US08905234B2
A module for use in stacking plate panels, having: a supporting portion a load transmitting portion, connected to the outside of a supporting portion and a portion for positioning the plate panels horizontally, wherein the load transmitting portion includes receiving surfaces formed on the upper and lower portions of the module, and when the releasing surface of one module is mounted on the receiving surface of a second module, upon stacking the upper module on the lower module, the positioning portion has an upper engaging portion attached to an edge of the receiving surface, and limits a relative movement of the upper module to the lower module, and a lower engaging portion attached to the edge on the same side as the releasing surface on which the upper engaging portion is formed to offset the upper engaging portion, and limits a relative movement of the upper and lower modules.
US08905228B2
A self-supporting platform is formed of a plurality of hingedly connected modules. Adjacent modules may bend inwards against each other but resist flexing in the opposite direction. Each module includes a slotted module connector extending below the module body. The slotted module connector engages a peg to allow one-way bending of the modules relative to each other.
US08905224B2
The present disclosure provides a clamping mechanism for clamping a liquid crystal panel of a LCD, the clamping mechanism includes a base, a clamping member mounted on the base, and an elastic member connected to the base and applying a drawing force onto the clamping member to allow the clamping member under balanced outer force. With the clamping mechanism, the vertical position of the clamping mechanism can be adjusted as the height of the liquid crystal panel changes, thus, the clamping member can be kept coplanar with the liquid crystal panel, to avoid the fracture of the liquid crystal panel; meanwhile, with the elastic member, the frequency and the precision of adjusting the clamping mechanism can be decreased to reduce the maintaining cost of the clamping mechanism. The present disclosure further provides a carrying device and a transferring apparatus with the clamping mechanism.
US08905223B2
This invention provides a conveying apparatus which conveys a workpiece. The conveying apparatus includes a pallet which supports the workpiece, a conveyor which supports one side of the pallet in a direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction from below the pallet, and includes a conveyance roller for conveying the pallet and a driving source for driving the conveyance roller, and a heaving suppression guide member which extends along the conveyor, abuts against the other side of the pallet in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, and suppresses heaving of the pallet.
US08905222B2
The invention relates to a packaging plant and a method of operating a picker line for feeding products into packaging troughs of a packaging machine, comprising a first feed belt and a second feed belt, the speed of the second feed belt being reduced relative to the speed of the first feed belt so as to buffer the products which have not been gripped by the first picker and allow the last picker to grip all the products and to feed them in.
US08905219B2
A banknote processing device includes a differentiating section that differentiates banknotes, a temporary holding section that temporarily stores the differentiated banknotes, banknote storage containers that store the banknotes, and a conveyance route that connects the differentiating section, the temporary holding section, and the banknote storage containers. The processing device is constructed so that when the banknotes stored in the temporary holding section are sent out and stored in the banknote storage containers based on differentiation results of the banknotes by the differentiating section, the banknotes are conveyed from the temporary holding section via the differentiating section, and are stored in any one of the banknote storage containers, or the banknotes are conveyed from the temporary holding section, via a route that does not go through the differentiating section, and are stored in a specific one of the banknote storage containers.
US08905212B2
A composite clutch used to transmit an operational range of torques from a driving member to a driven member includes a friction clutch assembly and a dog clutch assembly. The friction clutch assembly includes a number of first friction clutch members coupled to the driving member and a number of second friction clutch members coupled to the driven member. The number of first friction clutch members and the number of second friction clutch members are selected to transmit torque across a first portion of the operational range of torques. An actuator assembly is operatively coupled to the friction clutch assembly and the dog clutch assembly. The composite clutch may be operated in friction clutch and dog modes to provide improved controllability in lower torque operation.
US08905209B2
A dual clutch for coupling an engine-side input shaft with a first and/or second transmission-side output shaft includes a first clutch which has a first pressure plate that is axially mobile relative to a first counter plate for coupling with a first clutch disk connected to the first output shaft, and a second clutch having a second pressure plate for coupling with a second clutch disk connected to the second output shaft, the second pressure plate being axially mobile relative to a second counter-plate. An actuating device displaces the first and/or second pressure plate, and a spring element is connected to the actuating device and a transmission housing, the spring element being axially resilient. Both the actuating device and the first counter-plate are radially supported mobile in the axial direction. The axial mobility of the dual clutch allows a simple assembly even with components that have work tolerance-related finishing inaccuracies.
US08905198B2
An example wheel restraint includes a wheel chock that is manually movable between a retracted or release position clear of a wheel of a vehicle at a loading dock and an operative position to block the path of the wheel. In the release position, the chock can be manually moved freely along a track that is mounted to a driveway of the dock. When the chock is manually moved from its release position to its operative position, a locking feature automatically restricts the movement of the chock relative to the track. When the chock is manually moved back to its release position, the locking feature automatically disengages. Although the wheel chock is connected to a track, much of the force exerted by the wheel against the chock can be transmitted directly from the chock to the driveway.
US08905192B2
A lubricating-oil collection guide tool includes an oil-collection container; an oil funnel guiding lubricating oil into an oil passage at an axis end of a rotation axis; and an oil-passage member communicating the oil funnel and the oil-collection container. The oil-passage member includes a first passage member extending from the oil-collection container, and a second passage member extending from the oil funnel. While an insertion hole is formed in a lateral wall portion on one end side of the second passage member, one end portion of the first passage member is a cylindrical end portion. The cylindrical end portion is inserted into the insertion hole to move in and out in the axis line direction. The cylindrical end portion moves in a long axis direction relative to the insertion hole, and turns as a center of an axis line of the cylindrical end portion.
US08905189B2
Honeycomb sections are bonded together with seams made up of an adhesive that is carried by a linked-segment seam support. The seams are particularly useful for splicing together curved honeycomb sections that contain acoustic septum. The curved acoustic honeycomb sections are spliced or seamed together to form engine nacelles and other acoustic damping structures.
US08905182B2
A board-like division member is provided that extends in a vehicle body transverse direction so as to divide a portion of the engine room into an upper region and a lower region along in an engine room height direction. An engine is mounted downwardly of the division member. An exhaust treatment apparatus is mounted upwardly of the division member for treating exhaust gas from the engine. An air discharge portion is formed in a lateral face region of the hood which corresponds to a position of the division member in the engine room height direction. Air present inside the engine room is discharged to the outside through this air discharge portion.
US08905177B2
A system for the transport of a cargo tracked vehicle, including a wheeled mobile platform to carry the tracked vehicle, the wheeled mobile platform being powered by a power plant of the cargo tracked vehicle and controlled by at least one driving control of the cargo tracked vehicle. At least one controller assembly operatively connects at least one of the controls of the cargo tracked vehicle to at least one of the driving systems of the wheeled mobile platform, to allow a driver housed in the cargo tracked vehicle to drive the wheeled mobile platform. A method for transporting a cargo tracked vehicle on a wheeled mobile platform utilizing the power and driving controls of the cargo tracked vehicle. A system for driving a mobile wheeled platform under the power and control of a portable driver cabin.
US08905176B2
Method and apparatus for remotely disabling a vehicle using modulated microwave energy. The modulation characteristics are preferably tailored for different types of vehicles. This approach enables the use of a low power radiation source, which minimizes injury to people and property and which enables the use of portable devices, such as for use on law enforcement or military vehicles.
US08905171B2
Disclosed is a battery pack including a battery module array having battery modules arranged in two or more rows in a state in which the battery modules are erected in an upside-down fashion, each of the battery modules being formed by stacking battery cells or unit modules, each having two or more battery cells mounted therein, in a lateral direction with respect to electrode terminals of the battery cells, a front support member and a rear support member that are a pair of side support members to support the front and rear of the battery module array, respectively, lower end support members coupled to lower ends of the side support members, and mounting members coupled to an upper end of the battery module array and fastened to an external device such that an upper part of the battery pack is mounted to the external device.
US08905168B2
A utility vehicle comprises a driver seat; a passenger seat positioned such that the passenger seat and the driver seat are arranged side by side in a rightward and leftward direction; a console box provided between the driver seat and the passenger seat; a shift lever operated by a driver to perform a shifting operation; and a grab member provided in the vicinity of the passenger seat and secured to the vehicle body frame; wherein the shift lever is provided between the driver seat and the passenger seat and is positioned closer to the driver seat than a center of the console box in the rightward and leftward direction; and the grab member is provided between the driver seat and the passenger seat and is positioned closer to the passenger seat than the center of the console box in the rightward and leftward direction.
US08905167B2
A system and method of controlling first and second electric motors of a vehicle having an electrically variable transmission during an engine start/stop operation. The system and method determine an input speed profile and an input acceleration profile based on an optimum engine speed, determine a requested output torque based on a plurality of torque limits and a desired output torque, determine first and second feedforward motor torques based on a requested output torque and the input speed and input acceleration profiles, determine first and second feedback motor torques based on a difference between the input speed profile and an actual input speed, and using the feedforward and feedback first and second motor torques to control the operation of the first and second electric motors when an engine is being turned on or off.
US08905164B1
A vehicle has a sacrificial buoyancy structure for attenuating damage to the vehicle body due to an under-vehicle explosion. The vehicle has a primary hull, connector plates disposed along the primary hull, track assemblies mounted to the connector plates, and gussets attaching the connector plates to the primary hull. The connection of the gussets to the primary hull is sacrificial in that a sufficient amount of explosive force detaches the gussets, connector plates and track assemblies from the primary hull, whereby the gussets, connector plates and track assemblies absorb a portion of the explosive force. The vehicle further has cross rods disposed between the connector plates and affixed thereto. The vehicle also has a sacrificial buoyancy hull beneath the primary hull attached to the cross members wherein the buoyancy hull, connector plates and primary hull form an enclosed buoyancy compartment enabling the vehicle to float on water.
US08905160B1
An assembly for handling drill pipes includes a basket for drill pipes arranged in rows and columns, and a support table that has a drill pipe receiver. The support table moves laterally with respect to the drill pipe basket between a plurality of column alignment positions and an external position which locates the drill pipe receiver laterally outside of the basket. The support table also moves between the plurality of column alignment positions and the external position. The drill pipe handling assembly also includes a drill pipe elevator assembly and a loader arm assembly comprising a loader arm having a pipe gripper. The loader arm moves between a table alignment position in which the pipe gripper may grab or release a drill pipe when the support table is in the external position and a drilling alignment position in which the pipe gripper may grab or release a drill pipe.
US08905157B2
A hydraulic fluid control system for controlling pressure fluid supplied to consumers (2, 3, 4) of a rock drilling machine, a regulating valve (6, 7, 8) for each for each consumer and fluid conduits between the regulating valves and the consumers, an electronically controlled auxiliary control unit (11) having an electrically controlled auxiliary valve (14) for connection to a fluid conduit, a sensor for sensing fluid parameter values and sending sensor signals to the auxiliary control unit as sensor input signal actual values, micro-controller (12) having at least one parameter sensor input signal entry (S1-S5, I1-I5) for receiving the sensor input signal actual values and a control signal exit (V1-V6) for signal control of an auxiliary valve, the processor (12) is being arranged to compare the actual and predetermined values and to emit control signals to an auxiliary valve in response to the comparison to adjust fluid flow.
US08905148B2
A downhole tractor assembly that is configured for open-hole applications. The assembly includes a force monitoring mechanism to help monitor and control forces imparted through a drive mechanism of the tractor in real time. As such, damage to open-hole formations due to excessive tractoring forces may be minimized along with mechanical damage to the tractor. Furthermore, the drive mechanism of the tractor may include multiple sondes and bowsprings with gripping saddles specially configured for contacting the well wall across a large area in a non-point and line manner so as to avoid digging into and damaging the well wall during tractoring.
US08905136B2
An aqueous-swellable and degradable diverting system and the use of the system in treating a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore. The diverting system includes a carrier fluid and a partially dehydrated or anhydrous borate source material that does not swell or does not swell substantially when placed in contact with the carrier fluid. The carrier fluid is capable of carrying and placing the borate source material into a stimulation network substantially distanced from a wellbore. Exposure of the diverting composition to a sufficient amount of aqueous fluid swells the borate source material, bridges a desired portion of the stimulation network, and then dissolves at least a portion of the diverting composition. The diverting techniques allow for treatment in a subterranean formation to be diverted to a previously untreated portion of the formation, in particular a portion of the formation that is significantly distanced from the wellbore.
US08905130B2
An apparatus having a body including a plurality of packers and a plurality of ports between the packers. The packers and ports are spaced along a longitudinal axis of the body. The apparatus also includes a control module to obtain a density of a formation fluid and, based on the density, determine a direction to pump fluid from an interval defined by the packers.
US08905126B2
In some embodiments, apparatus useful for cleaning at least part of the interior surface of a generally cylindrically-shaped member disposed in a subterranean well includes a housing and a plurality of retractable mill blades supported on the housing and movable from an initial retracted position to an extended position and thereafter to a final retracted position.
US08905124B2
A temperature controlled loadlock chamber for use in semiconductor processing is provided. The temperature controlled loadlock chamber may include one or more of an adjustable fluid pump, mass flow controller, one or more temperature sensors, and a controller. The adjustable fluid pump provides fluid having a predetermined temperature to a temperature-controlled plate. The mass flow controller provides gas flow into the chamber that may also aid in maintaining a desired temperature. Additionally, one or more temperature sensors may be combined with the adjustable fluid pump and/or the mass flow controller to provide feedback and to provide a greater control over the temperature. A controller may be added to control the adjustable fluid pump and the mass flow controller based upon temperature readings from the one or more temperature sensors.
US08905118B2
In one aspect, the invention is directed to a half-cradle for use in a vehicle frame. The half-cradle includes a cast end member formed from a first material and first and second tubular cross-member stubs extending from the cast end member. The first and second tubular cross-member stubs are made from a second material. Each of the stubs has an end buried in the cast end member, wherein the buried end is uncapped. Each of the tubular cross-member stubs has an interior that is configured to sealingly receive a core for use in preventing the filling of the stub with molten first material during casting of the cast end member.
US08905116B2
A roller blind system for a vehicle for shading a rear window, having a fabric sheet movable between stowed and functioning conditions, with a pull-out profile provided at a distal end thereof and two guide rails located on sides of the sheet, whereby the pull-out profile incorporates two sliding pieces at its opposite ends each engaged with one guide rail. The pull-out profile covers an outlet slot for the sheet. The pull-out profile has a variable length and includes a main segment bonded to the sheet and two movable end segments movable relative to the main segment by a guide. The covering face includes a main section on the main segment and side sections on the end segments. The side sections enter into a receiving pocket enclosed by the main segment when the length of the pull-out profile is reduced.
US08905110B2
A device and method are disclosed for forming air filled cushions. The device includes a drive mechanism to move inflatable tubing through the apparatus, and an injector, optionally including an outlet, located continuously within, or within a portion of, the tubing. This arrangement can permit the formation of air filled cushions in a continuous stream. Also disclosed is a roll of plastic tubing that is sealed transversely at a succession of intervals, with each pair of seals stopping just short of a longitudinal center line of the tubing. Such tubing might be used in conjunction with the apparatus, the central gap between the seals allowing passage of the injector.
US08905108B2
An apparatus for affixing a label to a cable moving in a direction parallel to the cable's axis comprises: a bottom push up roller having a channel configured to receive a moving cable; a first roll down roller configured to fold down a side of a label onto the cable; a second roll down roller configured to fold down a side of a label onto the cable; and a top push down roller having a channel configured to receive a moving cable.
US08905107B2
Devices, methods and systems disclosed herein relate to the application of a protective film on a surface of an electronic device instantly reducing air bubbles and eliminating the waiting time usually required when using a wet fluid solution. In one embodiment, a roller device may include a carriage or housing and one or more rollers coupled or integrated with the housing, configured to apply a protective material to a surface of the electronic device in a first orientation, and configured to function as a device stand in a second orientation.
US08905095B2
An architecture is presented that provides a lightweight durable cover for a motorcycle or other two-wheeled vehicle that protects the seat, sides, and fuel tank portions of the vehicle when not in use. Friction and/or hook and loop fasteners hold the form fitting cover in place on the motorcycle. The cover may be rolled or folded for convenient storage after removed from the motorcycle.
US08905090B2
An apparatus for feeding a product to be packaged to a packaging machine provided with a dosing unit, comprises a lifting arrangement suitable for lifting and moving at least a container of the product in such a way as to connect the container to the dosing unit to transfer thereto the product contained in the container; a method for feeding a product to be packaged to a packaging machine provided with a dosing unit by the apparatus, comprises the steps of introducing a container of product inside the apparatus, fixing the container to a lifting arrangement of the apparatus, moving the container using the lifting arrangement in such a way as to connect it to the dosing unit, transferring the product contained in the container to the dosing unit.
US08905075B2
A multi-position rotary shear valve assembly having a substantially metallic or ceramic stator device and a substantially metallic or ceramic rotor device. The stator device defines a substantially planar stator face and at least two or more stator channels in fluid communication with the stator face at corresponding stator ports, while the rotor device includes a substantially planar rotor face defining one or more rotor channels. A tribological coating is disposed atop at least one of the rotor face and the stator face, which enables a substantially fluid-tight, selective relative rotation between the rotor face and the stator face, at a rotor-stator interface, between two or more rotor positions.
US08905074B2
Apparatus for controlling gas distribution are provided. In some embodiments, apparatus for controlling gas distribution may include a first flow path from an inlet to a first outlet; a plurality of first orifices disposed within the first flow path; a plurality of first valves that control gas flow through the plurality of first orifices to control a total gas flow at the first outlet; a second flow path from the inlet to a second outlet; a plurality of second orifices disposed along the second flow path; a plurality of second valves that control gas flow through respective ones of the plurality of second orifices to control a total gas flow at the second outlet; and a mounting block having the plurality of first valves and second valves coupled thereto, wherein at least a portion of the first flow path and the second flow path is disposed within the mounting block.
US08905069B2
A method and apparatus for fluid storage and pumping comprising a fluid storage tank incorporating a housing cavity.
US08905063B2
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 flow module for sensing one or more parameters of a gas flowing through the fluid path of the gas valve, and may determine a measure that is related to a gas flow through the fluid path. A measure related to a gas flow may include, but is not limited to, a measure of fuel consumption by a device or appliance attached to an output port of the valve assembly. Illustratively, the flow module may include one or more valve controllers in communication with one or more pressure sensors, one or more flow sensors, one or more temperature sensors, one or more valve position sensors, and/or any other suitable sensors as desired.
US08905062B2
Method and device for detecting the flow of liquid, in particular water, in a consuming installation, comprising at least one opening/closing means (3) for supplying liquid, this installation being supplied via an inlet pipe (2) fitted with a solenoid valve (5), a pressure sensor (6) upstream of the solenoid valve and a pressure sensor (7) downstream of the solenoid valve. Management means (8) are able to effect the following operations: calculation of the difference (ΔP) between the value of the upstream pressure signal (Pam) and the value of the downstream pressure signal (Pav); comparison of this difference (ΔP) with at least one triggering threshold (SΔPo, SΔPf); when the pressure difference (ΔP) reaches or exceeds a triggering threshold (SΔPo), a command signal (Co) to open the solenoid valve (5) is generated; when the pressure difference (ΔP) reaches or falls below a triggering threshold (SΔPf), a command signal (Cf) to close the solenoid valve (5) is generated; and a flow signal (D) is generated as a function of said pressure difference (ΔP).
US08905053B2
A dishwasher includes a rotatable spray arm assembly disposed to discharge water supplied by a pump, with the spray arm assembly having arms that extend radially from a hub. A plurality of spray nozzles are provided along each of the arms to discharge the water at an angular orientation such that a rotational torque is induced to rotate the arms and hub. The spray nozzles are variably positionable on the arms as a function of the degree of centrifugal force on the spray nozzles from the induced rotation of the arms such that angular orientation of the spray nozzles changes as a function of the rotational speed of the arms.
US08905045B2
An airtight liquid cosmetic container is provided. The container includes a body configured to eject liquid contents through an ejection hole, a container inserted into the body through an opening of the body to be slidable and filled with the liquid contents therein, a container cap coupled with an inlet, and a valve unit allowing the liquid contents in the container to be transferred to the ejection hole of the body while pressing the container and blocking the transfer of the liquid contents while releasing a force of pressing the container. The valve unit includes an opening and closing element sliding together with the container and the container cap, allows the opening and closing element to open a transfer path of the liquid contents to be ejected while the container is being pressed, and allows the opening and closing element to block an ejection of the liquid contents.
US08905041B2
Methods for increasing the concentration of antioxidants during senescence and curing of tobacco leaves include application of a chemical solution. The methods include spraying the solution onto the tobacco plant prior to harvest and/or applying the chemical solution to the soil surrounding roots of growing tobacco plants. The application of the chemical solution preferably occurs between topping and harvest, and is optimized to simulate the production of antioxidants and interfere with the formation of TSNAs during curing. The tobacco can be burley tobacco subjected to air curing.
US08905040B2
Generally described, the he present disclosure relates to an electronic cigarette intended to more effectively simulate the feel of a traditional cigarette. In one illustrative embodiment, the electronic cigarette can have a flexible and resilient housing, sufficiently strong to protect internal components and sufficient flexible to provide a more realistic user experience to user's accustomed to the pliability of traditional cigarettes. A paper label may be provided, either affixed to the flexible housing or to a prior art, rigid housing. A plastic coating may be providing of the portion of the paper label intended to be inserted into a user's mouth, so as to prevent degradation of the label while at the same time preserving a realistic feel for those portions of the device not intended to be inserted into the mouth.
US08905039B2
A device for holding a cigar relative to a supporting object, the device including a receiver adapted to receive the cigar with a loose fit and a clamp for releasably attaching the receiver to the supporting object to hold the cigar at a desired location and in a desired orientation, preferably in a vertical orientation.
US08905031B2
A patient interface system includes a nasal seal of flexible material to communicate with at least one airway of the patient, and a primary headgear from which the nasal seal is suspended, said primary headgear having at least one aperture though which at least a portion of the nasal seal is inserted with the primary headgear wrapping about at least one portion of the nasal seal in a sling-like fashion.
US08905019B2
A carbon dioxide sensor for use in a respiratory therapy system. The carbon dioxide sensor determines whether a patient interface is fluidly coupled to a patient.
US08905018B2
Breathing apparatus comprising a face piece for covering the whole face of a user and a fan unit for operating synchronously with the breath timing of the user. The breathing apparatus comprises a breath monitoring apparatus provided with a diaphragm and a sensor for detecting movement of the diaphragm. The location of the diaphragm and the sensor and a transmission path of inhale pressure and exhale pressure to the diaphragm are optimized. The breath monitoring apparatus is disposed in a fan unit, a space for accommodating the diaphragm and the sensor is disposed independently of an air passage in the fan unit, and the internal space of a nose cup is communicated with the space in the fan unit through holes formed in the nose cup and the face piece when the fan unit and the nose cup are connected to the face piece.
US08904991B2
The rotary mechanism with articulating rotor may be adapted as a pump or compressor when external power is applied to its shaft, as a motor when differential pressure is applied to its inlet and outlet ports, or as an internal combustion engine when provided with fuel, air, and ignition source. The mechanism includes an internal chamber having major and minor diameters. An articulating rotor having four linked segments rotates therein. The segments allow the rotor to articulate between square and rhomboid shapes as it rotates within the chamber, the rotor segments forming variable volume chamber portions as they rotate. The rotor segments are linked to the central shaft either by a transverse arm rotationally affixed to the central shaft and to diametrically opposed rotor segments, or by telescoping rods connecting the linked ends of the rotor segments to the central shaft.
US08904981B2
An internal combustion engine includes a cylinder that is connectable to an intake manifold through an intake valve, to an exhaust manifold through an exhaust valve, and to a transfer manifold through transfer and combustion valves. A fuel injector associated with the cylinder is adapted to provide fuel to the cylinder. During operation, the cylinder performs an intake stroke, followed by a compression stroke. A compressed charge from the cylinder passes to and is collected in the transfer manifold through the transfer valve. The cylinder is filled by a compressed charge from the transfer manifold through the combustion valve at the same time as the fuel injector provides fuel. The cylinder then undergoes combustion and exhaust strokes. In this way, cylinder operation alternates between combustor and compressor split combustion modes.
US08904977B2
A valve drive device for switching the stroke of gas exchange valves of an internal combustion engine includes a camshaft configured, at least in part, as a hollow shaft. A cam unit includes at least two different cams disposed on the camshaft so as to be rotationally engaged and axially displaceable with respect thereto. An adjustment sleeve is disposed so as to be rotationally engaged on an adjustment shaft and rotatable and axially displaceable inside the camshaft. The adjustment sleeve includes thereon a closed adjustment contour extending about a circumference of the adjustment sleeve and is operatively connected to the cam unit through an adjustment clearance in the camshaft via a first coupling element configured to permanently engage in the adjustment contour. A further coupling element is configured to permanently engage in the adjustment contour and connect to the camshaft so as to be fixed in position.
US08904976B1
An internal combustion engine is disclosed. The internal combustion engine includes a head, a first and second cylinders, a first and second doubled-end pistons, a wrist pin, a connecting rod, and a crankcase. The first and second doubled-end pistons are disposed within the first and second cylinder, respectively. The wrist pin and the connecting rod are connected to the first and second doubled-end pistons. The crankcase contains a crankshaft connected to the connecting rod. The head, which is coupled to the first and second cylinders, includes a first and second spark plugs for associating with first ends of the first and second doubled-end pistons, respectively. The crankcase includes a third and fourth spark plugs for associating with second ends of the first and second doubled-end pistons, respectively.
US08904972B2
Systems and methods for controlling exhaust steam temperatures from a finishing superheater are provided. In certain embodiments, the system includes a controller which includes control logic for predicting an exhaust temperature of steam from the finishing superheater using model-based predictive techniques (e.g., based on empirical data or thermodynamic calculations). Based on the predicted exhaust temperature of steam, the control logic may use feed-forward control techniques to control the operation of an inter-stage attemperation system upstream of the finishing superheater. The control logic may determine if attemperation is required based on whether the predicted exhaust temperature of steam from the finishing superheater exceeds a set point temperature as well as whether the inlet temperature of steam into the finishing superheater drops below a set point temperature of steam. The attemperation system may include a characterizing function to linearize the valve operation controlled by the control logic to inject cooled, high-pressure feedwater into the steam upstream of the finishing superheater, which may, in turn, control the exhaust temperature of steam from the finishing superheater. The disclosed embodiments may also be applied to any systems where an outlet temperature of a fluid from a heat transfer device may be controlled.
US08904961B1
An overhead hanging bird waterer can deliver water to birds in a sanitary manner. The overhead hanging bird waterer comprises a main unit covered by an upper cap. The upper cap allows for the water to flow into the main unit and also covers the main unit to prevent debris from entering the main unit. The main unit is mechanically coupled to a support hanger. The support hanger is hung from hanger support. The main unit is further mechanically coupled to a nipple pipe arm and is mechanically coupled to nipples which comprise a nipple stem. The water flows from the main unit through a drain pipe through the nipple pipe arm into the nipples. This enables the birds to obtain the water from the nipples by pushing the nipple stem up or 360 degrees sideways in any direction with minimum water spilling creating enhanced sanitation and better quality produce.
US08904951B1
A device for recording baseball or softball game data includes a band adapted to fit around a limb of a user, the band having an inner surface configured to face inwardly towards the circumference of the limb, and an opposed, outer surface configured to face outwardly away from the circumference of the limb; a base plate attached to the outer surface of the band or an end portion of the band; a front cover attached to the base plate, the front cover having at least one aperture disposed therethrough or at least one viewing window disposed therein; at least one plurality of numbers, the plurality of numbers configured to represent differing quantities of balls, strikes, outs, or innings during a baseball or softball game inscribed on the device; at least one number of the at least one plurality of numbers configured to be visible through the aperture or the viewing window of the front cover; and at least one indicium inscribed on the device near the at least one plurality of numbers, the indicium labeling the plurality of numbers as either balls, strikes, outs, or innings.
US08904940B1
A grenade device produces a delayed bang upon coupling to a pressurized canister containing gas. The device includes an annular housing, an awl, a sleeve, a diaphragm, a base and a cap. The housing has first and second axial ends and an internal bulkhead disposed therebetween with a choke flow-through orifice. The awl extends axially outward from the bulkhead. The sleeve connects to the housing at the first axial end. The diaphragm is disposed between the sleeve and the housing to form an annular chamber. The cap inserts into the housing at the second axial end and receives the canister facing the awl. The base connects to the housing at the second axial end. When the canister is compressed towards the device the awl punctures the canister to release the gas, which flows through the choke orifice to pressurize the chamber, and the diaphragm ruptures upon exceeding a pressure threshold.
US08904938B2
A blasting cartridge includes a generally cylindrical blasting container, a blasting substance filled in the blasting container, a pair of leadwires contained in the blasting container, and a single thin metal wire connected to tip portions of the pair of leadwires. The leadwires and the thin metal wire are positioned within the blasting substance within the blasting container. The blasting substance is nitromethane, and the thin metal wire is formed of tungsten. With an electric discharge impact blasting apparatus, since the thin metal wire has a higher heating value than a copper wire because of its higher resistance and vaporizes at higher temperatures, it is possible to obtain a greater blasting force at lower voltages than with a blasting apparatus using a copper wire.
US08904936B2
A barrier for reduction of a shock wave. The barrier has a spatially graded structure in which a density of the structure varies across a thickness thereof. The graded structure includes a polymer having hollow containers dispersed in the polymer to provide the density of the graded structure. The barrier can be included in at least one of 1) an explosive device, 2) a war head, 3) a demolition charge, and 4) an explosive containment. These devices have an exterior housing and at least one partitioned segment inside the housing with the partitioned segment including the barrier for reduction of the shock wave. Partitioned sections of the explosive devices are selectively or in total detonated.
US08904933B2
An igniter includes, a sleeve receptive to combustible medium, a resistor in operable communication with the combustible medium, and at least one lead in electrical communication with the resistor and the sleeve the electrical communication with the sleeve is maintained by interference fit between the sleeve and the at least one lead.
US08904931B2
An improved printing blanket construction is provided which includes at least a top ply, a bottom ply, and a non-extensible backing ply. The blanket includes leading and trailing edges which are secured directly to the backing ply, where at least a portion of the leading edge forms a contoured edge, a stair-stepped edge, a beveled edge, or a combination thereof. The printing blanket construction having such a shaped leading edge reduces printing gap, reduces the impact forces on the leading edge of the blanket, and protects the blanket from the penetration of ink, solvents, moisture and the like into the blanket plies during use.
US08904930B2
The present disclosure describes a printing original plate capable of being laser-engraved such that printing deficiency caused by residues is avoided, and such that resolution and printing quality are good.A flexographic printing original plate capable of being laser-engraved which is obtained by subjecting a photosensitive resin composition containing (A) at least one latex having a weight-average degree of gelation of 40% or more, (B) photopolymerizable compound and (C) photopolymerization initiator to irradiation to light followed by cross-linking and curing. The photopolymerizable component (B) contains the photopolymerizable oligomer and the ethylenic unsaturated monomer in 10 to 25% by weight and 5 to 40% by weight, respectively, to the weight of the photosensitive resin composition and the ethylenic unsaturated monomer comprises 75 to 5% by weight of monofunctional monomer and 25 to 95% by weight of trifunctional monomer.
US08904921B2
The present invention proposes a capsule for containing beverage ingredients, the capsule being designed for insertion in a beverage production device, the capsule comprising a body portion having at least a circumferential sidewall for enclosing an ingredients compartment of the capsule, and a sealing member, wherein the sealing member comprises a first flange-like rim portion and a second portion which is at least partially overlapping with an inner surface of the sidewall of the body portion.
