US08171568B2
The invention provides methods of using positionally controlled molecular tools in an inert environment (such as ultra high vacuum) to fabricate complex atomically precise structures, including diamond, graphite, nanotubes, fullerenes, additional sets of the selfsame molecular tools, and others. Molecular tools have atomically precise tooltips which interact directly with a workpiece to add, remove, and modify specific atoms and groups of atoms, and have handles by which they can be held and positioned; tools can be recharged after use. Specific tooltips are brought into contact with and bond to specific feedstock molecules distributed on a presentation surface, and then transfer said feedstock molecules to specific atomic sites on a workpiece using mechanosynthetic chemical reactions. Specific sites on a workpiece can be made chemically reactive, facilitating the transfer of specific groups to them. Repeated applications of molecular tools at different locations on a workpiece can build a desired atomically precise structure.
US08171564B2
A video encryption/decryption scheme is provided allowing an originator of video content to encrypt the video content using a session key, wherein the encrypted content and an encrypted form of the session key are provided to a destination. The session key is encrypted using a long term key value, and the long term key value itself is encrypted using shared secret information that is only stored in the main memory of the originator and destination's systems. The long term key is encrypted, typically by a third party, and provided to the originator and destination systems for encrypting/decrypting the session key. The third party also provides a pass phrase file, which the originator and destination systems can use as input with shared secret information to a certain cryptographic hashing algorithm to encrypt/decrypt the long term key.
US08171557B2
Methods and apparatuses for accessing documents in a multi-security domain environment are described herein. The novel methods may be processor implemented methods and may include saving by a processor from a first to a second security domain a version of a document, wherein the first security is a higher security domain than the second security domain. As part of the saving operation, a determination may be made as to whether the document includes one or more components not to be accessible through the second security domain, and writing the components of the document excluding the one or more components determined not to be accessible through the second security domain into the second security domain. The methods may further include opening the document through the security domain by determining whether a version of the document has been saved to the second security domain, and if so, merging a copy of modifications made to version of the document, if there are any, into the document being open. In various embodiments, a domain specific document server and a cross security domain trusted services are employed to enable among other things, reduction of number of storage devices needed.
US08171554B2
The invention is a computer system that provides early detection alert and response to electronic threats (eThreats) in large wide area networks, e.g. the network of an Internet Services Provider or a Network Services Provider. The system of the invention accomplishes this by harnessing the processing power of dedicated hardware, software residing in specialized servers, distributed personal computers connected to the network, and the human brain to provide multi-layered early detection, alarm and response. The layers comprise: a Protection Layer, which detects and eliminates from the network data stream eThreats known to the system; a Detection Layer, which detects and creates signatures for new eThreats that are unknown to the system; an Expert Analysis Layer, which comprises a group of human experts who receive information from various components of the system and analyze the information to confirm the identity of new eThreats; and a Collaborative Detection & Protection Layer, which detects potential new eThreats by processing information received from various system agents and users. A Dynamic Sandbox Protection Layer associated with the distributed personal computers connected to the network. can optionally be part of the system of the invention.
US08171551B2
A malware scanner 2, for malware such as computer viruses, worms, Trojans and the like, utilizes the external call characteristics associated with known items of malware to identify the presence of malware within a computer file. Malware written in a high level language when compiled can take a variety of different forms as object code, but these different object code forms will usually share external call characteristics to a sufficient degree to allow the presence of such external call characteristics to properly and accurately generically identify different compiled variants of the source code malware.
US08171543B2
A method of limiting read/write access of information stored on an electronic trip unit is disclosed. The method includes requesting a valid password on one of a communication port of the electronic trip unit and a display device of the electronic trip unit, receiving a password at a processor of the electronic trip unit in response to the request, determining if the received password is valid based on password information stored on a memory of the electronic trip unit, and limiting read/write access of information stored on the electronic trip unit based on the determination.
US08171539B2
Apparatus and methods are provided for implementing a firewall in a network infrastructure component. A method comprises generating a search tree for a plurality of rules. The search tree comprises a first node having a first field bounds and a first set of rules of the plurality of rules, and a plurality of child nodes for the first node. Each child node has child field bounds based on an intersection of the first field bounds and the first set of rules, and each child node is assigned a respective subset of the first set of rules based on the respective child field bounds. The method further comprises receiving a first packet, identifying a first child node of the plurality of child nodes based on values for one or more fields of the first packet, and applying the respective subset of rules assigned to the first child node to the first packet.
US08171530B2
A method is provided for improved computer access security, the method including protecting an access record to prevent password access to a computer via the access record, creating an alternate access record corresponding to the protected record, enabling password access to the computer via the alternate record, providing the alternate record with the access level of the protected record, and configuring the alternate record to indicate a supplemental security program to be executed once a correct password for the alternate record is provided.
US08171529B2
A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product for a secure subscriber identity module service. Communication via a mobile network is activated in response to receiving a request to activate communication service for the system by a secure partition of the system. In response to receiving the request, a key is retrieved for a permit service from storage accessible only by the secure partition. The key is included in a permit requesting to activate the communication service, and the permit is sent to a service provider for the communication service. The service provider communicates with the permit service to obtain a digital signature for the permit. The secure partition receives a signed permit from the service provider, confirms that the signed permit contains the digital signature by the permit service, and activates the communication service for the system in response to confirming that the signed permit contains the digital signature.
US08171527B2
A process may be utilized for securing unlock password generation and distribution. A first set of exclusive responsibilities, assigned to a trusted authority, includes random generation and encryption of an unlock password to compose a randomly generated encrypted unlock password. Further, a second set of exclusive responsibilities, assigned to a security agent, includes sending information associated with the unlock password and a digital signature of information associated with the unlock password to a communication device configured for a network in order to mate the unlock password to the communication device, and sending the randomly generated and encrypted unlock password along with mating data to a password processing center. In addition, a third set of exclusive responsibilities, assigned to a password processing center, includes decrypting the randomly generated and encrypted unlock password.
US08171523B2
The present invention relates to a method and system for providing an option when sending an email which will require the recipient of the email to provide an extra level of authentication before displaying the email contents in order to prove that he or she is indeed the correct recipient of the email. Validation is required by the recipient every time he or she opens an email. This validation occurs in the form of authentication that the user is indeed the intended recipient of the email, and can be provided in various means, including biometric identification, password phrases, and so forth.
US08171522B2
A method for managing changes to policies in an enterprise includes receiving a systems policy change request to change a systems policy that implements a published enterprise policy, determining whether the requested systems policy change complies with the published enterprise policy, and updating the systems policy according to the requested systems policy change if the requested systems policy change complies with the published enterprise policy. A system for managing policies in an enterprise includes a policy management module configured for receiving published policies and generating corresponding systems policies having data for implementing the published policies, and a policy library storing the published policies and the systems policies.
US08171520B2
A method and apparatus for sharing personal media using a digital recorder transfers multimedia content via email to a digital video recorder.
US08171519B2
A video broadcasting method includes assigning channels to a video content based on a total number of channels usable for broadcasting the video contents and a playback time of the video content, calculating a broadcast start time interval of the channels assigned to the video content based on the playback time of the video content and number of the channels assigned to the video content setting broadcast start time per channel of the channels assigned to the video content, and broadcasting the video content at the broadcast start time set per the channel.
US08171517B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller to wirelessly download media content to a media device of a vehicle from a point in the media content where a gateway previously stopped downloading the media content to the vehicle media device, where the server is in a reconfigurable master-slave relationship with the gateway, where the server and the gateway are remote from each other and remote from the vehicle, and where the gateway is associated with the vehicle. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08171508B2
A parental control method, including receiving a channel selection command from a user to select from a plurality of channels for playing, each of the channels having a plurality of programming content, performing a parental control procedure prior to allowing playing of the programming content of one of the channels, during at least one specific timeslot, and allowing playing of the programming content prior to performing a parental control procedure for at least one of the following the one channel outside of the at least one specific timeslot, and another one of the channels. Related apparatus and methods are also described.
US08171507B2
TV settings such as brightness can be established by sending from a TV signals from an ambient light sensor to a network server, with the network server establishing settings such as brightness in response for a program being played on the TV.
US08171502B2
One or more custom device drivers for a peripheral device may be installed from the peripheral device onto a host computer. Upon connecting the peripheral device to the host computer, an operating system of the host computer is exposed to a default configuration of the peripheral device that contains only a device driver class interface or interfaces for which the operating system includes preinstalled class level device drivers. The peripheral device then receives an install command from the host computer, and automatically transmits one or more custom device drivers from the peripheral device to the host computer. In response to receipt of a change command from the host computer, the configuration of the peripheral device is changed to an alternate configuration that includes interfaces for the custom device drivers.
US08171501B2
A system, method and computer program product for managing a plurality of applications in a computer cluster. Each application is able to run on a particular node in the cluster. In one embodiment, associations are maintained among a plurality of modes and the plurality of applications, with each application being associated with at least one mode. Responsive to designation of at least one mode as active for the cluster, each application that is associated with an active mode is flagged as eligible for activation, each inactive application that is not associated with any active mode is flagged as ineligible for activation, and each active application that is not associated with any active mode is flagged as ineligible for activation and inactivated. Flagging as eligible, flagging as ineligible and flagging as ineligible and inactivating may be performed in any order, and inactivating is sequenced according to dependencies among the applications.
US08171498B2
Adaptive techniques for handling notifications and updating a directory of a file system in a graphical user interface of a computing environment are disclosed. The adaptive techniques include receiving a notification that at least something has been potentially changed in the node. A current time value of the notification is obtained, and a preferred time value or trigger time for responding to the notification is calculated. In a preferred embodiment, the preferred time value is calculated by adding an adjustment or incremental value to a recorded time of the last synchronization performed on the directory. The adjustment or incremental value is preferably calculated by weighting a duration of one or more synchronizations performed on the directory. The adaptive techniques then compare the current time value to the trigger time. If the current time is greater than the trigger time, the Finder and the directory are synchronized. Otherwise, a timer is set to the trigger time, and synchronization of the Finder and the directory is delayed until the trigger time.
US08171496B2
According to an aspect of an embodiment, an evaluation device for evaluating a target program is provided by calculating a first parameter showing an impact size of a target module of the target program on the outside of the target module, based on an execution log of the target program and calculating a second parameter that is a value related to a power consumption by executing the target module. An evaluator evaluates the target module based on the first and second parameters and outputs an evaluation result.
US08171489B2
A method and system providing switching between a plurality of installed programs in a computer system. Embodiments include a jump function comprising the steps: (1) determining a jump program that is to be the next program to be run, possibly from a plurality of possible choices; (2) creating input data for the jump program based on data in the current program; (3) storing the program state of the currently running program into a context packet and saving the context packet to memory; (4) releasing temporary memory that is used by the program, so as to allow other programs to use the memory; (5) calling the jump program with the created input data as input and terminating the currently running program.
US08171486B2
A method is described that involves creating an instance of a software component for the substantially private use of a thread. A determination of whether to access an instance of a software component from one of a private software component instance collection and a software component instance pool is made, the private software component instance collection configured to include an instance of the software component that is not synchronized with an additional thread of the computer program, the software component instance pool configured to include an instance of the software component that is synchronized with the additional thread of the computer program, the determination based on a number of other threads accessing the software component instance pool and a complexity of whether the instance of the software component is to execute at least one of a single task and a few simple tasks.
US08171482B1
Systems and methods of executing an application in an application specific runtime environment are disclosed. The application specific runtime environment is defined by an application environment specification to include a minimal or reduced set of software resources required for execution of the application. The application environment is generated by determining software resource dependencies and is used to provision the application specific runtime environment in real-time in response to a request to execute the application. Use of the application specific runtime environment allows the application to be executed using fewer computing resources, e.g., memory.
US08171474B2
The invention relates to a system and a method for tracking and executing a job comprising a series of tasks. Each task may be executed on a separate computing device. The method comprises having a workload manager to identify an initial schedule of implementation for the job; having agents to selectively control execution of the tasks; and utilizing a publish/subscription interface between the workload manager and the agents to isolate the communications of the workload manager from the agents. The workload manager and the agents each subscribe and schedule execution of and reporting of the tasks through the publish/subscription interface.
US08171473B2
The service assignment tool analyzes a service to determine whether the service can execute on a cluster. If the service cannot execute on a cluster, the service is assigned to a single virtual machine. The service assignment tool identifies non-cluster friendly services by performing a static analysis on the bytecode of the service. The bytecode of the service is analyzed by comparing each segment of bytecode to a list of known good and bad coding conventions. If each segment of bytecode in a service meets the good coding convention criteria, then the service is cluster friendly. If one segment of bytecode does not meet the good coding convention criteria, then the entire service is considered to be not cluster friendly.
US08171472B1
A method is provided for executing multiple applications concurrently on a single computer. The method comprises discriminating static from non-static execution framework files, installing the non-static files in a first directory on a host computer, installing the non-static files in a second directory on the host computer, and installing the static files in a third directory on a server computer. The method also includes remote mounting the third directory to the host computer. The method further includes executing the first application within a first instance of the execution framework and executing the second application within a second instance of the execution framework, wherein both the first and second instances of the execution framework are based on the non-static files on the host computer and on the static files in the remote mounted third directory.
US08171466B2
The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) server can be comprised of an engine tier and a state tier distributed on a cluster network environment. The engine tier can send, receive and process various messages. The state tier can maintain in-memory state data associated with various SIP sessions. Various applications can be running on the engine tier. A new version of an application can be deployed alongside the old version, simultaneously running on the SIP server. Incoming messages for new calls can be directed by the SIP server to the new version of the application. Incoming messages for previously established calls can be directed to the old version of the application. Once the old version is finished processing calls, it can be undeployed.
US08171461B1
Systems and methods for compiling high-level primitive programs are used to generate primitive program micro-code for execution by a primitive processor. A compiler is configured to produce micro-code for a specific target primitive processor based on the target primitive processor's capabilities. The compiler supports features of the high-level primitive program by providing conversions for different applications programming interface conventions, determining output primitive types, initializing attribute arrays based on primitive input profile modifiers, and determining vertex set lengths from specified primitive input types.
US08171460B2
A system and method for language-neutral runtime user interface automation by: providing an automation script for automating use of the user interface in an application; intercepting a call from the automation script to a function simulating a user action on the application; retrieving a translated text string associated with the function call; and calling the function simulating the user action with the translated text string. This provides the advantages of not attaching any extra burden on the script developer and requiring little extra from the user (other than providing a native-language reference file).
US08171458B2
A method and system for detecting a source-related risk and generating an alert concerning the source-related risk are disclosed. Criteria of the source-related risk are defined. Thresholds associated with the source-related risk are defined. Every operation on an object is detected. If an operation on an object satisfies a criterion among the criteria or if the operation causes to exceed a threshold among the thresholds, an alert is generated for the operation.
US08171448B2
A design structure for a livelock resolution circuit is provided. When a bus unit detects a timeout condition, or potential timeout condition, the bus unit activates a livelock resolution request signal. A livelock resolution unit receives livelock resolution requests from the bus units and signals an attention to a control processor. The control processor performs actions to attempt to resolve the livelock condition. Once a bus unit that issued a livelock resolution request has managed to successfully issue its command, it deactivates its livelock resolution request. If all livelock resolution request signals are deactivated, then the control processor instructs the bus and all bus units to resume normal activity. On the other hand, if the control processor determines that a predetermined amount of time passes without any progress being made, it determines that a hang condition has occurred.
US08171445B2
According an aspect of the invention, there is provided a design support system of a semiconductor integrated circuit includes: a first unit configured to determine a wiring path by calculating wiring resource consuming information for carrying out a connection through a multi-cut via in case that the connection is carried out through the multi-cut via in a wiring region having a plurality of layers; and a second unit configured to replacing a single-cut via into the multi-cut via.
US08171443B1
Computer-aided-design tools are provided that support real-time phase-locked loop reconfiguration with a single design compilation. Each design compilation may involve operations such as logic synthesis and place and route operations. A circuit designer who is designing an integrated circuit may supply circuit design data. The circuit design data may include design data for multiple configurations of a phase-locked loop. By using a phase-locked loop scan chain initialization file generator engine located in a CAD tool design input wizard, the computer-aided-design tools may produce multiple phase-locked loop initialization files without performing a design compilation. The CAD tools may process one or more initialization files and the circuit design data to produce output data. The output data may include configuration data to implement the circuit design. The output data may also include warning messages that indicate when phase-locked loop settings in an initialization file do not match settings in the circuit design.
US08171435B2
Disclosed are embodiments of a circuit (e.g., an electrostatic discharge (ESD) circuit), a design methodology and a design system. In the circuit, an ESD device is wired to a first metal level (e.g., M1). An inductor is formed in a second metal level (e.g., M5) above the first metal level and is aligned over and electrically connected in parallel to the ESD device by a single vertical via stack. The inductor is configured to nullify, for a given application frequency, the capacitance value of the ESD device. The quality factor of the inductor is optimized by providing, on a third metal level (e.g., M3) between the second metal level and the first metal level, a shield to minimize inductive coupling. An opening in the shield allows the via stack to pass through, trading off Q factor reduction for size-scaling and ESD robustness improvements.
US08171434B2
A method for dimension conversion difference prediction includes: determining an opening angle at a conversion difference prediction point on basis of a design pattern data; and predicting a dimension conversion difference on basis of correlation between the opening angle and an actual measurement value of the dimension conversion difference, or a method for dimension conversion difference prediction includes: determining an incident amount of incident objects at a conversion difference prediction point on basis of a design data; and predicting a dimension conversion difference on basis of correlation between the incident amount and an actual measurement value of the dimension conversion difference.
US08171430B1
A system and method receives an image or animation, which may be vector based to allow for scalability or antialiased or both, and replaces or supplements a mouse cursor with the image or animation. Attributes such as position or size of the image or animation may be altered according to instructions supplied by an author or programmer and signals received from a pointing device, allowing, for example, the mouse cursor to be replaced with the image or animation.
US08171421B2
A portable electronic device includes a rendering circuit to visualize large format data files on a narrow display. The large format data files are rendered using either a desktop display mode or a mobile display mode. The desktop display mode renders the data file using data file-specified dimensions and resolutions. The data file is viewable in its entirety by automatic scrolling achieved by moving a cursor near the edge of the display. Data file elements may be edited while in desktop display mode. The mobile display mode renders the elements of the data file as a list with minimal regard for spatial orientation. Navigation in mobile display mode is field-to-field.
US08171411B1
A system and method for delivering content in a movie trailer and a system for implementing the same. The method includes receiving a request to deliver a shell application having a configuration dependent on a selected movie. Appropriate multi-media content and a scrubber bar are determined at a configuration server for the selected movie. Both the multi-media content and the scrubber bar are configured for the selected movie. The scrubber bar includes a timeline that is associated with the multi-media content from which progress through the multi-media content can be tracked. The scrubber bar includes at least one Q-point located within the time line. The shell application that is configured to include the multi-media content and the scrubber bar is then delivered to the client device.
US08171394B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a user interface. The disclosed systems and methods may include receiving a request to initiate an application program configured to generate a data file. Furthermore, the disclosed systems and methods may include displaying, by the initiated application program, a property panel in response to the request. The property panel may be configured to receive meta-data to be associated with the data file generated by the application program. Also, the property panel may be configured to provide the only place to receive the meta-data by the application program. Moreover, the disclosed systems and methods may include receiving the meta-data in the property panel.
US08171393B2
The invention provides techniques for efficiently organizing and reviewing electronic documents to be produced in the course of a discovery process. The technique provides for marking the master or pivot document with review information, and identifying a plurality of duplicate documents related to the master or pivot document. The technique provides for reviewing a master or pivot document and propagating the review information to a set of related documents. The technique provides for producing a plurality of electronic documents where each of the electronic documents is marked up in accordance with the review information. The method provides for organizing the plurality of electronic documents so it can be presented and searched in an efficient manner.
US08171384B2
A device and a method for turbo decoding, the method includes performing multiple iterations of a turbo decoding process until a turbo decoding process is completed; wherein the performing comprises repeating the stages of: (i) initializing at least one state metric of multiple windows of a channel data block for a current iteration of the turbo decoding process by at least one corresponding state metric that was calculated during a previous iteration of the turbo decoding process; and (ii) calculating in parallel, at least forward state metrics and backward state metrics of the multiple windows, during the current iteration.
US08171376B2
A method of protecting important data in digital content and an apparatus therefor are provided. The method includes: receiving digital content which includes first important data; receiving reference data which includes second important data and authentication data for verifying whether the first important data is modified; and selectively correcting the first important data included in the digital content based on the reference data.
US08171375B2
Distributed processing LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) decoder. A means is presented herein that includes an LDPC decoding architecture leveraging a distributed processing technique (e.g., daisy chain) to increase data throughput and reduce memory storage requirements. Routing congestion and critical path latency are also improved thereby. Each daisy chain includes a number of registers, and a number of localized MUXs (e.g., MUXs having merely 2 inputs each). The means presented herein also does not contain any barrel shifters, high fan-in multiplexers, or interconnection networks; therefore, the critical path is relatively short and it can also be pipelined to further increase data throughput. If desired, a communication device can include multiple configurations of such daisy chains to accommodate the decoding of various LDPC coded signals (e.g., such as for an application and/or communication device that must decoded LDPC codes using different low density parity check matrices).
US08171374B2
A check matrix generation method for generating a check matrix H1 of a code H1 from a check matrix H0 of a code C0, where codes C0 and C1 are LDPC systematic codes having different encoding ratios in a rate-compatible relationship and information bit sizes of the systematic codes C0 and C1 are K, and parity bit sizes thereof are M0 and M1 (M1−M0=L) respectively. The method comprising steps of: selecting L number of rows out of the check matrix H0; separating an information bit portion and a parity bit portion constituting each of the selected rows into two respectively, such that each of the separated information bit portions includes one or more non-zero elements which are “elements different from 0”; creating a new first row by coupling one separated information bit porting and one separated parity bit portion and creating a new second row by coupling another separated information bit portion and another separated parity portion; and generating the check matrix H1 of the systematic code C1 by placing the new first and second rows in place of each of the selected L number of rows in the check matrix H0.
US08171367B2
Methods and apparatus for reducing power consumption in an iterative decoder. A memory stores a decoded codeword for a current iteration and an iteration terminator compares the decoded codeword for the current iteration to the codeword from prior iterations, and further terminates the iterations when a confidence value is achieved.
US08171365B2
This is disclosed a communication apparatus. A receiving unit receives plural data frames which are transmitted from other communication apparatus. An error detection unit checks whether each data frame is received correctly or incorrectly. A determination unit estimates a first overhead and a second overhead and determines whether or not to send a block acknowledgement frame by comparing the first and the second overheads. The determination unit estimates the first overhead being caused by sending the block acknowledgement frame and the second overhead being caused by not sending the block acknowledgement frame. The receiving unit receives the data frames which are retransmitted from the other communication apparatus after a certain period of time has passed without sending the block acknowledgement frame, the data frames retransmitted from the other communication apparatus including both data frames which are correctly received and incorrectly received.
US08171346B2
Debugging operations on individual client sessions for a remotely executed shared application are enabled to be performed as the client requests are processed on the executing server without disrupting execution of other client sessions. A remote debugging client may connect to a debugging engine executed on the server allowing the debugging client to view source code, set breakpoints, view client connections, and receive callbacks or notifications when a breakpoint is hit by the client session being debugged. The debugging client may also control execution by stepping through client code enabling debugging of multiple clients simultaneously.
US08171345B2
A method and system of disablement of an exception generating operation of a client system are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method is disclosed in which a snapshot of a client system is acquired. An execution of the client system is recorded, and a system wide exception is intercepted before it causes a client system crash. The execution of the client system is replayed from the snapshot of the client system, and an operation that generates the system wide exception is disabled.
US08171341B2
A method for controlling an operating mechanism using a manipulation unit, in which the operating mechanism includes at least one microcontroller, at least one memory with a plurality of memory cells, and at least one debug interface, and the debug interface presents a monitoring functionality for monitoring memory content and using the debug interface a first timepoint of the operating mechanism is detected for writing into a first memory cell and, using the information transmitted by the debug interface for the first timepoint to the manipulation unit, a trigger timepoint results for a processing routine through the manipulation unit (IN) and using the processing routine a second value is written by the manipulation unit using the debug interface for a second timepoint in the first memory cell before the first memory cell is read by the operating mechanism for a third timepoint.
US08171339B2
Provided are a method, apparatus, and computer program product for testing a virtualized storage system. Data defining one or more configuration features of the virtualized storage system is received. Also received is a set of one or more predetermined rules defining interpretation of the disk exercising commands, the interpretation being dependent on one or more of the configuration features. A first disk exercising command is received. The first disk exercising command is interpreted in accordance with one of the predetermined rules to produce a second disk exercising command. The second disk exercising command is sent to the virtualized storage system.
US08171330B2
The asynchronous circuit insensitive to delays comprises at least one time delay insertion circuit on the propagation path of a signal. The delay insertion circuit comprises, between an input and an output of the signal, a Muller C-element and a plurality of delay circuits connected in series to an output of the Muller C-element. The outputs of the delay circuits are connected to corresponding inputs of a multiplexing circuit having an output constituting the output of the delay insertion circuit. The Muller C-element comprises an input connected to the output of the last delay circuit via an inverter gate, and an input constituting the input of the signal to the delay insertion circuit. The multiplexing circuit control circuit preferably comprises a random generator.
US08171329B2
A circuit system periodically checks a system-environment monitor value, and then obtains a system-environment monitor value index corresponding to the system-environment monitor value in the environment-adjustment look-up table. Finally, the circuit system adjusts a signal delay time according to a delay adjustment value corresponding to the system-environment monitor value index.
US08171325B2
Methods, services, devices, and programmable code are provided for moving computing processes without loss of service. Powered components supporting a computing infrastructure executing computing processes are monitored for thermal characteristics, each associated with at least one of the deployed components. A thermal characteristic rule set comprising a threshold is applied to the monitored characteristics, and in response to an association with a monitored characteristic correlating with the threshold, a computing process is moved from one powered component to another having a monitored thermal characteristics not correlated with the threshold, the moving in real-time and without causing an interruption of service to an end user using the moved process.
US08171323B2
A system and method for regulating power consumption within an integrated circuit (IC) with a modular design. The IC is designed so that any one distinct functional module within the IC utilizes only transistors with a substantially same or similar critical voltage level, which may for example be the threshold voltage of the transistors. Consequently, the supply voltage delivered to each functional modules can be lowered to the minimum voltage necessary to enable the transistors within the module to operate. Similarly, modules within the IC may be designed with transistors which share a common value for a substrate bias voltage or a clock speed, or with a combination of common values for several electrical factors. In this way, it is possible to reduce power consumption by fine-tuning the voltages supplied to (or clock speeds driving) specific modules, in a way which is custom-tuned to each module.
US08171320B2
An information processing apparatus having a processing circuit to execute a program by operating at a set operating frequency, including: a measuring section that measures an elapsed time from the user's last operation; a notification section that notifies operation allowing frequencies in the processing circuit and instructs, in response to an elapsed time longer than a predetermined threshold time measured by the measuring section, fixing to a specific low-operating frequency among the operation allowing frequencies and in response to the user's operation in an input section, instructs to release the fixing; and a setting section that selects an operating frequency from among the operation allowing frequencies according to a processing situation and sets the selected operating frequency to the processing circuit and upon release of the fixing, restarts setting of an operating frequency selected from among the operation allowing frequencies, according to a processing situation in the processing circuit.
US08171319B2
Disclosed are systems, methods, and computer program products for managing power states in processors of a data processing system. In one embodiment, the invention is directed to a data processing system having dynamically configurable power-performance states (“pstates”). The data processing system includes a processor configured to operate at multiple states of frequency and voltage. The data processing system also has a power manager module configured to monitor operation of the data processing system. The data processing system further includes a pstates table having a plurality of pstate definitions, wherein each pstate definition includes a voltage value, a frequency value, and at least one unique pointer that indicates a transition from a given pstate to a different pstate. The voltage value, frequency value, and unique pointer of a given pstate definition are configurable, during operation of the data processing system, by the power manager module in response to changes in the operating parameters of the data processing system.
US08171311B2
Data values being stored and transferred within a data processing system 8 have a selectable representation, such as true and complement, as indicated by an accompanying representation specifying bit. This assists in obscuring the operation and the power signature of the device in a manner that improves security.
US08171309B1
Secure memory controlled access is described. In embodiment(s), memory stores encrypted data and the memory includes a secure memory partition to store cryptographically sensitive data utilized to control access to the encrypted data stored on the memory. Controller firmware can access the encrypted data stored on the memory, but is precluded from access to the secure memory partition and the cryptographically sensitive data. Secure firmware can access the cryptographically sensitive data stored on the secure memory partition to control access by the controller firmware to the encrypted data stored on the memory.
US08171307B1
The invention provides for rekeying a large cluster of storage security appliances which allows more than two of the storage security appliances to proxy a single storage medium while encrypting the storage medium in a manner that is transparent to any attached server. The invention provides a method for synchronizing encryption of the disk among a large cluster of storage security appliances, while allowing all of the storage security appliances involved to access the storage device being rekeyed in a secure fashion.
US08171302B2
There is provided a system and method for creating a pre-shared key. More specifically, in one embodiment, there is provided a method comprising accessing an identifier associated with a computer system, and performing at least one mathematical function on the identifier to create a pre-shared key for the computer system.
US08171297B2
A method, system, and apparatus for authenticating transactions and records is disclosed. A method for authenticating an information-based indicium includes receiving an article bearing a first identifier, wherein the first identifier substantially prevents a single user from accumulating multiple articles bearing the same first identifier, receiving a first digital certificate that is derived in part by encoding the first identifier, and comparing the first digital certificate and the first identifier to authenticate the information-based indicium.
US08171294B2
Information capable of tracing a content distribution route, such as a user ID of a content destination, a content ID, a content provider ID, and a service provider ID, is superimposed on the content as additional information for digital watermarking or steganography before delivering the content. For example, the content ID and the user ID are detected from the delivered content. When both the content ID and the user ID are not detected from the content, it is determined that the content is illegally distributed, and the content distribution route is traced to identify the source of the illegally distributed content. In most cases, unique information, such as a user ID, still remains in copies of the content, thus effectively preventing illegal distribution of the content.
US08171282B2
An encryption method encrypts a clear text twice using a first encryption engine to produce a first cipher text and a second encryption engine to produce a second cipher text. The method compares the first cipher text with the second cipher text, or compares a checksum of the first cipher text with a checksum of the second cipher text. If the comparison succeeds, the method transmits the data. In some embodiments, the method uses a first instance of an encryption key to produce the first cipher text and a second instance of the encryption key to produce the second cipher text.
US08171278B2
A filter driver that is loaded during an initial part of the boot process enable operating systems that are not capable of booting from central storage to be booted from central storage. According to this technique, an initial set of operating system files is loaded into system memory from a local storage volume. The initial set of files includes a small subset of all of the operating system files and includes a boot loader, a kernel, boot time drivers, a file system driver, and a filter driver. The filter driver takes control over the loading of the remainder of the operating system files, so that these files are loaded from central storage instead of the local storage volume.
US08171276B2
A computer implemented process performs a plurality of computer bootups in minimal mode. Login authentication is disabled during the computer bootups. All startup programs and services not required to install new software are disabled during the computer bootups. New software is installed during the computer bootups. During the final computer bootup, the disabled startup programs and services are enabled to restore the computer to normal operating condition.
