supply probability indicated by the supply probability information.
US08903975B2

The present invention discloses a method for an interaction between resource and admission control systems and a resource and admission control system, the method includes: a resource and admission control function in a fixed network receiving a request message transmitted by a Policy and Charging Rule Function (PCRF) in a mobile network, and converting the request message or parameters carried in the request message into a form that can be processed or identified by a transport functional entity in the fixed network. The technical scheme of the present invention complies with the development trend of the future network, and is simple and practical.
US08903962B2

A Universal Serial Bus (USB) modem/Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) device is provided that when connected to a host device, presents itself as an Ethernet endpoint to the host device, without requiring additional software/drivers to be downloaded to the host device. Embedded in the USB modem/WWAN device are various modules that provide functionality allowing either automatic connection to the Internet or redirection to a local Web User Interface (UI) that a user may employ to configure the USB modem/WWAN device and/or manually connect to the Internet. Additionally, the USB modem/WWAN device employs predetermined rules to determine whether or not/how the redirection occurs, including in scenarios where wireless connectivity to the Internet is unavailable.
US08903959B2

A method of distributing data through a storage network may include allocating data stored on a host storage block for storage on a target storage block. The host storage block and the target storage block may be included in a storage network that also includes one or more other storage blocks. The method may further include determining a plurality of characteristics of one or more of: the one or more other storage blocks and one or more devices associated with the one or more other storage blocks. Additionally, the method may include determining a distribution strategy for distributing the data from the host storage block to the target storage block based on the plurality of characteristics.
US08903946B1

Methods, systems, and computer storage mediums for reducing navigation redirect latency by using speculative preconnection. A redirect speculation value is retrieved in response to a request for a source Uniform Resource Locator (URL), where the redirect speculation value is based on the source URL. The redirect speculation value includes the source URL, a target URL, and a probability factor. A preconnection to the target URL's hostname is then initiated based on the probability factor. Next, a response from the request to the source URL is received, where the response includes a redirect URL. Finally, the preconnection is used to process the redirect URL when the redirect URL is similar to the target URL.
US08903943B2

Disclosed herein are techniques for integrating cloud applications and remote jobs. In some implementations, a request to initiate a remote execution procedure may be received at a first computing system. The first computing system may be controlled by a first entity and may be configured to provide on-demand computing services to a plurality of entities including a second entity. The remote execution procedure may include an instruction to perform a remote computing task capable of being performed by a second computing system. A request message may be transmitted from the first computing system to the second computing system, which may be controlled by the second entity. The request message may include an instruction to perform the remote computing task. A response message indicating a result of performing the remote computing task may be received from the second computing system.
US08903941B1

A method and apparatus for safe web browsing is disclosed. More specifically, the method and apparatus comprises receiving a webpage associated with a uniform resource locator (URL) access request. The webpage may further comprise a referenced link or script. A determination is made if any of the URL, the referenced link or script within the webpage are deemed unacceptable. The webpage is transcoded to block access to at least one of the URL, the referenced link or script deemed unacceptable. The transcoded webpage is sent to a computer that requested access to the URL.
US08903940B2

A system and method are described for intelligently distributing content to an end user based on both a particular location of the user and a date/time at which the user is at, or scheduled to be at, the particular location. For example, a system is described for intelligently distributing content to a mobile device based on context comprising: a location database to store a plurality of different locations including event facilities and points of interest, the location database associating each of the different locations with a Global Positioning System (GPS) location or range of GPS locations; a context database to store context data for particular locations within the location database, the context data specifying event information for the particular locations including a date, time, and event information for each of the particular locations; a user database to store a set of user preferences; and a content selection module for selecting a set of targeted content to be distributed to a user's mobile device based on the user's location, the date and time of an event at the location, the event information, and the user preferences, the content selection module detecting a current location of the user and causing the selected set of targeted content to be distributed to the user's mobile device when the user arrives at the location of the event at the specified date and time.
US08903934B2

An example portable information processing apparatus is configured to selectively execute one or more application programs and includes a memory storing first data associated with an application program executed by the information processing apparatus. A communication unit is configured for wireless communication and a data transmission/reception control unit is configured to transmit the first data for use by an application program which is executed by another information processing apparatus and with which the first data is associated and/or to receive second data, originating from another information processing apparatus, for use by an application program which is executed by the information processing apparatus and with which the second data is associated. The first data is transmitted and/or the second data is received regardless of an execution state on the information processing apparatus of any application program with which the first and second data are associated.
US08903933B1

The present disclosure facilitates servicing information technology support tickets. In some embodiments, the system includes a server configured to access a database storing two support tickets, each of which can have a ticket identifier and information to facilitate providing information technology support to a computing device. The server can receive an indication of a status from two computing devices, each of which can be associated with one of the support tickets. The server can determine a priority of each ticket based on its status, where the priority of the first ticket is higher than the priority of the second ticket. The server can initiate a chat session associated with the first computing device and the first ticket to provide information technology support to the first computing device, based on the priority of the first ticket and the status of the first computing device.
US08903925B2

Techniques are provided for scheduled and non-scheduled delivery of messages. A message directed to at least one consumer is received at a message entity. The message is determined to include a scheduled delivery time. The received message is stored in a scheduled sub-queue of the message entity. Activation metadata is retrieved and stored for any messages stored in the scheduled sub-queue that include a scheduled delivery time within a predetermined upcoming time period. If when the message is received, the scheduled delivery time of the message is within a current activation window, the activation metadata for the message may be extracted and stored immediately. The stored activation metadata is analyzed to determine a batch of messages in the scheduled sub-queue ready for delivery. The determined batch of messages is stored in an active sub-queue of the message entity, to be ready for delivery at the request of a consumer.
US08903903B2

Methods, systems, and computer readable medium for providing presence data from multiple presence information providers are disclosed. According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for providing presence service using presence information from multiple presence information providers. The method includes, at a network node including at least one processor, receiving, from a message source, a first presence-related message that includes information identifying a user, using the information identifying a user to identify, from multiple presence information providers, a presence information provider that maintains presence information associated with the identified user, and relaying the first presence-related message to the identified presence information provider or sending a second presence-related message associated with the first presence-related message to the identified presence information provider.
US08903902B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide techniques for facilitating collaboration between participants of a process supported by a software application (e.g., a business process supported by a business application). According to one set of embodiments, a request to initiate a collaboration session for a transaction of the process is submitted through a user interface of the process itself within the software application. The collaboration session is then initiated using process and transaction context information retrieved from the software application. In some embodiments, portions of the process and transaction context information are made available to participants in the collaboration session. In further embodiments, the transaction and process context information is used to automatically match the initiator of the collaboration session with one or more appropriate collaboration participants. In this manner, the operational inefficiencies and delays associated with prior collaboration methods may be minimized or avoided.
US08903892B2

What is presented is a medical environment control system includes a plurality of audio/video devices, a server and a client system. Each one of the plurality of audio/video devices receives or sends an audio/video signal. The server is connected to each one of the plurality of audio/video devices and is configured to controllably receive and send audio/video signals to and from the plurality of audio/video devices. The client system is interoperable with the server and with a user of the client system through a user interface. At least one medical device is also connected to communicate with the server. The user can control the plurality of audio/video devices through the client system and the server, and receive the one audio/video signal outputted from any one of the plurality of audio/video devices and the at least one medical device at the client system.
US08903889B2

An event management system that plays a central role in handling varying loads of metadata events from each of a large number of touch-points or data servers that come into a Data Centric computing environment. As a matter of distinction when compared to conventional method-centric computing environments, there is broadly contemplated herein the concept not of physically installing a software agent on a designated system as stationary entity, but of launching it in a distributed computing environment and permitting it to “roam” around the numerous data servers to ensure consistency, accuracy and currency between the data entities managed by multiple data servers and the metadata servers in a data-centric computing environment.
US08903886B2

In an embodiment, a workflow processing apparatus is connected to a network and obtains a file over the network. The workflow processing apparatus includes: a file analyzing unit, a workflow selecting unit, and a workflow processing unit. The file analyzing that extracts information for use in classification of the file from a file name assigned to the file as bibliographic data and stores the bibliographic data as being associated with the file in a temporary storage area. The workflow selecting unit obtains the file and the bibliographic data stored in the temporary storage area, determines an operation to be performed according to the bibliographic data, and selects a workflow for performing the determined operation from preset multiple workflows. The workflow processing unit processes the file according to the selected workflow.
US08903884B2

A system and method for providing services to multiple tenants. A system provides a gateway that acts as an intermediary between the tenants and multiple subsystems that provide resources. A management gateway handles requests to manage resources. A runtime gateway handles requests to perform operations related to the resources. A set of protocol handlers isolates the subsystems from protocols used by the tenants. A pipeline of components provides processing, such as authorization, of requests from tenants. Identification of resources is performed using a mechanism that enables multiple namespaces, which may be designated by tenants.
US08903876B2

A file storage system is implemented by coordinating non-exhaustible and exhaustible storage devices. The exhaustible storage devices include lower grade flash based storage devices. The non-exhaustible storage devices are based on magnetic recording mechanisms or higher grade flash storage. The file storage system stores received content items on the exhaustible storage devices, and stores metadata for the content items and/or the file storage system on the non-exhaustible storage devices. During operation, the file storage system globally optimizes the content items on the exhaustible storage devices such that more heavily accessed items are moved to exhaustible storage devices that have experienced relatively few data operations. The file storage system moves less frequently accessed content items to exhaustible storage devices that have experienced a relatively large number of data operations. As such, the operation lifetime of the exhaustible storage devices as a whole can be prolonged.
US08903867B2

A method for exploring a catalog of digital information contents through a user apparatus is provided with a display screen, in which the catalog of digital information contents is structured according to at least two hierarchical tree structures, each including a respective hierarchy of nodes, each node corresponding to a respective category of digital information contents. The method includes: selecting a first sub-hierarchy of nodes of a first one of the at least two hierarchical tree structures, the first sub-hierarchy of nodes being built beginning from a selected category of the first hierarchical structure by selecting at least one among a first number of categories at immediately higher hierarchical levels in comparison to the selected category and a second number of categories at immediately lower hierarchical levels in comparison to the selected category; selecting a second sub-hierarchy of nodes of a second one of said at least two hierarchical tree structures, the second sub-hierarchy of nodes being built beginning from a destination category of the second hierarchical structure, the destination category being in relationship with the selected category, by selecting at least one among a first number of categories at immediately higher hierarchical levels in comparison to the destination category and a second number of categories at immediately lower hierarchical levels in comparison to the destination category; displaying on the screen icons representative of the categories of the first and of the second sub-hierarchy and respective relationships between the categories; and exploring the categories of the first and of the second sub-hierarchy reacting to commands imparted by the user through said user apparatus.
US08903862B2

A method is provided that includes receiving a first triple including a subject, predicate and object, where the object is of a literal-type. For the first triple, then, the method includes identifying a subtype of the object; semantically marking the object with the identified subtype, including generating second and third triples; and storing the second and third triples in a triple store. In this regard, the second triple includes the subject and predicate of the first RDF triple as the subject and predicate thereof, and the third RDF triple includes the object of the first RDF triple or a representation of the object of the first RDF triple as the object thereof.
US08903858B2

This invention relates in general to search and more specifically to two-stage search, where first an incremental character-based search for the keywords and sub keyphrases that together form the target keyphrase to be searched for is performed in order to construct the target keyphrase and then a search for the target keyphrase so constructed is performed among the documents to be searched. The system in this invention is comprised of a user device system from the which the user performs the search, a search server system which performs the search for keywords and sub keyphrases that together form the target keyphrase using text entered by the user and performs the search for documents using the target keyphrase constructed by the user, and an advertisement server system that performs the search for advertisements corresponding to the target keyphrase.
US08903855B2

The invention relates to a method and system for profiling recipients into recipient categories on the basis of responses to content items provided to users. The profiling is based on rankings that are assigned to the content items, recipient categories, links between the content items and links between the content items and recipient categories. In one embodiment the ranking of a given content item is calculated on the basis of rankings of other content items having a link to the given content item, together with the ranking of the link between the content items, while the ranking of a given respondent in respect of a given recipient category is calculated on the basis of rankings of content items and/or categories that have a link to that recipient category. The links between content items and to the recipient categories indicate a particular response, by the respondent, in respect of content items. The recipients are profiled with respect to the recipient categories on the basis of the rankings assigned to the recipient categories.
US08903828B1

A method for configuring a multi-path index includes receiving and storing, in a database management system configured to store a structured document in its native format, a multi-path index definition associated with a data model corresponding to the structured document. In an embodiment, the multi-path index definition includes a sub-path definition that covers a plurality of descendant elements of a root element of the data model and includes at least one index property. Each of a plurality of descendant elements covered by the sub-path definition is automatically indexed according to the at least one index property. The multi-path index definition is stored in a data structure associated with a multi-path index configured to store indexed data from the structured document.
US08903819B2

Systems and methods for sharing user profile information using tag clouds are provided in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. A first tag cloud may be generated from attributes stored in a first user profile and a second tag cloud may be generated from attributes stored in a second user profile. A user may drag-and-drop attributes between the two tag clouds and, in response, the underlying user profiles may be updated. Tag clouds may thus present a user's media preferences in an attractive and compelling visual arrangement that, in some embodiments, also functions as an intuitive interface for copying preferences between user profiles.
US08903818B2

A server constituted a processor and a server memory, the processor arranged to: provide a selectable plurality of attributes, the plurality of attributes stored on the server memory; provide, for each selected one of the plurality of attributes, a selectable plurality of values, the plurality of values stored on the server memory; and generate an archetype responsive to the selected values of the selected attributes. Preferably, a system exhibiting the server and a user computing station in communication with the server, is provided, the user computing station comprising a user input device, wherein each of the selected one of the plurality of attributes is selected responsive to the user input device, and wherein each of the selected one of the plurality of values for each of the selected one of the plurality of attributes is selected responsive to the user input device.
US08903810B2

A computer-implemented method is provided, which includes presenting to a user (30) a range of levels of personalization of search results, including a personalized level, a global level that is not personalized, and a community level between the personalized level and the global level. An indication (550) of a desired one of the levels, and a search query (52) consisting of one or more query terms, are received from the user (30). Responsively to the search query, a search result listing (54) is generated. At least a portion of the search result listing (54) is ranked at least in part responsively to the indication (550), and at least a portion of the ranked search result (54) listing is presented to the user (30). Other embodiments are also described.
US08903802B2

A streaming database management system may provide support for creating a new continuous query operator for on-the-fly addition of a new query, e.g., a new SQL query and/or new continuous query operator, into a shared continuous query plan. Alternatively, the streaming database management system may associate the new query on-the-fly with an existing continuous query operator, such as a relational operator and expression evaluator, to reuse the existing continuous query operator. In some embodiments, multiple operators are grouped for on-the-fly addition to the shared continuous query plan. Alternatively, the streaming database management system may identify a group of multiple operators in the shared continuous query plan for reuse by the new query.
US08903801B2

Techniques are provided for a fully-automated process for tuning database query language statements that selects database query language statements for tuning, tunes the database query language statements and generates tuning recommendations, tests the tuning recommendations, and determines whether to implement the tuning recommendations based on the test results. The fully-automated tuning process may also automatically implement certain tuning recommendations and monitor the performance of the database query language statements for which tuning recommendations have been implemented.
US08903800B2

Methods, systems and computer readable mediums are provided for indexing network resources. One method includes accessing, using one or more computer systems, a data store of menu items. The method further includes accessing identification information associated with one or more food providers from one or more data sources. One or more network resources are crawled based on the identification information to search for one or more menu items in the data store of menu items associated with corresponding ones of the food providers. Using the one or more computing systems, an index feed is generated, the index feed comprising the identification information of one or more of the food providers, and one or more menu items associated with the identification information of corresponding food providers based on the crawl and search.
US08903786B2

Intelligent delegation of codes for mapping between versions of a classification system includes a computer processor and an application executable by the computer processor to implement a method. The method includes receiving data that is classified with a first code. The first code is defined by a first version of the classification system, and the first code is to be re-classified to a second code that is defined by a second version of the classification system. The method also includes searching a database of profiles for content that matches at least a portion of the data, sending the data to a converter system having one of the profiles that is associated with the content responsive to the searching, and receiving, from the converter system, a mapping of the first code to the second code. The method further includes updating a database of codes with results of the mapping.
US08903777B1

A computer system and methods. The computer system includes a host that hosts applications and includes storage volumes. The host identifies an application and associated first files to be protected. The first files are stored on a first volume. The host performs a file-by-file backup of the first files to a first backup medium. The host identifies a second volume to be protected and performs a volume image backup of the second volume to a second backup medium. The host identifies second files that are associated with the identified application and stored on the second volume and stores metadata in a third backup medium including application-specific references to data objects that correspond to the second files. Third files not associated with the identified application are stored on the first volume and not included in the file-by-file backup. The second files are not included in the file-by-file backup.
US08903769B2

An adaptive data replication and caching system configured for deployment at the network edge. This system can include a data caching system configured to cache application data in a data store and to satisfy queries for application data from the cache. The system also can include a data replication system configured to replicate application data in the data store and to satisfy queries for application data against the replicated application data. Finally, the adaptive data replication and caching system can include a configurator for configuring portions of the data store for exclusive use by the data caching system and the data replication system.
US08903766B2

In a storage system, at least three storage sites are arranged in a full mirroring relationship using a virtual connection between instances of a storage group on two of the sites whereby no user data is transmitted.
US08903763B2

The present invention provides a method, system, and program product for transferring document attributes. Specifically, under the present invention, a change to an attribute corresponding to a document archived in a content storage system is received on an indexing system. In response to the change, an archival date corresponding to storage of the document in the content storage system is set to a current date. Also, a start date and an end date in an index transfer tool is set to the current date. Thereafter, the changed attribute is transferred to the content storage system based on a matching of the newly changed archival date with the set start and end dates.
US08903755B2

The method for implementing meta rules on an executable rule engine includes parsing a business rule as input into a meta rule on a rule engine. The meta rule includes a first expression defining one or more style conditions for business rules. The business rule includes a second expression defining logic for an entity. The method includes determining that a business rule violates a style condition defined by the meta rule. The business rule and the meta rule conform to a common business rule syntax. The method includes generating a notification in response to determining that the business rule violates the style condition of the meta rule.
US08903750B1

Estimating a remaining useful life (RUL) of an apparatus is disclosed. A computer device may obtain a priori RUL data of an apparatus. The a priori RUL data identifies a priori RULs values of the apparatus as a function of time. Buckets are then defined in the a priori RUL data, wherein each of the buckets corresponds to a different set of the a priori RUL values in the a priori RUL data. An operational event indicator may then be obtained for the apparatus that indicates a current operational event of the apparatus. The RUL of an apparatus is estimated by determining probability values throughout a time period. Probability values are then determined based on the operational event indicator where each probability value quantifies a probability that a current RUL value of the first apparatus is within one of the buckets.
US08903746B2