US08904914B2
Methods of forming a structure for treating a vessel include providing a mandrel and braiding a plurality of filaments around the mandrel. The mandrel may include a strand having a longitudinal axis and a plurality of balls coupled to the strand along the longitudinal axis. Pairs of the plurality of balls may be spaced along the longitudinal axis. Braiding the plurality of filaments around the mandrel may include, during braiding, forming a plurality of bulbs around the plurality of balls and forming necks between pairs of the plurality of balls. The methods may include, after braiding the plurality of filaments, heat treating (e.g., shape setting) the plurality of filaments on the mandrel. Portions of the braided plurality of filaments may be secured to the mandrel, for example using bangles, wire, and/or adhesive.
US08904909B2
A device (1) for machining by turning rotationally symmetrical surfaces (18, 20 or 22) of a workpiece (10), which is clamped and has a rotating drive, including a tool (12) having two cutting edges (16) and (17), each having an approximately helical shape, which are disposed one behind the other in the feed direction of the tool (12) such that after the machining by turning with the first cutting edge (16), a roughing edge, the second cutting edge (17), a finishing edge, comes into engagement.
US08904905B2
A crank detachable holder is provided with a crank arm attachment part and a holding part. The crank arm attachment part has a mounting opening dimensioned to receive a bolt for connecting the crank arm to a crank axle. The holding part connected to the crank arm attachment part. The crank detachable holder is preferably part of a bicycle crank arm assembly.
US08904892B2
A mount for a shaft includes a collar, disposable around the shaft, a first mating piece and a second mating piece. The collar includes first and second tapered outer surfaces that taper away from each other. The first mating piece has a first tapered aperture that is configured to mate with the first tapered outer surface of the collar. The second mating piece has a second tapered aperture configured to mate with the second tapered outer surface of the collar. The first and second mating pieces are adapted to be aligned such that when the collar is mated with the first and second mating pieces, the shaft is substantially perpendicular to the first mating piece.
US08904883B2
A load cell structure for receiving strain gages to monitor applied torsional forces wherein the opposing force-receiving ends have a plurality of sensing beams spaced about an axis of rotation. Limit posts located between the ends each have a discontinuity therein that includes a U-shaped gap to limit relative rotation about the axis and thereby providing overload protection.
US08904881B2
The present invention relates to an ultrasound transducer assembly for an ultrasound flowmeter, comprising a one-part or multi-part housing (2), which is provided to be connected to a line carrying the medium to be measured, wherein the ultrasound transducer transmits ultrasound through the housing (2) and the ultrasound transducer assembly has the following features: an ultrasound transducer body (4, 7) with a first main surface on the side facing the medium and a second main surface on the side facing away from the medium, first, preferably planar, contact means for electrically contacting the first main surface of the ultrasound transducer body (4, 7), second, preferably planar, contact means for electrically contacting the second main surface of the ultrasound transducer body (4, 7), wherein the first contact means are located between the ultrasound transducer body (4, 7) and the housing (2), through which ultrasound is to be transmitted, of the ultrasound flowmeter. To simplify the construction it is proposed to place the first contact means of the ultrasound transducer body (4, 7) loosely in the housing (2) or to fix them on the housing side.
US08904880B1
A method for relaying a radio signal between two points having an obstacle therebetween is described. The method includes maintaining an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in an orientation with respect to the two points, the UAV having at least one passive reflective device having an elongated configuration thereon, transmitting a signal from one of the two points, the transmitted signal impinging the at least one passive reflective device, and receiving the signal at the other of the two points, the received signal being a signal reflected from the at least one passive reflective device.
US08904878B2
A measuring tube, a measuring system and a method for determining and/or monitoring flow through a measuring tube, comprising a measuring tube, on which ultrasonic transducers are releasably placeable. The ultrasonic transducers transmit and/or receive ultrasonic signals, which pass through the measuring tube approximately coaxially to the measuring tube axis. At least one ultrasonic transducer comprises at least one tiltable clamp which can be locked into at least one elevation or depression located on the measuring tube.
US08904873B2
Computers with proper programs generate signals in phased array sequence. In pulsers with delays, signals are fed through a multiplexor into multiple water wedges that are attached to a valve being tested. For a sequential operation of the valves from the open to the closed position, ultrasonic signals are transmitted through fluid contained in the valve and reflected back through piezo-electric crystals to the multiplexor. By summation and merger of the signals, an image can be developed of the operation of the valve to determine if the valve is operating properly. By using multiple water wedges and pass visualization software, the operator can see exactly how the valve is functioning, which information can be stored for inspections or maintenance.
US08904865B2
The invention relates to measuring devices used for measuring angular velocity, and more precisely, to vibrating micro-mechanical sensors of angular velocity. The sensor of angular velocity according to the invention comprises at least two seismic mass structures (1), (2), excitation structures (3), (4) and coupling seesaw type springs (6), (7). The objective of the invention is to provide an improved sensor structure, which enables reliable measuring with good efficiency particularly in small vibrating micro-mechanical angular velocity sensor solutions.
US08904864B2
AN electronic component includes at least one microcomponent which is contacted with, and fastened to, a support element. The support element includes a spring element which is configured for fastening the microcomponent, and the spring element is engaged in the support element with the aid of a detent in order to fasten the microcomponent to the support element.
US08904856B2
A system for determining a health of bearing associated with a connecting rod is provided. The system includes an oil collector placed proximate to the connecting rod and configured to receive an oil cast off from side thrust surfaces of the connecting rod during movement of the connecting rod. The system includes a sensor associated with the oil collector and configured to generate a signal indicative of a temperature of the oil cast off from the side thrust surface of the connecting rod. The system also includes a controller communicably coupled to the sensor. The controller is configured to receive the signal indicative of the temperature of the oil cast off from the side thrust surface of the connecting rod. The controller further determines the health of the bearing as a function of the signal of temperature of oil cast off from side thrust surface of the connecting rod.
US08904850B1
We have demonstrated that a surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor coated with a nanoporous framework material (NFM) film can perform ultrasensitive water vapor detection at concentrations in air from 0.05 to 12,000 ppmv at 1 atmosphere pressure. The method is extendable to other MEMS-based sensors, such as microcantilevers, or to quartz crystal microbalance sensors. We identify a specific NFM that provides high sensitivity and selectivity to water vapor. However, our approach is generalizable to detection of other species using NFM to provide sensitivity and selectivity.
US08904849B2
A novel gas analysis system and method of identifying analytes in a gas sample are provided. The system uses multiple gas analysis technologies and uses the combined qualitative and quantitative data obtained from the multiple gas analysis technologies to analyze a gas sample.
US08904844B2
A method of manufacturing a sprocket segment that is formed by forging as one of a plurality of circumferentially divided parts of a sprocket having a plurality of teeth arranged on an outer peripheral surface of a circular flange, the method includes: forming a material of the sprocket segment into an initial formed state in an initial forming step; and subjecting the sprocket segment in dies to a finish forming process with a tooth trace direction of the sprocket segment as viewed in cross-section of the sprocket segment being inclined relative to a forging direction of the dies in a finish forming step.
US08904838B2
A lock device having a lock cylinder and a flat key having a control gate. The lock cylinder has a cylinder housing and a cylinder core rotationally supported in the cylinder housing and a plurality of plate-shaped tumblers that are supported in the cylinder core so as to be radially slidable with respect to the rotational axis of the cylinder core and which each have a key opening and are at least partially pushed by the spring load into a locking channel of the cylinder housing in order to lock the lock cylinder when the flat key is removed and which are slid into an unlocking position by the control cam guided in the control gate when the key is inserted. At least one stop is associated with each of the tumblers in order to limit the sliding path to conceal the unlocking position.
US08904833B1
A lock includes a shackle having a short first portion, a long second portion and a curved portion. The second portion has a groove defined in outside thereof. A body has a first hole and a second hole for receiving the first and second portions respectively. A passage is defined in outside of the body and perpendicularly communicates with the second hole. A positioning unit is located in the passage and has a securing member, a pin and a resilient member. The securing member has a path in which a narrowed section of the pin is inserted. The resilient member biases the pin which is engaged with the groove. When the pin is moved to compress the resilient member, the pin is removed from the groove and the narrowed section is located corresponding to the groove so that the second portion can be removed from the second hole.
US08904829B2
A knitted fabric is disclosed, comprising a first fabric layer, a second fabric layer and a plurality of pliable threads having a predetermined length, the respective ends of the pliable threads being stitched to the first and second layers thereby connecting the first and second layers. Preferably the fabric also contains sacrificial yarn to tie in the pliable threads. Also disclosed is a method for knitting a fabric according to the invention. The fabric has uses in inflatable devices, including airbags, or lifting devices.
US08904821B1
A jewelry clasp for use with a jewelry band including a base piece having an open passage at one side thereof; an insert piece having an attachment end and an insert end; a first magnetic member disposed at a bottom of the open passage; and a second magnetic member disposed at a free end of the insert end of the insert piece. The insert piece has an insert position in which the insert end is free to extend into and out of the open passage, and a locked position in which the insert piece is secured with the base piece by relative rotation.
US08904807B2
A heat exchanger unit according to an exemplary embodiment includes: a plurality of heat exchangers that includes magnetic particles therein; and a connection section that is provided between the heat exchangers to connect the heat exchangers, the connection section including a solid-core member, a porous body or a combined substance of the solid-core member and the porous body. In the heat exchanger unit, the connection section invades partially into an inside of the heat exchanger connected thereto.
US08904805B2
An environmental control system includes a higher pressure tap to be associated with a higher compression location in a main compressor section associated with a gas turbine engine. A lower pressure tap is associated with a lower pressure location, which is at a lower pressure than the higher pressure location. The lower pressure tap communicates to a first passage leading to a downstream outlet and a second passage leading into a compressor section of a turbocompressor. The higher pressure tap leads into the turbine section of the turbocompressor such that air in the higher pressure tap drives the turbine section to in turn drive the compressor section of the turbocompressor. A combined outlet of the compressor section of the turbocompressor and the turbine section intermix and pass downstream to be delivered to an aircraft use.
US08904801B2
A device controlling vortex structures in a turbulent air jet flowing out of an air exhaust channel, which is constituted by at least one pair of needles connected to an AC voltage source to create a pulsating corona discharge between the needles. One needle is located along and the other across the flow to produce a resonant effect of the pulsating corona discharge on the vortex structures. In a method for controlling vortex structures in a turbulent air jet, at least one pair of needles connected to an AC voltage source create a pulsating corona discharge between the needles. One needle is located along and the other across the flow to produce a resonant effect of the pulsating corona discharge on the vortex structures.
US08904796B2
A late lean fuel injection nozzle for a gas turbine includes a first outer air supply tube having a relatively large inner diameter and an outlet at a distal end thereof. The first outer air supply tube is adapted to supply air to a combustion chamber, and at least one fuel injection tube having a relatively smaller diameter enters a distal end portion of the first outer air supply tube and extends within the first outer air supply tube substantially to the outlet.
US08904789B2
The invention relates to a method for generating energy by means of thermal cycles with high pressure and moderate temperature steam, which allows improving the energy and operational efficiency of the conversion of heat energy into mechanical or electrical energy by means of thermal cycles in which the temperature of the steam is limited to moderate values in its generation, comprising the following steps: a) generating steam at a pressure above 65 bar and a moderate temperature below 400° C., b) expanding said steam in a steam turbine, steam of an intermediate pressure, comprised between 10-40 bar, with a moderate moisture, below 15%, being obtained c) drying said steam by means of a moisture separator and reheating said steam, d) expanding said steam in the turbine, and e) heating boiler water used to generate the steam by means of a plurality of steam extractions from the turbine, in order to exchange heat with said boiler water.
US08904788B2
An arrangement for injecting a reducing agent into an exhaust line of a combustion engine (1). An exhaust line (3) leads exhaust gases from the engine. A first turbine (4) is in the exhaust line (3). A second turbine (20) in the exhaust line is downstream of the first turbine (4) in the intended direction of flow in the exhaust line. An injector (19) injects reducing agent into the exhaust line (3) so that it is warmed and vaporized by the warm exhaust gases in the exhaust line (3), and an SCR catalyst (29). The injector (19) is in the exhaust line downstream of the first turbine (4) and upstream of the second turbine (20).
US08904785B2
An assembly can include a turbine housing that includes a bore, a wastegate seat and a wastegate passage that extends to the wastegate seat; a bushing configured for receipt by the bore; a rotatable wastegate shaft configured for receipt by the bushing; a wastegate arm extending from the wastegate shaft; and a wastegate plug extending from the wastegate arm where the wastegate plug includes a profile, defined in part by a portion of a torus, for contacting the wastegate seat to cover the wastegate passage. Various other examples of devices, assemblies, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.
US08904784B2
A flow control device for a turbocharger (100) includes a flow restrictor (102) with a variable position for variably restricting flow in a turbocharger inlet. A controller (312) controls the position of the flow restrictor based on sensed pressure (300) in the turbocharger inlet (301).
US08904782B2
Disclosed herein is a hydraulic master cylinder body having a bore defined at least in part by a bore wall, wherein the bore wall includes an opening for hydraulic fluid to be passed into the bore, and a piston assembly situated at least substantially in the bore, the assembly having a piston with a piston body and at least one cup seal situated substantially around the piston body, the cup seal situated adjacent to the bore wall so as to be in sealing engagement therewith, and a back-up ring that is situated about the piston body, wherein the back-up ring is positioned to at least partially cover a portion of the cup seal that is adjacent to the bore wall and to prevent at least a portion of the cup seal from contacting the bore wall and the opening for hydraulic fluid during piston actuation.
US08904780B1
A temperature-driven mechanical system includes a first effector, made of temperature-induced shape-changing material, having first and second ends and a longitudinal axis running through the ends, as well as a suspension system that mounts an assembly including the effector, to support rotation of the assembly about the longitudinal axis. The suspension system has a first rotational limit stop associated with a first angular position of the assembly at or below a first temperature limit and a second limit stop associated with a second angular position of the assembly at or above a second temperature limit. An array of such systems is similarly provided.
US08904778B2
A wave energy converter (WEC) having an asymmetrically shaped float and a spar which move relative to each other in response to the waves. The asymmetrical float has one side longer than the other. A power take off device (PTO) is coupled between the asymmetric float and the spar for converting their relative motion into useful power. Apparatus is coupled to the WEC for: (a) orienting and rotating the longer side of the float to face and receive oncoming waves to increase energy capture when the waves have an amplitude below a predetermined value for improving the power generation of the WEC; and (b) rotating the float to orient the narrower side of the float to face and receive the incoming waves when the waves have an amplitude above a predetermined value, so as to reduce the forces to which the WEC is subjected.There is no known WEC system with an asymmetrical float which is raised and lowered by the waves.
US08904773B2
A cooling water passage structure in a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine includes a first exhaust-side cooling water passage and a second exhaust-side cooling water passage arranged to sandwich an exhaust collecting portion and extending in a lengthwise direction of the cylinder head. An exhaust pipe is fastened to a exhaust-side lateral surface of the cylinder head via a fastening member. A shunt passage is formed in at least one of the first exhaust-side cooling water passage and the second exhaust-side cooling water passage to cool the fastening member and is formed along a water flow in the first exhaust-side cooling water passage or the second exhaust-side cooling water passage by partly expanding the first exhaust-side cooling water passage or the second exhaust-side cooling water passage to increase a passage cross-sectional area of the first exhaust-side cooling water passage or the second exhaust-side cooling water passage.
US08904766B2
Front and rear side flange portions of a filter accommodating cylinder are provided with positioning pins. A flange portion of an upstream cylinder is provided with a notched groove and a flange portion of a downstream cylinder is provided with a notched groove. In consequence, when the filter accommodating cylinder is connected between the upstream cylinder and the downstream cylinder, each of the positioning pins disposed at the front and rear flange portions is engaged with each notched groove of the upstream cylinder and the downstream cylinder. The filter accommodating cylinder can be positioned to be coaxial with the upstream cylinder and the downstream cylinder. As a result, after performing a cleaning operation to a DPF, an operation of once again connecting the filter accommodating cylinder between the upstream cylinder and the downstream cylinder can be quickly and easily performed.
US08904762B2
An embodiment (control apparatus) for an internal combustion engine according to the present invention determines, based on an output value of the downstream air-fuel ratio sensor disposed downstream of a three-way catalyst, determines which air-fuel ratio request, a rich request or a lean request, is occurring. The control apparatus sets a target upstream air-fuel ratio to a target rich air-fuel ratio when the rich request is occurring, and sets the target upstream air-fuel ratio to a target lean air-fuel ratio when the lean request is occurring. Each of the target rich air-fuel ratio and the target lean air-fuel ratio is varied depending on an intake air amount. Further, the control apparatus increases a purge amount of an evaporated fuel as a magnitude (air-fuel ratio change amount ΔAF, |afLean−afRich|) of a difference between the target rich air-fuel ratio and the target lean air-fuel ratio becomes larger.
US08904760B2
An exhaust gas treatment system for a diesel engine is disclosed. The exhaust gas treatment system includes a hydrocarbon selective catalytic reduction catalyst (HC-SCR) in fluid communication with a diesel engine to receive an exhaust gas flow therefrom. The system also includes a two-way catalyst in fluid communication with the HC-SCR to receive the exhaust gas flow therefrom, the two-way catalyst comprising a urea selective catalytic reduction catalyst and a diesel particulate filter (DPF).
US08904731B2
A high-strength laser configured column anchor and anchoring system is disclosed. The high-strength column anchor provides high-strength pullout resistance when embedded within the wall bed joint. Specially-configured apertures, edging and dimension restrictions provide for flow-through mortar embedment within the wall bed joint. The edging provides irregular and regular patterns ensuring a secure fit within the bed joint. The column anchors include a hook attachment portion for secure attachment to the column flanges and optionally include a securement bar or clamp to further secure the column anchor to the column flanges.
US08904718B2
A panel (10) that is a roof cover for a sloped roof and that also is a mounting system for an array of PV modules (132). The panels (10) define rails (22, 24, 28, 30) that interlock with grooves (46, 48, 124, 126) to secure adjacent panels in each row of the array. The modules (132) are supported by bosses (34, 120) that determine the height of the module array and avoid the interlocking structure between the modules.
US08904716B2
Disclosed herein is a bi-directionally raisable drilling rig mast system that includes a drilling rig mast having a bi-directional mast erection connection, a first erection connection positioned proximate a first side of a rig substructure, and a second erection connection positioned proximate a second side of the rig substructure, the second side being at an opposite side of the rig substructure from the first side. The system further includes at least one mast erection apparatus having an upper end that is adapted to be pivotably attached to the bi-directional mast erection connection and a lower end that is adapted to be pivotably attached to the first erection connection for erecting the drilling rig mast from the first side of the substructure, the lower end being further adapted to be pivotably attached to the second erection connection for erecting the drilling rig mast from the second side of the substructure.
US08904715B2
The invention relates to a modular construction system for tall structures, characterized by prefinished rectangular floor plates or cover plates and pillars or posts which can be disposed and/or attached at the plate corners in each case between one floor plate and one cover plate.
US08904699B2
A tool protects fishing equipment, such as fishing rods and reels, from damage, whether the equipment is in storage or transit. The tool provides the angler with the security that their equipment will be safe. The tool includes a hollow, tubular storage chamber having one open end for inserting an end of a fishing rod therein. The storage chamber may include a buoyant material at a closed end thereof. A flexible strap extends from the open end of the storage chamber to run along the length of the fishing rod. An adjustable loop at the end of the flexible strap is adapted to loop around the reel end of the rod and can be held in place by the reel. One or more straps can be disposed along the flexible strap to secure the flexible strap to the rod. One or more rods may be carried by the tool.
US08904693B1
A bipod for supporting the forward portion of a firearm includes a clamp portion, a pivot body and a pair of leg assemblies. The clamp portion is adapted for clamping to a firearm and is pivotably mounted to the pivot body for pivoting about a vertical axis and a longitudinal axis. The pivot body includes a pair of leg mounting surfaces. A pair of leg assemblies are pivotably mounted to the mounting surfaces of the pivot block so that each leg assembly may be pivoted about an axis that is generally normal to the mounting surface and such that each leg assembly can be adjustably positioned in one of at least two positions.
US08904687B2
A multiple indicia file flagging device provides a flag base having a side portion carrying an adhesive, and an opposing side portion carrying a flag pivot axle and locking pegs. A flag having a “T” configuration with a first vertical leg and a second leg pivotally engages with the flag pivot axle to pivot thereon between an inconspicuous position and a conspicuous position. Locking peg notches defined in the flag releasably engage with the locking pegs to secure the flag in the desired position. A transparent sleeve carried on the file flag opposite the pivot axle carries a removable and customizable second indicia tab such for communicating information to users.
US08904684B1
A rolling information display apparatus and a method of displaying product information on a roller grill. A circular and symmetrical thimble device is configured to accept replaceable product information displays through the center of the device. The thimble acts as a collar for the product display information sign which is removable to allow for changing product information. The apparatus rolls along with the movement of the roller grill on which products are kept warmed in a typical retail display. The apparatus and the method of display disclosed allow for immediate labeling of products on a retail roller grill along with quick change capability to allow information to be changed in the thimble without the need to open up any apparatus or device.
US08904682B1
A compact merchandise display system for showcasing an item has a base with a transparent or translucent cover located on a base top surface. The system has a rotating platform located on the base top surface having a first light. The system has a control system having a microprocessor, a sensor, a power supply, a power switch, a speaker, a microphone, and a memory component located in the microprocessor. A sound is recorded by the microphone and stored into the memory component of the microprocessor. Upon activation of the microprocessor via the sensor, the sound is played via the speaker, the rotating platform is energized via a platform motor, and the first light is activated.
US08904678B2
Three-dimensional lightweight foam greeting cards are described herein having a foam body with a perimeter wall that extends between two spaced apart parallel pieces of planar sheet material such as heavy gauge paper, cardboard, or other such material. The greeting cards have a partially hollowed foam body or one or more cavities in the foam body concealed in the front and back by the planar sheet material which may be pre-cut in the shape of the foam body are decorated consistent with the design of the foam body. The cavities in the foam body may contain various electronic components that enable the greeting card to produce sound, record and playback a personalized message, trigger light activation, trigger the movement of moveable parts, display digital video, photographs or slideshows, or a combination thereof.
US08904673B2
An automated tightening shoe with a single crisscrossed laces or closure panel and a tightening mechanism which operates in one direction to cause automatic tightening of the crisscrossed laces or closure panel to tighten the shoe about a wearer's foot, and which can be released easily so that the shoe can be removed from the wearer's foot. An actuating wheel partially projecting from the rear sole of the shoe provides a convenient and reliable actuating means for movement of the automated tightening mechanism in the tightening direction.
US08904670B2
A laundry machine, particularly, a dryer using steam is disclosed. The laundry machine such as a washing machine, a dryer, a drying and washing machine is an apparatus which washes or dries articles such as clothes. The dryer includes a drum adapted to accommodate articles to be dried, a control panel adapted to provide an interface with a user, and a controller, wherein the control panel includes a course selection part which allows a user to select a specific course as an operation course during a steam course, which includes a steam process for supplying steam into a drum, such that the dried articles have a moisture content equal to or larger than 6%, and the controller controls an operation of the dryer to perform the selected operation course.
US08904666B1
A dryer for drying various types of products such as food products and pet food. The dryer includes a frame structure, a conveyor disposed in the dryer, and a heating unit for supplying heat to the dryer. A plurality of relatively lightweight hygienic panels, including doors, is secured to the frame structure and form a part of the exterior of the dryer. The hygienic panels provide access to the interior of the dryer for cleaning and maintenance. Each hygienic panel is sealed so that moisture and air cannot enter the interior of the panel. Disposed inside each hygienic panel is a honeycomb panel and an insulating structure. The hygienic panel provides rigidity and strength to the hygienic panel and at the same time enables the panel to be of a relatively light weight construction.
US08904654B2
A hybrid wheel alignment system and methodology use passive targets for a first pair of wheels (e.g. front wheels) and active sensing heads for another pair of wheels (e.g. rear wheels). The active sensing heads combine image sensors for capturing images of the targets with at least one spatial relationship sensor for sensing a relationship between the active sensing heads. One or both of the active sensing heads may include inclinometers or the like, for sensing one or more tilt angles of the respective sensing head. Data from the active sensing heads may be sent to a host computer for processing to derive one or more vehicle measurements, for example, for measurement of parameters useful in wheel alignment applications.
US08904652B2
There is provided a grid system (10) containing a set of stakes (40), a grid (20) and a key (3) that can be transported to a crime scene to create a working area in which evidence can be accurately cataloged as to its precise location at the time of its discovery. The grid strings (21) are secured to the grid rings (22, 23, 24) to form a grid (20). The grid rings (22, 23, 24) attach to the stakes (40). The key (30), which also attaches to the stakes (40) ensures that the grid (2) is square. The preferred embodiment features a key (30) comprising two key rings (32) and a key string (31). The key (30), when fully extended to opposite corners of the grid (20), forms the shared hypotenuse to the right triangles on either side of the key (30) formed by the grid (20), thereby forming a grid system (10) The stakes (40) can be ribbed in a way to enable the grid rings (22, 23, 24, 32) to remain at a distinct position along the stake (40). This enables the grid rings (22, 23, 24) to be placed at a particular height along the stakes (40) to better control the distance the grid (20) is from the ground to help with leveling and measuring purposes.
US08904649B2
A utility knife includes a handle, a blade carrier, and a blade depth adjustment assembly. The blade carrier is mechanically coupled to the handle and configured to support a blade. The blade depth adjustment assembly is mechanically coupled to the handle and configured to permit a user of the utility knife to reposition components of the blade depth adjustment assembly to select one of a plurality of blade depth positions which causes the blade carrier to be repositioned along the handle depending upon which of the blade depth positions is selected.
US08904648B2
A cutting device includes a first part and a second part which is pivotably connected to the first part. A first fixing portion is located in the top side of the first part. The second part has a second fixing portion defined in the underside side thereof and facing the top side of the first part. The second fixing portion is located corresponding to the first fixing portion. A reception slot is defined axially in the second part and communicates with the second fixing portion and the underside of the second part. A blade is inserted into the reception slot. A hole is defined through the first part for receiving a hydraulic hose. A pressing member is pivotably located in a recess in one side of the first part and is able to press the hydraulic hose passing through the hole and the recess.
US08904646B2
An apparatus for providing a load on a bearing mounted to a shaft includes an attaching member and a press mechanism. The attaching member is releasably connected to the shaft. The press member is coupled to the attaching member and is configured to provide a compressive load to the bearing. The press mechanism includes an aligning arm configured to engage a shaft slot of the shaft to align the press mechanism relative to the shaft when the attaching member connects to the shaft. A lock nut is engageable with the shaft and has a plurality of engaging teeth configured to engage a plurality of keeper teeth of a keeper.
US08904633B2
An electronic assembly comprises a housing, a cover for the housing, a printed circuit board receivable in the housing, and a compliant pin header assembly. The compliant pin header assembly is mountable in the housing by inter-engaging features on the header assembly and the housing. The compliant pin header assembly has compliant pins for engaging corresponding features on the printed circuit board to connect the compliant pin header assembly electrically to the printed circuit board. The cover, when the electronic assembly is assembled, engages the housing and also engages the printed circuit board at a location spaced from an outer periphery of the printed circuit board.
US08904629B2
A light-emitting diode (LED) wafer picker that may increase a suction force and may perform stable adsorption without a concern for contact with a top surface of an LED wafer is provided. An LED wafer picker may include a main body to hold, in an adsorbed state, an LED wafer disposed below the main body, when air drawn in from a top of the LED wafer picker is discharged along a streamlined discharge surface to both sides of the LED wafer picker, a guide member to enable the air to flow along the discharge surface, the guide member being disposed below the discharge surface, a single central hole formed in a central portion of the guide member, excluding a portion facing the discharge surface, and a support portion to support the LED wafer, the support portion extending downward from the guide member. Accordingly, it is possible to easily perform adsorption of an LED wafer that is relatively far from the LED wafer picker. Additionally, it is possible to prevent the top surface of the LED wafer from coming into contact with the guide member, thereby reducing detects due to contamination of foreign substances.
US08904625B2
A formation and rotation apparatus for use in forming and rotating interconnected sections of a cylindrical workpiece, including a frame and a head arranged within the frame, the head defining two slots and being operatively rotated via an integral drive assembly. A first slide block is slidably disposed within one of the two slots, and a second slide block is disposed within another of the two slots, each of the first and the second slide blocks include a cutting wheel and a beading wheel for successively forming each of the interconnected sections. An armature having an axis of rotation is also provided, along with a gripping mechanism being operatively connected to the armature. A drive mechanism selectively rotates the armature about the axis of rotation after the gripping means has closed about one of the interconnected sections.
US08904621B2
The invention relates to a connector (1) for clamping a component around a tubular member (30) and to a method of using such a connector. The clamping connector (1) comprises a collar (2), a plurality of movable dogs (16) mounted in the collar and actuation means for driving the movement of the dogs. The collar (2) has an inner wall (4) and an outer wall 5, the inner wall being adapted to surround the tubular member (30) with a gap (56) between an outer surface of the inner wall (4) and an outer surface (28) of the tubular member. The inner wall (4) has a plurality of apertures (12) each aperture leading to a passage (14) through the inner wall. Each of the dogs (16) is slidably seated in one of the passages (14) for movement in a radial direction with respect to the tubular member (30). Around each passage (14) the inner wall (4) is spaced apart from an inner surface (25) of the outer wall (5). The actuation means includes a movable block (22) within the space (20) between the inner and outer walls (4, 5) and movement means (32) for moving the block in an axial direction with respect to the tubular member. Each block (22) has a radially outer surface (23) in sliding contact with the inner surface (25) of the outer wall (5) when each block is moved in the axial direction. Each block also has a radially inner surface (24) and each dog has a corresponding radially outer surface (26) that are in sliding contact with each other. At least one pair (24, 26) of these contacting sliding surfaces are oppositely inclined with respect to each other so that the relative axial movement of the block (22) and the dog (16) causes the dog to be driven in a radially inwardly direction across the gap (56) to grip the tubular member (30).
US08904615B2
A fastening device includes a rotational drive portion that rotationally drives a socket, an advance/retract drive portion that causes this socket to advance or retract along a rotational axis thereof, a magazine that retains a plurality of heads that retain bolts, and a switching portion that moves this magazine to selectively position one of a plurality of heads ahead and on the rotational axis of the socket. One of the heads is selected and positioned on the rotational axis of the socket by the switching portion, then the socket is advanced by the advance/retract drive portion and the head thus selected is retained by the socket, then the socket is advanced further by the advance/retract drive portion and the head to detach is detached from the magazine, and then the head is rotated by driving the rotational drive portion, thereby fastening a bolt retained in the head.
US08904601B2
A synchronous movement device applied to dual-shaft system includes a first shaft and a second shaft, which are assembled with each other and synchronously rotatable. The synchronous movement device further includes a driver disposed on the first shaft and a reactor disposed on the second shaft and a link unit connected between the driver and the reactor. When the first shaft drives the driver to rotate, the driver pushes the link unit to move along the first and second shafts to forcedly push the reactor to rotate in a direction reverse to the moving direction of the driver. Accordingly, the first and second shafts are synchronously rotated.
US08904600B2
A hinge apparatus has a first attachment member to be attached to a housing, a second attachment member to be attached to a door; and first and second links, respective basal end portions of the first and the second links rotatably attached to the first attachment member, respective distal end portions of the first and the second links rotatably attached to the second attachment member. The first attachment member, the second attachment member, the first link and the second link constitute a link mechanism. The first attachment member has a base member to be attached to the housing, and a connecting member removably attached to the base member. The basal end portions of the first and the second links are rotatably attached to the connecting member. The connecting member, the second attachment member, the first link and the second link constitute a link mechanism.