US08171272B1
Before booting from a main OS into a pre-OS, a pre-OS management component verifies that all critical drivers are present in the pre-OS. The pre-OS management component identifies the hardware devices present on the computer on which the pre-OS is to be booted, and determines which drivers are installed in the pre-OS. If any drivers for critical devices are missing, the pre-OS management component provides a detailed report so that that the user can locate the missing drivers and add them to the pre-OS. In another embodiment, the pre-OS management component automatically obtains and installs the missing drivers.
US08171267B2
A method and apparatus for migrating a task in a multi-processor system. The method includes examining whether a second process has been allocated to a second processor, the second process having a same instruction to execute as a first process and having different data to process in response to the instruction from the first process, the instruction being to execute the task; selecting a method of migrating the first process or a method of migrating a thread included in the first process based on the examining and migrating the task from a first processor to the second processor using the selected method. Therefore, cost and power required for task migration can be minimized. Consequently, power consumption can be maintained in a low-power environment, such as an embedded system, which, in turn, optimizes the performance of the multi-processor system and prevents physical damage to the circuit of the multi-processor system.
US08171265B2
A method executed by an instruction set on a processor is described. The method includes providing a tbbit instruction, inputting a first index for the tbbit instruction, loading a second value for the tbbit instruction, wherein the second value comprises at least 2b bits, using selected b bits of the first index to select at least one target bit in the loaded second value, shifting the target bit into the bottom of the first index, and computing a second index based on the shifting of the target bit into the bottom of the first index. Other methods and variations are also described.
US08171262B2
A method and apparatus for overlaying hazard clearing with a jump instruction within a pipeline microprocessor is described. The apparatus includes hazard logic to detect when a jump instruction specifies that hazards are to be cleared as part of a jump operation. If hazards are to be cleared, the hazard logic disables branch prediction for the jump instruction, thereby causing the jump instruction to proceed down the pipeline until it is finally resolved, and flushing the pipeline behind the jump instruction. Disabling of branch prediction for the jump instruction effectively clears all execution and/or instruction hazards that preceded the jump instruction. Alternatively, hazard logic causes issue control logic to stall the jump instruction for n-cycles until all hazards are cleared. State tracking logic may be provided to determine whether any instructions are executing in the pipeline that create hazards. If so, hazard logic performs normally. If not, state tracking logic disables the effect of the hazard logic.
US08171260B2
The invention provides a method and apparatus for branch prediction in a processor. A fetch-block branch target buffer is used in an early stage of pipeline processing before the instruction is decoded, which stores information about a control transfer instruction for a “block” of instruction memory. The block of instruction memory is represented by a block entry in the fetch-block branch target buffer. The block entry represents one recorded control-transfer instruction (such as a branch instruction) and a set of sequentially preceding instructions, up to a fixed maximum length N. Indexing into the fetch-block branch target buffer yields an answer whether the block entry represents memory that contains a previously executed a control-transfer instruction, a length value representing the amount of memory that contains the instructions represented by the block, and an indicator for the type of control-transfer instruction that terminates the block, its target and outcome. Both the decode and execution pipelines include correction capabilities for modifying the block branch target buffer dependent on the results of the instruction decode and execution and can include a mechanism to correct malformed instructions.
US08171257B2
Provided are a method, computer program product and system for determining an end of valid log in a log of write records. Records are written to a log in a storage device in a sequential order, wherein the records include a next pointer addressing a next record in a write order and a far ahead pointer addressing a far ahead record in the write order following the record. The far ahead pointer and the next pointer in a plurality of records are used to determine an end of valid log from which to start writing further records.
US08171246B2
A storage area network system having a data storage means for storing computer data, a storage manager routine running on a client, the storage manager routine having functional elements for directing snapshots to be taken of the computer data on the data storage means, and a snapshot ranking manager for determining characteristics of the snapshots, and for selectively deleting given ones of the snapshots based at least in part on the characteristics of the snapshots. The characteristics of the snapshots might include the type of application that uses the data in the logical volume from which the snapshots were taken, or mission critical aspects of the data.
US08171242B2
A memory system is operated by maintaining a queue of memory commands to be executed, maintaining a list of previously executed memory commands, comparing local information associated with the commands to be executed with local information associated with the list of previously executed commands, and selecting one of the commands for execution from the queue of memory commands to be executed based on a result of the comparison.
US08171239B2
A storage management system and a storage management method are provided. The storage management system includes a host, a memory buffer, a plurality of storage blocks, and an input/output bus to perform an interface function among the host, the memory buffer, and the plurality of storage blocks, wherein each of the plurality of storage blocks is connected with the input/output bus via a corresponding channel, and the plurality of storage blocks is managed for each channel group generated by grouping at least one channel.
US08171237B2
A method and system for automatically associating primary process data with reference data. The primary process data may include image, video, audio, text, search data, and the like. The reference data may include location, temperature, pressure, and the like. A primary process data processor device, such as a digital camera, is used to acquire the primary process data with time information, but without any reference data. A reference data collector device, such as a cellular telephone, is used to acquire the reference data with time information. The primary process data and the reference data are uploaded to a server and each are associated with a shared identifier, such as a user ID. Of the content and reference data associated with the shared ID, the server determines which primary process data and reference data were acquired near the same time, and automatically associates the reference data with the primary process data.
US08171236B2
Migration management is provided for a shared memory logical partition migrating from a source system to a target system. The management approach includes managing migration of the logical partition from the source system to the target system by: transferring a portion of logical partition state information for the migrating logical partition from the source system to the target system by copying at the source system contents of a logical page of the migrating logical partition into a state record buffer for forwarding to the target system; forwarding the state record buffer to the target system; and determining whether the migrating logical partition is suspended at the source system, and if not, copying at the target system contents of the state record buffer to paging storage of the target system, the paging storage being external to physical memory managed by a hypervisor of the target system.
US08171235B2
An atomic compare and swap operation that can be implemented in processor system having first and second processors that have different sized memory transfer capabilities. The first processor notifies the second processor to perform a compare and swap operation on an address in main memory. The address has a size less than or equal to a maximum memory transfer size for the second processor and greater than a maximum memory transfer size for the first processor. The second processor atomically performs the compare and swap operation and notifies the first processor of the success or failure of the compare and swap operation.
US08171234B2
A memory system including a plurality of ports and a memory core having a plurality of memory banks. Access requests received at the ports are broadcast to the memory banks. Multiple memory banks may be concurrently accessed in response to access requests received on different ports. A memory controller provides the access requests to the memory system, and ensures that a single memory bank is not concurrently accessed by different ports. All access requests are processed with the same latency. If the memory banks include memory cells that must be periodically refreshed, then the memory controller also provides refresh requests to the memory banks. Because multiple memory banks may be concurrently accessed in response to access requests provided on different ports, the memory banks can operate at a lower frequency than the ports.
US08171227B1
A system and method determines when the entries of a reply cache, organized into microcaches each of which is allocated to a client connection, may be retired or released, thereby freeing up memory structures. A plurality of connection statistics are defined and tracked for each microcache and for the entries of the microcache. The connection statistics indicate the value of the microcache and its entries to the client. The connection statistics include a measure of the time since the last idempotent or non-idempotent request (TOLR) was received, and a count of the number of idempotent requests that have been received since the last non-idempotent request (RISLR). A microcache with a TOLR time and a RISLR count that exceed respective thresholds may be expired and removed from the reply cache.
US08171218B2
A memory card system and memory card. The memory card system may include a host and a memory card able to be received by the host. The memory card may transfer an application program index to the host in response to a command from the host. Time spent finding information relating to the application programs loaded in the memory card may be saved and a convenient and efficient interface may be provided to a user.
US08171215B2
When receiving a file access from the client, the file access program refers to the mapping table, and processes an access to files of on volumes of RAID groups. The file server analyzes the file access states, and groups the files depending on the access time period, defines the file migration pattern based on the grouping, migrates the files, and then carries out a power management operation like a spin-down/-up operation on the RAID groups based on the migration pattern.
US08171212B2
A data processing apparatus has a processing memory section that stores plural processing sections for building a combination processing section; a construction data memory section that stores construction data for building the same combination processing section as the latest combination processing section used for executing a series of processing of most recently input data; and a processing construction section that reads, at a timing before data to be processed is input, plural processing sections forming the same combination processing section as the latest combination processing section, based on the construction data and connects the processing sections in the same order of processing as in the latest combination processing section, thereby building the same combination processing section as the latest combination processing section.
US08171211B2
A memory system is provided. The system includes a volatile memory, a refresh counter configured to monitor a number of advanced refreshes performed in the volatile memory, and a controller configured to check the refresh counter to determine whether a regularly scheduled refresh can be skipped in response to detecting a request for the regularly scheduled refresh.
US08171206B2
The operating firmware of a portable flash memory storage device is stored in the relatively large file storage memory, which is non executable. It is logically parsed into overlays to fit into an executable memory. The overlays can be of differing sizes to organize function calls efficiently while minimizing dead space or unnecessarily separating functions that should be within one or a group of frequently accessed overlays. For an overlay having functions that require data allocation, the data allocation can cause eviction. This self eviction is avoided altogether or after initial runtime.
US08171205B2
Incrementing sequence numbers in the metadata of non-volatile memory is used in the event of a resume from power fail to determine which data in the memory is current and valid, and which data is not. To reduce the amount of metadata space consumed by these sequence numbers, the numbers are permitted to be small enough to wrap around when the maximum value is reached. Two different techniques are disclosed to keep this wrap around condition from causing ambiguity in the relative values of the sequence numbers.
US08171203B2
An embodiment of the present invention includes a digital equipment system having a host for sending write commands to write files having sector information and having a controller device responsive to the commands for writing and updating FSInfo sector information. The controller controls a nonvolatile memory system organized into blocks, each block including a plurality of sector locations for storing sector information, a particular free block, designated for storing FSInfo sector information. Upon updating of the FSInfo sector, the updated FSInfo sector information is written to a next free sector of the dedicated block thereby avoiding moving the sectors of the particular block to another block, hence, improving system performance.
US08171198B2
An image forming apparatus and a control method thereof. The image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image processors which process an image to be formed on a printing medium corresponding to a plurality of colors, a processor which executes an interrupt routine with respect to the plurality of image processors, and a controller which generates an interrupt signal and transmits the interrupt signal to the processor if at least two the plurality of image processors generate interrupt requests so that the processor executes the interrupt routine.
US08171195B2
An interface and protocol allow a media player to communicate with external accessories over a transport link. The protocol includes a core protocol functionality and a number of accessory lingoes. Examples of accessory lingoes include a microphone lingo, a simple remote lingo, a display remote lingo, an RF transmitter lingo, and an extended interface lingo.
US08171188B2
To handle boundary conditions efficiently during bitstream extraction, a predetermined number of bits are extracted from the bitstream register starting from a most significant bit of the bitstream register when an underflow flag is set. The predetermined number equals a predetermined extraction width minus a previous starting position. The bits are stored in a lowest part of a destination register, and the underflow flag is cleared.
US08171184B2
A multifunction device has a plurality of functions selected from among a printer function, scanner function, facsimile function, and data storage function and capable of being connected to a computer via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface. The multifunction device includes: a device data outputting unit that outputs information forcing an OS in the computer to recognize the multifunction device as a USB storage class device having a plurality of USB-compliant logic unit numbers (LUNs) when establishing a connection with the computer; and a controlling unit that determines, when output data is transmitted from the computer, which one of the plurality of functions the output data is for controlling, based on the LUN included in the output data, and that controls the determined function based on the output data.
US08171182B2
This invention provides a method of connecting a network-connected image input device, to which a plug-and-play function cannot be applied to a computer installed with an OS (operating system) and using the image input device. To this end, when a control program of the image input device is activated, the program notifies the OS of information indicating that the peripheral device is connected, irrespective of connection/non-connection between the peripheral device and the computer. Upon reception of a command for activating the peripheral device, the control program confirms the connection/non-connection between the peripheral device and the computer. When the connection is confirmed, the control program controls the peripheral device to activate.
US08171175B2
By controlling whether operations are offloaded to a protocol stack hardware accelerator as a function of data rate, power consumption may be reduced, for example, when data rates result in fragmented or segmented data not suitable for processing by the stack hardware accelerator.
US08171174B2
A method for characterizing server utilization out-of-band via remote access card virtual media includes sending at least one preselected desired parameter comprising at least one of at least one performance parameter and at least one process parameter, and at least one preselected polling interval to a remote access card disposed in at least one preselected managed host server system, using a remote application running on a remote management client via at least one remote access card administrative command through an out-of-band dedicated remote access card network interface card. The method also includes connecting a plug-and-play virtual drive, having an auto-run data gathering executable, to the at least one preselected managed host server system at the at least one preselected polling interval via a plug-and-play virtual media interface between the remote access card and the at least one preselected managed host server system, using firmware of the remote access card.
US08171171B2
A data synchronization method for more than three networked devices including at least one client and one server for efficiently synchronizing data among multiple devices supporting a Synchronization Markup Language (SyncML) protocol is provided. The data synchronization method includes determining whether a data item indicated by synchronization information contained in a synchronization request message exists in a change log table of the server, when a server receives the synchronization request message sent by a first client, and updating the change log table by adding the data item indicated by the synchronization information and transmitting a synchronization request message containing a data identifier and the change log of the data item to a second client, if a data item indicated by the synchronization information does not exist, otherwise, ending data synchronization by transmitting a synchronization response message containing status information to the first client.
US08171160B1
A multi-layer stack platform is provided for cloud communication connections and services between devices. The system includes three or more layers, including a directory component, an applications component, and a peering component. An interconnection component may also be provided for communication between the applications component and the peering component. The components operate to provide communication services, such as sessions, according to the functionality of a selected application by adhering to device, user, and routing rules and preferences. The device, user, and routing rules and preferences are maintained in and processed by the directory component. The applications component receives communication session requests and accesses corresponding application scripts to perform the requested session. The peering component receives the device, user, and routing rules and preferences, and establishes connection between devices based on the rules and preferences as defined by the directory component.
US08171159B2
Computer program products, apparatus, and methods for processing digital messages to recipients at destination domains is provided. A plurality of profiles are established, each profile for handling digital to a specific domain or set of domains. A request to process a plurality of outbound digital messages is handled by, for each given digital message, processing the given digital message by (i) determining a destination domain for digital messages, (ii) reading a profile for the determined destination domain for the digital messages and (iii) based on at least one parameter set in the profile: (a) sending the given digital message to the determined destination domain in accordance with the profile when permitted by the at least one parameter set in the profile, or (b) not sending the digital message to the determined destination domain when required by the at least one parameter set in the profile.
US08171154B2
A method and system for providing computer-generated output and in particular graphical output. The system includes a network configured to carry digital information. The system includes a server in communication with the network, the server configured to execute an application and a cloud engine module. The application provides a graphical output. The output capturing and encoding engine module is further configured to intercept the graphical output from the application on the server. The output capturing and encoding engine module is further configured to convert the graphical output into at least one of: graphical commands and video codec data. The output capturing and encoding engine module is further configured to transmit the converted output over the network. The system includes a client in communication with the server over the network, the client configured to execute a graphics and video decoding and rendering engine module. The graphics and video decoding and rendering engine module is configured to, responsive to receiving the transmitted converted output, rendering the graphical output. The graphics and video decoding and rendering engine module is configured to intercept graphics and video decoding and rendering inputs at the client. The graphics and video decoding and rendering engine module is configured to transmit the intercepted user inputs to the output capturing and encoding engine module.
US08171140B2
A method and tangible medium embodying code for allocating resource units of an allocatable resource among a plurality of clients in a computer is described. In the method, resource units are initially distributed among the clients by assigning to each of the clients a nominal share of the allocatable resource. For each client, a current allocation of resource units is determined. A metric is evaluated for each client, the metric being a function both of the nominal share and a usage-based factor, the usage-based factor being a function of a measure of resource units that the client is actively using and a measure of resource units that the client is not actively using. A resource unit can be reclaimed from a client when the metric for that client meets a predetermined criterion.
US08171139B2
Popular object requests are handled using a front-end cache, and hashing is applied only to the requests in the stream that were not handled by the front-end cache. A cache (e.g., a web proxy cache) is placed in front of a Level 7 switch and services the popular requests from the cache based on the content of the request (e.g., based on the portion of an HTTP request following the domain name). The remaining requests are hashed and then routed to the back-end server. Requests that make it past the cache are still routed to the back-end server. A Level 4 switch is placed in front of a plurality of web proxy caches, each of which are in turn placed in front of a respective Level 7 switch, each of which are connected to a respective server farm, so that incoming web requests are handled on a round robin basis (or other SLB technique) before being sent to the cache.
US08171134B2
Methods and apparatus to characterize and predict network health status are presented. A particular method of characterizing and predicting a health status of a network node includes receiving a plurality of report values associated with the network node, where each report value is one of alert and normal, and where each report value is received at a corresponding time. The method includes calculating a current report weight associated with a current report value received at a current time. When a first previous report value was received at a first previous time before the current time, the current report weight is calculated based at least partially on the current report value and at least partially on a first previous report weight associated with the first previous value. The method includes storing the current report weight at a memory device.
US08171132B2
Provisioning grid resources for a set of grid services is provided. The service performance for the set of grid services is monitored. The set of grid services has a set of service level agreements. In response to monitoring service performance, a determination is made as to whether current allocations of grid resources is sufficient to maintain performance levels for the set of grid services to meet the set of service level objectives. In response to the current allocations being insufficient to maintain the performance levels, the current allocations of the grid resources are dynamically reallocated or provisioned for the set of grid services to maintain service levels for the set of grid services.
US08171129B2
A smart endpoint and a smart monitoring system having the smart endpoint are provided. The smart endpoint includes a central processing unit (CPU), an interface module, a digital signal processing unit, and a memory module. The interface module is coupled to the CPU for receiving a plurality of heterogeneous monitoring signals and an identification code. The digital signal processing unit is coupled to the CPU for integrally considering the monitoring signals and the identification code to determine an abnormal event, and generate an abnormal event data thereby. The memory module is coupled to the CPU for recording the abnormal event data. As such, the present invention is adapted to determine an occurrence of an abnormal event, by which the passive monitoring can be upgraded to an active monitoring and analyzing, and thus achieving a smart monitoring.
US08171128B2
A system and method provides dynamically selected media content to someone using an electronic device in a social network environment. Items of media content are selected for the user based on his or her relationships with one or more other users. The user's relationships with other users are reflected in the selected media content and its format. An order is assigned to the items of media content, for example, based on their anticipated importance to the user, and the items of media content are displayed to the user in the assigned order. The user may change the order of the items of media content. The user's interactions with media content available in the social network environment are monitored, and those interactions are used to select additional items of media content for the user.
US08171126B2
A management computer includes a memory storing toplogical information including identifiers of ports of computers, storage apparatuses, and switches. The management computer includes a processor, which is configured to: collect a plurality of performance information of the ports, and a plurality of access times from computer ports to the storage apparatuses; evaluate that a certain access time among the plurality of access times exceeds a predetermined allowable range; search a first access path to which the certain access time corresponds; search at least one second access path starting from a first computer port on the first access path; and search performance information of certain ports which are on the at least one second access path in order to display the searched performance information.
US08171119B2
With a management server that is connected via a network to at least one physical server including a physical server with a virtualization facility for providing a virtual server to a client and deploys a program to the at least one physical server as necessary, and by a program deployment method for such a management server for deploying a program to the at least one physical server as necessary, there is provided units for detecting one or more nodes which are any of the physical server, the virtualization facility, and the virtual server and connected via the network, acquiring first configuration information about a virtual layer of each detected node for each detected node, and selectively deploying the program to the relevant node based on the first configuration information for each acquired node.
US08171116B2
A mechanism is provided for configuring different computers of a network. Each computer plays a specific physic role (defined by an architecture of the network) and/or a specific logic role (defined by the applications running in the network). A reference model and a transition table are associated with each product to be installed in the network; the reference model specifies a target configuration for each role (defined by the components of the product to be installed), while the transition table specifies the actions required to reach each target configuration from each current configuration of the computers. A server identifies the role and the current configuration of each computer; the actions required to enforce the desired target configuration on the computer are then established and executed.
US08171112B2
Various embodiments enable a user of a mobile media device to select one or more channels to load onto the device. Each channel comprises a collection of media content files, such as video content, audio content, and so on. Each collection of media content files can be associated with a particular genre (or genres) of media content. A channel can be managed such that its collection of media content can be rearranged, augmented, and/or otherwise edited to produce a refreshed version of the channel. The refreshed version of the channel can be provided to the mobile media device for playback. Thus, a channel associated with a particular genre of media content can provide a user with a dynamic user experience without requiring the user to manipulate specific media content files.
US08171111B1
The present disclosure provides a system and method for online continuity. Online continuity can include a number of Internet or intranet access points via which one or more network addresses can be advertised. A client can be provided with availability of an application (e.g., a brand image application) via at least one of the Internet or intranet access points.
US08171110B1
The present inventions may be implemented by tools enabling preferred domain positioning on a registration website. An example may comprise a computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by a server, cause the server to receive a request (comprising a bid and the domain) seeking such preferred placement, generate a quality score for the domain, determine the preferred placement based upon the bid and the quality score, and transmit a response (comprising the preferred placement) to the request.
US08171106B2
A method, information processing system, and computer program product access data in a system. The system includes a plurality of Network Shared Disk servers and at least one set of Network Shared Disks. Each of the Network Shared Disks are served by at least one of the Network Shared Disk servers across a multiple networks. Configuration data that includes information indicating which of the networks is associated with each of the Network Shared Disks for the one node is analyzed. A first of the Network Shared Disks to be accessed is identified. One of the networks that is associated with the first Network Shared Disk is selected based on the configuration data. The first Network Shared Disk is accessed via the one network that was selected.
US08171104B2
Provided are a method, system, and program for scheduling and searching meetings in a network environment. A form is transmitted over a network to be rendered at an organizer computer to enable entry of information on a meeting. The form is received having organizer entered information on one meeting. The information in the received form is stored in a meeting database, wherein the stored information from the received form is associated with the meeting identified in the received form. A user computer accessed by a user is enabled to register for at least one selected meeting. An email database accessed by the user is updated automatically to include information on the at least one selected meeting indicated.
US08171103B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for providing access to content via messaging services, such as email, voicemail, instant messaging, text messaging, or other similar messaging services. A content server is provided that includes a user interface, a web server and a file. The web server includes a web page for accessing the file. A user provides user information associated with a messaging address via the user interface, and the content server then sends a message including the web address of the web page to the messaging address. The user may then retrieve the message at a client computer, and may then download the file to the client computer by entering the web address into a web browser on the client computer.
US08171101B2
An improved system for accessing data within a distributed data storage network (“DDSN”) is disclosed. In a system implementing the disclosed invention, traffic is routed to individual slice servers within the DDSN in accordance with objective criteria as well as user-defined policies. In accordance with one aspect of the disclosed invention, when a data segment is written to a DDSN, the segment is divided into multiple data slices, which are simultaneously transmitted to different slice servers. In accordance with another aspect of the disclosed invention, when a data segment is read from a DDSN, a list of slice servers, each containing a data slice that could be used to reconstruct the requested data segment, is assembled, and sorted in accordance with a preference rating assigned to each of the slice servers. Sufficient data slices to reconstruct the data segment are then read in accordance with the preference ranking of the slice servers.
US08171097B2
An apparatus, a system, and a method of processing a printing operation on a home network that searches an available media storage device upon a request of a printing job of predetermined contents, transmits an address of the searched media storage device, and prints printing contents transmitted to the address are provided. The apparatus for processing a printing function on a home network includes a printing request management unit which processes a printing request transmitted from a printing controller on a home network; a media storage device processing unit which provides information on an available media storage device on the home network when printing job information is transmitted from the printing request management unit; and a printing management unit which downloads predetermined contents stored in the media storage device, and performs a printing job according to the printing request of the printing controller.
US08171093B2
A method of transmitting contact information to an approved mobile communication device includes receiving an input representative of desired contact information located on a first web page and an input representative of the identity of a desired mobile communication device. The method also includes saving information representative of the desired contact information in a contact information database. The method also includes determining whether the desired mobile communication device is an approved device and transmitting to the desired mobile communication device information representative of a notification to send the information representative of the desired contact information. The method also includes receiving an input from the desired mobile communication device information representative of an acceptance to receive the information representative of the desired contact information, and transmitting to the desired mobile communication device information representative of the desired contact information.
US08171086B2
A method, system, and computer program product for automatically recognizing employee achievements via enterprise e-mails is provided. In one embodiment, an enterprise e-mail server receives an e-mail from a sender within the enterprise. The enterprise e-mail server generates a recognition link to a dynamically generated web page, wherein the web page lists recognitions/awards information for the sender. The enterprise e-mail server also generates an icon link for an icon representing recognitions/awards received by the sender and appends the recognition link and the icon link into the e-mail. The e-mail with embedded web page and icon link is then relayed to the e-mail recipient.
US08171083B2
System for enhancing the security of the e-mails transmitted from a sender (10) to a receiver (12) over a data transmission network such as Internet wherein a Message Transfer Agent (MTA) (14) associated with the sender is in charge of transmitting over the network an original e-mail sent by the sender. The MTA associated with the sender includes a message splitting means (16) adapted to divide the original e-mail into a plurality of chunks according to a predetermined algorithm and a predetermined list of relay MTAs (20, 22, 24) to which are forwarded the plurality of chunks. The system comprises a chunk assembly agent (28) for receiving from the relay MTAs the plurality of chunks and re-assembling them by using the predetermined algorithm in order to re-build the e-mail before sending it to the receiver.
US08171076B2
A method and a system for providing presence information is disclosed which can incorporate non-presence-ready terminal nodes such as sensor node terminals and combine a plurality of pieces of presence information from a plurality of nodes, thereby providing presence information with improved reliability. The method includes creating circumstance presence information associated with a user in response to a change in value of sensor data transmitted from at least one sensor node terminal. For a presence server to deliver presence information, the method also includes delivering circumstance presence information created in relation to the user either in place of the presence information or in combination with the presence information.
US08171069B2
A method of filtering streaming digital data in real time. The method including: (a) initializing and storing a set of m data elements and an associated set of m pointer data from 1 to m in sequence, m an integer greater than 2; (b) receiving in real time a first or next data element of a digital data stream of sequential data elements; (c) simultaneously with (b), replacing a stored data element associated with the pointer datum m with the received data element, changing the pointer datum of m to 1, and incrementing the value of all other pointer data by 1; (d) simultaneously with (b) sorting in order from a low to high all stored data elements; (e) simultaneously with (b), maintaining the association of pointer datum and data elements; (f) simultaneously with (b), filtering all stored data elements; and (g) repeating (b) through (f) multiple times.
US08171063B1
A system and method for efficiently locating and processing data on a deduplication storage system are provided. A logical volume is mapped to a deduplication storage area. The logical volume includes a collection of logical block locations and the deduplication storage area includes a collection of physical block locations. The collection of logical block locations is mapped to the collection of physical block locations. A filesystem organizes the logical volume by organizing the logical block locations into a collection of files. Reverse-mapping information is generated for a logical block location that associates the logical block location with at least one file. In response to receiving a logical block address of a logical block location, at least one file is returned.
US08171059B2
A data migration management apparatus continuously monitors and stores the utilization statuses of a migration-source storage area and a migration-destination storage area, and uses the information to set up a data migration. An information management unit collects information related to the storage configuration and information related to performance from respective storage apparatuses, and stores the information in a storage unit. In a case where a data migration plan is to be set, a performance information provision unit provides, to a user computer, variations in the utilization statuses during a predetermined period for each of a migration-source volume and a migration-destination array group.
US08171047B2
An apparatus and method for a database query optimizer utilizes a combining network to optimize a portion of a query in a parallel computer system with multiple nodes. The efficiency of the parallel computer system is increased by offloading collective operations on node data to the global combining network. The global combining network performs collective operations such as minimum, maximum, sum, and logical functions such as OR and XOR.
US08171046B1
A method is provided. The method includes (a) sending, from a client device to a data storage system, a query regarding elements of the data storage system, (b) receiving, at the client device, from the data storage system, a query result, the query result containing information about a set of elements within the data storage system presented in tabular format, the set of elements being defined by the query, (c) parsing the query result, at the client device, to obtain a class object representing an element of the set of elements, and (d) performing an operation associated with the element on the class object. Corresponding apparatus and computer program products are also provided.
US08171045B2
The compiled code of a computer program is stored in multiple pieces within a database. Each piece is optionally stored within a separate data record. Execution of the computer program includes using database queries to retrieve pieces of the compiled code for execution. The database and associated database management logic are used to provide numerous advantages in execution and management of the computer program. For example, in some embodiments, database queries are used to help facilitate program flow logic.
US08171044B2
Methods, devices, and products are disclosed for recommending a social community. A “social community” may be any individual(s), clubs, and/or organizations that have expressed some affinity to terms or subject matter, such as a media identifier. The media identifier identifies some media that is scheduled for recording. A community database is queried for the media identifier, and the community database associates social communities to media identifiers. The social community associated with the media identifier is retrieved. The social community is then sent to a user.
US08171039B2
A method of analyzing a string-pattern includes defining a minimum length (Lmin—1) of substrings (STR_A_B) to be considered; defining a maximum length (Lmax—1) of substrings (STR_A_B) to be considered; with a computer, searching the string-pattern for substrings (STR_A_B) with a length in an interval between the minimum length (Lmin—1) and the maximum length (Lmax—1); counting an occurrence (Occ_A_B) of each substring (STR_A_B) found with a length in the interval between the minimum length (Lmin—1) and the maximum length (Lmax—1); and pruning away a number of the substrings (STR_A_B) that meet one or more criteria. The criteria are selected from the group consisting of (1) being contained inside the maximum substring (STR_A_C) in a subset (SET_A) of substrings (STR_A_B), (2) being shorter than the maximum substring (STR_A_C), (3) occurring with a same frequency as the maximum substring (STR_A_C), and combinations thereof.
US08171038B2
A method for managing legislative information. in operation, legislative information, including text comprising legislative bills, is collected via an electronic search of at least one website. The text of the bills is then parsed into predefined categories. The text thus parsed is stored in a database. A search, using one of the predefined categories as search criteria, is then performed to select a subset of the bills meeting the search criteria. Information, related to the subset of the bills, is then transmitted to a requesting entity via an electronic communication.
US08171036B2
A method and computing device for managing calendar data records are provided, the computing device comprising a processor interconnected with a memory enabled to maintain the data records and with a touchscreen controlled to generate a representation of a subset of at least two of the data records within a first portion of the touchscreen. The touchscreen is further controlled to generate a representation of details of a first one of the data records in the subset in a second portion of the touchscreen, different from the first portion, when input data associated with the first portion is detected by the touchscreen. The touchscreen is further controlled to generate a representation of details of a next data record in the subset, in a given order, in the second portion, each time an input event is detected at a portion of the touchscreen associated with providing next data records.
US08171035B2
In one embodiment, data relating to usage patterns of the user is stored, wherein the data includes information as to items which were used and the context in which they were used. A correlation table is constructed. Correlation values between each item and each context are then stored in then correlation table, wherein the correlations are used to recommend one or more of the items.