A system and method for artificial neural network processing includes, for example, modifying, by a computer processor, a value of a charge of a node of an artificial neural depending on a number of elapsed steps since a prior predefined significant event. A system and method includes, for example, providing by a processor a real-time representation of an artificial neural network and of graphical effects of a running of the neural network. A system and method includes, for example, automatically modifying the behavior of network nodes based on simultaneous occurrences of events.
US08903744B2

A system and method for creating a document containing secured personal identification information includes a database containing personal identification information; a classifier module for collecting and classifying the personal identification information; a memory module for storing the classified personal identification information; a password generator for associating a password combination with the classified personal identification information; a controller module for receiving and sending the classified personal identification information and the password combination to a processor; an encryptor in operative communication with the processor, for encrypting the classified personal identification information using the password combination; an encoder for converting the encrypted personal identification information into machine readable code; and a data recording system for creating a document containing secured personal identification information.
US08903737B2

The present invention provides a solution to the needs described above through a system and method for a wireless universal mobile product interface (WUMPI). Generally, products/objects have their own interface, or man-machine-interface (MMI). Technically, the wireless universal mobile product interface of the present invention (WUMPI) innovates this space by replacing the product's MMI by implementing reverse software control via wireless transmission channel and or Bluetooth wireless technologies to control the mobile device's screen—replacing the local software component on the mobile device which controls what is shown on the screen in terms of a man-machine-interface (MMI). This enables a product/object within the area of the mobile device to take over control via the wireless transmission channel or other wireless capability of the mobile device and to “extend” the product interface to the mobile device that came within it's control range, or the product/object's personal area network (PAN).
US08903736B2

A system for serving advertisements determines the frequency of occurrence for each parameter of a plurality of parameters associated with a plurality of search queries. The plurality of parameters are associated with one or more advertisements. The system stores at least some parameters to a first storage based on the frequency of occurrence of the parameters. The system stores the other parameters to a second storage that has a higher latency than the first storage. When serving advertisements, the system ranks advertisements for delivery based on the parameters stored in the first storage device and the second storage.
US08903734B2

Offers from multiple entities provide an incentive for consumers to behave in a manner that is beneficial to the offer provider. Each offer is associated with rules that establish conditions that must be met for the offer to be valid. For example, a rule may be established to promote the use a specific form of payment, such as a particular credit card. Thus, the offer would only be valid if the consumer paid for the merchandise using the particular credit card. A merchant may generate its own offers or receive offers from a variety of sources (e.g., a payment processing organization, an issuer, or other external sources).
US08903731B1

A computer based machine system and method for coordinating a meeting between a meeting requester and a meeting prospect are described. The invention includes a meeting requester interface that allows a meeting requester to submit a meeting request. A computer readable identification code associated with a complementary article set, including at least two functionally complementary articles, is stored in a database and cross-referenced with the meeting request. A complementary article of the complementary article set is shipped to the meeting requester and a second complementary article of the complementary article set is shipped to the meeting prospect. If the meeting prospect accepts the meeting, the complementary articles may be united at the meeting and a corresponding donation to charity made.
US08903727B2

A machine, system and method for user-guided teaching and modifications of voice commands and actions to be executed by a conversational learning system. The machine includes a system bus for communicating data and control signals received from the conversational learning system to a computer system, a vehicle data and control bus for connecting devices and sensors in the machine, a bridge module for connecting the vehicle data and control bus to the system bus, machine subsystems coupled to the vehicle data and control bus having a respective user interface for receiving a voice command or input signal from a user, a memory coupled to the system bus for storing action command sequences learned for a new voice command and a processing unit coupled to the system bus for automatically executing the action command sequences learned when the new voice command is spoken.
US08903726B2

A method, system, and computer program product for voice entry of information are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A conversion rule is applied to a voice input. An entry field input is generated, wherein the conversion rule allows the voice input to be distinct from the entry field input, and wherein the voice input obfuscates the entry field input. The entry field input is provided to an application, wherein the entry field is usable to populate a data entry field in the application.
US08903725B2

Method for controlling user access to a service available in a data network and/or to information stored in a user database, in order to protect stored user data from unauthorized access, such that the method comprises the following: input of a user's speech sample to a user data terminal, processing of the user's speech sample in order to obtain a prepared speech sample as well as a current voice profile of the user, comparison of the current voice profile with an initial voice profile stored in an authorization database, and output of an access-control signal to either permit or refuse access, taking into account the result of the comparison step, such that the comparison step includes a quantitative similarity evaluation of the current and the stored voice profiles as well as a threshold-value discrimination of a similarity measure thereby derived, and an access-control signal that initiates permission of access is generated only if a prespecified similarity measure is not exceeded.
US08903724B2

A speech recognition device includes, a speech recognition section that conducts a search, by speech recognition, on audio data stored in a first memory section to extract word-spoken portions where plural words transferred are each spoken and, of the word-spoken portions extracted, rejects the word-spoken portion for the word designated as a rejecting object; an acquisition section that obtains a derived word of a designated search target word, the derived word being generated in accordance with a derived word generation rule stored in a second memory section or read out from the second memory section; a transfer section that transfers the derived word and the search target word to the speech recognition section, the derived word being set to the outputting object or the rejecting object by the acquisition section; and an output section that outputs the word-spoken portion extracted and not rejected in the search.
US08903723B2

Disclosed are techniques and systems to provide a narration of a text. In some aspects, the techniques and systems described herein include generating a timing file that includes elapsed time information for expected portions of text that provides an elapsed time period from a reference time in an audio recording to each portion of text in recognized portions of text.
US08903714B2

A textual message processing system and method are described for use in a mobile environment. A user messaging application processes at least one user textual message during a user messaging session. A semantic annotation module identifies one or more semantically salient terms in the user textual message, and annotates the user textual message with annotation terms having a low semantic distance to the semantically salient terms. A user message history stores the annotated textual messages. The semantic annotation module may further annotate the user textual message with situational meta-data characterizing the user textual message. There may be a message search module for using one or more keywords to search the user message history including the annotation terms, and identifying as a search match any annotated textual messages within a semantic distance threshold of the one or more keywords.
US08903712B1

A system and method for providing an easy-to-use interface for verifying semantic tags in a steering application in order to generate a natural language grammar. The method includes obtaining user responses to open-ended steering questions, automatically grouping the user responses into groups based on their semantic meaning, and automatically assigning preliminary semantic tags to each of the groups. The user interface enables the user to validate the content of the groups to ensure that all responses within a group have the same semantic meaning and to add or edit semantic tags associated with the groups. The system and method may be applied to interactive voice response (IVR) systems, as well as customer service systems that can communicate with a user via a text or written interface.
US08903710B2

Verifying text translation in a program including obtaining a first program integrated information (PII) file and a second PII file of text in the program. An original page is generated by using the first PII file. Document object model (DOM) tree information of the original page is obtained. For each text unit in the original page: identification information corresponding to a first text unit in the first PII file is extracted; a second text unit is identified in the second PII file using the extracted identification information and a relationship between the identification information and the second text unit; and the first text unit is replaced in the DOM tree with the second text unit. A new page is generated using the text units from the second PII file.
US08903708B2

A system and method are described for analyzing a menu. In one embodiment, a mobile device can obtain a digital version of a restaurant menu. A list of food criteria can be stored on the mobile device and tailored to a particular user of the mobile device. The restaurant menu can then be filtered using the stored list of food criteria to display a reduced version of the restaurant menu with items that conflict with the food criteria removed. In another embodiment, the digital version of the menu can be translated. For example, a destination language can be based on a language setting in the mobile device. A source language can either be entered by the user, determined automatically by comparing words in the menu itself against dictionaries in different languages, or by using geographic location of the restaurant.
US08903706B2

The invention is system for emulating a target application comprises a computer, and a capsular including a microcontroller, a programmable non-volatile memory, a numeric display, a transceiver for transmitting and receiving data, a real time clock and at least one input device interacting with a program run on the microcontroller. The capsular is couplable to the computer and adapted to fit in a housing. The input device is operable both when the capsular is inside the housing and when the capsular is outside the housing.
US08903700B2

An abstract trace may be defined based on a coverage goal. An execution of a System Under Test (SUT) is guided in accordance with the coverage goal. Non-deterministic decision, which correlates to receiving a stimulus to the SUT, is decided based on a probability function. After one or more executions, the probability function is modified based on a measurement of similarity between the abstract trace and each of the one or more executions. The modification of the probability function may be performed using on Cross-Entropy method. The modification is performed in order to cause determination of non-deterministic decisions in executions to better correlate with the abstract trace. In some exemplary embodiments, a determination whether the abstract trace is reachable is determined based on a rate of convergence of the executions to the abstract trace.
US08903696B2

A method and system for controlling granularity of transaction recording and visualizing system performance and behavior in a discrete functional verification software simulation environment is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a simulation of a model is run in a discrete event simulation system for a period of time. During the simulation, statistical values of attribute for a plurality of transactions occurring during the period of time are monitored. Based on a granularity setting, a group of consecutive transactions is grouped into a super transaction, and the statistical values representing the super transaction are recorded to represent the group of transactions. The super transactions are visualized in a visualization tool for analyzing the performance of the model.
US08903693B2

Boundary handling is performed in particle-based simulation. Slab cut ball processing defines the boundary volumes for interaction with particles in particle-based simulation. The slab cut balls are used for collision detection of a solid object with particles. The solid object may be divided into a plurality of independent slab cut balls for efficient collision detection without a bounding volume hierarchy. The division of the solid object may be handled in repeating binary division operations. Processing speed may be further increased by determining the orientation of each slab cut ball based on the enclosed parts of the boundary rather than testing multiple possible orientations.
US08903692B2

A method for the detection of failure in a turbomachine by monitoring the performance of the turbomachine is provided. The method includes measuring at least one performance parameter of the turbomachine in order to obtain an actual signature for the performance of the turbomachine; comparing the actual signature of the turbomachine with a database of failures associating reference signatures for the performance of the turbomachine with identifiers of failure, the database of failures being obtained by the simulation of failures on the basis of a theoretical model of the thermodynamic cycle of the turbomachine; and determining the identifier of failure of the turbomachine for the actual signature.
US08903689B2

This invention concerns autonomous loading, that is autonomously dumping material one load at a time into a receptacle until it is full. In particular the invention involves a control method and system for the dumping equipment that performs one or more operational cycles, each of which involves: Positioning a dumping point of the loading equipment at a predetermined location above a receptacle to be loaded. And, dumping a quantity of material having less than or equal to a known volume into the receptacle from the dumping point. Wherein, the control method comprises the steps of: Simulating the effect of dumping the volume, using the material's repose angle, from various locations above the receptacle. Comparing the result of dumping at each location with a template representing an ideally filled receptacle. And, selecting the location of the dumping point according to the results of the comparison. The invention can be applied to any type of mining machine, including rotating equipment such as rope shovels, and other types of machines such as a draglines, excavators or conveyers.
US08903688B1

Methods, mediums, and systems are presented herein for evaluating points of observation in a model by validating conditions in the model. A condition is a location in a model which may be either satisfied or unsatisfied by underlying data associated with the condition. Conditions may be placed in an enforced satisfied status or enforced unsatisfied status in order to instruct a verification tool to assume that the condition is satisfied regardless of whether the condition would actually be satisfied by underlying data. A first condition in an enforced satisfied status or an enforced unsatisfied status may be used to determine whether a second condition is satisfied, or whether a second condition satisfiable.
US08903685B2

The variable step-size least mean square method for estimation in adaptive networks uses a variable step-size to provide estimation for each node in the adaptive network, where the step-size at each node is determined by the error calculated for each node, as opposed to conventional least mean square algorithms used in adaptive filters and the like, where the choice of step-size reflects a tradeoff between misadjustment and the speed of adaptation.
US08903684B2

Provided is a method and apparatus for determining the number of feed elements in a multi-beam antenna. Provided is a method and apparatus capable of determining the number of feed elements to be installed in an antenna and thereby estimating a size of the antenna in order to efficiently configure an antenna for forming multiple beams. In particular, when configuring the antenna for providing the multiple beams, the number of feed elements to be installed in the antenna may be quickly computed.
US08903680B2

An apparatus for evaluating layers, including interlayer gaps, in a multi-layer structure; the multi-layer structure presenting a plurality of edges generally aligned athwart an axis; the apparatus includes: (a) a sensing unit configured for sensing at least one parameter; (b) a positioning unit coupled with the sensing unit; the positioning unit being configured to effect moving the sensing unit generally along the axis; and (c) a control unit coupled with at least one of the positioning unit and the sensing unit. The control unit provides an electrical signal to the sensing unit. The control unit monitors changes in the at least one parameter as the sensing unit moves past the plurality of edges. The control unit employs the changes in the at least one parameter to effect the evaluating.
US08903675B2

A waveform generator and a signal analyzer are respectively provided in electrical communication with an input transducer and an output transducer capable of conversion between electrical and acoustic signals, and in mechanical communication with a part. A processor coupled with the waveform generator and signal analyzer receives a set of parameters defining a frequency scan from which it determines a number of frequency sweeps to be performed by the waveform generator. Each of the frequency sweeps has a number of frequencies less than a maximum capacity of the waveform generator, and for each frequency sweep, the processor instructs the waveform generator to excite the input transducer and synchronously receiving a response signal with the signal analyzer at multiple frequencies.
US08903672B2

Calibration equipment for calibrating multiple test stations in a test system is provided. Each test station may include a test unit, a test fixture, and a radio-frequency (RF) cable that connects the test unit to the test fixture. A control test setup may be used to calibrate uplink and downlink characteristics associated with each test station (e.g., to determine path loss associated with the RF cable and test fixture and variations associated with the test unit). The control test setup may calibrate each test station at desired frequencies to generate a test station error (offset) table. The test unit of each test station may be individually configured based on the test station error table so that offset is minimized among the different stations and so that the test stations may reliably measure hundreds or thousands of wireless electronic devices during product testing.
US08903667B2

There is provided a state-of-charge estimation method, a state-of-charge estimation device, and a secondary-battery power system that may quickly and stably determine the convergence value of an adjustment parameter of a voltage characteristic formula that may approximate change over time of an open-circuit voltage of a secondary battery with high precision by appropriately setting the initial value of the adjustment parameter. At step S14, a selected voltage measurement values V1, VMbi ((i=1 to (n−1)), and VMm are used to calculate an initial value A0i (i=1 to n) of an adjustment parameter Ai (i=1 to n). In addition, at step S15, an integer string bi (i=1 to (n−1)) and a real number C are used to calculate an initial value B01 (i=1 to n) of an adjustment parameter Bi (i=1 to n).
US08903653B2

As system for locating a network node may be implemented as a static network device for determining location of a mobile node. The system includes a transceiver for receiving a device identifier over a public network from the mobile node, the device identifier based on a user-configurable parameter and a non-user-configurable parameter of the mobile node, and a processor coupled to the transceiver and to memory containing executable code. When executed, the code effects method steps for: accessing, in response to the transceiver receiving the device identifier, a database of authorized device identifiers corresponding to known mobile nodes, establishing, in response to the device identifier matching one of the authorized device identifiers, a secure private network with the mobile node, and communicating with two additional static network devices, the three static network devices implementing triangulation to determine a location of the mobile node.
US08903649B2

A method for navigation of a vehicle using a navigation system with stored map data having road segments comprising determining a current road segment and a current position of the vehicle in the current road segment and receiving a user input command. The method determines a destination in the current road segment or in another road segment of a parallel lane of the current road segment, the determining being initiated by the input. A route from the current position to the destination is calculated in the absence of a turn-around maneuver within the current road segment.
US08903648B2

The field sampling method provides a mobile device, a central memory and a data transfer interface. The mobile device has a main storage, which contains GPS receiver, a mapping program, an external TSP algorithm program and at least one database. The mapping program displays a plurality of sampling point on the user interface of the mobile device. The user has the ability to select a set of sampling points on the user interface. The sampling points are written to a first database. The selected sampling points are processed by the external TSP algorithm program to determine an optimal route. The external TSP algorithm program sends the optimal route to the mapping program. The mapping program displays the optimal route on the screen of the mobile device such that the user can visit points and collect sampling data.
US08903646B2

A method for automatically determining emission locations of selected emitted substances originating from a selected immission location. In this context, on the basis of input values which relate directly or indirectly to the emitted substances and by using defined rules of a propagation model suitable for determining propagation of the emitted substances, the emitted substances are traced back spatially, with accompanying indication of distribution values. Furthermore, a determining system carries out the determining method, and a traffic control system carries out a traffic control method.
US08903645B2

An information processing apparatus includes a three-dimensional map data storage unit for storing three-dimensional map data for use in projecting a three-dimensional space on a map onto a plane, a location information storage unit for storing location information including a type of geographical objects at points spaced at predetermined intervals on the map, a present position storage unit for storing a present position on the map, an operation input receiving unit for receiving an operation input, a collision determination unit for determining the possibility of occurrence of collision in a course from the present position to an end point, a correction unit for correcting the end point based on the determined possibility of occurrence of collision and shifting the present position to the corrected end point, and a drawing unit for drawing a three-dimensional image, the three-dimensional image produced by projecting onto the plane the three-dimensional space on the map.
US08903644B2

A method for mapping an environment proximal to a vehicle includes obtaining a current location of the vehicle according to a map of the environment, detecting at least one characteristic of the environment at the current location, and storing the at least one characteristic in a characteristic digest. The characteristic digest respectively associates one or more locations in the environment to one or more sets of previously detected characteristics in the environment. The method also includes associating the at least one characteristic with the current location in the characteristic digest.
US08903643B2

Marking apparatus and methods to mark ground, pavement or other surfaces to provide a visual indication of a presence or an absence of an underground utility in a dig area. An example marking tool has a hand-held housing, a marking dispenser coupled to the housing to dispense one or more markers in the dig area, and a triggering system to trigger the marking dispenser so as to dispense the marker(s). An example marking tool also may include a logging system to receive data associated with a marking event initiated by the triggering system, time tag the data, and store the time-tagged data in data storage in the marking tool.
US08903639B2

A motor vehicle is provided having a collision warning system that can map an upcoming road section for the motor vehicle. The system can evaluate potential paths for the road section based on vehicle travel history information through it. The system can receive the information from a transmitter proximate the road section, such as a roadside transmitter or one or more nearby vehicles having traversed the road section. The road section can include an intersection and the system can determine a lane configuration for at least a portion of it based on vehicle travel history information. The system can calculate a threat of collision for the motor vehicle with a target vehicle based on map data obtained from estimated paths or lane configurations for the road section. Methods pertaining to mapping a road section and operation of the system are also provided.
US08903638B2