US08904596B1
An oil spill vacuum hose support including an S-shaped vacuum wand having a top end and a bottom end, an internal hose disposed therewithin, and a threaded hose connection attached to an upper end of the internal hose and disposed within a grip on the top end. The hose connection connects the internal hose to an industrial oil spill vacuum hose. A housing, disposed on the bottom end, houses a vacuum head attached to the internal hose terminus to suction up an oil spill. The housing is disposed between a pair of concave guidance skis which support the housing in an upright position and assist with guiding and supporting the vacuum wand. Each guidance ski includes a concave base member and a brace member. A handle is disposed on the vacuum wand to permit a user to maintain a firm grip while guiding the device.
US08904594B2
An air cannon has a pressure vessel, a discharge valve, and a discharge tube assembly. The discharge tube assembly comprises a fluid passageway and a blast guard valve. The discharge valve is capable of opening and closing and allows pressurized gas to be discharged from the pressure vessel into the fluid passageway of the discharge tube assembly only when open. The blast guard valve is capable of opening and closing and obstructs the fluid passageway of the discharge tube assembly when closed. The blast guard valve allows gas to pass through the fluid passageway when open. The discharge valve and the blast guard valve are operatively connected to each other in a manner such that the discharge valve can open only when the blast guard valve is open.
US08904591B2
A cleaning implement comprising a base member having opposing top and bottom surfaces and at least one side surface. A handle is connected to the top surface of the base member and a first cleaning material is attached to the bottom surface of the base member. A cleaning member is rotatably connected to the at least one side surface of the base member and a second cleaning material attached to the cleaning member such that the second cleaning material is oriented in a different plane than the first cleaning material.
US08904590B2
An oral hygiene implement is described herein. The oral hygiene implement has a handle; a head, and a neck disposed between the handle and the head. The head has a plurality of contact elements. A sealing element is positioned between the handle and the neck. The sealing element is translucent. An indication element is positioned between the adjacent the sealing element. A light emitting source provides electromagnetic energy to the indication element, and the electromagnetic energy passes through the sealing element.
US08904583B1
A pediatric catheterization collar for enlarging the working surface of a medical treatment bed to enable medical personnel to treat a child upon an adult-sized treatment bed. The collar having a U-shaped profile that mounts atop the cantilevered mattress support plate of the bed. The collar surrounding one end of the mattress and having a table top that is substantially coplanar with the top surface of the mattress.
US08904582B2
A patient support system includes a floor cavity in the floor of a treatment room; a patient support device comprising a treatment table; a base; a first movement mechanism on which the treatment table is mounted; a second movement mechanism mounted on the base and attached to the first movement mechanism, wherein the first and second movement mechanisms are moveable independently of each other; the first movement mechanism is configured to raise and lower the treatment table and the second movement mechanism is configured to raise and lower the first movement mechanism such that in a lowered position the second movement mechanism is contained within the floor cavity.
US08904575B1
A perineal spray attachment for use with a conventional toilet seat and which is specifically designed to be mounted to the underside of the seat for manipulation by either right or left hand. The attachment includes a discharge nozzle mounted at an end of an arcuately shaped conduit that is rigidly secured to a combination control valve and handle that is used to move the nozzle from a non-deployed position immediately beneath a portion of the toilet seat to a deployed position generally centrally of the opening in the toilet sear. The attachment also includes an inline venturi injector for entraining cleansing and other topical agents into the fluid flow through the discharge nozzle. The handle incorporates a valve for controlling liquid flow to the nozzle and which valve is actuated by an individual's thumb after the nozzle has been manipulated to the deployed position.
US08904563B2
The invention relates to a clothing item, particularly for sports activities, made of water-proof and wind-proof material, comprising a climate membrane. Regions (7, 8) made of highly elastic woven fabric which has temperature equalizing properties are provided in the material.
US08910307B2
Generally, aspects of this disclosure are directed to copy protection techniques. Areas in memory may be secured to establish a secure memory area in the memory that is not accessible by unauthorized clients. A request to decode video content stored in the secure memory area may be received. If the video content to be decoded is stored in the secure memory area, a first MMU associated with the hardware decoder may enforce a rule that the video content is to be decoded into one or more output buffers in the secure memory area. A request to display the decoded video content stored in the secure memory area may be received. If the decoded video content is stored in the secure memory area, a second MMU associated with a hardware display processor may enforce a rule that a secure link be established between the hardware display processor and an output device.
US08910305B1
A computer implemented method comprises determining two or more line segments of a mouse cursor path, determining a slope of each of the two or more line segments, and determining whether the mouse cursor path represents a program simulating mouse movement based on a comparison of the values of the determined slopes. A computing device and computer program product implementing similar features are also disclosed.
US08910302B2
Media rights are managed to include not just device authentication, but to include elements of user, device, and service authorization. A user can play media on a mobile device, continue playing the media on a desktop computer, and subsequently move to a large screen television and media rights are automatically identified to provide the most appropriate authorized content. This allows an authorized user to seamlessly access different forms of the same content on a variety of authenticated devices using the same digital rights management mechanisms.
US08910291B2
Detecting security vulnerabilities in web applications by interacting with a web application at a computer server during its execution at the computer server, identifying client-side instructions provided by the web application responsive to an interaction with the web application, where the client-side instructions are configured to be implemented by a client computer that receives the client-side instructions from the computer server, evaluating the identified client-side instructions, and identifying a security vulnerability associated with the client-side instructions.
US08910288B2
Data can be scanned using a network managed appliance. The network managed appliance may integrate commercial hardware elements connected through a basic or simplified operating system environment expressly developed for the appliance, thus being more malware resistant and less vulnerable to attacks from the scanned data or other sources. The network managed appliance may be a self-contained apparatus with an integrated chassis, designed and configured as “single-purpose” device. Such appliances may be connected to an appliance management network including central management servers in communication with appliances in remote locations. The central management servers may ensure that scanning software and the definitions lists for each of the appliances are current and match an enterprise-approved configuration.
US08910286B2
Instructions of an application program are emulated such that they are carried out sequentially in a first virtual execution environment that represents the user-mode data processing of the operating system. A system API call requesting execution of a user-mode system function is detected. In response, the instructions of the user-mode system function called by the API are emulated according to a second emulation mode in which the instructions of the user-mode system function are carried out sequentially in a second virtual execution environment that represents the user-mode data processing of the operating system, including tracking certain processor and memory states affected by the instructions of the user-mode system function. Results of the emulating of the application program instructions according to the first emulation mode are analyzed for any presence of malicious code.
US08910279B2
Information concerning a plurality of identified threats provided by a plurality of preselected sources is stored in memory. An e-mail message may be received over a communication network. The received e-mail message is separated into a plurality of components. The stored information is searched to identify a reputation score associated with each of the plurality of components. It is then determined whether the e-mail is a threat based on the identified reputation score of each of the plurality of components. The determination is sent to a designated recipient.
US08910278B2
What is provided are a system and method which enables an organization or user to manage computational services in a cloud computing network for security, compliance and governance. The management including creating a trusted virtual network including encrypted data storage, encrypted data transport, and trusted instances of servers all communicatively coupled together forming a trusted cloud computing environment that is associated with the organization. A web portal running on a web server provides a point of access to the cloud computing environment. A workflow is accessed to implement one or more policies in trusted computing environment to manage the trusted cloud computing environment, the workflow customized to the organization. The access control; and to the trusted cloud computing environment is used to ensure access by users authorized by the organization to ensure compliance with adopted standards.
US08910269B2
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for preventing communication of unwanted network traffic by holding only a last portion of the network traffic. In use, network traffic associated with a file transfer is received. Additionally, only a last portion of the network traffic associated with the file transfer is held for determining whether the file is unwanted. Further, the last portion of the network traffic associated with the file transfer is conditionally forwarded to a destination device, based on the determination.
US08910268B2
Secure content management is enabled as a cloud-based service through which security protection and policy enforcement may be implemented for both on-premise network users and roaming users. The global SCM service integrates the security functionalities—such as anti-virus, spyware, and phishing protection, firewall, intrusion detection, centralized management, and the like—that are typically provided by enterprise network SCM appliance hardware or servers into a cloud-based service that users reach via Internet-based points-of-presence (“POPs”). The POPs are configured with forward proxy servers, and in some implementations, caching and network acceleration components, and coupled to hubs which provide configuration management and identity management services such as active directory services.
US08910255B2
Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to authentication for a distributed secure content management system. In aspects, a request to access a resource available through the Internet is routed to a security component. The security component is one of a plurality of security components distributed throughout the Internet and responsible for authenticating entities associated with an enterprise. The security component determines an authentication protocol to use with the entity and then authenticates the entity. If the entity is authenticated, the entity is allowed to use a forward proxy.
US08910246B2
A system, method, and apparatus for contextual-based virtual data boundaries are disclosed herein. In particular, the present disclosure relates to improvements in access control that work to restrict the accessibility of data based on assigning contextual data thresholds that create a virtual boundary. Specifically, the disclosed method involves assigning at least one threshold to at least one contextual criterion. The method further involves determining whether contextual information from the claimant meets at least one threshold to at least one contextual criterion. Also, the method involves authenticating the claimant, if the contextual information from the claimant meets at least one of the thresholds to at least one contextual criterion. Further, the method involves allowing the claimant access to the data, if the claimant is authenticated.
US08910243B2
An image display may be displayed by augmented reality on a remote controller. This may include identifying an electronic device having playable content, receiving information regarding a locked status of the playable content of the identified electronic device, and displaying, on a screen, an object indicating a locked status when the playable content of the identified electronic device requires a user authentication for playing the content. A user authentication input may be received and a determination may be made whether the received user authentication input matches a previously stored user authentication information. The playable content may be released from the locked status when it is determined that the received user authentication input matches the previously stored user authentication information, and information relating to the released playable content may be displayed.
US08910241B2
A method of packet management for restricting access to a resource of a computer system. The method includes identifying client parameters and network parameters, as a packet management information, used to determine access to the resource, negotiating a session key between client and server devices, generating a session ID based on at least the negotiated session key, inserting the packet management information and the session ID into each information packet sent from the client device to the server device, monitoring packet management information in each information packet from the client device, and filtering out respective information packets sent to the server device from the client device when the monitored packet management information indicates that access to the resource is restricted.
US08910239B2
Various aspects of the disclosure relate to providing a per-application policy-controlled virtual private network (VPN) tunnel. In some embodiments, tickets may be used to provide access to an enterprise resource without separate authentication of the application and, in some instances, can be used in such a manner as to provide a seamless experience to the user when reestablishing a per-application policy controlled VPN tunnel during the lifetime of the ticket. Additional aspects relate to an access gateway providing updated policy information and tickets to a mobile device. Other aspects relate to selectively wiping the tickets from a secure container of the mobile device. Yet further aspects relate to operating applications in multiple modes, such as a managed mode and an unmanaged mode, and providing authentication-related services based on one or more of the above aspects.
US08910238B2
Described systems and methods allow the detection and prevention of malware and/or malicious activity within a network comprising multiple client computer systems, such as an enterprise network with multiple endpoints. Each endpoint operates a hardware virtualization platform, including a hypervisor exposing a client virtual machine (VM) and a security VM. The security VM is configured to have exclusive use of the network adapter(s) of the respective endpoint, and to detect whether data traffic to/from the client VM comprises malware or is indicative of malicious behavior. Upon detecting malware/malicious behavior, the security VM may block access of the client VM to the network, thus preventing the spread of malware to other endpoints. The client system may further comprise a memory introspection engine configured to perform malware scanning of the client VM from the level of the hypervisor.
US08910231B2
A system and method for configuring media services is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a portal having a controller element to detect an installation of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) media receiver in an IPTV media system and adapt at least a portion of the portal according to the installation. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08910225B2
Various acquisition streams are delivered, synchronously or asynchronously, to a server. Those streams having local time indicia are synchronized with the global timeline and the various acquisition streams are then stored. Low bit rate streams corresponding to the stored acquisition streams are generated for use in subsequent editing of the acquisition streams. The editing of the acquisition streams entails reviewing the various acquisition streams and selecting portions for replay. The portions selected for replay are identified through metadata which is then stored. The replay or distribution mode begins by editing the global timeline using the metadata generated in the editing mode so as to produce an edited timeline. The various acquisition streams are then rendered or played back according to the edited timeline to produce a distribution stream.
US08910223B2
A higher network sends a base stream of a data stream to a first network node, and sends an enhancement stream of the data stream to a second network node. The first network node transmits the base stream over a multicast channel and the second network node transmits the enhanced stream in synchronism with the transmitted base stream over a unicast channel. Various options are detailed for how this synchronism is achieved, and the second network node need only transmit the higher bit-rate enhancement stream on user request or if network conditions permit. A user equipment receives the base and enhancement streams, combines them, and displays the combined stream to a user at a graphical display interface. Various apparatus, methods, and computer programs are detailed for various nodes and the user equipment.
US08910216B2
Systems and methods may provide for setting a timer via an interactive trigger. The interactive trigger may be combined with a video stream and detected when the video stream is to be displayed. Based on the detection, a selectable display object associated with the interactive trigger may be displayed with the display of the video stream. Selection of the selectable display object may enable a timer to be set based on the interactive trigger. The timer enabled by the interactive trigger may be a recording timer, an auto-tune timer or a reminder timer.
US08910208B2
An interactive video system is provided that is capable of combining streaming televised events with video conferencing technology to create a social television experience. A first user is able to connect via a webcam and microphone to a server that combines the webcam video and sound from the microphone with a streaming video that could be a televised event. The combined webcam video, microphone sound, and streaming video is then broadcast to the first user and other users such that the users are capable of viewing the streaming video with the live conferencing video and sound from the first user. This procedure may be repeated such that a plurality of users may video conference live on top of the streaming video.
US08910204B2
A virtual channel table for broadcasting protocol and a method for broadcasting by using the virtual channel table includes identification information identifying and permitting discrimination of active and inactive channels contained in the virtual channel table. At a receiver, the virtual channel table transmitted from the transmitting side is parsed, thereby determining whether the current received channel is an active or inactive channel.
US08910196B2
Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products are provided for broadcast area identification and content distribution. In one embodiment, a broadcast area associated with an electronic device can be identified. Then, content for the broadcast area can be distributed to the electronic device in accordance with distribution parameters.
US08910195B1
The present disclosure provides systems and methods for enhancing audience measurement data. Offline and online audience measurement data may be compared and correlated to improve the quality of each data and source set. Positive correlations between the offline and online data sets related to a particular event may indicate demographic traits that are likely true, such that outliers may be removed from the set or considered at a reduced weight. Negative correlations may indicate that demographic information within a source set, such as the online measurement data, may be false or suspect.
US08910188B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for processing event data. In one aspect, a method includes assigning events to event bundles based on timestamps associated with the events. Each event bundle contains events having timestamps that are within a pre-specified period of time. Event batches are created, where each event batch includes a pre-specified number of event bundles. A first event batch is provided to a first computing group and a second computing group. The first computing group is configured to perform a first processing stage, and the second computing group is configured to perform a second processing stage. A determination is made that a threshold number of the event bundles in the first event batch have been processed by the first computing group. In response to the determination, a second event batch is provided to each of the computing groups.
US08910185B2
An API bridge service retrieves a generic API message request, placed in a request queue of a message queuing network by a message queuing application, from the request queue. The API bridge service formats the generic API request into a particular API call for at least one specific API. The API bridge service calls at least one specific API with the particular API call. Responsive to the API bridge service receiving at least one API specific response from at least one specific API, the API bridge service translates at least one API specific response into a response message comprising a generic API response. The API bridge service, places the response message in a response queue of the message queuing network, wherein the message queuing application listens to the response queue for the response message.
US08910182B2
A distributed instance system manages instances and communications between the instances. The distributed instance system provides a restricted set of communication methods to the instances. Based on the type of communication method used, the distributed instance system has knowledge of the messages sent by instances and can make decisions on how to handle the messages. When one of the instances involved in a message exchange ends, the host uses its knowledge of the message exchange type to determine whether to drop the message, drop a reply to the message, and/or send an error message to the surviving instance. An instance may create one or more child instances in a tree-like configuration. Status data is passed up the tree from children instances and aggregated in the parent instances. Monitoring data may be generated from the aggregated status data.
US08910180B2
An illustrative embodiment of a computer-implemented process for interdependent task management selects a task from an execution task dependency chain to form a selected task, wherein a type selected from a set of types including “forAll,” “runOnce” and none is associated with the selected task and determines whether there is a “forAll” task. Responsive to a determination that there is no “forAll” task, determines whether there is a “runOnce” task and responsive to a determination that there is a “runOnce” task further determines whether there is a semaphore for the selected task. Responsive to a determination that there is a semaphore for the selected task, the computer-implemented process determines whether the semaphore is “on” for the selected task and responsive to a determination that the semaphore is “on,” sets the semaphore “off” and executes the selected task.
US08910177B2
A processor that dynamically remaps logical cores to physical cores is disclosed. In one embodiment, the processor includes a plurality of physical cores, and is configured to store a mapping of logical cores to the plurality of physical cores. The processor further includes an assignment unit configured to remap the logical cores to the plurality of physical cores subsequent to a boot process of the processor. In some embodiments, the assignment unit is configured to remap the logical cores in response to receiving an indication that one or more of the plurality of physical cores have entered an idle state. The processor may be configured to load a first of the plurality of physical cores with an execution state of a second of the plurality of physical cores upon the first physical core exiting an idle state.
US08910170B2
An illustrative embodiment of an apparatus for interdependent task management selects a task from an execution task dependency chain to form a selected task, wherein a type selected from a set of types including “forAll,” “runOnce” and none is associated with the selected task and determines whether there is a “forAll” task. Responsive to a determination that there is no “forAll” task, determines whether there is a “runOnce” task and responsive to a determination that there is a “runOnce” task further determines whether there is a semaphore for the selected task. Responsive to a determination that there is a semaphore for the selected task, the computer-implemented process determines whether the semaphore is “on” for the selected task and responsive to a determination that the semaphore is “on,” sets the semaphore “off” and executes the selected task.
US08910164B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to receiving, by a first processor comprising a processing device, an indication that a migration of a virtual machine from the first processor to a second processor is to occur. The first processor transmits user datagram protocol (UDP) packets intended for the virtual machine to the second processor based on the indication. A signal is transmitted to the virtual machine to enter an offline state, wherein the offline states comprises a transfer of at least one of a central processing unit (CPU) state and a memory state, and wherein the virtual machine is configured to halt a processing of the UDP packets in response to receiving the signal. The virtual machine is reactivated once the migration of the virtual machine from the first processor to the second processor is complete. The virtual machine is instructed to resume the processing of the UDP packets.
US08910162B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to receiving, by a first processor comprising a processing device, an indication that a migration of a virtual machine from the first processor to a second processor is to occur. The first processor transmits user datagram protocol (UDP) packets intended for the virtual machine to the second processor based on the indication. A signal is transmitted to the virtual machine to enter an offline state, wherein the offline states comprises a transfer of at least one of a central processing unit (CPU) state and a memory state, and wherein the virtual machine is configured to halt a processing of the UDP packets in response to receiving the signal. The virtual machine is reactivated once the migration of the virtual machine from the first processor to the second processor is complete. The virtual machine is instructed to resume the processing of the UDP packets.
US08910148B2
A method for packaging an application, for use with a system comprising the application and a plurality of libraries, the method comprising: in response to runtime execution of the application, monitoring library data associated with at least one of the plurality of libraries that is invoked by the application; associating the library data with an identifier of the application; and using the library data and the application identifier to create a package comprising the application and the at least one of the plurality of libraries.
US08910137B2
A system and associated method for creating a library method stub in source code form corresponding to an original library call in machine-executable form. Sequential code subject to pipeline-parallelization includes the original library call of which source code is not available for profiling. The original library call is annotated for a library method signature to specify formal arguments and parameters accessible to the formal arguments. Memory operations of the original library call are summarized with on one or more idiom sentences, which are mapped to a respective code stub that simulates the original library call. The library method stub is created for profiling of the original library call in source code level such that the sequential code is parallelized via the created library method stub.
US08910133B2
A library management system may compare contracts between programming libraries to identify unions, intersections, and differences between libraries. The management system may have a contract analyzer that may remove the contract definition from an existing library to form a library contract. The library contract may be managed as a first class item within a programming environment, and may be used as a reference for comparing existing and new versions of the library. The library management system may create reference libraries for programmers to write applications using two or more intersecting libraries, among other uses.
US08910118B2
The present disclosure discloses a method, system, and computer program product for extracting business rules of a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) system. Each of the method, system, and computer program product providing functions comprising: obtaining values of a plurality of business objects; obtaining structure units of the SOA system; establishing association relationships between the structure units and the values of the business objects; and generating business rules based on the association relationships. Using one or more embodiments of the present disclosure can break through the limitations of the conventional method of extracting business rules of a SOA system based on code, and can extract business rules of a complex SOA system.
US08910115B2
Systems and methods are described herein for generating native applications for multiple platforms from a single code base.
US08910114B2
In one embodiment, a method includes identifying a byte swap operation, building a domain including the byte swap operation and other expressions, identifying domain entries and domain exits associated with the domain, determining that a benefit will be obtained by performing a swap of the domain, and responsive to the determination performing the swap of the domain, and storing the swapped domain in a storage medium. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08910111B2
In one embodiment a method is provided for rendering a software map. The method includes storing, in an electronic database, information associated with a software development project, the information including start and end dates of particular efforts made in connection with the software development project and dates of specific events associated with the software development project, rendering on a display a timeline, and rendering on the display a software map, wherein the software map includes horizontal lines representing the particular efforts that extend between endpoints defined, substantially, by the start and end dates, and that are aligned with a time scale of the timeline, and vertically or substantially vertical extending lines between and connecting pairs of horizontal lines, wherein each vertically or substantially vertically extending line represents one of the specific events associated with the software development project.
US08910103B2
A method is for designing an accelerator for digital signal processing including defining a software programmable fully pre-laid out macro by pre-laying out with a fixed topology a control logic of the DSP accelerator to obtain a fully pre-laid out control logic. The method further includes defining a hardware programmable partially pre-laid out macro by customizing a configurable layout area, thereby mapping a computational logic based on computation kernels related to an application of the DSP accelerator. A partially pre-laid out computational logic is therefore obtained.
US08910101B1
A method for determining an effective capacitance to facilitate a timing analysis using a processor generally comprises generating a model that is representative of a coupling between at least two TSVs. An impedance profile between the two TSVs as a function of at least one parameter is determined by using the model, wherein the impedance profile includes a plurality of impedance values corresponding to respective values of the parameter. An effective capacitance value corresponding to each respective impedance value is determined. An RC extraction is conducted of a design layout of a TSV circuit based on each determined effective capacitance value to generate an RC network.
US08910091B2
A method of generating complementary masks based on a target pattern having features to be imaged on a substrate for use in a multiple-exposure lithographic imaging process is disclosed. The method includes defining an initial H-mask and an initial V-mask corresponding to the target pattern; identifying horizontal critical features in the H-mask and vertical critical features in the V-mask; assigning a first phase shift and a first percentage transmission to the horizontal critical features, which are to be formed in the H-mask; and assigning a second phase shift and a second percentage transmission to the vertical critical features, which are to be formed in the V-mask. The method further includes the step of assigning chrome to all non-critical features in the H-mask and the V-mask.
US08910088B2
A method is described that involves solving a family of equations for a circuit being designed over a subset of operational scenarios, thereby producing numeric values for design parameters of the circuit. The family of equations is enhanced with the numeric values are solved over a second subset of the operational scenarios. A design for the circuit that includes the numeric values is produced.
US08910087B2
An electronic device includes a storage unit, a touch display unit and a central processing unit. The central processing unit includes a control module, a searching module, and a spit-screen module. The control module generates a first window on the touch display unit to display a text document when the text document is opened, and determines a selected text of the displayed text document by a user according to touch positions when the touch display unit is touched. The searching module searches occurrences of the selected text in the text document, and the control module stores the searched text in the storage unit. The spit-screen module displays each occurrence of the selected text on a second window produced thereby with a size thereof smaller than that of the first window. A related method is also provided.
US08910080B2
An image-displaying device includes a storing unit and a displaying unit. The storing unit stores correlation data between a plurality of thumbnails and a sequence of the plurality of thumbnails. The displaying unit is capable of displaying a predetermined maximum number of thumbnails based on the correlation data. If a displayed thumbnail is selected by a user, the displaying unit displays identification data identifying the selected thumbnail together with the selected thumbnail. If identification data is selected by a user, the displaying unit displays a thumbnail corresponding to the selected identification data.
US08910078B2
Techniques for aiding user input with a graphical user interface (GUI) are disclosed. A target object among various command regions of the GUI is predicted, e.g., substantially before the cursor reaches any of the regions. The command region corresponding to the predicted target object is enlarged to facilitate user selection of the predicted target object. Enlarging the predicted target object may cause the target object to overlap and/or occlude nearby command regions. After a first target object is predicted, the prediction may be changed based on updated cursor movements. By using predictive target enlargement, users are given early visual feedback about the target, and are given a larger target to acquire, thereby allowing them to be faster and less precise (their mouse direction can wander) yet still acquire their desired result.
US08910075B2
A game apparatus includes an LCD, and a touch panel is provided on the LCD. On the LCD, a game screen of a tramp game is displayed. When a player performs a touch-on operation on a card object displayed on the game screen, if another card is overlapped with the touched card object, and the overlapping is large, this another card object is moved. Accordingly, a mark and a character (numeric or alphabetic character) of the card object on which the player performs a touch-on operation are displayed to be visually identifiable.
US08910074B2
Provided is a system and method for performing an auto scroll. The system for performing the auto scroll may include an auto scroll determination unit to determine whether to perform the auto scroll on a page, an auto scroll performing unit to perform the auto scroll on the page so that a main text of the page may be obtained with focus, and a page providing unit to output the auto scrolled page. According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, even though a user does not manually scroll to data of the page to be viewed, the data of the page may automatically be scrolled so that the data may be obtained with focus.
US08910072B2
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for managing open windows in a desktop GUI are disclosed. In various implementations, within a three-dimensional desktop, the open windows can be displayed in a three-dimensional browsable parade. As the user browses through the open windows in the browsable parade, the open window passing through a designated primary location of the three-dimensional desktop becomes the current active window of the desktop. An application menu bar of the current active window can be displayed on the three-dimensional desktop. The application menu bar and the active window together provide the full range of interactive capabilities that the native application environment of the open window would allow, even though the open window is currently displayed within the browsable parade.
US08910066B2
Systems and methods are provided for controlling the appearance of application windows on a computer display screen. A user identifies either an application window currently running on the computer or a new application to be started. The user also identifies a size, shape, and screen location by inputting a geometric shape, such as by drawing a rectangle with a pen or stylus input device, on the display screen. The appearance of the application window is set based on the geometric shape. The application window is resized and moved, for a currently running application, or created, for a new application, on the display screen.
US08910056B2
Entries within a participant list of an electronic communications system may be categorized automatically into one or more groups based on attributes of users represented in the participant list. Categorizing users includes maintaining a list of identifiers that are selected by a first user and for which online presence information is made perceivable through the list. The list includes one or more categories into which the identifiers are categorized. At least one attribute associated with an identifier for which online presence information is to be made perceivable through the list and attributes stored relative to at least one of the categories are accessed. The attributes associated with the identifier are compared to the stored attributes. Based on results of the comparison, at least one category within the list that corresponds to the identifier is identified, and the identifier is categorized into the identified category.
US08910051B2
Method and systems for editing, receiving and processing video. Media submissions may be received from remote devices associated with a plurality of users, and the media submissions and a copy of the media submissions in a format for easier access may be stored. A data organization structure including a mechanism for providing sets of folders may be provided, the sets of folders configurable based on input from a user. Media submissions may be organized into the respective folders designated by the users based on user input. A media product may be created based on one or more media submissions. The media product may be created by utilizing an editing interface which allows users at different locations to collaboratively edit video over a network.
US08910048B2
A computing platform constructs an application from source code such that the application detects an attempt to access at least one secured entity of the application. Further, the at least one secured entity is registered with an authorization system by providing metadata that is descriptive of the at least one secured entity to the authorization system so that authorization metadata is generated based upon the metadata and a global unique identifier is assigned to the application and the metadata to identify the application and the metadata. The authorization metadata indicates an access policy to the at least one secured entity.
US08910046B2
A media application of some embodiments includes a timeline, which is a composite display area for displaying media clips that are part of the composite media presentation. The timeline of some embodiments includes a primary lane called a spine as well as one or more anchor lanes. The spine represents a primary sequence of media, which, in some embodiments, does not have any gaps. When a clip is deleted or removed from the timeline, the media-editing applications automatically closes the gap created in place of the clip. The clips in the anchor lanes are anchored to a particular position along the spine. Anchor lanes may be used for compositing (e.g., removing portions of one video and showing a different video in those portions), B-roll cuts (i.e., cutting away from the primary video to a different video whose clip is in the anchor lane), audio clips, or other composite presentation techniques.
US08910035B2
In one embodiment, a first device sends a request to a second device, the request causing a dialog to be displayed on the first device. The second device selects a rendered dialog template corresponding to the dialog; constructs a web page that includes the rendered dialog template; and sends the web page to the first device. The first device displays the web page including the dialog.
US08910034B2
Document fragments are managed by the use of fragment objects. Fragment objects contain a reference to a portion of a source document. Referencing documents contain a reference to a fragment object which delivers the content of the fragment of the source document to the referencing document. The source document can be directly updated through updating the fragment of the source document contained in the referencing document via the use of the fragment object. Source document deletion is controlled by storing the references to the source document by fragment objects so that no fragment object has a reference to a non-existent source document. A process for organizing document fragments within a document management system wherein source documents comprise duplicates of the document fragments includes replacing a duplicate fragment with a reference to a single fragment object the fragment object including a reference to a fragment of a source document and an object class method for deletion of the fragment object including instructions to remove the reference to the fragment object from the metadata of the source document to which the fragment object refers.
US08910033B2
A classification method and system for possible content alteration of a media work may include criteria regarding content that is feasible for alteration. Such criteria may be maintained in records that are accessible to an interested party. Some embodiments may include a record of primary authorization rights applicable to a possible content alteration. A further embodiment feature may include a record of secondary authorization rights applicable to substitute altered content incorporated in a derivative version. Various techniques may be used to incorporate substitute altered content in a derivative version of the media work in accordance with applicable substitution guidelines.
US08910032B2
Some embodiments provide a media-editing application that includes several background-rendering modules. These modules automatically render segments of a media presentation in the background of a system on which the media-editing application is being executed. By performing rendering in the background, the background-rendering modules produce rendered results for the segments. That is, the modules pre-generate playable media output data (e.g., composite video frames or audio samples) of the media presentation without interrupting other operations (e.g., editing operations, etc.) of the media-editing application. The background-rendering modules in some embodiments include a first background-rendering module and a second background-rendering module. The first background-rendering module determines a prioritized order in which the segments are to be rendered. The second background-rendering module renders the segments of each category in the prioritized order that is determined by the first background-rendering module.
US08910025B2
A low-density parity check (LDPC) encoder and input configured to receive an incoming signal stream. The encoder generates, from a block code H-matrix comprising a data portion and a parity check portion, a continuous H-matrix by concatenating the data portion into successive, recurring, data blocks that are separated by a specified symbol interval, and performs LDPC encoding of each data portion using the parity check portion associated with the data portion using its associated parity check portion. Additionally, a Trellis-based low-density parity check (LDPC) decoder configured to receive an encoded stream and decode the received signal to recover the signal stream.