US08171019B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for processing query messages over a network. Specifically, a plurality of queries may be extracted from a plurality of query messages received from a plurality of users over a network. A number of queries, included in the plurality of queries, may be determined, and a current sequence number may be associated with the plurality of queries. A request message may be created including the plurality of queries, a first sequence number equal to the current sequence number and a first message count equal to the number of queries. The request message may be sent to a search engine and a response message may be received from the search engine. The response message may include a plurality of replies, a second sequence number, a second message count, a third sequence number and a third message count. A plurality of reply messages may be created from the plurality of replies and sent to the plurality of users over the network.
US08171018B2
This invention relates generally to a system for processing database queries, and more particularly to a method for generating high level language or machine code to implement query execution plans. In one preferred embodiment, the method begins by receiving a subject query, and then forming an execution plan corresponding to the subject query. The execution plan will typically have a sequence of component snippets or pieces and corresponding processes for implementing the pieces. For at least one piece in the plan, the process then (a) generates source code using different code generation techniques as a function of expected runtime processing machine types; and then (b) compiles the generated source code to form machine executable code for implementing the subject query. As a result, the query executed directly as machine executable code thereby avoiding runtime interpretation of the pieces in the execution plan.
US08171017B2
A “Book of Business” (or Book) is a set of business domain data of one or more book types. This set of data is identified by a “driving condition” or quality. A driving condition typically arises from a business practice, and may be further qualified by local conditions. Accordingly, data may be organized based on local activities or conditions that may not be explicitly stored in a database. In one embodiment, a method for querying the database includes identifying data in a database. The data is organized into one or more segments. A book of business associated with a segment in the one or more segments is then generated. The book of business includes a set of references to the data organized into the segment. A query plan may be determined based on the book of business. A set of results may then be generated based on the query plan.
US08171010B2
A system and method for providing at least one search result responsive to receiving a search query comprising at least one search query term, includes receiving the search query; locating at least one record containing at least one search query term; displaying a text representation of each of the records containing at least one search query term; and displaying a representation of an object in relation with the text representation for each record that includes an object comprising at least one predetermined attribute. According to another embodiment of the invention, a method for indexing records in an index of an information network, includes the acts of: receiving a record; searching the record for an indication that an object comprising at least one specified attribute is to be displayed with the record; finding the indication; creating a representation of the object; storing the representation in association with the record to which it corresponds; and making an entry for the record in the index, said entry indicating the object to be displayed with the record.
US08170995B2
A method and system for creating an index of content without interfering with the source of the content includes an offline content indexing system that creates an index of content from an offline copy of data. The system may associate additional properties or tags with data that are not part of traditional indexing of content, such as the time the content was last available or user attributes associated with the content. Users can search the created index to locate content that is no longer available or based on the associate attributes.
US08170987B2
Methods, systems and computer program products facilitate intelligent, automatic selection of content on consumer electronic devices to be backed up. User-defined rules selectively and automatically back up content and/or metadata about the content to a network, to another external device, or to an internal chip or memory. Via a user-friendly interface, users can initially set up rules for content backup, and thereafter, content backup can occur automatically. Stored back up content can be replicated on a device, for example, when the content has become corrupted on the device, when the content is lost, and/or when the CPE device crashes.
US08170984B2
A system for supporting OLAP analysis over a network. The system comprises an OLAP server for enabling an OLAP user to perform OLAP analysis via interaction with a client machine on the network. The system also includes a data aggregation module comprising a multi-dimensional datastore, an aggregation engine integrated with the multi-dimensional datastore, and a first interface for loading base data from a data source to the aggregation engine. The aggregation engine performs data aggregation operations on loaded base data, generates aggregated data from the base data, and stores the aggregated data in the multi-dimensional datastore. A second interface receives requests for OLAP analysis from the OLAP server, accesses the aggregation engine to retrieve from the multi-dimensional datastore, aggregated data corresponding to requests, and communicates the retrieved aggregated data to the OLAP server for query servicing, in a manner transparent to the OLAP user.
US08170980B1
A universal software architecture for decision support includes an n-tiered architecture for building a universal task and workload management software system. The design incorporates a connectivity tier for activating a data object representative of application specific data; a management tier for activating a workflow object in response to both the data object and application specific rules; and a presentation tier for providing a user with decision support elements responsive to said workflow object. The design may also incorporate a corporate tier for providing the application specific data and rules.
US08170978B1
A computer-implemented method may include identifying a first communication between a child and a contact and categorizing content of the first communication to create a first categorization. The method may also include identifying a second communication between the child and the contact and categorizing content of the second communication to create a second categorization. The method may further include rating, based at least in part on the first and second categorizations, an online relationship of the child and the contact and providing the rating of the online relationship to a guardian of the contact. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08170977B2
An apparatus for making probabilistic inferences based on a belief network includes a processing system configured to receive as input one or more parameters of a causal influence model. The belief network has a child node Y and one or more parent nodes Xi (i=1, . . . , n) for the child node Y. The causal influence model describes the influence of the parent nodes Xi on possible states of the child node Y. The processing system is further configured to use a creation function to convert the parameters of the causal influence model into one or more entries of a conditional probability table. The conditional probability table provides a probability distribution for all the possible states of the child node Y, for each combination of possible states of the parent nodes Xi.
US08170971B1
In selected embodiments a recommendation generator builds a network of interrelationships between venues, reviewers and users based on their attributes and reviewer and user reviews of the venues. Each interrelationship or link may be positive or negative and may accumulate with other links (or anti-links) to provide nodal links the strength of which are based on commonality of attributes among the linked nodes and/or common preferences that one node, such as a reviewer, expresses for other nodes, such as venues. The links may be first order (based on a direct relationship between, for instance, a reviewer and a venue) or higher order (based on, for instance, the fact that two venue are both liked by a given reviewer). The recommendation engine in certain embodiments determines recommended venues based on user attributes and venue preferences by aggregating the link matrices and determining the venues which are most strongly coupled to the user.
US08170968B2
A recursive mapping structure for diagnostic models is provided. A parent diagnostic model includes a first input module, a first output module, a first monitor module coupled to the first input and first output modules, and a first propagation module coupled between the first input and first output modules. A child diagnostic model includes a second input module, a second output module, a second monitor module coupled to the second input and second output modules, and a second propagation module coupled between the second input and second output modules, wherein the second monitor module is coupled to the first monitor module.
US08170967B2
Systems and methods are provided for assisted decision-making. A knowledge base comprises a plurality of executable stories. A given story comprises a belief network containing at least one associated hypothesis and evidence associated with the at least one hypothesis. The system further comprises at least one decision algorithm having respective associated input formats. A translation interface is operative to convert a given story from the knowledge base into a decision network having a format associated with the at least one decision algorithm.
US08170956B1
Systems and methods are provided for electronically managing content. In one embodiment, information identifying content items found on a page is received from a client system through code embedded on the page. Systems and methods for associating advertisement data with content items are also disclosed.
US08170948B2
An information repository and management system for data regarding a client base which integrates a plurality of information types including database records, word processor files, e-mail, other hyperlinked documents, web pages and web sites. Implemented as a database application on a web-enabled database server, sales and marketing team members may access the system through an intranet or remotely through an Internet. Portions of the database may be extracted and placed on a portable computing device for traveling purposes. The extracted database can be later synchronized with the central database upon return of a sales and marketing team member from a meeting or business trip. Links and expandable subforms are provided to web sites for stock quoting and client home pages, allowing sales team members to quickly gather information regarding a company's latest news announcements, stock performance, and financial status. Client relationship documents, such as meeting summaries, previous meeting briefing packages, and action item tracking sheets are organized and accessible through the system.
US08170919B2
An inventive system and method for collaborative commerce is presented. The invention comprises activating an art board, placing items onto the art board, inviting users to interact with the art board, and collaborating with the invited users. Additional features and functions include purchasing items shown on the art board, including by placing the items in a shopping cart, using e-mail, text messaging, and instant messaging to invite users, who may be chosen from a buddy list. Collaborating can be performed using voice chatting, video chatting, instant messaging, and text messaging, and includes examining reviews, ratings, reputations, and recommendations, and also includes displaying details regarding the items. In addition, reports comprising information regarding the items can be generated. A toolbar can be located on the art board and used to initiate inviting of users and placing of items onto the art board.
US08170918B2
Disclosed in this specification is a system for selecting a desired personal care product from a database of such products. The system scans the target application to determine the digital color value of the target. The resulting color value is converted into a standardized color value for comparison to a list of products with reference digital color values. A suggested product is found by searching the list for products whose reference color value closely matches the standardized color value obtained from the scan. The system is further capable of tracking customer data, sales history, and a variety of similar functions.
US08170917B2
In an information communication system, a portable apparatus stores owned content information as list information about a content already purchased by a user. The portable apparatus transmits the owned content information to an in-vehicle apparatus capable of wireless communication. When the in-vehicle apparatus does not store the content the user already purchased, the in-vehicle apparatus acquires content data for the content from a content delivery server. The information communication system can automatically supplement the in-vehicle apparatus to be used by the user with the content the user already purchased. As a result, the user can use the already purchased content on the in-vehicle apparatus without any inconvenient operations.
US08170912B2
In one embodiment, a method of analyzing online advertising information includes the steps of receiving consumer data from client computers, creating a database based on the consumer data, receiving user selected values from a front end, and extracting data from the database based on the user selected values. The front end may have a selection area with user selectable values that change depending on an initially selected value. In one embodiment, the database comprises an online analytical processing (OLAP) database.
US08170895B1
A computer assisted method includes selecting a sample of accounts from a historical database of accounts corresponding to deceased debtors, The sample indicates whether or not an estate was found for each deceased debtor. A comprehensive set of credit related variables corresponding to the accounts is obtained from a first source. A comprehensive set of demographic related variables corresponding to the accounts is obtained from a second source. The variables are mapped to the accounts and a computer executable model is created by identifying a subset of variables from the sets of variables and using the subset of variables and sample of accounts such that the model provides a prediction of whether or not an estate exists for a given deceased debtor.
US08170894B2
The instant invention involves a method for determining the expected presence of disruptive business process innovations by performing various nonlinear dynamic processes and analysis with both expected data values and referenced data values. After processing the necessary data, the method allows for the prediction of said disruptive business processes innovations (i.e. innovations that have a game changing effect on the market or markets to which the innovation belongs). After determining the presence or non-presence of any disruptive business process innovations, the method comprises steps for providing advice to users of said method. Further, the instant invention encompasses variants of its method that are facilitated by the use of at least one computing machine.
US08170883B2
An apparatus for encoding and decoding an audio signal and method thereof are disclosed, by which compatibility with a player of a general mono or stereo audio signal can be provided in coding an audio signal and by which spatial information for a multi-channel audio signal can be stored or transmitted without a presence of an auxiliary data area. The present invention includes extracting side information embedded in non-recognizable component of audio signal components and decoding the audio signal using the extracted side information.
US08170879B2
A signal enhancement system improves the understandability of speech or other audio signals. The system reinforces selected parts of the signal, may attenuate selected parts of the signal, and may increase SNR. The system includes delay logic, a partitioned adaptive filter, and signal reinforcement logic. The partitioned adaptive filter may track and enhance the fundamental frequency and harmonics in the input signal. The partitioned filter output signals may approximately reproduce the input signal, delayed by an integer multiple of the period of the fundamental frequency of the input signal. The reinforcement logic combines the input signal and the filtered signals to produce an enhanced output signal.
US08170874B2
A speech recognition apparatus which improves the sound quality of speech output as a speech recognition result is provided. The speech recognition apparatus includes a recognition unit, which recognizes speech based on a recognition dictionary, and a registration unit, which registers a dictionary entry of a new recognition word in the recognition dictionary. The recognition unit includes a generation unit, which generates a dictionary entry including speech of the new recognition word item and feature parameters of the speech, and a modification unit, which makes a modification for improving the sound quality of the speech included in the dictionary entry generated by the generation unit. The recognition unit includes a speech output unit, which outputs speech which is included in a dictionary entry corresponding to the recognition result of input speech, and is modified by the modification unit.
US08170868B2
A corpus is provided of language usage by non-native users of the language. Characteristics of the corpus are measured and used to create a language usage classifier for indicating non-native usage of the language. Once the language usage classifier is created, a natural language input may be entered, and the characteristics thereof measured. These characteristics are then compared with the indicators of non-native usage, thereby detecting non-native usage. The evaluation of non-native usage may be used as a versatile foundation to enhance a wide variety of tools and applications dealing with user interaction in languages other than their native language.
US08170866B2
Disclosed are systems, methods and computer-readable media for using a local communication network to generate a speech model. The method includes retrieving for an individual a list of numbers in a calling history, identifying a local neighborhood associated with each number in the calling history, truncating the local neighborhood associated with each number based on the at least one parameter, retrieving a local communication network associated with each number in the calling history and each phone number in the local neighborhood, and creating a language model for the individual based on the retrieved local communication network. The generated language model may be used for improved automatic speech recognition for audible searches as well as other modules in a spoken dialog system.
US08170865B2
A speech recognition device and a method thereof are adapted to recognize a Chinese word. The speech recognition device includes a lexicon model, a language model, a speech recognition module, and a parsing module. The lexicon model keeps a plurality of words. The speech recognition module performs a speech recognition processing on a voice signal conforming to a syntax structure of Chinese word description. The speech recognition processing searches words related to the Chinese word description from the lexicon model according to a feature of the Chinese word description, and produces a literal word series in digital data form by referring a syntax combination probability. The language model based on the syntax structure of Chinese word description provides the syntax combination probability according to combination relations between the searched words. The parsing module analyzes the syntax structure of the literal word series for retrieving the Chinese word.
US08170864B2
A method and apparatus for capturing graphic user interface resource of an application, which method comprises: loading resource files in which visible text data in graphic user interfaces of the application are stored; duplicating the resource files; adding identification information to each visible text data unit in the resource files, the identification information being used to uniquely identify each visible text data unit in each of the resource files; capturing at least one panel of graphic user interface according to the graphic user interfaces of the application; and saving the duplicated resource files and the at least one captured panel as the graphic user interface resource of the application into an intermediate file. Advantageously, a linkage can be built up between the visible text data and the resource bundles by adding the unique identification information to each visible text data unit, and the application environment of the visible text data can be obtained by capturing the panels of graphic user interface of the application when the application is executed, so as to provide a basis for precise translation of the visible text data. There is also provided a method and apparatus for editing graphic user interfaces of an application.
US08170863B2
Under the present invention, the portlets of a portal page are individually configured for translation of the web content therein. In configuring a portlet, a set of specifications is designated. Once such specification is a translation paradigm that dictates whether translation of the web content within the portlet will be automatic, or viewer initiated. By individually configuring the portlets, the entire portal page is not translated as a whole, but rather the web content is translated on a portlet-by-portlet basis.
US08170853B2
A steel volume is modeled in a computer by means of a plurality of volume elements. The state of the steel volume at a given time comprises, for each volume element, characteristic quantities of an enthalpy existing at said time in the respective volume element and percentages, in which the steel is available in the respective volume element at the time in austenite, ferrite and cementite phases. For at least one volume element, the computer determines the time gradient of the characteristic quantities by resolving thermal conductivity and phase transition equations. One of the characteristic quantities is a locally invariable mean interstitial element concentration within the volume element in the austenite phase thereof.
US08170845B2
A method for modeling performance of an information technology system having one or more servers for serving a number of types of transactions includes modeling a service time of each transaction type at each server and a processor overhead at each server as one of a polynomial, exponential, or logarithmic function of the average arrival rate of each transaction type at the corresponding server to generate service time and processor overhead functions and inferring optimal values of coefficients in the service time and processor overhead functions to generate a performance model of the information technology system.
US08170837B2
A system comprising a piece of oilfield equipment, an identifier assembly and a reader. The piece of oilfield equipment has an exterior surface. The identifier assembly comprises an identification tag storing a unique identifier. The identification tag is capable of outputting a signal indicative of the unique identifier. The identification tag is mounted to the exterior surface of the piece of oilfield equipment beyond an external surface perimeter of the piece of oilfield equipment such that the identification tag is isolated from the exterior surface of the piece of oilfield equipment. The reader has an antenna receiving the signal indicative of the unique identifier from the identification tag.
US08170827B2
A drop mass deviation measuring apparatus, a drop mass deviation measuring method, a pattern forming system, and a control method measure mass deviations of drops discharged from a plurality of drop discharge units in real time with high precision. The apparatus utilizes a plurality of drops discharged from a plurality of drop discharge units, a drop moving force providing part to provide moving forces, having directions different from discharge directions of each of the plurality of drops, to the plurality of drops, a discharged drop position detection member to acquire drop position images individually reflecting the a position of each of the plurality of drops, and a drop mass deviation measurement control part to calculate a drop discharge direction separation angle of each of the plurality of drops using the drop position images acquired by the discharged drop position detection member to measure mass deviation of each of the drops.
US08170824B2
Various aspects of the present invention are shown and described, each of which has stand alone utility in a navigated medical environment. A receiver position calibration system and method facilitates calibration of a reference frame prior to each navigated procedure. A concept and application of confidence weights is introduced. Confidence weights can be applied to distance calculations to mitigate the effects of interference and increase the tolerance of the navigated medical system. Multi-path interference is minimized through the transmission of a signal having a pattern of unique frequencies and filtering of the distance calculations for each frequency to identify the ‘best’ distance in the presence of multi-path interference. A position determination method and system that transmits a signal having multiple frequency components permits positions to be identified with high resolution over a large area.
US08170818B2
A method for estimating vehicle battery parameters that uses two different sampling rates. The method samples a battery terminal voltage and current at a high sampling rate to estimate the battery open circuit voltage and high frequency resistance. The battery state of charge (SOC) is derived from the open circuit voltage. Next, the battery terminal voltage and current are re-sampled at a low sampling rate. Other battery parameters can be extracted from the low-rate sampled signals. Next, all of the battery parameters that were obtained from the two sampling rates are used together to predict battery power.
US08170816B2
An apparatus to perform parallel arc fault current interruption (AFCI) is provided. The apparatus includes a current sensing device disposed in the electrical circuit, a detection unit configured to receive an output signal produced by the current sensing device and to output a secondary signal based on the output signal, a microcontroller coupled to the detection unit, configured to receive and to decompose the secondary signal via discrete wavelet transforms to thereby obtain discrete wavelet coefficients, to compute a sum of the discrete wavelet coefficients, and to compare the sum of the discrete wavelet coefficients to a predetermined threshold, and to generate a trip signal when the sensed load current is above a predetermined threshold and the sum of the discrete wavelet coefficients cooperatively indicate that predetermined threshold conditions are satisfied.
US08170813B2
Disclosed is a technique for simulating wind interaction with wind turbines. A turbine blade is divided into radial sections. The effect that each of these radial sections has on the velocities in Eulerian computational cells they overlap is determined. The effect is determined using Lagrangian techniques such that the calculations need not include wind components in the radial direction. A force on each radial section of turbine blade is determined. This force depends on the axial and azimuthal components of the fluid flow in the computational cell and the geometric properties of the turbine blade. The force on the turbine blade is fed back to effect the fluid flow in the computational cell for the next time step.
US08170811B2
A drive device, which has a drive shaft mounted in such a way as to rotate about an axis, two driving cranks which are connected to the drive shaft in an angularly rigid manner in relation to the axis in the peripheral direction, and an output element which is connected to the drive shaft and transmits torque between the drive shaft and a load element. To enable the measurement of the torque transmitted by the shaft as easily and economically as possible, the drive device has at least one magnetostrictive sensor which is connected to the drive shaft in a fixed manner and axially arranged between a driving crank and the output element.
US08170807B2
Among other things, at least two different independent providers of body composition management services are enabled to have online access through respective graphical user interfaces to body composition information and plans that are associated with respective clients of the providers and that are stored on the server. The graphical user interfaces are different for different independent providers. At least some of the information and plans associated with the clients of the different independent providers are stored in a common format in a common database maintained by the server.
US08170804B2
Numerical determinations of the first derivatives of a melt curve data set are made. A model function, such as a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) function, with parameters determined using a Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) regression process is used to find an approximation to the first derivative curve. The maximum values of the numerically determined first derivative values are used as initial conditions for parameters of the model function. The determined parameters provide one or more fractional melting temperature values, which can be returned, for example, displayed or otherwise used for further processing.
US08170802B2
A seismic acquisition system. In one implementation, the seismic acquisition system includes a recorder having a memory having a communication protocol application stored therein and one or more sensor units in communication with the recorder through a communications network. Each sensor unit may include a memory having the communication protocol application stored therein.
US08170794B2
A navigation unit includes a position mode module that is operable to place the navigation unit in a first mode in which the navigation unit provides for output a current position of the navigation unit or a second mode in which the navigation unit provides for output at least one stored position.
US08170787B2
A collision avoidance system for a machine is disclosed. The collision avoidance system has a first obstacle detection system. The first obstacle detection system is configured to detect a first obstacle and generate a corresponding first signal. Additionally, the collision avoidance system has an operator interface. The operator interface has a display configured to communicate visual information to an operator. In addition, the collision avoidance system has an interface module configured to detect a status of the machine and generate a corresponding second signal. The collision avoidance system also has a controller. The controller is in communication with the first obstacle detection system, the operator interface, and the interface module. The controller is configured to control the display to indicate a dangerous obstacle detection to the operator, based on the first and second signals. Additionally, the controller is configured to control the display to provide a dangerous obstacle warning to the operator, based on the first and second signals.
US08170782B2
An information processing apparatus and method is disclosed which navigation information conforming to the interest and the liking of a user can be produced readily. The information processing apparatus includes a first reception section for receiving a broadcast program transmitted from a broadcast station and including information relating to the broadcast program, an outputting section for outputting the received broadcast program, a marking instruction section for issuing an instruction to produce marking information corresponding to a scene of the outputted broadcast program, a marking information production section for producing marking information corresponding to the scene of the broadcast program being outputted when the instruction is issued, a transmission section for transmitting the marking information to a different information processing apparatus, and a second reception section for receiving navigation information transmitted from the different information processing apparatus based on the marking information.
US08170774B2
Methods and devices for controlling the normalized air-fuel ratio of an internal combustion engine, otherwise known, in technical terms, as Lambda. The present invention is based on the use of the ionization current released by a device positioned on each cylinder of the engine. This ionization current is measured by a Control Unit equipped with a low-pass filter and electronic means which implement the invention.
US08170773B2
For the direct re-entry in the CAI operating mode following a pull fuel cut off phase the CAI specific valve lift is maintained during its pull fuel cut off phase. Upon a request signal for the CAI re-entry after the closing time of the particular cylinder, an advance fuel injection quantity is injected in the combustion chamber and externally ignited and combusted in the following CAI interim compression phase of the exhaust stroke, as a result of which hot exhaust gas is formed in the combustion chamber, fresh air is drawn into the combustion chamber during the following intake stroke, a main fuel injection quantity is injected in a main compression phase during the following compression stroke, and the exhaust gas content brought about from the earlier auxiliary fuel injection, is mixed with the air-fuel mixture newly introduced for the main ignition to form a self-ignitable, homogenous fresh air-exhaust gas-fuel mixture.
US08170771B2
A fluid-powered thrust reverser actuation speed control system and method are provided. A drive fluid is supplied to a fluid-powered drive mechanism that is coupled to a thrust reverser movable component to thereby move the thrust reverser movable component at a first movement speed. A determination is made as to when the thrust reverser movable component attains a predetermined position. In response to the thrust reverser movable component attaining the predetermined position, the drive fluid supplied to the fluid-powered drive mechanism is controlled to thereby move the thrust reverser movable component at a second movement speed that is less than the first movement speed.
US08170761B2
In a pressure control system having a solenoid-operated fluid valve that has an output hydraulic pressure which varies in accordance with a solenoid input signal, a dynamic learning block is configured to adjust the initial, default values for control points stored in a pressure-current (P-I) data table based on observed (measured) operating points that reflect the solenoid's actual transfer characteristic. A feed forward control block is configured to generate the solenoid input signal having a level based on the adjusted control points in the data table, which improves the accuracy of the solenoid input signal. An adjustment method uses a plurality of circular buffers each configured to store observed operating points falling within a respective range, and provides a mechanism to allow adjustment of the control points based on only partial data.
US08170757B2
A selection device for shifting a vehicle transmission, with a operating element (4), which can be rotated into different shift positions (6, 7, 8, 9) about an axis of rotation (5) and with a shaft (21), which is connected to the operating element (4) and is rotatable about the axis of rotation. An angle of rotation sensing device (32) is connected to the shaft, by which a rotation of the operating element (4) about the axis of rotation (5) can be sensed. An actuator (22) is provided by which a torque can be applied to the shaft (21) or a torque can be applied to oppose a rotation of the shaft (21). A control is connected to the angle of rotation sensing device (32) and to the actuator (22) for controlling the torque. The vehicle transmission (10) can be shifted into shift states (P, R, N, D) assigned to the shift positions (6, 7, 8, 9), wherein the shaft (21) extends along the axis of rotation (5) between the angle of rotation sensing means (32) and the operating element (4), which is designed as a rotary knob or button and is arranged at a first end (28) of shaft (21).
US08170745B1
A system and methodology utilizing seat sensors and an electronic card system that monitors the location of children on a bus as well as preventing children from being left behind, is herein disclosed. As the child enters the bus, the child would insert a personalized identification card, thereby recording the child's seat location and presence. Upon exiting, the child again inserts the identification card and following a prescribed time interval, a warning light and alarm would be activated if the seat remains occupied, thus alerting the bus driver to check the seat location. Every bus seat would have an integral weight sensor electrically connected to a main control panel. The system provides the bus driver, or assigned chaperone, a pushbutton selection array corresponding to each seat assignment.
US08170744B2
A front electronic equipment system includes a load electrical parts provided at a front portion of a vehicle, a front electrical control unit which receives a control signal for controlling the drive of the load electrical parts through a main bus line of the vehicle, and a drive control unit connected to the front electrical control unit through a sub bus line, converting the control signal into a drive signal, and driving the load electrical parts based on the drive signal. The front electrical control unit converts a communication protocol of the control signal from a communication protocol of the main bus line into a communication protocol of the sub bus line, and transmits the converted control signal received through the main bus line to the drive control unit through the sub bus line.
US08170741B2
Early detection of an abnormality in a vehicle speed detection system. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) has an input shaft connected to an engine and an output shaft connected to a rear wheel. A change-gear ratio between the input and output shafts is electronically controlled. The vehicle speed detection system outputs a vehicle speed signal. An electronic control unit (ECU) detects an abnormality in the vehicle speed detection system based on at least one of a rotational speed of the engine, a rotational speed of the input shaft, and a rotational speed of the output shaft, as well as based on the vehicle speed signal outputted from the vehicle speed detection system.
US08170735B2
A marine vessel maneuvering supporting apparatus is used in a marine vessel which includes a propulsion system and a steering mechanism. The marine vessel maneuvering supporting apparatus includes a first operational unit arranged select a forward drive position for forward drive of the propulsion system, a reverse drive position for reverse drive of the propulsion system, and a neutral position for an inactive state of the propulsion system, a second operational unit arranged to command rightward and leftward movement of the marine vessel, and a target value computing unit arranged to determine target values including a target propulsive force for the propulsion system and a target steering angle for the steering mechanism, such that the marine vessel undergoes parallel movement in a direction that is in accordance with an operation position of the first operational unit when rightward or leftward movement is commanded by the second operational unit.
US08170728B2
A system (100) for controlling a rotorcraft (1) including a rotor (10), at least one variable-pitch propulsion propeller (6L, 6R), and a motor (5) for driving the rotor and the propeller(s), the system includes: a member (101, 101A, 102, 103, 104) for generating a propeller pitch setpoint (θp*+θd*, θp*−θd*) as a function at least of a thrust variation command (TCL); a member (105, 105A) for generating a setpoint (RPM*) for the drive speed (RPM) of the rotor and the propeller(s), as a function at least of the travel speed (VTAS) of the rotorcraft; and a member (106) for generating a setpoint (NG*) for the engine speed as a function at least of the thrust command (TCL), of the drive speed setpoint (RTM*), and of a rotor collective pitch command (θ0).
US08170720B2
Controllers and methods are disclosed for aiding a user in programming a schedule of a programmable controller. In an illustrative embodiment, a guided programming routine can be activated by a user, which then guides a user through two or more screens that are designed to collect sufficient information from the user to generate and/or update at least some of the schedule parameters of the controller.
US08170713B2
An improved method and apparatus for selection of vendible products provides designated product reference areas at a refrigerated double glass front vending machine for making viewable product selections thereon by applying a light tap at its outer glass pane and sensing the tap location by three or more spaced apart resilient members each having its first portion attached at the inner glass pane. The resilient member's second portion suspends an inertia mass that reciprocates at a predetermined rate due to the inertia mass weight and the resiliency of the suspending member. A sensor senses the reciprocating movement in response to the light tap. The location of the tap is determined by measuring the arrival time of each predetermined signal produced by the first resonating alternation of its attached resiliently suspended inertia mass during the first rearward movement of the inner glass pane.
US08170711B2
A system for transporting inventory items includes an inventory holder capable of storing inventory items and a mobile drive unit. The mobile drive unit is capable of moving to a first point with the inventory holder at least one of coupled to and supported by the mobile drive unit. The mobile drive unit is additionally capable of determining a location of the inventory holder and calculating a difference between the location of the inventory holder and the first point. The mobile drive unit is then capable of determining whether the difference is greater than a predetermined tolerance. In response to determining that the difference is greater than the predetermined tolerance, the mobile drive unit is also capable of moving to a second point based on the location of the inventory holder, docking with the inventory holder, and moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder to the first point.
US08170707B2
Failure detecting method, failure detecting apparatus, and semiconductor device manufacturing method
A method for inputting a foreign substance inspection map created by foreign substance inspection for a wafer surface after each processing process in a wafer processing process, inputting a die sort map created by a die sort test after the wafer processing process, setting region segments in the wafer, setting a region number for each segment, calculating foreign substance density of the region segments, based on the foreign substance inspection map, and plotting the foreign substance density, using the region numbers, to calculate a foreign substance inspection map waveform characteristic amount, calculating failure density in the region segments, based on the die sort map, and plotting the failure density, using the region numbers, to calculate a die sort map waveform characteristic amount, calculating similarity between the foreign substance inspection map waveform characteristic amount and the die sort map waveform characteristic amount, and identifying a processing process cause of failure occurrence.
US08170702B2
A method for classifying audio data. For a given piece of audio data a location or position for the given audio data within a mood space is generated and compared to a comparison mood space location. As a result of the comparison, comparison data are generated and provided as a classification result with respect to the given audio data.
US08170701B1
A system and methods for running interactive applications (e.g., video game, computer game, console game) over broadband network (e.g., IPTV network, broadband mobile network, broadband Internet, cable network, etc.). In an embodiment, interactive applications can be hosted and executed remotely by an interactive application host either natively or using emulation (e.g., virtual machine, emulation of software platform, operating system, or hardware platform). Audio of the interactive application can be rendered by one or multiple audio rendering apparatuses, compressed, transmitted over the broadband network to one or multiple clients (e.g, set-top box, media player, game console, mobile device, personal computer), and presented by the client's audio display device. In additional embodiment, said audio rendering apparatus can render multiple streams of audio for multiple clients concurrently. An audio rendering apparatus can cache the audio data shared by multiple clients or multiple instances of an interactive application to reduce bandwidth consumption. Furthermore, during audio presentation, a client synchronizes audio and video display.