A warning method and system for detecting lane-changing condition of rear-approaching vehicles are disclosed, in which the method comprises the steps of: detecting rear-view images of an ego-vehicle so as to be used for defining three regions of interest (ROI) corresponding respectively to a lane to the left of the ego-vehicle, a lane to the right of the ego-vehicle, and a lane where the ego-vehicle is travelling thereon; detecting whether there is any direction light that is flashing to be used as basis for determining whether there is any vehicle approaching from the rear that is expected to be a potential threat to the ego-vehicle; and if so, issuing an alarm signal to the driver of the ego-vehicle for reminding the same to aware the distance between the ego-vehicle and the rear-approaching vehicle. Thereby, the driver's road environment awareness is enhanced and consequently the safety of driving can be improved.
US08903637B2

A system for calculating an instantaneous fuel economy for a vehicle is disclosed herein. The system includes, but is not limited to, a speed sensor that is configured to determine a current speed of the vehicle, an acceleration sensor that is configured to determine a current acceleration of the vehicle, a fuel sensor that is configured to determine a current fuel consumption rate of an internal combustion engine of the vehicle, a display unit, and a processor. The processor is communicatively coupled with the speed sensor, the acceleration sensor, and the fuel sensor, and is operatively coupled with the display unit. The processor is configured to determine the instantaneous fuel economy of the vehicle based on information obtained from the speed sensor, the acceleration sensor, and the fuel sensor. The processor is further configured to instruct the display unit to display the instantaneous fuel economy.
US08903633B2

A control system for an internal combustion engine, wherein in the control system, an in-cylinder oxygen amount is calculated and a compression end temperature, which is a temperature of the pressurized air-fuel mixture, is calculated according to an intake air temperature. A fuel injection parameter is determined according to the compression end temperature, the in-cylinder oxygen amount, and an engine rotational speed. The fuel injector is controlled based on the determined fuel injection parameter. By determining the fuel injection parameter according to the compression end temperature in addition to the in-cylinder oxygen amount, the combustion state is adjusted when the compression end temperature is low, thereby maintaining a stable combustion state.
US08903607B2

A lane tracking system for a vehicle includes a front steering controller, a rear steering controller, and a lane tracking processor. The front steering controller is configured to rotate a front wheel of the vehicle through a front steering angle in response to a front steering torque command, and the rear steering controller is configured to rotate a rear wheel of the vehicle through a rear steering angle in response to a rear steering torque command. The lane tracking processor is configured to determine a desired course of the vehicle along a roadway, estimate a trajectory of the vehicle based on sensed vehicle motion, compute an error between the determined desired course and the estimated trajectory, and provide a front steering torque command to the front steering controller, and a rear steering torque command to the rear steering controller to minimize the computed error.
US08903596B2

A system, method, and computer-readable medium to facilitate treatment of a damaged vehicle by gathering crash information, estimating an extent of vehicle damage, and requesting transport of the damaged vehicle from the crash site to a treatment facility.
US08903593B1

A method in one example embodiment includes receiving a set of data in real time from a plurality of machine devices associated with at least one vehicle, providing a set of reference data corresponding to a machine device of the plurality of machine devices, comparing the set of data with the set of reference data, and detecting a deviation within the set of data from the set of reference data. The method further includes initiating an operation associated with the deviation. The set of reference data could be a trend of previous data received from the machine device or a common trend based on a previous set of data of the machine device. More specific embodiments include receiving a plurality of data containing the set of data from the plurality of machine devices and identifying a state of the machine device using the set of data.
US08903591B1

A vehicle can be controlled in a first autonomous mode of operation by at least navigating the vehicle based on map data. Sensor data can be obtained using one or more sensors of the vehicle. The sensor data can be indicative of an environment of the vehicle. An inadequacy in the map data can be detected by at least comparing the map data to the sensor data. In response to detecting the inadequacy in the map data, the vehicle can be controlled in a second autonomous mode of operation and a user can be prompted to switch to a manual mode of operation. The vehicle can be controlled in the second autonomous mode of operation by at least obtaining additional sensor data using the one or more sensors of the vehicle and navigating the vehicle based on the additional sensor data.
US08903590B2

The present description relates to a robot cleaner and to a method for controlling the same, which involve generating a map of an area to be cleaned in accordance with a travel mode command, and performing a cleaning operation by avoiding obstacles on the basis of the generated map upon receipt of a cleaning mode command. For this purpose, the robot cleaner of the present invention comprises: a travel unit which travels around the area to be cleaned upon receipt of the travel mode command; a detection unit which detects an object located in the area to be cleaned during travel performed in accordance with the travel mode command; and a control unit which generates a map of an area to be cleaned on the basis of the information on the location of an obstacle, if the detected object is the obstacle, and controls a cleaning operation on the basis of the generated map upon receipt of a cleaning mode command.
US08903577B2

Fixed frequency, fixed duration pulse streams are used to control power switches for one or more electrical motors of electrically powered vehicles or hybrid vehicles having one or more electric motors. The advantages of a pulse system are increased power efficiency and system simplicity over analog systems. The capability of system calibration with a single pulse allows the system to be used under any conditions, and real time adaptation to changes in conditions. Such system and methods provide much improved acceleration over other electrical systems, by making the best use of the coefficient of starting or static friction. The systems and methods provide a non slip traction control system, and the use of an off state in the pulse stream is superior to the use of braking systems for the same purpose, which waste power and cause mechanical wear. In addition, related computer program products are described.
US08903576B2

A metrology device, computer program product and computer-implemented method generating survey data without having the device touch subsea objects being surveyed. The metrology device may be used with an underwater vehicle or diving personnel, and may comprise an inertial navigation system having gyroscopes to detect angular velocity and accelerometers for the detection of linear velocity and transported by an underwater robotic apparatus or diver, the inertial navigation system outputting position and orientation data of the device for storage; an aiding device for collecting image data of the subsea objects, the aiding device being positioned so that the distance and orientation between the optical scanner and the inertial navigation system is known; and a computer for using the position information and image data between a successively visited known point to determine the drift of the metrology device and to use the drift of the metrology device to correct measurements of same.
US08903563B2

A control device which controls the power of a plurality of apparatuses in a home network, and a method thereof are provided. The control device includes an input unit which receives a power off command, and a control unit which concurrently turns off apparatuses which are currently turned on among the plurality of apparatuses in response to the power off command received by the input unit. Therefore, it is possible for a user to concurrently turn off currently running apparatuses so user convenience can increase.
US08903560B2

Methods and systems are provided for optimizing the control of energy supply and demand. An energy control unit includes one or more algorithms for scheduling the control of energy consumption devices on the basis of variables relating to forecast energy supply and demand. Devices for which energy consumption can be scheduled or deferred are activated during periods of cheapest energy usage. Battery storage and alternative energy sources (e.g., photovoltaic cells) are activated to sell energy to the power grid during periods that are determined to correspond to favorable cost conditions.
US08903559B2

A commissioning method and system. The method includes receiving details of a configuring process enabled by a power grid monitoring/control device associated with a power grid network topology comprising monitoring points associated and a power distribution grid. The power grid network topology is validated with respect to a configuration of measurement types, event types, and controls of the power distribution grid. Network point identifiers for each of the monitoring points are retrieved and a mapping report associating the power grid monitoring/control device with the power grid network topology using the network point identifiers is generated. The power grid monitoring/control device is registered for remote operation functionality and multiple grid events. The power grid monitoring/control device is commissioned into the power distribution grid.
US08903557B2

Managing waste water discharge of a computing system, the computing system including one or more evaporative coolers, including: determining, by a waste water management module, a waste water discharge limit, wherein the waste water discharge limit specifies the amount of waste water that can be discharged within a period of time; determining, by the waste water management module, the amount of waste water that has been discharged during a current measurement period; and updating, by the waste water management module, operating parameters for the computing system in dependence upon the amount of waste water that has been discharged during the current measurement period and the waste water discharge limit.
US08903551B2

Data center environmental sensing is provided by a measurement system that detects environmental events from inputs received from a plurality of movable sensors. The sensors are moved in response to detection of an event to a region of the data center associated with the event, providing increased spatial resolution of the measurement in the region of the event. Events such as leakage between hot and cold aisles of a data center can be detected by the system, which may use one or more movable devices that can be moved around, between and over equipment, to carry multiple sensors toward the source of the event, providing both diagnostic and detailed environmental information.
US08903547B2

A working device and a working method wherein an articulated robot controls vertical movement of a balancer arm by commanding vertical movement for a balancer, and moves the balancer arm horizontally by applying an external force to the balancer arm in the horizontal direction by means of a robot arm.
US08903545B2

An agricultural seeding implement has a seed hopper that is weighed continuously during field operations as the seed volume in the hopper progressively diminishes. The weight information is used to perform ongoing control functions on the implement. One embodiment uses the weight information to reduce the down pressure on compaction wheels of a wing section of the machine as a function of the diminishing weight of the hopper on the main section.
US08903542B2

A method of processing mailpieces for sorting mailpieces into sequence in a sorting machine depending on delivery points of delivery rounds, in which method the mailpieces are grouped together into batches associated with delivery rounds and are sorted as a function of various sorting plans each associated with a respective batch of mailpieces and defining a list of delivery points of delivery rounds, which method includes the following steps, assessing the batches of mailpieces before the machine sorting to detect those that will under-use the sorting capacities; aggregating the batches of mailpieces detected as under-using the capacity so as to constitute aggregated batches of mailpieces; computing an associated sorting plan resulting from the aggregating; feeding each aggregated batch of mailpieces into the postal sorting machine and controlling the sorting of the mailpieces as a function of the sorting plan computed for said aggregated batch of mailpieces.
US08903529B2

A simulation apparatus includes a storing unit that stores therein information about a shape of a blank piece to be cut out from raw wood, information about a final shape of a wooden piece obtained by compressing the blank piece, and image data of a surface of the blank piece. The apparatus also includes detecting unit that detects a knot appearing on the surface of the blank piece by image recognition using the image data; a shape estimating unit that estimates a shape of the detected knot using shape information on the blank piece; and a determining unit that determines, in accordance with the shape of the estimated knot, a cutting location and a cutting shape of the blank piece in such a manner that the cutting location and shape include a part and a thickness of the knot is substantially the same as that of the compressed blank piece.
US08903528B2

An embodiment of the present invention is a method of remotely managing a vessel forming production line, the method comprising communicating from a remote data processing resource a plurality of consumer or event data to a controller, the controller controls a plurality of vessel forming stations having a plurality of shape forming operations and a plurality of non-shape forming operations, configuring each of the plurality of shape forming operations and the plurality of non-shape forming operations based in part on the plurality of consumer or event data to manufacture the shaped vessel, and manufacturing the shaped vessel. Other embodiments include completing a sales transaction resulting in generation of the plurality of consumer or event data, generating the plurality of consumer or event data based in part on the current status of an event, and decorating the shaped vessel based in part on the plurality of consumer or event data.
US08903523B2

An audio processing device includes an audio input selecting unit configured to select a predetermined audio input from among a plurality of audio inputs; a signal processing unit configured to give a predetermined sound field characteristic to audio signals of the audio input selected by the audio input selecting unit; a signal output unit configured to output the audio signals obtained in the signal processing unit; a genre information receiving unit configured to receive genre information transmitted from any of audio signal output devices; and a sound field control unit configured to control the signal processing unit to give a sound field characteristic corresponding to the genre information if the genre information received by the genre information receiving unit is determined to be the genre information corresponding to the audio input selected by the audio input selecting unit.
US08903519B2

An electronic device including a processor, a sensor in communication with the processor and a protective mechanism. The protective mechanism is in communication with the processor and is configured to selectively alter a center of mass of the electronic device. Additionally, the electronic device also includes an enclosure configured to at least partially enclose the processor and the sensor.
US08903516B2

An alignment system for permanently marking a workpiece with a marking device includes a camera, a display operatively connected to the camera and configured to generate an image as a function of camera input, a template having a marking area designation located in relation to the display such that the image is displayed against the marking area designation, and an adjustment table configured to allow controllable repositioning of the workpiece relative to the marking device.
US08903514B2

A medical implantable lead comprises a conduction controlling means, which at least during an initial stage after implantation is capable of rendering a first contact surface electrically inactive and which is capable of rendering the first contact surface electrically active after the initial stage. By means of the inventive lead it is possible to detect whether the helix is sufficiently screwed into the tissue or not.
US08903511B2

A lead assembly including a porous polyethylene cover. In an example, the cover includes sections that have differing pore sizes. In an example, a section of the cover near a distal end portion of a lead assembly includes pores that are large enough to allow tissue ingrowth. In another example, a lead assembly includes two or more polyethylene covers having different porosities.
US08903500B2

This document discusses, among other things, a modular antitachyarrhythmia therapy system. In an example, a modular antitachyarrhythmia system includes at least two separate modules that coordinate delivery an antitachyarrhythmia therapy, such as a defibrillation therapy. In another example, a modular antitachyarrhythmia therapy system includes a sensing module, an analysis module, and a therapy module.
US08903478B2

Systems and methods to assist in locating the focus of an atrial fibrillation include the association of atrial fibrillation cycle length values and statistics relating thereto with temporal locations on an electrogram of a given electrode, and/or the coordination of electrode locations with respective the spectral analyses of electrogram signals and further parameters and statistics relating thereto. Ablation therapy can proceed under guidance of such information.
US08903474B2

Systems and techniques for the analysis of gases for medical purposes are described. In one aspect, a system includes a sample collector to collect a physical sample associated with an individual and present a gas sample for analysis, a gas analysis device to analyze the gas sample presented by the sample collector to determine a concentration of one or more non-aqueous gases in the gas sample, a data storage device that includes information reflecting a correlation between concentration of the one or more non-aqueous gases in the gas sample and a disease state, and a data analysis device to determine a medical condition of the individual based on the concentration of one or more non-aqueous gases in the gas sample and the information.
US08903469B2

A velocity-image creating unit creates a velocity image that indicates a distribution of velocity components with respect to each of a plurality of images obtained by repeating a plurality of number of times Echo Planar Imaging (EPI) that is capable of obtaining velocity components of a Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) flowing inside a subject. A velocity-variance image creating unit calculates variance of velocity components along the time sequence by same position on velocity images by using a plurality of created velocity images. A superimposed-image processing unit then superimposes the distribution of the variance of the velocity components according to the velocity-variance image on an average absolute-value image, and an image display unit displays a superimposed image.
US08903466B2

A system for non-invasive measurement of a substance, such as glucose, includes a detector configured to sense radiation and an optical subsystem configured to focus the radiation on a sensitive area of the detector. The system includes one or more temperature sensors attached to one or more of a plurality of elements of the optical subsystem and to the detector and two or more temperature sensors configured to measure two or more respective ambient temperatures. The one or more temperature sensors are configured to measure the temperature of the one or more elements of the optical subsystem and the temperature of the detector. A method of measuring a concentration includes detecting an infrared radiation value, measuring the temperature of the detector, one or more components of the optical system, and two or more ambient temperatures, and correlating the temperatures with calibration parameters to correct the detected infrared radiation value.
US08903465B2

A superconducting magnet assembly includes a bobbin comprising a central bore along a longitudinal direction, and a superconducting coil package wound on the bobbin. The superconducting coil package includes a plurality of superconducting coil layers wound on the bobbin, a plurality of supporting member layers, each of the supporting member layers being between a corresponding two adjacent superconducting coil layers, and a thermal conduction layer between two superconducting coil layers or between a superconducting coil layer and an adjacent supporting member layer.
US08903463B2

A mobile communication terminal is provided including an audio processing unit, a speaker, a connecting unit that connects to an external audio output device and indicates whether the external audio output device is connected, and a control unit configured to, while in a silent mode, control the audio processing unit to reproduce a music file and to output audio signals, corresponding to the reproduced music file, through the speaker, the silent mode being a mode wherein a vibration signal is generated upon receiving an incoming call, if the external audio output device is connected to the connecting unit, output the audio signals to the external audio output device, and if the external audio output device is disconnected from the connecting unit while the audio signals are being output to the external audio output device, control the display unit to display a user interface for continuing reproduction of the music file.
US08903453B2

In radio access network (RAN) 1 of the present invention, the configuration of radio network controller (RNC) 4 is physically separated into control plane controllers (CPE) 41a-41b for controlling signalling and user plane controllers (UPE) 42a-42c for controlling user data. User plane controllers 42a-42c report their own status information (traffic information/used channel bandwidth information/alarm information) to control plane controllers to which they belong, and control plane controllers 41a-41b manage the status information of the user plane controllers for each of user plane controllers subordinate thereto.
US08903446B2

A communication system (100) provides collaboration between narrowband communication devices (102) and broadband communication devices (104) operating over different networks. The communication devices (102, 104) are linked to provide peer-to-peer communication that supports the dissemination of public safety information to a public safety personnel user utilizing the devices. Applications within the devices (102, 104) automatically control features amongst the plurality of devices for redundancy of critical information, removal of non-critical information and power management. Context information can also be examined and shared between amongst the devices.
US08903438B2

Method, apparatus, and computer readable medium for use in a first wireless device, and a method for use in a server. The first wireless device is capable of transmitting messages via a packet switched network and via an SMS bearer via a cellular core network. A numeric destination address associated with a second wireless device is sent, via a packet switched network and the Internet, to a server. The server is not a component of the cellular core network. An indication is received from the server at the first wireless device of whether the second wireless device is associated with a subscriber of a message service for receiving the message being composed via a packet switched bearer. A result of the indication is displayed on the first wireless device. The message is transmitted to the second wireless device.
US08903434B2

Leveraging the ubiquitous nature of wireless devices and the popularity of (Short Message Service, Multimedia Message Service, etc.) messaging, an infrastructure that supports message-based conversations (with for example the maintenance or preservation of state, context, etc. across or during the message exchanges) allowing users of wireless devices to employ their wireless devices to engage in and complete increasingly more complicated activities. The infrastructure may optionally leverage the capabilities of a centrally-located Messaging Inter-Carrier Vendor.
US08903429B1

A location engine is disclosed that estimates the location of a wireless terminal using (i) cell ID, (ii) triangulation, (iii) GPS, (iv) RF pattern-matching, or (v) any combination of them. The location engine is adept at discounting the contribution of apparently reasonable but erroneous data. The location engine receives data that are evidence of the location of a wireless terminal at each of a plurality of different times. The location engine then generates an initial hypothesis for the location of the wireless terminal at each time assuming that all of the data is correct and equally probative. Next, the location engine generates one alternative hypothesis for each initial hypothesis and each datum assuming that the datum is erroneous. Finally, the location engine generates the estimate for the location of the wireless terminal at each time by determining which combination of initial hypotheses and alternative hypothesis is the most self-consistent.
US08903427B2