US08910022B2
A computing device includes a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory system module. The CPU includes a data dispersed storage error coding (DSEC) module operable to DSEC decode a set of encoded ingress data slices to recapture ingress data and DSEC encode egress data to produce a set of encoded egress data slices, an instruction DSEC module operable to DSEC decode a set of encoded instruction slices to recapture an instruction, and an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) operable to, execute the instruction on the ingress data and execute the instruction to produce the egress data. The memory system module is operable to coordinate retrieval of the set of encoded ingress data slices from memory, coordinate retrieval of the set of encoded instruction slices from the memory, and coordinate storage of the set of encoded egress data slices in the memory.
US08910011B2
A low-density parity check (LDPC) code decoding method may be provided. The LDPC code decoding method may linearize or perform step-approximation on a natural logarithm hyperbolic cosine function included in a check node updating equation of a sum-product algorithm used for decoding an LDPC code, and may convert the linearized function to correspond to a check node updating equation of a min-sum algorithm.
US08910006B2
One embodiment relates to a method of processing data in a transmitter. In the method, a timestamp is generated for a data unit. The data unit is stored in a memory unit in the transmitter. The data unit is transmitted from the transmitter to a receiver. The transmitter waits up to a predetermined time measured with respect to the timestamp to receive an acknowledgement from the receiver. Based on whether the acknowledgement is received within the predetermined time, the transmitter selectively retransmits the data unit to the receiver. Other methods and systems are also disclosed.
US08910002B2
A test-ahead feature for non-volatile memory-based mass storage devices to anticipate device failure. The test-ahead feature includes a method performed with a solid-state mass storage device having a controller, a cache memory, and at least one non-volatile memory device. At least a first block is reserved on the at least one non-volatile memory device as a wear-indicator block and a plurality of second blocks are used for data storage. Information is stored corresponding to the number of write and erase cycles encountered by the second blocks during usage of the mass storage device, and the information is accessed to perform wear leveling among the second blocks. The wear-indicator blocks are subjected to an offset number of write and erase cycles in excess of the number of write and erase cycles encountered by the second blocks, after which an integrity check of the first block is performed.
US08910001B2
Method for testing a memory under test (1) including a plurality of memory cells and a Memory Built-In Self-Test Engine (2) connectable to a memory under test. The MBIST engine (2) is arranged to generate appropriate addressing and read and/or write operations to the memory under test (1). The MBIST engine (2) is connected to a March Element Stress register (MESR) (3), a generic march element register (GMER) (4), and a Command Memory (5). The GMER (4) specifies one of a set of Generic March Elements (GME), and the MESR (3) specifies the stress conditions to be applied. Only a few GMEs are required in order to specify most industrial algorithms. The architecture is orthogonal and modular, and all speed related information is contained in the GME. In addition, only little memory is required for the specification of the test, providing a low implementation cost, yet with a high flexibility.
US08909993B2
Verifying speculative multithreading in an application executing in a computing system, including: executing one or more test instructions serially thereby producing a serial result, including insuring that all data dependencies among the test instructions are satisfied; executing the test instructions speculatively in a plurality of threads thereby producing a speculative result; and determining whether a speculative multithreading error exists including: comparing the serial result to the speculative result and, if the serial result does not match the speculative result, determining that a speculative multithreading error exists.
US08909986B2
A data storing method for a solid state drive is used to preserve data integrity after a power failure. The solid state drive has a flash memory with plural blocks. Each block includes plural pages. One of the plural blocks is set as an old open block. The data storing method includes the following steps. Firstly, the solid state drive is powered on again. Then, the valid data in the old open block are stored into a new open block.
US08909982B2
Methods and systems are disclosed herein for detecting problems related to copyback programming. After the copyback data is read into the internal flash buffer, a part of the copyback data stored in the internal flash buffer (such as spare data) is analyzed to determine whether there are any errors in a part of the copyback data read. The analysis may be used by the flash memory in one or more ways related to the current copyback operation, subsequent copyback operations, subsequent treatment of the data in the current copyback operation, and subsequent treatment of the section in memory associated with the source page.
US08909978B2
A method for diagnosing and correcting errors at a data processing system is disclosed includes detecting at a first device of the system, such as a network interface device, an error at a second device of the system, such as a data processor. In response to detecting the error, the first device communicates a help request via a network. In response to the help request, the first device receives diagnostic and error correction routines from a remote system. The first device executes the routines and provides information to the remote system to diagnose and correct errors at the second device.
US08909967B1
A technique for secure computation obfuscates program execution such that observers cannot detect what instructions are being run at any given time. Rather, program execution and memory access patterns are made to appear uniform. A processor operates based on encrypted inputs and produces encrypted outputs. In various examples, obfuscation is achieved by exercising computational circuits in a similar way for a wide range of instructions, such that all such instructions, regardless of their operational differences, affect the processor's power dissipation and processing time substantially uniformly. Obfuscation is further achieved by limiting memory accesses to predetermined time intervals, with memory interface circuits exercised regardless of whether a running program requires a memory access or not. The resulting processor thus reduces leakage of any meaningful information relating to the program or its inputs, which could otherwise be detectable to observers.
US08909958B2
In one embodiment, power from multiple inline power sources is collected. Power is supplied to powered network circuits from the collected power and any excess power from the collected power is supplied to downlink inline equipment. A worst-case power source loss scenario is determined based on power source and load information. Removal of an inline power source is detected and load power is reduced when the removed power source reduces the power required to operate the powered network circuits.
US08909957B2
A system and method are provided wherein the voltage to a random access memory system may be automatically, dynamically adjusted without requiring an operating system to be restarted. In one embodiment, a target value of a voltage supplied to the memory system is dynamically selected. A system management mode is invoked in response to a change in the dynamically selected target value, including suspending a normal operation of the memory system. While in the system management mode, the voltage supplied to the memory system is adjusted according to the changed target voltage. A memory speed is adjusted according to the changed target value of the voltage. These steps are performed without restarting the computer system. The system management mode is exited and normal operation of the memory system may resume at the changed target voltage.
US08909955B2
Various embodiments are described herein for a peripheral device and a method of identifying the peripheral device via power cycling. In one embodiment, the method comprises obtaining characteristic information about the peripheral device, encoding the characteristic information in a power signal at the peripheral device and sending the power signal to an electronic device that is operably connected with the peripheral device. The electronic device can then take action such as adjusting its settings or applications based on the characteristic information of the peripheral device.
US08909951B2
A dynamic power management system for USB hub and method thereof are described. The dynamic power management system includes a host device, a power unit and a hub device. A power management module disposed in the hub device dynamically adjusts the power-supplying statuses of ports in the hub device and further reduces the cost of power transformer externally connected to the hub device.
US08909946B2
Efficient power management of a system with virtual machines is disclosed. In particular, such efficient power management may enable coordination of system-wide power changes with virtual machines. Additionally, such efficient power management may enable coherent power changes in a system with a virtual machine monitor. Furthermore, such efficient power management may enable dynamic control and communication of power state changes.
US08909942B1
A secure data storage system includes a mechanism that can be activated to inhibit access to stored data. In one embodiment, access to stored data can be prevented without having to erase or modify such data. An encryption key, or data used to generate the encryption key, is stored in an MRAM module integrated within the data storage system. The data storage system uses the encryption key to encrypt data received from a host system, and to decrypt the encrypted data when it is subsequently read by a host system. To render the stored data inaccessible, an operator (or an automated process) can expose the MRAM module to a magnetic field of sufficient strength to erase key data therefrom.
US08909936B2
Techniques are disclosed for dynamically mitigating a noncompliant password. The method comprises obtaining a password; generating one or more quality scores for the password using a password policy for an authentication and authorization service; determining whether the password has sufficient score quality; in response to determining that the password does not have sufficient score quality, granting to the user a different level of access to the service than if the password meets the quality criteria; wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.
US08909934B2
A certificate enrollment assistant module may be provided to inject a challenge password into a certificate signing request to be sent, to a Certificate Authority, from a computing device. The certificate enrollment assistant module, thereby, acts as a trusted proxy to assist the computing device in building a valid certificate signing request without the computing device having access to the challenge password.
US08909933B2
A visual data transfer channel is established between a mobile device and a computing entity to facilitate a decoupled cryptographic scheme. The mobile device stores a private key. In operation, a first code is received by the mobile device over the channel. The first code encodes a cryptographic value that secures other information that has been received or generated at the computing entity. The mobile device private key is then applied to the cryptographic value to generate a second cryptographic value, which is encoded to generate a second code. The second code is then rendered on the mobile device display, from which it can then be transmitted back over the visual channel to the computing entity. At the computing entity, the second cryptographic value is recovered from the second code.
US08909927B2
A message processing device for processing messages has at least one reception buffer, a message includes at least one authentication element and one message content. The message is received and stored in the reception buffer. A characteristic variable of a priority for security checking of the message is determined as a function of the message content. A processing sequence for further message processing for the security checking, taking into account the at least one authentication element of the messages in the reception buffer is defined and carried out as a function of the characteristic variable.
US08909920B2
Token detection at a single computing platform may be linked with a user identification to unlock content and/or effectuate modifications in virtual space instances presented via multiple computing platforms, in accordance with one or more implementations. Exemplary implementations may enhance consistency in a user's experiences of a virtual space across multiple computing platforms.
US08909912B2
According to one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a physical computing device including a network interface configured to enable communications over a network, and at least one processor. The apparatus captures an operational state of the physical computing device including information pertaining to a state of the physical computing device resulting from operations performed by the physical computing device. The apparatus further configures the physical computing device with the operational state captured from a desired computing device to continue operations of the desired computing device on the physical computing device. Embodiments may further include a method and computer-readable media encoded with software for the storage and transfer of physical machine state in substantially the same manner described above.
US08909904B2
A processor includes a decode unit and a byte permute unit. The byte permute unit receives an instruction from the decode unit. The byte permute unit determines whether the instruction corresponds to a shuffle instruction or a shift instruction. For a shuffle instruction, the byte permute unit uses a byte shuffler to perform a shuffle operation indicated by the instruction. For a shift instruction that indicates a shift magnitude, the byte permute unit uses the byte shuffler to byte-level shift a source operand corresponding to the instruction by an integer number of bytes. The byte permute unit also generates a sequence of output bits by bit-shifting the byte-level shifted source operand by a number of bits such that the sum of the number of bits and the integer number of bytes is equal to the shift magnitude.
US08909896B2
A method for controlling data for a storage system comprises: receiving a write input/output (I/O) command of a data from a host computer, the write I/O command including an application ID identifying an application operating on the host computer which sends the write I/O request; maintaining a record of a relation between the application ID in the write I/O command and a storage location of the data to be written in a first volume of the storage system; determining, based on the application ID, whether a data transfer function between the first volume and a second storage volume is to be performed on the data beyond writing the data to the storage location in the first volume; and if the data transfer function is to be performed on the data, then performing the data transfer function on the data to the second volume.
US08909892B2
Embodiments of the invention enable fast context switching of application specific processors having functional units with an architecturally visible state. In example embodiments, a processor allocates memory space to store two process control blocks for two active tasks to be performed by the processor comprising one or more custom functional units having a respective processing state not accessible by the processor. A memory controller stores the processing state of the custom functional units currently running a first active task, in a first process control block, in response to a preemptive task switch requirement. The memory controller loads a second processing state of the custom functional units for a second active task, from a second process control block in the memory, in response to the preemptive task switch requirement. The processor may then perform the second active task, based on the second processing state loaded into the custom functional units.
US08909886B1
A method, computer program product, and computing system for compartmentalizing a LUN into a plurality of portions that are each assigned to one or more hosts. The occurrence of a migration event in which an application being executed on a first host is being migrated to second host may be detected. Any portions within the LUN that are assigned to the application being executed on the first host may be identified, thus generating one or more identified portions. The one or more identified portions may be reassigned to the second host.
US08909882B2
A method for processing data using snapshots is provided. The method comprises generating a primary snapshot of data stored in a first storage medium, wherein the primary snapshot is a copy of the data stored in the first storage medium at a point in time; generating one or more secondary snapshots of the primary snapshot, wherein the secondary snapshots are copies of the data stored on the first storage medium at the point in time; and extracting the data stored in the first storage medium at the point in time by accessing the data included in the secondary snapshots, wherein multiple processing units concurrently transform the extracted data and load the transformed data onto a second storage medium.
US08909881B2
A system and method of creating archive copies of data sets is described. In some examples, the system creates an archive copy from an original data set. In some examples, the system creates an archive copy when creating a recovery copy for a data set. In some examples, the system creates a copy without redundant data, and then encrypts the data set.
US08909873B2
A method and apparatus for controlling traffic of multiprocessor system or multi-core system is provided. The traffic control apparatus of a multiprocessor system according to the present invention includes a request handler for processing a traffic request of a first processor, and a Quality of Service (QoS) manager for receiving a QoS guaranty start instruction for a second processor from the multiprocessor system, and for transmitting, when traffic of the second processor is detected, a traffic adjustment signal to the request handler. The request handler adjusts the traffic of the first processor according to the received traffic adjustment signal. The traffic control method and apparatus of the present invention is capable of adjusting the required bandwidths of individual technologies and guaranteeing the real-timeness in the multiprocessor system or multi-core system.
US08909868B2
A method and a system for controlling quality of service of a storage system, and a storage system. The method includes: collecting information about processing capabilities of the hard disks in the storage system and obtaining processing capabilities of the hard disks according to the information about processing capabilities; dividing a cache into multiple cache tiers according to the processing capabilities of the hard disks; and writing, for a cache tier in which dirty data reaches a preset threshold, data in the cache tier into at least one hard disk corresponding to the cache tier. The method avoids a phenomenon of preempting page resources in the cache.
US08909867B2
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for allocating space in a unified cache. The method may include partitioning the unified cache into a first portion of lines that only store copies of instructions retrieved from a memory and a second portion of lines that only store copies of data retrieved from the memory.
US08909866B2
A processor transfers prefetch requests from their targeted cache to another cache in a memory hierarchy based on a fullness of a miss address buffer (MAB) or based on confidence levels of the prefetch requests. Each cache in the memory hierarchy is assigned a number of slots at the MAB. In response to determining the fullness of the slots assigned to a cache is above a threshold when a prefetch request to the cache is received, the processor transfers the prefetch request to the next lower level cache in the memory hierarchy. In response, the data targeted by the access request is prefetched to the next lower level cache in the memory hierarchy, and is therefore available for subsequent provision to the cache. In addition, the processor can transfer a prefetch request to lower level caches based on a confidence level of a prefetch request.
US08909865B2
A device may comprise a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface and a wireless interface operable to communicate in accordance with the ISO 18000-7 standard. The device may be operable to receive a command via the USB interface and transmit the command via the wireless interface. The device may be operable to receive data via the wireless interface and transmit the data via the USB interface. A form factor of the USB device may be such that it can be plugged directly into a USB port without any external cabling between the USB device and said USB port.
US08909859B2
A method and a storage system are provided for implementing a sustained large block random write performance mechanism for shingled magnetic recording (SMR) drives in a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID). A Solid State Drive (SSD) is provided with the SMR drives in the RAID. The SSD is used in a hot spare mode, which is activated when a large block random-write event is identified for a SMR drive in the RAID. In the hot spare mode, the SSD temporarily receives new incoming writes for the identified SMR drive. Then the identified SMR drive is updated from the SSD to restore the state of the identified SMR drive, and operations continue with normal writing only using the SMR drives in the RAID.
US08909855B2
A storage system includes a Central Processing Unit (CPU) that has a physically-addressed solid state disk (SSD), addressable using physical addresses associated with user data and provided by a host. The user data is to be stored in or retrieved from the physically-addressed SSD in blocks. Further, a non-volatile memory module is coupled to the CPU and includes flash tables used to manage blocks in the physically addressed SSD. The flash tables have tables that are used to map logical to physical blocks for identifying the location of stored data in the physically addressed SSD. The flash tables are maintained in the non-volatile memory modules thereby avoiding reconstruction of the flash tables upon power interruption.
US08909851B2
A method of operation of a storage control system including: providing a memory controller; accessing a volatile memory table by the memory controller; writing a non-volatile semiconductor memory for persisting changes in the volatile memory table; and restoring a logical-to-physical table in the volatile memory table, after a power cycle, by restoring a random access memory with a logical-to-physical partition from a most recently used list.
US08909849B2
An apparatus for data storage is presented. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a phase change memory device comprising phase change memory storage elements. The apparatus further includes control logic to control two or more set pipelines to serve memory requests in a staggered manner, such that set operations of the memory requests begin at different times.
US08909848B2
To facilitate the management of a storage system that uses a flash memory as a storage area. A controller of the storage system provided with a flash memory chip manages a surplus capacity value of the flash memory chip, and transmits a value based on the surplus capacity value to a management server, on the basis of at least one of a definition of a parity group, a definition of an internal LU, and a definition of a logical unit. The management server displays a state of the storage system by using the received value based on the surplus capacity value.
US08909846B2
A control method of a memory storage device for writing an updated data from a host to the memory storage device is provided. The memory storage device provides storage space which is divided into a plurality of physical blocks to access the updated data. The control method includes the following steps: first, determining whether the updated data is a hot data or not; finally, storing the less updated data which is not the hot data into the physical block which has the higher erase counts according to the result of above determination.
US08909842B2
A high-current Multi-Port USB hub has a microcontroller that selectively switches the hub between low current synchronizing state and high current charging state. During charging state in excess of two Amps of current can be provided to each device connected to the hub. Each USB port circuit includes a power FET to selectively provide current to the USB port according to the state of the hub. Current sensors on each of the USB ports detects an amount of current being drawn by a device connected to the USB port. Each USB port is provided with indicators to indicate the charged state of the device connected to that port. The charge state of the device is also provided to the microcontroller which provides a summary status indication of the set of devices connected to the USB hub.
US08909841B2
Method and system for configuring a serial interface. The system includes one or more input nodes each coupled to a corresponding serial bus. One or more output nodes are coupled to a respective serial bus, each output node having a respective driver. A voltage detection circuit determines the voltage at a configuration node. Mode of serial bus operation is based on the voltage level detected at the configuration node. In at least one mode of serial bus operation, the configuration node is used as a mode select input and power source for at least one output driver.
US08909836B2
An interrupt controller coupled to a plurality of processors is provided to rout at least one interrupt request event to at least one of the processors. The interrupt controller includes a receiving circuit and a controlling circuit. The receiving circuit receives at least one interrupt input, and the controlling circuit, generates the at least one interrupt request event based on the received at least one interrupt input and routes the at least one interrupt request event generated to the at least one of the processors. The plurality of processors including at least a first processor and a second processor, the first and second processors arranged to process interrupt request event(s), and the controlling circuit is arranged to withdraw/cancel assertion of an interrupt request event that has been transmitted to the first processor.
US08909828B2
According to one embodiment, an electronic device including, a display, an audio output module, a transmission module, a first detection module, a second detection module, a third detection module, and a controller configured to control at least one of the timing of the transmission of the audio signal by the transmission module and the timing of the output of the first reproduction output by the audio output module in accordance with the time difference detected by the third detection module, and to switch whether or not to control the timing in accordance with the positional relationship between the electronic device and the partner device.
US08909823B2
A data processing device includes a memory, a direct memory access controller including a receiving module configured to receive data coming from outside the device and for writing the data in a main buffer memory of the memory, and a processing unit programmed to read and process data written by the receiving module in a work area of the main buffer memory. The main buffer memory is divided between a used space, where the receiving module is configured not to write, and free space, where the receiving module is configured to write. The processing unit is further programmed to define the work area, and the direct memory access controller includes a buffer memory manager configured to free data written in the main buffer memory, by defining a location of this data as a free space, only when this data is outside the work area.
US08909816B2
A method of implementing a logical unit reset across a plurality of interfaces in a distributed storage system, comprising: initiating a session for implementing the logical unit reset across the plurality of interfaces in response to receiving at a central controller a logical unit reset command from an originator interface, and writing session-data including an indication that the originator interface implemented the respective logical unit reset locally; communicating a logical unit reset command from the central controller to each interface other than the originator interface; updating the session data in response to receiving an indication from an interface that the logical unit was successfully reset locally and when each one of the plurality of interfaces implemented the logical unit reset locally, communicating a success response to each one of the plurality of interfaces.
US08909813B2
A method for processing communication traffic includes receiving an incoming stream of compressed data conveyed by a sequence of data packets, each containing a respective portion of the compressed data. The respective portion of the compressed data contained in the first packet is stored in a buffer, having a predefined buffer size. Upon receiving a subsequent packet, at least a part of the compressed data stored in the buffer and the respective portion of the compressed data contained in the subsequent packet are decompressed, thereby providing decompressed data. A most recent part of the decompressed data that is within the buffer size is recompressed and stored in the buffer.
US08909803B2
Embodiments disclosed herein provide for identification processes and/or procedures for accessories coupled with a mobile computing device. During identification an accessory can communicate lingo information that includes only those lingoes the accessory can use while coupled with the mobile computing device. The accessory can also communicate accessory protocol information to the mobile computing device during identification. The accessory can be limited to using only those lingoes and/or those protocols identified during identification. Various other accessory information, capabilities, preferences, etc. can also be communicated to the mobile computing device during identification.
US08909794B2
A server subsystem is presented for mobile communication that provides for efficient and logical movement between applications on different servers. Multiple applications may be used simultaneously and interactively using the server system presented herein.
US08909793B2
Clearinghouse services architectures that support the use of end user devices, such as personal computers, Internet Protocol (IP) phones, cable multimedia terminal adapters, and residential gateways, in an Internet telephony system. The innovative architectures include a proxy-based system model, a direct communication model, and a hybrid proxy/direct communication model. A user can operate an “intelligent” end user device. i.e., a device running a client program with knowledge of the architecture particulars, to access a clearinghouse service on an IP network. This enables the user to communicate a telephony call over the IP network and via the combination of a terminating gateway identified by the clearinghouse service and the Public Switched Telephone Network.
US08909792B2
Embodiments disclosed herein provide a control logic that can identify and track social identities of users belonging to a private network. The control logic may be implemented as a middleware communicatively connected to network user devices and to social networking platforms. The middleware can programmatically identify and extract particular pieces of information from requests and/or responses monitored at a network proxy server and correlate the extracted pieces of information to identify social identities across social networking platforms. The correlated information for each identified social identity may be stored in an identity database as a cohesive user identity record. Information stored in the identity database can be used to consistently apply and enforce policies that are applicable to individual users in the private network.
US08909788B2
In at least one example embodiment, the invention relates to a computer-implemented method, a computer-implemented system and a computer program product for controlling the access to splittable resources in a distributed client server system operating in parallel. The resource control system is designed for a plurality of clients connected to the system and is used to maintain consistency of the data. When a client makes a first attempt to access a resource of the server, an exclusive lock for the requested resource is allocated to the accessing client, that blocks the access to the resource for other clients, said exclusive lock only being allocated for a pre-determinable period of time and then automatically discontinued.
US08909779B2
A system and method for control and monitoring of devices and inter-device connections located within an environment using a control client is provided. A user creates commands via the control client to a server that maintains a representation of the environment and the devices within the environment. The server utilizes a set of policies associated with the devices to control the devices in a default manner. The user can modify or use exceptions from the policies to achieve specific tasks other than the default tasks associated with the policy. The server may further monitor and report the current states of the devices in the environment and historical changes of the devices to monitor the environment and provide reporting for such tasks such as environment monitoring.
US08909773B2
Digital images are monitored by enabling access to a digital image, receiving a notification associated with the digital image from a first user, and regulating access of the first user to the digital image based on the notification received from the first user.
US08909764B2
There is provided a method of scheduling requests from a plurality of services to at least one data storage resource. The method comprises receiving, on a computer system, service requests from said plurality of services. The service requests comprise metadata specifying a service ID and a data size of payload data associated with said service request, and at least some of said service IDs have service throughput metadata specifying a required service throughput associated therewith. The method further includes arranging, in a computer system, said requests into FIFO throttled queues based on said service ID and then setting a deadline for processing of a request in a throttled queue. The deadline is selected in dependence upon the size of the request and the required service throughput associated therewith. Then, the deadline of each throttled queue is monitored and, if a request in a throttled queue has reached or exceeded the deadline the request is processed in a data storage resource.
US08909763B2
A computing-device management device includes a future load prediction unit that calculates a load prediction value based on load information of the computing device informed by the computing device and determines whether the load prediction value exceeds a predetermined threshold value. A software allocation unit detects, as a target computing device to be in an overloaded state in future, the computing device determined by the future load prediction unit to have the load prediction value exceeding the predetermined threshold value and determines which computing device is to be an allocation destination of at least one software component operating in the target computing device based on a CPU load, a used memory volume, and a data communication volume of the computing device. An informing unit informs the target computing device and the allocation-destination computing device of information of the allocated software component.
US08909761B2
Provided are methods and computer program products for monitoring the performance of network applications executing within operating-system-level virtualization containers. Methods may include enumerating operating-system-level virtualization containers on a networked device; creating a named pipe accessible by at least one application running in each operating-system-level virtualization container; retrieving, via the named pipe, performance data gathered by the at least one application, including an identification of each operating-system-level virtualization container; generating metrics based on the retrieved performance data; and generating an event incorporating the metrics, including operating-system-level virtualization container identifiers.
US08909760B2
Systems and methods for scoring a domain including analyzing counter data and information obtained from a web site associated with the domain. Methods may include receiving requests to resolve the domain at an authoritative domain resolution server. A counter may be incremented for the domain based on the received requests. Information may be obtained from a web page associated with the domain. For example, obtaining information from the web page may include obtaining quantitative, qualitative, and/or functional information from the web page, such as link information, a status of network links corresponding to the link information, and associated ratios. The status of link information may include searching for functional details and/or results, such as, domain redirections, domain errors, mirror content, and commonly linked sites. A score may be calculated for the domain based upon the counter data and the information obtained from the web page associated with the domain.
US08909759B2
Methods for testing network bandwidth availability in a non-intrusive manner. By implementing occasional, base-line bandwidth testing, a more accurate indication of actual transfer rate results. When an application dependent upon network bandwidth is first executed, a series of file transfers takes place utilizing a series of different sized pieces of content.
US08909758B2
A virtual server system and a method of provisioning a plurality of virtual servers is described. The system may comprise a plurality of physical servers, at least one switch connected to the plurality of physical servers, and a virtual frame director to direct provisioning of a plurality of virtual servers on the physical servers. The virtual frame director may be configured to monitor an event related to a link between each physical server and the switch and, in response to the event, update a virtual server database. The system may comprise a Storage Area Network (SAN) and the virtual frame director may be arranged to configure the network fabric to allow the plurality of physical servers to access to the SAN. For example, the network fabric may be configured to access storage on the SAN from which each physical server is to boot.
US08909757B1
Consistent link sharing is implemented on one or more share servers. Consistent link sharing includes receiving a request from a user to store a web page that resides on an originating server to one or more share servers. The request includes a universal resource locator (URL) of the web page, which is a web page stored on the share servers of a content distribution network. The share servers generate a replacement URL for future access to the stored web page. The replacement URL may be shared with one or more users. The share servers provide the stored web page to a user who submits the replacement URL.
US08909755B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a software download method and apparatus. The method includes: acquiring a fanout command and a replacement instruction delivered by a device management server, and replacing, according to the replacement instruction, a software identifier in the fanout command with a software local download address generated for software; delivering the converted fanout command to each terminal corresponding to the fanout command, so that each terminal downloads the software according to the software local download address. The present invention further provides another software download method and software download apparatus. In the embodiments, multiple terminals can be effectively prevented from retrieving data externally, and a local storage function provided by a device management gateway is used to directly acquire download data of the software from a local network of the device management gateway, thereby significantly improving the efficiency.
US08909753B2
Root node arrangements configured to carry out file level virtualization for logically providing a plurality of share units that can be shared among file systems of the root node or other one or more root nodes, to a client.
US08909743B2
A framework and method are disclosed for supporting changed addresses by mobile network nodes. Such support is provided through enhancements to the mobile network nodes and utilizes DNS servers, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), and virtual private network (VPN) servers—or their functional equivalents—to dynamically assign a current network address to a mobile node, provide the current network address to an authoritative name server, and thereafter have correspondent nodes update their addresses for the mobile node based upon an address provided by the authoritative name server. A mobile node registers all of its name-to-address mappings with its authoritative DNS server using a time to live of zero. Furthermore, when a mobile node moves outside its home security domain, the mobile node initiates a virtual private network connection to a virtual private server for a security domain.
US08909738B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for redundant data forwarding are described. In one respect, the method includes intermittently forwarding the portion of the data among the first memory and memories of other nodes in the first network without storing the portion of data on any physical storage device of the interconnected nodes in the first network. The method may also include intermittently forwarding the first copy of the portion of the data among the second memory and memories of other nodes in the second network without storing the first copy of the portion of the data on any physical storage device of the interconnected nodes in the second network.
US08909731B2
A content reproduction device (600) determines whether there is a change in the connection state of the content reproduction device. When a determination is made that there is a change in the connection state, the content reproduction device transmits to a portable terminal device (500) control information to control the content reproduction device or another device (600A) connected to the content reproduction device. The portable terminal device can control the content reproduction device or another device connected to the content reproduction device based on the received control information.
US08909721B2
The disclosure relates to a system, method and device for providing information relating to a received communication for a device. The method comprises: while the device is composing an outbound communication, monitoring for receipt of an inbound communication; upon receipt of the inbound communication, evaluating a subject field of the inbound communication against a subject field of the outbound communication to determine whether the inbound communication is related to the outbound communication; and if the inbound communication is related to the outbound communication, generating a first message on a display of the device providing a warning indicating that the inbound communication has been received and when a send command is activated on the device for the outbound communication generating a second message on the display providing a command for merging the inbound communication with text of the outbound communication.
US08909714B2
A electronic communication system that can detect and adapt to delays in delivery of e-mail messages. The system may adapt to delays by using mechanisms other than the initially intended path to convey the information intended for delivery by e-mail. A possible adaptation is reprioritization of an e-mail message that is found to be experiencing a delay.
US08909712B2
A generic mobile synchronization framework facilitates synchronization of data objects between platforms by comparing these data objects from one platform with a replica of data objects on the other platform. Generic messages identifying the differences in the data objects are converted into an adapted message suitable for use by the underlying synchronization hardware and sent to the platform needing synchronization. That platform converts adapted message to the corresponding original generic messages, and executes them, synchronizing the data objects in that platform with the originating platform.
US08909711B1
A system and method for generating privacy-enhanced aggregate statistics within a social network system is provided. Data is collected and processed to gather information to generate the aggregate statistics. A threshold is assigned. The threshold includes a criterion used in making a determination on what aggregate statistic will be generated. In some embodiments, the threshold is a numerical value. In some embodiments, the numerical value, or quantitative data is then translated into qualitative descriptors. In some embodiments, noise is then added to randomize the assigned threshold. In other embodiments, noise is added to the collected data. In some embodiments, checks to guard against attacks from adversarial users are performed. Examples of indications of adversarial behavior include, but are not limited to, manipulation of profiles, continuous manipulation of affinity groups, and manipulation of preferences for one or more users. The threshold is applied and aggregate statistics are generated.
US08909706B2
In particular embodiments, a gaming kiosk may be granted federated access to social networking information of a user, initiated upon activation of a physical access token. A user may initiate a workflow, by activating a physical token, that establishes a federated access session between a gaming kiosk and a social networking system to allow the gaming kiosk to augment the user's experience with social networking information and to publish gaming information to the social networking system.