US08170696B2
This invention provides a process control simulator configured to efficiently debug a plant control system. A computer stores simulated data generated by a model executing part to a time-series memory area. A programmable controller stops input from the input-device interface when there is a virtual input/output request received. A virtual input/output processor sets simulated data from a time-series memory area of the computer to a time-series memory area of the programmable controller. A program executing part sets simulated data from the time-series memory area to a memory area at the same resolution as an arithmetic operation period of program execution and executes the program. Control output as a result of the execution is fed back to the model executing part of the computer, and the computer calculates simulated data as process value at this timing, and stores the data to its time-series memory area.
US08170692B2
An implant tool for use with an endocardial or other implantable lead having an extendable/retractable active fixation tip includes a housing, a shaft rotatably supported by the housing, and a shaft rotation mechanism for rotating the shaft through a predetermined angular travel. The shaft includes a lead attachment portion for selectively coupling a lead to the shaft such that the lead is rotatable with the shaft. The implant tool may include a control tab slidably supported by the housing, wherein longitudinal movement of the control tab actuates the shaft rotation mechanism. The shaft rotation mechanism may include a gear train, an electric motor, a double acting spring mechanism, or a retractable tape wound around the shaft. The gear train includes an input member coupled to the control tab and an output gear coupled to the shaft. The input member meshes with an input gear supported by the housing.
US08170690B2
An implantable medical lead is disclosed herein wherein the lead employs a helical distal tip anchor having improved fixation capabilities. The implantable medical lead may include a body and a helical anchor. The body may include a distal end and a proximal end. The helical anchor may be at least one of extending and extendable from the distal end. The helical anchor may include at least one loop including first and second straight sides that intersect at a first corner.
US08170688B2
A lead assembly for an implantable medical device includes a lead body having a first portion adapted for coupling to a pulse generator and a second portion adapted for implantation. First and second co-radial conductive coils are electrically isolated from each other and include a first and second number of coil turns. The first and second number of coil turns include a number of matched turns and a number of unmatched turns, and the number of unmatched turns is less than approximately 2.0% of the total number of unmatched and matched turns. First and second electrodes located at the second portion are respectively coupled to the first and second conductive coils. At least one capacitor element is connected in parallel with one or both of the first and second conductive coils and/or between the first and second conductive coils.
US08170687B2
To provide radio-frequency (RF) bandstop filtering within an implantable lead, such as a pacemaker lead, one or more segments of the tip and ring conductors of the lead are formed as insulated coils to function as inductive band stop filters. By forming segments of the conductors into insulated coils, a separate set of discrete or distributed inductors is not required, yet RF filtering is achieved to, e.g., reduce lead heating during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures. To enhance the degree of bandstop filtering at the RF signal frequencies of MRIs, additional capacitive elements are added. In one example, the ring electrode of the lead is configured to provide capacitive shunting to the tip conductor. In another example, a capacitive transition is provided between the outer insulated coil and proximal portions of the ring conductor. In still other examples, conducting polymers are provided to enhance capacitive shunting. The insulated coils may be spaced at ¼ wavelength locations.
US08170685B2
A radiant therapeutic heating apparatus may include a radiant heat generating layer having a plane surface including an infrared radiator adapted to radiate heat evenly from its surface, a pair of flexible electrically insulating and radiation-permeable layers located adjacent and covering opposite sides of the layer, a thermal insulation layer disposed against and covering one of the electrically insulating layers, and a sealed radiation permeable envelope enclosing the heating apparatus. The flexible heat generating layer may include a fiberglass material impregnated with a resistive material, which material may provide a surface temperature, when current is conducted therethrough, of no greater than about 54 degrees Celsius. Current limiting thermostats may be provided to prevent energy and temperature spikes. A stiffening element may help protect the components, and may orient portions of a user's body (such as, e.g., but not limited to, the wrist for repetitive strain injuries) in a therapeutic position. The heating apparatus may be used on animals such as, e.g., but not limited to, mammals, including pets, humans, horses and/or other living beings and/or creatures. The apparatus may be oriented as a blanket, and may incorporate, e.g., a rheostat, high-low, analog, digital, or other power control switch. It may be used for warming kennels, for treating hypothermia, for relieving neck, shoulder and/or back pain. It may be used for pre- post- and during, operative care. It may be combined with other therapy such as, e.g., massage and/or vibration.
US08170678B2
Objective measurement of cochlear implant operation is described which coordinates the delivery to a patient of an acoustic signal and an electrical signal. The acoustic signal is developed as an acoustic stimulation input to the ear canal of a patient, and the electrical signal is developed as an electrical stimulation input to intracochlear electrodes of a cochlear implant. The evoked response in the patient to the delivered signals is then measured.
US08170677B2
A hearing prosthesis for delivering stimuli to a hearing-impaired recipient is disclosed, the hearing prosthesis comprising: a sound transducer for converting received sound signals into electric audio signals; a sound processor for converting the electric audio signals into stimuli signals; a stimulator for delivering the stimuli to the recipient; a memory for storing data representative of sound signals; and a controller configured to cause selected sound data to be retrieved from the memory and processed by the sound processor.
US08170676B2
The present invention is an electrode array for neural stimulation. In particular, the present invention provides electrode shapes and electrode coating advantageous in maximizing the charge dissipation without harming neural tissue. Neurotrophic factors are used to further improve electrode performance.
US08170673B2
A device which converts mechanical deformation in electrical current, these mechanical deformations are generated as a result of liquid pressure over a part of the device. This device is integrated within an implantable lead and inserted into the cardiovascular system of a patient. The purpose of the device is to charge a battery which stores energy for various uses of other implantable devices.
US08170668B2
A system comprising an implantable medical device (IMD) that includes a tachyarrhythmia detector, a baroreflex detector to obtain baroreflex information, and a processor in communication with the tachyarrhythmia detector and the baroreflex detector. The processor adjusts at least one of a tachyarrhythmia detection parameter of the IMD or a tachyarrhythmia therapy parameter of the IMD using the baroreflex information.
US08170649B2
An arrangement and method for imaging and/or measuring tissue qualities, such as tissue thickness, tissue surface roughness and degree of tissue fiber linearization. The arrangement includes at least one light generating element, at least one light detecting element, a probe with an extension, and possibly a control apparatus including a signal processor for processing the detected signals and/or images. The extension is designed to convey light from the light generating element to the tissue for visualization and/or measurement. The extension is also designed to convey light back-scattered from the tissue to the light detecting element. The detecting element is designed to measure the intensity and/or spatial distribution of light back-scattered from the tissue.
US08170648B2
A localizing wire includes an anchor portion that can change shape from a collapsed shape to an expanded shape and thereby anchor within a tissue mass. The localizing wire has an exterior portion that can lie flat against the tissue mass. The localizing wire can be repositioned or withdrawn without the need for the reinsertion of an introducer.
US08170647B2
The invention provides devices and methods used to locate target areas within a patient for repeat therapeutic treatments. In the invention, fiduciary markers made of metal or metal alloys are placed within a patient near or at a target site as reference coordinates for particular body locations on the patient. Repeat treatments may then be given to the patient over a period of time based on the coordinates given by the fiduciary markers. The fiduciary markers are specially shaped or put into strand to improve marker attachment and prevent marker migration.
US08170646B2
A method and apparatus for obtaining a dynamic radiographic image with enhanced resolution, in which an electrocardiogram of a subject is obtained, and five time phases are allocated to each cardiac beat period (1 second). The initial X-ray irradiation is performed at 1st time phase of 1st beat to obtain a radiographic image. Thereafter, X-ray irradiations are performed sequentially at 2nd time phase of 2nd beat, at 3rd time phase of 3rd beat, at 4th time phase of 4th beat, and at 5th time phase of 5th beat to obtain respective radiographic images. The five radiographic images obtained are combined at the time interval of 0.2 seconds to be displayed as a motion image. The time interval between the irradiations of the X-ray is 1.2 seconds, so that image signals corresponding to 1st to 5th time phases may be obtained with high resolution.
US08170633B2
A mobile terminal includes: a terminal body having a display unit; a band connected with both ends of the terminal body; and an antenna radiator installed in the band.
US08170629B2
A filter package is provided with a support structure, a filter device having terminals, impedance matching circuits formed on the support structure and electrically connected to at least some of the terminals of the filter device, and at least one electrical ground structure electrically connected to the impedance matching circuits. Moreover, the filter package has an outer housing to contain the support structure, filter device, impedance matching circuits, and at least one ground structure.
US08170628B2
A telephone communication device having a sound generating portion, a sound receiving portion, a detecting portion for detecting a state of approach or contact of a region of a housing between sound output and input apertures of the sound generating and receiving portion, to or with the face of the user, a reference-state memory for storing a reference approach-contact state of the region detected in a standard position of the housing relative of the user's face, a state-change obtaining portion for obtaining a change of the state of approach or contact, with respect to the reference approach-contact state, an adjustment-amount determining portion for determining amounts of adjustment of the sound output level and sound input level according to the obtained change, and a control portion for adjusting the sound output level and sound input level according to the determined amounts of adjustment.
US08170603B2
A portable electronic device includes an interface unit for connection to a removable storage medium; at least one data item store; a group of application handling units, at least one application handling unit in the group of application handling units providing an application handling user data; at least one access control module; and an access setup unit configured to receive a user identity from the removable storage medium via the interface unit, locate a user access control module associated with the received user identity, and force user data handling applications that view, read, or write data items to access data item stores in the portable electronic device via the user access control module. The user access control module restricts viewing, reading, and writing of data items to data areas provided for the user identity in data item stores in the portable electronic device.
US08170602B2
An information acquisition device for acquiring digital Information includes: a first transmission unit (14) having directivity and transmitting by wireless an information request signal to be transmitted in a direction of the directivity; an information addition unit (13) adding at least one piece of address information to the information request signal to be transmitted; a reception unit (15) receiving a radio signal transmitted by wireless in response to the information request signal transmitted by the first transmission unit, and acquiring information contained in the signal; an information storage unit (16) which is built in the information acquisition device or attached to the device as removable from the device, and can store all or a part of information acquired by the reception unit; and an operation unit (11) issuing an instruction to start an information requesting operation. The reception unit (15) has no directivity or has broader directivity than the first transmission unit.
US08170600B2
A method and apparatus of allocating downlink power in a radio access station system are disclosed. The method of allocating transmission power to a plurality of terminals in a radio access station system according to the present invention includes (A-1) calculating an allocation power for the respective terminals based on downlink quality information of the respective terminals; (A-2) calculating a minimum requirement power for the respective terminals based on the downlink quality information; and (A-3) allocating the transmission power by distributing part of excess power of a first terminal group having the allocation power higher than the minimum requirement power to the second terminal group having the allocation power lower than the minimum requirement power, and the part of excess power is a sum of insufficient power of the second terminal group. As a result, the loss of the quantity of service transmission of the radio access station is reduced and service areas can be expanded.
US08170598B2
This description relates to information sharing in a private access point network.
US08170588B2
A source mobile telephone detects that a telephone number of the telephone has changed to a new number, and in response, sends a text or short message service (SMS) notice message to contacts identified in the mobile telephone to indicate that the source mobile telephone has a new telephone number. In response to receiving the text or SMS notice message, a contact telephony device may update its contact list to reflect the new number. Other embodiments are also described.
US08170577B2
A system (10) and method (50 or 70) of dynamic allocation of spectrum for a communication device where a UHF band is currently unused for licensed television broadcasting involves determining (51) a location of a user device using GPS or other signals (such as television broadcast signals) received at the user device using signal strength or time distance of arrival of those signals. The method can determine (52) which UHF television broadcast channels are available for use by the user device and determine (53) a maximum allowed transmission power for a given channel based on signal strength for the given channel and on adjacent channels before transmitting (54) the maximum allowed transmission power and location by the user device to a remote server for sharing information. The method can receive (55) polygon endpoints from a television broadcast defining the location of usable reception of the television broadcast.
US08170572B2
An access node, e.g., base station, determines a configuration of an end node, e.g., wireless terminal, intended to support a specific traffic flow and sends a configuration command to the wireless terminal. A base station may determine one or more parameters associated with classification, queue management, scheduling, and/or automatic repeat request, and then send a configuration command to the wireless terminal instructing it to implement a configuration operation. In some embodiments, a wireless terminal sets the value of an internal parameter to a value directly provided by the base station in a configuration command. In some embodiments, a wireless terminal determines and sets the value of an internal parameter as a function of information included in the configuration command from the base station.
US08170562B2
In this disclosure a technique of base station assisted mobility detection of handsets is described. More specifically by transmitting the subnet ID in the Beacon, a base station simplifies the process of network detection. This also leads to a significant reduction in handoff latency by giving the handset ample time to prepare for the impending handoff.
US08170559B1
A method for processing handover of a mobile communication device between femtocell base stations, includes: setting communication alert value and signal capture time period; detecting the signal strength of the femtocell base station currently serving the mobile communication device, and when the detected signal strength is less than the communication alert value, performing a timing operation to continuously capture the signal strength of the serving femtocell base station and other femtocell base stations that allow the mobile communication device to access thereto until the elapsed time measured through the timing operation reaches the signal capture time period, and creating a priority list according to the signal strength of said other femtocell base stations; and choosing the femtocell base station with highest priority as a handover target when the signal strength of the serving femtocell base station is less than that of the femtocell base station with highest priority.
US08170557B2
A method of reducing buffer overflow in a cellular radio network caused by a transfer of data from a buffer in a first cell to a buffer in a second cell when a handover of mobile equipment from said first cell to said second cell occurs. The method comprises temporarily increasing an amount of temporary buffer space required to handle data transferred from the buffer of the first cell to the buffer of the second cell. In one embodiment of the method, prior to increasing the amount of temporary buffer space, the amount of temporary buffer space required is calculated.
US08170545B1
A computer support tool is provided. The tool includes diagnostic software and a user interface. The diagnostic software identifies information associated with a computer problem, wherein the information is based on the needs of help desk personnel. The user interface informs a user of the information associated with the computer problem, and suggests a self help option for the user to address the computer problems.
US08170541B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer systems and program products, for searching for mobile content. A method includes receiving, via a user interface, at a computer system independent of the mobile device, information identifying the mobile device to receive computer data; receiving, at the computer system, information identifying the computer data to be downloaded to the mobile device; using the computer system to search computer data offerings from mobile device content providers for the computer data; and wirelessly transmitting to the mobile device data corresponding to a search result. Another method includes an application, on a mobile device, querying a computer system independent of the mobile device for a result of a search for the computer data, and causing the downloading of the computer data.
US08170540B2
The present invention includes a system and methods for upgrading software on a mobile terminal. The system includes a network management computer (NMC) adapted to receive a plurality of software upgrades and to transmit one of the plurality of software upgrades to one of a plurality of mobile terminals through a satellite link. The mobile terminal can include an upgradeable component, which in turn includes a detachable device descriptor (DDD) corresponding to operating characteristics of the upgradeable component. According to the present invention, the NMC is adapted to transmit the one of a plurality of software upgrades to the mobile terminal in response to the DDD of the upgradeable component. Methods employing similar features and advantages are also disclosed herein.
US08170535B1
The present disclosure introduces a system and method for distributing content. Content is stored on a server located on a vehicle prior to departure by the vehicle for a destination. A portable device is provided by a passenger on the vehicle. A communication link is established between the server and the portable device, and the content is transmitted to the portable device.
US08170534B2
Under one aspect, a system generates dynamic call models within an IMS network, allowing different user entities (UEs) to have different service experiences. The IMS network includes application servers (ASs) and a serving call state control function (S-CSCF) that receives and then forwards UE service requests. The system includes storage media storing a service tree, which defines potential call models that map potential UE service requests onto ASs. At least two potential call models map a specified potential UE service request onto different ASs that can provide different service experiences. The system includes control logic for providing session control, which receives UE service requests from the S-CSCF, receives the service tree from the storage media, generates a call model for each UE based on potential call models defined by the service tree and on the requested service, and invokes a specified AS based on the generated call model.
US08170533B2
Methods and apparatus for secure over-the-air (OTA) programming, and particularly, activation, of a wireless unit in a particular communications system. The unit stores a stored key having been generated by using a key algorithm (K-algorithm) with an identifier associated with the unit as an input to the K-algorithm. The unit may receive information such as parameters and a verification number from a communications system for the purpose of programming the unit. The verification number is generated by using an authorization algorithm (A-algorithm) having the parameters and a key as A-algorithm inputs. They key is generated by the K-algorithm having the identifier associated with the K-algorithm input. In response to the receipt of the parameters and the verification number, the wireless unit generates a trial verification number by using the A-algorithm with the parameters and the stored key as trial inputs. The unit compares the verification number to the trial verification number for a match. When finding the match, the unit uses the parameters for programming of the unit in the particular communications system. When failing to find the match, the unit fails to use the parameters for the programming.
US08170527B2
A system, method and prepaid payment mobile phone configured to display a current prepaid balance. The prepaid payment mobile phone receives a debit balance request from input on the mobile phone. After retrieving an encoded current balance, the mobile phone displays the amount. The current balance may be calculated by the phone after a transaction, or the phone may receive a debit balance via a short message service notification.
US08170512B2
A wireless transmitter that includes a phase rotating unit which adds phase rotation to signals which are respectively input to antennas and adds first phase rotation for controlling the maximum delay time between the antennas and a second phase rotation for controlling the phases of arbitrary antennas among the antennas, wherein scheduling of users is performed on a per-chunk basis where a region defined in a frequency domain and in a time domain is divided into chunks in the frequency domain and in the time domain, and in the case in which the frequency bandwidth of the chunk is Fc, the phase rotating unit adds the first phase rotation so that the maximum delay time between the antennas is set to either a predetermined first value which is smaller than 1/Fc or a predetermined second value which is larger than 1/Fc.
US08170511B2
The invention refers to an equalizer system for emitting a quasi-constant power output RF signal in a first frequency band, the system comprising a programmable RF signal generator (10) for providing a modulated signal; a variable gain amplifier (40) for receiving the modulated signal and generating a RF signal to an antenna (70). The system further comprises a sensing devices (60, 61, 62) for providing a sensing signal which is either a signal proportional with the RF signal or a signal proportional with a supply current of the variable gain amplifier and a user interface (110) for determining an initial RF frequency signal and adjusting circuit (100) for providing a control signal to the variable gain amplifier (40) based on the initial RF frequency signal and the sensing signal, the adjusting circuit (100) comprising an arithmetic unit for calculating a value of the control signal.
US08170509B2
Embodiments include methods and apparatus for detecting a phase angle between an incident signal and a reflected signal. The apparatus comprises a plurality of phase shifters and additional circuitry. The plurality of phase shifters is adapted to apply first phase shifts to a representation of the incident signal and to apply second phase shifts to a representation of the reflected signal. The additional circuitry, which is operatively coupled to the plurality of phase shifters, is adapted to produce a first indication of a location of a relative phase difference between the incident signal and the reflected signal within a first region of a first reference circle, and to produce a second indication of the location of the relative phase difference within a second region of a second reference circle, wherein the second reference circle is rotated with respect to the first reference circle.
US08170498B2
An integrated circuit (IC) includes a package substrate, a die, and a plurality of antenna structures. The die includes a radio frequency (RF) transceiver and a control module, wherein the RF transceiver processes inbound and outbound RF signals. The control module enables the RF transceiver to receive the inbound RF signal from one or more of the plurality of antenna structures in a frequency band of approximately 55 GHz to 64 GHz and enables the RF transceiver to provide the outbound RF signal to one or more of the plurality of antennas structures for transmission in a frequency band of approximately 55 GHz to 64 GHz.
US08170494B2
A transceiver including a transmit modulator and a receiver. The modulator may accept a channel selection input, a first modulation input, a second modulation input, and an amplitude input. During transmit time slots, the modulator may generate a modulated output having a carrier frequency selected by the channel selection input. The carrier frequency may be frequency modulated by the first modulation inputs, phase modulated by the second modulation input, and amplitude modulated by the amplitude input. During receive time slots, the modulator may generate a carrier frequency selected by the channel selection input and offset by the first modulation input. The modulator may alternate between providing modulated transmit signals during transmit time slots and providing a local oscillator for the receiver during receive time slots.
US08170493B2
A transmission device includes a transmitter for transmitting various signals to a reception device, a receiver for receiving a response signal emitted from the reception device in response to the transmission of the various signals from the transmitter to the reception device, a transmission/reception controller for performing control of the receiver and the transmitter, and a reception specifier for specifying the reception timing of the intermittent reception of the reception device when a response signal from the reception device has been received. The transmission/reception controller decides the timing at which the transmission of the various signals will begin, and how long the transmission will last, on the basis of the reception timing specified by the reception specifier.
US08170491B2
A system and method for producing real-time results of performance data for wireless communications servers are disclosed. A plurality of bins, each bin corresponding to a range, are maintained. When a measurable event is detected, the event is placed into the corresponding bin. When a performance metric is desired, it is calculated based on each bin, and the metric is returned, with an accuracy inversely proportional to the size.
US08170487B2
Some embodiments provide a method, system, and apparatus for interference cancellation at the baseband of a receiver. A wireless communication device, having a transmitter and receiver, is provided with an adaptive circuit that cancels interference caused by transmit signals (or other signals) leaked or bled onto the receiver at baseband to facilitate detection of a received signal of interest. Some implementations provide for a circuit that approximately reconstructs the second and third order components caused by the nonlinear response of the down-conversion chain of a receiver. This reconstructed signal is then subtracted from the composite received signal to obtain a received signal of interest.
US08170486B2
A method and device are provided for relaying audio from a source audio device via a wireless headset. Audio signals are received from the source audio device via a first wireless communications protocol. Instructions are received to activate a transmitter associated with a second wireless communications protocol different from the first wireless communications protocol. The received audio signals are output via the transmitter.
US08170485B2
A system and method for using a single antenna for active and passive radio functions. A wireless communication device includes a passive component that can be read using an antenna when the wireless communication device is in a low power sleep mode. When it is determined that a higher capacity is needed, the wireless communication device activates an active component. Activation of the active component includes a switching of a connection of the antenna from the passive component to the active component.
US08170483B2
A communication unit, e.g. a headset, constructed as a slave station which may be coupled to a plurality of master stations, e.g. a mobile telephone, via a short-ranged communications connection, such as of the Bluetooth type or the DECT type, and has a plurality of address fields in which one or more identification keys may be stored. At least one of the address fields has an associated electrical lock which may be unlocked only by an adapter master station having a unique indentification key. It is also possible to “lift” the receiver of the public switched telephone electrically or mechanically via the headset, so that a call and conversations from the public switched telephone may be made and take place via the headset. In an embodiment, the coupling box has a recess in which the headset may be placed and be charged via a charging unit in the coupling boy. The invention ensures that the public switched telephone is used as much as possible, which, in addition to a better sound reproduction, is favorable in terms of costs.
US08170479B2
Various embodiments of apparatus and systems are provided for electrically isolating two devices while transferring power and RF signals therebetween. An electrical isolation apparatus includes an isolation transformer communicatively coupled to a first device. The isolation transformer operates to electronically isolate the first device from the second device and transfer power from the first device to the second device. A decoupling device of the apparatus transfers radio frequency (RF) signals between the first device and the second device.
US08170472B2
A mobile telephone is easy to carry around but has a small keypad and a small display. A normal deskphone has a big keypad and display and has a convenient handset, but is stationary. A stationary communications terminal is described which is connected to a mobile telephony network via a mobile telephone. The mobile and the stationary terminal have each a BLUETOOTH radio transceiver and are interconnected via a BLUETOOTH link. The stationary communications terminal lacks identity in the mobile network. A subscriber, owning the mobile, can call on the stationary communications terminal and can move to another network having another stationary terminal, on which he can make a call. Another subscriber with a mobile can call on the communications stationary terminal. To prevent misuse the subscribers take an authentication code for his respective mobile on the stationary terminal, and the authentication can be made valid for a predetermined period by taking a service code.
US08170467B2
An airborne jammer for transport by an aircraft for jamming communications in a communications system where the communications system operates with digital bursts having burst periods measured in time and occurring in a communication frequency band such as GSM having a transmit band and a receive band. The jammer includes a tone comb generator for providing repetitions of jamming signals for the communication frequency band where the jamming signals have jamming signal intervals providing frequency separation between the jamming signals. The jamming signals are generated with a dwell time substantially less than a burst period for the communications system. The jamming signals are transmitted as RF jamming signals to jam communications for mobile stations.
US08170465B2
A system for assigning one or more teachers for teaching in one or more learning sessions comprises an online learning system having one or more nodes that creates one or more online learning sessions having corresponding student/teacher ratios. A scheduling node schedules the one or more teachers for teaching the one or more online learning sessions. A database stores teacher qualification parameters associated with the student/teacher ratio of one or more learning sessions. A processing node adjusts a teacher qualification parameter associated with a teacher based on the number of scheduled learning sessions and corresponding student/teacher ratio of such learning sessions associated with the teacher. The scheduling node schedules the teacher for one or more online learning sessions having a student/teacher ratio that corresponds to the adjusted qualification parameter of the teacher.
US08170459B2
An image forming system includes an electrophotographic image forming apparatus which forms an image on a sheet of paper, and a paper coloring apparatus which is connected to the electro-photographic image forming apparatus. The paper coloring apparatus includes a coating apparatus having two coating rollers which coat colored water on both faces of the paper sheet on which the image has been formed by the electro-photographic image forming apparatus. A supply section selectively supplies one of the colored water and a colorless water onto the two coating rollers of the coating apparatus. And a controller is provided for switching between a coloring process to color the paper sheet by supplying the colored water onto the two coating rollers, and a humidifying process to humidify the paper sheet by supplying the colorless water onto the two coating rollers.
US08170456B2
The present disclosure provides a method for improving image on paper registration in an image printing system. The method includes advancing a target media along a media path; placing a plurality of registration marks adjacent to a toner image on an image bearing surface moving in a process direction, wherein the toner image is configured to be transferred to the target media; detecting positions of the registration marks using one or more sensors adjacent the image bearing surface; determining a correction function using the positions of the registration marks to compensate for an error in a registration of the toner image and the target media; adjusting the advancement of the target media based on the correction function; and transferring the toner image to the target media.
US08170452B2
A developer supplying unit of the present invention includes a first driving mechanism which transmits rotational driving to a drive shaft by rotating a first rotational shaft in a normal direction and a second driving mechanism which reciprocates a bottle holding member as a support member to support a toner replenishment unit between a first position within an apparatus main body and a second position being different from the first position by rotating the first rotational shaft in a reverse direction.
US08170441B2
A cleaning blade member including a polymer substrate and a fluorinated polyurethane ceramer coating surface layer. The polymer substrate may comprise polyurethane. The fluorinated polyurethane ceramer coating may comprise a fluorinated polyurethane silicate hybrid organic-inorganic network formed as a reaction product of a fluorinated polyurethane having terminal reactive alkoxysilane groups with a tetraalkoxysilane compound. The fluorinated polyurethane ceramer coating may be coated on the polymer substrate of the cleaning blade without any primer layer therebetween. Also described is an electrostatographic apparatus comprising a toner-contacting member and such a fluorinated ceramer coated cleaning blade for the toner-contacting member. The toner-contacting member may comprise an endless transport web. The fluorinated ceramer enhances the ability of particles to be released from the surface therefore reducing contamination generated due to particles attached to the surface. Coating of a cleaning blade made of polyurethane with such fluorinated ceramer resulted in improved cleaning performance.
US08170439B2
An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of developing devices, a voltage generating part to generate a developing voltage, first switching parts to supply the voltage generated in the voltage generating part to a predetermined developing device out of the plurality of developing devices, a second switching part to selectively supply the developing voltage generated in the voltage generating part to the first switching parts, and a controller to control the first switching parts and the second switching part.
US08170438B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on recording paper, a first control unit configured to control the image forming unit, a second control unit configured to control the image forming unit, and a power supplying unit configured to supply power, when the image forming apparatus is to operate in a normal power mode, such that the first control unit goes into a normal power state in which the first control unit can control the image forming unit, and supply power, when the image forming apparatus is to operate in a power saving mode, such that the first control unit goes into a power saving state in which the first control unit cannot control the image forming unit and the second control unit goes into a state in which the second control unit can control the image forming unit, wherein the second control unit controls the power supplying unit to supply power to the image forming unit and controls the image forming unit to perform a specific operation at predetermined timing when the image forming apparatus operates in the power saving mode.
US08170436B2
Apparatuses useful for printing and methods of controlling a temperature of a surface in an apparatus useful for printing are disclosed. An exemplary embodiment of the apparatuses includes a first roll including a first outer surface and at least one first heating element for heating the first outer surface; a second roll including a second outer surface; a nip between the first outer surface and the second outer surface; a first temperature sensor for sensing a pre-nip temperature at a pre-nip location; and a first voltage modulator connected to each first heating element and the first temperature sensor. The first voltage modulator receives a temperature signal from the first temperature sensor indicative of the pre-nip temperature and modulates an AC voltage supplied to each first heating element to maintain each first heating element continuously ON at a power level ranging from partial power to full power to control the pre-nip temperature.
US08170432B2
An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member on which a toner image is to be formed; a transferring device for transferring the toner image onto a transfer material at a transfer position; a separating member, disposed downstream of the transfer position with respect to a rotational direction of the image bearing member so as to contact the image bearing member, for separating the transfer material from the image bearing member; a density detecting device, disposed downstream of the transfer position with respect to the rotational direction of the image bearing member, for detecting a density of an image for density detection formed on the image bearing member; and an air moving device for moving air in the image forming apparatus in a direction of a rotation shaft of the image bearing member; wherein the density detecting device is disposed upstream of the separating member with respect to a direction of air movement by the air moving device.
US08170425B2
To solve problematic trade-off between a bandwidth and a in-band deviation in an optical signal receiving circuit of a gigabit order that is required to have a wide dynamic range, the optical signal receiving circuit has a current-voltage conversion circuit that receives as an input a current signal outputted from a photoelectric conversion circuit for receiving and converting an optical signal into a current signal and converts it into a voltage signal, and realizes the wide dynamic range by providing the current-voltage conversion circuit with an AGC function and a phase compensation function by MOS transistors and a capacitance. Further, by providing the current-voltage conversion circuit with a second phase compensation function by a MOS transistor and a capacitance, it is made possible for the optical signal receiving circuit to reduce the in-band deviation at the time of minimum gain while securing the bandwidth at the time of maximum gain.
US08170418B2
A protected light source for generating seed light for at least two wavelength division multiplexed passive optical networks (WDM-PONs). The protected light source includes an optical coupler having N≧2 input ports and M≧2 output ports, each output port being optically connected to supply seed light to a respective set of one or more WDM-PONs. A respective multi-wavelength light source (MWLS) is optically coupled to supply seed light to each input port of the optical coupler. A controller unit controls operation of each multi-wavelength light source (MWLS).
US08170416B2
An optical switching device the size and costs of which are reduced by decreasing the number of switching elements and which can flexibly accommodate the expansion of the number of ports. An optical demultiplexing section has 2n (n=1, 2, 3, . . . ) input ports and 2m (m>n) output ports and includes demultiplexing couplers for demultiplexing input optical packets. A switch fabric section includes optical gate elements for switching optical packets outputted from the optical demultiplexing section by switch drive control. An optical multiplexing section has 2m input ports and 2n output ports and includes multiplexing couplers for multiplexing the optical packets which pass through the optical gate elements. A scheduler exercises control over an entire optical packet switching process.