A method, computer code product for limiting a wireless communication device to a specified geographic zone. The device is configured to connect to a subscriber device in a subscriber network and determine if the subscriber device is on a list of preapproved subscriber devices in the specified geographic zone. The device can also be configured to determine if it is connected to a subscriber device on at least one neighbor list of approved subscriber devices. If the device is connected to a subscriber device on the preapproved list or a neighbor list, the device is permission as if it is in the geographic zone. Additional subscriber devices can be added to the neighbor list(s) when the device is handed off from an approved subscriber device based on the previous subscriber device to which the device was connected.
US08903425B2

A method for automatic access to a pre-reserved place may operate on a hotel reservation system, which can communicate with a user smart phone application. The method includes receiving a request from the user smart phone application to effect entry into the pre-reserved place. The request includes user data relating to the user and location data relating to the place. The location data relating to the place is obtainable by the user using the smart phone to scan a code on or in the vicinity of the place and decode the code to identify the location data relating to the place. The user data and the location data are compared with a list of pre-reserved places to identify a matching pre-reserved place. If a matching pre-reserved place is identified, a signal is automatically sent to cause the pre-reserved place to be opened to allow access by the user.
US08903419B2

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for network assisted ProSe discovery management are provided. One method includes establishing, by a network element, a discovery context of a user equipment, and transmitting a discovery context establishment request comprising beacon information on at least one other user that a user of the user equipment is interested in discovering.
US08903416B1

The present invention provides a solution to determining a near-field communication interaction in a wireless tracking mesh network. The present invention utilizes near-field communication devices in conjunction with tracking tags to transmit signals for reception by sensors stationed throughout a facility which form a mesh network and forward the signals to an information engine for analysis.
US08903410B2

A mobile communication method according to the present invention includes: a step of transmitting, by an operation and maintenance server EM, “MDT config” to a radio base station eNB; a step of selecting, by the radio base station eNB, a target mobile station UE on the basis of the “MDT config”; a step of inquiring, by the radio base station eNB, of a mobility management node MME or a subscriber management server HSS about whether the target mobile station UE is approved for performing an MDT measurement process; and a step of instructing, by the radio base station eNB, the target mobile station UE to perform the MDT measurement process when the target mobile station UE is approved for performing the MDT measurement process.
US08903406B2

A mobile station in a mobile radio system can send different types of packet mode resource requests to a network, corresponding to different transfer modes that can be supported by the mobile station, a mobile station being able to use one or the other of request types corresponding to transfer modes that it supports, in accordance with its requirements. In a method of allocating packet mode resources in the mobile radio system, for signaling data transfer in the uplink direction, the signaling being liable to generate an allocation of packet mode resources in the uplink direction for user data transfer, a mobile station uses a type of packet mode resource request corresponding to a transfer mode best suited to the requirements of the user data transfer.
US08903404B2

A CRS base station (21) includes a transmitting section configured to transmit a synchronization establishment signal, a receiving section configured to receive a random access signal corresponding to the synchronization establishment signal, a determining section configured to determine whether or not the random access signal received by the receiving section has been transmitted from an MCS terminal (12) and an interference reduction processing section configured to perform interference reduction processing on the MCS terminal (12) when the determining section determines that the random access signal has been transmitted from the MCS terminal (12).
US08903403B2

The present disclosure provides a method for evaluating cross-cell coverage, which includes: finding, according to a neighboring cell configuration table of a cell in a base station, a cell with a number of configured neighboring cells that is larger than a number threshold for configured neighboring cells; designating the found cell as an original cell; carrying out a processing to obtain the cross-cell coverage evaluation parameters of the original cell; and determining the original cell i provides and/or suffers from cross-cell coverage when the cross-cell coverage evaluation parameter of the original cell exceeds respective cross-cell coverage evaluation thresholds. The present disclosure further provides an apparatus for evaluating cross-cell evaluation, which is capable of determining whether or not a cell provides cross-cell coverage to make parameters of a wireless network adjusted timely and limit the coverage of the wireless network in a supposed one.
US08903396B2

A User Equipment (UE) and a mobile communications network node perform or handle inter frequency measurements. The technology prevents overloading the UE with frequency measurement processing by allowing different requirements for measurements, i.e., measurement performance requirements on different frequencies, i.e., cells. When ordering the UE to perform inter frequency measurements, two or more separate neighbor cell lists may be used. This allows a UE having a certain processor capacity to perform measurement control for more cells and frequencies, i.e., measurements on more than two non-used frequencies, without increasing the processing load of the UE.
US08903393B2

The disclosure relates to techniques for maintaining minimum quality of service (QoS) communication sessions with a wireless communication device (WCD) over a data-based communication network during a hard handoff between access networks for the WCD. More specifically, the techniques determine whether a closed connection between the WCD and a first access network during a minimum QoS communication session is due to a hard handoff between the first access network and a second access network. In the case of a hard handoff, the techniques maintain open QoS reservations associated with data flows included in the minimum QoS communication session for a predetermined period of time to enable a new connection to be established between the WCD and a second access network. The techniques described herein may especially useful when performing a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call over an Evolution-Data Optimized (EVDO) communication network.
US08903390B2

Multi-mode system selection (MMSS) enables a mobile station (MS) to prioritize MS preference for selecting particular radio air-interfaces (AI) across multiple standards (e.g., 3GPP, 3GPP2, WiMAX). 3GPP2 is developing a scheme MMSS-3GPP2 which is usually referred to as simply ‘MMSS.’ Other schemes exist e.g., proprietary ones (e.g., internal ePRL), an MMSS-3GPP based on the PLMN with Access Technologies of non-3GPP systems. MMSS OTASP messages and parameters are being defined in 3GPP2 to allow the carriers to provision MMSS parameters to the mobile device. With MMSS, the mobile can select and hence acquire cdma2000 and non-cdma2000 systems (e.g., LTE, WiMAX) based on carrier's preferences.
US08903386B2

Embodiments of the invention include a method, apparatus, and computer readable medium related to mobility management. The method, apparatus, and computer readable medium may include, at least, receiving, at a network node, a terminating request from a user equipment. The method, apparatus and computer readable medium may further include, in response to receiving the terminating request, performing a restore data procedure, receiving a mobility management entity (MME) name from another network element in response to the restore data procedure, and registering the MME name to the subscriber data associated with the user equipment. The method, apparatus and computer readable medium may then include sending a paging request to the MME indicated by the MME name received from the other network element.
US08903383B2

A method, and a wireless device, are disclosed; the method comprising monitoring a neighbor cell at a time interval; and if a criterion is satisfied, modifying monitoring of the neighbor cell.
US08903374B2

A wireless electronic device such as a portable electronic device may contain a baseband module. Power amplifier circuitry in the device may amplify radio-frequency signals for transmission. During calibration measurements, a computer directs the baseband module to generate control signals that adjust the gain of the power amplifier circuitry. The computer may also direct the baseband module to generate a series of modulated or unmodulated test tones at one or more communications channel frequencies. A power sensor may be connected to the output of the power amplifier circuitry using a transmission line path. The computer and power sensor may be used in making power measurements on radio-frequency signals at the output of the power amplifier while power amplifier gain and test tone frequency adjustments are being made. Power amplifier calibration data may be produced and stored in the electronic device based on the power measurements.
US08903373B1

A SON element which is operative to carry out at least two different SON functions is provided, wherein each of the SON functions is associated with at least one SON related action, and wherein a SON related action, initiated by triggering a SON function, would have been adversely affected by another SON related action, initiated by triggering another SON function, had the SON element not affected a modification in operating conditions of the cellular network, wherein the SON element is operative to: (a) assign priorities to the different SON functions; (b) assign different weights to the SON related actions; and (c) coordinate execution of SON related actions, that when executed are carried out in a way that does not breach the priorities hierarchy and the weights' order assigned to the SON related actions, thereby improving operation of the cellular network.
US08903370B2

A method for network access credential migration is provided. The method can include deprovisioning a network access credential for a wireless network from a first wireless communication device. The method can further include determining that the network access credential has been successfully deprovisioned from the first wireless communication device. The method can additionally include provisioning the network access credential to the second wireless communication device after the network access credential has been successfully deprovisioned from the first wireless communication device.
US08903363B2

In a method for placing a telephone call, a telephone receives a request to call a contact. The telephone retrieves a user preference for obtaining an availability status of the contact. The telephone obtains the availability status of the contact from one of a plurality of sources based at least in part on an order of priority of the sources defined by the user preference. The sources include a social network program. The telephone displays the status of the contact. The telephone prompts for a decision whether to place the call to the contact.
US08903357B2

Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method and related network node and machine-readable storage medium including a policy and charging rules node (PCRN) receiving a plurality of related service requests from different devices. The PCRN may establish a Session Binding Identifier (SBI) for each message received. The SBI may include one or more subscriber IDs. Upon receipt of a message, the PCRN may compare the included subscriber IDs against information included in a subscriber database to match with a specific subscriber profile. The PCRN may use the subscriber profile to determine whether existing established sessions are associated with the same subscriber profile, and may bind the sessions together when they are associated with a common subscriber profile.
US08903352B2

A method and apparatus for improving wait time in a wireless communication system are disclosed. The method includes receiving a message indicating an eWaitTime at a user equipment (UE), entering a wait time period corresponding to the eWaitTime, and does not initiate a connection request with a specific cause during the wait time period, and considering the wait time period finished upon receiving a paging message that pages the UE.
US08903349B2

A receiver is operated in a first power mode, for example a high power mode, during a first portion of a particular connection state (for example, a RRC_CONNECTED state in LTE when the UE receiver is on) of a communication protocol being used by the telecommunications network, and a second power mode during a second portion of the particular connection state, for example a low power mode.
US08903345B2

A method and apparatus for non-linear frequency control tracking of a control loop of a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) in a wireless mobile device receiver is provided. A channel metric based on one or more channel quality indicators associated with a received radio frequency channel is determined and a state metric associated with the current operating state of the control loop are determined. One or more state metric threshold value associated with the determined channel metric, providing hysteresis between operating states, are determined wherein each state metric threshold value is associated with a transition to a possible operating state of the control loop. The control loop transitions from the current operating state to the operating state associated with an exceeded state metric threshold value. Coefficients are provided to an adaptive loop filter of the control loop, wherein the coefficients are associated with the transitioned operating state.
US08903341B2

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide ordering techniques for a Successive Interference Cancellation (SIC) receiver which may be used to robustly choose a correct stream for first decode under varying data rates, SNR and mobile propagation conditions in Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) systems. The SIC ordering techniques discussed in the disclosure include SNR and/or Rate based information theoretic approach. For example, the SIC receiver may evaluate an SNR based or RATE-based information theoretic metric for the MIMO streams and choose one stream with a higher value of the metric for decoding first. A speculative single code block based approach is may also be used for selecting a stream for first decode, by leveraging the presence of per code block Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) and the lack of time diversity in LTE systems.
US08903329B2

A wireless communications device includes multiple switchable antenna elements that may be used to improve interfacing of the wireless communications device with other devices, such as for interfacing of an RFID-equipped mobile communications device with other RFID devices (e.g., to better ensure power delivery to and/or communication with such other RFID devices) and/or may be used to characterize various aspects of the environment around the wireless communications device, such as for proximity-based functionality.
US08903328B2

A method for transmitting channel status information (CSI) of downlink transmission via uplink in a wireless communication system includes transmitting a rank indicator (RI) and a precoder type indicator (PTI) at a first subframe, transmitting at a second subframe a first precoding matrix indicator (PMI) when the PTI has a first value and transmitting a second PMI and a wideband channel quality indicator (WB CQI) when the PTI has a second value, and transmitting at a third subframe a second PMI and a WB CQI when the PTI has a first value and transmitting a subband (SB) CQI and a second PMI when the PTI has a second value. A user equipment (UE) preferred precoding matrix is indicated by a combination of the first PMI and the second PMI. Subsampled codebooks of precoding codebooks of individual Rank-2, Rank-3 and Rank-4 are applied to the second PMI.
US08903323B2

It is disclosed a method including creating inquiry information related to an evaluation of at least one network terminal, and transmitting the created inquiry information in a long-range reference signal; a method including receiving the inquiry information in the long-range signal, establishing, based on the received inquiry information, report information related to a quality of the long-range reference signal, and transmitting the established report information; and a method including receiving the report information, and evaluating, based on the received report information, at least one network terminal.
US08903320B1

A method wherein a message packet is received at a node in a 1st wireless communication system, wherein said 1st wireless communication system determines whether it is experiencing interference with a 2nd wireless communication system, and wherein said 1st wireless communication system takes action to reduce said interference. Reducing said interference might include reduction in signal strength, change in message coding, and other actions, in response to a set of selected interference thresholds. Different protocol effects might be changed in response to one or more said thresholds, with the effect that distinct wireless communication systems may operate in relatively close proximity with a minimum of interference.
US08903318B2

A wireless communication device and a method of re-establishing a connection with a WPAN master device is presented. The method includes detecting that a first master station of a WPAN session which includes the first master device and one or more stations becomes unavailable, activating a master station application to become a second master station and sending one beacon to notify the stations of the session about the second master station connectivity parameters.
US08903315B2

An embodiment of the invention includes an article with instructions that enable a first unit to: (a) sense the first unit's local surroundings to determine sensed data; (b) receive and decrypt encrypted context data directly from a second unit (the second unit located nearby the first unit and the context data corresponding to the first unit's local surroundings); and (c) based on the sensed data and the decrypted context data, communicate directly with the second unit. Other embodiments are described herein.
US08903305B2

An adaptive clicker technique is described that provides a standardized polling control and a registration system to support mixed types of clickers and integrate the polling data. One embodiment of the adaptive clicker technique operates as follows. User inputs from more than one type of clicker device (e.g., personal interactive response system device) are received. The inputs from the more than one type of clicker device are formatted with a clicker adapter for each type of clicker to adapt user inputs to a common polling controller. The adapted inputs are then processed with the common polling controller to interface the adapted inputs with a personal response system software application to allow user polling data to be collected and assessed.
US08903298B2

Methods and devices provide an electrostatically chargeable surface within a printing apparatus and cause a movable lubricant applicator to contact the electrostatically chargeable surface. The movable lubricant applicator is movable to be in contact with the electrostatically chargeable surface, or out of contact with the electrostatically chargeable surface. Such methods control the movable lubricant applicator to be in intermittent contact with the electrostatically chargeable surface during printing operations of the printing apparatus.
US08903293B2

A fuser device includes a first motor for rotatably driving one of a heating member and a pressure-applying member, a second motor rotating either in a forward direction or a reverse direction in order to switch a pressure-application-switching mechanism between an applied-pressure state and a released-pressure state, a first detector for detecting whether the first motor is rotating, and a second detector for detecting the forward-direction or reverse-direction rotation of the second motor. The first detector has a first sensor for detecting the rotation of the first detector plate caused to rotate by the first motor. The second detector has a second sensor for detecting changes in the rotational state of the second detector plate caused to rotate in the forward and reverse directions by the second motor. A single sensor constitutes the first sensor and the second sensor.
US08903285B2

The cleaning unit cleans the surface of the image carrying body after transfer of the toner image onto an image transfer object. The post-transfer neutralization unit is disposed between the transfer unit and the cleaning unit, and neutralizes electrical charge of the surface of the image carrying body after transfer. The first control unit controls neutralization light intensity of the pre-transfer neutralization unit such that a dark potential (V0 potential) of a non-image region on the image carrying body after pre-transfer neutralization is higher by 50 to 150 V than a bright potential (VL potential) of a solid image region. The first setting operating unit allows for an increase and decrease in the neutralization light intensity of the pre-transfer neutralization unit based on a status of an output image.
US08903284B2

A developer storage container includes a container main body, a tubular portion projecting from the container main body and including a developer discharge opening, and a rotary member extending from the container main body to the tubular portion and having a function of conveying the developer in the container main body. The rotary member includes a first section located in the container main body and a second section located in the tubular portion. A first conveying member for conveying the developer from the tubular portion side toward the container main body side, a second conveying member for conveying the developer in an opposite direction, and a flexible member are mounted on the rotary shaft. The flexible member includes a fixed end portion fixed onto the circumferential surface of the rotary shaft and a free end portion arranged at a side radially outward of the second conveying member.
US08903281B2

An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit configured to form a white developer image on a recording medium using a white developer, at least one second image forming unit configured to form at least one single-color developer image on the recording medium using at least one single-color developer other than the white developer, and a fixing unit configured to fix the white developer image and the at least one single-color developer image to the recording medium so as to form a white image and at least one single-color image. The white image may have a haze value that is higher than that of the at least one single-color image. The white developer may have a softening temperature that is higher than that of the at least one single-color developer.
US08903278B2

A drive unit for rotating a first rotary member and a second rotary member disposed around the first rotary member includes a drive source, an output gear driven by the drive source, a first gear greater in diameter than the output gear and configured to engage the output gear, a first joint member projecting from the first gear coaxially and coupled to the first rotary member, a second gear smaller in diameter than the first gear and connected between the first gear and the first joint member, a driven gear smaller in diameter than the first gear and disposed within an area of the first gear in a radial direction thereof to engage the second gear to be driven thereby, and a second joint member projecting from the driven gear coaxially and connected to the second rotary member.
US08903273B2

An image forming device includes a casing, photosensitive bodies, developing devices, developer accommodating devices, and a retaining member. The developer accommodating devices includes a first developer accommodating device that is individually replaceable and separable from the corresponding developing device and a second developer accommodating device that is replaceable together with the corresponding developing device. The retaining member retains the photosensitive bodies arranged in an arrangement direction, the developing devices, and the developer accommodating devices at fixed positions within the casing. The retaining member is capable of being pulled out from the casing and is movable between a housed position and a withdrawn position. One of the developer accommodating devices located at a most downstream side in the arrangement direction is the first developer accommodating device, and each of the developer accommodating devices other than the one of the developer accommodating devices is the second developer accommodating device.
US08903271B2

An image forming apparatus includes a housing with an inner space, a photosensitive drum, a drum unit, a rail member, and a static eliminator. The photosensitive drum includes a rotating shaft, and a circumferential surface to be drivingly rotated around the rotating shaft for carrying an image thereon. The drum unit is inserted in the inner space of the housing along an axis direction of the rotating shaft in a state that the photosensitive drum is integrally supported to be mounted in the inner space. The rail member extends along the axis direction in the inner space for guiding the drum unit in the axis direction when the drum unit is mounted. The static eliminator is fixed to the rail member, and disposed to face the photosensitive drum in the drum unit mounted in the inner space for irradiating the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum with static eliminating light.
US08903270B2