US08909705B2
Systems and methods are provided in establishing interchanges between consumer electronic (CE) devices and networking services. Some of these embodiments establish an intermediate application programming interface (API) between a plurality of remote CE devices and one or more social networking APIs each corresponding to a social networking service; translate, through an interchange service, communications between the intermediate API and the one or more social networking APIs; identify modifications to a first social networking API; implement a first update to the interchange service such that translations provided by the updated interchange service between the intermediate API and the first social networking API are consistent with the modifications to the first social networking API; and avoid updating at each of the plurality of CE devices relative to the modifications to the first social networking API.
US08909701B2
A method, apparatus, and system are disclosed for creating a conferencing access logic. The logic is for allowing access to a conference in an internet protocol (IP) network. The invention entails establishing an allow list of allowed users, setting up a default policy applicable to unlisted users, matching listed users with corresponding conference rights, and assigning a uniform resource identifier (URI) to the access logic. The URI is for identifying and editing elements of the access logic, including the allow list, the default policy, and the conference rights.
US08909698B2
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method and technique for data processing in a distributed computing system having a service-oriented architecture is disclosed. The method includes: receiving, by a workload input interface, workloads associated with an application from one or more clients for execution on the distributed computing system; identifying, by a resource management interface, available service hosts or service instances for computing the workloads received from the one or more clients; responsive to receiving an allocation request for the one or more hosts or service instances by the workload input interface, providing, by the resource management interface, address information of one or more workload output interfaces; and sending, by the one or more workload output interfaces, workloads received from the workload input interface to the one or more service instances.
US08909696B1
A server system having one or more processors and memory receives a request including server identifiers for one or more other server systems and processes the respective request. Upon completing processing of the respective request, the server system determines whether enough other server systems have undertaken responding to the respective request. When enough other server systems have not undertaken responding to the respective request, the server system sends the response to the client system from which the request was received, and sends a message to one or more of the other server systems indicating that the server system has undertaken responding to the respective request. When enough other server systems have undertaken responding to the respective request the server system foregoes sending a result of the processing to the client system from which the request was received.
US08909691B2
A method for providing a content service to a subscriber terminal (MS) from a first server, i.e. content server (CS). The provision of the content service from the content server to the subscriber terminal is controlled by a second server, i.e. proxy (CBP). The control comprises the following steps: 1) determining (5-4 to 5-10, 706) a billing address for the content service by means of the proxy (CBP); 2) under the control of the content billing proxy, providing (5-48) a content service corresponding to a service request from the content server (CS) to the subscriber terminal (MS); and 3) generating (5-46) billing information (CDR) related to the content service.
US08909690B2
Mechanisms are provided for performing a floating point arithmetic operation in a data processing system. A plurality of floating point operands of the floating point arithmetic operation are received and bits in a mantissa of at least one floating point operand of the plurality of floating point operands are shifted. One or more bits of the mantissa that are shifted outside a range of bits of the mantissa of at least one floating point operand are stored and a vector value is generated based on the stored one or more bits of the mantissa that are shifted outside of the range of bits of the mantissa of the at least one floating point operand. A resultant value is generated for the floating point arithmetic operation based on the vector value and the plurality of floating point operands.
US08909686B2
A discrete Fourier calculation device includes a twiddle factor table storage unit that stores therein a twiddle factor table that associates twiddle factors with phases of the corresponding twiddle factors; a correction value specifying unit that specifies first and second correction values for correcting a phase of an input signal in accordance with an amplitude of the input signal; a generating unit that corrects the phase of the input signal by using the specified first and second correction values to generate first and second phases; an addition unit that adds an arbitrary phase corresponding to an arbitrary twiddle factor stored in the twiddle factor table, to each of the generated first and second phases; and a rotation calculation unit that acquires, from the twiddle factor table, first and second twiddle factors corresponding to the first and second phases and sums the acquired first and second twiddle factors.
US08909685B2
Various embodiments of systems and methods for pattern recognition of a distribution function are described herein. An influenced distribution function corresponding to an influenced attribute is compared with other distribution functions corresponding to other attributes. Based on the comparison, a correlation is determined between the influenced distribution function and an influencing distribution function from the other distribution functions. Based on the determination, a raw distribution function corresponding to an influenced attribute is extracted using the influenced distribution function and the influencing distribution function. The extracted raw distribution function and the influencing distribution function may be classified.
US08909681B2
Methods for gap detection in a temporally unique index in a relational database. A temporally unique index is provided in a relational database. The index includes a first set of keys, each including one or more non-temporal and two temporal key parts. In response to receiving an insert, update, or delete statement for a changed row, the rows with identical non-temporal key parts to the changed row are identified. The temporal key parts of the identified rows are compared to the temporal key parts of the changed row to determine whether: the changed row is directly adjacent to a temporally earlier row and temporally later row, a gap is detected between the changed row and a temporally earlier row, or a gap is detected between the changed row and a temporally later row.
US08909680B1
Some embodiments provide a method for rendering a cube view related to a cube stored in a multidimensional data storage. The method identifies a first portion of cube data that is stored in a cube cache and a second portion of the cube data that is not stored in the cube cache. Based on the identifications, the method retrieves the second data portion of the cube data by accessing the cube data storage. The method renders the cube view for display by using the first portion from the cube cache and the second portion retrieved from the multidimensional data storage.
US08909679B2
A method for providing information to a plurality of vendors located remotely from a broadcast network. A plurality of user-defined parameters are received by a user input database with at least one of the user-defined parameters including a user profile. Each of the user profiles includes a user identifier code identifying a communicator device associated with a particular user. Real-time data indicative of the spatial locations of the communicator devices is received by a communicator location database. Search information is received independently from a plurality of vendors and a data set is generated for each vendor.
US08909678B2
Embodiments relate to systems and methods for the conditioned distribution of data in a lattice-based database using spreading rules. A data store can store data in a lattice-based database or other three-dimensional hierarchical format. Higher-level data, such as yearly profit, may be desired to be spread from parent nodes at different levels or points in the lattice structure to lower nodes or locations, such as quarters. Parent nodes can be associated with a set of programmatic placeholder nodes. A spreading tool can insert child nodes representing quarters, months, or other insertion point(s) represented or encoded by a set of placeholder nodes, dividing, combining, or otherwise distributing quantities appropriately. In aspects, data can be spread from multiple parents and/or multiple target child nodes, at once. In aspects, the spreading tool can access or host sequence logic to ensure data spreading in an order that takes dependencies, formatting, or other factors into account.
US08909673B2
In a hierarchical access permissions environment, a method for enabling efficient management of project-wise permissions including maintaining project-wise lists of network objects, access permissions to which cannot be managed together via a hierarchical folder structure and employing the project-wise lists of network objects to make project-wise changes in access permissions to the network objects without the need to individually modify access permissions to individual ones of the network objects.
US08909665B2
Architecture that enables an optional display of a longer version of each subsnippet in response to user interactions such as clicking, hovering, or other suitable form of interaction. More specifically, options are provided to display additional text from a search result at the point where a subsnippet (a subsegment in a snippet that is delimited by ellipses) ends. Selecting suitable boundaries for both initial subsnippets and expanded subsnippets enables relevant information to be presented and increased readability.
US08909664B2
Today information Peer-to-Peer networks sometimes share improper information. Embodiments of the invention solve this problem by creating a list of shared information for analysis. In particular, a method or corresponding apparatus of an example embodiment includes a network node to obtain one or more searches from a Peer-to-Peer network. Next, the network node compares the one or more searches to one or more criteria. After comparing, the network node updates the one or more criteria to include variations of the one or more searches. Further, the network node issues the one or more searches based on the updated criteria. Next, the network node determines resultant information associated with the one or more searches. After determining, the network node creates a list of the resultant information for analysis. Using the list, an operator or software logic can analyze the resultant information to identify patterns and, in turn, identify improper information sharing.
US08909659B2
A method of executing an operation in a directory information system, includes performing a first operation within a directory information system in accordance with a predetermined procedure, where the first operation comprising a search for one or more of a plurality of directory objects. The plurality of directory objects are stored in a computer-readable medium that has a directory information structure. In one particular embodiment, the search generates one or more first results. The method also includes performing a second operation within the directory information system in accordance with the predetermined procedure. The second operation uses at least a portion of the one or more first results generated by the search for the one or more of the plurality of objects. In this embodiment, the second operation generates one more second results. The method further includes returning the one or more second results based at least in part on the second operation.
US08909656B2
A multipath explorer may allow a user to quickly visualize an entire population of data hierarchically in a tree-like structure. For example, a user can select a first filter to be applied to a data set, and the multipath explorer can display data in the data set that satisfies the first filter requirements and data in the data set that does not satisfy the first filter requirements. A second filter can be applied to the data in the data set, and the multipath explorer can display data in the data set that satisfies the first and second filter requirements, data in the data set that satisfies the first filter requirements and not the second filter requirements, data in the data set that satisfies the second filter requirements and not the first filter requirements, and data in the data set that does not satisfy the first or second filter requirements.
US08909652B2
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for determining the Internet search popularity of an entity are provided. Embodiments of the present invention include receiving a group of Internet search records and assigning a popularity ranking based on the number of times an entity descriptor associated with an entity occurs within the group of Internet search records created over a designated time period. An entity descriptor is one or more terms commonly used to identify an entity. The trend in an entity's popularity rank may also be calculated. An entity's popularity rank and trend in popularity rank may be presented in a graph or in a list.
US08909646B1
Aspects and implementations of the present disclosure are directed to methods and systems of pre-processing a social network structure for fast discovery of cohesive groups. In general, in some implementations, a data processing system identifies a cohesive user group in a social network for delivery of a tailored content item. Generally, the data processing system identifies an affinity criteria; generates a set of user identifiers having characteristics that satisfy the affinity criteria; and generates graphs of users with at least one direct or indirect social network user connection with other user identifiers in the graph. The data processing system returns or stores the graph on computer readable media for later use. A graph may be generated with edges representing connections between user identifiers; edges may be weighted for the number and lengths of connection paths for indirect connections, and for similarities between users.
US08909642B2
Embodiments are directed towards automatically generating extraction rules for extracting fields from event records. An extraction rule application receives field data describing the fields to be extracted (including one or more examples) and a collection of event records that may be a representative sample set from a larger set of events records. The extraction rule application generates extraction rules based on the event records and the field data. These extraction rules may be ranked using a determined quality score. Quality scores for extraction rules may be determined based on various metrics related to the operation of the extraction rules and the resultant extracted values. Preferred extraction rules may be determined by ranking the extraction rules based on their quality scores. Also, natural language expressions may be used to create, edit, or modify extraction rules.
US08909638B2
A method and a system for determining age of a user based on mass data are provided. The method includes: obtaining basic age data of the user, configuring an initial weight for the basic age data; obtaining an age weight of the user in different kinds of basic age data according to the initial weight and an age similarity of the user in the different kinds of basic age data; and searching the basic age data for an age with a largest age weight, determining the age with the largest age weight as an estimated age of the user. The method and system for determining age of the user based on mass data is able to improve accuracy of the determination of the age of the user.
US08909634B2
A dispatching system adjusts resources to meet real-time changes in demand. When a customer requests service, a work assignment is generated and sent to an employee. When a customer cancels the requested service, a cancellation code is sent to the employee. The cancellation code informs the employee that the work assignment has been canceled.
US08909631B1
Methods, systems, and computer program products, including computer programs encoded on a computer readable storage medium, for providing content to a user based on the mode of the user. A method includes: providing a data structure that includes query logs; processing query logs to determine candidate queries that satisfy a criteria, the processing including determining a location of interest, if any, for each query log entry and where the criteria requires an entry to have been submitted from a location that is different from a location of interest associated with the entry; evaluating the candidate queries to determine targeting information for the location of interest; receiving a request for content from a user that is proximate to the location of interest or has expressed an interest in the location of interest; and providing content to the user based at least in part on the targeting information.
US08909626B2
A set of item-item affinities for a plurality of items is determined based on collaborative-filtering techniques. A set of an item's nearest neighbor items based on the set of item-item affinities is determined. A set of user feature-item affinities for the plurality of items and a set of user features is determined based on least squared regression. A set of a user feature's nearest neighbor items is determined based in part on the set of user feature-item affinities. Compatible affinity weights for nearest neighbor items of each item and each user feature are determined. Based on user features of a user and items a user has consumed, a set of nearest neighbor items are identified as a set of candidate items, and affinity scores of candidate items are determined. Based on the affinity scores, a candidate item from the set of candidate items is recommended to the user.
US08909621B2
A computing system executes an instant message session between one or more users of the one or more collaborative tools. The computer system further examines information from instant messages in a message window of the instant message session. In addition, the computer system identifies keyword data of the examined information of the instant messages. The computer system queries a first repository for related content data that matches the keyword data. The computer system also generates one or more contextual search results based on the match. The computer system further transmits the generated one or more contextual search results for display on the one or more collaboration tools. The computer system further stores the keyword data and the contextual search results of the keyword data in a collaboration archive of a database, and automatically updates the contextual search results during instant message sessions.
US08909619B1
The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that includes obtaining, in response to a determination that one or more tools are relevant to a search query or search results, code for presenting user interface controls with the search results, wherein selection of a particular presented user interface control results in performing an operation corresponding to a particular tool for manipulating the search results, and wherein the code is configured to present the user interface controls for the determined tools more prominently than user interface controls for one or more others of the tools that were not determined to be relevant to the search query or the search results.
US08909614B2
Access destination determination means determines a read destination and/or a write destination of specified data from nodes corresponding to the data and stored in data store destination storage means. Access probability calculation means calculates an access probability based on a history of accesses to the data, and stores the calculated access probability in access probability storage means. When no node corresponding to the specified data is stored in the data store destination storage means, access probability estimation means estimates an access probability of the data based on access probabilities stored in the access probability storage means, and the access destination determination means determines a write destination of the data based on the estimated access probability.
US08909606B2
A method for processing blocks of data in a file is provided. The method includes determining a plurality of blocks of data in the file for a compression process used for compressing data in the file. This process is iterated over all the plurality of blocks of data in the file. A block of data is read into memory, and the offset from which it is read is also stored. A strong collision-resistant cryptographic hash representation, such as a strong collision-resistant cryptographic hash, of the block is determined. The cryptographic hash representation (CHR) of the block of data as well as the data itself, is added to a table with the CHR as a unique index. The offset of the block of data in the source file, as well as the CHR for that block are appended to a separate table.
US08909596B1
Solutions, systems, and techniques for applying 2-dimensional changes to a shared document are discussed. The document is divided into vertical columns of a particular width, each column represented as a one-dimensional vector that is a sequential list of blocks in that column, each block representing a content item included in the document. Each block has a starting column, a block height, and a block width indicated by how many columns the block occupies. Each block has row indexes that represent a relative position of the block in each column it occupies. A document modification command is represented as transfer functions, each transfer function corresponding to a document column. The transfer functions are applied to the document columns to alter a row index of block(s) in the corresponding column(s), thereby altering the relative position of a block with respect to other blocks in that column.
US08909590B2
In one embodiment, an indication of a Decision Request or an Update Request may be received, where the Update Request is activated independent of user activity. A user state pertaining to at least one user may be received, obtained, accessed or constructed. For the Decision Request, one or more actions may be scored according to one or more value functions associated with a computing device, a policy associated with the computing device may be applied to identify one of the scored actions as a decision, and an indication of the decision may be provided or applied. For the Update Request, the one or more value functions and/or the policy may be updated. An indication of updates to the one or more value functions and/or an indication of updates to the policy may be provided.
US08909588B2
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to reducing the computational cost of propagating the uncertainty in the state of an object, which requires the numerical solution of an initial value problem (IVP) ensemble, by means of a computer. The present invention uses an implicit-Runge-Kutta-based (IRK) method that exploits the proximity of the initial conditions within the IVP ensemble. More specifically, one of the IVPs can be solved over a given time span consisting of one or more time steps with an IRK method, and the resulting trajectory can be recorded. The system of equations that arises on each time step of the IRK method can be solved using various iterative methods. The remaining IVPs can be solved over the same timespan using the same IRK method and time steps, together with the recorded trajectory from the first propagation.
US08909587B2
The disclosure is directed to systems and methods for estimating the completion time of a web-based survey. The estimated completion time can be determined based on survey parameters associated with the web-based survey. The survey parameters can be based on characteristic values of the web-based survey associated with the survey parameters. The characteristic values of survey parameters can be used to estimate parameter completion times, from which an estimated survey completion time for the web-based survey may be determined. The disclosed systems and methods further permit assessments of survey feasibility.
US08909575B2
Certain aspects of the present disclosure support a method of designing the resource model in hardware (or software) for learning spiking neural networks. The present disclosure comprises accounting for resources in a different domain (e.g., negative log lack-of-resources instead of availability of resources), modulating weight changes for multiple spike events upon a single trigger, and strategically advancing or retarding the resource replenishment or decay (respectively) to overcome the limitation of single event-based triggering.
US08909574B2
This disclosure is directed to a process for producing one or more predicted target sparkle values of a target coating composition. An artificial neural network can be used in the process. The process disclosed herein can be used for color and appearance matching in the coating industry including vehicle original equipment manufacturing (OEM) coatings and refinish coatings. A system for producing one or more predicted target sparkle values of a target coating composition is also disclosed.
US08909570B1
Roughly described, a computer-implemented evolutionary data mining system includes a memory storing a candidate gene database in which each candidate individual has a respective fitness estimate; a gene pool processor which tests individuals from the candidate gene pool on training data and updates the fitness estimate associated with the individuals in dependence upon the tests; and a gene harvesting module providing for deployment selected ones of the individuals from the gene pool, wherein the gene pool processor includes a competition module which selects individuals for discarding from the gene pool in dependence upon both their updated fitness estimate and their testing experience level. Preferably the gene database has an elitist pool containing multiple experience layers, and the competition module causes individuals to compete only with other individuals in their same experience layer.
US08909566B2
The invention provides a computer-implemented method of analyzing symbols in a computer system, the symbols conforming to a specification for the symbols, in which the specification has been codified into a set of computer-readable rules; and, the symbols analyzed using the computer-readable rules to obtain patterns of the symbols by determining the path that is taken by the symbols through the rules that successfully terminates, and grouping the symbols according to said paths, the method comprising; upon receipt of a message at a computer, performing a lexical analysis of the message; and, in dependence on lexical analysis of the message assigning the message to one of the groups identified according to said paths. The invention also provides a computer programmed to perform the method and a computer program comprising program instructions for causing a computer to perform the method.
US08909564B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for training a plurality of different types of predictive models using training data, wherein each of the predictive models implements a different machine learning technique. One or more weights are obtained wherein each weight is associated with an answer category in the plurality of examples. A weighted accuracy is calculated for each of the predictive models using the one or more weights.
US08909558B1
Systems and methods of the present invention provide for storing one or more data records, comprising a text string and a monetary value associated with the text string, in a database. One or more server computers may receive an appraisal request for a domain name and identify one or more keywords in the domain name. The server(s) may then determine an existence of one or more matching data records wherein the text string in the record(s) match the identified keyword. If the matching data records exist, the server(s) may identify a keyword frequency count and a keyword monetary value for that keyword. A keyword appraisal value may be generated by dividing the keyword monetary value by the keyword frequency count. The appraisal value for all identified keywords may be added to the domain name appraisal and the domain name appraisal may be transmitted to a client computer.
US08909557B2
A system and method for generating an authentication token which is used by an issuer associated with a integrated circuit card to authenticate a transaction. A personal card reader receives data, including an authentication cryptogram, from the integrated circuit card. The personal card reader uses the data received from the integrated circuit card to select one of at least two default bitmaps stored in a memory portion of the personal card reader. The personal card reader uses the selected default bitmap and the authentication cryptogram to build the authentication token.
US08909555B2
An information security system is disclosed having a considerably simplified access control infrastructure. The number of secrets in a computer system domain is reduced to a minimum, yet individual users may still be identified and access to applications may still be individually controlled. The trusted entity in each of a plurality of platforms (100, 200, 202, 203) of the computer system may store an identity secret of the platform (100, 200, 202, 203) and may be trusted to use that secret in conjunction with an information label only when the platform (100, 200, 202, 203) is running the correct software to provide and/or take part in a particular service associated with that information label.
US08909552B2
Systems and methods for dynamically managing and netting transactions based on one or more sets of netting rules are disclosed. The present invention dynamically associates transactions with one or more collections based on the execution of netting rules to identify transactions that may be ideal for netting and to perform netting operations and calculations accordingly. The present invention may execute the netting rules according to the priority of the netting rule within a rule hierarchy and utilizes unique solutions allowing for the efficient processing of transactions even as netting rules are created, modified and removed from time-to-time. In addition, embodiments of the disclosed netting system utilize denormalized sets of data and maintain a complete audit trail for all operations.
US08909551B2
A system and method of expedited credit approval and lending for an applicant initially pre-qualifies the applicant using an input device to obtain predetermined applicant identification information and transmits the applicant identification information to the credit and loan processor computer which verifies the applicant identification without pulling credit. If verified, applicant answers predetermined prescreen question to initially pre-qualify the applicant and the applicant's answer is compared to a predetermined lender/dealer criteria for the prescreen question to determine whether to continue with the loan application if the applicant's answer meets the predetermined lender/dealer criteria or end the loan application if the predetermined lender/dealer criteria is not met, before pulling credit. The source or transaction originator is notified of the decision. The credit and loan processor software program continues to pre-qualify the applicant using stated debt to income ratio for a selected loan type and if pre-qualified, then processes full credit.
US08909549B2
Systems and methods for the automated recording of time entries by a mobile device of interactions between a professional and other parties occurring on that device on behalf of a client of the professional are described. File information is automatically retrieved from a first server based on identifying information associated with an interaction, and the recording of the file number, as selected from candidates presented to the professional, along with the duration of the interaction, a description of the interaction and identifiers for the professional and the other party in a time entry that may then be buffered on the first server prior to transmission to a billing server. Encrypted sensitive information may be stored on the first server, which may thereby be operated by a third party and shared with other professionals.
US08909538B2
Improved methods of presenting speech prompts to a user as part of an automated system that employs speech recognition or other voice input are described. The invention improves the user interface by providing in combination with at least one user prompt seeking a voice response, an enhanced user keyword prompt intended to facilitate the user selecting a keyword to speak in response to the user prompt. The enhanced keyword prompts may be the same words as those a user can speak as a reply to the user prompt but presented using a different audio presentation method, e.g., speech rate, audio level, or speaker voice, than used for the user prompt. In some cases, the user keyword prompts are different words from the expected user response keywords, or portions of words, e.g., truncated versions of keywords.
US08909526B2
In some embodiments, a recognition result produced by a speech processing system based on an analysis of a speech input is evaluated for indications of potential errors. In some embodiments, sets of words/phrases that may be acoustically similar or otherwise confusable, the misrecognition of which can be significant in the domain, may be used together with a language model to evaluate a recognition result to determine whether the recognition result includes such an indication. In some embodiments, a word/phrase of a set that appears in the result is iteratively replaced with each of the other words/phrases of the set. The result of the replacement may be evaluated using a language model to determine a likelihood of the newly-created string of words appearing in a language and/or domain. The likelihood may then be evaluated to determine whether the result of the replacement is sufficiently likely for an alert to be triggered.
US08909525B2
An interactive voice recognition electronic device converts a received voice signal to a text, and searches a voice databases to find a matched voice text of the converted text. The matched voice text is taken as a recognized voice text of the voice signal if the matched voice text exists in the voice database. The electronic device obtains a predetermined number of similar voice texts if no matched voice text exists in the voice database. The electronic device converts the predetermined number of similar voice texts to the voice signals, outputs the converted voice signals in turn, and selects one of the similar voice texts as the recognized voice text according to the selection of the user. The electronic device obtains the associated answer text of the recognized voice text in the voice database and converts the answer text to voice signals.
US08909513B2
Various embodiments provide a method that comprises receiving a set of segments from a text field, analyzing the set of segments to determine at least one of a target subtext or a target meaning associated with the set of segments, and identifying a set of candidate emoticons where each candidate emoticon in the set of candidate emoticons has an association between the candidate emoticon and at least one of the target subtext or the target meaning. The method may further comprise presenting the set of candidate emoticons for entry selection at a current position of an input cursor, receiving an entry selection for a set of selected emoticons from the set of candidate emoticons, and inserting the set of selected emoticons into the text field at the current position of the input cursor.
US08909511B2
A bilingual information retrieval apparatus includes an input text acquisition unit, a first memory, a first language construct information selection unit, a second memory, and a second language construct information selection unit. The input text acquisition unit acquires input text in a first language. The first memory stores plural pieces of first language construct information indicating a construct of text in the first language. The first language construct information selection unit selects a piece of first language construct information corresponding to the input text. The second memory stores plural pieces of second language construct information indicating a construct of text in a second language corresponding to the selected piece of first language construct information. The second language construct information selection unit selects a piece of second language construct information on the basis of evaluation information.
US08909505B2
A useable electromagnetic blue print of the structure of space is disclosed. The blue print comprises an irregular tetrahedral arrangement comprising of four isosceles triangular faces each having two angles of approximately 54.73561 degrees and one of approximately 70.5 degrees, the four triangles being arranged in two pairs, the paired triangles being connected along the longer edges of each of the triangles, the included angle between the two faces of the paired triangles being 90 degrees, the long edges of the two pairs of triangles being of the approximate ratio of 100:86.6 relative to the four shorter edges, and the long edges being located perpendicularly with respect to each other on opposite sides of the tetrahedral arrangement. The tetrahedral arrangement provides a modular component which is close-packable with three other similar adjoining modular irregular tetrahedral arrangements defining a specifically dimensioned octahedral arrangement. The outermost points of each tetrahedral and octahedral arrangement define nodal points such as the positions of four elementary particles wherein the magnetic and the electrical fields within certain materials and circuits can be constructively organized to perform a number of specific functions.
US08909503B2
In this disclosure, equations to be solved in the model predictive control are transformed by using an off-line algebraic simplification method into a matrix operational expression representing a product of a coefficient matrix and a vector regarding solution inputs within a control horizon is equal to a function vector regarding target values of output states and the output states. The size of the coefficient matrix is reduced compared with the conventional matrix. Then, the matrix operational expression is solved in an online plant control apparatus with present output states and present target values of the output stats of a plant to be controlled, by the direct method, to output the solution to the plant.
US08909502B2
A method of constructing an EP map is provided. The method comprises obtaining a first surface model of an anatomic structure, the first model comprising an alpha shell of a cloud of location data points. The method further comprises obtaining a second surface model of the structure, the second surface model comprising an alpha shell of a cloud of measurement points. The method further comprises processing the first and second models to identify, for at least one of the location data points, a point on the second surface model that is closest in distance to the location data point, wherein said identified point has a value of said EP parameter associated therewith. The method still further comprises assigning a visual indicator to the location data point based on the EP parameter value associated with the identified point and in accordance with a visualization scheme corresponding to the EP parameter.
US08909501B2
A method and system for optimizing surface coverings having user input representative of a construction project, floor plans representative of the project including optional configurations of the plans, user input for selection from a plurality of the plans and options and creating data points representative of one of the plans, merging the plan and options into a set of data points representative of a final plan set, determining room surface selections from user input, deriving contiguity data from the surface areas representative of the surface selections; and optimizing price of floor materials for selected criteria based on pre-determined rules. The system and method weights traffic flow based on room configurations and determines optimal cuts of materials to minimize seams. Further, the system packs the cut materials optimally to fit standard sheet material such as carpet and vinyl.
US08909496B2
Systems and methods for determining a bias-corrected value of at least one component of a gravity gradient tensor using a gravity gradiometer and a measurement bias of the gravity gradiometer wherein the measurement bias varies with time, by taking at least three measurements with the gravity gradiometer positioned in at least two orientations. Any gravity gradiometer can be used, including a Cross-Component Gravity Gradiometer (CCGG), an Orthogonal Quadrupole Responder (OQR), an In-Line Responder (ILR), a Diagonal-Component Gravity Gradiometer, or a Multi-Component Gravity Gradiometer (MCGG).
US08909490B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a battery state estimation device and a battery state estimation method which identify parameter of a secondary battery with high accuracy. A current and a terminal voltage of secondary battery are detected, then by using the current measured value and terminal voltage measured value thus detected, the terminal voltage of secondary battery based on predetermined battery model is estimated, and the parameter of the secondary battery is identified such that a difference between terminal voltage measured value and voltage estimated value is converged to zero. In the identifying of parameter of secondary battery, the terminal voltage measured value and terminal voltage estimated value are subjected to filter treatment by low pass filter having a common high frequency breaking characteristic and the terminal voltage measured value and terminal voltage estimated value subjected to the filter treatment are used.
US08909487B2
An apparatus, a closed-loop system and method for measuring the resistance of inhalation systems and/or devices are disclosed.
US08909482B2
A device for measuring power consumption and performance relative to the environment of a power-consuming unit is disclosed. The device includes a data introduction module, a keyboard for inputting data of waste production in the power-consuming unit, a computing device, and a display screen. The computing device receives the data from the data introduction module and the keyboard. The computing device is also provided with a processor that includes a calculation algorithm of an ecological parameter indicative of the performance relative to the environment of the power-consuming unit. The ecological parameter is calculated as an adjusted mean of the sum of the deviations of each power consumption value with respect to a reference value.
US08909475B2
A system for planning transportation for a passenger along a route from an origin to a destination includes software which stores information pertaining to the passenger's desired route, one or more public transportation options, and one or more drivers willing to transport the passenger, using a private vehicle, along at least a portion of the route. Drivers bids for transporting the passenger are obtained using crowd-sourcing. The public transportation information and driver information are used to calculate one or more combinations of private legs and public legs using a graph search algorithm and the heuristic formula w=ntp(+*)(tm)x, where n and x are constant, x<1, and tp, tm are time waiting and time moving, respectively.
US08909474B2
In connection with a navigation system, a method of providing routing information to a user includes receiving user location information associated with a residence of the user, determining a socioeconomic routing preference based on a socioeconomic status associated with the user location information, and calculating a route between a start location and an end location based on the socioeconomic routing preference. Route guidance is then provided to the user based on the calculated route.
US08909470B2
An optical observation device for target acquisition and navigation having at least one objective, which is to be turned toward the object to be observed, and at least one ocular, which is to be turned toward the eye of the observer, in a housing, wherein the housing has at least one image reversal system, means for range finding, for location/position determination, for determination of the compass direction, and for displaying data, is distinguished in that an integrated target acquisition module having optoelectronic rangefinder, a GPS position determination, an electronic compass direction determination, and a microcomputer unit for calculating and storing distance and location coordinates of a targeted destination, an integrated navigation module having a display screen, which is arranged externally on the housing, and actuating elements, which are arranged on the housing, for activating functions of the target acquisition and navigation module are provided.
US08909460B2
A multi-cylinder internal combustion engine is provided with a system for the variable actuation of the intake valves. At least one part of the engine cylinders is deactivated, cutting off fuel supply to said cylinders, under operating conditions that do not require the maximum power of the engine and in which one wants to reduce fuel consumption. The intake valves of the deactivated cylinders are kept at least partly open during at least one part of the discharge stages in the deactivated cylinders, hence, in the deactivated cylinders, part of the burnt gases generated during the operation prior to the deactivation flows into the respective intake conduits during the discharge stage of each cylinder. The intake valves are closed after the discharge stage. The intake valves of the deactivated cylinders are further kept closed during the compression and expansion stages in each deactivated cylinder.
US08909456B2
An engine control apparatus includes a target air volume calculator which calculates a target air volume required by an engine, and an actual air volume calculator which calculates an actual air volume inhaled into a cylinder of the engine. The apparatus further includes an estimator which calculates the estimated value of subsequent actual air volume on the basis of a time lag from a time when the target air volume is calculated to a time when the actual air volume reaches the target air volume. The apparatus can accurately estimate an intake air volume inhaled into the cylinder to improve the controllability of the engine.