US08170415B2
An optical power information receiving unit receives optical power information transmitted from a power monitor. When it is judged that a new IT apparatus is connected to an optical switch, an optical switch control unit controls the optical switch to connect the IT apparatus and an optical switch control device. A control device port setting unit changes an IP address of an apparatus information acquiring port based on a control device setting address of an address information storing unit. An apparatus information acquiring unit acquires an IP address of the IT apparatus.
US08170406B2
An automotive water heater having application to a windshield of an automobile, which is able to produce hot water that can be sprinkled on the windshield to melt accumulated snow and frost, in which a water heater is mainly structured from a laminated assembled heating unit side joined to a heat conducting surface of an exchange bed. Heat quantity produced by the heating unit forms a heat balance function, which transfers the heat to the exchange bed, and water flow paths are defined interior of the exchange bed. The face joining of the laminated heating units is used to facilitate maintenance of component members and allow changing of the number of heating units assembled to the exchange bed, thereby providing choice to accommodate different power requirements.
US08170401B2
Techniques are provided to perform seamless or non-seamless ad insertion using a low-complexity process. Delay is introduced into a transport stream to prevent decoder buffer overflow. Delay buildup in the transport stream is reduced by removing pre-identified redundant or near redundant frames. Pre-identification of frames for removal reduces the processing required at the splice points, while maintaining a minimum overall delay in the transport stream.
US08170400B2
The present invention provides an information recording medium in which an access unit including basic data and extension data is recorded, so as to allow a decoder that decodes only basic data to process the access unit which includes the basic data and the extension data for the next generation.The information recording medium is an information recording medium on which a stream including plural TS packets is recorded, and includes a first access unit which has a first packet that includes basic data as well as a second packet which includes extension data related to the basic data, the basic data being data that can be decoded in a completed state without using the extension data and the extension data being data for improving the quality of data generated from the basic data; wherein the first packet and the second packet are assigned with time stamps indicating relative times at which the first packet and the second packet are respectively inputted to buffers, so that a buffer model of a first decoder does not fail and a buffer model of a second decoder does not fail, the first decoder decoding only the basic data, and the second decoder decoding the basic data and the extension data.
US08170399B2
To enable a recording device recording a video/audio signal and information necessary for utilizing the video/audio signal to copy the video/audio signal with the converted bit rate, encoding format, etc., to another recording device when utilizing the video/audio signal by the another recording device, and to move only the information necessary for utilizing the video/audio signal between the recording device and the another recording device. A recording device comprises: an input portion that inputs a video/audio signal; a recording portion that records the video/audio signal and information necessary for utilizing the video/audio signal; and a converting portion that converts the recorded video/audio signal. The recording device, leaving the original video/audio signal, copies the video/audio signal whose bit rate, encoding format, etc., have been converted at the converting portion to another recording device and moves the information necessary for utilizing the video/audio signal to the another recording device. After the video/audio signal is utilized by the another recording device, only the information necessary for utilizing the video/audio signal is moved again from the another recording device to the recording device.
US08170392B2
Proposed is a model for generation and use of metadata for interactive video navigation and video content identification.
US08170379B2
A plurality of feature points are extracted from an inputted image, and a feature amount is computed with regard to the feature point thus extracted. A prescribed plurality of alterations, i.e., a rotation, an enlargement, or a reduction, are applied to the inputted image, a plurality of altered feature amounts are estimated with regard to the feature point, and an image is retrieved from among stored images that are stored upon a storage apparatus and that is most similar to the inputted image, in accordance with the plurality of the estimated altered feature amounts.
US08170369B2
The present invention relates to a method to perform an accurate correlation between a first set of data (1), collected from a first source (A1), and a second set of data (2), collected from a second source (A2), in the presence of noise in one or both of the first and second sets of data (1, 2). The present invention specifically teaches that a third set of data (3) is collected from the first source (A1) under the same conditions as the conditions of the collection of the first set of data (1), and that a fourth set of data (4) is collected from the second source (A2) under the same conditions as the conditions of the collection of the second set of data (2). A measured correlation value (rm) between data collected from the first source (A1) and the second source (A2) is taken as one of the correlation measurements out of the possible combinations of the first and second set of data (r12), the first and fourth set of data (r14), the third and second set of data (r32) and the third and fourth set of data (r34). A correction value (C12) is calculated based on a correlation measurement between the first and third set of data (r13) and a correlation measurement between the second and fourth set of data (r24) according to the expression: (Formula (I)). This correction value (C12) is applied to the measured correlation value (rm) resulting in a corrected correlation value rc=rm×C12. C 12 = 1 r 13 × r 24 ( I )
US08170368B2
This invention provides a correcting device and a correcting method for perspective transformation of document images. The correcting device comprises a horizontal vanishing point determining unit, for detecting a horizontal vanishing point of the perspective transformed document image; a vertical vanishing point determining unit, for detecting a vertical vanishing point of the perspective transformed document image; and a perspective transformation correcting and converting unit, for correcting the perspective transformed document image; wherein the horizontal vanishing point determining unit comprises a direct horizontal line segment detecting unit, an indirect horizontal line segment detecting unit and a horizontal vanishing point detecting unit, and wherein the horizontal vanishing point detecting unit detects a horizontal vanishing point in accordance with a direct horizontal line segment detected by the direct horizontal line segment detecting unit and an indirect horizontal line segment detected by the indirect horizontal line segment detecting unit.
US08170355B2
An image encoding/decoding method and apparatus are provided, in which one of color component images forming an image is predicted from a different color component image using a correlation between the color component images. A first color component image selected from the color component images is encoded by intra prediction, and the other color component images are predicted using the reconstructed first color component image. Therefore, color distortion, which may occur when transforming an image color format to another color format, is prevented, thereby improving encoding efficiency.
US08170348B2
An image processing apparatus determines whether a reference image and an image of interest are different or the same. A determination unit determines whether a comparative image formed by a part or entirety of the image of interest and an image corresponding to the comparative image in the reference image are different or the same. A decision unit decides whether a next comparative image should be a part or entirety of the image of interest in accordance with the result of the determination. An acquisition unit acquires the comparative image from the image of interest in accordance with result of the decision.
US08170342B2
Techniques are described to employ image recognition techniques to content. In an implementation, one or more images are identified in content using a signature derived from the one or more images. Metadata associated with the content is then supplemented based on the identified one or more images.
US08170340B2
A device for identifying a traffic sign in an image includes a Hough transformer implemented to identify a plurality of line sections running in different directions through the image in the image or in an edge image derived from same. The device further includes a shape detector implemented to detect a predefined shape in the image or in the edge image derived from same based on the identified line sections. The device apart from that includes a pattern identifier implemented to select an image section corresponding to the detected predefined shape based on the detected predefined shape and to identify a traffic sign based on the selected image section.
US08170337B2
According to one embodiment, a video processing apparatus includes a histogram generator, a tone curve generator, a blend parameter generator, and a blending module. The histogram generator generates a histogram based on a luminance level of a pixel of a video signal. The tone curve generator generates a first tone curve which controls a luminance value of the video signal based on the histogram. The blend parameter generator generates a blend parameter for blending the first tone curve and a prescribed tone curve, based on the histogram. The blending module blends the first tone curve and the prescribed tone curve based on the blend parameter to generate a second tone curve.
US08170320B2
Methods and systems that automatically identify breast characteristics such as x-ray density and breast texture from initial x-ray images of the breast and automatically adjust process parameter setting of image processing algorithms that operate on the initial images to derive processing images suitable for display or further processing.
US08170315B2
An image reconstruction method includes reconstructing a composite image of a subject using a conventional reconstruction method. The composite image employs the best information available regarding the subject of the scan and this information is used to constrain the reconstruction of a highly undersampled image frames or improve the SNR of image frames. A blurred and normalized weighting image is produced from image frame data, and this normalized weighting image is multiplied by the composite image.
US08170306B2
A recognition pipeline automatically partitions a 3D image of the human body into regions of interest (head, rib cage, pelvis, and legs) and correctly labels each region. The 3D image is projected onto a 2D image using volume rendering. The 3D image may contain the whole body region or any subset. In a learning phase, training datasets are manually partitioned and labeled, and a training database is computed. In a recognition phase, images are partitioned and labeled based on the knowledge from the training database. The recognition phase is computationally efficient and may operate under 2 seconds in current conventional computer systems. The recognition is robust to image variations, and does not require the user to provide any knowledge about the contained regions of interest within the image.
US08170298B2
A method for detecting a facial expression and repairing a smile face of a portrait photo includes the steps of: detecting a location and a range of a mouth region in an inputted portrait photo; capturing a patch in the mouth region and a predetermined peripheral range thereof; executing a comparison process to a smile state or a stiff state of the mouth region in the patch by a mouth state classifier; executing a calculation process to a repaired region of the mouth region when the mouth region is determined to be in the stiff state, in order to calculate a location of a plurality of feature points in the repaired region of the mouth region; and executing an image warping process to the location of the feature points and adjacent pixels thereof, for generating a portrait photo showing a smile state.
US08170291B2
Methods and systems for evaluating an imager that produces bi-chrome images from a scanner or a digital imaging device, the bi-chrome images having pixels of a first and second color. In one embodiment, a method includes generating an image with a hand-held imaging device, the image having pixels of a first color and a second color, analyzing the image to determine information about particles of the first and second color contained in the image, each particle comprising contiguous pixels of the same color, the particle information comprising information on first and second color particle size and count, and determining if the image is unacceptable based on predetermined objective criteria and the particle information.
US08170284B2
An apparatus and a method for displaying an image of a view in front of a vehicle, each of which detects edges in a monochrome image obtained by a camera, which is mounted on the vehicle and photographs a view in front of the vehicle, to generate an edge image indicative of the detected edges only, determines an object forming an area surrounded with edges in the edge image; and assigns a color to the determined object for each edge-surrounded area of the edge image in order to make an estimated color image.
US08170283B2
Techniques are disclosed for a video surveillance system to learn to recognize complex behaviors by analyzing pixel data using alternating layers of clustering and sequencing. A video surveillance system may be configured to observe a scene (as depicted in a sequence of video frames) and, over time, develop hierarchies of concepts including classes of objects, actions and behaviors. That is, the video surveillance system may develop models at progressively more complex levels of abstraction used to identify what events and behaviors are common and which are unusual. When the models have matured, the video surveillance system issues alerts on unusual events.
US08170280B2
The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for modeling, recognizing, and tracking object images in video files. In one embodiment, a video file, which includes a plurality of frames, is received. An image of an object is extracted from a particular frame in the video file, and a subsequent image is also extracted from a subsequent frame. A similarity value is then calculated between the extracted images from the particular frame and subsequent frame. If the calculated similarity value exceeds a predetermined similarity threshold, the extracted object images are assigned to an object group. The object group is used to generate an object model associated with images in the group, wherein the model is comprised of image features extracted from optimal object images in the object group. Optimal images from the group are also used for comparison to other object models for purposes of identifying images.
US08170275B2
A document authentication method uses a watermark added in a printed document to detection possible alterations made to the document after it was printed. First, a visible watermark in the form of a dot pattern is overlapped with an original digital image. The watermarked image is printed out as a halftone image at a first resolution. The watermark in the printed document appears as a light gray shade. Later, the printed document is scanned back using a grayscale scan at a resolution higher than the first resolution. In the scanned image, altered areas would appear flat (lacking intensity variation) whereas unaltered areas will have relatively large density variations due to the watermark dots and the fact that the image was halftone printed at a lower resolution. Alternations are detected by identifying flat areas within the image using a combination of flat block detection and a multiple thresholds method.
US08170271B2
A system for identifying test tube types and properties in a sample handling machine using visual information automatically obtained by an optical imager and then processed using vision processing methods. The system includes an optical imager positioned to capture images containing one or more test tubes in a rack and a microcontroller programmed to extract predetermined regions of interest and interpret the optical information in the image to decipher the dimension of the test tubes, determine the presence or absence of caps on the test tubes, decode any encoded data, and interpret custom symbologies. The system may then determine the nature of the test tubes or other containers presented before the image and provide that information to the sample handling machine to assist with processing of samples.
US08170270B2
A computer implemented method and computer usable program product for embedding rich content of a document in an image. In one embodiment, a static image of the document is generated. If the amount of memory associated with the rich content does not exceed a threshold amount, the rich content is encoded into a single content block according to an image format. If the rich content does exceed the threshold amount, the rich content is encoded into a plurality of content blocks. The content block or the plurality of content blocks are inserted into an arbitrary storage location of the image. The static image is displayed when the image is opened in an absence of an application associated with the rich content of the document. The rich content is displayed when the image is opened in a presence of the application associated with the rich content of the document.
US08170260B2
A system determines the position of a sound source with a microphone in a fixed coordinate system. The microphone measures audio signals that are analyzed and processed to determine the position of the sound source in the fixed coordinate system. The system may adjust the direction of the microphone in the fixed coordinate system based on the processed audio signals and the position of the sound source. The microphone direction may be identified through an optical source that may be adjusted based on the processed audio signals and the position of the sound source.
US08170259B2
An electronic device disposing structure includes a stand having a position limiting area, a sound receiving channel on the stand and including a sound inlet hole at a distal surface of the stand, a sound outlet hole at a bottom surface of the position limiting area, and a passage portion for interconnecting the sound inlet and outlet holes, and a sound emitting channel on the stand and including a sound outlet hole at the distal surface of the stand, a sound inlet hole at the bottom surface of the position limiting area, and a passage portion for interconnecting the sound outlet and inlet holes. The electronic device disposing structure combines a portable electronic device into the position limiting area, such that a microphone and a speaker respond to sound receiving and emitting channels respectively to achieve a hand-free effect and a sound amplification without requiring a circuit design.
US08170258B1
A bass drum microphone device for securing a microphone inside a bass drum comprising a first support bar, a second support bar, and a cross support bar, and the bars connect to form an H-shaped structure. Attached to the cross support bar is a microphone attachment component for attaching a microphone to the bass drum microphone device. The microphone can be placed at various locations within the base drum.
US08170254B2
A loudspeaker includes a toroidal shaped housing and at least one driver positioned within the housing. The driver is mounted within an arcuate enclosure such that a forward portion of the driver transmits sound beyond the enclosure and the rearward portion of the driver is substantially confined within the enclosure.
US08170248B2
There is disclosed a sound processing device (300) configured to apply a frequency shift to at least one frequency component of a received sound signal and to amplify at least part of the received sound signal. The processing device (300) is also adapted to generate an estimated feedback signal for combination with the received sound signal via a phase inverting feedback canceller (314). Associated methods (400, 600) of processing a sound signal are also disclosed.
US08170241B2
A remote controlled robot system that includes a robot and a remote control station. The robot includes a binaural microphone system that is coupled to a speaker system of the remote control station. The binaural microphone system may include a pair of microphones located at opposite sides of a robot head. The location of the microphones roughly coincides with the location of ears on a human body. Such microphone location creates a mobile robot that more effectively simulates the tele-presence of an operator of the system. The robot may include two different microphone systems and the ability to switch between systems. For example, the robot may also include a zoom camera system and a directional microphone. The directional microphone may be utilized to capture sound from a direction that corresponds to an object zoomed upon by the camera system.
US08170237B2
A semiconductor die with an integrated electronic circuit, configured so as to be mounted in a housing with a capacitive transducer e.g. a microphone. A first circuit is configured to receive an input signal from the transducer at an input node and to provide an output signal at a pad of the semiconductor die. The integrated electronic circuit comprises an active switch device with a control input, coupled to a pad of the semiconductor die, to operatively engage or disengage a second circuit interconnected with the first circuit so as to operate the integrated electronic circuit in a mode selected by the control input. That is, a programmable or controllable transducer. The second circuit is interconnected with the first circuit so as to be separate from the input node. Thereby less noise is induced, a more precise control of the circuit is obtainable and more advanced control options are possible.
US08170232B2
The present invention is equipped with a USB interface 7 for being connected to a portable music player that is an external device, a browser button 27, a rotary encoder button 26, a back button 28, CPU 31 for acquiring a content list CL from the portable music player, RAM 33 for storing the content list CL acquired by the CPU 31, and a LED processing section 42 for changing how the rotary encoder button 26 illuminates to encourage the next operation at a time when the browse button 27 is operated. Accordingly, when searching pieces of music content stored in the portable music player that is an external device, one can unknowingly understand how to operate, thereby providing good operability even for searching pieces of music content of the external portable music player.
US08170222B2
A device and method for providing augmented reality enhanced audio. The device is portable and may include a location processing module capable of receiving location information and determining a location of the device in an environment, an orientation processing module capable of determining an orientation of the device at the location, a processor capable of modifying audio content based on the location of the device in the environment and the orientation of the device at the location, and an audio output device capable of outputting the modified audio content. The orientation of the device includes an azimuth and an elevation of the device.
US08170216B2
Techniques for validating and sharing secrets are presented. A secret is divided into a plurality of parts. Each part is represented by a unique value. Each value is distributed to a unique user that shares in the secret. The secret is recreated when each user presents each user's unique value. Each unique value is then used to recreate its corresponding part of the key and when all parts are present and validated, the secret is reproduced.
US08170204B2
In a wireless communication system, a method and system for extending Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) operations for enhanced security are provided. In an AES encryption operation, an initial state may be modified by XORing with an initial modifier before a first processing round and a final state may be modified by XORing with a final modifier after a final processing round. The output of a MixColumns function performed during AES decryption operation rounds may be modified by XORing with a corresponding round modifier. In an AES decryption operation, an initial state may be modified by XORing with a decoded final modifier before a first processing round and a final state may be modified by XORing with a decoded initial modifier after a final processing round. The input of an InvMixColumns function performed during AES decryption operation rounds may be modified by XORing with a corresponding decoded round modifier.
US08170192B2
An enhancement for an electronic calendar provides a single call-in number and, preferably a pass code established for a user/participant in any and all conference call(s) in which use of the invention is authorized by an owner/caller initiating a conference call. The call-in number accesses the computer corresponding to the user/participant and is redirected to the conference call using information which is stored in memory separate from the electronic calendar and thus not accessible therefrom.
US08170191B2
A new system and method particularly useful in handling the audio of a “large” conference is disclosed. The system and method initially defines certain conferees as panel members, which can provide audio to and receive audio from the conference, and audience members, which only passively receive audio from the conference. In one aspect, an audience member can request to participate in the conference. By making an appropriate request, the audience member can, if system resources are adequate, participate fully as a panel member and may supply audio to the conference for at least some portion of time. Alternatively, the audience member can supply information other than audio data to the conference, such as voting data or other data allowing the audience member to participate in the conference as more than a merely passive listening participant.
US08170190B2
A system and method in accordance with exemplary embodiments may include receiving, from a customer, limitation data associated with managing telephone number allocation, determining a limitation threshold based on at least the limitation data, allocating one or more telephone numbers to a customer based on at least the limitation threshold, and providing the one or more telephone numbers to a customer.
US08170178B2
The radiation image capturing system includes a plurality of image capturing apparatus of different specifications for capturing a radiation image of a subject, plural processors for controlling respective image capturing apparatus, a processor selector for selecting one processor from processors based on supplied capture information, an image capturing condition setting unit for setting the image capturing conditions to be appropriate for an image capturing apparatus selected from among the plurality of image capturing apparatus, and an image capturing condition changer for, when the image capturing apparatus is changed, changing the image capturing conditions to be appropriate for the changed image capturing apparatus. The processor controls the changed image capturing apparatus according to the changed image capturing conditions.
US08170172B2
A system and method are provided for reclaiming an enriched radioisotope starting material (14) from a target body (12). The system and method enable reclaiming the starting material in a relatively short time (e.g., several hours) after the target body's bombardment with energetic particles, greatly simplifying the target body's chemical processing, as well as reducing the cost of such processing (e.g., reducing the need for costly long-term storage). Specifically, a chemical protective layer (16) is disposed between a radioisotope starting material (14) and a base material (18) of the target body (12). After the target body is irradiated with a suitable source (e.g., particle accelerator), then the irradiated radioisotope starting material and be removed without removing the base material due to the protection provided by the chemical protective layer. The system and method also enable the operator to obtain three different radioisotopes in a single bombardment of the target body, further reducing cost of radioisotope production.
US08170170B2
Disclosed herein is a carrier synchronizing circuit including at least frequency synchronizing means and phase synchronizing means. The phase synchronizing means includes residual frequency error detecting means for detecting a residual frequency error after a frequency synchronizing process by the frequency synchronizing means and supplying the residual frequency error to the frequency synchronizing means, and the frequency synchronizing means performs frequency pull-in for the residual frequency error supplied from the residual frequency error detecting means after first timing.
US08170167B1
A communication system including a plurality of communication devices configured to operate according to a plurality of communication clock signals, respectively, wherein the plurality of communication clock signals are based on a common reference clock signal. The communication system further includes a phase-locked loop configured to generate an output signal in response to the common reference clock signal, wherein the output signal is in phase lock with the common reference clock signal; a signal division controller configured to generate a divider reset signal in response to a binary select signal; and a divider configured to generate one of the plurality of communication clock signals by performing frequency division of the output signal, wherein the divider reset signal controls a start time of the frequency division.
US08170161B2
A receiver system and method are provided, wherein the system includes a plurality of antenna elements, and a receiver device configured to emit an output based upon the received signal. The receiver device communicates a control signal that corresponds to a determined signal quality of the received signal. The receiver system also includes a switch system adapted to switch among the plurality of antenna elements in a plurality of modes, wherein the switch system includes a first switch device and a second switch device. Further, the system includes a controller that receives the control signal, wherein the controller commands the switch system to operate in a first mode utilizing the first switch device when the determined signal quality is above a threshold value, and the controller commands the switch system to operate in a second mode utilizing the second switch device when the determined signal quality is below a threshold value.
US08170160B1
Receivers typically detect the presence of a pilot tone, transmitted as part of an RF signal, and use the pilot tone as a reference to detect symbols in the received RF signal. However, improper synchronization between the transmitter and the receiver units can result in timing offset and carrier frequency offset in the digitized received RF signal, impair the orthogonality between OFDM sub-carriers, and cause inter-carrier interference. Phase offsets caused by carrier frequency offset and timing offset can also degrade receiver performance. Functionality can be incorporated to estimate the phase offset over multiple symbols. Estimating the phase offset over multiple symbols in the received RF signal can lower the error rate. Correcting the phase offset in the received RF signal can ensure accurate sampling of the received signal, accurate channel estimates, and accurate decoding of the digitized received signal. This can minimize receiver performance degradation.
US08170153B2
Disclosed is a binary signal modulator for minimizing deterioration of receiving performance caused by phase error. The binary signal modulator receives binary signals, and converts the binary signals into complex symbols according to a predetermined mapping relation. Here, the mapping relation is generated when a plurality of mapping symbols are arranged on a plurality of trajectories so that the distance between the mapping symbols is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance and the phase between the mapping symbols is greater than or equal to a predetermined angle from among the trajectories starting from a plurality of points on the complex plane, and a distance between the trajectories is greater than or equal to the minimum distance from among the distances between the points.
US08170137B2
The invention relates to a method and a system for transmitting data from a medium access control device (2) via a digital interface (IF1) to a physical layer (4) and to an antenna (5), wherein the physical layer (4) comprises a base band (4) with a base band controller (7) and a data processing pipeline (3) comprising a plurality of functional blocks (FB1 . . . 13), comprising the steps of: detecting an end of a frame of payload data, which leaves the antenna (5), at a predetermined point (P1 to P3) within the data processing pipeline (3), especially at the end of the data processing pipeline (3), thereupon, starting a timer (T1) for delaying a de-assertion of an activity signal (PHY_ACTIVE) of the physical layer (4), and after expiration of the timer (T1), de-asserting the activity signal (PHY_ACTIVE).
US08170136B2
Disclosed are a radio sending device and a radio sending method for improving a throughput while keeping a receiving quality. In this radio sending device, an MCS switching control unit (102) applies an MCS parameter having a lower quality required than that of the MCS parameter to be applied to send data arranged at other than the two end portions of a block, to send data arranged at the two end portions of the block, and a CP adding unit (105) adds such a CP to the leading end of the block as is created by copying the trailing end portion of the block composed of the send data, to which the MCS parameter is applied by the MCS switching control unit (102), with a length less than the delay time of the maximum delay wave. A send RF unit (106) sends the send data, in which the CP is added to the leading end of the block, from an antenna (107).
US08170125B2
A method for modulating a sequence of data symbols such that the transmit signal exhibits spectral redundancy. Null symbols are inserted in the sequence of data symbols such that a specified pattern of K data symbols and N−K null symbols is formed in every period of N symbols in the modulated sequence, N and K being positive integers and K being smaller than N.
US08170124B2
An MPEG-4 system with error concealment is provided for video service under the network with packet loss. The MPEG-4 system includes an encoder and a decoder. The encoder uses an intra-refreshment technique is used to make coded bitstream more robust against noise in order to stop error propagation. The rate-distortion optimization criterion is also introduced to adaptively update in synchronization with intra-coded blocks adaptively based on the true network condition with minimal overhead. The Lagrange multiplier is modified to achieve the best rate-distortion balance. In addition, a decoder loop is used in the encoder and is synchronized with the true decoder to achieve the best performance and avoid mismatch with the decoder used in the MPEG-4 system. The decoder is able to achieve resilient decoding from any kind of noise and enhance the reconstructed image quality with spatial and temporal hybrid concealment method. The result shows that a 3.65-9.71 dB further improvement on peak-signal-to-noise-ratio (PSNR) can be achieved in comparison with the existing methods that adopt spatial copy and zero motion concealment in decoding.
US08170119B2
An apparatus and method are provided for playing content by searching for information on the last-watched-point with respect to the content that a user watched previously, with only a selection of a file name of selected content when playing series content. The apparatus includes an information-extracting unit which extracts a series title and a program title with respect to specific content based on an electronic program guide of the series content, a control unit which generates a file name based on the extracted series title and program title, an item-generating unit which generates a content item based on the extracted series title and program title, and the generated file name, and a retrieval unit which, if the specific content is to be played, extracts a last-watched-point value by searching for information on a play point corresponding to the file name.
US08170112B2
Disclosed herein is a method for encoding a video signal having at least one frame with a plurality of blocks including a current block, including generating, for at least a selected pixel in the current block, a predicted value for at least one pixel located in a row i and a column j of the current block using a processor and according to the following equation: Xij=Li+Aj−C; wherein Xij is the predicted value, Li is the value of a pixel to the left of the current block, Aj is the value of a pixel in a row above the current block and C is the value of a pixel in the row above and the column to the left of the current block and encoding the current block using the predicted value.
US08170110B2
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, the present invention provides method and apparatus for motion compensated prediction. Apart from translational motion, zoom motion is taken into account by sampling an interpolated frame with one or more selected sampling rates to generate one or more zoom reference frames; matching a frame with the zoom reference frames; and determining one or more motion data.
US08170107B2
A method of decoding a video bitstream is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) buffering the video bitstream in a main memory, the video bitstream comprising a first residual block based on a first motion compensated block, the first motion compensated block having been generated by a subpixel motion compensation using an N-tap interpolation on a plurality of first reference samples, (B) copying a first subset of the first reference samples from the main memory to an internal memory, (C) generating a first decode block using the subpixel motion compensation with an M-tap interpolation on the first subset in the internal memory, and (D) reconstructing a first original block by adding the first residual block to the first decode block.
US08170105B2
A method and a video decoder for decoding an encoded bitstream of video data in a picture encoding and decoding system are disclosed. The video decoder includes a motion compensation unit for calculating a position for a sample image portion using an encoded bitstream of video data having a motion vector and rounding information. The calculated position of a sample image is rounded with the rounding information. The rounding information indicates the accuracy for rounding, and it is decoded from the bitstream. An image reconstruction unit reconstructs a decoded image portion of the video data from the sample image portion.
US08170103B2
A moving picture coding apparatus 1 includes a counter unit 102 which counts the number of pictures following an intra coded picture; and a motion estimation unit 101 which compares respectively only reference pictures which are the intra coded picture or the following pictures, selected from among a reference picture Ref1, a reference picture Ref2 and a reference picture Ref3 stored in memories 408˜410, with a picture signal Vin, and determines the reference picture whose inter picture differential value is smallest.
US08170096B1
A system and method for stitching separately encoded MPEG video fragments, each representing a different rectangular area of the screen together into one single full-screen MPEG encoded video fragment.
US08170091B2
A data processor maps input symbols to be communicated onto a predetermined number of sub-carrier signals of an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed (OFDM) symbol. The data processor includes an interleaver memory which reads-in the predetermined number of data symbols for mapping onto the OFDM sub-carrier signals. The interleaver memory reads-out the data symbols on to the OFDM sub-carriers to effect the mapping, the read-out being in a different order than the read-in, the order being determined from a set of addresses, with the effect that the data symbols are interleaved on to the sub-carrier signals. The set of addresses are generated from an address generator which comprises a linear feedback shift register and a permutation circuit.
US08170089B2
Provided is an apparatus for channel equalization in frequency domain, including: a channel estimation unit for estimating a channel on received signal from outside, a channel matched filter for changing channel characteristic of the channel estimated by the channel estimation unit and the received signal to channel characteristic to meet condition required for noncausal filtering, a noncausal filter for changing the channel characteristic changed by the channel matched filter from nonminimum phase channel to minimum phase channel, a reverse channel calculation unit for calculating a reverse of the channel changed by the noncausal filter in frequency domain, and a frequency domain equalization unit for performing channel equalization with respect to the channel changed by the noncausal filter in the frequency domain by using the reverse obtained by the reverse channel calculation unit as coefficients of the frequency domain equalization apparatus.
US08170086B2
A method of computing a correlation between a pseudorandom reference code and a satellite signal is provided. The method comprises receiving a satellite signal having a repeating code modulated thereon, wherein the satellite signal comprises a pseudorange; correlating the satellite signal with less than an entire length of the pseudorandom reference code with a portion of the satellite signal to produce a correlation over a period less than a period of the repeating code; and processing the correlation to form values representative of magnitude or power of the correlation to produce an energy signal.
US08170083B2
A method and apparatus for reducing the processing rate when performing chip-level equalization (CLE) in a code division multiple access (CDMA) receiver which includes an equalizer filter. Signals received by at least one antenna of the receiver are sampled at M times the chip rate. Each sample stream is split into M sample data streams at the chip rate. Multipath combining is preferably performed on each split sample data stream. The sample data streams are then combined into one combined sample data stream at the chip rate. The equalizer filter performs equalization on the combined sample stream at the chip rate. Filter coefficients are adjusted by adding a correction term to the filter coefficients utilized by the equalizer filter for a previous iteration.
US08170073B2
A semiconductor gain-structure functions as a gain-element in a laser-resonator. The gain-structure is bonded to a diamond heat-spreader that is peripherally cooled by a heat-sink configured to allow access to the gain-structure by laser-radiation circulating in the laser-resonator. In one example, the gain-structure is used as a transmissive gain-structure in a traveling-wave ring-resonator. In another example, the gain-structure surmounts mirror-structure which functions as an end-mirror of a standing-wave laser-resonator.
US08170070B2
A system for interleaving high speed data and slower data that is serialized and delivered to a microprocessor. The typical source of the high speed data is a camera and the source of the slower data is a keyboard. The high speed data and the slower data, illustratively, are interfaced with a micro-processor in a parallel fashion. The present invention mirrors the parallel interface to the microprocessor, and mirrors the parallel interface to the sources of the high speed (camera) and slower (keypad) data. The present system formats parallel data from the sources and passes that data in serial form, typically with a clock, on a flexible cable that joins two sections of many cell phones or other hand held devices.