A developing device including a developer bearing member containing a magnetic field generator having multiple magnetic poles and a developer containing chamber is provided. The developer containing chamber contains a two-component developer comprising magnetic carrier particles having a saturated magnetization of 58 to 70 emu/g in a magnetic field of 1KOe and toner particles, and has a divider to define an upper supply chamber and a lower collection chamber. The supply chamber includes a supply conveyer to supply the two-component developer to the developer bearing member at an upstream side from the developing area. The collection chamber includes a collection conveyer to collect the two-component developer from the developer bearing member at a downstream side from the developing area. The multiple magnetic poles includes three developer bearing poles capable of bearing the developer on its surface.
US08903266B2

A longitudinal end portion of an opposing magnetic member of a developer supporting rotator is positioned more longitudinally outside than a longitudinal end portion of a toner supporting side magnetic member. With respect to the opposing magnetic member facing the toner supporting side magnetic member and a downstream magnetic member disposed more downstream than the opposing magnetic member in a rotational direction, a magnetic force generated in a vicinity of both longitudinally end portions thereof is greater than a magnetic force generated longitudinally inside thereof. A housing includes a sealing portion that projects from a position facing a face at a longitudinal end portion of the developer supporting rotator toward the face, such that the sealing portion prevents the toner in a space between the face and an inner face of the housing from scattering outside.
US08903255B2

A polarization-multiplexed signal receiver includes a polarization adjustment unit to adjust a polarization state of inputted polarization-multiplexed signal, which is carrying signal data on each of two polarized waves being inputted, based on a control signal and to output the adjusted polarization-multiplexed signal, an optical signal reception unit to convert the polarization-multiplexed signal having the adjusted polarization state into an analog electric signal and output the analog electric signal, an A/D conversion unit to convert the analog electric signal into a digital electric signal and output the digital electric signal, a digital signal processing unit to perform digital coherent processing to the digital electric signal and take out the signal data and a feedback control unit to generate the control signal based on quality of the signal data and output the signal data to the polarization adjustment unit.
US08903247B2

A bidirectional interface for multimode optical fiber includes a receive/transmit optical fiber port operable to connect to a multimode optical fiber, a wavelength separating module in communication with the receive/transmit optical fiber port, an optical receiver module in communication with the wavelength separating module and configured to receive optical signals at a first wavelength via the wavelength separating module and the receive/transmit optical fiber port, and an optical transmit module in communication with the wavelength separating module and configured to transmit at a second wavelength via the wavelength separating module and the receive/transmit optical fiber port.
US08903245B2

A method of generating an optical radiation signal is to be implemented by an optical radiation signal generating device including a dual beam generating unit for receiving an original optical input signal, and a second-order fiber Bragg grating (FBG). The dual-beam generating unit is configured to generate, from the original optical input signal, first and second optical input signals having a phase difference therebetween. The second-order FBG is configured to receive the first and second optical input signals, and to radiate an optical radiation signal by interference between the first and second optical input signals.
US08903243B2

A joint for disposing between a rotatable drum and stationary surface equipment. The joint serves as a channel through which optical data from a well access line may be routed through the rotating drum and to the stationary equipment for processing. The optical data may be routed in a manner that allows for multi-fiber transmissions with one fiber dedicated to uphole transmissions and another dedicated to downhole transmissions. This is achieved through embodiments of the joint in spite of the separate optical channels involved sharing the same central axis to allow for data transfer between moving and stationary joint components.
US08903201B2

A system and method for processing an image of a document is disclosed. The method includes receiving at least one predetermined document parameter of the document. An image of the document is previewed on a display using a camera. The display provides a visual indication of a defect in the image based on the preview. A processor proposes a procedure to minimize the defect in the image. A user adjusts the camera in response to the proposal. The processor processes the image of the document.
US08903196B2

This invention involves time domain interpolation of video signals. In order to adjust the presentation speed of a video data stream, a plurality of video frames is temporarily stored in a frame buffer, and the video frame to be displayed is generated by time domain interpolation between a plurality of the stored frames.
US08903193B2

Methods and apparatuses to reduce memory bandwidth consumption when executing a program that uses integral images are provided. A first integral image representation of a grayscale image may be computed using a first number of bits per pixel. A second integral image representation of the grayscale image may be computed using a second number of bits per pixel. Additionally, an image processing algorithm may be executed on the grayscale image, wherein the size of a rectangle to be used by the image processing algorithm can be determined. Based on the size of the rectangle to be used by the image processing algorithm, it may be determined whether to use the first integral image representation or second integral image representation for the image processing algorithm.
US08903189B2

The present disclosure relates to a method for improving the perception of an image. The method may include subjecting an original image to a series of independent processes, each producing a pixel calculated using a respective reference kernel. The reference kernels each may comprise pixels from the original image.
US08903176B2

Systems and techniques using observed emotional data are described herein. A sequence of visual observations of a subject can be received during execution of an application. An emotional state of the subject can be determined based on the sequence of visual observations. Execution of the application can be modified from a baseline execution using the emotional state.
US08903167B2

An enhanced training sample set containing new synthesized training images that are artificially generated from an original training sample set is provided to satisfactorily increase the accuracy of an object recognition system. The original sample set is artificially augmented by introducing one or more variations to the original images with little to no human input. There are a large number of possible variations that can be introduced to the original images, such as varying the image's position, orientation, and/or appearance and varying an object's context, scale, and/or rotation. Because there are computational constraints on the amount of training samples that can be processed by object recognition systems, one or more variations that will lead to a satisfactory increase in the accuracy of the object recognition performance are identified and introduced to the original images.
US08903157B2

A fusion splicer includes an imaging unit configured to take a lateral transmission image by illuminating a target optical fiber from a lateral direction of the target optical fiber; a determination module configured to create a target luminance distribution in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis of the target optical fiber using the lateral transmission image so as to determine a type of the target optical fiber, by comparing the target luminance distribution with preliminarily registered data of a reference luminance distribution of a reference optical fiber; and a registration module configured to create a message when the target luminance distribution is determined to be outside a tolerance of the reference luminance distribution and to display the message to an operator so that the operator can decide whether or not to register the target luminance distribution of the target optical fiber as a new reference luminance distribution.
US08903150B2

In accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure, a process for enhancing a motion-blurred image is presented. The process may include obtaining a prior image based on a plurality of projections, wherein the plurality of projections are computed tomography (CT) images obtained in multiple motion phases. The process may further include performing an enhancement operation based on the prior image to generate an enhanced prior image, generating a plurality of re-projections by forward-projecting the enhanced prior image, generating a plurality of phase-correlated difference images based on the plurality of projections and the plurality of re-projections, filtering the plurality of phase-correlated difference images to generate a plurality of filtered phase-correlated difference images, and generating a plurality of phase-correlated images based on the plurality of filtered phase-correlated difference images and the enhanced prior image.
US08903145B2

Image processing for computer-aided eye-surgery includes acquiring a reference image of the eye and enriching said reference image by inserting additional context information which are helpful for a surgeon when performing the eye surgery. The reference image is registered with a real time image of the eye. The context information is overlayed over the real time image of the eye based on a tracking of the eye movement such that the context information is displayed at the same position despite a movement of the eye.
US08903137B1

Systems and methods for associating geographic coordinates with one or more points in a digital geographic image, such as a satellite image, aerial image, ground based image, street level image or other suitable geographic image are provided. More particularly, a digital geographic image can be analyzed to identify one or more features that may be suitable as measurement points for collecting measured ground truth data. The one or more features can be described as a mathematical model that defines image coordinates along the feature depicted in the digital geographic image with sub-pixel accuracy. Image coordinates can be assigned to the measurement points with sub-pixel accuracy using the mathematical model. Collected ground truth data can then be associated with the identified image coordinates to allow for the more precise association of geographic coordinate information to points in the digital geographic imagery.
US08903136B1

The technology of the present disclosure includes computer-implemented methods, computer program products, and systems to filter images before transmitting to a system for optical character recognition (“OCR”). A user computing device obtains a first image of the card from the digital scan of a physical card and analyzes features of the first image, the analysis being sufficient to determine if the first image is likely to be usable by an OCR algorithm. If the user computing device determines that the first image is likely to be usable, then the first image is transmitted to an OCR system associated with the OCR algorithm. Upon a determination that the first image is unlikely to be usable, a second image of the card from the digital scan of the physical card is analyzed. The optical character recognition system performs an optical character recognition algorithm on the filtered card.
US08903135B2

Provided is a stereo image processing apparatus and a method of processing a stereo image, wherein calculation precision of disparity is improved, while maintaining a processing amount equal to the SAD method. In the stereo image processing apparatus (200), a data deletion unit (201) is installed in a stage prior to an image matching unit (102) and a filter unit (103), and forms a thinned-out target image and a thinned-out reference image, by thinning out a target image and a reference image. The filter unit (103) carries out filtering that uses an inverted phase filter, which is matching based on phase correlation.
US08903126B2

Indications are received regarding which of plural outputs are preferred over others of the plural outputs. A continuous function is computed that satisfies constraints corresponding to the received indications and that satisfies a predefined criterion. Values of parameters are computed based on the continuous function, wherein the values of the parameters are useable in a process to generate an output.
US08903124B2

The present invention relates to an object learning method that minimizes time required for learning an object, an object tracking method using the object learning method, and an object learning and tracking system. The object learning method includes: receiving an image to be learned through a camera to generate a front image by a terminal; generating m view points used for object learning and generating first images obtained when viewing the object from the m view points using the front image; generating second images by performing radial blur on the first images; separating an area used for learning from the second images to obtain reference patches; and storing pixel values of the reference patches.
US08903109B2

A multiband dynamics compressor implements a frequency-domain solution for addressing unwanted magnitude peaks which may occur at the crossover frequency (boundary) between two adjacent frequency bands. The solution proposes making slight adjustments to the frequency band boundary locations, for example on a frame-by-frame basis, in order to prevent a spectral peak in the input signal from being located midway between two frequency bands. The adjustment to the boundary location pushes the energy of the spectral peak substantially into one frequency band for compression.
US08903102B2

A method and apparatus for adapting an electronic device to receive digital television broadcast signals is disclosed. The device comprises a switch commandable to interpose one or more matching networks as in the RF signal path according to a channel command to match an integrated headset antenna to the tuner receiving the RF signals.
US08903090B2

Techniques are disclosed for securely classifying or decoding data. By way of example, a method of determining a most likely sequence for a given data set comprises a computer system associated with a first party performing the following steps. An encrypted model is obtained from a second party. The encrypted model is utilized to determine cost values associated with a particular sequence of observed outputs associated with the given data set. The cost values are sent to the second party. At least one index of a minimum cost value determined by the second party from the cost values sent thereto is obtained from the second party. A minimum cost sequence resulting from the at least one index is determined as the most likely sequence.
US08903089B2

Methods and systems are disclosed for distributing video sequences in a coded stream. The methods and systems include analyzing an original coded stream, generating at least one modified coded sub-frame, generating, based upon the analysis, a modified stream and a second stream by replacing an original coded sub-frame by the modified coded sub-frame, so that the modification from the original coded sub-frame results in a visually altered video sequence, transmitting the first and the second generated streams, and reconstructing the original stream using the modified coded sub-frame contained in the second stream.
US08903082B2

A subscriber line interface circuit (SLIC) is herein described. In accordance with one aspect of the present proffered solution, the SLIC includes a first interface circuit operably coupled to a first subscriber loop and a second interface circuit operably coupled to a second subscriber loop. The SLIC further includes a power supply circuit that is coupled to the first and second interface circuits to provide first and second output voltages to the respective interface circuits. The power supply circuit includes a switching power converter that is operably supplied with an input voltage and is configured to provide an intermediate voltage signal at an intermediate circuit node. At least a first and a second output branch are connected to the intermediate circuit node. Each output branch includes an output capacitor that is coupled to the intermediate circuit node and that provides an output voltage signal that depends on the intermediate voltage signal. The switching power converter is configured to repeatedly set the signal level of the intermediate voltage signal to a high voltage level for a first time interval and to a low voltage level when the first time interval has elapsed.
US08903067B2

Methods and apparatus for refreshing a display of a telephone. A telephone apparatus includes a telephone having a display panel and function by which a user can access a plurality of communication services provided over a communication network. The function may represent a given set of conditions associated with a user, such as static and variable conditions. The function is typically associated with one or more commonly used communication services that would be used by a user under a given set of conditions. A method for automatically refreshing a screen on a display panel of a telephone based on a function change includes displaying on a telephone display a first screen based on a function, the display representing a commonly used communication service associated with the function, and selecting a function based on information.
US08903064B2

A system for providing enhanced history information across multiple clients comprises a call application server having a history system, a telephony system and a history cache. The call application server advantageously maintains a history records for each user of the system. The enhanced history system is particularly advantageous because regardless of the endpoint (e.g., phone, thin client, personal call manager or standalone IP phone) with which the user is interacting, the history information specifically for that user is delivered by the call application server to that endpoint. Furthermore, the call application server allows the user to access history information using end points which heretofore were unable to provide history functionality. Finally, the call application server makes the history records universal across all endpoints with which the user interacts, in contrast to prior art, which had limited call history information specific to a particular endpoint.
US08903063B2

A method, system, and program for billing for service provided to destination device according to the calling plan of the individual receiving the call. An authenticated identity for a callee answering a call placed to a destination device is received at an intermediary device. The intermediary device then accesses a billing plan for the authenticated identity of the callee and loads the billing plan for specifying charges for the call, such that telephone service billed to the callee is accessible at multiple destination devices.
US08903057B2

A method for accessing offline voicemail messages within a mobile messaging application may be provided. First, a voice mail message may be received and the voicemail message may be transcribed to text. Next, the voicemail message and the text transcription may be stored. The recipient may then be presented with a list of voicemail messages and the voicemail message may be retrieved in response to the recipient. The recipient may read or listen to the voicemail message or both. The recipient may also annotate the voicemail message.
US08903051B2

A device is configured to detect an emergency call from a user device associated with a device identifier, the device identifier including information that identifies the user device. The device is configured to detect that the user device is not associated with a valid originating telephone number, based on detecting the emergency call. The device is configured to determine a temporary originating telephone number, based on detecting that the user device is not associated with a valid originating telephone number, and to store an association between the device identifier and the temporary originating telephone number. The device is configured to transmit the emergency call, with information identifying the temporary originating telephone number, to an emergency call device, the temporary originating telephone number permitting the emergency call device to place a return call to the user device.
US08903047B1

A high voltage circuit with arc protection comprises a circuit board, having a top surface and a bottom surface, and includes at least two electronic components in a circuit. An enclosure substantially surrounds the circuit board. A voltage differential of at least 5000 volts can exist between the enclosure and at least one of the electronic components. At least one electrically conductive plate is disposed between the top surface of the circuit board and the enclosure, disposed between the bottom surface of the circuit board and the enclosure, electrically insulated from the circuit board and the enclosure, and provides arc protection between at least one electronic component on the circuit board and the enclosure.
US08903035B2

Methods of forming at least a portion of a neutron absorber include combining a first material and a second material to form a compound, reducing the compound into a plurality of particles, mixing the plurality of particles with a third material, and pressing the mixture of the plurality of particles and the third material. One or more components of neutron absorbers may be formed by such methods. Neutron absorbers may include a composite material including an intermetallic compound comprising hafnium aluminide and a matrix material comprising pure aluminum.
US08903034B2

A method for determining a leaking nuclear fuel rod that remotely measures the internal pressure in the plenum region of the fuel rod by remotely measuring the thermal response of the rod when a localized heating is imposed on the outside of the rod in the plenum region. The temperature of the cladding at two symmetrically spaced points on either side of the location where the heating is imposed is remotely monitored as a function of time and compared to a standard to determine the internal pressure of the plenum.
US08903030B2

A clock data recovery circuit (CDR) extracts bit data values from a serial bit stream without reference to a transmitter clock. A controllable oscillator produces a regenerated clock signal controlled to match the frequency and phase of transitions between bits and the serial data is sampled at an optimal phase. A phase detector generates early-or-late indication bits for clock versus data transition times, which are accumulated and applied to a second order feedback control with two distinct feedback paths for frequency and phase, combined for correcting the controllable oscillator, selecting a sub-phase and/or determining an optimal phase at which the bit stream data values are sampled. The second order filter is operated at distinct rates such that the phase correction has a latency as short as one clock cycle and the frequency correction latency occurs over plural cycles.
US08903028B2

A method includes receiving a signal, which carries data in a sequence of symbols that are modulated in accordance with a pulse shape and transmitted in accordance with a timing clock. The received signal is filtered with a matched filter whose response is matched to the pulse shape of the symbols, to produce a filtered signal. The timing clock is initially recovered from the received signal prior to filtering with the matched filter. Upon meeting a predefined condition, a switch is made to recover the timing clock from the filtered signal after filtering with the matched filter. The symbols are demodulated using the recovered timing clock, so as to reconstruct the data.
US08903021B2

For channel estimation in a spectrally shaped wireless communication system, an initial frequency response estimate is obtained for a first set of P uniformly spaced subbands (1) based on pilot symbols received on a second set of subbands used for pilot transmission and (2) using extrapolation and/or interpolation, where P is a power of two. A channel impulse response estimate is obtained by performing a P-point IFFT on the initial frequency response estimate. A final frequency response estimate for N total subbands is derived by (1) setting low quality taps for the channel impulse response estimate to zero, (2) zero-padding the channel impulse response estimate to length N, and (3) performing an N-point FFT on the zero-padded channel impulse response estimate. The channel frequency/impulse response estimate may be filtered to obtain a higher quality channel estimate.
US08903018B2

A communication system includes a baseband processor, an RF (Radio Frequency) transceiver, a power amplifier, an antenna, and a control circuit. The power amplifier generates an amplified signal. The control circuit includes a coupler, an AC-to-DC (Alternating Current to Direct Current) converter, a comparator, and an attenuator. The coupler generates a transmission signal and a coupling signal according to the amplified signal. The AC-to-DC converter is coupled to the coupler, and converts the coupling signal into a DC (Direct Current) signal. The comparator compares a DC voltage of the DC signal with a reference voltage so as to generate a control signal. The attenuator is coupled between the coupler and the antenna, and attenuates or does not attenuate the transmission signal according to the control signal.
US08903014B2

A communications device includes a plurality of wireless transmitters operable at different respective frequencies and each configured to generate respective IQ signals having an initial IQ imbalance. The communications device also includes a frequency tunable auxiliary receiver, and a controller. The controller is configured to selectively couple a given wireless transmitter to the frequency tunable auxiliary receiver and tune the frequency tunable auxiliary receiver to a frequency of the given wireless transceiver, and apply predistortion to the given wireless transmitter based upon the initial IQ imbalance to reduce the initial IQ imbalance.
US08903012B2