US08909448B2
A driving force distribution control device, which is mounted on a vehicle including an engine configured to generate driving force for the vehicle, a transmission device configured to shift rotation of an output shaft of the engine by transmission ratios, and a driving force transmission system capable of transmitting output of the transmission device to main drive wheels and auxiliary drive wheels, includes: a control device configured to, when a rotational speed of the output shaft of the engine is in a range in which abnormal sound of the driving force transmission system due to pulsation of the driving force can be generated, set a torque value to a value capable of reducing the abnormal sound depending on the driving force; and a driving force transmitting device configured to transmit driving force depending on the set value to the auxiliary drive wheels.
US08909413B2
Embodiments provide systems and methods for using a feedback correction factor to determine whether a motor vehicle should be placed in a judging or non-judging mode regarding the on-board diagnostic system. If the feedback correction factor is within a predetermined range, the vehicle is placed in a judging mode. If the feedback correction factor is outside a predetermined range, the vehicle is placed in a non-judging mode. Methods and systems for using an engine oil temperature to determine whether a motor vehicle should be placed in a judging or non-judging mode regarding the on-board diagnostic system are disclosed. If an engine oil temperature, or predicted engine oil temperature, is below a predetermined temperature, the motor vehicle is placed in a non-judging mode. If an engine oil temperature, or predicted engine oil temperature, is above a predetermined temperature, the motor vehicle is placed in a judging mode.
US08909411B2
A slip rate detection method and a detection system for detecting the slip rate of an electric vehicle using the method. The slip rate of an electric vehicle is measured by measuring the motor voltage, motor current, and motor rotational speed of the drive motor. The detection system includes a motor rotational speed detection unit, a motor voltage detection unit, and a motor current detection unit, all connected to the drive motor. The motor rotational speed detection unit, the motor voltage detection unit, and the motor current detection unit are connected to a slip rate calculation unit by means of a motor rotational speed signal processing unit, a voltage signal processing unit, and a current signal processing unit, respectively. The slip rate calculation unit is configured with a slip rate calculation formula. The formula is determined according to the drive motor type.
US08909409B2
A vehicle data acquisition system and method are provided for the analysis of vehicle conditions. A vehicle-external communication device, a vehicle-internal communication device, a vehicle-external computer and a vehicle-external databank are utilized. For providing an informative vehicle data acquisition system, on the basis of the data in the vehicle-external databank, the vehicle-external computer identifies those vehicles which have a first characteristic profile. The vehicle-external computer queries vehicle data from the identified vehicles by way of the vehicle-external and the vehicle-internal communication devices, and the vehicle-external computer evaluates the queried and received vehicle data for the analysis of vehicles having the first characteristic profile.
US08909406B2
An electric vehicle includes a malfunction detector configured to continuously monitor a torque command from an ECU as well as one of the followings: signals indicating a rotational frequency of a motor unit; signals indicating a rotational frequency of a wheel driven by the motor unit; signals indicating a rotational direction of the motor unit; signals indicating a rotational direction of the wheel driven by the motor unit; and a motor current, and detect, according to a predefined rule, a malfunction of the motor unit, based on the monitoring information. The electric vehicle also includes a malfunction-responsive controller configured to cause at least one of shut-off of a drive current to the motor unit and braking with a mechanical brake, if the malfunction detector detects a malfunction.
US08909396B2
A blocked rail crossing detection and notification system is described. The system includes a processing device, a communications interface communicatively coupled to the processing device and operable for facilitating communications between the processing device and at least one external device, and at least one vehicle detection mechanism placed proximate to a rail grade crossing. The at least one vehicle detection mechanism is communicatively coupled to the processing device and operable to provide signals to the processing device indicative of the presence or non-presence of a vehicle within a defined area surrounding an intersection of a roadway and one or more railroad tracks. The processing device is further programmed to communicate the presence or non-presence of a vehicle along with supporting correlative visual data within the defined area to the at least one external device via the communications interface.
US08909394B2
The invention relates to a method for decision support of a first combat aircraft (1) in a combat situation comprising the steps of: a) detecting (3) a second combat aircraft (2), wherein the second combat aircraft (2) is different from the first combat aircraft (1), b) analyzing (4) the second combat aircraft (2) to determine its type, its sensor capacity and its total weapons capacity, and c) recording (5) the sensor capacity and the total weapons capacity of the second combat aircraft (2) to determine a first geographic zone adapted for defining the detection limit of the second combat aircraft (2) and a second geographic zone adapted for defining a shoot-down limit of the second combat aircraft (2), respectively, wherein the first and the second geographic zone are adapted for decision support of the first combat aircraft (1) in the combat situation with the second combat aircraft (2). In this way, a possibility is provided to assist the pilot in decision support in complicated combat situations while being reliable, fast and easy to handle for the pilot in order to make a quick and efficient decision.
US08909391B1
The present disclosure relates to a deployment system for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). In one aspect, an illustrative deployment system includes a communication system configured for receiving diagnostic data corresponding to an object held by a UAV, wherein the object has an expiration condition; and a logic module configured for (i) determining that the expiration condition has been satisfied based, at least in part, on the received diagnostic data, and (ii) responsive to determining that the expiration condition has been satisfied, initiating an action that includes sending to the UAV both (a) navigation data relating to a remedial facility, and (b) instructions to navigate to the remedial facility based, at least in part, on the navigation data.
US08909385B2
An infrared (IR) signature matching system comprises a heating and cooling device, a plurality of sensors configured to detect information related to the IR signature of the heating and cooling device and a background environment, a controller operably coupled with the heating and cooling device and the plurality of sensors. The controller is configured to receive the information from the plurality of sensors and adjust the temperature of the heating and cooling device until the IR signature of the heating and cooling device and the IR signature of the background environment are at least substantially matched in a selectable sub-region of the IR spectrum. Other systems, control circuits and related methods for matching IR signatures and cloaking objects in the IR spectrum are disclosed herein.
US08909381B2
An irrigation control device having a modulator that modulates data onto an alternating power signal by distorting amplitude of a first leading portion of selected cycles of the alternating power signal, and permit effectively a full amplitude of the alternating power signal on a following portion of the selected cycles, wherein the first leading portion and the following portion are either both on a high side of a cycle or both on a low side of a cycle of the alternating power signal. The irrigation control device further includes an interface configured to couple the modulator to a multi-wire interface coupled to a plurality of irrigation devices to permit the alternating power signal to be applied to the multi-wire interface.
US08909373B2
An exemplary robot is disclosed with at least one turnable member wherein a free end of the member is moveable along a programmable path. A force or pressure or contact effect detector is included on an interaction point on the free end of the free member so that signals corresponding to the force or pressure or contact effect are producible. Control of the robot movement is performed according to the programmable path and according to predicted demands in the case of detection. In case of detection, the control will be carried out such that the robot movement is temporarily stopped, slowed down or not stopped and a temporary change of the programmable movement path can be determined in consideration of the produced signals. A homing method for controlling the robot is also disclosed.
US08909366B2
A sewing machine includes a plurality of needle bars to a lower end of each of which a needle can be attached, a display portion that is configured to display various information, a first display control portion that causes the display portion to display replacement information, the replacement information being information pertaining to a replacement needle bar that corresponds to a thread spool for which replacement is necessary and that is at least one of the plurality of the needle bars, a specifying portion that specifies a replacement-completed needle bar during a period in which the replacement information is being displayed on the display portion, the replacement-completed needle bar being a needle bar that corresponds to a thread spool that has been placed after replacement, and a second display control portion that causes the display portion to display a result that has been specified by the specifying portion.
US08909359B2
A system for operating a process includes a processing circuit that uses a self-optimizing control strategy to learn a steady-state relationship between an input and an output. The processing circuit is configured to switch from using the self-optimizing control strategy to using a different control strategy that operates based on the learned steady-state relationship.
US08909356B2
Systems and methods for operating an appliance control device for selectively controlling a plurality of appliances having a same or common identifier are provided. A control unit may receive a request to register the appliance control device with any of the plurality of appliances having the same identifier. In response to the request, the control unit may select a first appliance based on a registration priority of the first appliance relative to the remaining appliances. Upon selecting the first appliance, the control unit may transmit a request to the selected first appliance for registering the appliance control device with the selected first appliance. In some aspects, the relative registration priorities may be assigned to one or more of the appliances based on a prior registration history and/or distance to the appliance control device.
US08909351B2
Implantable devices and related systems utilize coils or coil portions of a coil for inductive telemetry at one frequency and recharge at another frequency. The coils or coil portions are included in one or more tank circuits that share at least one node between the coils or coil portions. The recharge application may be provided with variations for aspects including power management and rectification. The telemetry application may be provided with variations for aspects including receiver connectivity for the downlink and coil driving for the uplink.
US08909350B2
A system for a neurostimulator coupled to electrodes. The system comprises an input device configured for generating control signals. The system further comprising memory storing a first set of variable values defining a first spatial relationship between a central ideal pole of a first polarity and the plurality of electrodes, a second set of variable values defining a second spatial relationship respectively between four ideal poles of a second polarity and the first ideal pole, and a third set of variable values defining relative intensities between the four ideal poles. The system further comprises control circuitry configured for modifying the first variable values, the second variable values, and/or the third variable values, and generating stimulation parameter values defining relative amplitude values for the electrodes that emulate the ideal poles, and instructing the neurostimulator to convey electrical energy to the electrodes in accordance with the stimulation parameter values.
US08909334B2
An electrical stimulation device and method of locating an electrical stimulation point of a human or animal. The device comprises a matrix of electrodes distributed on an electrode pad configured to be applied on a human or animal body and arranged for covering a plurality of the stimulation points of the human or animal. An electronic circuit is connected to the matrix of electrodes and configured for applying an electrical stimulation signal to the electrodes. A feedback signal, in response to an electrical stimulation signal, may be used in assessing the suitability of electrodes as an electrical stimulation point.
US08909333B2
A device for measuring impedance of biological tissue may include a pair of electrodes for contacting the biological tissue, and a drive circuit coupled to the pair of electrodes and configured to drive an alternating current (AC) through the biological tissue and to sense an AC voltage. The AC voltage is towards a reference voltage on at least one of the pair of electrodes. The device may include at least one single-ended amplitude modulation (AM) demodulator configured to demodulate the AC voltage and to generate a corresponding baseband voltage representing the impedance, and an output circuit configured to generate output signals representative of DC and AC components of the baseband voltage.
US08909328B2
The present disclosure provides a method and an apparatus for identifying development of diabetic cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (DCAN) in a biological subject. In one aspect, the method includes collecting data associated with heart rates of a biological subject, and processing the collected data to extract primary and secondary components of the collected data by performing a principal dynamic mode (PDM) analysis. A significant reduction of the primary or secondary component at a predetermined time period can be indicative of the DCAN development.
US08909327B1
The present invention relates to an instrument and method for measuring the optical quality of an eye in a human subject. The instrument, which can be of either a single or double pass design and may include three-separate channels, permits real-time, simultaneous measurement of optical aberrations in the eye, retro-illumination of tear film to assess tear film stability, and scoring of psychophysical measures of visual performance. The simultaneous measurement of these parameters of optical quality and visual performance with the present instrument enables the operator to more accurately assess conditions and diseases of the eye, including dry eye disease (DED).
US08909324B2
An optical coherent tomographic image forming apparatus including a light guide configured to divide a light into a measurement light and a reference light; a flush unit configured to discharge a flush liquid into a body lumen; a refractive index setting unit configured to set a refractive index of the flush liquid; an adjustment value setting unit configured to set an adjustment value; a calibration unit for adjusting the length of the reference optical path or the length of the measurement optical path based on the adjustment value; an image construction unit configured to construct a cross-sectional image; and an offset value calculation unit for calculating an offset value of the length of the reference optical path based on a changed refractive index when the refractive index of the flush liquid is changed by the refractive index setting unit after calibration is executed by the calibration unit.
US08909321B2
A diagnostic imaging apparatus includes a ventricular volume-variation measuring unit that measures sequential variations in a size of a ventricle within at least one heart beat, from images of a heart scanned in each of a plurality of time phases; a scanning-condition setting unit that specifies a time phase of little cardiac motion based on variations in the size of the ventricle measured by the ventricular volume-variation measuring unit, and sets scanning conditions so as to collect data in the specified time phase; and an imaging unit that collects data based on the scanning conditions set by the scanning-condition setting unit, and reconstructs an image from the collected data.
US08909315B2
A gastroscope has an insertion tube with a distal end, at which a sensor is located. The sensor has a first electrode produced of an acid-resistant noble metal, and a second electrode produced of silver. An electrical voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes, and a change in an electrical variable is measured between the first and second electrodes, when ammonia is present. The gastroscope allows screening of gastric acid and the tissue of the stomach lining for Helicobacter pylori in a manner that is gentle for the patient.
US08909314B2
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for increasing oxygen availability to implantable devices. The preferred embodiments provide a membrane system configured to provide protection of the device from the biological environment and/or a catalyst for enabling an enzymatic reaction, wherein the membrane system includes a polymer formed from a high oxygen soluble material. The high oxygen soluble polymer material is disposed adjacent to an oxygen-utilizing source on the implantable device so as to dynamically retain high oxygen availability to the oxygen-utilizing source during oxygen deficits. Membrane systems of the preferred embodiments are useful for implantable devices with oxygen-utilizing sources and/or that function in low oxygen environments, such as enzyme-based electrochemical sensors and cell transplantation devices.
US08909308B2
Antenna swapping methods for a wireless electronic device may include refraining from swapping antennas of the wireless electronic device for wireless communication with a network other than during a time period that is received at the wireless electronic device from the network. Related systems and devices are also described.
US08909294B2
This invention relates to a cellular basestation, and in particular to a basestation for a cellular communications network, that can conveniently be used to provide a cellular service, for example within a home or office.
US08909292B2
A communication apparatus and a method for providing a predetermined subscriber identification module (SIM) card are provided. The communication apparatus provides different man-machine interfaces (MMIs) according to a number of the inserted SIM cards. The communication apparatus includes a detector arranged to detect an amount of the inserted SIM cards on the communication apparatus, and a processor arranged to provide different MMIs according to the amount of inserted SIM cards.
US08909290B2
Methods and apparatus for subscription management in dual SIM devices may include using a first subscription associated with a first SIM card of a wireless device to communicate with a network. The methods and apparatus may further include detecting a presence of a second SIM card in the wireless device and automatically initializing a second subscription associated with the second SIM card in response to the detection. The methods and apparatus may also include attempting to connect to the network using the second subscription.
US08909289B2
A system and method provide a smart card-based widget service, and a smart card for the same. Status information including information about a service icon and an active status for at least one widget service embedded according to the specification of a user is set. A widget waiting screen image including the service icon of the widget service set in the active status is made and provided to the user terminal. A widget service corresponding to a specific icon is executed according to the selection of the user for the specific icon so that an execution screen image of the executed widget service is provided. A widget service for a waiting screen image is provided regardless of the type and the specification of a user terminal for the smart card. Even if the user terminal is replaced with new one, information of the smart card is maintained.
US08909288B2
A multimode communication integrated circuit comprising baseband processing circuitry with a shared radio interface. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise a processor module adapted to perform various processing (e.g., baseband processing) in support of multimode communications. A first radio module may be communicatively coupled to the processor module through a common communication interface. A second radio module may also be communicatively coupled to the processor module through the common communication interface. The common communication interface may, for example, be adapted to communicate information over a communication bus that is shared between the processor module and a plurality of radio modules (e.g., the first and second radio modules).
US08909281B2
The present invention discloses a method and a system for controlling an uplink transmitting power, and a base station, wherein the method comprises: determining respective power control parameters of each frequency partition in a system whose uplink frequency band is divided into a plurality of frequency partitions, wherein each frequency partition comprises a plurality of physical sub-carriers; and a base station transmitting the power control parameters of all or part of the frequency partitions to a terminal, so that the terminal determines a transmitting power on a sub-carrier included in a corresponding frequency partition according to the power control parameters. By using the present invention, the power control parameters of a plurality of frequency partitions of an uplink frequency band are transmitted to the terminal, so that the terminal determines the transmitting power on the sub-carrier included in the corresponding frequency partition according to the power control parameters, which can solve the problems that the methods for controlling the uplink transmitting power in related technology is not flexible and can not effectively improve the uplink performance of the system, and can achieve the aims of controlling the uplink interference between the cells effectively and improving the uplink performance of the system.
US08909275B2
Disclosed is a wireless communication system including: a controller and a plurality of communication terminals connected to each other for communication, and the controller includes: a first wireless communication section; a communication number control section which counts a communication number of each of the communication terminal communicated and stores the number in the storage section; and a first communication control section which sets back off information indicating priority of communication of the communication terminal according to the communication number stored in the storage section and transmits the back off information through the first wireless communication section to the communication terminal, and the communication terminal includes: a second wireless communication section; and a second communication control section which sets the back off time of communication with the controller shorter as the priority becomes higher based on the back off information received from the controller.
US08909272B2
A control device includes at least one communication interface for communicating first control data with at least one first communication device that utilizes the millimeter wave frequency band in accordance with a first protocol and further for communicating second control data with at least one second communication device that utilizes the millimeter wave frequency band in accordance with a second protocol. A resource controller allocates resources of the millimeter wave frequency band to the at least one first communication device and the at least one second communication device based on the first control data and the second control data.
US08909263B2
A communication terminal includes: a display, an input device for accepting a first operation instruction; a communication device for connection with a server and another terminal; and a control unit for receiving first contents from the server via the communication device according to the first operation instruction, determining whether connection with another terminal is established or not, transmitting the first contents to another terminal via the communication device when a determination is made that connection with another terminal is established, and causing the display to show the first contents.
US08909260B2
A method includes transmitting a paging indicator indicating to user equipment assigned to one or more groups that the user equipment are to attempt to receive paging messages including paging information targeted to at least one of the one or more groups; and transmitting in a channel the paging information in the paging messages. Another method includes receiving a paging indicator indicating a user equipment is to attempt to receive paging messages including paging information targeted to at least one of one or more groups; and receiving from a channel the paging information in the paging messages. A method includes sending a request message to user equipment assigned to one or more groups, the request message comprising an indication to cause the user equipment to read device trigger information in a system broadcast message; and sending the device trigger information in the system broadcast message.
US08909259B2
Methods and systems for managing paging-channel resources, and in particular, dynamically adjusting the page-concatenation level based on PCO in a sector, are disclosed herein. An exemplary method involves (a) at an access network configured to page mobile stations via a paging channel of a sector in the access network, determining a paging channel occupancy (PCO) level for the sector; (b) using the determined PCO level as a basis for selecting a page-concatenation level to be used to page mobile stations in the sector, wherein the page-concatenation level is selected from a plurality of available page-concatenation levels; and (c) applying concatenation to pages to mobile stations in the sector according to the selected page-concatenation level.
US08909256B2
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method is presented for mediating among a plurality of datagrams containing data, settings or preferences to produce ambience settings applicable to a location area that is shared by a plurality of users wherein at least one of said users is associated to one datagram among said plurality of datagrams.
US08909252B2
Accurate position capability can be quickly provided using a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). When associated with a WLAN, a wireless device can quickly determine its relative and/or coordinate position based on information provided by an access point in the WLAN. Before a wireless device disassociates with the access point, the WLAN can periodically provide time, location, and decoded GPS data to the wireless device. In this manner, the wireless device can significantly reduce the time to acquire the necessary GPS satellite data (i.e. on the order of seconds instead of minutes) to determine its coordinate position.
US08909244B2
A wireless communication device can determine its position in accordance with a distributed positioning mechanism to minimize bandwidth and power consumption at the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device can detect positioning control messages exchanged between independent pairs of access points in a wireless communication network. The wireless communication device can determine position information associated with each access point of each of the pairs of access points and timing information associated with the pairs of access points based, at least in part, on the detected positioning control messages. The position of the wireless communication device can then be calculated based, at least in part, on the position information and the timing information associated with the pairs of access points.
US08909243B2
A communication device can be equipped with global positioning system (GPS) equipment and one or more accelerometers and/or gyroscopes that can be used to determine one or more of the direction or velocity at which the communication device is “cast” by coupling the location information of the communication device, such as using GPS coordinates, cell tower triangulation, or the like, with the “cast direction” of the communication device—thereby creating a cast vector. The strength of the cast may be analyzed to assist with determining how far the cast vector should be projected. The communication device can then determine which, if any, other communications device, entities, and/or objects are within the cast vector. The direction and strength of the cast can be used to assist in creating either a two or three-dimensional sensible area, that originates with the location of the calling party, and extends therefrom a certain distance.
US08909241B2
A wireless device and a communication method, which enable a position of the wireless device to be known and enable a frequency which does not interfere with that of another wireless station to be selected, are provided. A wireless device belonging to a second wireless system in which a frequency band to be used overlaps with that of a first wireless system, and a priority with which the overlapping frequency band is used is lower than that of the first wireless system, the wireless device includes: a location receiving unit receiving location information formed of a place name and indicating a location of the wireless device; a geographic coordinate acquiring unit acquiring, based on the location information, geographic coordinates including latitude and longitude corresponding to the location information; and a frequency setting unit accessing a frequency server in which a frequency assigned to a wireless device belonging to the first wireless system and geographic coordinates including latitude and longitude related to a position of the wireless device are stored by being corresponded to each other, by using the geographic coordinates acquired by the geographic coordinate acquiring unit, and acquiring at least one of a frequency that is not assigned to the wireless device belonging to the first wireless system and a frequency which is not at risk of interfering with that of the wireless device, to set the frequency as a transmission/reception frequency.
US08909231B2
A communication system, femto cell, and clustering and handover method of the same are provided. The method includes storing identity information and customer information for a plurality of femto base stations, generating, when location information of the corresponding femto base stations are received, at least one cluster including at least one of the femto base stations according to the customer information and location information, sharing the identity information of the corresponding femto base station in the cluster. The method is capable of supporting handover between femto base stations so as to secure reliable communication service connectivity for the terminal on the move.
US08909226B2
The present invention facilitates handoffs for a mobile terminal in a wireless access network that is capable of supporting different types of handoffs. The different handoff types may include soft handoffs and fast base station switching (FBSS). In operation, context information associated with supporting wireless communications between the wireless access network and the mobile terminal are determined. Based on whether the context information is shared between base stations involved in the handoff or transferred from one base station to another of the base stations involved in the handoff, a particular handoff type is selected from the different handoff types that are available. Selecting the specific type of handoff to use may also be based on the level of context information that is available, the actual content of the context information, application preferences, channel conditions, base station or mobile terminal capabilities, or any combination thereof.
US08909220B1
A satellite communication system includes a global bandwidth enforcer that allocates bandwidth from the global bandwidth pool in accordance with a group service plan having a predetermined geographic scope. The system further includes an allocation of bandwidth from the one or more channels of the one or more beams of a first satellite in accordance with the group service plan. The system further includes a second satellite access station that receives an allocation of bandwidth from the one or more channels of the one or more beams of the second satellite in accordance with the group service plan. The system further includes a first sub-network associated with the first satellite access having a coverage area in the predetermined geographic scope of the group service plan, where the first sub-network receives an allocation of bandwidth from the first satellite access station in accordance with the group service plan.
US08909219B2
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided in connection with improving interactions between various components within a wireless device to enable improved communications between wireless devices. In an example, a wireless device may include an application processor equipped to send first and second amounts of data to be buffered in a buffer associated with a controller, and cease communications with the controller after the second amount of data is sent. In an aspect, the ceasing of communications may include switching to a sleep mode. In an aspect, the amounts of data are larger than a threshold data size, and the buffer includes logically combined dedicated memories from SOCs for a plurality of access technologies controlled by the controller.
US08909211B2
Providing for remote control of electronic devices at least in part utilizing a mobile radio access network (RAN) is disclosed herein. A control server is provided that can initiate an OTA message requesting control of a client device. The OTA message can be transmitted via the RAN to the client device, which can initiate a data network call upon receipt of the message. A data network address can be forwarded to the control server to facilitate data exchange between the server and client. The client can act upon and respond to commands issued by the server. As described herein, remote control of a client that does not maintain a persistent data network link can be conducted. Furthermore, key-mapping applications, DLL-based middle-ware, and other interface modules traditionally required to implement control of a remote device can be limited or avoided.
US08909210B2
A mobile device capable of supporting applications for semi-literate farmers and agricultural industry workers. Such applications are designed to be user-friendly, primarily employ audio form to provide data and information, and promote audio based interactions. In particular, the mobile device comprises a client application that avoids/minimizes the use of keyboard, supports audio-message based interactions and data communications, supports language selection, provides intuitive icons to aid comprehension and user selection, and keeps user interaction simple. The client application comprises a labor contract module that facilitates interaction by a user (who is typically a farmer or agricultural worker) using audio messages to find and hire contract labor. The client application also comprises a social group interaction module that facilitates interaction with mobile social networks, such as groups of farmers in a region of the world, or a group of farmers growing a specific type of crop.
US08909206B2
A communications system includes a caller device, a receiver device, and a communications device. The communications device includes a storage unit, a communications unit, and a processing unit. Each called party is assigned an identifier, and has one or more receiver device. Each receiver device is assigned a phone number. The storage unit stores a phone number of each receiver device associated with a called party. The processing unit includes a request receiving module for receiving a request, a request recognition module for determining whether the identifier from the request matched one of the identifier of the called party; an acquiring module for acquiring the phone numbers of one called party when matching. The communications unit dials the acquired phone numbers to establish communications with the receiver device.
US08909203B1
A do not disturb (DND) mode for telephonic devices, in which the DND mode is automatically deactivated after a time increment has elapsed, the DND mode having been activated based on detecting, upon receiving a telephone call, a selection of the control.
US08909201B2
In a communications network, a network access point address is determined that is currently associated with at least one of a plurality of subscriber mobile devices associated with a subscription to an information service. Content associated with the information service is formatted to provide subscriber content that is configured to be used by the plurality of subscriber mobile devices. The subscriber content is broadcast from a transmitter at the determined network access point address to the at least one subscriber mobile device over a wireless network.
US08909200B2
In accordance with an example embodiment, there is disclosed herein an apparatus comprising an alert device, an optical input device; and a controller coupled to the alert device and the optical input device. The controller is configured to send an alert via the alert device in response to a predetermined event. The controller is configured to recognize whether a face is detected by the optical input device, and to discontinue the alert responsive to determining that the face is being detected by the optical input device.
US08909195B2
A mobile terminal and a method of selecting a lock function thereof are provided. The method of selecting a lock function of a mobile terminal having a touch screen includes: measuring, when at least one touch occurs on the touch screen, at least one of a pressure, a current, and a capacitance of an area of the touch screen in which the touch occurs; and selecting, if at least one of the measured pressure, current, and capacitance is greater than or equal to a preset value, a lock function. Thus, by touching the touch screen in such a manner that a high current or capacitance may be measured in a specific area of the mobile terminal, a user can easily perform a desired function, thereby improving user convenience.
US08909190B2
A portable (e.g., watch-sized) wireless electronic device configurable to reflect the identity, preferences or characteristics of the user, and adapted to determine the nearby presence and location of a compatibly configured device includes a microcontroller, data communications subsystem configured to enable two way digital radio communication; a received signal strength indicator subsystem operably coupled to the data communications subsystem and configured to provides a micro-controller subsystem with information about the strength of received signals; a range estimate indicator subsystem operably coupled to the microcontroller and configured to display an estimate of the range to a target unit based on signal strength observed during a scan for the direction of maximum signal strength; a compatibility indicator subsystem operably coupled to the microcontroller and configured to provide an indication of a possible degree of compatibility of a user assigned to a opposing unit; a computer interface subsystem adapted to communicate with a user's computer; and a user control subsystem configured to enable user input.
US08909175B1
A transmitter (70) generates a time-varying, detroughed, biasing signal (154) for an RF power amplifier (10) so that the RF power amplifier (10) is biased in accordance with an envelope tracking scheme. A trough-filling section (94) is responsive to an envelope tracking signal (86), which in turn is responsive to a magnitude signal (90) extracted from a complex baseband communication signal (76). The trough-filing section (94) includes a limiting stage (108) that forms a raw troughing signal (110) which expands the bandwidth of the envelope tracking signal (86). A filtering stage (116) reduces the bandwidth of the raw troughing signal (110) to form a trough-filling signal (122) that is combined back into the envelope tracking signal (86) using a linear process that maintains the bandwidth of the envelope tracking signal (86).
US08909169B2
A single pole double throw (SPDT) switch is fabricated on an integrated circuit (IC) and may comprise two radio frequency (RF) switching devices each having a separate DC blocking capacitor coupled between respective RF switching devices and a common node. A DC connection is provided between the two RF switching devices with a thin electrically conductive line. This thin electrically conductive line provides for increased isolation between the two RF switching devices and decreased insertion loss. The increased isolation and/or decreased insertion loss is accomplished by tuning the thin electrically conductive line through the characteristic impedance of the line when impedance matching conditions are met. Undesired circuit resonance(s) in the SPDT switch may be substantially reduced by using two or more thin electrically conductive lines that further reduce the thin electrically line(s) inductance.
US08909166B2
An apparatus and method for controlling a multi-band antenna in a mobile communication terminal are provided. An apparatus for controlling a multi-band antenna in a mobile communication terminal includes a modem, an antenna unit, a Radio Frequency (RF) processing unit, and a switch module. The modem outputs at least one control signal corresponding to a target frequency band. The antenna unit changes a resonance frequency of the antenna according to the at least one control signal. The RF processing unit includes a plurality of transmission/reception (TX/RX) paths and processes TX/RX signals. The switch module connects the antenna to one of the TX/RX paths according to the at least one control signal.
US08909157B2
Technologies are generally described for alleviating inter-cell interference experienced by relays in wireless networks such as cellular systems that rely on relays to facilitate some communication between end user devices and base stations (BTSs). A BTS serving a relay may gather information on resource blocks being used to communicate between the relay and an end user. Then, the BTS may send interference indication signals such as High Interference Indicators (HII) or related signals on behalf of sub-communications executed by entities within the cell. Another BTS of a neighboring cell receiving the signals may avoid scheduling on those resource blocks, if possible, thereby relieving the relay link from potentially significant interference.
US08909134B2
A relay device and system with efficient service roaming handling, and methods there for, are provided. The relay device comprises: a processor; a communication interface for communicating with at least a first relay and a second relay, the first relay for relaying messages to a service device; and, a plurality of connection objects, including at least a first connection object for relaying first messages to the first relay and a second connection object for relaying second messages to the second relay, the processor enabled to: receive a service roaming indication that the service device has roamed from the first relay to the second relay; and, in response, communicate only with the first connection object to reroute the first messages associated with the service device to the second relay.
US08909133B2
A system and method of monitoring a signal repeating device in a wireless communication system is provided. An operational noise measurement is obtained by measuring a noise value outside of a bandwidth of a first element, but within a bandwidth of a second, subsequent element in a signal path of the device. The operational noise measurement is alternatively obtained by tuning an input band of the device to shift the input band partially or completely outside of a bandwidth of a first element to create an open band or by suppressing an input of an antenna and measuring noise within the open bandwidth of the device. A stored parameter is retrieved and compared to the measured operational noise. Alternatively, a leakage signal of the device may be received at a signal receiver and compared to a reference. The reference is a function of elements of the device in a leakage path of the leakage signal.