US08170058B2
A communications device is provided which receives data frames in FIR communications mode even if the device has failed to normally receive a connect frame in SIR communications mode.A communications device according to the invention includes an incoming frame processing section for receiving an SNRM frame and UI frames in different frame formats. The SNRM frame contains a setting for a connection for data communications. The UI frames contain data. The communications device also includes a reception processing section and connect command notification sections. The reception processing section renders a light reception section stand by for reception of the UI frames in FIR communications mode. The connect command notification sections generate a connect command for output to an upper layer. The connect command enables establishing of the same connection when a data frame is received from another communications device as when a connect frame was received from the other communications device.
US08170038B2
Link-level data communications carried out in a link-level data communications switching apparatus that includes modular link-level data communications switches; the switching apparatus is configured as two layers of link-level data communications switches; all the switches stacked by a stacking protocol that shares administrative configuration information among the switches and presents the switches as a single logical switch; the switching apparatus includes data communications ports coupling the switching apparatus to data communications networks and to service applications, each service application associated with a unique, link-level identifier; the switching apparatus includes rules governing the steering of packets among service applications and networks; including receiving, in the switching apparatus, packets directed to a destination network; and steering each packet among the service applications to the destination network in accordance with the rules, without using the link-level identifier of any service application.
US08170031B2
Apparatus and methods are described for scheduling transmission resources in a relay-enabled orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) wireless communications system. Schedulers are described which address the problem of determining the optimal transmission schedule across two hops in the presence of finite user buffers with methods that provide approximate solutions with worst-case performance guarantees and average-case performance that is close to the optimal. The solutions formulate the diversity scheduling problem as an integer program. The weights used in the formulation incorporate the various diversity gains. The integer program is relaxed to a linear program and solved. The resulting fractional solutions are then rounded to integral values. In the process, if buffer or channel feasibility is violated, such violations are addressed through appropriate mechanisms that provide performance guarantees. The relay hop fractional variables are rounded to integral values first. Then the access hop flow is updated based on the rounded relay hop flow. Finally, the access hop variables are rounded to integral values to provide the resulting flow schedule.
US08170020B2
A computer network firewall or network filter functions normally to pass data on open ports to a respective service or data source associated with an open port. In addition, traffic arriving on closed ports may be directed to a handler for analysis and response. The handler may analyze and catalog the source and type of traffic arriving on the closed ports. The handler may then send a response with either a fixed response or data tailored to the type and nature of the traffic. The handler may respond slowly to cause the source of the traffic to wait for the response, thereby slowing the speed at which a potential attacker can identify valid targets and proceed past non-valid targets.
US08170015B2
An integrated gateway apparatus includes a policy storage for storing therein a first information on message filtering and switching policies for messages received from heterogeneous devices in lower networks via network interfaces; a device management unit for extracting a second information on the messages, the devices and the network interfaces; a layer-basis filter unit for performing, based on the first and the second information, the message filtering and switching on the messages on a layer basis; and an integrated switch management unit for providing the first information to the layer-basis filter unit and controlling the layer-basis filtering unit. The layer-basis filter unit includes a switch filter unit, a route filter unit and a gateway filter unit for performing the message filtering and switching in a MAC layer, in a network layer and a transport layer and in an application layer, respectively.
US08170011B2
An apparatus in a digital network includes the logic for allocating and assigning packet identifiers (PIDs) to digital packets, such as MPEG packets. The logic can reside in a device that transmits a transport stream or a device that controls a transport stream transmitter. In the preferred embodiment, a session number is associated a program and with an output port of a transport stream transmitter; and the session number is unique for that output port. The logic associates a PID from a set of allocated PIDs with the session number. The set of allocated PID values are PMT_PIDs, which are used for identifying the PMT packets, and the set of PMT_PIDs is scalable. In the preferred embodiment, the logic also associates the PMT_PID to the session number using a predetermined scheme. The apparatus also includes logic for assigning a set of PID values to the elementary streams of a program. In the preferred embodiment, number of PIDs assigned to the elementary streams of a program is no more than the number of elementary streams of the program.
US08170003B2
A content recommendation system includes first and second communication devices which are connected to each other and in which content recommendation information is transmitted and received between both devices. The first communication device includes a storage section for storing pieces of content recommendation information to be transmitted, a selecting section for selecting a piece of content recommendation information to be transmitted from the storage section, and a transmitting section for transmitting the selected piece of content recommendation information. The second communication device includes a receiving section for receiving the piece of content recommendation information transmitted from the first communication device, and a storage section for storing the received piece of content recommendation information.
US08170002B2
Stations in standby mode periodically wake up to check for buffered data at the access points. Traditionally, the information is available by checking the periodic beacon frame for a traffic indication map (TIM). Unfortunately, the length of beacons has steadily increased with the progression of the various wireless standards requiring stations to wake up for longer periods to merely check for buffered data. Several approaches are disclosed which address this shortcoming, including the broadcast of TIM frames, the partial reception of beacon frames and the use of an embedded TIM frame within a beacon frame.
US08170000B2
A method and apparatus for synchronizing a system clock with a serving cell (102) associated with a first radio access technology and monitoring an adjacent cell (104) associated with a second radio access technology is provided. A communication device (100) includes a first synchronization device (205) capable of synchronization with the serving cell (102) and a second synchronization device (206) capable of independently synchronizing with the adjacent cell (104). The first synchronization device (205) and second synchronization device (206) include independent frequency correction modules (207,208). Thus, the second frequency synchronization device (206) may be corrected per the adjacent cell (104) while the first synchronization device (205) remains synchronized with the serving cell (102). Thus, the same corrected system clock may be used between two radio access technologies.
US08169996B2
A network having multiple radios transmits a beacon signal from several radios substantially simultaneously. One embodiment includes a network having a communications backbone that connects several radio transceivers. Another embodiment includes a single station having multiple radio transceivers, which may or may not have directional antennas. Various methods for synchronizing the beacon signals may be used, including transmitting a heartbeat signal along the network so that the beacon signals are broadcast substantially simultaneously.
US08169990B2
A wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiving integrated circuit includes a WLAN interface, an input buffer, an input buffer controller, and a processor. The WLAN transceiving integrated circuit may also include an output buffer, an output buffer controller, a transcoder, and/or an audio Coder-Decoder (CODEC). The WLAN transceiving integrated circuit is installed in a WLAN device that services voice communications. The input buffer receives packetized audio data from the WLAN interface. When the input buffer satisfies a buffer vacancy threshold, the processor and the input buffer controller cooperatively operate to fill at least a portion of the input buffer with packetized audio data. The processor copies packetized audio data from the input buffer and fills the input buffer with the copied packetized audio data to maintain an audio pattern in the input buffer. The input buffer controller fills the input buffer when the processor is available and after copying/filling is no longer effective. The processor operates to maintain the audio pattern when additional packetized audio data is received by the WLAN interface. These operations are also performed for the output buffer, which receives packetized audio data from the transcoder and writes the packetized audio data to the WLAN interface.
US08169987B2
Methods, apparatuses and systems facilitating deployment and configuration of managed access points in hierarchical wireless network systems. An embodiment of the invention facilitates deployment and configuration of conventional, substantially autonomous access points operating in connection with a central management node, such as a server or appliance. In another embodiment, the present invention facilitates deployment and configuration of light-weight access points in a hierarchical wireless network system. In one embodiment, the present invention also provides a streamlined encryption key exchange protocol adapted to hierarchical wireless network system architectures.
US08169982B2
The disclosure is directed to a wireless communication device and method for using the device. The wireless communications device may be used by accessing information in memory, the information relating to a first communications network. The information, along with one or more reference signals from a second communications network, is used to determine whether the wireless communications device is in the vicinity of the first communications network.
US08169979B2
A wireless hybrid time division multiple access/code division multiple access (TDMA/CDMA) user equipment (UE) includes a signaling receiver and a data detection device in communication with the signaling receiver. The signaling receiver is configured to receive and recover signaled information of code and timeslot assignments of the UE to support an RF communication. The data detection device is configured to recover from the signaling information an identifier of a plurality of assigned timeslots and an indication of a first and last code of a set of consecutive codes. The last code is identified by an identifier associated with the last code, and the same set of consecutive codes are assigned to each of the plurality of assigned timeslots.
US08169978B2
A technique of operating a wireless communication device includes receiving, at a first wireless communication device, respective signals transmitted from multiple second wireless communication devices. Respective channel matrix blocks for each block of the received respective signals are then generated. Finally, respective channel equalizer matrix blocks for each of the respective channel matrix blocks are generated. At least one of the respective channel equalizer matrix blocks is generated without performing a matrix inversion operation on an associated one of the respective channel matrix blocks.
US08169976B2
A transmission rate control method includes: measuring, at a radio base station, a reception power of a DPCH transmitted from the mobile station; extracting, at the radio base station, a transmission data block size of the uplink user data from an E-DPCCH; acquiring, at the radio base station, a transmission power ratio of an E-DPDCH to the DPCCH which corresponds to the extracted transmission data block size; calculating, at the radio base station, a reception power of the E-DPDCH based on the measured reception power and the acquired transmission power ratio; calculating, at the radio base station, a relative transmission rate of the uplink user data based on the calculated reception power; notifying, at the radio base station, the relative transmission rate to the mobile station via a E-RGCH; and controlling, at the mobile station, the transmission rate based on the notified relative transmission rate.
US08169967B2
A system and method for performing a handover of a mobile station (MS) by considering Quality of Service (QoS) in a broadband mobile communication system. The method can include the steps of: receiving information about one or more neighbor base stations and reception strengths for the neighbor base stations from a Serving Radio Access System (RAS) currently communicating with the MS; extracting a value of a specific field from the received information about the neighbor base stations; combining the extracted value of the specific field with the reception strengths to thereby obtain combined values, and selecting a maximum value among the combined values; and transmitting a handover (handoff) request message to a base station corresponding to the selected maximum value. The system includes an MS that analyzes information about neighbor stations received in a Mobile Neighbor Base-station Advertisement (MOB_NBR_ADV) message to select a target RAS.
US08169962B1
A radio access network (RAN) receives a request to route a call from a caller to a mobile station, assigns a wireless traffic channel to the mobile station for the call, and detects a no-answer condition for the call (because a user of the mobile station does not answer the call within a predetermined time period or has chosen to ignore the call). In response to the no-answer condition, the RAN redirects the call to a voice mail system and keeps the wireless traffic channel assigned to the mobile station while the caller interacts with the voice mail system. The RAN determines that the caller has left a voice mail message on the voice mail system and transmits an indication of the voice mail message to the mobile station over the wireless traffic channel.
US08169960B2
Methods and apparatus for communicating and utilizing persistent allocation of uplink resources are described herein. A base station can allocate persistent uplink resources to a client station, such that the resource allocation remains active for future uplink frames without the client station repeating a request for uplink resources or the base station expressly communicating the uplink resource allocation. A client station can request a persistent uplink resource allocation when wireless channel conditions are fairly consistent and not varying and the required uplink resources are predictably periodic and fixed in size. The base station can verify that the uplink resource request meets the criteria for persistent allocation and can allocate persistent uplink resources in a dedicated information element of an uplink resource map that is transmitted to the user. The resources allocated remain allocated to the client station in each frame satisfying a predetermined periodicity until deallocated.
US08169954B2
A transmission rate control method for controlling, at a mobile station, a transmission rate of uplink user data, in a radio communication system capable of controlling a transmission rate of uplink user data based on an absolute transmission rate transmitted via an E-AGCH and a relative transmission rate transmitted via a E-RGCH, includes: notifying, from a radio network controller to the mobile station, information for identifying the E-AGCH to be transmitted from a serving cell, and not notifying, from the radio network controller to the mobile station, information for identifying the E-RGCH, when the mobile station establishes an E-DPDCH; and controlling, at the mobile station, the transmission rate of uplink user data, based on the absolute transmission rate which is received from the serving cell via the E-AGCH, without considering the relative transmission rate.
US08169952B2
A method and system for selectively applying a cellular-PBX integration service. When a radio access network (RAN) receives a call request seeking to set up a call for a cellular wireless communication device (WCD) that is operating in the coverage area of the RAN, a determination is made as to whether the WCD is currently checked-into a cellular-PBX integration service. A service control point (SCP), for instance, may make the determination. If the determination is that the WCD is currently checked-in, then the call is set up to an IP PBX server that services the WCD, and the IP PBX server may then handle the call as it would handle a call placed to any IP PBX extension. Further, differential billing can be applied, charging an enterprise billing-account for the call if the WCD is checked-in, and charging a WCD billing-account for the call if the WCD is not checked-in.
US08169950B2
A transmission of information from a secondary to a primary node occurs in a plurality of N logical time durations. The transmission from the secondary to primary node in a wireless network is obtained using a first and a second sequence. Embodiments of the present invention mitigate interference by restricting the choice of the first sequence. Thus, in an embodiment of the invention, the first sequence is selected from a set of M sequences wherein M is strictly less than N. In order to accommodate high-velocity users, the restricted set contains a pair of sequences whose element-wise product is mirror symmetric. In other embodiments of the invention, the choices of the first sequence and second sequence in a time-frequency resource is arranged such that interference is mitigated. A transmission component for K-th logical time duration is obtained from the entire second sequence and K-th element of the first sequence.
US08169946B2
A communications system for an aircraft carrying at least some personnel having personal electronic devices (PEDs) for wireless data communications outside the aircraft includes a ground-based communications network comprising spaced apart base stations, and an access point in the aircraft for providing a WLAN for data communications with the PEDs. An air-to-ground transceiver in the aircraft cooperates with the access point for data communications with the ground-based communications network. First and second base stations define respective first and second adjacent coverage areas, and include respective first and second hard handoff controllers. The respective first and second hard handoff controllers implement a hard handoff of a data communications channel with the air-to-ground transceiver as the aircraft moves from the first coverage area to the second adjacent coverage area.
US08169943B2
A method (400) for use in a cellular system with at least one controlling node (110), eNodeB, which controls user terminals, UEs (130), in a cell (120). According to the method, a UE can be in one of at least two different states (410), an idle state, a DRX state, and an “on duration” state. A UE (130) can receive at least a first (420) and a second (425) type of traffic from its eNodeB (110). If (415) the first type of traffic is received by a UE during an on duration period, the UE assumes the idle (DRX) state at the end of the on duration period, and if (430) the second type of traffic is received by the UE during an on duration period, the UE prolongs the current on duration period by a certain amount of time.
US08169935B2
A method to enable browsers to manage connections across access networks is disclosed. The method manages network connections using a simple standard browser with the least amount of user interaction for all connections. The method uses standardized WiMAX activation and provisioning schemes for the management of connection profiles across the different access technologies.
US08169932B2
A QoS degradation point estimation device includes a flow set decision unit, a flow quality information collection unit, a path information collection unit, a flow link table management unit, and a QoS degradation point estimation unit. Before generating a flow link table associating QoS of a flow through a network with a link the flow passes through, the flow set decision unit preferentially selects a flow passing through almost ½ of the links of the network as a flow to be registered in the table. The flow quality information collection unit collects information of the QoS of the flow. The path information collection unit collects path information of the network. The flow link table management unit generates the table based on the information of the QoS and the path information. The QoS degradation point estimation unit estimates a QoS degradation link based on the table.
US08169930B2
A communications method for a packet-switched network includes: a) receiving at a routing module operating in a low layer of a layered model defining communications on the network, a packet including an identifier associated to a protocol to be employed at a high layer of the model which is higher than the low layer; b) inspecting the received packet at an inspection module so as to identify the protocol associated to the identifier; c) selecting at a selection module a first device, operating in the high layer associated with the identified protocol; d) sending the packet toward the first device; e) processing the packet by applying at the first device a procedure of the high layer to produce a processed packet; f) sending the processed packet from the first device to the routing module; and g) transmitting the processed packet from the routing module toward the network.
US08169929B2
A mobile communication method includes: causing a cell under control of a radio base station to determine an initial granted value when an uplink user data transmission channel is set up between a mobile station and the cell under the control of the radio base station; causing a radio network controller to notify the mobile station of the initial granted value determined by the cell under the control of the radio base station; and causing the mobile station to transmit uplink user data via the uplink user data transmission channel at a transmission rate corresponding to the initial granted value after the uplink user data transmission channel is set up, and the cell under the control of the radio base station sets the initial granted value to be equal to the granted value used in transmitting only a single data unit on the uplink user data transmission channel.
US08169928B2
A channel quality information reporting method includes a setting step, wherein the number N of blocks for which the mobile station reports channel quality information among the M blocks is set in accordance with an amount of traffic; a reporting step, wherein the base station reports the number N of blocks to the mobile station; a receiving step, wherein the mobile station receives the number N of blocks from the base station; a selecting step, wherein the mobile station selects N pieces of channel quality information from M pieces of channel quality information corresponding to the M blocks; an averaging step, wherein the mobile station averages pieces of channel quality information excluding the selected N pieces of the channel quality information; and a reporting step, wherein the mobile station reports the N pieces of channel quality information and the averaged channel quality information to the base station.
US08169921B2
Example methods and apparatus to monitor border gateway protocol sessions are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes detecting a failure of a first border gateway protocol (BGP) session and initiating a session-down timer in response to detecting the failure. The example method also includes generating a sustained-down alarm when a threshold time value of the session-down timer is exceeded before the first BGP session is re-established.
US08169919B2
A terminal device and a relay node selection method of the terminal device are described. The terminal device may sequentially compare a threshold value and an output signal to noise ratio (SNR) of a plurality of relay nodes based on a set test order, and select a relay node having an output SNR greater than the threshold value as a relay node to perform a cooperative communication.
US08169911B2
Data of a stream to be stimulated is transmitted from a sender device to a receiver device through a network segment. An input device of the network segment determines a starting packet in transit (packets transmitted but not yet acknowledged by the receiver device), selects, as a function of a consumption of a target bandwidth for the stream, packets of the stream following the starting packet, temporarily stores selected packets received from the sender device, transmits to the sender device an anticipated positive acknowledgement message for each selected packet on behalf of the receiver device, transmits the selected packets to the receiver device, and discards stored selected packets corresponding to positive acknowledgements of transmitted selected packets.
US08169904B1
A method, system, and medium are provided for managing bandwidth associated with a communication session characterized by a plurality of data packets being transmitted from a sender to a receiver. The receiver can include functions that monitor communication sessions and determine bandwidth adjustments corresponding thereto for optimizing the user's experience. The receiver can communicate feedback messages to senders that include requests for bandwidth adjustments. According to embodiments, senders can include well-known feedback listening ports through which feedback messages are received, enabling out-of-band user experience optimization.
US08169900B2
A method and system for combining the bandwidth available to a user communications device from multiple access points by switching output requests and corresponding replies to such requests among a plurality of such access points. In the simplest implementation the switching can be on a round-robin basis, but the switching can be enhanced to prioritize and use quality of service requirements associated with each output request, and also to measure congestion at each access point and base switching upon the congestion level. The invention operates by generating subset ISO communication stacks for each available access point, preferably the subset from the IP layer to the data control link, and switching between these stacks.
US08169899B2
A telecommunication method, server and system that route an outbound telephone communication initiated by a wireless remote device through an enterprise communication network. The system also routes an incoming call to a device associated with an enterprise communication network to a plurality of telephony devices including wireless devices and other remote devices.
US08169898B2
A self-configuring communication system includes a portable memory device that stores personalization data. The self-configuring communication system includes a local instrument. The local instrument includes an interface for the portable memory device. The local instrument includes a processor to establish a link through the interface to the portable memory device without intervention and, upon establishing the link, to execute a program to configure the local instrument to emulate a telephone described by the personalization data.
US08169897B2
A method for high rate data delivery in a multi-hop vehicular network comprises at each source vehicle, initiating a packet having a flow tag, assigning an identifier of the content and the current location to the flow tag, and forwarding the packet; at each destination vehicle, setting a flow request and broadcasting at the current intersection; further on movement, setting the flow request at the new intersection, and at each intersection, selecting a header vehicle at the intersection, computing backlog and congestion indicators and listening for broadcasts with a matrix and the flow requests at the header vehicle, determining if the matrix is present, updating the matrix in accordance with the backlog and congestion indicators if the matrix is present, initializing the matrix and estimating the delay on the outgoing road segments if the matrix is not present, forwarding the packet flow, and broadcasting the matrix from the header vehicle.
US08169866B2
By referring to a table of reproducing conditions and medium specific parameters, stored in an optical disc or optical disc apparatus and/or generated by the optical disc apparatus, the medium specific parameters to be used for performing reproducing power adjustment are changed in accordance with the reproducing condition to execute reproducing power adjustment.
US08169865B2
An information storage medium includes areas of disk-related information having disk-related information to record or reproduce data with respect to the information storage medium, wherein the disk-related information includes common disk-related information and changeable parameter information, and the areas of the disk-related information are arranged according to information about the changeable parameter information.
US08169864B2
Provided is an actuator for a pickup, in which end parts of a plurality of suspensions (550A to 550F) of five or more are positioned on a virtual circle (X) formed on a plane by being projected onto the plane including both a focusing direction and a tracking direction. A rolling center (O) defined as a center of the virtual circle (X) is made to coincide with all three, two, or one of a center (Os) of the gravity of a lens holder (600), a center (Os) of the drive force of the lens holder (600), and a center (Os) of the translational force of the suspensions (550A to 550F). Since the rolling center (O) coincides with all three, two, or one of those centers (Os), a rotational moment is not generated on the lens holder (600) and, therefore, generation of unnecessary resonance can be prevented.
US08169861B1
Provided is a thermally-assisted magnetic recording head in which NF-light with sufficiently high light density can be applied to a medium while a write-field generating point and a near-field light (NF-light) generating point are close to each other. The head comprises a plasmon generator provided between a magnetic pole and a waveguide and configured to be coupled with light propagating through the waveguide in a surface plasmon mode to emit NF-light. The plasmon generator comprises: a plasmon propagating part comprising a propagation edge for propagating surface plasmon excited by the light; and a light penetration suppressing part with an extinction coefficient greater than the plasmon propagating part. The light penetration suppressing part is in surface-contact with a surface portion of the plasmon propagating part excluding the propagation edge, and the magnetic pole is in surface-contact with the light penetration suppressing part. This configuration can avoid significant reduction in light use efficiency of an optical system generating NF-light due to partial absorption of electromagnetic field (light) into the magnetic pole.
US08169855B2
An ultrasonic sensor unit includes an ultrasonic transmission sensor array having a plurality of ultrasonic transmission sensors configured and arranged to transmit ultrasonic waves, and an ultrasonic reception sensor array having a plurality of ultrasonic reception sensors configured and arranged to receive the ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic reception sensor array re coupled to the ultrasonic transmission sensor array so that the ultrasonic transmission sensors and the ultrasonic reception sensors do not overlap in planar view. One of the ultrasonic transmission sensor array and the ultrasonic reception sensor array include a plurality of through-holes through which one of the ultrasonic transmission sensors and the ultrasonic reception sensors provided in the other of the ultrasonic transmission sensor array and the ultrasonic reception sensor array are exposed.
US08169849B2
Methods and systems are provided that allow the method of access to one or more memory banks to be performed using serial access, or using parallel access. In serial mode, each link operates as an independent serial link. In contrast, during serial mode, the links operate in common as a parallel link. Where input and output controls are received independently for each link for serial mode, a single set of input and output controls is used in common by all of the links during parallel mode.
US08169834B2
A sense amplifier and method of implementing includes a reference current generation circuit, which is used for providing a reference current with a settable temperature coefficient for a main circuit of the sense amplifier; the main circuit is used for comparing the reference current with a storage cell current, and distinguishing between 0 and 1 Storage Cell. A method of implementing the sense amplifier that is as below: With an additional current reference circuit, generating and inputting the reference current with a positive/negative/zero temperature coefficient into the main circuit, by mixing a proportional absolute temperature current and a constant current according to different ratios; a storage cell selection tube in a mirror branch of a biased current of the main circuit, so as to constitute a source degeneration circuit, making the biased current change with the power supply voltage and realizing a gain compensation function.
US08169832B2
Methods and apparatus are disclosed, such as those involving a flash memory device that includes a memory block. The memory block includes a plurality of data lines extending substantially parallel to one another, and a plurality of memory cells. One such method includes erasing the memory cells; and performing erase verification on the memory cells. The erase verification includes determining one memory cell by one memory cell whether the individual memory cells coupled to one of the data lines have been erased. The method can also include performing a re-erase operation that selectively re-erases unerased memory cells based at least partly on the result of the erase verification.
US08169830B2
Methods for sensing, memory devices, and memory systems are disclosed. One such method for sensing includes charging bit lines of an all bit line architecture to a precharge voltage, selecting a word line, and performing a sense operation on the bit lines. After the sense operation on the memory cells of the first selected word line is complete, the precharge voltage is maintained on the bit lines while a second word line is selected.
US08169806B2
Electronic devices such as portable electronic devices are provided. Power converters are provided that convert alternating-current power into direct-current power for powering the electronic devices. A power converter may rectify an alternating current line signal to produce a rectified alternating current signal having peaks and valleys. The power converter may have a capacitor and transformer coupled across the rectifier circuit. Power regulation switching circuitry in the power converter or the electronic device may regulate how much power is delivered to the electronic device. Relatively more power may be delivered during the peaks in the rectified signal than during the valleys. Pulsed power delivery may be controlled using control resources in the power converter, in the electronic device, or in both the power converter and electronic device.
US08169805B2
A method for operating an inverter for converting direct voltage into alternating voltage, having two direct-voltage terminals and two alternating-voltage terminals, between which a plurality of power switching elements clocked at high-frequency are connected. The high-frequency clocking of the power switching elements of the inverter is switched off around a zero transition of the alternating voltage for a period which depends on the direct voltage present at the direct-voltage terminals of the inverter and/or the output power of the inverter, so that no current is generated in time intervals with a poor efficiency at the alternating-voltage terminals of the inverter.
US08169800B2
A power converter according to the present invention includes a power supply unit, an output unit, and a switching controller. The power supply unit includes a primary coil of a transformer that receives an input voltage, a gate electrode, and a switch having a first electrode and a second electrode that is connected to the primary coil. The output unit includes a secondary coil of the transformer, and outputs an output voltage that is converted from the input voltage by the transformer. The switching controller includes a feedback terminal that receives a feedback voltage corresponding to the output voltage, generates a burst voltage by compensating the feedback voltage according to a maximum current value that can flow between the second electrode and the first electrode of the switch, determines whether to perform a burst mode operation according to the burst voltage, and transmits a gate signal according to performance of the burst mode operation to the gate electrode of the switch.
US08169799B2
A power factor correction circuit steps up and power-factor-corrects a rectified voltage, which has been rectified from an AC input voltage of an AC power source Vin, through an ON/OFF operation of a switching element Q1 and supplies a stepped-up output voltage to a DC-DC converter that is driven with a first pulse signal. The power factor correction circuit includes a delay circuit to receive the first pulse signal whose pulse width corresponds to an output voltage of the DC-DC converter, generate, in response to an ON pulse of the first pulse signal, a delay pulse signal whose pulse width corresponds to the rectified voltage, and synthesize the first pulse signal and the delay pulse signal into a second pulse signal. The power factor correction circuit also includes a driver to drive the switching element according to the second pulse signal.
US08169794B2
A harness-integrated slide hinge is provided that connects between a plurality of casings having circuits therein while allowing the casings to move relatively. The harness-integrated slide hinge includes: a first sliding plate fitted to the one casing; a second sliding plate fitted to the other casing; a sliding mechanism that connects between the first sliding plate and the second sliding plate while allowing them to move relatively; and a harness that has a plurality of wirings, and connection sections provided on both ends of these wirings, and that is routed between the first sliding plate and the second sliding plate, wherein a wiring lamination section having a plurality of the wirings laminated therein is bent in a U-shape and accommodated in a space section between the first sliding plate and the second sliding plate.
US08169792B2
A multilayer printed wiring board includes: a build-up layer that is formed on a core substrate and has a conductor pattern disposed on an upper surface; a low elastic modulus layer that is formed on the build-up layer; lands that are disposed on an upper surface of the low elastic modulus layer and connected via solder bumps to a IC chip; and conductor posts that pass through the low elastic modulus layer and electrically connect lands with conductor patterns. The conductor posts have the aspect ratio Rasp (height/minimum diameter) of not less than 4 and the minimum diameter exceeding 30 μm, and the aspect ratio Rasp of external conductor posts, which are positioned at external portions of the low elastic modulus layer, is greater than or equal to the aspect ratio Rasp of internal conductor posts, which are positioned at internal portions of the low elastic modulus layer.
US08169791B2
Electronic module (10), and an electric motor (12) containing one, and also a production method for one, having an electrically conductive first substrate (16) which has a basic body (54) and which has a second electrically conductive substrate (18) mounted on it, and having at least one power component which is arranged on a first substrate (16), and the second substrate (18) is fitted with further components (40) on a side (32) which is remote from the first substrate (16), where the second substrate (18) has a smaller base area (19) than the basic body (54) of the first substrate (16), and the power components (22) are mounted on the first substrate (16) outside the outer perimeter (70) of the second substrate (18)—next to the latter.
US08169785B2
According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes: a device main body, a first engage portion; an operation element; and a disengage mechanism. The device main body includes component container detachably housing a component. The first engage portion is provided to the device main body and facing inside the component container, and when the component is housed in the component container, engaged with a second engage portion provided to the component. The operation element is provided on a rear wall of the device main body, the rear wall being a side wall of the device main body provided at a further side of the device main body and extended in a width direction of the device main body. The disengage mechanism moves the first engage portion in accordance with an operation of the operation element to disengage the first engage portion and the second engage portion from each other.
US08169784B2
To improve reliability of a circuit module by improving heat release performance and minimizing thermal influence on a device to be mounted, a base substrate having a first substrate mounted thereon is fitted into a lower portion of casing member, and a second substrate is installed in the upper portion of the casing member so that a spaced area can be provided. In addition, a drive device to be installed on the second substrate is positioned off the center of the second substrate.
US08169778B2
A peripheral card EMI shielding scheme which comprises a sandwich of three layers. The first layer comprises a chassis rear wall (e.g., constructed of sheet metal). The next layer, which in certain embodiments is the middle of the sandwich, comprises a relatively thin plate (e.g., 0.15 mm+/−0.1 mm) with spring arms. The third layer comprises a sheet metal plate (in certain embodiments, the third layer has a similar thickness to the rear wall). The thick sheet metal plate completely covers the thin plate, except for areas where the spring arms protrude. The three plates are staked together by a method similar to an extrude-and-roll process (e.g., where one piece is fastened to another without the need for additional hardware or welding).
US08169760B2
An integrated circuit, design structures and methods of forming the integrated circuit which includes a signal pad ESD coupled to an I/O signal pad and a power supply ESD coupled to a source VDD. The signal pad ESD and the power supply ESD are integrated in a single ESD structure.
US08169756B2
An alternating current system 10 has a primary circuit 11 which forms a primary winding 18 on a core 16. A secondary winding 24 is connected with a current source 26 or, alternatively, with an impedance 60. The core 16 is threaded by a superconducting coil 20 having a current source 22. In normal use, current in the coil 20 provides a DC bias level of flux in the core 16, and the source 26 is varied to maintain substantially constant flux, thereby minimising losses in the primary circuit 11. In fault conditions, current in the coil 20 is reduced or removed to increase voltage losses across the coil 18, thereby limiting fault current. The impedance 60 can also be switched into circuit, creating further current limiting by virtue of the transformer effect of the windings 18, 24.