A new coded continuous phase modulation (CPM) scheme is proposed to enhance physical layer performance of the current DVB-RCS standard for a satellite communication system. The proposed CPM scheme uses a phase pulse design and combination of modulation parameters to shape the power spectrum of CPM signal in order to improve resilience to adjacent channel interference (ACI). Additionally, it uses a low complexity binary convolutional codes and S-random bit interleaving. Phase response using the proposed CPM scheme is a weighted average of the conventional rectangular and raised-cosine responses and provides optimum response to minimize frame error rate for a given data rate.
US08903009B2

Common-mode termination within communication systems. Termination is implemented with respect to two respective portions of a system: the intentional signaling within a communication system as well as any unintentional signaling which may be coupled into the system. Such unintentional signaling may be incurred in a variety of ways including via interference which may be generated by the system itself or by other devices or components external to the system. In addition, such unintentional signaling made be characterized as common-mode (CM) signaling, in that, it generally affects different respective portions of the system similarly or in the same manner. Various communication systems may include two or more devices implemented therein, that effectuate signaling via one or more communication links there between. Appropriate termination is made with respect to both the intentional and unintentional signaling portion of the system using any of a variety of impedance types (e.g., resistors, capacitors, inductors, etc.).
US08902998B2

The invention relates to a receiver for a near-field chip-to-chip multichannel transmission system such as the capacitive or inductive links used for vertical signal transmission between the stacked chips of a system-in-package. A receiver for near-field chip-to-chip multichannel transmission providing 4 transmission channels for digital transmission between two monolithic integrated circuits comprises 4 coupling devices (211) (212) (213) (214), each of said coupling devices being a planar winding sensitive to magnetic field variations. A multiple-input-port and multiple-output-port amplifier (23) has 4 input ports, each of said input ports being connected to one and only one of said coupling devices (211) (212) (213) (214). The receiver also comprises 4 recovery circuits (281) (282) (283) (284), each of said recovery circuits having an input port connected to one of the output ports of the multiple-input-port and multiple-output-port amplifier (23), each of said recovery circuits having an output terminal connected to the user (29). The receiver of the invention reduces crosstalk between the transmission channels.
US08902995B2

A method includes defining an encoding rate for encoding a set of frames of multimedia data over a period of time, encoding the set of frames at a reduced encoding rate over the period of time such that encoding the set of frames at the reduced encoding rate defines one or more null intervals when data associated with the set of frames is not present during the period of time, transmitting the encoded set of frames via a transmitter, and blanking the transmitter during the one or more null intervals.
US08902990B2

An apparatus and method are provided for compensating a block error in an image frame. This may include a video codec decoder for decoding an inputted image frame, and outputting a decoded image frame. An error concealment block may detect an error-generated block in the decoded image frame and compensate the detected error block through a median filter, and output the compensated image frame.
US08902983B2

A block prediction method using improved direct mode for B picture in a moving picture coding system obtains forward and backward motion vectors of direct mode, obtains two distinct motion-compensated blocks using the forward and backward motion vectors, and predicts a block of the B picture which is about to be coded (or decoded) presently by applying an interpolative prediction to the above blocks, and thereby, accuracy of the predicted block can be improved and the coding efficiency also can be improved.
US08902982B2

An apparatus and method for coding and decoding a depth image are provided. The depth image coding apparatus predicts directivity of a current macro block using coded adjacent macro blocks. An intra-prediction mode that intra-codes the current macro block using the predicted directivity is included in intra-candidate coding modes. Priorities of intra-candidate coding modes and inter-candidate coding modes are arranged according to characteristics of a color image and coded. As a result, coding efficiency for a depth image may be increased.
US08902973B2

Systems and methods of video transcoding that employ perceptual processing techniques for enhancing the perceptual quality of transcoded video information, communications, entertainment, and other video content. Such systems and methods of video transcoding are operative to perform perceptual processing of an input video bitstream using predetermined information carried by the input bitstream. Having performed such perceptual processing of the input bitstream, the perceptual quality of transcoded video delivered to an end user is significantly improved.
US08902972B2

In general, this disclosure provides techniques for quantization of the coefficients of video blocks in a manner that can achieve a desirable balance of rate and distortion. The described techniques may analyze a plurality of quantization levels associated with each individual coefficient to select the quantization level for the individual coefficients that results in a lowest coding cost. Since CAVLC does not encode each coefficient independently, the techniques may compute the coding costs for each of the candidate quantization levels associated with the individual coefficients based on quantization levels selected for previously quantized coefficients and estimated (or predicted) quantization levels for subsequent coefficients of a coefficient vector. The quantization levels for each of the coefficients are selected based on computed coding costs to obtain a set of quantized coefficients that minimize a rate-distortion model.
US08902949B2

A method is provided to control the feed of a metal charge into an electric arc furnace having at least one electrode to generate an electric arc to melt metals. The method includes: a step of defining a “cover index CI” of the electric arc by the slag present above the liquid metal bath, in order to calculate which of the harmonics present in an electric feed quantity of the furnace are taken into consideration; a step of measuring the actual cover index CI value during a functioning cycle of the furnace; and a step of adjusting the speed of feed of the metal charge into the furnace based on the measured value of the cover index CI.
US08902948B2

A degree of polarization control device includes: a calcium fluoride crystal substrate for transmitting a laser beam; a polarization monitor for measuring the degree of polarization of a laser beam transmitted through the calcium fluoride crystal substrate; and a controller for controlling the rotation angle of the calcium fluoride crystal substrate according to the degree of polarization measured by the polarization monitor; the calcium fluoride crystal substrate being formed by a flat plate having a laser beam entering surface and a laser beam exiting surface running in parallel with the (111) crystal face, the Brewster angle being selected for the incident angle, the rotation angle around the [111] axis operating as a central axis being controlled by the controller.
US08902937B2

The present disclosure relates to a compact external cavity tunable laser apparatus. The laser apparatus includes a substrate, an external cavity tunable reflecting unit that reflects laser light entering from the outside on the substrate and selects and varies a wavelength of the reflected laser light, an optical fiber that outputs the laser light on the substrate; and an highly integrated light source that integrates the laser light input from the external cavity tunable reflecting unit using inclined input and output waveguides, a curved waveguide, and a straight waveguide to output the integrated laser light to the optical fiber in order to match an optical axis formed with the external cavity tunable reflecting unit with an optical axis formed with an optical fiber.
US08902924B2

A network of devices with remote control includes a network interconnecting two or more networked devices and a wireless remote control unit for communicating with one or more of the networked devices. The remote control unit stores an interface for one or more of the networked devices so that the networked devices can be controlled with the remote control unit.
US08902922B2

This invention is a low level programmable logic that can communicate with Media Independent Interface (MII) (Ethernet) interface in a highly configurable manner under the control of a CPU. This invention is highly configurable for various existing and new Ethernet based communication standards, programmable in an easy to learn assembly language, low power and high performance.
US08902921B2

The present invention proposes methods for facilitating and improving the performance of MU-MIMO transmission in wireless communication systems. Each user within a MU group inserts an inter-user interference indication field in its acknowledgement packet. The inter-user interference indication field includes signal-to-interference-noise-ratio (SINR) and interference source information. The MU-MIMO transmitter extracts inter-user interference indication feedback and improves subsequent MU-MIMO transmission. Feedback of the inter-user interference information such as SINR and interference source allows efficient link adaptation, smarter user selection, channel re-sounding selection, and fine-tuning of precoding matrix.
US08902915B2

A context-free (stateless) dataport may allow multiple processors to perform read and write operations on a shared memory. The operations may include, for example, structured data operations such as image and video operations. The dataport may perform addressing computations associated with block memory operations. Therefore, the dataport may be able, for example, to relieve the processors that it serves from this duty. The dataport may be accessed using a message interface that may be implemented in a standard and generalized manner and that may therefore be easily transportable between different types of processors.
US08902911B2

A system and method for interconnecting Ethernet and fiber channel is provided. The system includes a port containing an optical receiver, a port control module, a route determination module, and a connectivity module. The port control module is operably connected to the port and may perform 8B/10B encoding and decoding. The route determination module selects a route between the port control module and the Ethernet link. The connectivity module is operably connected to the port control module and to the route determination module. The connectivity apparatus may switch frames between the port control module and the Ethernet link under control of the route determination module in order to transfer Fiber Channel frames to the Ethernet link.
US08902908B2

Disclosed are, inter alia, methods, apparatus, data structures, computer-readable media, mechanisms, and means for supporting a large number of virtual local area networks (VLANS) in a bridged network. Packets are received that include 802.1Q Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) identifiers (VIDs). However, rather than accessing the VLAN forwarding information directly based on the VID as conventionally performed, the VLAN forwarding information to use for a particular packet is determined based on an interface (e.g., virtual or physical interface, port, MPLS label, GRE tunnel or other abstraction of the interface). In other words, the interface associated with the packet identifies a context for determining the VLAN forwarding information based on the VID included in the packet. Therefore, network bridging devices can support more VLANs than that imposed by the 4096 possible values of a VID.
US08902902B2

A hardware trie structure includes a tree of internal node circuits and leaf node circuits. Each internal node is configured by a corresponding multi-bit node control value (NCV). Each leaf node can output a corresponding result value (RV). An input value (IV) supplied onto input leads of the trie causes signals to propagate through the trie such that one of the leaf nodes outputs one of the RVs onto output leads of the trie. In a transactional memory, a memory stores a set of NCVs and RVs. In response to a lookup command, the NCVs and RVs are read out of memory and are used to configure the trie. The IV of the lookup is supplied to the input leads, and the trie looks up an RV. A non-final RV initiates another lookup in a recursive fashion, whereas a final RV is returned as the result of the lookup command.
US08902898B2

An apparatus transfers a data signal along a transmission route that is set by a route determination device. The apparatus includes a data transmission unit and a controller. The data transmission unit receives the data signal from an upstream node adjacent to the apparatus in an upstream direction of the data signal along the transmission route, and transfers the data signal to a downstream node adjacent to the apparatus in a downstream direction of the data signal along the transmission route. The controller controls power supply to the data transmission unit, and transmits a route-reconfiguration instruction for reconfiguring the transmission route, to the route determination device, upon receiving, when power supply to the data transmission unit is stopped, from the route determination device, a path-creation request for requesting creation of a path on the transmission route.
US08902897B2

A hierarchical distributed routing architecture including at least two levels, or layers, for receiving, processing and forwarding data packets between network components is provided. The core level router components receive an incoming packet from a network component and identify a distribution level router component based on processing a subset of the destination address associated with the received packet. The distribution level router components receive a forwarded packet and forward the packet to a respective network. The mapping, or other assignment, of portions of the FIB associated with the distributed routing environment is managed by a router management component.
US08902892B2

Disclosed are a unified method and apparatus to classify, route, and process injected data packets into a network so as to belong to a plurality of logical networks, each implementing a specific flow of data on top of a common physical network. The method allows to locally identify collectives of packets for local processing, such as the computation of the sum, difference, maximum, minimum, or other logical operations among the identified packet collective. Packets are injected together with a class-attribute and an opcode attribute. Network routers, employing the described method, use the packet attributes to look-up the class-specific route information from a local route table, which contains the local incoming and outgoing directions as part of the specifically implemented global data flow of the particular virtual network.
US08902890B2

The method includes creating a master copy of a header for all packets of a data transmission event, the master copy including a plurality of intact constant header information, the plurality of intact constant header information being constant for all packets of the data transmission event, storing unique header information for all packets of the data transmission event, the unique header information including information unique to at least one packet of the data transmission event, tokenizing identities of each packet of the data transmission event to create a tokenized packet ID for each packet, and indexing the stored unique header information based on the tokenizing. A computer program product for directing a computer processor to perform a method. According to the method, at packet read-time, unique header information associated with the packet is overlayed onto the master copy to create a unique packet.
US08902889B2

A method transfers information from and/or to a subscriber-sided communication device wherein at least one first communication relationship between the subscriber-sided communication device and a decentralized communication device which is associated with at least one communication network is established. Also, at least one additional communication relationship between the central communication device and a network access communication network is established. First information can be exchanged between the subscriber-sided communication device and the superior communication network via the first and the at least one additional communication relationship. Additional information which is transferred via the at least one communication network to the decentralized communication device is transferred via the first communication relationship to the subscriber-sided communication device. Advantageously, traditional subscriber-sided communication devices and network-sided network access devices and multimedia-data sources can still be used for using current and future multimedia-data services.
US08902885B2

A communication method between a collecting unit (5) and a plurality of control devices (7i), each of which is associated with at least an electrical device 1(i) via the power line. Messages are exchanged between the collecting unit (5) and the control devices (7i), each of which contains at least: a progressive message number (Pr_N); an addressee identification number assigned to each control device and to the collecting unit. The messages are therefore addressable selectively to a specific control device via said addressee identification number.
US08902864B2

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate choosing parameters to utilize in a local area peer-to-peer network. The parameters may relate to tone spacing, cyclic prefix, symbol time and the like. Further, the parameters may be a function of a state (e.g. peer discovery state control related traffic state, data related traffic state, . . . ) associated with the local area peer-to-peer network. Moreover, the local area peer-to-peer network may share spectrum with a wide area network; as such, parameters for the peer-to-peer network may be selected based on the type of wide area network (e.g., air interface technology)and/or wide area network related parameters.
US08902863B2

A communication system comprising one or more wireless stations programmed to await for an authorizing signal to initiate wireless communications with a network controller or access point. The network controller maintains identification information in different queues, and polls stations from those queues. The wireless station identification information may be moved between the different queues in response to wireless station activity. Between polling, each mobile station aggregates data for the next opportunity to transmit. Multi-polling may be employed such that more than a single station is polled at a time. Polling is accomplished by polling one of the more stations from each queue having the effect that stations in one queue are polled more often than those in another queue. If a lesser active station becomes active, it may be moved into the shorter queue and consequently will be polled more often.
US08902854B2

According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for Diameter-based steering of mobile device network access. The method includes receiving a Diameter message associated with a mobile device. The method also includes determining, based on the Diameter message, whether the mobile device should be steered to access a radio access network or a radio access network type that is different from a radio access network or radio access network type currently supporting network access of the mobile device. The method further includes, in response to determining that the mobile device should access the different radio access network or radio access network type, steering the mobile device to access the different radio access network or radio access network type.
US08902852B2

Empty GRE packets are used to provide in-order delivery of data packets for a session to a UE during inter-RAT handover. In particular, an empty GRE packet sent from a source gateway in a source RAN to a target gateway in a target RAN indicates to the target gateway the end of forwarded data packets from the source gateway. The target gateway sends data packets received from the source gateway to the UE until the empty GRE packet is received. Upon receipt of the empty GRE packet, the target gateway begins sending data packets received directly from a home network gateway to the UE.
US08902835B2

In a method of uplink scheduling control in a telecommunication system comprising a node and a plurality of associated user equipment, performing the steps of identifying S10 scheduling loop output signals, scheduling loop input signals, and scheduling loop system states, determining S20 a dynamic space state model representative of a scheduling loop in said system, based on at least a subset of said identified scheduling loop output and input signals and said scheduling loop system states. Subsequently, measuring S30 and storing S40 at least a subset of said identified scheduling loop output signals and said identified scheduling loop input signals. Finally, controlling S50 the plurality of user equipment of said scheduling loop based on optimization of a criterion dependent of said determined dynamic space state model, said stored scheduling loop input signal, and said stored scheduling loop output signals.
US08902821B2

Disclosed are a method and system for an intermediate node, which negotiates a Quality of Service (QoS) contract with two or more secondary nodes, to maintain a record of previous contract agreements to use as the basis for future contracts and to select the negotiation order with the secondary nodes based on a configurable rule set. The intermediate node selects the secondary node which is deemed to be (predicted as) most restrictive to begin QoS negotiations. The intermediate node dynamically creates for a specific user a new QoS profile to begin the QoS negotiations based on current system loading and historical QoS precedents.
US08902819B2

To provide a mobile terminal apparatus and radio communication method for enabling feedback control information to be efficiently transmitted on a physical uplink control channel, a mobile terminal apparatus of the invention receives downlink shared data channels parallel in a plurality of CCs, makes determinations on the downlink shared data channels about ACK/NACK/DTX, collectively codes determination results (states) of the plurality of CCs after reducing the number of states allowed to be notified individually, and performs signal processing on the coded data to be orthogonalized between users to transmit.
US08902817B2

Providing and receiving carrier information using a bitmap comprising a series of bits, each bit indicating one of two predetermined states for a respective carrier of a predetermined group of carriers.
US08902813B2

A method and apparatus is configured to control a discontinuous reception (DRX) in a mobile communication system. The method includes: interrupting the DRX operation when a radio resource control (RRC) connection reestablishment procedure is initiated; transmitting an RRC connection reestablishment request message from the user equipment to an evolved node B (ENB); receiving an RRC connection reestablishment message from the ENB to the user equipment; and resuming, if the received RRC connection reestablishment message contains new DRX setting information, the interrupted DRX operation according to the new DRX setting information. The DRX operation can be interrupted or resumed at a proper time point when an RRC connection is reestablished or reconfigured or a handover is performed, thereby reducing power consumption in the user equipment.
US08902811B2

The present invention relates to methods and arrangements in a base station and a user equipment for determining an uplink transmission timing correction for communication in a telecommunication system in which aggregation of component carriers is applied. The base station receives a signal from the user equipment on a uplink (UL) component carrier and measures the arrival time of the signal. A timing correction of the UL transmission timing based on the arrival time of the signal is determined. Thereupon the base station determines for which of the uplink component carriers used by the user equipment the timing correction is valid. The timing correction and the validity information is sent to the user equipment. The user equipment adjusts the UL transmission timing for each UL component carrier the timing correction is valid for.
US08902804B2

A method of broadcasting a file to terminals in a wireless network, such as a mobile radio network. The file is divided into a set of blocks which are to be transmitted to the terminals. An interval for response by the terminals is calculated depending on the number of active terminals which require the blocks. Messages containing the blocks and the response interval are then broadcast over the network. Responses indicating missing or imperfect blocks are received from the terminals. These steps are repeated until all of the terminals have received a complete set of blocks or have become inactive. Shorter response intervals are calculated as the number of active terminals is reduced.
US08902800B2

Methods and apparatus for efficiently communicating small amounts of information relatively frequently in a wireless communications system are described. An access point's uplink timing frequency structure includes a set of dedicated uplink communications resources, e.g., expression advertisement interval air link resources, which may be in addition to regular traffic channel resources. The set of dedicated uplink communications resources comprises a small fraction of the total uplink communications resources. An individual one of the set of dedicated uplink communications resources can carry a small amount of information bits. An expression advertisement interval occurs relatively frequently. A wireless communications device, registered with the access point, is allocated one of the set of dedicated uplink resources. The wireless communications device can transmit information using its allocated resource in both a sleep state and an active state.
US08902794B2