US08909128B2
A method, system, media, and apparatus are directed to radio recording. Radio stations are simultaneously recorded based on a radio parameter including a processing parameter, a memory usage or allocation, a recording status, or the like. The radio parameter is adapted for an individual station, some radio stations, or all radio stations. The processing parameter is adapted based on a processor usage. The memory usage is adapted based on a memory requirement of a station being recorded. A station may be suspended from recording based on a loss of a signal and resumed based on a resumption of the signal. An access to a radio content recorded while a signal was available may be provided, if the signal is unavailable. The plurality of stations may be prioritized.
US08909127B2
Systems and methods are provided for carrying out an examination with a client computer. A client computer is booted using a secondary operating system other than a primary operating system of the client computer that is accessed from a computer readable medium provided by an administrator of an examination only on the day of the examination. A broadcast message is sent from the client computer to check for the existence of a local server and to establish communication with the local server. A client application is received from the local server for presenting the examination at the client computer. Assessment content is received for the examination from the local server. The examination including the assessment content is presented to a user of the client computer with the client application, and user responses are received at the client computer and transmitted to the local server.
US08909125B2
Disclosed is an image forming apparatus including: an ejection section including an ejection roller to eject a sheet from a first sheet passing path to a sheet ejection port and a reverse roller to reverse a transport direction of a sheet transported along a second sheet passing path, the ejection roller and the reverse roller being placed close to each other and close to the sheet ejection port; and a switching lever switches the transport destination of the sheet between the first and the second sheet passing paths for transporting the sheet to the ejection roller and to the reverse roller, respectively. A moving trajectory of a sheet transported along the first sheet passing path between the ejection roller and the switching lever is substantially identical to a moving trajectory of a sheet transported along the second sheet passing path between the reverse roller and the switching lever.
US08909121B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer belt that is stretched on a plurality of support rollers including a backup roller in a loop-like manner and has an outer surface for carrying thereon a toner image; a transfer roller that is brought into pressurized contact with the backup roller across the transfer belt and forms a transfer nip with the transfer belt; a restriction member that is placed upstream of a transfer nip in a sheet conveying direction so as to be switchable between a first state in which the restriction member is brought closer to an inner surface of the transfer belt and a second state in which a distance of the restriction member from the inner surface of the transfer belt is larger than that in the first state; and a control section that switches a state of the restriction member.
US08909119B2
A fixing member includes an elastic layer and a toner parting layer. The elastic layer includes a laser-irradiated region formed by being irradiated at longitudinal end portions of the elastic layer with laser light except for at least one non-laser-irradiated region with respect to a circumferential direction of the elastic layer. The elastic layer is coated with the toner parting layer.
US08909117B2
A fixing device that fixes an image on a recording medium includes a rotatable endless belt, deployed in a loop supported by rollers, a nip forming member provided inside the loop formed by the belt, a support member that supports the nip forming member, a counter rotation body disposed outside the loop formed by the belt and configured to form a nip with the belt by being in contact with the nip forming member through the belt, and a heat source configured to heat the belt directly by a radiant heat except at the nip. The support member includes a base portion that contacts the nip forming member and two arms extending from the base portion in a direction away from the nip forming member to partially surround a part of heat generating portion of the heat source.
US08909103B2
An image forming apparatus includes a latent image carrier, a first developing unit, a second developing unit, a transfer unit, a removing member, and a fixing unit. An average circularity of particles having an average particle diameter of no less than 100 nm and no more than 300 nm among particles included in a second external additive is less than an average circularity of particles having an average particle diameter of no less than 100 nm and no more than 300 nm among particles included in a first external additive.
US08909097B2
Techniques for modifying an imaging cartridge includes providing the imaging cartridge comprising a body including a circuit holding structure sized to hold an electronic circuit and forming a modified circuit holding structure, with the modified circuit holding structure sized to hold a replacement electronic circuit. At least one dimension of the replacement electronic circuit may be greater than a corresponding dimension of the electronic circuit.
US08909090B2
A charging device includes a corona charger including a grid electrode, a cleaning member configured to clean the grid electrode, a sheet-type shutter configured to open/close an opening of the corona charger, and a drive source configured to drive both the cleaning member and the shutter in a longitudinal direction of the corona charger, wherein the cleaning member is provided such that a cleaning ability thereof is higher in a case where the cleaning member and the shutter are moved in a closing direction of the opening of the corona charger than in a case where the cleaning member and the shutter are moved in an opening direction of the opening of the corona charger.
US08909077B2
A printer is disclosed. The printer includes one or more sub-components each having a meter to track energy usage at the sub-component during an event and a controller to receive energy usage data accrued at one or more of the meters during the event.
US08909074B2
A fixing device for fixing a toner image on a recording medium includes a fixing roller, a pressing roller, and at least one of a sheet guide, a sheet separation plate, and an electric component module. The fixing roller rotates in a predetermined direction of rotation. The pressing roller rotates and contacts an outer circumferential surface of the fixing roller to form a nip between the pressing roller and the fixing roller through which the recording medium bearing the toner image passes to fix the toner image by heat and pressure. The position of the pressing roller is changeable relative to the fixing roller. At least one of the sheet guide, the separation plate, and the electric component module moves in conjunction with movement of the pressing roller as a single integrated unit without changing relative positions with respect to the pressing roller.
US08909072B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form a measurement image on a recording sheet by using a color material, a fixing unit configured to fix the measurement image onto the recording sheet by heating the measurement image, a measurement unit configured to measure color values of the measurement image fixed on the recording sheet downstream of the fixing unit in a sheet conveyance direction of the recording sheet, a pressing member configured to press the recording sheet, on which the measurement image is formed, against the measurement unit, a selection unit configured to select a mode from among a first mode, in which the measurement image is measured with the pressing member pressing the recording sheet against the measurement unit, and a second mode, in which the measurement image is measured without the pressing member pressing the recording sheet against the measurement unit.
US08909070B2
An image forming apparatus includes a container storage that is installed on a toner container and stores first information relating to a use amount of a toner in the toner container and stores second information relating to a use amount of an image holding portion, which is a component not including the toner container and including at least an image holding body from among components installed in a cartridge; a housing storage that stores at least the second information and remains in the housing when the cartridge is removed from a housing; and an information write unit that writes the second information stored in the housing storage into the container storage if the first information stored in the container storage indicates that the toner in the toner container is unused and the second information stored in the container storage indicates that the image holding portion is used.
US08909063B2
A method for regenerating and amplifying optical signals includes determining a source optical signal, adding a first pump optical signal and a second pump optical signal to the source optical signal to yield an intermediate optical signal, duplicating the intermediate optical signal to yield a first duplicate signal and a second duplicate signal, phase-shifting the first duplicate signal, passing the phase-shifted first duplicate signal and the second duplicate signal bi-directionally through a nonlinear optical element, and performing degenerate phase-sensitive amplification on the phase-shifted first duplicate signal and the second duplicate signal.
US08909055B2
A relay device includes: a housing including: a first surface; and a second surface which is different from the first surface; a light signal receiving element operable to receive a light signal from outside, the light signal receiving element provided at the first surface of the housing; a light emission element operable to emit light responsive to the light signal received by the light signal receiving element; and a longitudinally elongated light guide member provided at the second surface of the housing, the light guide member to which the light emitted from the light emission element is incident, the light guide member including an emission part which causes the incident light to be emitted to outside from a lateral surface of the light guide member, the lateral surface which extends along a longitudinal direction of the light guide member.
US08909048B2
A reflective optical network (10) comprises an optical network unit (14) and an optical receiver (22). The optical network unit (14) comprises a reflective optical modulator (16) arranged to receive a seed optical signal, and a transmitter controller (18) arranged to receive a data signal (20) and to control the modulator (16) to apply the data signal (20) to the seed optical signal, to form an optical data signal. The transmitter controller (18) is arranged to process the data signal (20) to substantially prevent the optical data signal comprising spectral components at frequencies lower than a cut-off frequency, being the frequency at which a power spectral density of said optical data signal is lower than a peak power spectral density of said optical signal by a cut-off power value. The optical receiver (22) comprises an electrical domain high pass filter (26) having a cut-off frequency higher than a linewidth of the seed optical signal.
US08909044B2
The present invention discloses a method for transmitting data and a gigabit-capable passive optical network system, which method comprises: a transmitter carrying indication information in an uplink or a downlink frame transmitted to a receiver for enabling the receiver to discard information which does not need to be processed by the receiver in the uplink or downlink frame according to the indication information. The data type transmitted by GPON systems is expanded and the idle bandwidth is effectively handled by the present invention.
US08909035B2
An apparatus comprising a platform with a center area and a platform support structure rotatively supporting said platform from outside a safe area adjacent to a plane through said platform's rotational axis whereby an image capture device may be positioned longitudinally throughout a range of angles within the safe area about a subject placed on said platform's center area such that the platform support structure will not substantially interfere visually with the imaging of the subject by appearing in said image capture device's field of view in front of or behind the subject.
US08909030B2
A playback device performs playback of a digital stream and executes an application, the digital stream and the application being included in a title recorded on a recording medium, wherein the title has events set therein for executing the application during the digital stream, and; the playback device comprises: a repeat range input unit receiving input of a repeat range pertaining to the digital stream; an event specification unit specifying one of the events that is within the repeat range input to the repeat range input unit and associated with a time closest to an end time of the repeat range; an adjustment unit creating an adjusted repeat range by adjusting the end time of the repeat range to a time preceding the time of the event specified by the event specification unit; and a playback unit performing repeat playback of the digital stream over the adjusted repeat range.
US08909027B2
A method for playing back a program which includes one or more interactive applications. A program which is stored, either in the form of a data stream or as a set of files is played back from a storage device. When playback is started, applications which are detected are launched. Applications are detected in the playback of pushed content when they become available in the playback stream. Applications are detected in the playback of pulled content by comparing the validity ranges of the applications to a current playback index. When special playback modes are used, signals which affect the lifecycle of an application are detected and corresponding signals are generated to maintain the proper state of the application. During these special playback modes, these various notification signals may be conveyed to applications which are configured to operate during these modes. Applications which are not configured to operate during these special playback modes may be terminated when the special modes are initiated and restarted when the special modes end.
US08909026B2
Available storage media capacity for personal video recording increases continuously. metadata can be used to organize the recordings, search for content and access specific recordings. If metadata are embedded within the multimedia content itself, like DVB specific Service Information, which are multiplexed with the audio and video streams to form a MPEG-2 transport stream, a search based on this metadata would require an inefficient and time consuming search through all multimedia content stored. According to the invention metadata information is gathered, analyzed and processed to form metadata entities, which are amended by a reference to the content itself. A descriptor stream is formed from the resulting pairs of metadata entities and references to the content and is stored separately from the files comprising multimedia content. In this way, for data of an MPEG-2 transport stream the metadata can be accessed without a need to reparse the entire stream.
US08909025B2
A method for providing improved performance in retrieving and classifying causal sets of events from an unstructured signal can comprise applying a temporal-causal analysis to the unstructured signal. The temporal-causal analysis can comprise representing the occurrence times of visual events from an unstructured signal as a set of point processes. An exemplary embodiment can comprise interpreting a set of visual codewords produced by a space-time-dictionary representation of the unstructured video sequence as the set of point processes. A nonparametric estimate of the cross-spectrum between pairs of point processes can be obtained. In an exemplary embodiment, a spectral version of the pairwise test for Granger causality can be applied to the nonparametric estimate to identify patterns of interactions between visual codewords and group them into semantically meaningful independent causal sets. The method can further comprise leveraging the segmentation achieved during temporal causal analysis to improve performance in categorizing causal sets.
US08909012B2
A hybrid cable includes a guide in the center of the cable, elements stranded side-by-side with one another around the guide, fiber optic elements including optical fibers, a metal armor, and a polymeric jacket of the cable surrounding the metal armor. The elements stranded side-by-side with one another around the guide include electrical-conductor elements, which themselves include stranded metal wires insulated in a jacket of the electrical-conductor elements. The electrical-conductor elements are round and have the same diameter as one another. Furthermore, the electrical-conductor elements are each within the range of 10 American wire gauge (AWG) to 1\0 AWG. The fiber optic elements may be included in or integrated with the group of elements stranded side-by-side with one another around the guide. The metal armor surrounds the elements stranded side-by-side with one another around the guide, and serves as a grounding conductor and an electro-magnetic interference shield.
US08909009B2
Lightguides, devices incorporating lightguides, processes for making lightguides, and tools used to make lightguides are described. A lightguide includes light extractors arranged in a plurality of regions on a surface of the lightguide. The orientation of light extractors in each region is arranged to enhance uniformity and brightness across a surface of the lightguide and to provide enhanced defect hiding. The efficiency of the light extractors is controlled by the angle of a given light extractor face with respect to a light source illuminating the light guide.
US08909008B1
Optical signals are transmitted across a rotary junction using an active optical rotary coupler. A rotary optical joint assembly includes a rotatable optical coupler and an optical signal processing system. The rotatable optical coupler aligns two optical fibers for optical communication across a rotary optical junction. The optical signal processing system includes a local optical transceiver that receives the signals and compensates for at least a portion of signal loss or other signal imperfections incurred from transmitting the signal across the rotary optical junction. The local optical transceiver also processes the signals for longer distance transmission.
US08908995B2
A method of operating a dimensioning system to determine dimensional information for objects is disclosed. A number of images are acquired. Objects in at least one of the acquired images are computationally identified. One object represented in the at least one of the acquired images is computationally initially selected as a candidate for processing. An indication of the initially selected object is provided to a user. At least one user input indicative of an object selected for processing is received. Dimensional data for the object indicated by the received user input is computationally determined.
US08908992B1
An image and video processing system and methods based on amplitude-modulation frequency-modulation (“AM-FM”) demodulation to provide high quality reconstructions, both visually and quantitatively. The system and methods reconstructs an image based on a Regularized Optimization (“RO”) of estimates to attain a small number of locally coherent components and simultaneously enforce a piecewise smooth constrain for one or more amplitude functions.
US08908985B2
An image processing apparatus includes: a number of significant digits coding unit encoding information concerning the maximum number of significant digits as the number of significant digits of coefficient data having the largest absolute value in each of groups set in units of the predetermined number of plural coefficient data generated from image data; a zero-run coding unit encoding zero-run formed by a group including only coefficient data a value of which is “0”; an absolute value coding unit encoding absolute values of respective coefficient data other than zero-run with respect to each group; and a sign coding unit encoding positive and negative signs of respective coefficient data other than zero-run with respect to each group.
US08908984B2
A system and method for generating a second reduced size digital image from a first digital image, the method including iteratively compressing the first digital image to an extent determined by a quality measure comprising at least a blockiness measure quantifying added artifactual edges along coding block boundaries of the second image and/or use of a quantization matrix generated by computing a weighted average of the quantization matrix of the first digital image and a scaled second quantization matrix.
US08908980B2
A method implemented in a graphics engine for decoding image blocks to derive an original image is provided. The method comprises receiving at least one encoded image data block at a block decoder, the at least one encoded image data block comprising a plurality of codewords and a bitmap. The method further comprises determining a block type based on the plurality of codewords and selecting a decoder unit among a plurality of decoder units in accordance with the block type.
US08908960B2
In one general aspect, a method is described. The method includes generating a positional relationship between one or more support structures having at least one motion capture mark and at least one virtual structure corresponding to geometry of an object to be tracked and positioning the support structures on the object to be tracked. The support structures has sufficient rigidity that, if there are multiple marks, the marks on each support structure maintain substantially fixed distances from each other in response to movement by the object. The method also includes determining an effective quantity of ray traces between one or more camera views and one or more marks on the support structures, and estimating an orientation of the virtual structure by aligning the determined effective quantity of ray traces with a known configuration of marks on the support structures.
US08908951B2
A magnetic resonance (MR) imaging method includes acquiring MR signals having phase and magnitude at q-space locations using a diffusion sensitizing pulse sequence performed on a tissue of interest, wherein the acquired signals each include a set of complex Fourier encodings representing a three-dimensional displacement distribution of the spins in a q-space location. The signals each include information relating to coherent motion and incoherent motion in the q-space location. The method also includes determining a contribution by coherent motion to the phase of the acquired MR signals; removing the phase contribution attributable to coherent motion from the acquired MR signals to produce a complex data set for each q-space location and an image of velocity components for each q-space location; and producing a three-dimensional velocity image from the image of the velocity components.
US08908946B2
In order to provide a technology which allows efficient understanding of images of a disease locus and diagnosis supporting information for the images, an information processing apparatus comprises: an input unit which inputs object identification information for identifying an object; an acquiring unit which acquires one or more schemas related to the object and medical image data related to the schema, an identification unit which identifies a disease locus region in medical image data respectively related to each of the one or more schemas, a time-series schema generating unit which generates a time-series schema of the disease locus, a time-series image data generating unit which generates time-series image data of the disease locus, and a display output unit which synchronizes and outputs the time-series schema of the disease locus and the time-series image data of the disease locus.
US08908944B2
An information processing apparatus for deforming an original image includes an obtaining unit configured to obtain a deformation rule by associating a movement of a feature area caused by deformation of the original image with the deformation, and a deformation unit configured to deform the original image in accordance with the deformation rule, using, as a condition of constraint, position information about a feature area of the target image and a corresponding area of the original image.
US08908942B2
Systems and methods are provided which utilize a fast, efficient filtered backprojection algorithm that can provide noise suppression advantages of an iterative MAP reconstruction algorithm. In some embodiments novel filtered backprojection systems are able to provide an image which emulates an image from an iterative algorithm corresponding to a selected iteration by utilizing control parameters which shape the filter accordingly during the reconstruction process. For example, if a user desires an image which would correspond to the one-hundredth iteration of an iterative algorithm, embodiments can provide a similar quality image using minimal calculation steps. Further, embodiments may provide the resolution quality of such an iteration while also allowing for better shift-invariant performance than an iterative method.
US08908938B2
A method and a device are disclosed for providing a segmented volume data record for a virtual colonoscopy, the volume data record having image information relating to the intestines of a creature, which intestines have been labeled by a first and a second contrast agent. In at least one embodiment, voxels representing the first contrast agent, voxels representing stool remains labeled by the second contrast agent and voxels representing intestinal tissue are segmented, the segmentation taking place in a volume data record recorded of the body region of the creature having the intestines, which have been labeled by a first and a second contrast agent. In at least one embodiment, at least sections of the intestinal wall are displayed on the basis of the segmentation in the virtual colonoscopy, even if these sections of the intestinal wall are, in the segmented volume data record, covered by stool remains labeled by the second contrast agent. Further, a computer program product having a computational program for carrying out the method is also disclosed.
US08908931B2
In one implementation, a computer-implemented method includes receiving, at a computer system, an electronic photograph; and identifying, by the computer system, a plurality of users of depicted in the electronic photograph. The computer-implemented method can also include designating a group of users based on the identified plurality of users; and providing information regarding the designated group of users to one or more computing devices associated with one or more of the plurality of users.
US08908926B2
A method of 3D object delineation from 3D seismic data comprising the steps of, providing 3D seismic data; processing the data based on at least one characteristic whereby said characteristic is extracted from the data and compared with at least one reference characteristic and delineated based on the comparison, and defining a geological element based on the delineation. The characteristics may be adjusted. Data can be processed based on one characteristic then processed based on a second characteristic or data is processed based on two characteristics substantially simultaneously. Data may be processed n times producing n delineations from which the geological element is defined. An algorithm is provided for processing the data which may shift an evolving shape description of an object between explicit and implicit representations, where each shift applies a transformation to the object. Multiple sources of data may be utilized simultaneously to drive the delineation process.
US08908915B2
The present invention is directed to methods and devices for tracking moving characteristics of at least two moving objects. The present invention identifies an occlusive condition(s) of the moving objects on a video frame(s), analyzes information of a physical framework(s) of the moving objects, finds and records a position(s) of the occluded moving object(s) on the video frames and tracks a moving character(s) of the moving objects. The present invention further provides devices and methods for tracking the moving characteristics of behaviors of living bodies.
US08908914B2
Method and system for map generation for location and navigation with user sharing/social networking
Methods and systems for map generation for location and navigation with user sharing/social networking may comprise determining a position of a wireless communication device (WCD) and capturing images of the surroundings of the WCD. Data associated with objects in the surroundings of said WCD may be extracted from the captured images, positions of the objects may be determined, and the determined positions and the data may then be uploaded to a database. The elements may comprise structural and/or textual features in the surroundings of the WCD. The position of the WCD may be determined utilizing sensors in the WCD to measure a distance from a last determined or known position. The sensors may comprise a pedometer, an altimeter, a camera, and/or a compass. The positions of the extracted elements may be determined utilizing known optical characteristics of a camera in the WCD.
US08908906B2
Object recognition is executed by using, of feature data classified into a plurality of groups, only feature data belonging to a selected group. Hence, it is unnecessary to compare and refer to all feature data so that object recognition processing can be speeded up.
US08908903B2
Image recognition methods, apparatus and articles or manufacture to support shelf auditing for consumer research are disclosed herein. An example method disclosed herein comprises comparing an input image depicting a shelf to be audited with a set of reference images depicting reference shelves displaying respective sets of reference items, identifying a first reference image from the set of reference images that has been determined to match the input image, and determining an initial audit result for the shelf depicted in the input image based on a first set of reference items associated with the first reference image.
US08908895B2
The invention regards an ear canal device and a retainer strip, whereby the ear canal device has a distal part for extending into the ear canal and facing the tympanic membrane and a proximal part extending towards the ear canal opening, wherein the proximal part of the ear canal device comprises an opening extending transversely through the ear canal device, and where a retaining strip is arranged with a first end thereof arranged to be fastened in the opening and a second end arranged to lie resiliently against the inside of the concha for exerting a retaining force on the ear canal device.
US08908894B2
An illustrative method for transferring data to a device includes identifying the data that is to be transferred to the device, modulating the data with a signal, providing the signal to a contact microphone that is in physical contact with an individual, and transmitting the signal through a body of the individual to the device using the contact microphone. An illustrative method for authenticating the individual includes transmitting a signal through a body of the individual in response to the individual physically contacting an authentication device, receiving a modified signal including the signal as modified by the body of the individual, removing the signal from the modified signal to identify a unique body signature of the individual, comparing the unique body signature to a database to determine if the database includes the unique body signature, and selectively authenticating the individual based upon whether the database includes the unique body signature.
US08908891B2
An apparatus for imparting low amplitude vibrations to at least one tooth in a human head having a cochlea to facilitate hearing via a dental bone conduction pathway includes an extraoral transmitter, a band at least substantially surrounding and adhesively secured to at least one tooth, and a receiver assembly. The transmitter is configured to detect ambient sounds, and to generate and wirelessly transmit audio signals corresponding to the detected ambient sounds. The receiver assembly is removably coupleable to the band and configured to receive the audio signals from the transmitter, and to transduce the audio signals into vibrations that are conducted to the cochlea via the dental bone conduction pathway.
US08908890B2
With a hearing aid device, the problem arises of having to match the output power and/or the frequency response of the hearing aid device to the level of hearing impairment of the patient as precisely as possible. In such cases allowance must be made for the noise level, which is a function of the technology used, to be kept as low as possible and for the signal-to-noise level to be as great as possible. A switching arrangement and/or a hearing aid device and method are provided in which the power amplifier is embodied with at least two output stages. The outputs of the individual output stages can be connected in parallel by means of a controllable switching facility. A simple adjustment of the output power and/or frequency response can be achieved in this way by simply connecting a corresponding number of output stages in parallel.
US08908880B2
An electronic apparatus is provided that has a rear-side and a front-side, a first microphone that generates a first signal, and a second microphone that generates a second signal. An automated balance controller generates a balancing signal based on a proximity sensor signal. A processor processes the first and second signals to generate at least one beamformed audio signal, where an audio level difference between a front-side gain and a rear-side gain of the beamformed audio signal is controlled during processing based on the balancing signal.
US08908862B2
Embodiments are directed to switching of stations STA, access points APs and PCPs that are communicating through a wireless link from one frequency band to another. One embodiment is directed to switching of stations STA that are communicating through a tunneled direct link setup (TDLS) link from one frequency band to another. A multiband element may be added to a TDLS discovery request and TDLS discovery response frames to allow each of the stations communications through a TDLS to determine if the other station has multiband capability. In one embodiment, a pairwise transient key (PTK) is created for both a current band in which the stations STA are communicating and a new band over which the stations may communicate in the future. In this way there is no need to calculate a new pairwise transient key PTK for the new frequency band.
US08908859B2
According to one embodiment, a cryptographic apparatus includes: cryptographic cores (“cores”), an assigning unit, a concatenating unit, and an output controlling unit. If a CTS flag thereof is on, each core encrypts using a symmetric key cipher algorithm utilizing CTS, while using a symmetric key. When an input of a CTS signal is received, the assigning unit assigns first input data to a predetermined core and turns on the CTS flag thereof. The concatenating unit generates concatenated data by concatenating operation data generated during encrypting the first input data, with second input data that is input immediately thereafter. The output controlling unit controls outputting the concatenated data to the predetermined core, outputting first encrypted data obtained by encrypting the concatenated data, and over outputting second encrypted data obtained by encrypting the first input data, and further turns off the predetermined core's CTS flag.
US08908857B2
A soft reset method for a DSL apparatus. The method includes: receiving a soft reset command; controlling, according to the soft command, a service module of the DSL apparatus to perform a soft reset; and simultaneously controlling, according to a preset service module type, a non-service module of the DSL apparatus to maintain a working status. According to at least some embodiments of the invention, during the soft reset process of the DSL apparatus, it is unnecessary to perform reset on all service modules and non-service modules, so that an initialization operation load of the system during the soft reset process is reduced. Moreover, because it is unnecessary to perform soft reset on non-service modules, time that is consumed during the soft reset process of the DSL apparatus is reduced, and the user experience is correspondingly enhanced.
US08908856B2
An operator evaluation support device includes a speech recording unit that records speech times of a customer and an operator during a telephone call; a display recording unit that records a display time of a screen on an operator terminal, with screen identification information; a content recording unit that records screen content information with the screen identification information; a providing unit that creates call information indicating the speech times, the display time, and the screen content information, and sends the call information and voice files of speeches of the customer and the operator to an administrator terminal; and a determining unit that receives, from the administrator terminal, a selection of the speech, and when the selected speech is included in a predetermined time from a switching timing of the screen, the determining unit determines, as play speeches, the selected speech and another speech included in the predetermined time.
US08908855B1
Organizations may employ private computer networks to enable customers to place a telephone call to customer service agents (CSAs). To maintain high customer service, it may desirable to expand the private computer network's ability to respond to customer calls on-demand. One or more requests for additional telephony resources may be submitted to a telephony resource allocation service in communication with a configurable network service. The telephony resource allocation service may determine telephony resources available for allocation to the private computer network and facilitate communication between the configurable network service and the private computer network. In this manner, additional computer private network extensions executing instances of call distribution services may also be generated and configured. Thus, the capacity of the private computer network to respond to customer calls may be expanded, while the additional private network extensions may manage distribution of calls to the CSAs transmitted over the allocated telephony resources.
US08908843B2
A conferencing system and method are described which enable conference participants to beam between back-to-back or concurrent conferences. Specifically, a conference participant is allowed to beam between two or more conferences by providing in-band signaling during a conference. The in-band signaling may include one or more commands to beam the conference participant between the two or more conferences without requiring the conference participant to hang up and redial the conference number.
US08908835B1
A method and system and process for providing forced hold behavior is disclosed. The forced hold behavior may be enabled during an emergency dialog between a user and a Public Safety Answering Point, or PSAP, if a user has abandoned or attempted to end the emergency call. This behavior informs the PSAP that the user has abandoned the call, and permits the PSAP to reestablish communication with the user.
US08908831B2
The present specification discloses a covert mobile inspection vehicle with a backscatter X-ray scanning system that has an X-ray source and detectors for obtaining a radiographic image of an object outside the vehicle. The system is configured to also simultaneously detect passive radiation. The systems preferably include at least one sensor for determining a distance from at least one of the detectors to points on the surface of the object being scanned, a processor for processing the obtained radiographic image by using the determined distance of the object to obtain an atomic number of each material contained in the object, and one or more sensors to obtain surveillance data from a predefined area surrounding the vehicle.
US08908829B2
Provided is an X-ray imaging apparatus and an X-ray imaging method that offer an alternative for a refraction contrast method.A first scintillator and a second scintillator are used, the first scintillator generating first fluorescent light when X-rays separated by the separating element are incident thereon, and a second scintillator generating second fluorescent light when X-rays separated by the separating element are incident thereon. The second scintillator has a fluorescence emission intensity gradient such that an amount of emitted fluorescent light changes in accordance with a change in a position at which the X-rays are incident.
US08908820B1
A Stirling radioisotope generator is provided. The generator includes a first and second heat source assembly, each heat source assembly comprising two General Purpose Heat Source modules, each General Purpose Heat Source module configured to generate thermal energy. The generator also includes a first and second Stirling convertor in thermal communication with the first and second heat source assembly, respectively, each Stirling convertor configured to convert the thermal energy into electrical power. The generator has a housing enclosing the first and second heat source assembly and the first and second Stirling convertor, the housing configured to dissipate excess thermal energy.
US08908817B1
Example embodiments comprise a diversity receiver, and corresponding method, for measuring a differential phase between a first local oscillator of a first antenna and a second local oscillator of a second antenna in the presence of a primary interference signal and at least one secondary interference signal. The method may comprise receiving a primary communication signal, a primary reference signal and additional reference signals, and processing these signals such that a summation signal does not substantially comprise the at least one secondary interference signal. The estimation of differential phase is achieved by a phase shift calculation between processed signal components, using that a summation of all signal components equals, or is approximately equal to, a predetermined signal.
US08908805B2
A demodulation unit demodulates a received signal in which carrier wave of a navigation message that is modulated according to a BPSK modulation scheme are included. An error detection processing unit performs an error detection process on the demodulation result using an error detection bit that is included in the demodulation result. A verification word generator generates a verification word using the demodulation result and a check code when an error is detected by the error detection process, the check code being determined in advance for each bit of the navigation message based on a predetermined encoding rule. An estimation unit estimates an originating bit of a demodulation error by comparing the verification word generated by the verification word generator with a verification word table stored in a storage unit. A correction unit corrects the demodulation result by inverting the bit values of bits subsequent to the estimated originating bit.
US08908796B1
An optimum time domain windowing scheme for orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM)-based waveforms in the sense of spectral concentration is proposed. Instead of evenly suppressing the sidelobes along the frequency, the sidelobe power is concentrated within a guard band while maximally suppressing the power for a desired frequency range. This is achieved by employing optimum finite duration pulses, prolate spheroidal wave functions (PSWF), to shape the OFDM transmit pulse. Also with per-subcarrier windowing scheme, the effect of inner subcarriers on sidelobes is diminished by utilizing the concentration bandwidth versus out-of-band power trade-off in PSWF and the multicarrier nature of the OFDM.
US08908793B2
Provided are a method and an apparatus for signal transmission in a wireless communication system. The apparatus comprises: an information processor for generating a first information sequence based on a first transmission symbol and a first resource index, and a second information sequence based on a second transmission symbol and a second resource index; a reference signal generator for generating a different reference signal depending upon whether a first resource block indicated by the first resource index and a second resource block indicated by the second resource index are the same; and an antenna for transmitting a signal generated based on the first information sequence, the second information sequence, and the reference signal sequence.
US08908787B2
A method allows reconfigurable multi-element antennas to select the antenna configuration in MIMO, SIMO and MISO communication system. This selection scheme uses spatial correlation, channel reciprocal condition number, delay spread and average Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) information to select the antenna radiation pattern at the receiver. Using this approach, it is possible to achieve capacity gains in a multi-element reconfigurable antenna system without modifying the data frame of a conventional wireless communication system. The capacity gain achievable with this configuration selection approach is calculated through numerical simulations using reconfigurable circular patch antennas at the receiver of a MIMO system that employs minimum mean square error receivers for channel estimation. Channel capacity and Bit Error Rate (BER) results show the improvement offered relative to a conventional antenna selection technique for reconfigurable MIMO systems.