US08169752B2
In a method for manufacturing a magneto-resistance effect element having a pinned magnetic layer of which a magnetization is fixed substantially in one direction, a free magnetization layer of which a magnetization is rotated in accordance with an external magnetic field and a spacer layer, which is located between the fixed magnetization layer and the free magnetization layer, with an insulating layer and a metallic layer penetrating through the insulating layer, the spacer layer is formed by forming a first metallic layer; forming, on the first metallic layer, a second metallic layer to be converted into a portion of the insulating layer; performing a first conversion treatment so as to convert the second metallic layer into the portion of said insulating layer and to form a portion of the metallic layer penetrating through the insulating layer; forming, on the insulating layer and the metallic layer formed through the first conversion treatment, a third metallic layer to be converted into the other portion of the insulating layer; and performing a second conversion treatment so as to convert the third metallic layer into the other portion of the insulating and to form the other portion of the metallic layer penetrating through the insulating layer.
US08169741B2
According to one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording head includes a main pole which generates a recording magnetic field, a return pole which forms a closed magnetic circuit for the recording magnetic field, and a side shield magnetically spaced from the main pole in a cross-track direction in which a point on a trailing edge of the side shield which is closest to the main pole is positioned on a leading side of a trailing edge of the main pole.
US08169733B2
A magnetic disk device includes a disk that includes a plurality of tracks and magnetically stores therein data; a magnetic head that reads and writes data on the tracks; a data writing unit that classifies sectors along one track into a plurality of sector groups and writes to a physical address of each of the sector groups data of a logical address that is different from a logical address corresponding to the physical address in same track; and a first nonvolatile memory that stores therein a conversion table of the logical address and the physical address.
US08169732B2
A method for writing servo onto a disk of a hard disk drive. The method includes writing a plurality of spiral servo signals with a head. The spiral servo signals are used to generate position error signals and write a plurality of servo patterns. A write current of the head is varied for at least one servo pattern. A PES/WC relationship between the position error signals and the write current is determined and a plurality of final servo patterns are written by utilizing the PES/WC relationship and varying the write current. Varying the write current changes the trailing edge of the servo bits and controls the position of the track center. The PES/WC relationship allows the system to compensate for excursions within a single revolution of the disk.
US08169714B2
A two-unit zoom lens system which forms an image on an image pickup surface, includes in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit G1 having a negative refracting power and a second lens unit G2 having a positive refracting power. At the time of zooming from a wide angle end to a telephoto end, a distance between the first lens unit and the second lens unit is narrowed. The first lens unit includes in order from the object side to the image side, a first lens having a negative refracting power, a second lens having a negative refracting power, and a third lens having a positive refracting power, and the two-unit zoom lens system satisfies predetermined conditional expressions.
US08169713B2
Disclosed herein is a zoom lens, including: an object side lens group disposed on the object side and including a first variable lens having a deformation surface, the object side lens group having a focal length varied by deformation of the first variable lens; an image side lens group disposed on the image side with respect to the object side lens group with an aperture stop sandwiched therebetween and including a second variable lens having a deformation surface, the image side lens group having a focal length varied by deformation of the second variable lens; and a lens group disposed between the object side lens group and the image side lens group and including the aperture stop. The deformation of the first and second variable lenses is controlled to carry out power variation and carry out image surface movement compensation and focusing by the power variation.
US08169708B2
A projection image display device is disclosed in which a trapezoidal distortion and/or aberration are restrained when an image is enlarged and projected obliquely onto a screen. An image generator is connected to an optical system base in such a manner that at least an inclination thereof (on an axis parallel to X axis) with respect to a vertical line and a distance thereof in forward and backward direction (Z axis direction) can be adjusted by an adjusting mechanism. Further, a projecting lens 2 as a first optical system and a free-form curved surface mirror as a second optical system are fixed to the optical system base. The free-form curved surface mirror is rotatable (on an rotary axis parallel to X axis) with respect to the vertical line at a substantial center of the free-form curved surface mirror.
US08169704B2
The image display apparatus includes an image-forming element, an optical system guiding light from the image-forming element to an exit pupil, and a diffractive optical element disposed between the image-forming element and the optical system or between the optical system and the exit pupil. The diffractive optical element includes plural diffraction grating portions formed of mutually different materials. Each of the diffraction grating portions includes plural grating rings each having a grating surface and a grating side surface. In each of the grating rings, the grating side surface is inclined oppositely to the grating surface with respect to a normal to an enveloping surface passing through apexes of the plural grating rings. The diffractive optical element satisfies the following conditions at least when k=kE: θd(j, k)=sin−1 [{ni·sinθi (j, k)−m(j, k)·λ/P(j, k)}/nd]≦θi(j, k), M(k)=Σ{m(j, k)}=const, and θd(j, k)≦θ≦θi (j, k).
US08169699B2
Polarization preserving projection screens provide optimum polarization preservation for 3D viewing. The projection screens additionally provide improved light control for enhanced brightness, uniformity, and contrast for both 2D and 3D systems. Generally, the disclosed method for providing a projection screen comprises stripping an optically functional material from a carrier substrate, thus creating engineered particles from the optically functional material. The engineered particles may then be deposited on a second substrate to create a substantially homogeneous optical appearance of the projection screen.
US08169698B1
An integral, dual projection screen structure for displaying an image from a projection source. The projection screen structure comprises a frame; first and second movable projection screens disposed within the frame, each movable screen having an operable roller for rolling and unrolling the screen and being mounted at the top portion of the frame; and a masking system having at least two movable masking panels disposed within the frame over at least two of the top portion, bottom portion and first and second side portions of the front side of the sheet in the second screen.
US08169694B2
In general, in a first aspect, the invention features a system that includes a microlithography projection optical system. The microlithography projection optical system includes a plurality of elements arranged so that during operation the plurality of elements image radiation at a wavelength λ from an object plane to an image plane. At least one of the elements is a reflective element that has a rotationally-asymmetric surface positioned in a path of the radiation. The rotationally-asymmetric surface deviates from a rotationally-symmetric reference surface by a distance of about λ or more at one or more locations of the rotationally-asymmetric surface.
US08169693B1
An improved method and apparatus for passively conjugating the phases of a distorted wavefronts resulting from optical phase mismatch between elements of a fiber laser array are disclosed. A method for passively conjugating a distorted wavefront comprises the steps of: multiplexing a plurality of probe fibers and a bundle pump fiber in a fiber bundle array; passing the multiplexed output from the fiber bundle array through a collimating lens and into one portion of a non-linear medium; passing the output from a pump collection fiber through a focusing lens and into another portion of the non-linear medium so that the output from the pump collection fiber mixes with the multiplexed output from the fiber bundle; adjusting one or more degrees of freedom of one or more of the fiber bundle array, the collimating lens, the focusing lens, the non-linear medium, or the pump collection fiber to produce a standing wave in the non-linear medium.
US08169687B2
An interference modulator (Imod) incorporates anti-reflection coatings and/or micro-fabricated supplemental lighting sources. An efficient drive scheme is provided for matrix addressed arrays of IMods or other micromechanical devices. An improved color scheme provides greater flexibility. Electronic hardware can be field reconfigured to accommodate different display formats and/or application functions. An IMod's electromechanical behavior can be decoupled from its optical behavior. An improved actuation means is provided, some one of which may be hidden from view. An IMod or IMod array is fabricated and used in conjunction with a MEMS switch or switch array. An IMod can be used for optical switching and modulation. Some IMods incorporate 2-D and 3-D photonic structures. A variety of applications for the modulation of light are discussed. A MEMS manufacturing and packaging approach is provided based on a continuous web fed process. IMods can be used as test structures for the evaluation of residual stress in deposited materials.
US08169675B2
Apparatus and method for creating a preview image of an object is provided. The apparatus includes an object type detecting unit for detecting an object to be previewed for determining whether the type of the object is text, graphics, and image, a color matching unit for converting a color signal of the detected object into an image forming color signal by using a color profile corresponding to the detected object according to the detection result of the object type detecting unit, and a preview image creating unit for creating and displaying a preview image for the object converted into the image forming color signal. Therefore, because the preview image is displayed on a monitor according to the type of object (text, graphics, or image), a user can predict the image forming result more accurately. Further, because the colors of objects can be adjusted, a printout with desired color characteristics can be obtained.
US08169672B2
A disclosed image scanning device illuminates a document with a light source, focuses light reflected from the document on an image sensor to obtain one-dimensional images of the document, and obtains a two-dimensional image of the document from the one-dimensional images. The device includes an illumination lens for dividing a light beam emitted from the light source into multiple light beams and a combining unit for combining the multiple light beams on the document. A disclosed image scanning method includes the steps of illuminating a document with a light source; focusing light reflected from the document on an image sensor to obtain one-dimensional images of the document; and obtaining a two-dimensional image of the document from the one-dimensional images. In this method, a light beam from the light source is divided into multiple light beams and the multiple light beams are combined on the document. A disclosed image forming apparatus includes the image scanning device.
US08169670B2
In an image scanning device, the receiving unit receives a light reflected on a document putted on the surface of the board. The presuming unit presumes a dimension of a horizontal edge of the document based on the reflected light. The determining unit determines, based on the presumed dimension, whether or not the document has one of the plurality of standard sizes. The assuming unit assumes that the document has a virtual size defined by a virtual horizontal edge and a virtual longitudinal edge if the determining unit determines that the document has neither the plurality of standard sizes. The virtual horizontal dimension of the virtual horizontal edge is equal to or larger than the presumed dimension. The scanning unit scans the document over a range corresponding to the virtual size to generate image data.
US08169665B2
A tone dependent green-noise error diffusion method includes setting a first threshold and a second threshold, and determining a two-level value of a color level of an input image according to the first threshold and the second threshold; subtracting the two-level value from the color level value to generate an error value; performing an error diffusion on the error value to generate an error diffusion accumulation value; adjusting the color level according to the error diffusion accumulation value; performing a hysteresis filtering on the two-level value to generate an output dependent feedback value; and adjusting the color level according to the output dependent feedback value.
US08169660B2
Disclosed is a system and method for calibrating multiple printers, and particularly color printers, in a networked environment using data embedded in select color patches in target sheets generated by each printer, which embedded data allows automated processing of the target sheets and association of appropriate target sheet data with the correct printer. The embedded data preferably includes an identification of which of multiple printers a particular target sheet corresponds to, along with data about the target sheet itself.
US08169659B2
To reduce the trade-off between image quality and marking speed, high-resolution data for an image is evaluated, and an output value is created based on the evaluation of the high-resolution data. The output value has a larger output spacing than the high-resolution data, and approximates an edge of a solid defined by the high-resolution data, but within an output area defined by the larger output spacing.
US08169653B2
Systems and methods for configuring gaming voucher layouts are described herein. In one embodiment the method includes receiving, in a gaming machine, a gaming voucher layout defining a print layout for a gaming voucher. The method can also include loading the gaming voucher layout into a printer, where the printer is part of the gaming machine.
US08169649B2
Mobile device methods for enabling pervasive wireless digital media communication. A wireless digital media ecosystem may include a mobile Information apparatus such as a smart phone, an internet or information Pad, and may further include other wireless devices such as televisions, media players, media output controllers, printers, projectors, and another information apparatus. This disclosure teaches adding a wireless communication unit to the mobile information apparatus for digital media access, sharing, and transferring with the wireless communication unit. The mobile information apparatus may further perform wireless discovery and may establish a wireless connection to one or more wireless output devices such as the television. Authentication using security keys may be added for digital security. Digital content may be encoded and compressed at the mobile information apparatus prior to transferring to the one or more wireless output devices over the established wireless connection.
US08169646B2
A composite image is generated by compositing blank regions generated by tilt correction with achromatic pixels or pixels contained in the non-overlapping regions that do not overlap with the region of the original image as a result of tilt correction. The data of this composite image, which is used as image data used for printing, is provided to a printing apparatus having an automatic correction feature. As a result, variation in correction results due to the amount of tilt correction is minimized when images corrected for tilt are automatically corrected and printed.
US08169642B2
An image forming system includes a first image forming apparatus and a second image forming apparatus that are connected to each other via a network. The first image forming apparatus includes a transmitter unit transferring reproduced data of data for transfer to the second image forming apparatus via the network, a memory unit storing the data for transfer, and a data eraser unit erasing the data in the memory unit and transmitting an instruction to erase the corresponding data to the second image forming apparatus when a user inputs an instruction to erase the data for transfer. The second image forming apparatus includes a receiver unit receiving the transferred data, a memory unit storing the received data, and an eraser unit erasing the corresponding data in the memory unit according to the erase instruction transmitted from the first image forming apparatus.
US08169637B2
The serial number of a first printer in which a network board is installed before power supply of the first printer is turned is stored in the network board. The network board determines whether or not the current serial number of the first printer in which the network board is currently installed and the serial number of a second printer in which the network board is installed before the power supply of the first printer is turned ON are identical. If the two serial numbers are determined to be not identical, the network board transmits the model name of the first printer to a management server. When the management server receives the model name of the first printer, the management server transmits the configuration file associates with the model name of the first printer to the network board.
US08169632B2
A printing device is provided with a first storage configured to store a time-designated first print job, a judging unit configured to judge whether to change the print time of the first print job to allow interruption of a second print job which is different from the first print job based on a predetermined condition is met and a printing unit configured to execute a printing operation based on judgment of the judging unit.
US08169631B2
An apparatus and method for printing data based on an electronic file and generating management information about the print data including receiving print data and identification information associated with the electronic file, comparing the received print data with registered print data registered in a management apparatus based on the identification information, and registering the management information.
US08169611B2
The present invention relates to ellipsometer and polarimeter systems, and more particularly is an ellipsometer or polarimeter or the like system which operates in a frequency range between 300 GHz or lower and extending to higher than at least 1 Tera-hertz (THz), and preferably through the Infra-red (IR) range up to, and higher than 100 THz, including: a source such as a backward wave oscillator; a Smith-Purcell cell; a free electron laser, or an FTIR source and a solid state device; and a detector such as a Golay cell; a bolometer or a solid state detector; and preferably including at least one odd-bounce polarization state image rotating system, and optionally including a polarizer, at least one compensator and/or modulator, in addition to an analyzer.
US08169602B2
A document processing system includes an input receptacle for receiving documents. A transport mechanism receives the documents from the input receptacle and transports the documents past an image scanner and a discrimination unit. An output receptacle receives the documents from the transport mechanism after being transported past the full image scanner and the discrimination unit. The image scanner operates to obtain images of the documents and further operates to obtain images of selected portions of the documents, and further can obtain information contained in the selected portions. The discrimination unit operates to determine document authenticity. A system controller directs the flow of documents over the transport mechanism.
US08169598B2
A rangefinder. A main body includes a first end and a second end opposite to the first end. The second end includes at least one guide bar. A receiving lens is connected to the first end of the main body. A first adjusting wheel and a second adjusting wheel are rotatably connected to the second end of the main body. A movable board is movably fit on the guide bar of the second end of the main body and is disposed between the first and second adjusting wheels. A receiving member is connected to the movable board, receiving light beams received by the receiving lens. The movable board is moved by rotation of the first and second adjusting wheels, driving the receiving member to move on an optical axis.
US08169596B2
A multi-plane scanner support system includes a bracket and a mirror block. The bracket is configured to be secured in a fixed orientation with respect to a scanner. And the mirror block is arranged to receive a scanning signal from the scanner and to reflect the scanning signal into a plurality of directions to create multiple scanning planes. The scanner can be a laser scanner. The scanner and multi-plane scanner support system can be attached to a material transport vehicle, for example, to provide safety functions. The vehicle can be manned or unmanned.
US08169587B2
Systems and methods for improving strength of thin displays, such as Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) displays, are disclosed. In one embodiment, a display can use an asymmetrical arrangement of layers (e.g., glass layers) where one layer is thicker than another layer. Different scribing techniques can also be used in singulating the different layers. The asymmetrical arrangement and/or scribing techniques can facilitate displays that are not only thin but also adequately strong to limit susceptibility to damage.
US08169584B2
A method of fabricating a liquid crystal display device includes: providing first and second substrates having a plurality of unit cell regions; forming a plurality of main seal patterns on the first substrate, each main seal pattern having an injection; forming an auxiliary seal pattern on the first substrate, the auxiliary seal pattern surrounding the plurality of main seal patterns and having at least one open portion; attaching the first substrate to the second substrate; providing an adhesive at the at least one open portion; and etching the first and second substrates, wherein a viscosity of the adhesive is within a range of about 5 to 100 centipoises (cP).
US08169577B2
A thin-film transistor photosensor and a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel respectively utilize a dielectric layer having F—SiOC: H compound and a bump structure having F—SiOC: H compound so as to form a thin-film transistor photosensor having lower resistor-capacitor loading (RC loading) and an LCD panel having low-dielectric F—SiOC: H compound respectively. In addition, a method of forming a dielectric layer having F—SiOC: H compound utilizes gases including trimethyl silane, carbon tetrafluoride, argon, and oxygen for thin-film deposition process so as to form a low-k F—SiOC: H compound dielectric layer.
US08169563B2
A backlight assembly includes a light source, a light-guide plate, a mold frame and a bottom chassis. The mold frame includes a first bottom portion, a protrusion on a first surface of the first bottom portion and a first sidewall portion on a second surface of the first bottom portion opposite to the first surface of the first bottom portion and facing the light guide plate. The bottom chassis includes a second bottom portion having a hole to receive the protrusion of the first bottom portion, and a second sidewall portion facing the light guide plate. A cross sectional area of a first opening of the hole corresponding to an inner surface of the bottom chassis and contacting the first surface of mold frame is different than a cross sectional area of a second opening of the hole corresponding to an outer surface of the bottom chassis.
US08169561B2
A pixel structure including an active device, a pixel electrode connected with the active device, a bottom electrode disposed under the pixel electrode, upper electrodes disposed between the pixel electrode and the bottom electrode and connected with the pixel electrode, a first dielectric layer disposed between the bottom electrode and the upper electrodes and a second dielectric layer disposed between the upper electrodes and the pixel electrode is provided. The total area of the upper electrodes overlapping with the bottom electrode is A, and the overlapping portion of the pixel electrode and each upper electrode includes a contact region and a reserved region having total area B. The dielectric constant and thickness of the first dielectric layer is ∈1 and d1; and for second dielectric layer ∈2 and d2, wherein 0.5<(∈1·d2·A)/(∈2·d1·B)<1.5.
US08169557B2
A display substrate includes a first pixel part including a first switching element, a second pixel part including a second switching element, a third pixel part including a third switching element, a first pixel electrode, a second pixel electrode and a third pixel electrode. The third pixel part is adjacent to the first pixel part. The first pixel electrode is electrically connected to the first switching element, and is formed on the first and second pixel part. The second pixel electrode is electrically connected to the second switching element, and is formed on a portion of the second pixel part. The third pixel electrode is electrically connected to the third switching element, and is formed on the first and third pixel parts. Therefore, an opening ratio is increased, thereby improving an image display quality.
US08169552B2
The present invention relates to a television receiver including a controller, which indicates a plurality of selectable items being involved in contents of a program displayed on a screen, a memory, which holds a plurality of predetermined audio settings corresponding to the plurality of selectable items, and a processor which selects an audio setting from the plurality of predetermined audio settings and outputs the selected audio setting corresponding to an item selected from the plurality of selectable items.
US08169545B2
A display control apparatus for superimposing an object on a moving image composed of a plurality of frames and outputting the moving image with the object superimposed to a monitor, comprises: an acquiring unit configured to acquire a plurality of candidate regions as candidates for superimposing the object on each of the plurality of frames constituting the moving image; an analyzing unit configured to, in each of the plurality of candidate regions acquired by the acquiring unit, analyze each of the plurality of frames and acquire a parameter showing an importance of each of the plurality of frames in each of the plurality of candidate regions; a determining unit configured to determine a superimposing region for superimposing the object based on the parameters; and a superimposing unit configured to superimpose the object on the superimposing region determined by the determining unit.
US08169544B2
To eliminate a signal deviation that occurs when scaling processing is performed on image data including multiple signals having different data rates, there is provided an image processing apparatus which performs scaling processing on image data including multiple signals having different data rates and includes a first scaling processing unit that performs a first scaling processing according to a first scale factor in a first area; and a second scaling processing unit that performs a second scaling processing subsequent to the first scaling processing, according to a second scale factor in a second area adjacent to the first area, on a signal having a high data rate using the first scale factor, and performs the second scaling processing on a signal having a low data rate using the second scale factor obtained by correcting the first scale factor, after the first scaling processing.
US08169536B2
The invention provides an optical imaging device, which includes: an input unit, adapted to receive lens category information that is inputted; a storage unit, adapted to store at least one lens control model; and a control unit, adapted to select, according to the lens category information that is inputted from the input unit, a corresponding lens control model from the storage unit, and to apply to a lens a control signal which control signal corresponds to a current status of the lens. The invention also provides a lens control method and apparatus. The optical imaging device of the invention can control and adjust various categories of lenses, thus effectively avoiding the problem of iris hunting.
US08169529B2
An imaging apparatus includes an image sensor configured to capture an image of a subject, a finder optical system configured to enable a photographer to optically observe the subject, a light-metering unit configured to perform a light-metering operation for a light flux that enters the finder optical system, an image display unit disposed in the finder optical system and configured to display an image of the subject captured by the image sensor and to enable the photographer to observe an image of the subject captured by the image sensor when the photographer looks in the finder optical system, and a control unit configured to prevent the image display unit from performing the display of the image when the light-metering unit performs the light-metering operation.
US08169528B2
This invention provides a photographing lens assembly comprising, in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface and a convex image-side surface; a second lens element with negative refractive power having a concave object-side surface and a concave image-side surface; a third lens element with negative refractive power, the object-side and image-side surfaces thereof being aspheric; a fourth lens element with negative refractive power having a concave image-side surface on which at least one inflection point is formed; and an aperture stop disposed between an imaged object and the second lens element; wherein there are four lens elements with refractive power. Such an arrangement of optical elements can effectively reduce the size of the lens assembly, attenuate the sensitivity of the optical system and enable the lens assembly to obtain higher resolution.
US08169525B2
An image sensing device comprises a readout unit, an output amplifier, and a horizontal scanning unit, wherein the horizontal scanning unit scans a plurality of column signal holding circuits in a plurality of holding blocks in the readout unit in a direction along a row, in each holding block, a first operation in which the signal held in a first holding unit is transferred to a second holding unit via a transfer switch is performed, and subsequently, a second operation in which the signal held in the second holding unit is transferred to the output amplifier, and a third operation in which a signal output from a pixel is read out to the first holding unit are performed in parallel, and the second operation and the first operation are performed in parallel between different holding blocks in the plurality of holding blocks.
US08169518B2
An image pickup apparatus includes: a solid-state image sensing device that includes a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels including: a photoelectric conversion film; and a photoelectric conversion element that is formed in the semiconductor substrate below the photoelectric conversion film, are made up of at least three types of photoelectric conversion elements for detecting light in different wave ranges, of visible light, and absorbs light in a wave range different from the wave ranges detected in the at least three types of photoelectric conversion elements and generates a charge responsive to the absorbed light, the image pickup apparatus further including: a monochrome image data generation unit; a color image data generation unit; and a record image data generation unit.
US08169516B2
A spatially-varying sharpening filter and a color registration module compensate for significant lateral color in poorly corrected optics. In one aspect, a color imaging system includes image-forming optics, a sensor array and a processing module. The processing module includes a color registration module and a spatially-varying sharpening filter. The image-forming optics suffers from lateral chromatic aberration. The sensor array captures color pixels of the chromatically aberrated optical image. The spatially-varying sharpening filter sharpens the image (e.g., reduces the blurring caused by lateral color), and the color registration module realigns different color channels of the image.
US08169513B2
A camera with defective pixel compensation is provided. The camera comprises a register and a compensating unit. The compensating unit receives an image datum and a plurality of adjacent image data relating to the image datum and, according to the value installed in the register, the compensator selects a reference datum from the plurality of adjacent image data. When the image datum is greater than the reference datum by a threshold value, the compensating unit modifies the image datum according to the reference datum.
US08169505B2
An image management apparatus capable of managing a plurality of images captured within a geographical range included in a designated map linked with that map. The image management apparatus has a period setting unit setting a predetermined period, an imaging unit acquiring an image, a position information acquisition unit acquiring capturing position information, a map information acquisition unit acquiring map information representing a predetermined geographical range, a judgment unit judging whether or not the imaging location corresponding to each of a plurality of images is included within the predetermined geographical range, a display position determination unit determining the display position of the imaging location judged to be included within the predetermined geographical range by the judgment unit among imaging locations, and a display unit displaying the imaging location judged to be included within the predetermined geographical range according to the display position.
US08169503B2
It is determined whether or not flicker has occurred in an image signal obtained on the basis of an output signal of an image pickup element. If it is determined that flicker has occurred, a flicker correction method is selected according to a gain value set in the image signal.
US08169502B2
An image sensor has an imaging surface irradiated with an optical image of an object scene, and repeatedly generates an object scene image. A CPU repeatedly determines whether or not a specific variation exceeding a reference is generated in the object scene captured by the image sensor, in parallel with a generating process of the object scene image by the image sensor. When a determination result is updated from a negative result to an affirmative result, the CPU waits for an elapse of a designated period, then, determines presence or absence of a generation of a flicker, and executes a flicker countermeasure process, as needed.
US08169501B2
There is provided an output apparatus which is capable of outputting a moving image in such a manner as to enable an observer to easily judge whether a quick movement made by a suspicious individual is an abnormal behavior. The output apparatus includes a moving image obtaining section that obtains a moving image, an output section that outputs the moving image obtained by the moving image obtaining section, a condition storing section that stores thereon a condition to be satisfied by an object which is required to be extracted from a moving image, and an output control section that, when an object satisfying the condition is extracted from the moving image obtained by the moving image obtaining section, controls the moving image obtained by the moving image obtaining section in terms of a play back state in which the moving image is to be played back, and causes the output section to output the controlled moving image.
US08169497B2
A method of segmenting a compressed video containing a plurality of frames into a multi-level hierarchy of video segments. The method comprises the steps of determining differences between the size of successive compressed frames in media time. The method then groups the frames to create a hierarchy of clusters of successive frames as video segments using a clustering process. The clustering process uses the size differences to determine boundaries between clusters at each level of the hierarchy.
US08169495B2
A method and apparatus for capturing an image depicting an area or region of interest. The method and apparatus use a large sensor, and a sampling function, which can be non-uniform, so that sensor cells depicting the region or object of interest are sampled more densely than other sensor cells, thus providing more details for the object or region of interest than to other areas, while still showing other areas for orientation and navigation purposes. The method and apparatus can be used for tracking the object or area of interest if either the area or object of interest, or the capturing device moves, by constantly adapting the densely sampled area on the sensor. The method and apparatus can be used for controlling the capturing device from a remote location.
US08169490B2
An image processing apparatus includes a motion prediction processor configured to detect a motion vector that indicates inter-image motion between a current image and a reference image; a motion compensation processor configured to perform a motion compensation process for the reference image by using the motion vector and generate a motion compensated image; an addition processor configured to generate a noise reduced image in which noise of the current image is reduced by adding the current image and the motion compensated image; an addition determination unit configured to compute an addition weight in units of pixels of the motion compensated image; a down-sampling processor configured to perform a process for reducing the current image and the motion compensated image; and an up-sampling processor configured to perform a process for expanding an addition coefficient map that is an output of the addition determination unit.
US08169489B2
A multi view imaging device according to an aspect of the present invention detects vibration applied to a plurality of imaging means and corrects, for each of a plurality of imaging means, an image blur of a subject image taken by the imaging means caused by the vibration. The image blur is corrected to make the amounts of remaining blur of the image blur after the correction substantially the same among the plurality of imaging means. As a result, even if there are variations in operation characteristics and installation errors of image blur correction means arranged on the imaging means, an appropriate image blur correction can be performed for each imaging means. Since the amounts of remaining blur of the subject image after the image blur correction in the imaging means are substantially the same, a comfortable, natural parallax image that is good for eyes can be obtained.
US08169480B2
A method for producing a time sequence of images of motor vehicle surroundings from a virtual elevated central perspective on a display wherein several cameras are used to record time sequences of subimage data records from a plurality of real perspectives differently offset and tilted with respect to the virtual perspective. Then, parameterized transformations are applied for obtaining sequences of transformed subimage data records and overall image data for an overall image from the virtual perspective is assembled. Finally, the sequence of the overall image data is displayed as an overall image. To compensate for positional and/or orientation deviations in the recording cameras a selection unit is proposed to recurrently apply a selection criterion for selecting a subimage data record from the sequence and to take this as a basis for redetermining the parameters of the transformations by an optimization method under a quality criterion for the overall image.
US08169468B2
A robotic surgical system positions and holds an endoscope. A visible imaging system is coupled to the endoscope. The visible imaging system captures a visible image of tissue. An alternate imaging system is also coupled to the endoscope. The alternate imaging system captures a fluorescence image of at least a portion of the tissue. A stereoscopic video display system is coupled to the visible imaging system and to the alternate imaging system. The stereoscopic video display system outputs a real-time stereoscopic image comprising a three-dimensional presentation of a blend of a fluorescence image associated with the captured fluorescence image, and the visible image.
US08169455B2
In an optical scanning device including a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), an optical scanning device controls so as to satisfy P1
US08169454B1
Scanning beam systems in both pre-objective and post-objective designs for display, printing and other applications. Various servo feedback control mechanisms are described to control display imaging qualities on fluorescent screens that emit fluorescent light to form images or a target surface of a printing medium or other objects.
US08169447B2
A color computer output is dynamically converted into a monochrome computer output based on a stored profile. The stored profile may be for a piece of hardware (e.g., a monochrome printer), or a user (e.g., a color-blind user).
US08169438B1
In various embodiments, deformations caused by kinematic or reference objects to secondary objects such as hair or fur may be computed in parallel using a temporally coherent deformation technique. A single or uniform direction for a deformation may be determined from which the deformation of the secondary object will occur with respect to a reference object. The uniform direction for the deformation may be determined rather than allowing the direction of the deformation to vary along a dimension of the secondary object. The magnitude of the deformation may be determined to vary along the dimension of the secondary object in response to the penetration depth or the measure of how far inside the secondary object finds itself within the reference object.
US08169437B1
A system and method for dividing three-dimensional patches into tasks for processing receives control points defining a three dimensional patch and determines if a number of vertices of the three dimensional patch is greater than a maximum value. When the number of vertices is not greater than the maximum value, the three dimensional patch is output as a single task. When the number of vertices is greater than the maximum value, the three dimensional patch is divided into multiple tasks that each include a number of vertices that is not greater than the maximum value and the multiple tasks are output.
US08169431B2
Elements of the present invention relate to systems and methods for generating, a modified process for compensating for a reduced source light illumination level as well as a post-compensation process.
US08169428B2
A display device includes silver-molybdenum alloy electrodes having high reflectivity despite annealing temperatures. The display may have a first display substrate, a second display substrate and a liquid crystal layer. The first display substrate includes signal-applying modules (e.g., TFTs) disposed on a first substrate each including an output terminal configured to output a data signal, a patterned insulation layer having contact holes that expose the output terminals, and silver-molybdenum alloy electrodes (made of silver and molybdenum) electrically connected to the output terminals. The silver-molybdenum alloy electrode is employed in the display device, thereby increasing reflectivity of the display device and improving display quality of an image displayed by the display device.