A method is provided in one example and includes broadcasting a switching node identifier associated with a first link-state protocol enabled switching node to a plurality of link-state protocol enabled switching nodes. The plurality of link-state protocol enabled switching nodes are in communication with one another by a link-state protocol cloud. The method further includes broadcasting a priority associated with the first link-state protocol enabled switching node to the plurality of link-state protocol enabled switching nodes. The method further includes broadcasting connectivity information of the first link-state protocol enabled switching node to the plurality of link-state protocol enabled switching nodes using the link-state protocol cloud. The connectivity information includes connectivity of the first link-state protocol enabled switching node with at least one spanning tree protocol enabled switching node.
US08902793B2

Aspects of a method and system for a low-complexity spanning tree algorithm in communication networks may comprise preventing loops in a communications network utilizing a distributed sequential algorithm in which there is a single token. Only a network node in possession of this single token may disable a network port. A spanning tree may be generated based on loop prevention. The network ports that may be disabled may be chosen from a port map, where the port map may be obtained by combining a port map identifying ports that are connected to loops with a port map indicating network ports that are to remain enabled. The loop prevention may be initiated by a root node and a token may be generated by the root node when completing the prevention. Network nodes may reduce ingress data rate during loop prevention.
US08902792B2

Forming a convex polygon of a plurality of mobile sensors in an area is provided. Sensor output data received from the plurality of mobile sensors in the area is analyzed using an optimization problem. It is determined whether the plurality of mobile sensors forms the convex polygon in the area. In response to determining that the plurality of mobile sensors does form the convex polygon in the area, an objective function and a set of constraints corresponding to the optimization problem are generated. Then, a sparse solution of the optimization problem is calculated using the objective function and the set of constraints to determine vector weight values for each of the plurality of mobile sensors.
US08902785B2

Finding and selecting partners in a MiAN Cluster system is accomplished by a slave, a pairing request for requesting a pairing with a master to a server; receiving, by the slave, proximity information returned from the server based on the pairing request, the proximity information including information of working channels of a proximity interface of the master of the first kind, the master of the first kind being a master determined by the server according to the first geographical location and a geographical location of a master of the second kind previously obtained and supporting a clustering function where a distance between it and the slave meets a predetermined threshold; performing, by the slave, search on the corresponding channels according to the proximity information, and establishing a communication connection with the proximity interface of the master when a master is found.
US08902781B2

The present invention provides a device and a method for dynamically configuring Discontinuous Reception parameters, and the method includes: when DRX parameters of a terminal need to be adjusted, the DRX parameters are adjusted until the terminal satisfies the requirement of the Guaranteed Bit Rate after the adjustment of DRX, and then the DRX parameters are no longer adjusted. Adopting the technical scheme of the present invention can make a base station adapt to the power-saving and performance requirement of the terminal in real time by a dynamic estimation of the DRX adjusted parameters of the terminal, in addition, it can also satisfy the requirement for the signaling load in different circumstances by configuring an adjusted cycle.
US08902775B2

The present invention relates to a method, user equipment and a base station adapted to handle channel state feed-back reports in a more flexible way. More specifically, a channel state feedback procedure is provided which utilizes the resources available for transmission of channel state feedback more efficiently. This is achieved by including uplink grant availability into the channel state feedback reporting triggers used for determining when and how to send channel state feedback from a UE, i.e. a channel state feedback reporting request may be sent by a base station in an uplink grant to a UE comprising an indication of an expected amount of information to be returned.
US08902773B2

A wireless network, such as an LTE (“Long-Term Evolution”) network, may be configured to receive an identifier from a wireless network. The identifier identifies a resource configuration in a plurality of resource configurations. The resource configuration corresponds to a plurality of resource attributes. At least one signal is transmitted to the wireless network using the plurality of resource attributes.
US08902768B2

A method and apparatus of reporting measurement results in a wireless communication system is provided. A user equipment receives a measurement con figuration which configures a plurality of serving cells as measurement objects and performs measurements for the plurality of serving cells based on the measurement configuration to determine measurement results for the plurality of serving cells. The user equipment reports the measurement results for the plurality of serving cells.
US08902759B2

A shortest path first (SPF) computation in a distributed network may be performed efficiently by performing the SPF computation in stages. Rather than perform a new SPF computation every time a change occurs affecting a link state within the distributed network, a routing protocol may identify the change and determine if the impact to the link state necessarily needs the new SPF computation. For example, a predetermined list of events may identify changes that may not necessarily impact the SPF value(s) currently associated with the distributed network. Embodiments disclosed may avoid computation of the new SPF for changes to the link state thus managing network system resources more efficiently.
US08902753B2

A method, a non-transitory computer readable medium and a system, the method is for affecting a bit rate of a session, the method may include determining, to introduce a desired change in a bit rate (BR) allocated by a BR allocator for streaming a portion of a first stream that is expected to flow from a source entity to a target entity; wherein the bit rate allocator is expected to set the BR allocated to the streaming of the portion in response to a BR associated with the first stream; modifying a value of the BR associated with the first stream to cause the BR allocator to introduce the desired change in the BR allocated for streaming the portion; and causing the BR allocator module to be aware to the modified value without instructing the BR allocator to introduce the desired change.
US08902748B2

Apparatus arranged to perform data multiplexing or demultiplexing or a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a computer program which, when executed by a computer, carries out a method of multiplexing or demultiplexing data, the apparatus comprising a memory, an interface, and a processing unit arranged to determine locations of corresponding regions of the memory for corresponding channels based on data sizes and time-unit-numbers that have passed since a previous corresponding quantity of channel data for a corresponding channel was last stored in the memory or processed, wherein the data sizes and time-unit numbers correspond to one or more channels of the plurality of channels, such that the processing unit will not store the corresponding quantity of the channel data, for each corresponding channel of the plurality of channels, at a location in the memory that is currently storing any channel data that has not yet been output or processed.
US08902737B2

The invention relates to a packet forwarding method in a cooperative network implementing a source terminal, a destination terminal, and at least one relay terminal. In case of a packet decoding error in a node of the network, this method, depending on the outage state of a direct or relayed channel between two nodes of the network, enables a determination of the node(s) having to perform retransmission of the packet and if applicable, the transmission resource(s) to be used.
US08902722B2

A counter is configured to generate counts associated with different locations, within a smallest addressable unit of data, on a storage medium of a disk drive. A detector is configured to detect a change in a property of a signal sensed from the storage medium. A controller is configured to: determine a count of the counter corresponding to a location, within a smallest addressable data unit on the storage medium, at which the change in the property of the signal sensed from the storage medium is detected, and change a response of at least one of the detector, a read channel controller of the disk drive, or a servo controller of the disk drive based on (i) the count and (ii) the counter.
US08902714B2

A smart-watch can include a wristband, a base, and a flip up portion. The base can be coupled to the wristband and include a housing, a processor, a wireless transceiver, and a tactile user interface. The wireless transceiver can be configured to connect to a wireless network. The tactile user interface can be configured to provide interaction between a user and the smart-watch. The flip up portion can be displaceable between an open position exposing the base and a closed position concealing the base. Further, the flip up portion can include: a top display exposed when the flip up portion is in the closed position, and an inside display opposite the top display. The inside display can be concealed when the flip up portion is in the closed position and be exposed when the flip up portion is in the open position.
US08902712B2

A method for operating an impulsive type seismic energy source in a firing sequence having at least two actuations for each seismic impulse to be generated by the source. The actuations have a time delay between them related to a selected energy frequency peak of the source output. One example of the method is used for generating seismic signals in a wellbore and includes discharging electric current through a spark gap disposed in the wellbore in at least one firing sequence. The sequence includes at least two actuations of the spark gap separated by an amount of time selected to cause acoustic energy resulting from the actuations to have peak amplitude at a selected frequency.
US08902706B2

A technique includes receiving seismic data acquired in a seismic survey. The technique includes determining a geophysical trend of trace amplitudes indicated by the seismic data based on non-linear regression and performing quality control analysis on the seismic data based on the determined trend.
US08902705B2

There is provided a method of spatially shifting seismic signals acquired through a seismic survey using the steps of identifying within the signals a set of N actual locations of seismic receivers and corresponding N seismic signals received by the set of seismic receivers; identifying a set of N′ desired locations of seismic receivers; and determining a set of N′ signal values at said N′ desired locations by evaluating for each of said N′ signal values a weighted sum of the N seismic signals, wherein the weights are at least partly determined by the relative distance between pairs of locations selected from said set of N actual locations of seismic receivers.
US08902700B2

A borehole seismic acquisition system is described with a plurality of sensors arranged so as to identify within the data measured by the pressure sensors P- and S-wave related signals converted at the boundary of the borehole into pressure waves, the sensors being best arranged in groups or clusters sensitive to pressure gradients in one or more directions.
US08902699B2

A measured pressure field, a measured vertical velocity field, and two measured orthogonal horizontal velocity fields are obtained. A programmable computer is used to perform the following. A scaling factor is determined from water acoustic impedance, the measured pressure field, and the horizontal velocity fields. One of the measured pressure field and measured vertical velocity field is combined with one of the measured vertical velocity field scaled by the scaling factor and the measured pressure field scaled by the scaling factor, generating one of up-going and down-going pressure and velocity wavefields.
US08902698B2

Disclosed are apparatus and methods for seismic exploration using pressure changes caused by sea-surface variations as a low-frequency seismic energy source. One embodiment relates to a method which obtains dual wave-fields measured below a sea surface. The measured dual wave-fields are decomposed into a down-going wave-field and an up-going wave-field at a selected observation level. Seismic images are then generated using the down-going and up-going wave-fields. Other embodiments, aspects, and features are also disclosed.
US08902695B2

The disclosure provides a method which includes transmitting signals over a time period between a downhole location and a surface location during drilling of a wellbore; recording the time of each signal at the surface using a surface clock and the time of each signal downhole using a downhole clock; and correcting the downhole measurements using the recorded times.
US08902688B2

A system and method for modifying a hidden-refresh rate for dynamic memory cells includes monitoring a control signal from a processor and performing a hidden-refresh of dynamic data at a first refresh rate when the control signal is asserted. The dynamic data is refreshed at a second refresh rate when the control signal is deasserted for a predetermined duration. A hidden-refresh controller couples to an array of dynamic memory cells during a hidden-refresh of the array of dynamic memory cells. The hidden-refresh controller is further configured to monitor a control signal identifying a request from a processor at a memory device and refresh the dynamic data at a first refresh rate when the control signal is asserted. The hidden-refresh controller is further configured to refresh the dynamic data at a second refresh rate when the control signal is deasserted for a predetermined duration.
US08902681B2

Systems and methods to set a voltage value associated with a memory controller coupled to a memory device are disclosed. A particular method includes comparing test data of a test path to functional data of a functional path. The functional data may be generated based on device data received at a memory controller from a memory device. The test data may be affected by a voltage value applied to a resistor arrangement in electronic communication with the test path. The voltage value may be applied to the resistor arrangement based on the comparison.
US08902665B2

A solid state storage system includes a memory area having a plurality of pages and is capable of storing program information about each page. The memory area stores the number of pulse counts applied to each page. A main memory controller receives the program information from the memory area and determines whether to program pages according to the program information. The main memory controller determines whether the program information for a page is at a predetermined amount and if the corresponding page should be programmed again or not.
US08902662B2

According to one embodiment, a memory system includes a first nonvolatile semiconductor memory, a second nonvolatile semiconductor memory and a controller. The first memory has memory cells and executes a first operation that is at least one of write, read, and erase operations with respect to the memory cells. The first operation includes a first sub-operation and a second-sub operation that consume a current which is equal to or higher than a predetermined current. The second memory has memory cells and executes a second operation that is at least one of write, read, and erase operations with respect to the memory cells. The second operation includes a third sub-operation and a fourth sub-operation that consume a current which is equal to or higher than the predetermined current. The controller controls the first operation and the second operation of the first memory and the second memory.
US08902660B2

A NAND flash memory device includes a plurality of continuous conductors disposed on a common level of a multilayer substrate, the plurality of continuous conductors including respective conductive lines extending in parallel along a first direction, respective contact pads disposed at ends of the respective conductive lines and respective conductive dummy lines extending in parallel from the contact pads along a second direction.
US08902651B2

Disclosed are a program method and a nonvolatile memory device. The method includes receiving program data to be programmed in memory cells; reading the memory cells to judge an erase state and at least one program state; performing a state read operation in which the at least one program state is read using a plurality of state read voltages; and programming the program data in the memory cells using a plurality of verification voltages having different levels according to a result of the state read operation. Also disclosed are methods using a plurality of verification voltages selected based on factors which may affect a threshold voltage shift or other characteristic representing the data of a memory cell after programming.
US08902639B2

Cross-point memory cells, non-volatile memory arrays, methods of reading a memory cell, methods of programming a memory cell, and methods of writing to and reading from a memory cell are described. In one embodiment, a cross-point memory cell includes a word line extending in a first direction, a bit line extending in a second direction different from the first direction, the bit line and the word line crossing without physically contacting each other, and a capacitor formed between the word line and the bit line where such cross. The capacitor comprises a dielectric material configured to prevent DC current from flowing from the word line to the bit line and from the bit line to the word line.
US08902636B2

According to one embodiment, a memory includes a resistance change element connected between first and second conductive lines, a write buffer which writes data in the resistance change element by flowing a write current to the resistance change element through the first and second conductive lines in a writing, a current/voltage converter which converts the write current into a sense voltage, the converter provided in the write buffer, the write buffer being non-activated when the sense voltage is larger than a first threshold value.
US08902635B2

Provided is a variable resistance nonvolatile memory device that achieves, in multi-bit simultaneous writing for increasing a writing speed, writing with little variation caused by positions of memory cells in multi-bit simultaneous writing. The variable resistance nonvolatile memory device includes bit lines, word lines, memory cells, a first write circuit (e.g., a write circuit (60-0)), a second write circuit (e.g., a write circuit (60-k−1)), a first selection circuit (e.g., a selection circuit (S0—0)), a second selection circuit (e.g., a selection circuit (S0_k−1)), and a first word line drive circuit (a word line drive circuit (40-1)), wherein the first selection circuit (e.g., an NMOS transistor (TS0—0—0 to TS0—0_m−1) included in the selection circuit) has a greater ON resistance than the second selection circuit (e.g., an NMOS transistor (TS0_k−1—0 to TS0_k−1_m−1) included in the selection circuit) does.
US08902633B2

A nonvolatile memory device comprises a resistive memory cell, a write driver configured to write data to the resistive memory cell during a write period comprising a plurality of loops, and a sense amplifier configured to verify whether the data is correctly written to the resistive memory cell in each of the loops. Where the sense amplifier verifies that the data is correctly written in a k-th loop among the loops, the write driver is disabled from a (k+1)-th loop to an end of the write period.
US08902632B2

Hybrid resistive memory devices and methods of operating and manufacturing the same, include at least two resistive memory units. At least one of the at least two resistive memory units is a resistive memory unit configured to operate in a long-term plasticity state.
US08902627B1

RFID tag ICs employ tunneling-voltage profile calibration during IC manufacturing to determine and store, typically in nonvolatile memory, a tunneling-voltage profile for writing data to the IC's nonvolatile memory. The IC may subsequently read the profile at power-up, prior to writing the memory, or at other times as determined by the IC or by an interrogating reader, and may determine an actual ramp profile for writing to the nonvolatile memory based on the read profile and one or more operating conditions. By using the read profile to determine an actual ramp profile for writing to the nonvolatile memory, the IC may reduce nonvolatile memory write time and oxide stress.
US08902625B2

An integrated circuit including a plurality of memory circuits and a plurality of logic circuits. The plurality of memory circuits is arranged on a die along a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns. Each memory circuit includes a plurality of memory cells. The plurality of logic circuits is arranged on the die between the plurality of memory circuits along the plurality of rows and the plurality of columns. The plurality of logic circuits is configured to communicate with one or more of the memory circuits.
US08902607B1

A testing apparatus and method of extending the life of a testing apparatus may comprise a chassis including a case having a testing module receptacle receiving a plurality of testing modules comprising at least one processor module and a plurality of test modules, each having the same physical footprint, including respective racking mechanisms and inter-module interface connectors; and a backplane with connectors connecting with a respective inter-module connector, and bus-work interconnecting the respective modules through the inter-module interface connectors and the backplane connectors. The backplane may comprise a battery and display connector. The chassis may comprise a display mounting receptacle configured to receive a display unit having a display connector configured to interface with the backplane display connector. A battery receptacle may receive a battery unit, such as a rechargeable battery.
US08902602B2

An ejection mechanism includes a top cover, a bottom cover having a first sidewall and a second sidewall, and a sliding assembly. The sliding assembly includes a sliding block and an elastic rod. The sliding block defines a containing groove which is divided into an insertion rail and an ejection rail. The sliding block is configured to move back and force between the first and second sidewalls. A first distal end of the elastic rod is fixed in a fixing hole of the first sidewall. When the card is inserted into the ejection mechanism, the second distal end slides along the insertion rail until the second distal end is locked in a joint of the insertion and ejection rails. When the second distal end of the elastic rod disengages from the locked position by an external force, the second distal end slides in the ejection rail.
US08902600B2

A thermally deformable assembly is formed in an integrated-circuit metallization level. The physical behavior of the metal forming the assembly brings the assembly into contact with a stop-forming body when subjected to a temperature change caused by a current flow. A natural rollback to the initial configuration in which the assembly is a certain distance away from the body is prevented. The state or configuration of the assembly is determined by a capacitive reader.
US08902591B2

The present invention relates to a heat dissipation device, which comprises: a fluid, a fluid delivery device, and a circular pipe. The fluid delivery device is for propelling and delivering the fluid, the circular pipe is connected with the fluid delivery device, at least a portion of the circular pipe itself contacting with a heat generation device for conducting heat to the portion of the circular pipe, so as letting the fluid to be delivered by the fluid delivery device for delivering heat to the rest portion of the circular pipe, and to dissipate the heat generation device.
US08902585B2

A portable computer includes a base, a display module, at least one support element and at least one sliding assembly. The display module comprises a connecting end and a display face. Each support element comprises a first end pivoted on a portion of the display module other than the display face and a second end pivoted on the rear end of the base. Each sliding assembly comprises a slide rail disposed at least in the second area and a sliding element combined with the connecting end and moving along the slide rail. Each sliding element includes at least one sliding auxiliary structure for decreasing friction during sliding.
US08902583B2

A holding structure and a portable electronic apparatus therewith are disclosed. The holding structure includes a mount structure and a movable member. The mount structure includes a constraining portion having an accommodating space and an opening. The movable member includes a carrier having an engaging structure. When an end portion of a pencil object is inserted into the constraining portion from the opening to be accommodated together with the carrier in the accommodating space, the constraining portion constrains deformation of the engaging structure such that the engaging structure is engaged with the end portion. The end portion is therefore hardly extracted out. When the carrier departs from the accommodating space, the engaging structure and the end portion are disengaged. The end portion is therefore easily extracted out. The invention uses structure to constrain deformation, which can provide stable holding strength without any metal spring.
US08902574B2