US08908784B2
Data may be transmitted from a RAN node to a wireless terminal using a MIMO antenna array. A plurality of unmapped symbol blocks may be generated. Symbols of a first one of the plurality of unmapped symbol blocks may be mapped to first and second mapped symbol blocks so that the first mapped symbol block includes symbols of the first unmapped symbol block and so that the second mapped symbol block includes symbols of the first unmapped symbol block. The symbols of the first and second mapped symbol blocks may be precoded to provide precoded symbols of respective first and second MIMO precoding layers using a MIMO precoding vector. Each of the precoded symbols of the first and second MIMO precoding layers may be transmitted through the MIMO antenna array to the wireless terminal using a same TFRE. Related devices and terminals are also discussed.
US08908778B2
A rail-to-rail comparator including a first comparison unit connected to a first terminal and configured to compare differential input signals to differential reference voltages; a second comparison unit connected to a second terminal and configured to compare the differential input signals to the differential reference voltages; and an output unit configured to be driven in response to a clock signal and to generate a complementary output signal according to comparison results of the first and second comparison units.
US08908775B1
The techniques for encoding video content are disclosed. In an online game environment, the techniques include obtaining information for a first and second successive frames of video content and information for a position of a virtual camera associated with each frame, determining virtual camera translation information based on the positions of the virtual camera, determining a projected movement between the frames of an object included in each frame, determining the portion of the first frame to be excluded from the second frame and a new portion of the second frame, and providing the determined encoded information for a reconstruction of the second frame based on the provided information.
US08908772B2
A video processing system includes a video encoder that encodes a video stream into an independent video layer stream and a first dependent video layer stream that requires the independent video layer for decoding. A scrambling module scrambles the independent video layer stream to produce a scrambled independent video layer stream and leaves the first dependent video layer stream unscrambled.
US08908768B2
Techniques and tools for video coding/decoding with motion resolution switching and sub-block transform coding/decoding are described. For example, a video encoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion estimation and compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions; a corresponding video decoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions. For sub-block transform sizes, for example, a video encoder adaptively switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 DCTs when encoding 8×8 prediction residual blocks; a corresponding video decoder switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 inverse DCTs during decoding.
US08908763B2
In general, this disclosure describes techniques for encoding and decoding sequences of video frames using fragmentary reference pictures. The disclosure presents video encoding and decoding techniques for modified temporal compression based on fragmented references rather than complete reference pictures. In a typical sequence of video frames, only a portion (i.e., a tile) of each frame includes moving objects. Moreover, in each frame, the moving objects tend to be confined to specific areas that are common among each frame in the sequence of video frames. As described herein, such common areas of motion are identified. Pictures are then extracted from the identified areas of the video frames. Because these pictures may represent only portions of the frames, this disclosure refers to these pictures as “fragments.” It is then these fragments that are used as reference pictures for generating predicted frames during a motion compensation process, rather than the entire frame.
US08908762B2
A video processing system includes a video transcoder that receives a independent video layer stream and a first dependent video layer stream that requires the independent video layer for decoding, the video transcoder generating a transcoded video signal based at least one of the independent video stream and the dependent video layer stream.
US08908760B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing video signals, the method comprising: decoding a current frame of a video signal in block units to generate a restored frame, and acquiring first and second flags to acquire a filter coefficient which is adaptively determined from the video signal for each slice on the basis of flag information, or performing deblocking filtering with a predetermined filter coefficient. The present invention relates to a video signal processing method which includes an inter-frame prediction method that determines a motion vector, and a method for performing inter-frame prediction for a residual image. The method for processing video signals can increase the compression encoding efficiency by performing accurate motion prediction and residual image prediction, and can improve the quality of a restored image by removing distortion and performing a filtering for restoring an image that is close to the original image.
US08908759B2
A communication device is operable to manage communication of data streams, which comprise data encoded utilizing scheme that generate plurality of frames with logical grouping and/or inter-frame dependencies, based on determination of network payload parameters that are utilized for the data transmission. Exemplary encoding schemes comprise MPEG encoding, which generates data streams comprised I-frames, P-frames and/or B-frames. Network packets that are utilized to perform data communication are generated such that packet payloads comprise only data corresponding to a single frame and/or logical grouping within the encoded data stream. Feedback from networking subsystem in the communication device may be provided during processing of the data streams to enable use of network payload parameters during encoding operations. Frame sizes may be adjusted, for example, so that a size of each frame is multiple of a size of a payload of the network packets that are utilized in data communication.
US08908751B2
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method and apparatus are provided herein for reducing the power consumption of a transmission chain while maintaining an acceptable figure of merit (e.g., linearity). In one embodiment, an adaptive biasing element is configured to perform adaptive biasing to reduce current consumption of a transmission chain by adjusting the operating point of one or more transmission chain elements (e.g., power amplifier, mixer, etc.). However, since adaptive biasing may reduce the linearity of a transmitted signal, its use is limited by the degradation of figure of merit caused by the introduced non-linearities. Accordingly, a pre-distortion element may be configured to perform adaptive digital pre-distortion (DPD) on a transmission chain input signal to account for non-linearities generated through the adaptive biasing, therefore allowing the adaptive biasing to further reduce the current consumption while maintaining an acceptable figure of merit.
US08908748B2
An interface circuit includes an interface terminal, a voltage detection device, an output driver and an enable logic. The interface terminal is configured to connect to an interface line. The voltage detection device is configured to detect a voltage present at the interface terminal. The output driver is configured to apply an output signal to the interface terminal. The enable logic is configured to generate an enable signal for the output driver based on an evaluation signal output by the voltage detection device, wherein the enable signal affects an enabling of the output driver if the evaluation signal shows that the voltage present at the interface terminal meets a given condition.
US08908739B2
A laser adjustment system can include an adjustable seed-beam restrictor, configured to be attachable to a stretcher-compressor in a transverse-adjustable manner, and to restrict an incidence of a seed beam, generated by an oscillator, on the stretcher-compressor, wherein the stretcher-compressor is configured to be integrated into a chirped pulse amplification laser engine, and to stretch a duration of seed pulses of the seed beam.
US08908735B2
A method and apparatus may comprise a line narrowed pulsed excimer or molecular fluorine gas discharge laser system which may comprise a seed laser oscillator producing an output comprising a laser output light beam of pulses which may comprise a first gas discharge excimer or molecular fluorine laser chamber; a line narrowing module within a first oscillator cavity; a laser amplification stage containing an amplifying gain medium in a second gas discharge excimer or molecular fluorine laser chamber receiving the output of the seed laser oscillator and amplifying the output of the seed laser oscillator to form a laser system output comprising a laser output light beam of pulses, which may comprise a ring power amplification stage.
US08908728B1
A transistor outline package with integrated thermoelectric cooler is disclosed. The thermoelectric cooler is arranged on a heatsink which extends vertically into the housing of the transistor outline package.
US08908726B2
An enclosure for a laser package the enclosure being configured to receive a laser component within the enclosure, and further configured to receive for a driver integrated circuit (IC) (34) on the exterior of the enclosure, wherein the enclosure comprises first external electrical contacts (52) electrically connected to respective first IC electrical contacts (60), and second IC electrical contacts (62) electrically connected to respective first internal electrical contacts (64), wherein the first and second IC electrical contacts (60, 62) are configured for electrical connection to the driver IC (34). Heat dissipation of the driver IC is improved for the IC being mounted outside of the enclosure.
US08908711B2
Techniques for using target issue intervals are provided. Request messages may identify the size of a data packet. A target issue interval may be determined based on the request messages. The target issue interval may be used to insert a delay between sending subsequent request messages.
US08908699B2
A system and method supporting the automatic conversion of multimedia information from a first format to a second format in a broadband access gateway and/or network-based server are disclosed. The broadband access gateway and/or network-based server may convert multimedia information that is in a format that an access device is not capable of processing. The gateway and/or server may automatically detect the format incompatibility, and may automatically convert or arrange for conversion of the multimedia information to a format that is compatible with the access device, based upon compatibility information associated with the access device. The conversion may be based upon a set of user-defined quality of service criteria, and may be subject to the control of digital rights management parameters associated with the requested multimedia information. The user of the access device may be prompted when the conversion is expected to impact the quality of the multimedia information being played, and the user may be offered options that permit the user to minimize the impact upon the user.
US08908697B2
Various methods and apparatuses for prioritizing operation of Relay Node are disclosed. A method for prioritizing the transmission and receipt of uplink signals in a relay node of a wireless communication system is presented. The method comprises determining radio resource requirements for receiving one or more access link signals and/or transmitting one or more backhaul link signal, determining the signal type of the one or more access link signals and/or determining the signal type of the one or more backhaul link signals, and selecting one of a transmitting mode operation and a receiving mode operation based on the radio resource requirements for receiving the one or more access link signals and/or transmitting the one or more backhaul link signals, and based on the signal type of the one or more access link signals and/or the signal type of the one or more backhaul link signals.
US08908696B2
A method for optimized route caching includes comparing a destination address of a network packet to a first set of prefixes in a routing cache, and comparing the destination address to a second set of prefixes in a full routing table when a longest matching prefix for the destination address is not found in the routing cache. The method further includes copying the longest matching prefix and a set of sub-prefixes of the longest matching prefix from the full routing table to the routing cache, and forwarding the network packet.
US08908693B2
A flow key is determined from an incoming packet. Two hash values A and B are then generated from the flow key. Hash value A is an index into a hash table to identify a hash bucket. Multiple simultaneous CAM lookup operations are performed on fields of the bucket to determine which ones of the fields store hash value B. For each populated field there is a corresponding entry in a key table and in other tables. The key table entry corresponding to each field that stores hash value B is checked to determine if that key table entry stores the original flow key. When the key table entry that stores the original flow key is identified, then the corresponding entries in the other tables are determined to be a “lookup output information value”. This value indicates how the packet is to be handled/forwarded by the network appliance.
US08908690B2
A method for addressing a workload partition is provided in the illustrative embodiments. A packet of data directed to the WPAR and including a combined address is received at a software stack. A determination is made whether the combined address includes an identifier that is reserved. If the identifier is not reserved, the identifier is used to identify the WPAR in the data processing system and the packet is sent to the WPAR. The software stack is an application configured to enable data communication using a protocol of the packet, and is modified to detect, recognize, and process the combined address for routing the packet to the WPAR. The combined address may be logically formed using an identifier associated with the data processing system and an identifier associated with the WPAR, which may be located in different portions of the packet.
US08908689B2
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for processing a packet. An interface processing module selects one from all service processing modules as a service processing module for processing a packet; if the service processing module needs to perform tunnel processing for the packet, the service processing module transmits the packet after performing the tunnel processing; if another service processing module needs to perform tunnel processing for the packet, the service processing module transmits the packet to a service processing module needing to perform tunnel processing for the packet. According to the present invention, the packet can be processed uniformly by the service processing module, so it is not unnecessary to store session states in the service processing modules, and also not unnecessary to perform synchronization between the service processing modules, which greatly decreases complexity of processing the packet and saves system bandwidth.
US08908677B2
End-to-end communication in a communications network is controlled by determining, based on monitoring of traffic in the communications network, the number of paths, or links, needed between the first and the at least second network element. If it is determined, based on the traffic load, that not all available paths are needed:—Selecting at least one path that should not be used to carry traffic,—Rerouting any traffic using the selected at least one path to at least one alternative path, and—Placing any network elements or links not carrying traffic after the rerouting in standby mode in which the power consumption of the elements is reduced, to reduce the power consumption in the network.
US08908674B2
A network model for the planning and/or the provisioning of traffic flows in a communication network includes nodes interconnected with each other by links according to a given network topology. The network model uses a graph defined by arc objects storing information related to both the links and adjacent nodes thereof.
US08908670B2
Route discovery of a route from a source node of an IEEE 802 connection to a destination node of an IEEE 802 connection, including a mesh network path with a source node of the mesh path and a destination node of the mesh path, is initiated by an extended route request message generated by the destination node. The extended route request message includes a flag that indicates whether the source node of the IEEE 802 connection is located inside or outside the mesh network, and either one source address of the source node, if the node is inside the mesh network, or two source addresses covering (a) the source address of the source node of the mesh path and (b) the source address of the source node of the IEEE 802 connection, if the node is outside the mesh network.
US08908668B2
A device for separating signal transmission and reception has first, second, and third device ports, a circulator including a first circulator port, a second circulator port and a third circulator port, a transmission filter coupled between the first circulator port and the first device port, and a reception filter coupled between the third circulator port and the third device port. The second circulator port is coupled to the second device port An input to the first port is output from the second port and an input to the second port is output from the third port. The circuit provides isolation between transmission and reception to improve communication efficiency and can reduce the size of a communication system.
US08908667B1
Circuits, architectures, systems, methods, algorithms, and software and/or firmware for selecting antenna paths between an antenna and multiple wireless communication protocol components (e.g., components configured to process radio frequency (RF) input and/or RF output signals according to one or more of wireless communication protocols). Exemplary circuits for selecting antenna paths include a plurality of media access grant inputs, a plurality of antenna path selection outputs for enabling one or more of the antenna paths, and a selector circuit configured to produce the antenna path selection outputs based on the media access grant inputs. Embodiments of the present invention advantageously provide for a flexible interface for selecting antenna signal paths between one or more shared antennas and multiple wireless communication protocol components.
US08908664B2
Systems and methods for delivering customized content to wireless service subscribers are disclosed. According to the disclosed embodiments, wireless access points can be grouped into various zones. Some of all of these zones can be further associated with predefined service types or other customized attributes. When a wireless subscriber connects to an access point in a given zone, the subscriber can be provided with content and/or services based on the zone to which he is connected.
US08908652B2
Data is accessed from a network via a wireless communication link. A determination is made as to whether payload data has been received from a subscriber's terminal. If so, then a request is sent for a first set of traffic channels, and the payload data is transmitted over the first set of traffic channels.
US08908643B2
A method is provided of handing over a priority call with Single Radio Voice Call Continuity, SRVCC. The priority call is handed over from a User Equipment, UE, accessing an IP Multimedia Subsystem, IMS, network via a Circuit Switched, CS, access network to a target Packet Switched, PS, access network thereby establishing a priority IMS session. The priority call has a specified CS priority level. The method includes sending a handover request from the CS access network towards the PS access network and the IMS network to transfer the priority call. A PS priority level for the session in the PS network is determined based on the specified CS priority level. Bearer resources for the IMS session are allocated. The bearer resources are based, at least in part, on the PS priority level. The call is transferred to the IMS session over the PS access network.
US08908638B2
The present invention relates to a method for handover of a mobile terminal from a first network to a second network, a network element, a mobile terminal, a base station and a communications system as well as a computer program product and a storage medium. The method comprises the steps of: determining a WDP including an unnecessary handover probability and a missing handover probability according to conditions of the first network and the second network; detecting at least of the following: whether the unnecessary handover probability is greater than the missing handover probability, whether the unnecessary handover probability is greater than a specific threshold and whether the missing handover probability is smaller than a specific threshold; and making a handover decision based on the detection result. The present invention can select a more suitable target network for handover at a more suitable time, thus ensuring the continuity of a mobile user's call.
US08908630B2
The present invention relates to a method in a cellular communication system, for avoiding errors in a HARQ process, wherein an NDI flag is used both for indicating either semi-persistent scheduling, SPS activation or SPS retransmissions, and also for indicating, by toggling of the flag, a new transmission in dynamic scheduling mode. The method comprises the steps of receiving, in a scheduling message, an indication that dynamically scheduled transmission will take place; if a semi persistent resource has occurred for the same HARQ process since a previously received indication for dynamically scheduled transmission, then considering the NDI flag to be toggled regardless of the value of the NDI flag. Thus, if the condition is fulfilled, a UE will always regard the NDI flag as indicating or requesting a new data transmission.
US08908626B2
In one embodiment, a device receives and stores a broadcast schedule, and may determine whether a neighbor unicast listening schedule is available for a neighboring device. If so, the device may transmit a data frame to the neighboring device pursuant to the neighbor unicast listening schedule. If a neighbor unicast listening schedule is not available, the device may transmit the data frame to the neighboring device pursuant to a broadcast schedule. Once the data frame is received by the neighboring device, pursuant to the neighbor unicast listening schedule or the broadcast schedule, an acknowledgement may be received from the neighboring device, which may include an updated neighbor unicast listening schedule for that neighboring device.
US08908624B2
A two-way relay wireless communication method and device may combine multiple bit steams, for one source node and two target nodes, and broadcasting a network coded combined bit sequence to reduce the number of time slots for transmission. A first device may receive a signal from the source node and a target node simultaneously in a time slot. The first device may receive subsequent signals from the source node and multiple target nodes simultaneously in successive time slots. Hierarchical modulation may be applied to the received signals. The first device may decode the received signals and generate a plurality of intermediate bit sequences (IBS)s for a broadcast transmission. The generated IBSs may be grouped according to a channel condition. A second device may be configured to receive the broadcast transmission and decode a portion of the broadcast transmission that is intended for the second device.
US08908620B2
Provided are a method and an apparatus for transmitting resource allocation information. In the case when a wireless resource for a new terminal is fixedly allocated to a fixed allocation zone, the apparatus for transmitting resource allocation information determines a resource allocation method of allocating the wireless resource and determines an allocation form of a resource that is allocated by a resource allocation method to select any one information displaying method of a plurality of information displaying methods of displaying allocation information on the allocated resource on the basis of the determined resource allocation method and resource allocation form. Next, the resource allocation information is generated and transmitted on the basis of the selected displaying method.
US08908596B2
A method and an apparatus of transmitting information in a wireless communication system are provided. The method includes transmitting information based on a first resource index through a first antenna and transmitting the information based on a second resource index through a second antenna.
US08908593B2
Methods and apparatuses are described for the transmission of Scheduling Assignments (SAs) from a base station to User Equipments (UEs) for data reception in the downlink or data transmission in the uplink of a communication system consisting of multiple Component Carriers (CCs). The SAs are separately coded and transmitted using elementary units (Control Channel Elements or CCEs). Locations of CCEs determine whether an SA is intended for a first CC or for a second CC. Further, the location of CCEs for an SA intended for a first CC is used to determine locations of CCEs for an SA intended for a second CC.
US08908579B2
An acknowledgement technique reduces packet-switched communication delays. The technique may be implemented in a mobile communication device with multiple SIMs. The technique facilitates enhanced communication capability for the mobile communication device. In one implementation, the technique helps reduce delays caused by switching between packet-switched and circuit-switched communications. Specifically, in one aspect, the technique reduces delays caused by exponential backoff that may occur during suspension of a packet-switched communication.
US08908578B2
The present invention relates to a method for requesting an uplink resource in a wireless communication system. In the method according to one aspect of the invention, a terminal transmits a quick access message to a base station and receives a resource from the base station. The quick access message includes a first field that shows the attributes of the data that is supposed to be transmitted by the terminal, and a field that is determined by the first field.
US08908564B2
A method, apparatus and computer program product for Media Access Control (MAC) address learning and learning rate suppression are presented. A Forwarding Data Unit (FDU) maintains two cache tables, each of the cache tables used for harvesting MAC addresses. The FDU uses the cache tables in an alternating manner, wherein when one of the cache tables is used for harvesting MAC addresses the other one of the cache tables has its contents bundled into a packet for forwarding to a control plane of the FDU.
US08908563B2
A method for acquiring information includes: receiving an Internet Protocol (IP) address acquisition request or Packet Data Network (PDN) address allocation information sent by User Equipment (UE); determining a PDN address capability according to the IP address acquisition request or the PDN address allocation information; and sending the determined PDN address capability to the UE. An UE and network equipment are also provided. The PDN address capability is determined by the network and is sent to the UE, so as to indicate to the UE the IP address information that may be acquired in a current PDN connection, such that when the network cannot provide an IP address for the UE any more, the UE is prevented from acquiring other IP addresses in other manners, avoiding service abnormality.
US08908556B2
Certain embodiments provide methods and apparatus for adjusting timing in an SDMA system. One method for adjusting the timing of packet transmissions in a wireless communications system, that may be performed by an access point, includes receiving ranging signals from a plurality of wireless network nodes, determining timing adjustment information for adjusting starting timing of packet transmissions from the wireless network nodes based on the ranging signals, and communicating the timing adjustment information to the wireless network nodes.
US08908550B2
A communication method of a source device according to an embodiment includes detecting a status of a first link directly connected from the source device to a destination device or a status of a second link connected from the source device to the destination device via a relay device, selecting any one of the first link and the second link based on a result of the detection, and transmitting data using the selected link.
US08908547B2
A method of controlling the codec mode of a convergence internet protocol (IP) network and a terminal using the method are provided. The terminal may include a variable bit-rate/mode codec controller including a channel status measurement and management (CSMM) unit which measures the status of a wireless channel and provides the results of the measuring of the wireless channel status as channel quality information, and which measures the transfer performance of a received packet and provides the results of the measuring of the packet transfer performance as packet measurement parameter information, and a service quality control (SQC) unit which measures the quality of a multimedia service based on the channel quality information and the packet measurement parameter information, provides the results of the measuring of the multimedia service quality as service quality information and determines a codec mode of the terminal or a counterpart terminal communicating with the all-IP terminal based on the service quality information. Therefore, it is possible to improve the quality of multimedia services.
US08908540B2
A single burst method is used to determine the available bandwidth in a network environment. A sending node transmits test packets to a receiving node. The size of the test packets is dynamically determining based on network parameters within the network environment. The sending node then receives test receipt packets that have the same sequence numbers as the corresponding test packets. Packet clusters are formed from the test receipt packets. The available bandwidth is determined based on the packet clusters along with values set by the single burst method or inputted by a user.
US08908539B1
A computer network testing process to determine whether, given a network node that is unreachable by communication attempts from a controller on a control-plane network, the network node is still functioning to forward data packets on a data-plane network, or if the network node is fully non-functional on both the control-plane network and data-plane network. In order to make this determination, the testing process identifies a network node that is still reachable by the controller on the control-plane network, identifies a route between the controller and unreachable node, passing through the reachable node, and constructs an encapsulated test packet that is sent along this route. In response to sending the encapsulated test packet, the controller may, upon receipt of a confirmation packet, determine that the unreachable node is still functional on the data-plane network, or if no confirmation packet is received, mark the unreachable node as fully non-functional.
US08908537B2
Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method and related network node including one or more of the following: performing an active gateway election to determine whether the provider edge device will be an active gateway for a connection; if the provider edge device will be the active gateway for the connection, indicating to a customer edge device that no fault is currently associated with a link between the customer edge device and the provider edge device; and if the provider edge device will not be the active gateway for the connection, indicating to the customer edge device that a fault is currently associated with the link between the customer edge device and the provider edge device.
US08908534B2
A method of lifeboat monitoring between a first and a second communication device, wherein a first monitoring request is received by the second communication device from the first communication device, where the first monitoring request to has a first monitoring time. In addition, a first reception time is determined by the second communication device based on the first monitoring time, lifeboat signals are received by the second communication device from the first communication device, and an interruption in the communication connection to the first communication device is triggered by the second communication device if, during the first reception time following receipt by the second communication device of the last lifeboat signal, a new lifeboat signal from the first communication device is unreceived by the second communication device.
US08908529B2
The present invention relates to a method of managing congestion in a multi-path network, the network having a plurality of network elements arranged in a plurality of switch stages and a plurality of network links interconnecting the network elements, the method comprising the steps of detecting congestion on a network link, the congested network link interconnecting the output port of a first network element with a first input port of a second network element in a subsequent switch stage; identifying an uncongested network link connected to a second input port of said second network element; and directing future data packets on a route across the multi-path network which includes the identified uncongested network link. Also provided is a multi-path network and an Ethernet bridge or router incorporating such a multi-path network.
US08908526B2
Methods, apparatuses, and systems for controlling interconnections between nodes using virtual nodes are described. A physical node—such as a router, bridge, switch, etc. —stores a virtual cost associated with a virtual link that links virtual nodes of the physical node. A first physical port and a second physical port of the physical node are designated as belonging to a first virtual node and a third physical port of the physical node is designated as belonging to the second virtual node. The first physical port is associated with a first network partition and the second physical port is associated with a second network partition. The physical node transmits a routing information packet that includes the virtual cost.
US08908503B2
Disclosed are an apparatus and method of performing a data channel change-over procedure. One example method of operation may include detecting an abnormality in an active data communication channel established between at least two endpoint devices. The method may further provide selecting a next available data communication channel based on at least one data channel metric and transmitting at least one change-over message via an active control channel established between the at least two endpoints. The method may further include transmitting subsequent data messages over the next available data communication channel.
US08908500B1
The present disclosure generally pertains to systems and methods for protecting bonding engines in network communications. In one exemplary embodiment, physical communication links, such as subscriber lines, of a bonding group are terminated by a plurality of access modules such that at least some of the communication links remain operational in the event of a failure of one of the access modules. Further, a backup bonding engine is used to protect the group's bonding engine. In the event of a failure or other operational problem associated with the group's bonding engine, the backup bonding engine is used to fragment incoming messages and to send the fragments to the operational subscriber lines. Thus, the bonding group can survive an operational failure of the group's bonding engine.
US08908499B1
A network switch including a plurality of stack units sequentially linked to each other. Each stack unit includes a port, a forwarding engine, a first interface, and a second interface. The second interface of each stack unit is linked to the first interface of a subsequent stack unit. The second interface of a last stack unit is linked to the first interface of a first stack unit. In response to a packet traveling in a first direction from the first stack unit to the last stack unit and a link between a second stack unit and a third stack unit being inoperative, the forwarding engine of the second stack unit returns the packet in a second direction to a preceding stack unit. The packet travels in the second direction from the preceding stack unit to the first stack unit, to the last stack unit, and to the third stack unit.
US08908492B2
Methods of allocating orthogonal resources of a wireless communication network to a user equipment (UE) that uses transmit diversity are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, the UE is configured to transmit a reference symbol and a modulated symbol on multiple orthogonal resources on an antenna. The method includes: selecting, by the UE, a first and a second orthogonal resource, respectively, from a plurality of orthogonal resources according to the state of information bits to be communicated by the UE; and transmitting, by the UE, the reference and data symbols on the first and the second orthogonal resource, respectively, on one antenna. The first and the second resource are different for at least one of the states of the information bits. The first and the second resource are both in the same physical resource block.
US08908491B2
The invention relates to a method for evaluating the usability of a sub-carrier of a BPL (broadband power-line) signal, in particular in order to avoid mutual influencing of the BPL signal and a further signal, wherein the BPL signal has a plurality of sub-carriers and one symbol can be transmitted in each of the sub-carriers. The method comprises the following steps: extracting a received value y[k] from a sub-carrier of a received BPL signal, rectifying the received value y[k] using an estimated transfer function Ĥ of the transmission channel, deciding on a symbol d[k] that is coded in the received value y[k], distorting the symbol d[k] using the estimated transfer function Ĥ of the transmission channel, calculating a difference between the received value y[k] and the processed signal d[k]·Ĥ and deciding on the usability of the sub-carrier on the basis of the difference y[k]−d[k]·Ĥ.
US08908484B2
In a recording/reproducing device for recording and reproducing an optical disk, when performing verify processing of inspecting a quality of recorded data and compare processing of inspecting whether the recorded data can be read without errors, a time is taken because the same area needs to be reproduced two times. The verify processing and the compare processing are performed at one time reproduction. To perform the verify processing and the compare processing simultaneously, a recording quality storage part is provided in the recording/reproducing device, and reproduced data is transmitted to a host controller while storing quality information at the time of reproduction by an instruction of the host controller. The host controller performs the compare processing by comparing transmitted data and data at the time of recording and inspects the recording quality by acquiring the quality information of a reproduced area from the recording/reproducing device at intervals set in advance.
US08908480B1
A method and system provide an energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) disk drive. The EAMR disk drive includes a media, at least one laser coupled with the slider, at least one EAMR head on the slider, and at least one electro-optical modulator (EAM) The EAM(s) are optically coupled with the laser(s) and coupled with the slider. The combination of the laser(s) and EAM(s) provide a pulsed energy output. The EAMR head(s) include at least one waveguide, a write pole, and at least one coil for energizing the write pole. The waveguide(s) receive the pulsed energy output and direct the pulsed energy output toward the media.
US08908466B2
A memory system includes a master device, such as a graphics controller or processor, and an integrated circuit memory device operable in a dual column addressing mode. The integrated circuit memory device includes an interface and column decoder to access a row of storage cells or a page in a memory bank. During a first mode of operation, a first row of storage cells in a first memory bank is accessible in response to a first column address. During a second mode of operation, a first plurality of storage cells in the first row of storage cells is accessible in response to a second column address during a column cycle time interval. A second plurality of storage cells in the first row of storage cells is accessible in response to a third column address during the column cycle time interval. The first and second pluralities of storage cells are concurrently accessible from the interface.
US08908463B1
A semiconductor memory device of this embodiment comprises: a plurality of memory chips each including a plurality of memory cells; and a controller that controls the plurality of memory chips. The controller transmits to any of the plurality of memory chips a drive instruction command instructing an operation. The drive instruction command is transmitted sequentially to the plurality of memory chips with at least a first time interval. Each of the plurality of memory chips, when the memory chip itself is in a standby state of waiting for an instruction for one operation execution of an operation loop for a certain operation, starts the operation of the operation loop in response to the drive instruction command, while when the memory chip itself is in operation execution of the operation loop, ignores the drive instruction command.
US08908452B2
A semiconductor memory apparatus includes a data alignment control signal generation unit configured to output a data alignment control signal by generating a pulse when a tuning mode signal is enabled, and generate the data alignment control signal as a count pulse is inputted after the data alignment control signal generated by the tuning mode signal is outputted; a timing control block configured to determine a delay amount according to delay codes, generate a delay control signal by delaying the data alignment control signal, and output a timing control signal by latching the delay control signal at an enable timing of a data output control signal; a delay time control block configured to generate the delay codes; and a data alignment unit configured to convert parallel data into serial data, and change a data sequence of the serial data in response to the timing control signal.
US08908451B2
A data output circuit of a semiconductor device includes: a pattern data generation unit configured to generate pattern data in response to a bank selection signal, a variable delay unit configured to delay a source signal, which is generated in response to the bank selection signal, by a delay time corresponding to a delay control signal, a pattern control signal generation unit configured to generate a pattern control signal in response to an output signal of the variable delay unit, and a delay time control block configured to generate the delay control signal in response to the phases of the pattern control signal and the pattern data.
US08908446B2
A semiconductor device includes a first latch unit that latches write data based on a strobe signal, a second latch unit that receives the write data latched in the first latch unit based on a first clock signal, and a strobe generation unit that generates the strobe signal and supplies it to the first latch unit. The strobe generation unit includes a bit shift counter, which receives a second clock signal and outputs a bit shift signal having a logic level that is inverted every plural clock cycles of the second clock signal, and a logic gate that outputs the second clock signal as the strobe signal according to the bit shift signal. The latch period of the write data in the first latch part is determined by the period of the strobe signal and also the period of the bit shift signal.
US08908437B2
The present disclosure includes methods and devices for determining sensing voltages. One such method includes comparing data associated with a number of template distributions to data associated with a first threshold voltage distribution and a second threshold voltage distribution associated with a number of memory cells programmed to particular adjacent program states, determining an intersection of the first and second threshold voltage distributions based on a template distribution of the number template distributions which most closely compares to the first and second threshold voltage distributions, and using the determined intersection to determine a sensing voltage used to sense the number of memory cells programmed to the particular adjacent program states.