US08169422B2
A finger stylus for attachment to a fingernail for manipulation of a handheld device such as a PDA that can include a base with an adhesive on a lower surface for attaching the stylus to a fingernail and an elongated part coupled to an upper surface where the elongated part points outward at an angle from the base. The finger stylus of the present invention can be a disposable device that can be of plastic or rubber.
US08169409B2
A text input for a messaging application is performed on the basis of the language stored respective to the input or the selected contact item in the memory.
US08169408B2
Disclosed are a display for a multi-function key pad and an electronic device having the display that have both input and output functions. The display for the multi-function key pad includes an electrophoretic display panel provided with a plurality of display regions arranged in a matrix form with having a non-display region as a boundary, a circuit board provided on the display panel and including a plurality of openings formed on regions corresponding to the display regions and a plurality of keys formed on regions that are outer circumference edges of the openings and correspond to the non-display region, and a pad provided on the circuit board and including a plurality of transparent windows formed on regions corresponding to the openings and a plurality of pressing units formed on regions that are outer circumference edges of the transparent windows and correspond to the keys.
US08169404B1
A method and system (500) for generating an approximately planar sensory field (199) and confirming a presence of an object (310) in the field is provided. The system can include at least one paired receiver (121/122) and at least one transmitter (130) in a front and back orientation of a touchless sensing unit (110). The method can include detecting a movement of the object within a sensory space (176/177), estimating a phase angle of the movement; and evaluating whether the phase angle is within a predetermined range (197), and if so, confirming a presence of the object within the approximately planar sensory field.
US08169402B2
Vibrotactile haptic feedback devices are disclosed. For example, in one embodiment, a device includes: a mass, an actuator configured to vibrate the mass, and a coupling disposed between the actuator and the mass or between the mass and a housing, the coupling having a first configuration with a compliance and a second configuration with a compliance, the compliance of the coupling in the first configuration being different from the compliance of the coupling in the second configuration, the actuator being configured to output haptic feedback associated with the first configuration of the coupling and haptic feedback associated with the second configuration of the coupling, the haptic feedback associated with the first configuration of the coupling being different from the haptic feedback associated with the second configuration of the coupling.
US08169399B2
A display device includes: a first insulating substrate; a main pixel which is formed on the first insulating substrate and comprises a plurality of sub-pixels and a single sensing electrode; a second insulating substrate which faces the first insulating substrate; a sensing spacer formed on the second insulating substrate which faces the sensing electrode; and a contact electrode formed on the sensing spacer.
US08169398B2
A first output unit outputs a control signal for removing a residual electric charge from a liquid crystal display module that includes a backlight. A reference-signal obtaining unit obtains a reference signal for setting a reference when turning on the backlight. A delay-time setting unit sets a delay time for delaying a turn-on time of the backlight from a turn-on time of the reference signal. A second output unit outputs a turn-on signal for turning on the backlight at a turn-on time delayed by the delay time from the turn-on time of the reference signal.
US08169396B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) device with reduced power consumption is provided with a plurality of data lines, a plurality of gate lines, and at least one demultiplexer. Each demultiplexer can comprise a plurality of switches respectively connected to the corresponding data lines and controlled by a plurality of clock signals and configured to receive an image signal, and selectively output the image signal to one of the data lines via the switches. During a driving period, one of the gate lines can be asserted, and the switches can be turned on simultaneously, then only the first one of the switches remains turned on to transmit the image signal to the corresponding data line, and then the first one of the switches are turned off and the other switches is sequentially turned on one at a time to transmit the image signal to the corresponding data lines.
US08169395B2
An apparatus and method of driving an LCD device is disclosed, which has a simplified structure by decreasing the number of signal transmission lines included in a shift register, the apparatus comprising a display panel to display images; a gate driver to drive gate lines of the display panel; a timing controller to control the gate driver by generating at least three clock pulses having the different phases from one another; and a start pulse generator to generate a start pulse using at least two clock pulses among at least three clock pulses, and to supply the generated start pulse to the gate driver.
US08169390B2
The present invention relates to a method of controlling luminance of a backlight based on a processed image data after receiving information of image data, in order to improve the visibility of moving picture. An inverter according to the present invention includes a first block generating a first luminance control signal with an analog value depending on the luminance control signal with a duty ratio depending on a synchronization signal. The luminance control signals generated by the respective blocks are synthesized luminance control signal. Accordingly, a liquid crystal display employing two backlight control methods can be provided. Thus, it is possible to remove the drag phenomenon of a screen and, at the same time, to improve the visibility for moving picture.
US08169389B2
A method of converting a three-or-more-color-component image input signal to an image output signal includes acquiring an input signal having a plurality of pixel signals, each pixel signal having three, or more, color components; determining a residual difference for each color component of each pixel signal; determining a limit value of the residual differences; calculating a common scale factor for each of the color components based upon the limit value; and applying the common scale factor to the image input signal to produce the image output signal.
US08169384B2
A display device includes: a pixel array section; and a drive section, the pixel array section including scan lines, signal lines, pixels, and power lines, the drive section including a main scanner, a drive scanner, and a signal selector, wherein each of the pixels includes a light-emitting element, sampling transistor, drive transistor, and holding capacitor.
US08169377B2
A pointing apparatus and method of operation for an antenna mount provided with a base frame and an antenna mount rotatably coupled together. A first wheel rigidly coupled to one of the base frame and the antenna mount driven by a mechanical linkage with a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel mounted to the base frame or the antenna mount not rigidly coupled to the first wheel. The first drive wheel and the second drive wheel driven against one another in opposite directions; a torque level unbalance applied between the first motor and the second motor operative to rotate the base frame and the antenna mount with respect to one another in a first desired direction.
US08169374B2
A handheld electronic device may be provided that contains wireless communications circuitry. The handheld electronic device may have a housing and a display. The display may be attached to the housing using a conductive bezel. The handheld electronic device may have one or more antennas for supporting wireless communications. A ground plane in the handheld electronic device may serve as ground for one or more of the antennas. The ground plane and bezel may define a opening. A rectangular slot antenna or other suitable slot antenna may be formed from or within the opening. One or more antenna resonating elements may be formed above the slot. An electrical switch that bridges the slot may be used to modify the perimeter of the slot so as to tune the communications bands of the handheld electronic device.
US08169372B1
An antenna comprising: a first current probe comprising a core of ferromagnetic material having an aperture therein; a pump comprising a nozzle, wherein the pump is configured to pump a free-standing stream of electrolytic fluid out the nozzle and through the aperture such that the stream and the current probe are magnetically coupled; and a first transceiver operatively coupled to the current probe.
US08169369B2
A frequency generation unit (FGU) in a communication device includes a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), an adjustable filter having a capacitive element for wideband operation, a current source with variable gain, and chirp generation control circuitry (CGC) that is used to generate location signals. The FGU receives, from a reference device, at least one location signal control parameter that defines linear frequency slope characteristics for a location signal. The CGC configures, based on the at least one location signal control parameter, the gain and a polarity of the current source to generate a first current during a first time period for charging the capacitive element to generate a control signal that is coupled to the VCO to generate a first part of the location signal having the defined linear frequency slope characteristics, wherein the first part of the location signal is transmitted using a transceiver of the communication device.
US08169366B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for operatively enabling at least a first receiver path to receive a first signal associated with a first satellite positioning system (SPS), operatively enabling at least a second receiver path to receive a signal associated with at least one other SPS, and subsequently operatively enabling at least the second receiver path to receive a second signal associated with the first SPS.
US08169360B1
A system(s) and method(s) of tracking a target(s). Systems include at least one electronic waveform processor operatively associated with an apparent emitted signal electronic sensor and a reflected signal electronic sensor and configured and programmed to generate an estimate of the range from an object to the target and an estimate of the closing velocity of the object to the target by processing a semi-active mode apparent emitted signal and a reflected signal.
US08169345B2
Various methods and systems permit digital data, such as video data, audio/video data, audio/video/subpicture data and the like, to be processed in a manner that permits playback at different speeds in both forward and reverse directions. Various embodiments are also directed to handling playback rate changes in a manner that can enhance the user's experience.
US08169344B2
Methods and systems for audio CODEC voice ADC processing are disclosed. Aspects of one method may include using a decimating filter that may be enabled to generate 13 MHz, 9-level digital output signal from a 26 MHz, 3-level digital input signal. The 13 MHz, 9-level digital output signal may be processed for RF transmission, for audio output to an output device, and/or utilized for testing by a test fixture, for example. The 13 MHz, 9-level digital output signal may be further processed to generate a 6.5 MHz, 33-level digital signal. The 6.5 MHz, 33-level digital signal may be converted to an analog signal, and processed for audio output and/or testing. The 13 MHz, 9-level digital output signal may also be processed to generate a 40 KHz, 17-bit digital signal, which may be communicated to a test equipment or further processed for RF transmission.
US08169340B2
A parking assist device has a touch display (58) including a display unit for displaying a situation around a vehicle and an input unit for entering a target parking position of a vehicle, and also has a control device (60) performing parking assist control by calculating a path according to the target parking position. The control device (60) further performs, under a predetermined condition, assist control for position alignment of a vehicle-side power transmission/reception unit placed on the vehicle with an apparatus-side power transmission/reception unit of an apparatus placed on a ground. Preferably, the parking assist device further has a back monitor camera (53) for taking an image of a surrounding situation of the vehicle. When an identifier indicating the apparatus-side power transmission/reception unit is present in the vicinity of the target parking position in the taken surrounding situation, the control device (60) recognizes the position of the identifier and performs the position alignment assist control.
US08169334B2
A magnetic rotary encoder with feedback unit, including a base, a cover body, a sensing element and a display element. The base has a hollow main body formed with a receiving space. The receiving space has an opening at one end of the main body. The cover body is disposed at the end of the main body of the base to block the opening. The cover body is formed with a through hole in communication with the receiving space. The sensing element is disposed in the receiving space for sensing the motion of a magnetic element disposed on a rotor of a rotary motor. The display element is arranged on the sensing element in alignment with the through hole of the cover body for receiving signals transmitted from the sensing element. The display element has different display modes in accordance with different signals for a user to easily judge the operation state of the rotary motor.
US08169333B2
A motion detector, in particular suitable for animals, comprising at least one motion element, wherein an element movable within a predetermined area is located, which brings about an electrical connection in at least one position, wherein the movable element is a magnetic element, which can move along a path of travel formed by a cavity in the motion element, and wherein, near the path of travel, at least one magnetically sensitive switching element is placed, which can be influenced by the magnetic element.
US08169332B2
A tactile device includes a touch input surface in any number of forms including a force sensitive touch screen. In this embodiment a cover captures a transparent screen located on capacitive sensors. Touching the screen produces signals from each sensor that can be combined to identify the location of the touch and the force exerted by that touch.
US08169331B2
Monitoring assemblies for determining an operational state of a circuit protector in an electrical circuit.
US08169329B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods are described for detecting moisture on a mattress cover. Conductive leads affixed to the mattress cover are configured in loop patterns, and adjacent conductive loops are positioned equidistant to one another to provide equal sensitivity to moisture at any location on the mattress cover. A quick-release connector allows the conductive leads to be quickly connected to an electrical monitoring circuit. The continuity of each conductive lead is periodically checked using a test signal. Moisture is detected by applying a different voltage level to adjacent conductive leads and measuring the current flowing between the leads. When moisture or a broken conductive lead is detected, an alarm signal is communicated to an attendant. The alarm signal is repeated at periodic intervals until the electrical monitoring circuit detects that the alarm condition has been corrected. The attendant's response time is recorded for future performance evaluations.
US08169320B2
Methods and systems for coding SAW OFC devices to mitigate code collisions in a wireless multi-tag system. Each device producing plural stepped frequencies as an OFC signal with a chip offset delay to increase code diversity. A method for assigning a different OFC to each device includes using a matrix based on the number of OFCs needed and the number chips per code, populating each matrix cell with OFC chip, and assigning the codes from the matrix to the devices. The asynchronous passive multi-tag system includes plural surface acoustic wave devices each producing a different OFC signal having the same number of chips and including a chip offset time delay, an algorithm for assigning OFCs to each device, and a transceiver to transmit an interrogation signal and receive OFC signals in response with minimal code collisions during transmission.
US08169316B2
The invention is directed to a location tracking device and auxiliary device for use with a monitoring center for tracking individuals or objects. The location tracking device has position determining circuitry and first wireless circuitry that communicates position data representative of the location of the tracking device to a remote location (e.g., a monitoring station). The tracking device also has second wireless circuitry that communicates with the auxiliary device. The tracking device has at least two operational modes. The tracking device switches operational modes when communication is established between the tracking device and the auxiliary device. The auxiliary device generally has an associated auxiliary device ID and wireless circuitry that communicates the auxiliary device ID to the location tracking device. The tracking device has a first operational mode, when communication is not established with the auxiliary device, wherein the position determining circuitry is maintained in a normal power state. The tracking device can also have a second operational mode, when communication is established between the tracking device and the auxiliary device. In the second operational mode, the second wireless circuitry receives the auxiliary device ID from the auxiliary device and the first wireless circuitry communicates the auxiliary device ID to the remote location. The tracking device can also have a third operational mode, when communication is established between the tracking device and the auxiliary device. In the third operational mode, the position determining circuitry is placed in a reduced power state.
US08169313B2
A method and apparatus for asset management in an open environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method correlates a person's RFID tag with an RFID of an asset and uses this information to determine whether an asset is allowed to pass an access point.
US08169312B2
The present disclosure is directed to determining speeds of radio frequency tags. In some implementations, a method includes sampling a Radio Frequency (RF) signal from an RFID tag at a plurality of different times as the RFID tag approaches an RFID reader and recedes from the RFID reader. A phase of the RF signal is determined for each of the plurality of different times based, at least in part, on the sampled RF signal. A speed of the RFID tag is determined based, at least in part, on the determined phase for the sampled signal for each of the plurality of different times.
US08169305B2
A warning device (610) includes a horn A (630) for generating a first horn sound having a volume level satisfying the legal standard and a horn B (632) for generating a second horn sound satisfying at least one of a condition that it has a volume level equal to or lower than that of the first horn sound and a condition that it is of a type different from that of the first horn sound.
US08169304B2
A user station configurable for use in a healthcare communication system, such as a nurse call system, is provided.
US08169303B2
A system and related methods for dynamically re-configuring a radio frequency identification tag reader, engaging software business processes, or combinations of both, using a radio-frequency-readable configuration tag which physically associated with one or more RFID-tagged articles in a physical handling flow. The configuration tag reader is positioned prior to a radio frequency identification tag reader in said material handling flow, which allows the configuration reader to read the contents of the configuration tags before the articles reach the identification tag reader. Based on the contents of the read configuration tags, one or more selected business processes are initiated to customize the handling process of the tagged items.
US08169299B2
A method and apparatus is provided for creating and recognizing a USN (Unique Signature Number) from an analysis of living entity's (e.g. person, animal or other multi-cellular being having neural activity) emitted electrical or electromagnetic signal in a given, normalized or calm state. This USN may then be used at a later date, in a comparison function of a number of stored USN's, in ascertaining the identity of an entity recently detected as being in proximity to an antenna of the apparatus. A further analysis process can also detect neural activity that is abnormal to that indicated by the USN of a given entity in a calm state and which neural activity may be indicative of excessive aggression, stress or even ill health said given entity.
US08169292B2
A high voltage fuse which includes at least one fuse terminal located at a distal end of the fuse housing. One face of the fuse terminal includes an elongated groove and an opposite face includes at least two elongated grooves. An aperture extends through the fuse terminal from the first face to the second face. The first face is adapted for use with an eyebolt connector component to attach a single conductor to be in direct contact with the fuse terminal. The second face is adapted for use with a parallel groove connector clamping component to attach a pair of conductors in direct contact with the fuse terminal. Alternatively, the grooves on the first and second faces may be provided on a single face of the fuse terminal. The fuse terminal may also serve the function of a spade connector. Thus, the fuse terminal provides improved versatility to allow a variety of connectors to be used therewith.
US08169285B2
A semiconductor device with a number of integrated coils is disclosed. In one embodiment, a first coil portion and a second coil portion are at least in part overlapping each other. Another embodiment provides a process for manufacturing a semiconductor device having at least the processes of generating a first coil portion, generating a second coil portion, wherein at least a part of the first coil portion and a part of the second coil portion are overlapping each other.
US08169281B2
The starter has a system of pushing the pinion gear in the direction of the anti-motor side by using the attracting power of the electromagnetic switch via the shift lever. The switch coil of the electromagnetic switch is constituted of one coil that is electrically separated from the motor circuit. The mass of pinion gear is set to 100 g or less, the switch extrusion power stored in the drive spring is set to 70 N (Newton) or less, and the operation current of the electromagnetic switch is set to 12 amperes or less. With this starter, since the switch coil and the motor circuit can be electrically separated, the terminal for connection for connecting the conventional attracting coil and conventional “M terminal bolt” can be abolished. Further, by setting the operation current of the electromagnetic switch 10 to 12 amperes or less, it is possible to control the operation current directly by the ECU.
US08169280B2
A relay includes a permanent magnet and a magnetic circuit. The permanent magnet is disposed between a pair of electromagnets. The pair of the electromagnets is formed by winding coils around body portions of spools. Each spool has flanges integrally formed on both upper and lower end portions thereof. The magnetic circuit is formed by a yoke spanning the spools and the permanent magnet. The permanent magnet is held by the upper and lower flanges of a pair of the spools that are juxtaposed.
US08169260B2
An amplifier circuit performs a characteristic correction process and a smooth curvilinear process on an input signal before being subjected to amplification. The characteristic correction process is a frequency characteristic process, which is performed on the input signal so as to produce a processed signal (Vp). Either the input signal or the processed signal, or the mixture of these signals is subjected to the smooth curvilinear process whose start point is designated by a state variation of amplification (VxTyp). Alternatively it is subjected to a gain decrement process instead of the smooth curvilinear process when the state variation of amplification is less than a default value (VxTHD). Thus, it is possible to prevent clipping from occurring in the amplified output signal while maintaining an adequate power.
US08169258B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a reference voltage generating block, a circuit block, and a transmission line. The reference voltage generating block generates a first reference voltage and generates and outputs a digital code corresponding to the level of the first reference voltage. The circuit block converts the digital code into a second reference voltage and uses the second reference voltage for operation related to the function of the semiconductor integrated circuit. The transmission line is connected between the reference voltage generating block and the circuit block to allow transmission of the digital code to the circuit block.
US08169257B2
A system includes first, second, and third circuits and first and second capacitors. The first capacitor has a first power supply terminal coupled to positive power supply terminal, a second power supply terminal, and an input/output. The second capacitor has a first power supply terminal coupled the second power supply terminal of the first circuit, a second power supply terminal, and an input/output. The third circuit has a first power supply terminal coupled the second power supply terminal of the second circuit, a second power supply terminal, and an input/output. The first capacitor has a first terminal coupled to the input/output of the first circuit and a second terminal coupled to the input/output of the second circuit. The second capacitor has a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the first capacitor and a second terminal coupled to the input/output of the third circuit.
US08169254B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes a plurality of pump control units respectively located in a plurality of chips, connected in series through a first TSV, and configured to sequentially delay a period signal, transmit delayed period signals and generate pump control signals based on the period signal or the delayed period signals; and a plurality of voltage pump units respectively located in the plurality of chips, and configured to generate a pumping voltage in response to the pump control signals generated from the plurality of pump control units.
US08169245B2
A pulse width modulation (PWM) signal generator generates a PWM signal with an adjustable PWM duty based on a programmable or otherwise adjustable value. In response to a change or update to this value, the PWM signal generator initiates a duty transition process that generates a series of groups of PWM cycles that gradually transition from the original duty to the new duty. Each group includes a corresponding set of a predetermined number of PWM cycles that is repeated one or more times over a predetermined duration for the group. Each set has a certain proportion of PWM cycles having the new duty to PWM cycles having the original duty, whereby the proportion increases for each successive group of the series. This gradual transition in the PWM signal from the original duty to the new duty effectively provides an effective higher duty resolution for the PWM signal generator during the duty transition.
US08169237B1
In one embodiment, a circuit such as a comparator circuit includes a differential stage adapted to receive a differential input signal and first and second diodes coupled to the differential stage. The first and second diodes are adapted to selectively switch on and off to provide a differential output signal at first and second differential output nodes in response to the differential input signal. The circuit may include an output stage coupled to the first and second diodes at the first and second differential output nodes, with the output stage adapted to convert the differential output signal to a single ended output signal. The circuit may also include a current source adapted to selectively provide a reference current to the first or second diode in an off state to reduce voltage swing of the first or second diode between the off and an on state.
US08169234B1
A voltage level shifting circuit may include a differential first-stage level shifter that receives a binary input signal and generates a non-inverted first-stage shifted output signal and an inverted first-stage shifted output signal, a second-stage level shifter that receives the first-stage shifted output signals and generates a non-inverted second-stage shifted output signal and an inverted second-stage shifted output signal, and a signal generator that generates a level shifted final output signal corresponding to the binary input signal that is based on the non-inverted second-stage shifted output signal and the inverted second-stage shifted output signal. The voltage swing of the first stage output signals may be limited to swing between a non-zero lower value and an upper value that is less than or equal to a source-to-drain voltage rating of transistors in the differential first-stage level shifter.
US08169216B2
A method for synthesizing crossing ADC distributions via reassembly of multiple k-spaces is disclosed. The method includes the steps of scanning a test object having a plurality of anisotropic structures to acquire a first set of DTI data using gradient directions; rotating the gradient directions by an angle α; repeating the step of scanning the test object to acquire a second set of DTI data; creating a composite data set from the first and second sets of data; and applying an inverse Fourier transform to the composite data set.
US08169208B2
For output current detection of a voltage regulator, the currents in a high-side transistor and a low-side transistor of the voltage regulator are sensed and summarized to a summed current to flow through a setting resistor. The voltage variation on the setting resistor is monitored to provide a feedback signal for feedback control in the voltage regulator. This detection scheme removes the current sensing resistor from the charging current path of the voltage regulator to prevent efficiency loss on it, and is much less sensitive to noise interference because greater voltage variation is available by using a greater setting resistor.
US08169196B2
A method performed by a charging device may include detecting a presence of an external device connected to a secondary side of the charging device and setting a switch on a primary side of the charging device to an off state when a presence of an external device is not detected.
US08169188B2
A system and method for providing a communication port integral with a battery pack assembly is disclosed. The system provides a pathway between an external unit and a host unit via a printed circuit board of the battery pack. The battery pack can include communication ports mounted on the printed circuit board for interfacing with external units. The printed circuit board further includes a substrate(s) formed with a predetermined wiring pattern electrically and/or mechanically joined to the CPU of the host unit, as well as the battery cell(s).
US08169182B1
A system that produces electrical power for an electric vehicle while in motion, utilizing a roof-mounted ductwork, is herein disclosed. The ductwork tunnel comprises a plurality of fan alternator assemblies which rotate due to an air flow therethrough, thereby producing an electrical current which is in-turn used to charge a plurality of on-board batteries and alternately to provide power directly thereto the electric motor portion of the electric vehicle.
US08169176B2
A movement structure for a drawer of a refrigerator is provided. The movement structure may a storage box to be automatically withdrawn from or inserted into a storage compartment of the refrigerator by pressing a button. This automatic movement of the storage box may allow the storage box to be easily withdrawn from and inserted into the storage compartment regardless of a weight of items stored in the storage box.
US08169169B2
A door operator for controlling operation of a door, the door operator having a motor to open the door against a spring force, the door operator further comprising a door position sensor for transmitting a signal indicative of door position; and among other things, calculates a door moment of inertia based on a net torque and the time for the door to reach a predetermined angle from the closed position. Also provided is a door operator that compares door speed to a desired door speed based on a door speed-position profile and generates a door speed error signal and minimizes the door speed error signal by adjusting the braking load resulting from charging a chargeable battery using the motor as a generator.
US08169164B2
A light output control device for laser light sources for respective RGB colors includes, for each of RGB, three sets, each including: a semiconductor laser for one of the colors; light output detection unit for detecting a light output from the semiconductor laser; light output adjustment unit for updating a light output target value; light output control unit for controlling the semiconductor laser based on the updated light output target value; and division unit for dividing the light output by an output from the light output adjustment unit to obtain a ratio of the rising of the light output, and includes rising determination unit for determining, based on results obtained by the respective division unit, a semiconductor laser with a slowest rising and outputs light output adjustment values for the respective colors. The light output adjustment unit update their respective light output target values based on the light output adjustment values. The light output control unit causes their respective corresponding semiconductor lasers to operate in accordance with a semiconductor laser whose rising time is slowest, based on the updated light output target values to keep RGB color balance upon start-up.
US08169153B2
A circuit arrangement for a high-pressure discharge lamp, having a main combustion chamber with first and second main electrodes and an auxiliary combustion chamber including: an inverter having first and second electronic switches and first and second output terminals; a drive circuit for the electronic switches; and an auxiliary starting circuit. The auxiliary starting circuit has input terminals coupled to the output terminals of the inverter; a first output terminal for the first main electrode; a second output terminal for the second main electrode; and an auxiliary electrode arranged on the side of the first output terminal for inducing an auxiliary starting voltage in the auxiliary combustion chamber. The auxiliary starting circuit includes a cascade circuit formed by the auxiliary electrode and the second output terminal of the auxiliary starting circuit, which provides a voltage for starting the high-pressure discharge lamp.
US08169146B2
A metal halide lamp capable of delaying the rate of deformation in an electrostrictive phenomenon caused by the discharge of a ferroelectric ceramic capacitor when dielectric breakdown is initiated between the electrodes of an arc tube thereby preventing breakage accident, wherein a starting circuit, housed in parallel connection together with an arc tube in an outer tube of a metal halide lamp has in serial connection, a ferroelectric ceramic capacitor that is charged and discharged when a voltage at a predetermined coercive voltage or higher is applied thereby outputting a starting pulse at a high voltage from a ballast, a semiconductor switch that turns to a conduction state when a voltage of a predetermined breakover voltage or higher is applied, and a time constant control resistor that delays the discharge time of electric charges discharged from the capacitor when dielectric breakdown is initiated in the arc tube.
US08169145B2
A spark gap includes two terminal electrodes enveloping a cavity. The cavity includes an electrical discharge space between the two terminal electrodes. The spark gap also includes an electrical insulator between the two terminal electrodes.
US08169142B2
A display apparatus includes a plurality of first electrodes, a second electrode facing the plurality of first electrodes, and a plurality of microcapsules. Each of the plurality of first electrodes corresponds to one of a color. The plurality of microcapsules have a dispersion media and a plurality of particles sealed therein and are disposed between the plurality of first electrodes and the second electrode. A microcapsule of the plurality of microcapsules providing one of the colors is arranged on the first electrode that corresponds to the one of the colors.
US08169137B2
Deterioration of the whole electroluminescence layer which is caused by moisture penetration through the electroluminescence layer because of a pinhole in an electrode is prevented. A plurality of island-shaped electroluminescence layers is provided. That is, an electroluminescence layer is divided into plural layers. In addition, the plurality of island-shaped electroluminescence layers is interposed between a pair of common electrodes. Accordingly, even when moisture penetrates through one of the island-shaped electroluminescence layers, moisture does not penetrate through another of the island-shaped electroluminescence layers.
US08169127B2
A flexural vibration element includes: a plurality of vibrating arms provided in parallel with each other; a connecting part connecting the vibrating arms; and one central supporting arm extending between the vibrating arms from the connecting part in parallel with the vibrating arms at equal distance from the arms. In the flexural vibration element, the connecting part has a groove formed on each of front and rear surfaces thereof, and the groove is provided in an area of the connecting part in which compressive stress and tensile stress due to flexural vibration of the vibrating arms alternately occur at a vibrating arm side and an opposite side of the vibrating arm side, in a width direction of the vibrating arms.
US08169125B2
An ultrasound transducer (40,70,100) comprises a combined individual die integrated circuit (42,72,102) and an array of acoustic elements (44,74,104) coupled to the combined individual die integrated circuit via an array of flip-chip bumps (46,76,106). The combined individual die integrated circuit includes a first integrated circuit die (48,78,108) aligned with at least one additional integrated circuit die (50,80,(110,112)). In addition, the first integrated circuit die, the at least one additional die integrated circuits, and the array of acoustic elements together form a large aperture transducer array.
US08169121B2
A surface acoustic wave device has a large electromechanical coupling coefficient, a low insertion loss, and high resistance to static electricity. In the surface acoustic wave device, a piezoelectric substance includes a plurality of grooves. Each electrode finger of an IDT electrode includes a first electrode layer disposed in the grooves and a second electrode layer disposed on the first electrode layer and located at a position higher than the upper opening of the grooves. In a surface acoustic wave device, the one-half power of the product of the cube of the average density (ρa) of the first electrode layer and the average stiffness (C44a) of the first electrode layer [(ρa3×C44a)1/2] is larger than the one-half power of the product of the cube of the average density (ρb) of the second electrode layer and the average stiffness (C44b) of the second electrode layer [(ρb3×C44b)1/2].
US08169119B2
An electric machine having a rotor and a stator that encloses the rotor. The stator is closed at its end faces by flanges. A slot insulation is applied in an axial direction to the stator and has means of centering the rotor and/or the flanges with respect to the stator.
US08169118B2
A homopolar magnetic actuator is configured to exert controllable radial forces on a body adapted to rotate around an axis. The actuator comprises at least three radial magnetic pole assemblies distributed at some distances from each other along the axis, each including a plurality of poles adjacent to an actuator target on the body. Permanent magnets are used to induce bias magnetic fluxes in the assemblies with polarities alternating from assembly to assembly but remaining the same around the rotational axis. Having several small bias fluxes distributed between several pole assemblies instead of a large single bias flux facilitates designing an actuator with a high aspect ratio. A control coil around each pole can induce a control magnetic flux in the poles. These control fluxes affect magnetic flux distribution around the actuator target, resulting in magnetic forces exerted on the target.
US08169113B2
A motor operating at two different voltages, containing at least: a stator, a rotor, multiple coil windings, a housing, a patch board, a connector socket having a terminal cap, a first plug, a second plug, and a base. The patch board is disposed on the housing. The connector socket, the first plug, and the base are disposed on the patch board. The terminal cap is disposed in the connector socket. The coil winding is directly electrically connected to the terminal cap. The first plug is inserted in the connector socket whereby connecting two in-phase coil windings in parallel. The second plug is disposed on the base as the motor operates at a low voltage, and the second plug is inserted in the connector socket whereby connecting two in-phase coil windings in series. The first plug is disposed on the base as the motor operates at a high voltage.
US08169108B2
An integrated circuit provides high voltage isolation capabilities. The circuit includes a first area containing a first group of functional circuitry located in a substrate of the integrated circuit. This circuit also includes a second area containing a second group of functional circuitry also contained within the substrate of the integrated circuit. Capacitive isolation circuitry located in the conductive layers in the integrated circuit provide a high voltage isolation link between the first group of functional circuitry and the second group of functional circuitry. The capacitive isolation circuitry distributes a first portion of the high voltage isolation signal across the first group of capacitors in the capacitive isolation circuitry and distributes a second portion of the high voltage isolation circuitry across the second group of capacitors in the capacitive isolation circuitry.