A portable electronic device includes a case, a push-push mechanism, and an element. The push-push mechanism includes a hollow column disposed in the case and having alternately arranged long grooves and short grooves, a pushing component having an inner end portion extending into the hollow column, a rotating component movably disposed in the hollow column, and a spring disposed for biasing the rotating component toward the pushing component. The pushing component is movable together with the element relative to the hollow column between a received position and an ejected position, where the positioning teeth are slidably and respectively received in the long grooves and the element is ejected out of the case.
US08902565B2

A capacitor has first planer internal electrodes in electrical contact with a first external termination. Second planer internal electrodes are interleaved with the first planer internal electrodes wherein the second planer internal electrodes are in electrical contact with a second external termination. A dielectric is between the first planer internal electrodes and the second planer internal electrodes and at least one of the external terminations comprises a material selected from a polymer solder and a transient liquid phase sintering adhesive.
US08902562B2

An electrostatic clamp configured to electrostatically clamp an article to an article support in a lithographic apparatus. The clamp comprises a first layer of material, an electrode disposed over the first layer, an isolating, dielectric or semi-dielectric material deposited between portions of the electrode, and a second layer disposed over the electrode. Further, a method of manufacturing of the electrostatic clamp is described.
US08902552B2

The present invention is directed to a circuit interrupting device including an actuator that provides an actuator stimulus upon the occurrence of the fault actuation signal. A circuit interrupter is positioned to electrically disconnect the first, second and third electrical conductors from each other upon the occurrence of the actuator stimulus. An automated test circuit is coupled to the circuit interrupting assembly. The automated test circuit is configured to automatically produce the simulated fault condition during a predetermined portion of an AC line cycle to determine whether the fault detection assembly is operational such that the fault detection assembly provides a fault detection signal without the circuit interrupter electrically disconnecting the first, second and third electrical conductors from each other. The automated test circuit is further configured to provide a device failure mode signal such that a plurality of the first, second or third electrical conductors are disconnected from each other if the fault detection signal is not detected within a predetermined time frame.
US08902551B2

An inverter for an electric machine, and a method for operating the inverter, has at least one output stage unit for producing a connection between the electric machine and a power supply network, a control unit for controlling the output stage unit, a supply unit independent of the power supply network for power supply of the output stage unit, at least one emergency operation control assigned to the output stage unit for controlling the output stage unit such that switching elements are switched into a short circuit operation, at least one emergency operation supply assigned to the output stage unit for generating a power supply from the power supply network, and a coordination control, which activates or deactivates the emergency operation control as a function of a status signal of the independent supply unit and a standby signal of the control unit.
US08902538B1

A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk media, a head stack assembly (HSA) having a head coupled to its distal end, a microactuator used to provide fine position of the head and a voice coil motor (VCM) configured to actuate the HSA over the disk media, and control circuitry. The control circuitry may be configured to move the HSA in an alternating manner across the disk media while actuating the microactuator. One or more performance characteristics of the microactuator may be measured before and after the actuation of the microactuator, and failure may be detected based on the absolute or relative change of the one or more performance characteristics.
US08902536B1

A method for enhancing read performance in an ARMR system includes: obtaining a first reader offset profile corresponding to a first reader of a multi-reader array head in the ARMR system; obtaining at least a second reader offset profile corresponding to at least a second reader of the multi-reader array head in the ARMR system; combining the first and second reader offset profiles to generate a combined reader offset profile; and controlling a location of the multi-reader array head in the ARMR system relative to at least one target track associated with a magnetic storage medium to be read as a function of a peak amplitude of the combined reader offset profile.
US08902534B2

A method, apparatus and a data storage device are provided for implementing track following and data recovery with readback of shingled data written in overlapping shingled data tracks on a recordable surface of a storage device. Positional information is identified with data readback of shingled data written in overlapping shingled data tracks. The identified positional information is used to selectively modify at least one predefined channel parameter, for example, to provide enhanced track following and enhanced data recovery.
US08902530B1

A set of decisions is determined based at last in part on a set of samples. For a given sample in the set of samples, a low frequency noise estimate is estimated based at least in part on (1) at least some samples from the set of samples and (2) at least some decisions from the set of decisions. A reduced noise sample is generated by removing the low frequency noise estimate from the given sample.
US08902525B1

The present invention is related to systems and methods for adaptive parameter modification in a data processing system.
US08902522B2

Disclosed is a colored photosensitive resin composition for a color filter of a solid state imaging device using an ultra-short wavelength exposing device of 300 nm or less, a color filter and a solid state imaging device including the same. The colored photosensitive resin composition can fabricate a color filter having a micro-patterned colored pattern. The color filter can be advantageously applied to a solid state imaging device.
US08902513B2

An image pickup lens includes, an aperture stop, a first meniscus lens having positive refractive power with a convex surface facing the object, a second lens having positive refractive power with a concave surface facing the object, a third lens having negative refractive power with a convex surface facing the object, the both surfaces of the third lens are aspheric and having at least one pole-change point, and following conditional expressions are satisfied: TTL<3.0  (1) 0.80
US08902510B2

A zoom lens system includes a negative first lens group and a positive second lens group, in that order from the object side, wherein upon zooming from the short focal length extremity to the long focal length extremity, the first lens group and the second lens group move in the optical axis direction while the distance therebetween mutually decreases. The first lens group includes a negative first sub-lens group and a positive second sub-lens group, in that order from the object side, wherein the second sub-lens group constitutes a focusing lens group that is moved in the optical axis direction during a focusing operation.
US08902508B2

A consolidated multilayered GRIN optical material includes a multilayered composite GRIN sheet that includes a plurality of consolidated coextruded multilayered polymer films. Each of the multilayered polymer films includes a plurality of at least two alternating layers (A) and (B). Layer (A) includes a first blend of polymer components and layer (B) includes a second blend of polymer components. The multilayered composite GRIN sheet has an external optical transmission of at least 80% at a wavelength of 633 nm measured using UV-VIS spectroscopy and is free of intralayer polymer domains at least 1 micron size scale in any dimension.
US08902503B2

There is provided a light-guide, compact collimating optical device, including a light-guide having a light-waves entrance surface, a light-waves exit surface and a plurality of external surfaces, a light-waves reflecting surface carried by the light-guide at one of the external surfaces, two retardation plates carried by light-guides on a portion of the external surfaces, a light-waves polarizing beamsplitter disposed at an angle to one of the light-waves entrance or exit surfaces, and a light-waves collimating component covering a portion of one of the retardation plates. A system including the optical device and a substrate, is also provided.
US08902500B2

An operator-controlled device for optical imaging systems has modular components for inputting settings relating to the imaging of an object to be observed. The operator-controlled device further includes a display device for pregiven desired adjustment values and/or a display device for the actual adjustment values instantaneously achieved on the imaging system and transmitting devices for transmitting signals corresponding to the desired or actual adjustment values between the operator-controlled device and the imaging system. The operator-controlled device includes: at least one modular component for inputting desired adjustment values, a base component for accommodating one or more of the modular components and arrangements for manually and mechanically connecting the modular components to the base component and for manually separating the modular components from the base component.
US08902497B2

A spatial filter includes a first filter element and a second filter element overlapping with the first filter element. The first filter element includes a first pair of cylindrical lenses separated by a first distance. Each of the first pair of cylindrical lenses has a first focal length. The first filter element also includes a first longitudinal slit filter positioned between the first pair of cylindrical lenses. The second filter element includes a second pair of cylindrical lenses separated by a second distance. Each of the second pair of cylindrical lenses has a second focal length. The second filter element also includes a second longitudinal slit filter positioned between the second pair of cylindrical lenses.
US08902496B2

The invention can include an apparatus for producing optical pulses, comprising an oscillator for producing optical pulses at a first optical pulse repetition frequency, the optical pulses having a first frequency of light; a pulse picker for receiving optical pulses having the first optical pulse repetition frequency and operable to reduce the optical pulse repetition frequency to produce optical pulses having the first frequency and a reduced optical pulse repetition frequency that is less than the first optical pulse repetition frequency; an optical fiber receiving optical pulses having the reduced optical pulse repetition frequency and first frequency, to nonlinearly produce light that includes a frequency that is twice the first frequency; and an Ytterbium doped fiber amplifier in optical communication with the pulse picker and the optical fiber and located between the pulse picker and the oscillator.
US08902494B2

An amplification optical fiber with an optical component capable of efficiently absorbing pumping light and a fiber laser device including the same are provided.An amplification optical fiber with an optical component in a fiber laser device 1 includes: an amplification optical fiber 30 having a core 31 doped with an active element and a clad 32 through which pumping light for amplifying light to be amplified propagating through the core 31 propagates; and an optical component 50 including at least one optical fiber 53a to 53f having a first end coupled to a portion of the clad 32 and a second end coupled to at least another portion of the clad 32 at one end 35 of the amplification optical fiber 30.
US08902491B2

The present invention is directed to an electrophoretic fluid comprising uncharged or lightly charged neutral buoyancy particles. The resulting fluid can improve not only image stability but also contrast ratio of a display device, without significantly affecting the switching speed. The present invention is also directed to an electrophoretic display comprising display cells filled with the electrophoretic fluid.
US08902489B2

An electrowetting display includes first and second substrates facing each other, an electrowetting layer, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a hydrophobic barrier layer. The electrowetting layer is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and includes a first fluid and a second fluid, and the first fluid has an electrical conductivity or a polarity. The first electrode is disposed on the first substrate, and the second electrode forms an electric field in cooperation with the first electrode to control a position of the first fluid. The hydrophobic barrier layer is disposed between the first substrate and the electrowetting layer to cover the first electrode and includes a first surface making contact with the first electrode and a second surface having a hydrophobicity stronger than a hydrophobicity of the first surface and making contact with the electrowetting layer.
US08902476B2

Disclosed is an image reading apparatus which reads a document placed on a reading unit including a display input unit including a first display unit which displays information and an input unit to accept an input operation with respect to the first display unit; a document holder which sandwiches the document with the reading unit, a support which supports the document holder so as to rotate so that a facing state of the document holder with respect to the reading unit is switchable and a second display unit which includes a surface of the document holder which faces the reading unit and the second display unit carries out a display in the surface.
US08902470B2

An image processing apparatus includes: a multi-level unit that applies a multi-level process on binary halftone dot image data indicating a binary halftone dot image, to form multi-level image data; an acquiring unit that acquires a number of screen lines of the binary halftone dot image data; a tone correcting unit that determines a tone correction amount corresponding to the number of screen lines of the binary halftone dot image data acquired by the acquiring unit, and that applies tone correction on the multi-level image data produced by the multi-level unit, by using the determined tone correction amount; and a re-binarizing unit that binarizes the multi-level image data in which the tone is corrected by the tone correcting unit, without changing a halftone dot shape of the binary halftone dot image data, to produce re-binarized halftone dot image data.
US08902463B2

An image forming apparatus includes: Photoreceptors; an image carrier; a plurality of light emitting element arrays each configured to emit a light beam to a corresponding one of the photoreceptors independently; an angle adjustment unit to adjust a mounting angle of the light emitting element arrays to a frame of the image forming apparatus; a pattern forming unit to form a positional error correction pattern of each color on the image carrier; a optical detector to detect the correction pattern formed on the image carrier; a positional error calculation unit to calculate a printing skew error and a main scanning scaling error of the light emitting element arrays based on the correction pattern detected by the optical detector; a skew correction unit to correct the printing skew error detected by the positional error calculation unit; and further a main scanning scaling error correction unit.
US08902459B2

A computer generated method disclosed. The method includes each filter within a chain of filters of a pipes and filters architectural pattern declaring a pass requirement to indicate a number of times the filter is to be processed to produce final form data and processing a stream of data at each filter within the chain of filters to produce the final form data.
US08902457B2

An image processing apparatus scans an original document, coverts the original document into image data, creates an electronic file based on the image data, records a scanned mark on the scanned original document, and confirms whether the scanned mark is recorded. The scanned mark includes ID information assigned to the image processing apparatus. The electronic file is created when the scanned mark is not recorded on the original document and when the scanned mark including the ID information is recorded on the original document. The electronic file is not created when a scanned mark other than the scanned mark including the ID information assigned to the image processing apparatus is recorded on the original document.
US08902454B2

A method and apparatus for printing from mobile devices are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises outputting a machine-readable code associated with the printer; receiving rendered print data specified by the mobile device that scanned and decoded the machine-readable code; and printing the rendered print data.
US08902449B1

A method for determining when results from a first criteria scan are deleted from a computing device is described. A first criteria scan is performed on a computing device. Results of the first criteria scan are stored on the computing device. The computing device is disconnected from a first network. An inform packet is broadcast to at least one server. A response is received from the at least one server. The stored results of the first criteria scan are deleted if the computing device determines that the at least one server is not part of the first network.
US08902448B2

The present invention relates to a print control apparatus that is connected to a data processing apparatus through a first communication unit and connected to an image forming apparatus through a second communication unit.
US08902445B2

If connection to an output apparatus is detected, a configuring apparatus acquires information about the output apparatus. If disconnection of communication connection with the output apparatus is detected, the configuring apparatus makes various configurations based on the acquired information. If communication connection with the output apparatus is detected again after the configuration, the configuring apparatus transmits the configured information to the output apparatus.
US08902444B2

An image processing apparatus which is capable of realizing security improvements without degrading the usability. A user is authenticated, and an operation screen accepting an operation input from the user is displayed. A job is executed according to an instruction of the user authenticated by the user authenticating unit. It is determined whether or not the job of which execution is instructed by the user, is being executed when the user authenticating unit authenticates the user. A first operation screen through which the user inputs an instruction for the job in execution is displayed when the job executing unit is executing the job, of which execution is instructed by the user, whereas another operation screen through which another user inputs an instruction for another job is displayed when not.
US08902443B2

A first information processing apparatus receives file information from a second information processing apparatus when the second information processing apparatus is switched to a power saving state. When the first information processing apparatus receives a file information acquisition request, which is directed to the second information processing apparatus from another apparatus, the file information that has been received from the second information processing apparatus is sent to the other apparatus. The first information processing apparatus acquires by proxy a file that is to be stored in the second information processing apparatus and sends the file acquired by proxy to the second information processing apparatus when the second information processing apparatus is restored to the normal power state.
US08902435B2

This position detection apparatus includes a plurality of light receiving portions receiving a reflected laser beam from an indicator, a lens, a masking portion arranged between the light receiving portions and the lens, having a masking surface restricting the reflected laser beam guided to the light receiving portions in a direction orthogonal to a projection surface, and a determination portion determining a three-dimensional position in a projection image indicated by the indicator. The masking surface of the masking portion has such a concave shape that opposing ends thereof are closer to the lens than a central portion thereof.
US08902432B2

An adaptive optics apparatus includes a light modulation unit configured to modulate each of two polarization components of light at a position that is optically conjugate to an object, the light being emitted by a light source; and an irradiation unit configured to irradiate the object with light that is modulated by the light modulation unit.
US08902428B2

Provided are methods and apparatus for determining the crystal fraction of a casted-mono silicon wafer. A light source is directed at the wafer and the transmission or reflection is measured by a detector. An image of the wafer is generated by a processor and the crystal fraction is calculated from the generated image. The crystal fraction is correlated to the efficiency of the solar cell produced, allowing for the rejection of inferior wafers prior to processing.
US08902427B2

A photometer for measuring photometric magnitudes in a liquid medium includes a housing adapted to be introduced into the medium for on-site measurements; and light-emitting measuring beam transmitter and receiver that are arranged behind opposing measuring windows in a measuring slot in the housing, in which the slot is open to the medium. A measuring beam is generated in a measuring conduit in the measuring slot. A reference conduit is included for a reference measurement which is separate from the measuring conduit. At least one carrier part for the measuring beam transmitter and the measuring beam receiver is provided to move on a given path in the housing. The carrier part is constructed to move on the given path from the measuring conduit to the reference conduit and back, for measuring intensity values of the measuring beam in the measuring conduit and in the reference conduit.
US08902407B2

A projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus contains a plurality of optical elements arranged in N>−2 successive sections A1 to AN of the projection objective which are separated from one another by pupil planes or intermediate image planes. According to the invention, in order to correct a wavefront deformation, at least two optical elements each have an optically active surface locally reprocessed aspherically. A first optical element is in this case arranged in one section Aj, j=1 . . . N and a second optical element is arranged in another section Ak, k=1 . . . N, the magnitude difference |k−j| being an odd number.
US08902404B2

Various types of pressure regulating devices are disclosed to reduce a pressure gradient in a liquid supply system of a lithographic apparatus, the liquid supply system having a liquid confinement structure configured to at least partially confine a liquid between a projection system and a substrate table of the lithographic apparatus. A high pressure gradient may cause particulate contamination in the liquid supply system and/or liquid confinement structure. A pressure gradient can be reduced by, for example, the use of slow switching in one or more valves, a bleed flow around or through one or more valves, diversion of liquid to a drain rather than or in addition to switching a valve off, a pressure regulator or flow restrictor to prevent shock waves, and a buffer volume/damper to compensate for pressure fluctuation.
US08902399B2

An immersion lithographic apparatus includes a cleaning system for cleaning a component in the immersion lithographic apparatus in situ. The cleaning system is arranged to provide a cleaning environment in proximity of a predetermined position on a component to be cleaned. The system is also arranged to provide the cleaning environment substantially independent of a type of contamination present at the predetermined position.
US08902396B2

A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel is provided, and the LCD panel comprises: a first substrate and a second substrate, which are assembled together to form a cell, in which liquid crystal; and spacers formed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The spacers comprise, at least, first-type spacers and second-type spacers, which are formed of different kinds of materials, the material for the first-type spacers has a thermal expansion coefficient lower than that of liquid crystal, the material for the second-type spacers has a thermal expansion coefficient higher than that of liquid crystal, and the first-type spacers and the second-type spacers are disposed in alternation.
US08902394B2

Provided is a display device, including: a display panel which includes a thin film transistor substrate (SUB1) on which a terminal portion including a plurality of terminals (TR) is provided; and a drive circuit connected to the terminal portion, in which: the drive circuit includes: a flexible board (FB); and a semiconductor chip mounted on the flexible board; the flexible board (FB) includes a plurality of wirings (La) for connecting the semiconductor chip and the plurality of terminals (TR), respectively; and the plurality of wirings (La) each include: a first wiring portion (La1) which overlaps a corresponding one of the plurality of terminals (TR); and a second wiring portion (La2) which is positioned between the first wiring portion (La1) and the semiconductor chip, the first wiring portion (La1) being narrower than the second wiring portion (La2).
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